TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  SF1: THE VOLTURNUS ADVENTURE, Part 2 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  STAR FRONTIERS, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, and the WIZARDS OF THE COAST logo are 
  trademarks belonging to Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used 
  here without permission. © 2001 Wizards of the Coast. All Rights Reserved.  The free distribution 
  of this revised edition of the out-of-print game system is not intended to detract income from 
  Wizards of the Coast. 
   
   
   
  SF1: THE VOLTURNUS ADVENTURE, Part 2 
   
  Last Revision: 2.26.2007 
  
   
  1 
   
   
   
   
   
  Marooned on Volturnus, your party must have luck and 
  intelligence to survive. The Kurabanda might know how to 
  find the lost explorer you seek, but this planet of mystery 
  is hazardous for even the best adventurers. Are you equal 
  to the challenge?  
   
   
  This module is the second in the Volturnus series of 
  modules for the STAR FRONTIERSTM game. It can be 
  played separately or as a sequel to CRASH ON 
  VOLTURNUS. For the best in adventure gaming products, 
  look for the TSR logo on games, modules, and playing 
  aids.  
   
   
  ALPHA Section 
   
  
   
  2 
   
   
   
  This is the second in a three-part series of adventure 
  modules for STAR FRONTIERSTM science-fiction role-
  playing game. This module continues the adventure begun 
  in the module CRASH ON VOLTURNUS included in the 
  STAR FRONTIERS boxed set. To play this module, you 
  must have one set of the rules for STAR FRONTIERS role-
  playing game. It is strongly recommended that CRASH ON 
  VOLTURNUS be played before this module is played. 
   
  STOP! If you are going to be a player in this module, do 
  not read any farther. The rest of the information in this 
  booklet is for use by the referee only.  
   
  ALPHA SUBSECTION 1:  
  REFEREE'S NOTES  
  Before beginning play, the referee should read this 
  module thoroughly, becoming familiar with the overall 
  outline of the adventure and the details concerning the 
  intelligent races encountered. The referee should spend 
  extra time reading the "STAR FRONTIERS Briefing Update" 
  so that he or she can fully play the parts of the alien NPCs 
  the player characters will meet.  
   
  During the play of this adventure, the counters and maps 
  included in the STAR FRONTIERS game, as well as the 
  large map of Volturnus included in SF0, will be used.  
   
  This module is designed to be played by four to eight 
  characters. If at all possible, these should be the same 
  characters used by the players in the module CRASH ON 
  VOLTURNUS.  
   
  Two sections of the module have been bound into the 
  center of the booklet as special pull-out sections. These 
  sections can be removed by gently bending back the 
  staples in the center of the booklet, removing the 
  sections, and reclosing the staples. The "Alien Creature 
  Update File" is a complete listing of all creatures 
  introduced in this module. The "STAR FRONTIERS Briefing 
  Update" contains a summary of new intelligent alien races 
  encountered 
  in 
  the 
  module. 
  This 
  summary 
  is 
  a 
  supplement to the data in the STAR FRONTIERS System 
  Brief in module SF0: CRASH ON VOLTURNUS. The rules in 
  ALPHA 
  SECTION 
  of 
  SF0 
  concerning 
  survival 
  and 
  movement on Volturnus are used throughout this module.  
   
  ALPHA SUBSECTION 2:  
  PLAYER'S 
  BACKGROUND  
  If your players have not played module SF0, read them 
  this background section: 
   
  Some 
  months 
  ago, 
  you 
  were 
  contracted 
  by 
  the 
  government of Truane's Star to journey to Volturnus, a 
  newly claimed planet in the Zebulon star system. Your 
  mission was two-fold; to explore the planet, and, if 
  possible, to rescue the original exploration team, which 
  had disappeared shortly after entering the Zebulon 
  system. Since then, your lives have been anything but 
  dull. Your starliner was hijacked by space pirates as soon 
  as it entered the Zebulon system.  
   
  You barely managed to escape with your lives by 
  boarding a lifeboat and riding in it to Volturnus. 
  Volturnus is a hot, inhospitable world, and your lifeboat 
  crash-landed in the barren Volturnian desert. You 
  wandered through the desert for days, nearly dying of 
  hunger and thirst, before a band of Ul-Mor found you. 
  (An Ul-Mor resembles an octopus with nine tentacles. 
  The Ul-Mor are an intelligent race of desert nomads 
  who ride a dinosaur called the loper.) After a brief, 
  difficult attempt at verbal communication, the Ul-Mor 
  demonstrated their primary means of communication. 
  An Ul-Mor inserted its ninth tentacle into the base of 
  your spine, and you found yourself in direct mind-link 
  with a member of an alien race!  
   
  The Ul-Mor explained that although you and your 
  people were obviously starving, tribal law prohibits the 
  sharing of food and water with those who are not tribe 
  members. However, if you were willing to undergo the 
  Ritual of Manhood and become tribe members, they 
  would save you. You accepted their offer, and 
  journeyed across the desert into the vast Forbidden 
  Caverns. Shortly after entering the caverns, a cave-in 
  separated you from the Ul-Mor. After a perilous 
  Journey through the caverns you escaped and found 
  the Ul-Mor camped nearby, waiting for you.  
   
  After allowing you to rest and recuperate for several 
  days, the Ul-Mor led you to The Place of True Warriors, 
  where you would undergo the Ritual of Manhood. 
  Though they did not take your weapons, the Ul-Mor 
  gave each of you a spear and a straw dummy, then 
  retreated to a safe distance to watch the ritual. Not 
  long after, a tiger-sized creature moving at incredible 
  speed approached you. This creature was a quickdeath. 
  It had a long neck ending in a hideous head with four 
  eyes mounted on stalks. Three small tentacles with 
  suction cups hung from each side, and its whole body 
  was covered with a natural reflective armor. Even as 
  you studied the creature, it attacked you.  
   
  The creature was a terrible opponent, moving and 
  striking with incredible speed and viciousness. Despite 
  the quickdeath's ferocity, you killed it and were 
  accepted as The Ul-Mor then told you that they have 
  seen people like yourselves living with the Kurabanda, 
  a foolish tree-dwelling race. The Ul-Mor offered to 
  guide you to the home of the Kurabanda. 
   
   
  
   
  3 
   
   
   
   
  This part of the module concerns the party's meeting and 
  adventures with the Kurabanda, a tree-dwelling race living 
  in the bachanda forests of Volturnus.  
   
  BETA SUBSECTION 1:  
  THE SHARD  
  GRASS PLAINS  
  The journey to the Kurabanda village will be made in 
  three stages. The Ul-Mor will escort the party from The 
  Place of True Warriors to the fertile area (oasis) on the 
  south side of the Burning Lands. The party will be guided 
  through the caverns beneath the Burning Lands, as well 
  as through the Burning Lands, but they will have no 
  encounters on this part of the journey, which will take 12 
  days.  
   
  The Ul-Mor will escort the party in the second stage of the 
  journey from the oasis to the edge of the shard grass 
  plains. The route goes seven hexes southeast from the 
  oasis, then straight east for six hexes, then northeast for 
  four hexes to the edge of the shard grass plains. This part 
  of the journey will take eight and one-half days. During 
  this part of the journey, normal random encounter checks 
  should be made.  
   
  The third stage of the journey requires crossing the shard 
  grass plains in the directions indicated by the Ul-Mor. The 
  Ul-Mor will not accompany the party on this part of the 
  journey, and the party will have to choose its own 
  direction across the plain.  
   
  BETA SUBSECTION 2:  
  RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  During the journey from the oasis to the shard grass 
  plain, roll once each day and once each night for a 
  random encounter. An encounter is indicated by a roll of 1 
  on 1d10. When an encounter is indicated, use the Random 
  Encounter Table for the desert included in the module 
  CRASH ON VOLTURNUS to determine the exact type of 
  encounter.  
   
  BETA SUBSECTION 3:  
  PLANNED 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  The following are the planned encounters for the shard 
  grass plains. Should your player characters take a 
  completely different route or do something completely 
  unexpected, use your own judgment to handle the 
  situations that arise.  
   
  1. INTO THE SHARD GRASS  
  Athru and his Ul-Mor have led you to the edge of a great 
  plain covered with a strange-looking grass. Athru now 
  tells you that he and his followers are needed elsewhere. 
  He says that the Kurabanda can be found by traveling 
  across the plain in an east-northeast direction. He wishes 
  you luck and bids you farewell.  
   
  Player 
  characters 
  who 
  question 
  Athru 
  about 
  the 
  Kurabanda 
  will 
  learn 
  that 
  the 
  Kurabanda 
  are 
  an 
  apparently intelligent race whom the Ul-Mor dislike. The 
  Ul-Mor say that the Kurabanda are frivolous, wasteful, 
  arrogant and ugly.  
   
  The shard grass grows to a height of 1-1.5 meters and 
  has a glass-like sheath around the main stalk. This sheath 
  is razor sharp, and characters who attempt to walk 
  through the shard grass will automatically take 1d10 
  points of damage for every day's travel (eight hours, or 
  fraction thereof) that they spend in it. The referee may 
  decide that the characters take less damage if they 
  carefully clear a trail or take precautions against getting 
  cut. Characters who fall into or on the shard grass will 
  take 1d10 points of damage immediately. Characters 
  wearing skein suits will take half damage.  
   
  The shard grass is extremely dense. Movement through it 
  even if party members use knives or improvised machetes 
  to cut a path, is at the rate of one-half hex per day.  
   
  2. A ROLLER PATH  
  Eventually the party will find a roller path in the shard 
  grass. When they do, use the following encounter and 
  begin by reading this description:  
   
   
   
   
   
  BETA Section 
  
   
  4 
   
   
   
  As you push aside and work through the next strands of 
  the shard grass, you see a clearing before you. The shard 
  grass has been completely flattened, as if by a huge 
  weight. There are broken shards all over the ground, and 
  a few stalks as well. This clearing is about 6 meters wide, 
  and extends in two directions like a corridor through the 
  shard grass.  
   
  Movement along a roller path is at the rate of three hexes 
  per day. No damage is suffered for moving along such 
  paths. Note that the map shows the general location of 
  existing roller paths; the paths themselves are not 
  perfectly straight; they in fact are several little paths that 
  wander through the grass in the general direction shown 
  on the map.  
   
  If the party travels along any roller path for more than 
  half a day, they will encounter a small herd of 15 rollers 
  (MV Fast; IM/RS 4/38; STA 300; ATT 80; DM 8d10; SA 
  See below; SD See below). If a party member comes 
  within 20 meters, the rollers will panic and stampede 
  toward the party. Any character hit by a roller must make 
  a Reaction Speed check. Success means that the 
  character has avoided the attack; failure means that the 
  character suffers normal damage.  
   
  If the party attempts to follow the rollers from a distance, 
  they will move through the shard grass in random 
  directions at a rate of one hex per day.  
   
  SA: Can expel shards as ranged weapon to defend hind- 
  quarters (ATT 60; DM 1d10; Range 5/10/15/20/30)  
   
  SD: Immune to needlers; half damage from projectile 
  weapons)  
   
  3. A SPITTER HERD  
  One day after first encountering the rollers, the party will 
  encounter a herd of 50 spitters (MV Medium; IM/RS 7/65; 
  STA 120; ATT 20; DM 1d10; SA See below; SD None). 
  The spitters are grazing in a large clearing. The ground of 
  the clearing is covered with the acid used by spitters to 
  dissolve the shards on shard grass. The spitters will graze 
  peacefully and not attack unless one or more of the party 
  comes within 10 meters or makes any loud or frightening 
  noise. If the spitters attack, 10 will fight while the 
  remainder attempt to run away through the shard grass.  
   
  SA: Spits acid (ATT 80; DM 2d10; Range 2/5/10/15/20)  
   
  4. FIGHT IN THE TREES  
  This encounter will take place in the first forest hex 
  reached by the party.  
   
  At last you can see before you the dense forest spoken of 
  by the Ul-Mor as the home of the Kurabanda. The trees 
  are huge, often 50 meters tall. The trees have broad, flat 
  limbs from which sprout tendrils and smaller roots that 
  anchor the trees to the ground far below. At ground level 
  the roots and tendrils of the trees are so tangled together 
  that it is impossible to pass between the trees.  
   
   
  As you work your way through the last patches of shard 
  grass barring your way to the edge of the forest, you see 
  the searing blast of a laser pistol and hear a scream of 
  agony! Immediately the air is filled with the sounds of 
  battle coming from the trees directly ahead of you. As you 
  look around, high in the trees you see the body of what 
  appears to be a monkey fall from one of the trees to the 
  ground far below. Among the many shouts and screams, 
  you hear a deep voice rasping, "Take that, you furry little 
  creep." The voice comes from a Human who is standing 
  high in the trees near the spot where the monkey fell. 
  Even at this distance, (about 10 meters) you can see that 
  the Human bears the unmistakable red tattoo which 
  indicates membership in the Star Devil's band of space 
  pirates!  
   
  The party has just stumbled onto a raging battle between 
  ten of the Star Devil's men and the Kurabanda. Five 
  Kurabanda are defending part of the large forest from 
  space pirates who are out on a destructive raid.  
   
  The forest here is composed mainly of bachanda trees. 
  The forest floor is impassable; to enter the fight the player 
  characters will have to climb the trees, using some of the 
  numerous vines and tendrils which are hanging from all 
  the trees near them.  
   
  This encounter uses the color forest map included on the 
  large map sheet in your STAR FRONTIERS game set. The 
  map scale is 10 meters per square. The elevation shown 
  for each tree is the highest elevation from which someone 
  in the tree can shoot. Tree elevations are 10, 20, 30, and 
  40 meters. At the start of the encounter the Kurabanda 
  are all huddled in the tall tree adjacent to the right (east) 
  edge of the forest map. Place the Kurabanda counters in 
  this tree, one per square. Place ten pirates at any location 
  in the forest except the Kurabanda tree, one per square. 
  Be sure to spread the pirates among several trees. The 
  party will enter the map from the right (east) edge after 
  climbing the vines which hang down from the trees on the 
  right edge.  
   
  If the party goes immediately to the aid of the Kurabanda, 
  they will reach the trees without being spotted by the 
  pirates. If the party does not get into the fight the pirates 
  will spot them and open fire on them as the party tries to 
  get away or hide in the shard grass plain. The shard grass 
  does not provide effective cover against fire from a higher 
  elevation.  
   
  A character in trees can move one square or climb up or 
  down a distance of 10 meters per turn. He cannot move 
  and climb in the same turn. A Kurabanda can move three 
  squares in one turn and climb up or down 10 meters. A 
  character may move from one tree to a directly adjacent 
  tree if the difference in elevation is no more than 10 
  meters. Climbing the vines into the trees takes one turn 
  per 10 meters vertical distance climbed and requires a 
  Dexterity check each turn; failure means that the 
  character has fallen. More than one character can be in a 
  square, but there is a 10% chance per turn for each 
  counter after the first that the branch the characters are 
  standing on will break, dropping the characters to the 
  forest floor. Characters who fall suffer 1-5 points of 
  damage, plus one point per meter of distance fallen.  
  
   
  5 
   
   
   
   
   
  A target must be sighted before it can be shot at. A 
  character can sight any character in an adjacent square. A 
  character can sight characters at greater ranges as long 
  as the line of sight does not pass through an empty 
  square filled with a green tree color.  
   
  All characters in the trees are considered to have soft 
  cover.  
   
  During the battle the nine pirates will fire at the party with 
  laser pistols set at 4 SEU while the officer moves closer to 
  use the sonic disrupter at point blank range. 
   
  BETA 3.1: THE PIRATES  
  Name 
  STR/ 
  STA 
  DEX/ 
  RS 
  INT/ 
  LOG 
  PER/ 
  LDR PS IM 
  RW 
  M 
  Swag Raston 
  40/65 70/50 55/75 50/70 4 
  5 
  35 
  35 
  Skills:  
  Beam Weapons-3; Gyrojet Weapons-1 
  Gear: 
  Sonic disruptor, frag grenade, tangler grenade, 
  albedo screen, power beltpack 
  Pirate 2 
  25/50 55/35 55/55 45/45 2 
  4 
  28 
  28 
  Pirate 3 
  60/85 40/20 35/35 55/55 3 
  2 
  20 
  30 
  Pirate 4 
  35/60 40/20 50/50 70/70 2 
  2 
  20 
  20 
  Pirate 5 
  25/50 65/45 30/30 55/55 2 
  5 
  33 
  33 
  Pirate 6Y 
  15/35 45/25 60/80 55/55 1 
  3 
  23 
  23 
  Pirate 7V 
  20/40 50/30 70/70 40/40 1 
  3 
  25 
  25 
  Pirate 8D 
  55/75 65/45 45/65 35/55 3 
  5 
  33 
  33 
  Pirate 9 
  20/45 30/30 50/50 45/45 1 
  3 
  15 
  15 
  Pirate 10 
  30/55 65/45 40/40 60/60 2 
  5 
  33 
  33 
  Skills:  
  Beam Weapons-2; Melee Weapons-1 
  Gear: 
  Laser pistol, one powerclip 
  Notes:  
  Y=Yazirian; V=Vrusk; D=Dralasite 
   
  BETA 3.2: THE KURABANDA  
  Name 
  STR/ 
  STA 
  DEX/ 
  RS 
  INT/ 
  LOG 
  PER/ 
  LDR 
  PS IM RW M 
  Lomonada 
  30/50 
  45/25 
  45/45 
  60/80 
  2 
  3 
  23 
  23 
  Moloashu 
  35/55 
  45/25 
  35/35 
  50/50 
  2 
  3 
  23 
  23 
  Kurmanada 
  20/40 
  60/40 
  50/50 
  35/35 
  1 
  4 
  30 
  30 
  Juramanu 
  50/70 
  65/45 
  40/40 
  40/40 
  3 
  5 
  33 
  33 
  Ermorada 
  30/50 
  75/55 
  80/80 
  60/80 
  2 
  6 
  38 
  38 
  Skills: 
  Projectile Weapons-2 
  Gear: 
  Bow, 20 Arrows, Knife 
  Notes: 
  Remember to add +20 to the RW score with Bows. 
   
  Ermorada is the leader of the Kurabanda group. 
   
  He is the son of Monorada, one of the local elders. 
   
  If the party is in serious danger of being defeated by the 
  pirates, you may have 20 Kurabanda enter from the east 
  edge of the map as reinforcements. These Kurabanda will 
  also appear if the original Kurabanda fighting the pirates 
  are all killed. These Kurabanda have the same statistics 
  and weapons as Lomonada.  
   
  The Kurabanda will fight to the death. They seem to be in 
  some sort of battle frenzy, and are filled with hatred for 
  the pirates. The pirates had come to raid the Kurabanda 
  and kill some of them for sport; the pirates will fight until 
  five pirates are dead, and then attempt to flee through the 
  forest. Any pirates who get off the edge of the map 
  opposite the edge entered by the payer characters have 
  succeeded in getting away, even if pursued by the player 
  characters. Tell the player characters they have lost sight 
  of the pirates in the dense forest. The pirates will not 
  allow themselves to be captured alive, as they know the 
  Kurabanda would torture them to death. Any pirates who 
  elude pursuit will get away in an explorer that lies 
  camouflaged nearby. (If all the pirates are killed, the 
  party will not find the explorer, regardless of how hard 
  they search.)  
   
   
   
  Once the battle is over the Kurabanda will be busy tending 
  their wounds and wondering who the strange new beings 
  might be.  
   
  5. MEETING THE KURABANDA 
  The fight is over. The surviving Kurabanda approach the 
  party cautiously, with weapons at the ready. You see that 
  they are monkey-like folk with furry torsos, who stand 1.5 
  meters tall. Each of them is wearing some type of amulet 
  or necklace. They are extremely cautious, but not hostile.  
   
  The Kurabanda will stare in stony silence at the party for 
  several 
  minutes, 
  studying 
  their 
  appearance 
  and 
  equipment, but without touching anything. Finally one of 
  them will speak. If Ermorada is still alive, he will be the 
  speaker. If not, any of the other Kurabanda may be the 
  speaker. The party will probably be surprised to find that 
  the Kurabanda speaker addresses them in a simple form 
  of Pan Galactic. He will ask questions such as "Who you? 
  Why you come? Where you come from?" After a few 
  questions, he will ask the party to come with him to the 
  village. None of the Kurabanda will answer questions 
  about themselves or their people.  
   
  If 
  the 
  referee 
  has 
  not 
  used 
  the 
  20 
  Kurabanda 
  reinforcements in the battle with the pirates, they will 
  arrive now and take positions in the surrounding trees. 
  They will not show themselves unless the party refuses to 
  come to the village.  
   
  The Kurabanda village is located two hexes northeast of 
  the northeasternmost extension of the shard grass plain. 
  The village hex contains an unusually tall tree and borders 
  the desert. The village itself is built in the treetops. It 
  consists of about 50 huts, open buildings of various types, 
  and one "long house" where the men of the tribe spend 
  much of their time working on weapons and telling stories 
  about great hunts or battles of the past.  
   
  The party will be taken to a special hut, one with several 
  bow-armed Kurabanda staying outside to "protect" them. 
  These guards will watch the player characters carefully 
  
   
  6 
   
   
   
  until they can be presented to the Kurabanda chief. The 
  party will be kept here for about five hours. They will be 
  given water and some roasted meat, and if wounded they 
  will receive a visit from a Kurabanda shaman who will 
  perform various ineffective magical ceremonies to heal 
  them. Otherwise, no one will speak with the party.  
   
  Any escape attempt will be dealt with harshly. There are 
  over 100 Kurabanda warriors in the village, and all would 
  immediately pursue the party with the intention of killing 
  them.  
   
  6. THE KURABANDA CHIEF  
  After a five-hour wait, you are taken to a large open 
  platform, built on several bachanda branches. You see 
  that there are several hundred Kurabanda gathered in 
  almost silent attention in two large groups, one on 
  each side of the platform. Many are warriors, but there 
  are also women and children. You are led by two 
  guards through the center of this crowd toward a large 
  chair in the front center of the platform. Seated on this 
  chair is an obviously old Kurabanda. He is resplendent 
  in a headdress made of hundreds of colored feathers, 
  and his chest is covered with at least a dozen amulets, 
  pendants and other pieces of jewelry. His chair has 
  numerous little wooden idols carved in the sides and at 
  the top. Around him are a dozen female Kurabanda.  
   
  This is Auramanda, Chief of the Kurabanda. He is chief 
  only of this village, but the players have no way of 
  knowing that at this time. In the past few hours he has 
  consulted the warriors who brought the party to the 
  village, his elders and the shaman. He is now ready to 
  speak with the party members and decide what to do 
  with them. In very broken Pan Galactic, he will ask the 
  party members who they are, what they are doing in 
  the forest, where they came from, what they are after, 
  etc. He will ask why they fight the "Demon from the 
  Sky," which is what the Kurabanda call the space 
  pirates.  
   
  The referee will have to improvise much of this 
  conversation based upon the answers given by the 
  players to Auramanda's first questions. Remember that 
  Auramanda will be favorably impressed already; after 
  all, the party did help his warriors fight the pirates. 
  However, he will not give out any useful information 
  until he is completely convinced that the party is 
  trustworthy. Read the information on The Kurabanda in 
  the pull-out section for more details on how Kurabanda 
  will react to various statements and actions by player 
  characters. Also remember that Auramanda is in public 
  in front of all  his people. This will make any insult, 
  intentional or not, much worse in his eyes. Finally, the 
  referee must decide whether Auramanda is favorably 
  impressed by the party and trusts them or not. 
  Auramanda's next actions can be determined by 
  consulting the following chart and picking the action 
  which 
  seems 
  most 
  appropriate 
  under 
  the 
  circumstances:  
   
  1. Complete trust: Auramanda will order a large feast 
  to be given in honor of the party. He will present 
  party members with small gifts (large gifts would be 
  considered insulting) and give them the freedom of 
  the village. He will also reveal that there were two 
  other people like the party members, who once 
  stayed with the Kurabanda but were captured in a 
  raid several weeks ago by the "Demons from the 
  sky." (The others are two members of the original 
  exploration party.) Auramanda will tell the party 
  that the two others are being held prisoner in a 
  "Demon" outpost, and will offer the party a guide to 
  take them to the outpost should they wish to rescue 
  their friend.  
   
  2. Partial trust: Auramada wants to know more about 
  the party before giving them any information. He 
  will invite the party to join him in a hunt. Use the 
  encounter "Hunt in the Air" at this time.  
   
  3. Insulted: Auramada will offer the party many, many 
  gifts of furs, arrows, and wives. The marriages must 
  take place immediately. If the party members 
  refuse, Auramada will have them tortured to death. 
   
  4. Greatly insulted: Auramada will have the player 
  characters tortured to death. 
   
  5. Distrustful: 
  Auramada 
  will 
  have 
  the 
  player 
  characters killed immediately by his warriors.  
   
  7. HUNT IN THE AIR  
  This encounter is used if Auramada wants to test the 
  trust- worthiness of the party. It may also be modified 
  and used as an additional interesting encounter at 
  anytime the party is with the Kurabanda.  
   
  In this encounter the Kurabanda, with Auramada 
  leading them, will take the party to the edge of the 
  forest by the shard grass plains. They will have the 
  party climb to a height of 40 meters in a large 
  bachanda tree, and then will ask the party to join them 
  as they hunt rollers with bows and arrows from their 
  hang gliders! The Kurabanda will have prepared special 
  hang gliders for any human or Yazirian party members. 
  Vrusk and Dralasites will be expected to help work the 
  safety nets the Kurabanda have set up in the trees to 
  catch any persons using hang gliders who "miss" when 
  they attempt to land in the bachanda branches.  
   
  Player characters are supposed to land in the lower 
  branches of the bachanda trees near the edge of the 
  shard grass plain. In order to land successfully, a 
  character must make a successful Dexterity check. 
  Yazirians have a +10 modifier to their Dexterity due to 
  their gliding ability. If the roll is unsuccessful, the 
  character will fall. There is a 75% chance the character 
  will land safely in the Kurabanda safety nets. 
  Characters who do not land in the nets will fall in the 
  shard grass at the edge of the trees.  
   
  
   
  7 
   
   
   
   
  The Kurabanda hang glider is similar to an unpowered 
  glijet. Characters will take off from an altitude of 40m. 
  Each turn they will normally glide 50m and lose 10m of 
  altitude. Each turn, a glider can make one 45 degree 
  turn.  
   
  There is a 60% chance per turn that the party will hit 
  an updraft or downdraft (equal chance for either). If it 
  is an updraft, the party will immediately gain 50m of 
  altitude. The maximum altitude possible is 500 meters. 
  If they hit a downdraft, they will immediately lose 10m 
  of altitude. If anyone is forced to the ground, treat this 
  as a normal landing with no safety nets and no 
  Reaction 
  Speed check. Characters who fail the 
  Dexterity check when landing will suffer 4d10 points of 
  damage. Yazirians have a +10 modifier to their 
  Dexterity score, due to their gliding ability.  
   
  Characters who make a deliberate or forced landing on 
  the roller path will suffer no damage.  
   
  While airborne, characters will sight a herd of 50 rollers 
  (MV Fast; IM/RS 4/38; STA 300; ATT 80; DM 8d10; SA 
  See below; SD See below). Airborne characters may 
  fire weapons as they pass above the herd. If the rollers 
  are fired upon, they will stampede away from the 
  direction of fire. Characters who crash in front of the 
  herd will be trampled unless other characters land and 
  drive the rollers away with their weapons.  
   
  SA: Fires shards as ranged weapons (ATT 60; DM 
  1d10; Range 5/10/15/20/30)  
   
  SD: Immune to needlers, half damage from projectile 
  weapons  
   
  If the party members kill a roller on this hunt, 
  Auramada will be most impressed and will trust them 
  completely. If they fail, but treat even the most serious 
  accidents as at least partly funny (the Kurabanda will 
  find the crashes and falls of the player characters 
  hilarious), Auramada will be favorably impressed by 
  their sense of humor and will trust them. If Auramada 
  decides to trust the party, he will give them the feast 
  and information described in the previous encounter.  
   
  BETA SUBSECTION 4:  
  EXPERIENCE 
  POINTS  
  Characters who did extremely well in this part of the 
  adventure receive three experience points. Characters 
  who were active in the adventure receive two points. 
  Characters who did not contribute much to the 
  adventure receive one point.  
   
   
   
  
   
  8 
   
   
   
  This adventure consists of a journey to the pirate outpost 
  (red location 1 on the color map in the module CRASH ON 
  VOLTURNUS), a raid by the party on the pirate outpost, 
  and the party's return to the Kurabanda village.  
   
  GAMMA SUBSECTION 1:  
  JOURNEY  
  THROUGH THE  
  FOREST  
  A Kurabanda guide (Ermorada, if he is still alive) has been 
  assigned to guide the party to the pirate outpost. The 
  guide will lead the party three hexes east through the 
  bachanda forest. Movement is at the rate of one hex per 
  day.  
   
  GAMMA SUBSECTION 2:  
  FOREST RANDOM  
  ENCOUNTERS  
  During the journey, roll for random encounters once per 
  each day and once each night. A random encounter occurs 
  on a roll of 1 or 2 on 1d10. When a random encounter 
  happens, use the following table to determine the type of 
  encounter:  
   
  GAMMA 2.1: FOREST RANDOM ENCOUNTERS  
  Die 
  Roll 
  Encounter 
  1-3 
  1-10 scraaks attack the party 
  4-6 
  2-20 strangler chutes begin grazing in the treetop areas 
  occupied by the party 
  7-9 
  1-5 queequegs attack the party. 
  10 
  The party is walking on a bachanda branch infested with 
  hollowers. 
   
  1.Scraaks (MV Medium; IM/RS 7/68; STA 40; ATT 75; DM 
  2d10; SA 10m vertical leap, screech; SD None). These 
  flightless birds will leap from trees upon the party and 
  attack with beak and claws.  
   
  2.Strangler Chutes (MV Slow; OM/RS 3/25; STA 150; ATT 
  None; DM 3 points/turn; SA Accidental attack; SD 
  Electrified tentacles). Everyone in the party will take 
  damage each turn from acid. Everyone must also make 
  a Reaction Speed check or be stunned for 1d10 turns.  
   
  3.Queequeg (MV Fast; IM/RS 6/60; STA 180; ATT 50; DM 
  3d10; SA Harpoon can strike at 5m distance; SD Treat 
  exoskeleton as skeinsuit). The queequeg pulls victims to 
  its mouth once the harpoon hits. Characters take 2d10 
  points of damage per turn from bite.  
   
   
   
  4.Hollowers (MV None; ATT None; SA Causes fall from 
  tree; SD None). The infested branch cracks when the 
  first player character steps on it. The character must 
  make a Reaction Speed check or else fall, suffering 1d5 
  points of damage, plus one point per meter fallen. 
      
  Each encounter on the table can occur only once. If an en- 
  counter is indicated twice, re-roll until a different 
  encounter is obtained.  
   
  GAMMA SUBSECTION 3:  
  JOURNEY TO  
  THE OUTPOST  
  The party's guide has led them to a place where the forest 
  and desert meet at the shore of the large lake. The guide 
  explains that he can go no further with the party. He says 
  that the pirate outpost is about two days' journey in a 
  southeasterly direction, along the shore of the lake.  
   
  If the party tries to force the Kurabanda guide to 
  accompany them, he will explain that Kurabana hate to 
  travel in the desert and that their action will cause 
  Auramanda to be very angry with them. If they still insist 
   
  GAMMA Section 
  
   
  9 
   
   
   
   
  on forcing the guide to accompany them, he will go with 
  them, but will run away if he can.  
   
  The party can reach the outpost by traveling overland, or 
  by water, after building a raft or boat from the forest 
  materials. Both methods of travel are detailed below.  
   
  TRAVEL BY DESERT  
  The referee handles the desert journey as in the standard 
  rules. Water from the lake appears to be normal, but 
  actually has a high petroleum content. Any character who 
  drinks the lake water will become mildly ill. Treat the lake 
  water as a mild poison (S2/T5). As the party follows the 
  lakeshore, they will eventually reach the dry canal. Careful 
  inspection will reveal that it is probably not a natural 
  phenomenon. The canal is too large and too regular in 
  structure to have been made naturally by the action of 
  flowing water. The canal is about 5 kilometers wide.  
   
  TRAVEL BY WATER  
  Travel on the lake by raft or boat is at the rate of two 
  hexes per day. Near the shore, submerged rocks and 
  debris make sailing too hazardous; the party must stay at 
  least 100 meters from shore to be safe. Have the party 
  specify at all times the distance they are staying from the 
  shore.  
   
  GAMMA SUBSECTION 4:  
  JOURNEY RANDOM  
  ENCOUNTERS  
   
  IN THE DESERT  
  The referee should roll for random encounters once each 
  day and once each night. A random encounter occurs on a 
  roll of 1 on 1d10. Use the Desert Random Encounter Table 
  from the module CRASH ON VOLTURNUS. 
    
  ON THE LAKE  
  The referee should roll for a random encounter once in 
  each lake hex the party enters. An encounter occurs on a 
  roll of 1-3 on 1d10. Each encounter will occur only once. 
  Use the following table to determine each encounter.  
   
  GAMMA 4.1: BLACK LAKE RANDOM ENCOUNTERS  
  Die  
  Roll 
  Encounter 
  1-2 
  Whirlpool  
  3-4 
  Storm and Fire 
  5-6 
  Flopper Leeches: 10-200 flopper leeches will 
  begin swarming aboard the party's raft or boat. 
  7-8 
  Jawfish: The party will be attacked by a jawfish 
  9-10 
  Winged Rippers: The party will be attacked by 4-
  40 winged rippers. 
   
  1.Whirlpool There is a 50% chance that the craft will 
  capsize and sink. If it stays afloat, the craft will be 
  dragged off-course one hex in a random direction.  
   
  2.Storm and Fire There is a 25% chance that the craft will 
  be blown two hexes toward the center of the lake. At 
  some time during the storm, the petroleum on the lake 
  will be ignited by lightning. The referee must decide how 
  long the lake will burn and the amount of damage 
  suffered by the craft and passengers. The storm will last 
  eight hours. 
   
  3.Flopper Leeches (MV Slow; IM/RS 5/45; STA 5; ATT 40; 
  DM 1d5; SA Attachment; SD None). A leech attaches 
  itself to its victim. Damage is automatic until the leech 
  is killed.  
   
  4.Jawfish (MV Fast; IM/RS 5/50; STA 100; ATT 80; DM 
  3d10; SA None; SD Soft cover while in water).  
   
  5.Winged Rippers (MV Fast; IM/RS 5/50; STA 30; ATT 60; 
  DM 1d5; SA None; SD None). If more than one-tenth of 
  the flock is killed. The rest will flee.  
   
  Note that the water in the Black Lake is slightly poisonous 
  (S2/T5), due to the natural petroleum in the water.  
   
  GAMMA SUBSECTION 5:  
  PLANNED 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  The pirate outpost is located inland two kilometers from 
  the Black Lake. It is surrounded by desert terrain.  
   
  The outpost is a group of cheap modular construction 
  units put together to form a single structure. The outpost 
  is surrounded by a high fence topped with barbed wire. 
  There is one gate, located in the northeast side of the 
  fence. 
    
  OUTPOST PERSONNEL  
  The outpost is inhabited by four Human space pirates and 
  two robots. The pirates have been specially selected by 
  the Star Devil to do secret research on the Edestekai and 
  on the resources of Volturnus.  
   
  GAMMA 5.1: OUTPOST PIRATES  
  Name 
  STR/ 
  STA 
  DEX/ 
  RS 
  INT/ 
  LOG 
  PER/ 
  LDR 
  PS IM RW M 
  Willy Malone  
  30/55 
  55/55 
  50/70 
  50/70 
  2 
  6 
  28 28 
  Skills: 
  Beam Weapons-2, Computer-5 
  Gear: 
  Sonic Stunner, two 20-SEU powerclips, anti-shock 
   
  implant, albedo suit, 50-SEU power beltpack 
  Notes: 
  Nickname “Whiz Kid” – outpost leader 
  Kurt Sandovar 55/60 
  50/30 
  70/70 
  55/35 
  3 
  3 
  25 28 
  Skills: 
  Environmental-5, Medical-3 
  Gear: 
  Sonic disruptor, one 50-SEU power beltpack, 
   
  albedo screen, anti-shock implant. 
  Joey Wilson 
  45/70 
  50/30 
  45/45 
  25/45 
  3 
  3 
  23 23 
  Skills: 
  Robotics-4, Technician-4 
  Gear: 
  Laser Pistol, one 50-SEU power beltpack, gauss 
   
  screen, anti-shock implant. 
  Notes: 
  Nickname “The Wrench”  
  Wally Jones 
  40/65 
  60/40 
  30/30 
  35/35 
  2 
  4 
  30 30 
  Skills: 
  Beam Weapons-3, Thrown Weapons-3, Melee 
   
  Weapons-2 
  Gear: 
  Laser Pistol, one 50-SEU power beltpack, one frag 
   
  grenade, one doze grenade, military skeinsuit, 
   
  sonic screen. 
  Notes: 
  Nickname “Red Eye". 
   
  The 
  robots 
  are 
  4th 
  level 
  combat 
  robots 
  with 
  Attack/Defense and Search and Destroy programs. Their 
  
   
  10 
   
   
   
  missions and functions are given in the encounter key. 
  The robots are armed with laser rifles and each has a 50 
  SEU belt powerpack. Each robot normally moves 30 
  meters (15 squares) per turn, but can move at up to 
  double this speed.  
   
  Combat Robot (MV Slow; IM/RS 7/70; STA 100; ATT 70; 
  DM 2d10; SA Laser rifle; SD None).    
   
  SECURITY DEVICES  
  The security devices that protect the outpost are shown 
  on the referee's map. Technicians who are searching for 
  security 
  devices 
  can 
  spot 
  them 
  with 
  the 
  Detect 
  Alarms/Defenses subskill. All of these devices are 
  explained in detail below. Those listed as "obviously 
  visible" do not need to be detected; they can be seen by 
  anyone looking at the area where they are located.  
   
  ELECTRIFIED FENCE (Obviously Visible, Level 1): This 
  fence appears to be a typical strong chain-link fence 3 
  meters high and topped with barbed wire. Any character 
  touching the fence takes 4d10 points of damage. 
  Technician characters can deactivate the fence by 
  successfully using the Deactivate Alarms/Defenses subskill 
  when working on the small control box located on the 
  northeast corner post of the fence.  
   
  CONTACT RECOGNITION LOCK (Obviously Visible, Level 
  6): A lock that will open only when one of the four pirates 
  or the Star Devil places his right thumb on a scanner 
  panel on the front of the door or gate. If an unauthorized 
  thumbprint is presented, a warning appears on the 
  computer screen in the Computer Room inside the 
  outpost. 
  Technician 
  characters 
  have 
  a 
  chance 
  to 
  deactivate the lock without setting off the warning. Doors 
  with contact recognition locks are noted on the referee's 
  map.  
   
  DOOR LOCKS (Obviously Visible, Level 3): Each door in 
  the complex without a contact recognition lock is fitted 
  with one of these. Locked doors are noted on the referee's 
  map.  
   
  VISUAL SCANNERS (Obviously Visible, Level 4): The visual 
  scanners 
  are 
  cameras 
  that 
  continuously 
  transmit 
  television pictures to whoever is on duty in the Computer 
  Room. The camera can "see" everything between the two 
  arrows marking its location, out to a maximum distance of 
  20 meters. Each camera is protected by a jury-rigged 
  albedo screen with 10 SEUs of power. Any damage not 
  blocked by the albedo screen will destroy the camera.  
   
  INFRA-RED SCANNER (Level 3): This is an "electric eye", 
  a beam of infra-red light which sets off an alarm in the 
  Computer Room if it is crossed or broken. The system is 
  not obviously visible. There is a hidden control panel for 
  this device in the north wall of the Garage. Use of this 
  panel allows the device to be turned off for two turns.  
   
  ARMED SCANNERS (Obviously Visible, Level 5): These are 
  cameras with laser rifles mounted on swivels. The 
  cameras are identical to the VISUAL SCANNERS described 
  above. The laser rifles hit on a roll of 60 or less and cause 
  5d10 points of damage. Their IM is 6. The lasers are 
  powered by the main powerplant and have unlimited SEUs 
  available.  
   
  PRESSURE PLATES (Level 2): These are hidden in the 
  floor. They respond to any weight of 1 kg or greater by 
  sounding a warning in the Computer Room.  
   
  INTERCOMS (Obviously Visible, Level 3): An intercom 
  system makes it possible to talk to any other location in 
  the outpost. Voices over the intercom can be clearly heard 
  at a distance of up to 10 meters (5 squares). Individual 
  intercom units can be turned off by a switch on the unit.  
   
  REACTIONS TO INTRUDERS  
  One of the combat robots is always on duty in the 
  Computer Room while the second robot patrols the 
  hallways and the outside perimeter of the outpost. 
  Regardless of when the party approaches the outpost, the 
  patrolling robot will be exiting the door to the garage and 
  moving outside to patrol.  
   
  The patrolling robot's mission is to guard the complex and 
  repel all intruders. Guard the complex is defined as a 
  continuous cycle of two clockwise patrols of the exterior of 
  the complex, followed by two patrols of the interior 
  corridors. Repel is defined as sounding an alarm by 
  intercom (if inside the building) and then shooting to kill. 
  Intruders are defined as anyone without a visible Star 
  Devils tattoo or insignia.  
   
  "Whiz Kid" Malone will be on duty in the Computer Room. 
  Upon receiving any alarm regarding intruders, he will send 
  the second robot to attack and use the intercom system to 
  alert the other three pirates. Kurt Sandovar and "Red Eye" 
  Jones will be in the Common Room (Room 3), while "The 
  Wrench" Wilson will be working in the Radio Room (Room 
  5). If any of the pirates are encountered before any alarm 
  is sounded, those pirates will attempt to defend 
  themselves, kill the intruders, and alert the other pirates 
  via the intercom system.  
   
  In any fight, the pirates will at all costs defend the lab 
  (Room 6) and the computer room (Room 7). They will 
  attempt to force the intruders to fight as many of the 
  automated defenses as possible.  
   
  None of the four pirates will surrender. If captured, they 
  will not give the party any information and will not 
  cooperate in any way, regardless of the threats the party 
  may make. If the party keeps prisoners, the Kurabanda 
  will, upon learning of this, ask to have the prisoners 
  turned over to them for torture and execution.  
   
  OUTPOST ENCOUNTER KEY  
  This section contains detailed descriptions of each room in 
  the outpost. These descriptions include the presence of 
  pirates and robots; it is assumed that the party has made 
  it to each room without previously setting off any alarms. 
  If the party does set off alarms and the pirates are aware 
  of their presence, the referee should keep track of what 
  the pirates are doing and modify the room descriptions 
  according to the pirates' and robots' movements.  
   
  
   
  11 
   
   
   
   
  1. GARAGE  
  As you look into this area, you see a jetcopter in the 
  middle of the garage area. You notice that the ceiling is 
  hinged; obviously it can be opened to allow the copter to 
  take off. There are numerous tools and parts from the 
  jetcopter scattered about the room, and there is a work 
  bench along the north wall. There is an intercom mounted 
  over the workbench.  
   
  The tools are standard tools from a techkit. There is also a 
  robcom kit on the workbench. The jetcopter can be flown 
  if a Technician character successfully completes some 
  minor repairs. The copter's parabattery has just been 
  recharged using the facilities in the garage. The jetcopter 
  has 150 structure points. The jetcopter is not outfitted 
  with a radio.  
   
  2. STORAGE ROOM  
  This area contains shelves along both the north and south 
  walls, and several small tables scattered about the center 
  of the room. There are many large crates on the tables.  
   
  Most of the crates contain food. However, the smaller 
  boxes contain common supplies or valuable equipment. 
  For each 5 turns the party spends searching the room 
  they may find one item of valuable equipment from the 
  following list. The specific items found are left to the 
  referee's discretion. 
   
  20 powerclips 
  5 ropes (15 meters ea.) 
  1 power beltpack 
  4 sungoggles 
  12 frag grenades 
  4 all weather blankets 
  12 doze grenades 
  3 vials solvaway 
  2 incendiary grenades 
  4 bottles vitasalt pills 
  5 charges of TD-19 (50g, ea.) 
  1 medkit 
   
  1 envirokit  
   
  3. COMMON ROOM  
  You see a couch, a small stove, three chairs, a large round 
  table with cups, glasses, a deck of cards and a pair of dice 
  on it. Two pirates are in the room; one is seated facing 
  the door; the other is lying on the couch. As you enter, 
  they swear and attack you.  
   
  The two pirates are Kurt Sandovar and "Red Eye" Jones. 
  They will try to alert the other pirates via the intercom 
  system as quickly as possible. If the fight seems to be 
  going against them, these pirates will retreat toward 
  Room 6 by the shortest possible route. There is nothing 
  here of particular value to the party.    
   
  4. LIVING QUARTERS  
  There are four unmade bunks in this room. There are 
  numerous beverage cans and books scattered around on 
  the floor. There are two chests of drawers against the 
  north wall.  
   
  This room is the pirates' living quarters. The drawers 
  contain clothing and personal items of no real value.  
   
   
   
  5. RADIO ROOM  
  You see a desk with a radiophone on it against the north 
  wall of this room. There are three chairs in the room. A 
  man with a techkit is repairing the partially dismantled 
  radiophone. His back is toward you as you enter.  
   
  The man is Joey "The Wrench" Wilcon. There is a chance 
  he will be surprised by the party. If he is not surprised, he 
  will immediately turn on his gauss screen, attack the 
  party, and try to reach the intercom to call for help.  
   
  This room is used only for radio communications between 
  the outpost and the pirate mining town far off to the 
  northeast. The radiophone is obviously not working. 
  Characters who inspect the log book will find that one 
  transmission is made every day at sunset from the 
  outpost to someplace called "Slave City One." The last log 
  entry reads, "Problems with primary radio circuitry - will 
  repair 
  tomorrow. 
  Star 
  Devil 
  pleased 
  with 
  latest 
  experimental surgery results."  
   
  6. LAB AND SURGERY 
  As you enter this room you see in front of you a surgical 
  table with lights, instruments trays, and other medical 
  paraphernalia. Lying on the surgical table is the strangest 
  creature you have ever yet seen on Volturnus. It has a 
  human-sized peanut-shaped body covered with a hard 
  shell, rather like a lobster. From the lower end of the body 
  three shell-encased limbs with three joints extend, ending 
  in tentacles apparently useful for grasping. The center of 
  the creature's shell has been cracked, just above the large 
  eye near the middle of the body. The creature is not 
  moving.  
   
  In the northern half of the room you see several tables 
  covered with laboratory apparatus, notebooks, and a 
  computer terminal. There are a large number of rocks of 
  various kinds on the work tables. The room also contains 
  sanitary and washing facilities.  
   
   
   
  
   
  12 
   
   
   
  The creature is an Edestekai who died while undergoing 
  experimental brain surgery. The rocks on the work tables 
  are geological samples which the pirates are analyzing. 
  After studying the notebooks for 15 minutes, characters 
  will learn that the pirates appear to have found good 
  deposits of vibrillium and tomarium, precious rare 
  minerals, somewhere on Volturnus. Characters with 
  Computer skills can use the computer terminal to gain 
  more information; this information is detailed in the 
  Computer Room description. There is a complete envirokit 
  on one of the work tables. Note that entrance to this room 
  is possible only through one door with a contact 
  recognition lock.  
   
  7. COMPUTER ROOM  
  As you step in the door you see a large table with a 
  computer about the size of a large suitcase, a computer 
  terminal, and a printing machine. Along the north wall are 
  a file cabinet and several shelves with various books. 
  Seated behind the computer terminal, facing the door, is a 
  Human space pirate. Standing directly behind the pirate is 
  a combat robot.  
   
  The pirate is Willy "Whiz Kid" Malone. Malone will 
  immediately order the robot to attack, then alert the other 
  pirates by intercom.  
   
  The robot's mission is to attack intruders on command. 
  Attack is defined as going to a specified location and 
  shooting to kill the intruders. Intruders is defined as 
  persons designated as hostile by the pirate directing the 
  robot. On Command is defined as after receiving verbal 
  instructions from the pirate on duty in the Computer 
  Room.  
   
  The robot will not attack if the pirate is killed before he 
  has a chance to give it its orders. In addition, it will not 
  attack anyone with a Star Devils tattoo or insignia unless 
  specifically ordered to do so by the pirate in the Computer 
  Room.  
   
  The computer is a level 3 model with the following 
  programs: Computer Security, Installation Security and 
  Information Storage, all level 3; Life Support, level 1, and 
  Analysis, level 5. Characters with Computer skills who 
  successfully attempt to get information from the computer 
  can learn that the pirates have discovered rich deposits of 
  vibrillium and tomarillium in the hills of Volturnus. They 
  have discovered an intelligent race, the Edestekai, living 
  in the hills and have taken advantage of their religious 
  beliefs to enslave them. They accomplish this by capturing 
  priests, planting radio receivers in their brains, and 
  convincing them that the voices they then hear are the 
  voices of the gods. Of course, the voices are the pirates, 
  telling the, that they must serve and obey the Star Devil 
  and his men. 
   
  The computer also contains information on the fate of the 
  original expedition to Volturnus. Their ship was hijacked 
  by the space pirates, and all passengers aboard were 
  killed or enslaved, except for Lt. Col. Jameson and Grod, 
  the Dralasite. They escaped and lived for a time with the 
  Kurabanda. They were captured by pirates during a raid 
  on the Kurabanda village, and are currently held prisoner 
  at the pirate mining town in the hills. The computer 
  contains a map and instructions for reaching the mining 
  town.  
   
  8. POWER GENERATOR ROOM  
  This room contains a type 1 power generator and a small 
  reactor which powers the generator itself.  
   
  GAMMA SUBSECTION 6:  
  EXPERIENCE 
  POINTS 
  Characters who did extremely well in this part of the ad- 
  venture receive three experience points. Characters who 
  were active in the adventure receive two points. 
  Characters who did not contribute much receive one point.  
   
  
   
  13 
   
   
   
   
  This section of the adventure covers the actions of the 
  characters from the time they finish their raid on the 
  pirate outpost to the (probable) destruction of the pirate 
  mining town known as "Slave City One."  
   
  DELTA SUBSECTION 1:  
  JOURNEY TO THE  
  EDESTEKAI  
  VILLAGE  
  After repairing the jetcopter, the party may either go to 
  the pirate city using the information in the outpost 
  computer, or return to the Kurabanda village to gather 
  more information. If they return to the village, there is a 
  clearing nearby where they can land. The party will be 
  welcome to stay with the Kurabanda for several days, 
  during which the referee can improvise adventures using 
  Kurabanda hunts and feasting rituals.  
   
  During their visit, Chief Auramada will tell the party about 
  the Edestekai, a strange intelligent race with a settlement 
  to the east-northeast. The Edestekai have a strange 
  religion and worship many gods and demons. Recently, 
  this settlement was enslaved by Demons from the Sky, 
  who force them to work in tunnels underground.  
   
  DELTA SUBSECTION 2:  
  RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  If the characters journey on foot, use the Random 
  Encounter Tables provided in this module for the forest 
  and shard grass plains sections of their journey.  
   
  The jetcopter has a maximum speed of 580 meters per 
  turn. The jetcopter carries fuel for approximately 1,000 
  kilometers of flight at this top speed.  
   
  DELTA SUBSECTION 3:  
  PLANNED 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  Characters traveling by jetcopter will have the following 
  two encounters.  
   
  1. ATTACK OF THE AIR WHALE  
  (MV Slow; IM/RS 5/50; STA 500; ATT 50 (as laser), 45 
  (10 tentacles); DM 18d10 as laser, 2d10 per tentacle; SA 
  See below; SD See below)  
   
  As your jetcopter makes good speed over the bachanda 
  forest and you gaze at the terrain ahead, you notice far 
  ahead and lightly below you what appears to be a mass of 
  vegetation floating in the air! It is moving slowly, and as 
  you draw closer, it maintains a position below and in front 
  of you.  
   
  The "mass of vegetation" is an air whale. The party will 
  spot it at a distance of 5 kilometers (9 turns of flight if the 
  jetcopter is at top speed.) If the party travels toward the 
  air whale, it will close with them and try to remain below 
  them. The air whale will fire a single "laser" type attack as 
  the jetcopter passes above it. Note that in this case, the 
  air whale will always use all potential damage as a single 
  shot. It will fire once per turn as long as the jetcopter is in 
  range.  
   
  Each time the jetcopter takes damage from the laser, the 
  referee should roll on the Flying Vehicle Damage Table for 
  damage to the copter. In addition, if the copter's 150 
  structure points are reduced to zero the copter crashes.  
   
  If the jetcopter should crash as a result of this encounter, 
  the crash site picked by the referee should be any hex in 
  the bachanda forest adjacent to the rocky barrens and 
  north or northeast of the Black Lake. 
   
  If the party maneuvers the jetcopter to avoid the air 
  whale, the greater speed of the jetcopter will keep it 
  safely ahead of the whale. 
   
  SA: Can fire 1-6 laser shots per turn at targets above; 
  ATT 50; DM 18d10, divided among all attacks; Range 
  5/20/50/ 100/200.  
   
  SD: +10 to be hit, due to size. 
    
  2. HAILSTORM 
  After the encounter with the air whale, the party will 
  encounter a violent electrical storm with hail and 
  extremely high winds. The exact location of the storm is 
  left to the discretion of the referee. The storm will cover 
  two hexes (16 kilometers) in the direction of the party's 
  flight. Flying time through the storm at top speed will be 
  28 turns or 2.8 minutes.  
   
   
  DELTA Section 
  
   
  14 
   
   
   
   
   
  While in the storm, the pilot of the jetcopter must make a 
  Reaction Speed check once every 8 turns to retain control 
  of the copter in the high winds. Failure of the check 
  indicates loss of control and loss of d100 meters of 
  altitude. Also, there is a 15% chance every 8 turns that 
  the copter will suffer 10d10 points of damage from 
  hailstones.  
   
  DELTA SUBSECTION 4:  
  SLAVE CITY ONE 
  There are two separate but related installations in the hex 
  containing the pirate mining town. The first is the town 
  itself, referred to as Slave City One by the pirates. The 
  second is a small Edestekai village about 500 meters 
  northwest of Slave City One. Both will be visible to a party 
  approaching by air from a distance of 4 hexes (32 
  kilometers).  
   
  Tell the party that they see areas where the jetcopter can 
  land safely near both the village and Slave City One. Allow 
  them to choose which they will go to first.  
   
  The party may either visit the Edestekai village to learn 
  information and gain allies for an attack on the pirates, or 
  try to assault Slave City One immediately. A party that 
  visits the Edestekai first will have a much easier time 
  fighting the pirates provided they can make the Edestekai 
  understand that they have been tricked and enslaved. The 
  referee may choose to give the party hints along this line. 
  The party can expect trouble from the Edestekai if they 
  attack the pirates while the Edestekai are still loyal to the 
  Star Devil.  
   
  DELTA SUBSECTION 5:  
  PLANNED 
  ENCOUNTERS  
   
  THE EDESTEKAI VILLAGE  
  The following encounters will take place if the party goes 
  first to the Edestekai village.  
   
  1. THE RITUAL OF WELCOMING 
  As you step out of your jetcopter, you see about 20 
  Edestekai, armed with spears, forming a ring around your 
  party. They are not attacking or making any hostile 
  gestures. One steps forward from the group. This 
  Edestekai is wearing a red, purple and white scarf 
  wrapped in a complicated way around the upper part of 
  his body. It throws a handful of grain at your feet. The 
  remaining Edestekai begin chanting, clicking their limbs 
  together, and apparently dancing in a complex pattern 
  around you.  
   
  This is the Edestekai ritual for greeting strangers. The 
  ritual dance and chanting lasts for about 10 minutes. At 
  the end of this time the Edestekai with the scarf (a priest) 
  will lead the Edestekai toward the center of the village. 
  The other Edestekai will form a column with the party in 
  the center. Tell the party that it is obvious to them that 
  the Edestekai want them to go somewhere. The column 
  will march to the temple in the center of the village.  
   
  2. THE EDESTEKAI TEMPLE  
  The Edestekai temple is a three-sided pyramid about 10 
  meters tall. There are no solid walls; the sides are all 
  made of columns of crystal and rock, leaving the entire 
  building open to the air. As the procession approaches the 
  temple, another scarred figure appears in the top story 
  and waves the procession off toward a small dwelling 
  carved into the nearby hillside. The party is taken here 
  and given some bread, a dish that looks something like 
  spinach, water, and straw pallets covered with linen-like 
  cloth.  
   
  A priest will remain with the party and attempt to 
  communicate with them. After a short time, the party's 
  polyvox will translate Edestekai speech. The priest will 
  give the party brief instructions on proper conduct among 
  the Edestekai. He explains that this is done for all 
  strangers, so that they will not offend the gods or the 
  Servant of the Gods (their name for the Star Devil). At 
  this point, the referee should give the party the 
  information about the Edestekai contained in the Briefing 
  Update. The referee must by careful to present this 
  information as if the Edestekai priest were telling it to the 
  characters.  
   
  If the party questions the priest about the Star Devil, the 
  priest will explain that many of the priests in the village 
  have had True Visions concerning the Star Devil, and have 
  heard the voices of the gods ordering the Edestekai to 
  serve the Star Devil and obey him and his followers. The 
  priest will add that this is very puzzling to the Edestekai, 
  for they are the chosen people, not the races who are with 
  the Star Devil. Furthermore, the Star Devil is very cruel. 
  He forces the Edestekai to perform hard labor removing 
  worthless dirt from deep inside the earth. Many Edestekai 
  have died from the bad treatment he gives them. 
  Furthermore, the crops are failing as all those able to do 
  hard labor are dragged off to the mines every day. The 
  priest will conclude that the gods must be testing their 
  chosen ones, and that some day this torment will end.  
   
  REVEALING THE PIRATE'S TRICK  
  The party will probably try to convince the priest that the 
  Star Devil has tricked the Edestekai into slavery. This will 
  
   
  15 
   
   
   
   
  not be easy, because the Edestekai have no knowledge of 
  electricity, radio or electronics, and almost no knowledge 
  of surgery. However, a persistent party should be able to 
  slowly 
  convince 
  the 
  Edestekai 
  priests 
  using 
  demonstrations of how radio works, and perhaps even a 
  demonstration of minor surgery. The party may also think 
  to fly some Edestekai to the pirate outpost, if the evidence 
  of surgery on Edestekai was not destroyed by the fighting 
  there. The party must show that the True Visions 
  regarding the Star Devil are false without insulting 
  Edestekai religious beliefs or the belief in True Visions. 
  The party will be seized and imprisoned if they mock the 
  Edestekai religion.  
   
  If the party successfully reveals the Star Devil's plot to 
  enslave the Edestekai, the priests will denounce the 
  pirates as blasphemers and devils, and will sentence them 
  to death. The priests will offer to mobilize the village in an 
  effort to destroy the pirates, if the party will lead the 
  attack. Armed with spears, or whatever weapons the 
  party provides, 100 enraged Edestekai fertilizers will join 
  the attack to exterminate the pirates.  
   
  Name 
  STR/ 
  STA 
  DEX/ 
  RS 
  INT/ 
  LOG 
  PER/ 
  LDR 
  PS IM RW M 
  Edestekai 
  50/50 
  75/65 
  70/50 
  40/40 
  3 
  7 
  38 38 
   
  SPECIAL NOTES  
  FOR THE REFEREE  
  1. The party may try to do exactly what the pirates have 
  done; use technology to take advantage of the 
  Edestekai religious beliefs and gain control over the 
  society. Should the party attempt this, the Eorna will 
  intervene to prevent it. The Eorna are willing to let the 
  pirates do what they are doing for a time; it is a test of 
  the strength of Edestekai civilization. However, two 
  conflicting sets of faked True Visions could cause the 
  total collapse of Edestekai culture.  
   
  The Eorna will use their hypnotic powers to prevent the 
  party from exploiting the Edestekai. An Eorna group 
  will suddenly arrive, instantly or as a group (depending 
  on circumstances) and plant in the mind of each 
  character a total repugnance to the idea of exploiting 
  the Edestekai. The hypnotized characters will awaken 
  feeling very refreshed, but will have no memory of 
  what happened. Simply tell the characters that they 
  find themselves waking up and that they suddenly find 
  that they simply cannot bring themselves to abuse the 
  Edestekai in the manner planned.  
   
  2. In some cases the party may come to the Edestekai 
  village only after fighting the pirates at Slave City One. 
  The Edestekai will be very confused if the party has 
  won the battle. They will still believe that the Star Devil 
  is the Servant of the Gods. If the party is losing the 
  fight, the Edestekai will reluctantly help the Star Devil's 
  men capture or kill the party.  
   
  3. The referee may improvise other encounters or 
  adventures among the Edestekai using the information 
  provided in the Briefing Update to provide ideas.  
   
  4. If the party attempts to attack the installation directly, 
  without help from the Edestekai, they will be able to 
  land safely within the complex. The pirates will assume 
  that their comrades from the outpost are in the 
  jetcopter. The party will be able to make a surprise 
  attack, but they will probably be destroyed by superior 
  numbers.  
   
  THE PIRATE BASE  
  The 
  large 
  installation 
  map 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  STAR 
  FRONTIERS game is used as the map of Slave City One. 
  Tactical play and combat take place on this map. The 
  module contains a smaller referee's map that identifies all 
  the buildings and shows the anti-aircraft defenses of the 
  city.  
   
  Slave City One is inhabited by 32 space pirates, 8 pirate 
  officers, 8 security/combat robots, 10 prisoners of player 
  character races and 50 Edestekai slaves. For convenience 
  the statistics of all these NPCs are given together here.  
   
   
  DELTA 5.1: THE PIRATES OF SLAVE CITY ONE 
  Name 
  STR/ 
  STA 
  DEX/ 
  RS 
  INT/ 
  LOG 
  PER/ 
  LDR 
  PS IM RW M 
  OFFICERS: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Capt. Straub  
  45/70 
  80/60 
  45/45 
  50/70 
  3 
  6 
  40 40 
  Skills: 
  Beam Weapons-4, Medical-1 
  Gear: 
  Laser rifle and 50-SEU power backpack,  
   
  sonic knife,  albedo screen 
  Blackie O’dell 
  35/60 
  40/20 
  45/45 
  50/70 
  2 
  2 
  20 20 
  Pearl Jones 
  25/25 
  55/35 
  45/45 
  40/60 
  2 
  4 
  28 28 
  “Goldtooth” 
  35/60 55/35 70/70 60/80 2 4 28 28 
  Smokie Jo 
  50/75 60/40 55/55 40/60 3 4 30 30 
  Rummie Bill 
  45/70 50/30 35/35 40/60 3 4 30 30 
  Bull Blackman 60/85 55/35 65/65 30/50 3 4 28 30 
  Mister "M" 
  45/70 65/45 30/30 50/70 3 5 33 33 
  Skills: 
  All officers (except Captain Straub) have: 
   
  Projectile Weapons-3, Martial Arts-1 
  Gear: 
  All officers (except Captain Straub) have: 
   
  Gyrojet Pistol, 2 pistol Jetclips, stunstick, military 
   
  skeinsuit 
  OTHERS: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Avg Pirate 
  40/65 55/35 45/45 30/30 2 4 28 28 
  Skills: 
  Beam Weapons-2 or Gyrojet Weapons-2 
  Gear: 
  Laser or gyrojet pistol, two appropriate clips, 
   
  one doze grenade, civilian skeinsuit. 
   
  THE PIRATE'S ROBOTS  
  All eight robots are 4th Level combat robots. They have 
  the following programs: Attack/Defense, Search and 
  Destroy, and Computer Link. Their statistics are:  
   
  Combat Robot (MV Slow; IM/RS 7/70; STA 100; ATT 70; 
  DM 2d10; SA Laser rifle; SD None)  
   
  Each robot is armed with a laser rifle set at 5 SEU, and a 
  power beltpack. Each robot normally moves 30 meters 
  (15 squares) per turn but can move up to double this 
  speed. A robot takes one turn to climb up or down a guard 
  tower ladder.  
   
  The combat robots are controlled by the computer, which 
  can activate or deactivate them as needed. However, a 
  robot that is deactivated manually by use of the 
  Activate/Deactivate Robots subskill cannot be reactivated 
  by the computer.  
   
  
   
  16 
   
   
   
  SLAVES AND PRISONERS  
  Statistics are not needed for the slaves and prisoners, as 
  they have been so ill-treated that they are unable to join 
  in the fight. In fact, most are barely able to move around. 
  All need food, water and medical attention.  
   
  SECURITY DEVICES  
  Slave City One uses an electrified fence, as well as contact 
  recognition locks and door locks similar to those found in 
  the pirate outpost. Refer to GAMMA SUBSECTION 5 for a 
  description of these devices. 
   
  SLAVE CITY ONE:  
  REACTION TO ATTACK 
  The encounter key lists the normal day and night locations 
  for the pirates in the outpost. If the party manages a 
  surprise attack by day or night, the referee will have to 
  improvise the pirates' defense of the city.  
   
  If the party launches a coordinated daytime attack with 
  the help of the Edestekai, the pirates will concentrate on 
  defending key locations. The locations and their defenders 
  are: 
    
  GATE: Blackie O'Dell, Smokie Jo, 6 pirates  
  GARAGE: Rummie Bill, 3 pirates  
  ARMORY: Captain Straub, 4 pirates  
  MAIN HEADQUARTERS: Pearl Jones, Bull Blackman, 3 pirates  
  COMPUTER CENTER: Mr. M, 2 pirates, 4 combat robots  
  MINING RECORDS OFFICE: Goldtooth, 3 pirates  
  LASER: 2 pirates  
  RECOILESS RIFLE: 2 pirates  
  GUARD POST: 1 combat robot each 
   
  The edstekai can identify the garage, the stockade, the 
  cells, and the building in which the main headquarters is 
  located. They are not sure of the purpose of the other 
  buildings. The gate guards will be in position when the 
  party attacks. The others will be on position in five turns.  
   
   
  The remaining seven pirates will be killed quickly by the 
  Edestekai once they enter the city. The Edestekai will 
  capture their assigned targets in 5 to 15 minutes, so the 
  referee needs to run only the battles involving the player 
  characters. If an officer is killed, all pirates in that location 
  will surrender. If all officers are killed, the entire complex 
  will surrender.  
   
  SLAVE CITY ONE  
  ENCOUNTER KEY  
   
  1. PERIMETER AND GATE: 
  The perimeter is a 3meter high electrified fence. The fence 
  is a Level 2 security device and can be shut down from 
  any guard post or the Computer Center. The main gate 
  has a Level 6 contact recognition lock that will open the 
  gate for any pirate. Use by unauthorized personnel sets 
  off the alarm in the Computer Center.  
   
  If the party attacks the city in cooperation with the 
  Edestekai, the Edestekai will not be able to enter the city 
  until after the player characters deactivate the electric 
  fence. The Edestekai cannot deactivate it themselves.  
   
  2. GUARD POSTS  
  These are towers above each corner of the fence. Each is 
  occupied at all times by one combat robot. The robot's 
  mission is to defend the complex and destroy all intruders 
  upon command of the computer. Defend is defined as 
  sounding an alarm and then going to an assigned area 
  under attack. Destroy is defined as shooting to kill 
  escaping slaves, or anyone designated as hostile by the 
  computer. The robots will not shoot at anyone bearing a 
  Star Devil's tattoo or insignia, except on direct orders 
  from the computer.  
   
  3. BARRACKS  
  This is one of the barracks for the pirates. If the player 
  characters attack at night, there will be 16 pirates 
  sleeping in this barracks. It will take them 5 turns from 
  the time they are awakened to be dressed and ready for 
  combat. During daylight hours there will be no one here.  
   
  ANTI-AIRCRAFT LASER MOUNT  
  There is a heavy laser mounted on a platform on the roof 
  of the barracks, in the square marked "L" on the referee's 
  map. The weapon has a 360 degree field of fire. It is 
  manned by an average pirate, during daylight hours only.  
   
  4. STAR DEVIL'S  
  PERSONAL QUARTERS  
  This lavishly furnished small one-room building contains a 
  bed, bath, bar, holovison projector, several art objects 
  (worth a total of 5,000 Credits), and numerous cheap 
  books, mainly adventure novels. There is a shield 
  mounted over the bed with the Star Devil's personal 
  insignia on it.  
   
  5, 6 and 7. PUNISHMENT/ 
  TORTURE CELLS  
  These barren rooms are secured by Level 6 contact 
  recognition locks. Room 5 is empty. Inside Room 6 is the 
  corpse of a Dralasite. Unknown to the party, this is Grod, 
  dead after weeks of torture by the Star Devil's men. Room 
  7 contains nothing but some blood stains on the floor and 
  the torn remains of a military shirt. One of the strips of 
  cloth has a nametag on it, with the lettering which reads 
  "JAMESON."  
  
   
  17 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  18 
   
   
   
   
   
  8. PRISONER COMPOUND  
  This large oval stockade contains 50 Edeskekai slaves and 
  10 prisoners from ships raided by the space pirates. The 
  stockade fence is a simple hardwood fence with a Level 1 
  lock on each gate. The prisoners are so weakened from 
  malnutrition and overwork that they are unable to assist 
  in combat even if freed.  
   
  9. BARRACKS  
  This barracks is identical to Building 3. During the day 4 
  pirates will be asleep here. At night, there will be 12 
  pirates sleeping here.  
   
  10. GALLEY AND FOOD STORAGE  
  This building contains enough canned and fresh foods for 
  3 months, a kitchen area, and a dining area for the 
  pirates. During daylight hours there will be two average 
  pirates here.  
   
  11. GARAGE AND VEHICLES  
  This building houses one jetcopter and one explorer. 
  During daylight hours there will be 3 pirates working on 
  vehicles and performing miscellaneous duties here. Other 
  items here include enough jet fuel to fill a jetcopter twice, 
  three 
  parabatteries 
  of 
  each 
  type, 
  equipment 
  for 
  recharging power packs, and two techkits.  
   
  12. SHUTTLE LANDING PAD  
  This flat, concrete landing pad is used when space shuttles 
  occasionally land at Slave City One.  
   
  13. ORE STORAGE AND SHIPPING  
  This area contains raw ore of vibrillium and tomarillium 
  being prepared for shipment. The total value of the ore 
  here is 250,000 Credits.  
   
  14. MINING RECORDS OFFICE  
  This office contains records pertaining to ore shipments. 
  The records show that the ore is shipped monthly to 
  agents of the Star Devil who occupy offices in the mining 
  bureaucracy on Truane's Star. Returning this information 
  to Truane's Star will qualify the party for a large bonus. 
  There are four average pirates and officer "Goldtooth" 
  here during daylight hours. At night there will be one 
  average pirate here on guard.  
   
  15. OFFICER BARRACKS  
  This is a more luxurious barracks for the officers in the 
  town. All the officers are here at night; none are here 
  during daylight hours.  
   
  RECOILLESS RIFLE MOUNT  
  A recoilless rifle on a platform mount is on the roof of the 
  Officer's Barracks, in the square marked "R" on the 
  referee's map. The gun is manned in daylight hours only, 
  by an average pirate with 2nd Level Projectile Weapons 
  skill. There are 10 rounds of ammunition beside the gun, 
  and one round already loaded in the gun.  
   
  16. SICK BAY  
  This facility contains a complete medkit and 10 doses of 
  each of the available drugs usable by characters with 
  Medical skills. There are also two beds and sufficient 
  facilities to qualify as a hospital for purposes of performing 
  surgery.  
   
  17. ARMORY  
  The pirates store extra weapons here. The two doors to 
  this area have Level 6 contact recognition locks which will 
  open only for a pirate officer or the Star Devil himself. 
  Stored in the room are: 
   
  24 frag grenades 
  24 doze grenades 
  24 tangler grenades 
  10 stunsticks 
  10 laser rifles 
  100 powerclips 
  100 recoilless rounds 
  2 needler rifles 
  1 holo screen 
  30 power backpacks 
  20 needleclips 
   
   
  Normally, no pirates are on duty here. One or more 
  officers will try to get to this room if the town is attacked.  
   
  18, 22, 24. EMPTY CORRIDOR  
   
  19. LAB  
  This lab contains equipment and tools necessary for 
  simple experiments and analysis of geological samples. 
  There is one geoscanner here as well. During daylight 
  hours there are two average pirates here at all times.  
   
  20. ROBOT MAINTENANCE  
  Two average pirates and Rummie Bill work here during 
  day- light hours. This room contains four deactivated 
  combat robots and two robcomm kits. In the event of an 
  attack, the robots will be automatically activated by the 
  computer. The programming and mission of these robots 
  is the same as that of the robots in the guard towers.  
   
  21A, 21B. MAIN HEADQUARTERS  
  This large area looks much like a business office with 
  desks, files, and computer terminals. This is the central 
  office of the mining operation where reports are made, 
  orders issued, etc. There is an open doorway in the wall 
  between 21A and 21B. Working here during daylight hours 
  are seven average pirates and Captain Straub, Pearl Jones 
  and Bull Blackman. At night, one average pirate is on 
  guard duty here.  
   
  23. RADIO ROOM  
  This room contains a subspace radio and the logs of 
  recent transmissions and messages received. Blackie 
  O'Dell and two average pirates work here in the daytime. 
  The logs show numerous conversations with the Star 
  Devil, who is currently aboard a spaceship somewhere 
  near Volturnus, and with various corrupt government 
  agents on Truane's Star. These are the same officials 
  mentioned in the files in room 14.  
   
  25. COMPUTER CENTER  
  This room houses the main computer for Slave City One. 
  It is a Level 4 computer containing the following programs 
  and program levels: Computer Security 5; Installation 
  Security 2; Analysis 4; Commerce 3; Industry 2; 
  Information Storage 1; Language 3; Robot Management 
  4.  
   
  Mr. M and two pirates with Level 5 Computer sills work 
  here in the daytime. At night, one average pirate is on 
  guard.  
   
  
   
  19 
   
   
   
   
  The location of the Star Devil's main base is NOT listed in 
  the computer. However, the computer does contain a list 
  of several planets on which he has operations. (The exact 
  planets are chosen by the referee. This provides a basis 
  for the referee to design some additional exciting 
  adventures.)  
   
  26. POWER GENERATOR  
  This building houses a Type 3 power generator, run by 
  two average pirates and Smokie Jo. At night, one average 
  pirate is on duty here to maintain the generator.  
   
  THE FINAL ENCOUNTER  
  At the conclusion of the battle, assuming the party wins, 
  read the party the following description:  
   
  As you stand amid the ruins of Slave City One, you see in 
  the distant desert a solitary figure surveying the wreckage 
  of the pirate town. This creature is a tall fur-covered 
  animal with a large tail, large hind legs, and small 
  forelimbs or arms. The creature has a long, slender neck 
  and a small head with large eyes. in its arms, the creature 
  is carrying the unconscious Lieutenant Colonel Louis V. 
  Jameson.  
   
  The creature is an Eorna who has rescued Jameson from 
  the carnage of the attack and from the torture of the 
  space pirates. If the party attempts to follow the Eorna, it 
  will rapidly disappear over the horizon and escape.  
   
  The Edestekai will tell the party that this creature is one of 
  the messengers of the gods. The messengers of the gods 
  are very mysterious; they come and go rapidly and 
  secretly, and are rarely seen. They are known to live 
  beneath the Ruined City, somewhere near the Pool of Pure 
  Water. The purpose of this encounter, of course, is to 
  cause the party to go and explore the ruins in hopes of 
  finding Jameson alive.  
   
  FINAL REFEREE'S NOTES  
  Any space pirates taken prisoner during the battle will be 
  claimed by the Edestekai and executed in the traditional 
  fashion reserved for blasphemers.  
   
  Pirate prisoners will be able to give the party details about 
  the pirate mining operation, and will state that the ores 
  stored in building 13 is the fifth shipment which has been 
  prepared. They will not be able to give any information 
  about the Eorna or about the current location of the Star 
  Devil.  
   
  If the party should lose the battle at the pirate town, they 
  will be held prisoner by the pirates and tortured for 
  information. Tortured prisoners will take 2d10 points of 
  damage per day; the rest will take 1d10 points of damage 
  from general maltreatment; Let the party remain as 
  prisoners until they either find a way to escape or are all 
  dead.  
   
  DELTA SUBSECTION 6:  
  EXPERIENCE 
  POINTS  
  At this point, the party should be awarded experience 
  points. Characters who did extremely well receive three 
  experience points. Those who took an active part should 
  each receive two experience points. Those who did not 
  play well at all should receive only one point.  
   
  
   
  20 
   
   
   
  This section of the adventure is concerned with the party's 
  exploration of the ruins of the Eorna city and their contact 
  with the Eorna civilization.  
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 1:  
  THE EORNA CITY  
  If the player characters are flying in their jetcopter and 
  take care to avoid air whales, they will have no difficulty 
  in flying to the ruins. If for some reason the player 
  characters journey overland to the ruins, the referee must 
  improvise, using the encounter table in this module and 
  the ones in the module CRASH ON VOLTURNUS.  
   
  THE MAP  
  The referee should use the small map of the ruins shown 
  on the large color map in the STAR FRONTIERS boxed set. 
  The scale is 10 meters per square. If the party is flying 
  over the area they will find an open area a short distance 
  off the map where the jetcopter can be landed safely. As 
  the party approaches the center of the area they will see 
  the oval pool in the center. This is the Pool of Pure Water 
  mentioned by the Edestekai.  
   
  SEARCHING THE RUINS  
  The player characters have learned from the Edestekai 
  that there is an entrance to the underground complex 
  nearby, but they do not known exactly where. The player 
  characters can search the ruins to find the entrance. It will 
  take all of them to search one square per turn. The 
  chance of finding the entrance is 1 on 1d10 per turn. Only 
  squares that are at least half full with part of a building 
  can contain the entrance. If the player characters have 
  not found the entrance by the time they search the last 
  possible square, the referee should allow them to find the 
  entrance in this last square.  
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 2:  
  RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  In each square they search, there is a chance that the 
  party will have a random encounter. The chance is 1-2 on 
  1d10. If an encounter is rolled, the encounter takes place 
  before the party is told the results of their search. There 
  are four possible random encounters. They will occur in 
  order. Thus, the first random encounter will be 1, the 
  second will be 2, and so forth until all four have taken 
  place.  
   
  EPSILON 2.1: VOLKOS RANDOM ENCOUNTERS TABLE  
  1. Tangler Vines (MV None; IM/RS 5/50; STA 40; ATT 50; 
  DM 1d10; SA sleep thorns; SD age retardant fruit) 
  Most of the buildings are covered with usually harmless 
  vines. However, the tangler vines look just like the 
  harmless vines. The building being searched is covered 
  with tangler vines. The tangler vines will attack with 
  surprise.  
   
  2. Mordax (MV Medium; IM/RS 7/65; STA 10; ATT 45; DM 
  1d2 sting; SA S5/T5 poison; SD None) Five Mordax will 
  attack the player characters.  
   
  3. Slither (MV Slow; IM/RS 5/45; STA 400; ATT 30; DM 
  6d10; SA surprise, two attacks in same round) The 
  player characters are searching a building near a plant- 
  covered mound. The mound is a slither and will attack 
  them with surprise.  
   
  4. Burrower Snake (MV Slow; IM/RS 8/80; STA 15; ATT 
  75; DM 1d5; SA S5/T10 poison) The party has stepped 
  too close to the burrow of a burrower snake. It will 
  attack a member of the party chosen at random.  
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 3:  
  PLANNED 
  Encounters 
   
  THE VOLTURNUS BABOONS  
  (MV Medium; IM/RS 6/60; STA 100; ATT 50; DM 2d10)  
   
  If the player characters move toward the water pool, read 
  them the following description:  
   
  The large pool is filled with clear, fresh water. As you 
  approach it, a large, hairy, ape-like creature runs out from 
  a crack in the wall of the large circular building near you. 
  He begins to jump up and down, howling madly, and 
  beating the ground with a large club!  
   
  A pack of Volturnian baboons live in the round building on 
  the map. They enter and leave through the rubble-strewn 
  crack in the wall. The water pool is part of their territory. 
  Anyone who enters the map area will be considered a 
  threat. The large baboon is the strongest male. If his 
   
  EPSILON Section 
  
   
  21 
   
   
   
   
  challenge does not frighten away the player characters, 
  10 more baboons will run out of the building on the next 
  turn. The other baboons are armed with clubs and stones. 
  They will form a rough semi-circle around their leader, 
  facing the player characters.  
   
  The baboons will do their best to frighten away the player 
  characters. As long as the player characters do not attack 
  the baboons or try to drink the water from the pool, the 
  baboons will only threaten, not attack.  
   
  Large Baboon (MV Fast; IM/RS 8/80; STA 150; ATT 70; 
  DM 3d10; SA None; SD None)  
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 4:  
  THE UNDERGROUND  
  COMPLEX  
  Once the player characters have found the hidden trap 
  door, they can enter the complex beneath the ruins. The 
  complex consists of a number of rooms and caverns. The 
  rooms were built at the same time as the ruins above. The 
  caverns look as though they were recently constructed. 
  The rooms and caverns are connected by corridors, some 
  with stairways. At first the rooms will be in sad shape, 
  partially ruined, with walls and ceiling covered with lichen, 
  fungus, and mold. The further the player characters go, 
  the better the condition of the rooms.  
   
  A referee's map of the underground complex is included. 
  The scale is 1 square = 10 meters. Note that the complex 
  has six levels, each 30m below the previous one. Level 6 
  is 180m underground. The ceilings of the rooms and 
  regular corridors are 10m tall. The ceilings of the cavern 
  and its dug out corridors are only 5m tall. Rooms 6-17 
  and the corridors between them are lit mechanically by 
  crystal lamps. The cavern (7) and its connecting corridors, 
  as well as room 1-5, are unlit.  
   
  Level 6 is the Eorna commands center, the area from 
  where the Great Mission is coordinated. The Eorna 
  manage to keep the deeper levels of the complex 
  functioning. 
  The 
  further 
  underground 
  the 
  player 
  characters go, the more they should begin to suspect that 
  there is a culture on Volturnus able to build and maintain 
  advanced technology. The technology, however, is alien. 
  Eorna science makes great use of crystals. Any technician 
  trying to understand Eorna technology will have a -20 
  modifier on all rolls for dealing with alien machines.   
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 5:  
  RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  While the party is in the underground complex, roll each 
  turn for a random encounter. An encounter occurs on a 
  roll of 1 on 1d10. Roll 1d5 on the Random Encounters 
  Table for the exact encounter.  
   
   
   
  EPSILON 5.1: RANDOM ENCOUNTERS TABLE  
  Die Roll 
  Encounter 
  1 
  1 Dropper 
  2 
  10 Flitters 
  3 
  1 Korrvarr 
  4 
  3 Rasties 
  5 
  4 Shovelmouths 
   
  1. Dropper (MV Very Slow; IM/RS 2/18; STA 20; ATT 80; 
  DM 2d10; SA attract 2d10 droppers in 1d10 turns; SD 
  immune to projectile weapons). One dropper will attack 
  a player character chosen at random.  
   
  2. Flitter (MV Medium; IM/RS 7/70; STA 10; ATT 40; DM 
  1d2 bite; SA disease; SD None). Ten flitters fly near 
  the party. They will only attack if they are attacked.  
   
  3. Korrvarr (MV Slow; IM/RS 5/45; STA 150; ATT 50; DM 
  4d10; SA None; SD None). One Korrvarr is roaming 
  the corridors hunting for food. It will not fight unless it 
  is attacked.  
   
  4. Rastie (MV Medium; IM/RS 7/65; STA 75; ATT 75; DM 
  2d10; SA lock jaws and rend for 1d10 points per turn; 
  SD None). Three Rasties will attack the player 
  characters.  
   
  5. Shovelmouth (MV Medium; IM/RS 3/25; STA 60; ATT 
  45; DM 1d10; SA stampede for 2d10 turns per 
  shovelmouth; 
  SD 
  None). 
  The 
  player 
  characters 
  encounter four Shovel- mouths searching for lichen to 
  eat. The Shovelmouths will attack only if they are 
  attacked.  
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 6:  
  PLANNED 
  ENCOUNTERS  
   
  KEY TO THE EORNA COMPLEX  
   
  1. PROGRAMMED INSANITY MACHINE  
  As you enter the underground passageways, you note that 
  they appear to be old and decaying, with lichen and 
  fungus growing on the walls. Bizarre abstract crystal 
  sculptures are scattered through the corridor.  
   
  After walking a short distance, you come to a large 
  dilapidated room filled with these strange crystals. Some 
  of the crystals are fused or joined together in some way 
  you do not immediately understand.  
   
  Eorna technology emphasizes mental control and the 
  study of the mind, and the Eorna use technology to 
  support their natural hypnotic abilities. A mind-controlling 
  machine guards the underground complex. To anyone 
  except the Eorna, the machine cannot be distinguished 
  from the hundreds of crystal sculptures that fill the ruins 
  and the underground complex. The Eorna have studied 
  Humans, Dralasites, Yazirians, and Vrusk long enough 
  that Eorna mind machines will affect the player character 
  races. The machine will drive a player character insane 
  unless the player character makes a successful Intuition 
  check.  
  
   
  22 
   
   
   
   
  Characters who fail the check are affected by one of five 
  types of insanity. The effect will last 3d10 turns unless 
  cured by a character with Psychosocial skills. The insanity 
  type is determined randomly by rolling 1d5. Consult the 
  following table: 
   
  Die Roll 
  Type of Insanity 
  1 
  Paranoia 
  2 
  Catatonia 
  3 
  Psychosomatic Disease 
  4 
  Manic Depressive Personality 
  5 
  Split Personality 
    
  Paranoia Disorder causes the victim to suffer from a 
  persecution delusion. The victim is convinced that 
  harmless individuals or objects are out to get him or her. 
  The victim believes that one other player character is 
  actually a Sathar in disguise who is trying to kill the other 
  player characters. The victim will suddenly see on of his or 
  her friends turn into a Sathar, as if the victim had 
  accidentally seen through a holo disguise. The victim will 
  attack the "Sathar" in an attempt to save the party.  
   
  Catatonia Disorder is a total inability to respond to events 
  or stimuli. The victim will stand unmoving in the same 
  position he or she was in when the Intuition check failed. 
  If someone else changes the victim's position, the victim 
  will stay in the new position. The victim will not respond to 
  danger or pain. The victim will be unable to move or talk 
  until successfully treated or until the programmed insanity 
  wears off.  
   
  Psychosomatic Disease is the victim's belief that he or she 
  is physically ill when in fact he or she is not. The victim's 
  belief is so strong that he experiences symptoms. The 
  victim is feverish and suffers cramps as if due to a -10/D1 
  disease. Since the disease is psychosomatic, normal 
  treatment will not relieve the symptoms. The victim will 
  be -10 to hit until successfully treated or until the 
  programmed insanity wears off.  
   
  Manic Depressive Disorder is a change in the basic 
  personality of the individual. Fits of mania will alternate 
  with fits of depression. When manic, the victim will be 
  hyperactive. The victim talks faster and more loudly than 
  usual and runs when only walking is necessary. He or she 
  is always in a hurry, and is overenthusiastic about 
  everything, exerting more energy than is necessary. When 
  in a fit of depression, the victim is quiet and slow to react. 
  He or she becomes completely wrapped up in his or her 
  own feelings of futility and tends toward extreme self-pity. 
  The victim's Reaction Speed is halved to reflect this 
  general slowness.  
   
  Split Personality Disorder causes the victim to display 
  several separate and distinct personalities rather than just 
  one.  Each personality will act differently from the others. 
  The various personalities will struggle for control of the 
  individual as long as the programmed insanity lasts. Thus 
  the victim's personality will change from turn to turn, 
  possibly becoming completely different each time.  
   
  2. ROGUE CRYSTALS  
  (MV Slow; IM/RS 4/35; STA 110; ATT 50; DM as weapon; 
  ATT 60; DM 5d10; SA See below; SD See below)  
   
  This 20m by 30m chamber contains a large number of 
  weirdly shaped crystals.  
   
  Two rogue crystals will fire energy beams when the party 
  comes within point blank range. The attack will be as if 
  with a sonic disruptor pistol. If a rogue crystal's attack is 
  nullified by a sonic screen, it will switch to a different type 
  of energy and attack again. Note that rogue crystals have 
  different chances of success for ranged weapon attacks 
  (50) and melee attacks (60).  
   
  SA: Attack as electrostunner, laser pistol or sonic 
  disruptor; ATT 50; DM 5d10). SD: Takes half damage 
  from weapons affected by albedo, gauss, and sonic 
  defenses.  
   
   
   
  3. CRYOGENIC STORAGE AREA  
  You have entered a chamber 30m long by 20m wide. 
  There is nothing remarkable about the room except that it 
  contains more than the usual number of shaped crystals.  
   
  The crystal statues are actually cryogenic machines. Five 
  turns after the player characters enter the room, the 
  machines will activate automatically. The entire room will 
  become a cold storage area. The process will take 10 
  turns. Any player characters still in the room when the 
  process is completed will be in cryogenic sleep.  
   
  A Technician character can identify the function of a piece 
  of alien technology by using the Operate Machinery 
  subskill. The -20 modifier for dealing with alien technology 
  applies to all attempts to identify alien technology. 
   
  4. EMPTY ROOM  
  This room is completely empty. 
   
  5. PROGRAMMED ILLUSION MACHINE  
  This room contains an illusion generation machine. 
  Anyone entering the room must make a Logic check at 
  -20 to avoid its effect. Those who fail will see an 
  illusion of an endless corridor. In reality, victims walk 
  
   
  23 
   
   
   
   
  around the room in a circle. Once they have failed their 
  Logic check, the victims will see only the endless 
  corridor, no matter which way they look, until they 
  manage to leave the room. Victims will immediately 
  return to normal once they are outside the room. 
  Those who make a successful check are unaffected by 
  the illusion. However, each player character must 
  make a Logic check each time he re-enter the room, 
  even if the first check was successful. Those who fail 
  the 
  Logic 
  check 
  should 
  be 
  read 
  the 
  following 
  description:  
   
  The doorway you have passed through leads to 
  another identical corridor that continues in a straight 
  direction as far as you can see.  
   
  Those who pass the Logic check should be told the 
  following:  
   
  You are in a 30m by 30m room. Along the left wall are 
  large numbers of shaped crystals that are pulsing with 
  light and perhaps some other forms of energy.  
   
  6. THE EMPTY LIVING QUARTERS  
  Eorna living quarters are equipped with machines that 
  will change the furnishings and even the shape of the 
  room to suit different functions. An Eorna can program 
  the furnishings of his quarters at will, but these 
  quarters 
  are 
  empty 
  because 
  the 
  machinery 
  is 
  defective. 
  The 
  machinery 
  here 
  follows 
  its 
  last 
  programmed cycle and cannot be turned off. While the 
  party is in the room, the west wall will move 10m 
  eastward, making the room 30m square. An Eorna 
  double bed will slide out of the north wall. A clothes 
  closet will slide out of the east wall. The lights will 
  recede into the ceiling and soothing music will play. If 
  the player characters stay here long enough, they will 
  see the room change into a kitchen, then an 
  entertainment room, then finally, a bedroom once 
  again. The room will be different if they return later. 
   
   
    
   
   
  7. KORRVARR LAIR  
  (MV Slow; IM/RS 5/45; STA 150; ATT 50; DM 4d10; SA 
  None; SD None).  
   
  You have entered a very large cavern of irregular shape 
  which is dark, cool and seems to extend before you as far 
  as you can see. In the nearby darkness you hear animals 
  snarling.  
   
  Three Korrvarr live in the cavern. They have dug out the 
  passages leading to room 10 and the corridor between 
  rooms 1 and 3. The Korrvarr will snarl at the player 
  characters but will not attack unless they themselves are 
  attacked. If the player characters follow the tunnel leading 
  off the map, they will find themselves above ground, in 
  the desert at the edge of the ruins after 30 turns.  
   
  8. HYPNOTIC ROBOTS  
  (MV Medium; IM/RS 6/60; STA 100; ATT 60; DM 2d10; 
  SA See below; SD None)  
   
  As you enter this chamber, you see two strange devices 
  that look like combinations of crystal and metal moving 
  slowly toward you. There are blinking lights of all the 
  colors of the rainbow shining from the front of these 
  devices.  
   
  These are 3rd level Eorna combat robots with a built-in 
  hypnotic device. The device has a 45% chance of 
  hypnotizing each player character in one turn. If the 
  attempt fails, the character has realized what is happing 
  and cannot be hypnotized. The robots are armed with 
  sonic disruptors powered by backpacks of Eorna design. 
  Devices made by player character races will not fit the 
  energy ports of the backpacks.  
   
  The robots' mission is to prevent intruders from passing. 
  Intruders are defined as all non-Eorna. Prevent is defined 
  as using hypnosis, or attacking intruders if hypnosis is not 
  sufficient to stop them. From passing them is defined as 
  leaving by the door that leads to room 9. If the robots can 
  stop intruders without harming them, the robots will do 
  so. They will not hesitate to attack if necessary.  
   
  The referee must give hypnotized characters hypnotic 
  suggestions that will fulfill the robot's mission.  
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  24 
   
   
   
  9. NEURAL FUNGUS  
  (MV None; IM/RS 0/0; STA Minor surgery needed to 
  remove; ATT None; DM None; SA See below; SD None)  
   
  You see a very long room about 20m wide. Like the other 
  rooms you have seen so far, this one has a large amount 
  of fungus growing on the walls, ceiling and floor. You 
  immediately notice that the fungus here covers the entire 
  surface of the room. There is nothing else noticeable 
  about this chamber, except for the doorway(s) at the 
  other end of the room.  
   
  The walls, ceiling, and floor of this room are covered by 
  neural fungus. The neural fungus cannot be distinguished 
  from other types of fungus growing on the walls of other 
  rooms. Anyone who touches the fungus with bare flesh 
  becomes infected and suffers extreme pain. It is 
  impossible for the infected person to move, fight, or speak 
  coherently. The infected victim will need anesthetic to 
  relieve his or her pain. Minor surgery is necessary to 
  remove the fungus infection.  
   
  The fungus was created by the Eorna to allow direct 
  mindlink between two individuals by linking their nervous 
  systems. An unexpected side effect is that contact 
  between the fungus and the nervous system causes such 
  pain that the mind-link is useless.  
   
  SA: Intense pain. Physical contact between infected 
  victims allows direct mind-link.  
   
  10. HYPNOTIC ROBOTS  
  (MV Medium; IM/RS 6/60; STA 100; ATT 60; DM 2d10; 
  SA Hypnosis; SD None)  
   
  Two robots have been set to guard this room. They are 
  identical in type, programming, and purpose to the robots 
  in room 8. Use the encounter description given there for 
  this encounter.  
   
  11. ROGUE CRYSTALS  
  (MV Slow; IM/RS 4/35; STA 100; ATT 50; DM as weapon; 
  ATT 60; DM 5d10; SA See below; SD See below)  
   
  More of the strange crystals so common throughout these 
  rooms seem to fill the sides and walls of this room.  
   
  Two rogue crystals will fire energy beams when the party 
  comes within points blank range. The attacks will be as if 
  with sonic disrupters. If a rogue crystal's attack is nullified 
  by a sonic screen, it will switch to a different type of 
  energy and attack again. Note that rogue crystals have 
  different chances of success for ranged attacks (50) and 
  melee attacks (60).  
   
  SA: Attack as electrostunner, laser pistol or sonic 
  disrupter; ATT 50; DM 5d10 SD: Takes half damage from 
  weapons affected by albedo, gauss, and sonic defenses.  
   
  EORNA INSANE ASYLUM  
  Rooms 12-15 are an automated facility for Eorna suffering 
  from various mental disorders. The care, feeding and 
  treatment of the inmates is handled by automation 
  because the labor of all normal Eorna is devoted to the 
  Great Mission. The inmates and their activities are usually 
  not supervised or controlled.  
   
  12. ASYLUM STOREROOM  
  This 30m x 30m room is some sort of storage area. There 
  are a large number of boxes and jars piled around the 
  room, as well as some bolts of shimmering cloth and what 
  appear to be strange cubical devices. The walls have a 
  strange porous texture unlike the previous levels of the 
  complex.  
   
  This storeroom is filled with a number of items. Both 
  doors are open. After the player characters enter the 
  room, but before they exit by the door to room 13, a trap 
  rigged by the inmates is triggered. Both doors will close 
  and lock with level 1 locks. Technicians trying to open the 
  locks will have a -20 modifier, due to the alien design of 
  the locks. Soon after the doors lock shut, the player 
  characters will hear the air being pumped out of the room 
  through the walls of porous tiles.  
   
  The player characters will not be able to detect the trap in 
  this room. The encounter is intended to challenge the 
  ingenuity of the players. The air is pumped out slowly and 
  the characters will have time to examine the contents of 
  the room and decide on a plan of action.  
   
  The items stored in the room are:  
   
  Boxes of crystal bolts 
  Boxes of rubber hoses 
  Electrical batteries 
  Spools of insulated wire 
  Spools of plastic tape 
  Boxes of crystal lights 
  Boxes of crystal spheres 
  Boxes of plastic squares 
  Boxes of putty 
  Jars of saltpeter 
  Jars of iron filings 
  Jars of powdered calcium 
  Jars of powder sulfur 
  Jars of powdered charcoal 
  Large jars of water 
  Jars of fermented fruit juice 
  Boxes of protein cubes 
  Bolts of shimmering cloth  
   
  The exact amount of each item is unimportant; they are 
  simply resources that the characters can use to escape 
  the trap.  
   
  There are at least four ways the player characters can get 
  out of the room alive: 1) pick the door lock; 2) blow down 
  the door with weapons, grenades, or tornadium explosive; 
  3) mix sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter into gunpowder and 
  blow down the door; 4) electrolyze the water for its 
  oxygen and wait until the doors are opened in an hour.  
   
  The first method uses the Open Locks subskill. If the 
  second method (blowing down the door) is used, the 
  reinforced door has 70 structural points. If gunpowder is 
  used, it will have special effects in this encounter: 1) The 
  attempt will automatically succeed. 2) In this situation, 
  characters 
  without 
  Demolition 
  skills 
  can 
  use 
  the 
  gunpowder. These are special conditions of this encounter 
  and do not apply to other situations where gunpowder or 
  other explosives may be used. The fourth method of 
  escape is more complex.  
   
  When an electric current is passed through water, it 
  separates into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can 
  then be vented through the wall while the oxygen is kept 
  inside the room (using the rubber hoses). For this method 
  to work, the large jars of water, the electrical batteries, 
  
   
  25 
   
   
   
   
  the insulated wire, and the rubber hoses should be used. 
  This method will maintain breathable air until the doors 
  are opened in an hour.  
   
  If the player characters create gunpowder, or electrolyze 
  the water for its oxygen, the referee should award any 
  player character who helped come up with the idea an 
  extra experience point. If a player character uses the 
  materials in the storeroom to create a different reasonable 
  means of escape, the character should be awarded an 
  experience point.  
   
  The door trap was set up by some of the more functional 
  inmates in the asylum. It is meant to stop intruders and 
  protect the inmates. Usually, the corpses of those who 
  died of suffocation are collected after an hour.  
   
  13. ASYLUM BEDROOM  
  As you open the door to this room, you see 10 two-legged 
  creatures with huge tails, their bodies covered with fine 
  fur. The creatures are draped over various pieces of weird 
  furniture. Most of them appear to be asleep, but three of 
  them see you, let out loud screams, and run toward you!  
   
  Three of the Eorna will attack the player characters on 
  sight, four will attack only if attacked, and three will not 
  attack even if attacked. The three that will attack on sight 
  are paranoids or manics. The three who will not attack 
  even if attacked, are suffering from depression or 
  catatonia. The other four are suffering other types of 
  mental disorder.  
   
  Name 
  STR/ 
  STA 
  DEX/ 
  RS 
  INT/ 
  LOG 
  PER/ 
  LDR 
  PS IM RW M 
  Eorna who will attack on sight: 
     Eorna A 
  85/95 50/50 95/70 70/70 5 5 25 43 
     Eorna B 
  70/80 45/45 70/70 60/60 4 5 23 35 
     Eorna C 
  90/90 70/70 60/60 80/80 5 7 35 45 
  Eorna who will attack if attacked: 
     Eorna D 
  65/80 50/50 70/70 60/60 5 5 25 33 
     Eorna E 
  70/70 40/40 50/70 80/70 4 4 20 35 
     Eorna F 
  80/70 60/50 50/50 70/70 5 5 30 40 
     Eorna G 
  80/80 50/50 95/70 70/70 5 5 25 40 
   
  Note: The other three Eorna are not given statistics since 
  they are totally non-functional and will ignore the party. 
  None of the Eorna are armed.  
   
  This room is filled with cots and beds suitable for Eorna. 
  Eorna sleep standing up, leaning at a comfortable angle (it 
  would be impossible for them to sleep on their backs 
  because of their tails). The walls of this room have the 
  same porous texture as the walls of the previous room.   
   
  14. ASYLUM COMMON ROOM  
  This room is very large, 40m x 40m, and is filled with a 
  variety of structures made from both metals and crystals. 
  There are also some pieces of furniture, similar to those in 
  the previous room. The walls are made of the same 
  porous tile you have seen throughout this level.  
   
  The inmates usually spend most of their waking hours in 
  this room. However, there is no one in the room right 
  now. The room is filled with chairs and tables appropriate 
  for Eorna. On one wall is a holovision. A radio is on 
  another wall. On a third wall is a machine that dispenses 
  therapeutic 
  drugs 
  and 
  provides 
  soothing 
  hypnotic 
  treatment for patients. The holovision, radio, and therapy 
  machine 
  have 
  crystalline 
  structures. 
  A 
  technician 
  character can identify their functions with the Operate 
  Machinery subskill, although there is a -20 modifier on the 
  chance to identify.  
   
  15. FINAL DEFENSIVE BARRIER  
  Opening the door, you peer into what appears to be an 
  empty room, 20m across and 30m long. There is a door in 
  the northeast corner of the room, across from the door 
  you have just opened. The walls are of the same 
  construction as the other rooms on this level.  
   
  This room at first appears to be empty. Technicians who 
  successfully detect for security devices will notice that the 
  entire floor of the room is a pressure plate.  
   
  One turn after anyone enters the room, doze grenade gas 
  will be pumped through the porous walls and ceiling. 
  Every character must make a successful Stamina check or 
  lose consciousness for d100 minutes. During the time the 
  party is unconscious, a group of Eorna will arrive equal to 
  twice the number of characters who passed their Stamina 
  checks. The Eorna are armed with electrostunners and 
  needler pistols with anesthetic needles. The Eorna were 
  alerted by the pressure plate alarm system.  
   
  If the conscious characters surrender to the Eorna, they 
  will be disarmed and conducted through the Eorna 
  museum. If they fight the Eorna, they will eventually be 
  destroyed by superior numbers.  
   
  If the entire party is knocked out by the needles, they will 
  awaken in room 16 unharmed but without their weapons.  
   
  The pressure plate is a level 2 security device. The doze 
  gas injection system is a level 6 security device which can 
  be deactivated only from room 16.  
   
  16. EORNA HISTORY MUSEUM AND 
  CULTURAL CENTER  
  You see before you a truly huge chamber filled with a wide 
  variety of crystal and metal gadgets, as well as numerous 
  paintings and murals of a large number of different 
  creatures. Some of the paintings and murals appear to be 
  of dinosaurs, while others resemble the type of fur-
  covered creatures you have encountered earlier in this 
  area of the ruins.  
   
  This large chamber is filled with displays including mural 
  paintings, holograms, and voice recordings explaining 
  Eorna history and culture. There are numerous Eorna 
  sculptures, and a particularly interesting display showing 
  how 
  the 
  Eorna 
  evolved 
  from 
  primitive 
  dinosaurs. 
  Characters who spend 30 minutes or more studying the 
  displays will gain knowledge of Eorna culture roughly 
  equivalent to that provided in the STAR FRONTIERS 
  Briefing Update. The referee may read such characters 
  selections from the file at his own discretion.  
   
  The Eorna will allow the player characters to see Lt. Col. 
  Louis V. Jameson. Jameson is in fair medical condition but 
  is suffering from exhaustion, and even if healed will be 
  
   
  26 
   
   
   
  unable to accompany the player characters on any further 
  adventures. Jameson will confirm the Eorna story, and fill 
  in details about the hijacking of his expedition's ship by 
  the Star Devil and his men. Jameson will also urge the 
  party to explore the Sathar artifact in order to prevent the 
  feared Sathar attack.  
   
  17. ENTRANCE TO THE MAIN COMPLEX  
  This chamber appears to be in very good repair. There are 
  several of the bizarre items of furniture noticed earlier 
  scattered about, as well as a large number of shaped 
  crystals. Four of the fur-covered animals with large tails 
  are approaching you as you enter. These creatures have 
  their front limbs extended in front of them with their 
  palms turned up.  
   
  This is the first in a series of rooms that leads to the large 
  underground Eorna complex. Included in the complex are 
  the Eorna command center, central computer banks, 
  information storage, cold storage, hospital and living 
  areas.  
   
  Characters who enter this room will immediately see four 
  Eorna who approach in a friendly manner, as if expecting 
  the party. These Eorna are unarmed and will attempt to 
  make friendly contact.  
   
  A party that does not act hostile to the Eorna will be well 
  received. If the party has killed the insane Eorna or has 
  fought with the Eorna in Room 15, they will be imprisoned 
  until they can convince the Eorna of their peaceful 
  intentions.  
   
  At that time, the Eorna will provide medical attention, 
  food, shelter and information. The Eorna will tell the 
  player characters about the Day of Doom (the original 
  Sathar attack which almost completely destroyed Eorna 
  civilization). They will explain their plan for evolving an 
  intelligent life form to succeed themselves and oppose the 
  Sathar, and any other aspects of Eorna history, culture or 
  philosophy that the player characters care to discuss.  
   
  Most importantly, the Eorna will tell the party that the 
  arrival of the pirates and other space travelers at 
  Volturnus has seriously disrupted their plans. The Sathar 
  left on Volturnus an artifact that would summon a Sathar 
  battle fleet if space traveling beings are detected within 
  the Zebulon star system. Already, the Eorna fear, the 
  artifact may have alerted the Sathar. There is a chance, 
  however, that the device has not yet sent for the battle 
  fleet. The Eorna will gladly show the party where the 
  artifact is located if the party will attempt to prevent it 
  from calling the Sathar fleet. The Eorna will not attack the 
  artifact themselves because it is almost certain to have 
  both internal and external defenses. Excessive Eorna 
  casualties would jeopardize the Great Mission should the 
  attack on the artifact fail.  
   
  The referee should point out to the party that a Sathar 
  attack on the planet would almost certainly mean death to 
  any living being on Volturnus, including themselves!  
   
  EPSILON SUBSECTION 7:  
  EXPERIENCE 
  POINTS  
  At this point, the party should be awarded experience 
  points. Characters who did extremely well receive six 
  experience points. Those who took an active part receive 
  four experience points. Those who did not play well should 
  receive only two points.  
   
  
   
  27 
   
   
   
   
  This section of the module covers the journey to the 
  Sathar artifact and the details of what can and will happen 
  once the party gets inside the artifact.  
   
  ZETA SUBSECTION 1:  
  MAPS AND 
  MAPPING  
  The Sathar artifact is located near the extreme western 
  edge of the color hex map of Volturnus included in the 
  module CRASH ON VOLTURNUS. A diagram of the interior 
  of the artifact is included in this module for use by the 
  referee. The players will have to make their own diagram 
  of the interior, if they want to have one, from the 
  referee's descriptions.  
   
  ZETA SUBSECTION 2:  
  RANDOM 
  ENCOUNTERS  
  If the characters fly to the artifact in the jetcopter, they 
  will not have any encounters until they reach the artifact. 
  If the characters travel overland to reach the artifact, the 
  referee may improvise appropriate encounters, and use 
  numbers 2 and 3 below when the characters get near the 
  artifact in the dry plains.  
   
  ZETA SUBSECTION 3:  
  PLANNED 
  ENCOUNTERS  
   
  1. ATTACKED BY THE ARTIFACT!  
  As you approach the artifact by air, you see that it is a 20 
  meter tall metallic pyramid standing in the midst of a dry, 
  grassy plain. At the top of the pyramid is a bowl-shaped 
  device rotating at high speed. There are various 
  protrusions on the device. As you prepare to land the 
  jetcopter, you can see some herd animals grazing in the 
  plain.  
   
  The bowl-shaped device on top of the artifact is a 
  combination of several devices: a radio-telescope, a 
  transmitter, and an automated anti-aircraft laser. The 
  weapon draws power directly from the power generator 
  inside the artifact. The laser has a range of one kilometer 
  and will fire as soon as the jetcopter is in range. Its base 
  chance to hit is 60%. The laser is set at 20 SEU for 20d10 
  points of damage. It will fire once each turn and will cease 
  fire if the jetcopter moves out of range.  
   
  Referee's Note: The next two encounters assume that the 
  party will land the jetcopter safely out of range of the 
  artifact's laser (1 km) and approaches on foot. However, if 
  the party flies up to the artifact and lands near it, they will 
  avoid encounters 2 and 3.  
   
  2. TOMAR'S HORSES  
  MV Fast; IM/RS 6/60; STA 120; ATT 40; DM 3d10; SA See 
  below; SD None)  
   
  Assuming the party lands safely at a distance from the 
  artifact, they will spot about 200 meters away a herd of 
  30 animals that look something like horses. The Tomar's 
  horses will begin to stampede the party as soon as the 
  party moves 60 meters or more away from the jetcopter.  
   
  SA: Stampede, ATT 70, DM 8d10  
   
  3.MEGASAURUS  
  MV Fast; IM/RS 5/45; STA 350; ATT 50; DM 7d10; SA 
  None; SD None)  
   
  At a distance of 200 meters, you spot a huge dinosaur-like 
  creature nearly 10 meters long, 5 meters tall at the 
  shoulders. It looks like a giant reptilian cat with a thick 
  tail.  
   
  The megasaurus will attack the party immediately and 
  continue to attack until killed.  
   
  ARTIFACT ENCOUNTER KEY  
   
  1. ENTRANCE  
  As you near the artifact, you see that it is quite large; a 
  20 meter tall tapering pyramid with four sides, each 40 
  meters long. It is constructed from an unknown metal. 
  There are no entrances or openings to be seen.  
   
  There is no entrance in the walls of the artifact. Entrance 
  is through a hidden tunnel 10 meters in front of the north 
  wall of the artifact. Characters who walk over the general 
  area of this hidden tunnel will notice that the ground is 
  soft and  sinking in this area. Some digging will cause the 
  ground cover to collapse into a tunnel which goes straight 
   
  ZETA Section 
  
   
  28 
   
   
   
  down about 20 meters and then leads horizontally toward 
  the artifact.  
   
  The tunnel is circular, made of the same metal that covers 
  the outside of the pyramid. The tunnel is 4 meters in 
  diameter. The metal is covered with a harmless substance 
  that is cold, slick, and slimy to the touch.  
   
  2. SECRET PANEL  
  There is a secret panel in the wall of the tube at the 
  location shown on the referee's map. The panel is a level 
  3 security device. Technician characters that are actually 
  searching the tunnel for security devices have normal 
  chances of detecting the panel. The panel can be easily 
  removed once it is detected. Removing the panel opens 
  the way into tunnel number 3.  
   
  3. TRUE ENTRANCE TUNNEL  
  This tunnel leads to the actual entrance to the interior of 
  the artifact.   
   
  4. THE ENDLESS ROTATING CORRIDOR  
  This is a trap designed by the Sathar. On the map, there 
  are two dashed lines running down two of the corridors in 
  this area. Whenever the party crosses these dashed lines 
  and proceeds another four squares or more, the two 
  sections of corridor on either side of the dashed lines 
  rotate 180 degrees. Characters inside the rotating 
  corridors will take 1d10 points of damage each from being 
  thrown around in the tubes as they rotate. Note that 
  characters will also be traveling back toward the direction 
  they were coming from after the corridor rotates.  
   
  5. CYBOSLUGS  
  (MV Very Slow; IM/RS 4/35; STA 80; ATT 40; DM 3d10; 
  SA See below; SD See below)  
   
  There are 7 cyboslugs in the corridors of area 5, one in 
  each lettered square on the referee's map. The cyboslugs 
  will attack the party at the first opportunity, surrounding 
  them if possible.  
   
  SA: Attack is by a surgically implanted flamethrower; 
  Range 10/20/30/40/50  
   
  SD: Takes half damage from lasers and flame 
   
  6. EMPTY CORRIDORS  
   
  7. QUICKDEATH TRAP  
  MV Very Fast; IM/RS 8/75; STA 180; ATT 70; SA See 
  below; SD See below)  
   
  As you inspect this area you see a large, oval-shaped 
  room. There is another doorway diagonally across the 
  room from the doorway you entered. The room is 
  about 15 meters across at its widest point.  
   
  This room is a massive trap. As soon as the party 
  enters, both doors will automatically close and lock 
  shut. The floor panels will slowly recede into the walls, 
  revealing a huge pit, 10 meters deep, beneath the 
  entire room. In the pit are three hungry quickdeaths, 
  who will become frantic at the sight of the party. After 
  five turns the walls will disappear and the party will be 
  thrown into the pit.  
   
  Technicians who successfully use the Detect Alarms/ 
  Defenses subskill before opening the door have the 
  normal 
  chance 
  to 
  spot 
  the 
  automatic 
  closing 
  mechanism. The closing mechanism and the door locks 
  are level 4 security devices.  
   
  Inside the pit, there is a doorway at location 7A on the 
  referee's map. This doorway is locked with a level 4 
  lock. The doorway leads to area 11.  
   
  SA: 
  Poisonous 
  tail 
  dart; 
  ATT 
  70; 
  Range 
  10/20/30/40/50; DM 1d10 and S10/T3 poison; grapple 
  with tentacles and maw; ATT 70; DM 10 points per 
  turn.  
   
  SD: Immune to needler weapons, half damage from 
  projectiles and laser weapons; -25% on ranged 
  weapon attacks due to speed.  
   
  8, 9, 10. SLAVEBOT CHAMBERS  
  (MV Medium; IM/RS 7/65; STA 80; ATT 50; DM By 
  weapon type; SA See below; SD None)  
   
  As you look into this chamber, you see three horrid- 
  looking Eorna who gaze back at you blankly for a 
  moment. You immediately see that there are strange 
  assemblies of wires protruding from their heads, and 
  that their flash has a strange discolored appearance.  
   
  Each of these chambers contains three slavebots 
  armed with sonic disruptors. Each slavebot carries one 
  extra clip. The slavebots will attack the party on sight. 
  Additionally, as soon as the party is sighted, the 
  slavebots from the other chambers will move toward 
  the party as fast as possible to join in the attack.  
   
  In each chamber the party will find three cots and a 
  supply of food. There is nothing else of value in these 
  chambers.  
   
  SA: Punching score +10  
   
  11. POWER GENERATOR ROOM  
  This room contains a type 4 power generator that uses 
  geothermal energy.  
   
  12. FREEZE CHAMBER  
  As the door to this chamber opens, you are hit with a 
  blast of cold air. Inside you see piles of Eorna bodies 
  and large stacks of frozen raw meat.  
   
  This freeze chamber serves as food storage for the 
  quickdeaths in room 7 and as storage for extra 
  slavebot bodies. Characters who remain in this room 
  more than two turns will take 2d10 points of damage 
  from the extreme cold.  
   
  
   
  29 
   
   
   
   
  13. THE SATHAR BRAIN  
  As you peer into this dimly lit chamber you see a huge 
  flask in the center of the room. The flask is full of fluid, 
  and has numerous tubes leading into it. These tubes 
  connect to other flasks in various locations about the 
  room. There are also wires leading into the large central 
  flask. The wires connect to a complex-looking device on a 
  shelf at the back of the room. Floating in the center of the 
  large flask is the brain of some creature.  
   
  This is the disembodied brain of a Sathar, kept alive 
  perpetually by this apparatus. Its function is to direct the 
  slavebots by radio control. The brain will attempt to 
  summon any remaining slavebots to its defense when the 
  party enters. It is helpless otherwise.  
   
  14. COMPUTER AND  
  TRANSMITTER ROOM  
  If you plan to continue the adventure on Volturnus with 
  TSR module SF2: STARSPAWN OF VOLTURNUS, use 
  Ending 1 at the conclusion of the encounter. If you do not 
  plan to continue the adventure with module SF2, use 
  Ending 2.  
   
  This chamber contains some bizarre machinery, shaped 
  like huge bulbs. The machinery is activated and a horrid-
  looking robot is working with it. As you enter the 
  chamber, the robot grabs weapons and moves to attack 
  you.  
   
  The robot is a Level 4 Sathar attack robot. Its snake-like 
  metal body is 2 meters long, supported by treads. The 
  robot carries a weapon in each of its four limbs. Each front 
  limb carries a laser pistol with powerclip, at a setting of 4 
  SEU. The rear limbs each carry a doze grenade. Its 
  mission is to kill all intruders. Kill is defined as attacking 
  until either the intruder or itself is destroyed. Intruders 
  are defined as all non-Sathar life-forms or robots. The 
  robot carries Attack/Defense and Search and Destroy 
  programs. Characters with Robotics skills may attempt to 
  work on this robot, but suffer the usual penalties for 
  working with alien robots.  
   
  The machinery is actually two separate devices, shaped 
  like huge bulbs. The two devices are connected by a 
  glass-like tube filled with light. Buttons and lights cover 
  the surface of the two devices. The machines are a Sathar 
  computer and a subspace radio transmitter.  
   
  Sathar Attack Robot (MV Slow; IM/RS 7/70; STA 200; DM 
  4d10; SA By weapon type; SD None)  
   
  Ending 1  
  Characters with Computer skills can attempt to identify 
  and work on the computer, with the normal modifiers for 
  dealing with alien machinery. However, the characters will 
  obtain only one item of information from the computer. 
  The information must be translated by polyvox. The 
  translation is:  
   
  Transmission received. Attack fleet heading Volturnus at 
  full operational readiness. Attack on planet will begin in 
  two weeks standard time. Initiate standard procedures.  
   
  Characters with Operate Machinery subskill may attempt 
  to use the subspace transmitter, with the usual modifiers 
  for dealing with alien devices. Characters will presumably 
  contact Truane's Star to inform the government that 
  Volturnus is about to be attacked by a Sathar battle fleet. 
  The government of Truane's Star will promise to send 
  warships as soon as possible, but doubt that any ships can 
  arrive before the Sathar attack begins.  
   
  Ending 2  
  Allow a technician character to operate the transmitter 
  and contact Truane's Star. The government will send a 
  ship to pick up the party and Lt. Col. Jameson. The 
  contacts with the alien races of Volturnus, as well as the 
  information on the Star Devil's activities will be of great 
  value.  
   
  At the time the party contacts Truane's Star, the Truane's 
  Star battle fleet is already mobilized as part of a periodic 
  test of its personnel, equipment, and combat readiness. 
  Since it is already in space, the Truane's Star battle fleet 
  can reach Volturnus in time to intercept the Sathar. After 
  a long battle with heavy losses, the Truane's Star battle 
  fleet defeats the Sathar, who fight to the death to prevent 
  the location of their bases from becoming known.  
   
  ZETA SUBSECTION 4:  
  EXPERIENCE 
  POINTS  
  This concludes the final adventure section of this module. 
  Characters 
  who 
  did 
  extremely 
  well 
  receive 
  three 
  experience points. Those who took an active part receive 
  two experience points. Those who did not play well at all 
  should receive only one point.  
   
   
  
   
  30 
   
   
   
   
  Air Whale 
   
  Type Giant Omnivore, partial plant 
  Number 1 
  Move Slow 
  IM/RS +5/50 
  Stamina 500 
  Attack 50 (focused light), 45 (tentacle) 
  Damage 3d10-18d10 focused sunlight, 
  or 2d10 tentacle 
  Special Attack See below 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – Anywhere in the air 
   
  DESCRIPTION: Air whales are part plant and part 
  animal. The top of the air whale is covered with plant life 
  which converts sunlight directly into food and energy. The 
  giant creature also eats plants and animals. It feeds on 
  floating plankton, drifting spores, and swarms of flying 
  insects, plus anything else it manages to capture. It 
  produces hydrogen as a by-product of feeding. The 
  hydrogen is stored in hundreds of inner membrane sacs. 
  The hydrogen provides the lift which lets the air whale 
  float. Compressed hydrogen, vented through tubes 
  scattered around the air whale's body, lets the creature 
  maneuver.  
   
  Crystal-based life forms have a symbiotic relationship with 
  the air whale. These crystals focus sunlight into a beam, 
  much like a laser. The crystals can fire up to sex shots per 
  turn, with damage divided as desired among the attacks. 
  The damage allotted to each shot must be decided before 
  the combat result is rolled. The crystals also store solar 
  energy, and can fire two shots when direct sunlight is not 
  available. An albedo screen or albedo suit will reduce 
  damage suffered by half. From the bottom of the creature 
  hang hundreds of razor-sharp tentacles 10 meters long. 
  The air whale can make 10 attacks per turn with 
  tentacles. Tentacle attacks must be rolled separately. 
  Note that the air whale has two different attack forms 
  depending on whether the victim is above or below the 
  creature.  
   
  Mordax 
   
  Type Small Omnivore 
  Number 2-20 
  Move Medium 
  IM/RS +7/65 
  Stamina 10 
  Attack 45 
  Damage 1d2 sting 
  Special Attack S5/T5 Poison 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – anywhere 
   
  DESCRIPTION: Mordax are large flying insects about 10 
  cm long. Their sting is poisonous to all player character 
  and NPC races. Mordax may be found anywhere on the 
  planet Volturnus, but are particularly attracted to the 
  flowers of tangler vines.  
   
  Creatures 
  
   
  31 
   
   
   
   
   
  Volturnian BABOON 
   
  Type Medium Omnivore 
  Number 1-10 
  Move Medium 
  IM/RS +6/60 
  Stamina 100 
  Attack 50 
  Damage 2d10 
  Special Attack None 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – anywhere 
   
  DESCRIPTION: The Volturnian baboon is a shaggy, 
  semi-intelligent primate found in various habitats on 
  Volturnus. Its fur varies in color from dark reddish brown 
  to sandy tan. These primates organize themselves into 
  primitive societies based upon battle prowess and display 
  of ferocity. They will often engage even the most ferocious 
  creatures because all baboons in the pack want to prove 
  their ferocity. When hunting, they will often drive prey 
  into some dead end, where dozens of baboons wait with 
  rocks or clubs to kill it.  
   
  Korrvarr 
   
  Type Large Omnivore 
  Number 1-5 
  Move Slow 
  IM/RS +5/45 
  Stamina 150 
  Attack 50 
  Damage 4d10 claw/bite 
  Special Attack None 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – caverns and ruins 
   
  DESCRIPTION: Korrvarr are burrowing animals about 2 
  meters long. They look something like a weasel with a 
  mole-like snout. Korrvarr live in underground burrows, 
  often linked to existing caverns. Korrvarr hunt prey 
  underground, or aboveground at night. They are nocturnal 
  and are -10 to hit in full daylight. They often hunt by 
  surrounding their prey, especially by using interconnected 
  tunnel systems.  
   
  Roller 
  Type Large Omnivore 
  Number 1-5 
  Move Slow 
  IM/RS +5/45 
  Stamina 150 
  Attack 50 
  Damage 4d10 claw/bite 
  Special Attack None 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – caverns and ruins 
   
  DESCRIPTION: A roller is a large herbivore named for its 
  unusual "steam roller" type organ. This organ is actually a 
  huge, cylindrical, hide-covered mass of bane and cartilage 
  attached to two frontal limbs by ball and socket joints. 
  The organ is used to crush the shard grass on which the 
  creature feeds. The mouth of the roller is located on its 
  underside. The crushed shards from the digestible shoots 
  of grass are sucked up into this mouth. Internal organs of 
  the creature separate the glass-like shards from the 
  digestible shoots of grass. The indigestible shards are then 
  stored in a special organ and used as missile weapons for 
  the creature's rear defense. The roller has four normal 
  limbs used for locomotion. The two eyes of the creature 
  are located on the head near the large ears. The head 
  does not have a mouth. A roller has a thick hide that 
  protects it from being cut by shard grass.  
   
  Rollers are generally docile creatures, and will not attack 
  unless frightened or attacked themselves. They are 
  usually found grazing on the grassy plains of Volturnus in 
  herds of 5 to 50. If a roller scores a successful hit upon a 
  character, the victim must roll his Reaction Speed or less. 
  If the roll is successful, the roller attack is avoided; if not, 
  the unfortunate character suffers 8-80 points of damage. 
  (Note: if avoiding the roller means flinging oneself into the 
  shard grass, the usual 1-10 points of damage will be 
  taken.)  
  
   
  32 
   
   
   
   
  Slavebot 
   
  Type Cybernetic 
  Number 1-5 
  Move Medium 
  IM/RS +7/65 
  Stamina 80 
  Attack 50 
  Damage By weapon type 
  Special Attack Punching Score = 10 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – The Artifact 
   
  DESCRIPTION: Slavebots were created to guard Sathar 
  installations. Slavebots are cybernetic combinations of 
  living beings and machines. The biological part of the 
  slavebot is the remains of a captured enemy. Most of the 
  brain has been replaced by a cybernetic implant. The 
  slavebot is controlled by a disembodied Sathar brain kept 
  in special liquid solution. The brain is almost immortal 
  since there are no other body parts to age. The Sathar 
  brain is linked to a radio transmitter that sends coded 
  signals. These are then received by the slavebot so that 
  direct control is possible. The slavebots on Volturnus are 
  Eorna captured in the battle that nearly wiped out the 
  Eorna race. A supply of captured victims is kept in 
  cryogenic storage to provide replacements for worn-out 
  slavebots.   
   
  Bachanda Tree 
  Type Plant 
  Native World Volturnus – forests 
   
  DESCRIPTION: These trees are truly one of nature's 
  triumphs on Volturnus. Some of the oldest of these trees 
  tower to heights of 200 meters or more and have 
  diameters in excess of 15 meters.  
   
  At the base, long tangles of thistle-laden vines protect the 
  lower 
  reaches 
  of 
  the 
  trunk 
  from 
  ground-dwelling 
  creatures. Above heights of 12 or 15 meters, the trees 
  produce long, broad braches . Supporting tendrils which 
  from a secondary root system drop from the large 
  branches to the ground. At the very top of these trees are 
  the flowering and seed-producing elements.  
   
  Bachanda trees are sometimes infested with hollowers, a 
  wood-boring insect. Hollowers lay eggs inside the branch 
  and the newly-hatched young eat the branch from the 
  inside out.  
   
   
   
   
  Cyboslug  
   
  Type Large Omnivore 
  Number 1-5 
  Move Very Slow 
  IM/RS +4/35 
  Stamina 80 
  Attack 40 
  Damage 3d10 Flames 
  Special Attack Flamethrower 
  Special Defense lasers and flame 
  Native World Volturnus – Anywhere underground 
   
  DESCRIPTION: A cyboslug is a living nightmare created 
  by the Sathar to attack all non-Sathar life forms on sight. 
  A cyboslug attacks with a flamethrower which has been 
  surgically implanted in its body. It can cling to walls and 
  ceilings. Its body is covered with a reflective slime which 
  reduces damage taken from laser or fire attacks to one 
  half normal. The Sathar introduced cyboslugs to Volturnus 
  during their first attack. A stock of cyboslugs is kept in 
  cryogenic storage in The Artifact and are periodically re-
  released to roam the caverns of Volturnus.  
   
  Rogue Crystals 
   
  Type Special, silicon-based life 
  Number 1-5 
  Move Slow 
  IM/RS +4/35 
  Stamina 110 
  Attack 50, Range as sonic disruptor, 
  electrostunner, or laser pistol 
  Damage As a sonic disruptor, electrostunner, 
  or laser pistol set to 4 SEU 
  Special Attack see below 
  Special Defense see below 
  Native World Volturnus – Anywhere underground 
  
   
  33 
   
   
   
   
   
  DESCRIPTION: Rogue Crystals are another Eorna 
  experiment gone wrong. The Eorna managed to foster 
  silicon-based life, but failed at all attempts to make such 
  life forms intelligent. At the point where semi-intelligence 
  was reached, the silicon crystal life form invariably turned 
  on its creator, as if it had an instinctive hatred for carbon-
  based life forms. The Eorna eventually gave up. Some of 
  the creatures escaped, however, and still survive.  
   
  Rogue crystals are indistinguishable from Eorna crystal 
  sculptures to anyone except an Eorna. The first time the 
  player characters encounter rogue crystals, the rogue 
  crystals will attack with surprise. Rogue crystals store 
  energy which can be released as sound, light, or 
  electricity. Treat the rogue crystals as if firing a sonic 
  disruptor, a laser pistol, or an electrostunner. Only one 
  attack per turn may be made. The first attack of a rogue 
  crystal will be a random choice of energy. The creature 
  will switch to other energy types if the first attack is 
  negated by a defensive screen or suit. Rogue crystals also 
  have a melee attack which will be used instead of an 
  energy attack if an opponent closes to melee combat.  
   
  Rogue crystals take half damage from the following 
  weapons: all laser weapons, all sonic weapons, electric 
  swords, electrostunners, shock gloves and stunsticks. 
  Rogue crystals are immune to gasses which affect carbon-
  based life forms, such as the gas in doze grenades, poison 
  grenades, and the tear gas effect of smoke grenades.  
   
  Scraak 
   
  Type Small carnivore 
  Number 1-10 
  Move Medium 
  IM/RS +7/68 
  Stamina 40 
  Attack 75 
  Damage 2d10 beak/claw 
  Special Attack Vertical leap 10 meters to attack 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – Forest 
   
  DESCRIPTION: A scraak is a flightless bird which 
  typically nests in the upper branches of bachanda trees. It 
  hunts by waiting quietly in the upper branches of the tree 
  for small mammals or other prey to appear on lower 
  branches. The scraak then leaps down upon the prey, 
  frightening it into immobility with a fearsome screech. 
  Scraaks still retain (from an earlier stage of their 
  evolution) a prehensile tail. They use the tail and their 
  razor-sharp claws to climb to the higher branches of a 
  tree.  
   
  Spitter 
   
  Type Medium Herbivore 
  Number 10-100 
  Move Medium 
  IM/RS +7/65 
  Stamina 120 
  Attack Acid spit:  
     80%, range 2/5/10/15/20 
  Hooves:  
     20% 
  Damage Acid spit:  
     2d10+1d10/turn until neutralized 
  Hooves: 
     1d10 
  Special Attack Acid spit (see description above) 
  Special Defense None 
  Native World Volturnus – shard grass plains 
   
  DESCRIPTION: Spitters are reptilian herbivores found in 
  herds on the shard grass plains of Volturnus. The 
  creatures feed on the grass by shooting a stream of highly 
  corrosive acid from their mouths. This acid breaks down 
  the hard outer shells of the shard grass in a few seconds. 
  The spitter can then eat the shard grass safely. The 
  spitter's thick hide protects it from being cut by shard 
  grass. Spitters will not attack other creatures unless 
  extremely frightened or attacked first.  
  
   
  34 
   
   
   
   
  Tangler Vine 
   
  Type Plant 
  Number 1-10 
  Move None 
  IM/RS +5/50 
  Stamina 40 
  Attack 50 
  Damage 1d10 devour 
  Special Attack Anesthetic thorns 
  Special Defense Flowers attract Mordax insects. Fruit 
  is an age retardant which causes 
  mental regression 
  Native World Volturnus – ruins 
   
   
  DESCRIPTION: Tangler vines are a carnivorous mutation 
  of 
  normal 
  vines, 
  created 
  accidentally 
  by 
  Eorna 
  experiments. They are normally found in the ruins of the 
  Eorna city, clinging to ruined buildings like ivy.  
   
  The vines can attack victims within 10 meters. Tangler 
  vines are covered with hollow thorns. The sap of the plant 
  acts as an anesthetic for carbon-based life forms. A victim 
  must roll his or her current Stamina or less on d100 or fall 
  asleep. The sleeping are wrapped in the vines and then 
  devoured.  
   
  The flowers of the vine attract mordax, a type of large 
  flying insect whose sting is poisonous (S5/T5) to most 
  species. At any time there will be 1-10 mordax hovering 
  around the tangler vines. The fruit of the tangler vine has 
  the unique property of slowing down the aging process. 
  This effect has not been duplicated in the chemical 
  laboratories. As a side effect of the age slow-down, the 
  individual will mentally regress, acting like a two year old 
  child for 20 hours. For every fruit eaten, the individual will 
  physically age only one month in two month's actual time.  
        
   
   
  
   
  35 
   
   
   
   
  THE KURABANDA  
   
  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION  
  A Kurabanda stands 1.2 meters tall and looks somewhat 
  like a tarsier monkey. It has large round eyes and large 
  pointed moveable ears. It can swivel its head around and 
  look behind its back. A Kurabanda's hands and feet have 
  special pads for better grasping. These pads are filled with 
  blood storage vessels, and permit more blood to be kept 
  in the fingers and toes, allowing for a better grip than any 
  Human could manage, since the muscles are less subject 
  to fatigue. A Kurabanda's tail is prehensile. 
   
  In the course of evolution, Kurabanda have lost some of 
  the heavy fur which originally covered their bodies. A 
  Kurabanda's torso is covered with fur, but its head, hands, 
  feet and tail are bare. Its arms and legs are covered with 
  fine hair that looks like soft down.  
   
  CULTURE  
  Kurabanda hold physical prowess and the glory of 
  dangerous exploits as ideals. Their value system is based 
  on the perceived image of honor. A respected Kurabanda 
  is one who is a good hunter, a good fighter, and an 
  individual who upholds the honor of the family. A 
  Kurabanda who does not hold to these ideals or who does 
  not take revenge for an insult is disgraced in the eyes of 
  his family and his clan.  
   
  In Kurabanda society, if one Kurabanda is harmed, his or 
  her entire family is considered to have been insulted. 
  Blood feuds are not common, but do occur. To avoid feuds 
  it is usually necessary to pay compensation to the injured 
  parties. Clan blood feuds can also be avoided by a system 
  of ritualized vengeance. The vengeance is aimed at forcing 
  the victim to lose prestige. Kurabanda constantly try to 
  outdo each other with showy displays of wealth. A family 
  will put on an incredibly lavish feast to honor its ancestors 
  and show its neighbors how successful the family is. 
  Occasionally, the feast may be part of ritualized 
  vengeance. A guest of honor may actually be mocked by 
  an excessive display of wealth. It is difficult for outsiders 
  to tell the difference between mocking a guest of honor 
  and honoring the guest, but Kurabanda always know. An 
  insulted guest can take revenge at the feast by presenting 
  the host with even more lavish gifts. A blood feud can also 
  be declared at a later time.  
   
  Kurabanda are also natural jokers. Practical jokes are 
  common, usually played on non-tree dwelling guests. 
  Some typical practical jokes are: 1) The Fake Vine Joke: 
  Non- Kurabanda guests are given a vine which will break 
  when used to swing from limb to limb. Hidden below the 
  area is a safety net to catch the victim. 2) Snipe Hunting: 
  Guests are invited to hunt some mythical creature. They 
  will be told to remain in one spot while the Kurabanda 
  drive the creature into the trap. The Kurabanda will then 
  go back to the village to have a good laugh while the 
  victim waits in vain. 3) The Fire Joke: A group of 
  Kurabanda will wave phosphorescent torches simulating a 
  fire. They will yell that the forest is on fire and will lead 
  guests on a harrowing escape which circles around only to 
  end back at the original village. 4) Flea Joke: Kurabanda 
  put small biting insects in the guest's bed so they can 
  watch the victim itch.  
   
  The Kurabanda live in the bachanda tree forest. They hunt 
  not only in the forest, but also in the adjacent fry plains 
  and rocky barrens. Kurabanda often hunt in large packs 
  and surround their prey. They also hunt with various 
  types of traps, or by hiding at frequented spots, such as 
  waterholes, and waiting for game to arrive. The 
  Kurabanda increased the range of their hunt by inventing 
  a type of hang glider.  
   
  Kurabanda live in tree-top villages. The villages consist of 
  a number of large houses made of branches, leaves, and 
  vines. Each house is that of a different extended family. 
  Also in the village are the men's hut and women's hut, 
  which are special buildings for one or the other sex. These 
  two huts are something like club houses for each sex, and 
  serve as places of relaxation outside the house. Each clan 
  also maintains a special hut.  
   
  Kurabanda society is based on the family and kinship. 
  Without understanding the importance of family ties, one 
  cannot understand Kurabanda society. An individual's 
  family relationship also defines that individual's rights and 
  duties. Kin terms are exact. Instead of "cousin" a 
  Kurabanda has Father's Brother's Sons, Mother's Brother's 
  Daughters, etc. Each relationship is somewhat different. 
  For example, a man could count on his Father's Brother's 
  Sons to stand by him in battle but he could only count on 
  his Mother's Brother's Sons for a small amount of financial 
  support in times of extreme emergency.  
   
  The basic kin group is the extended family. An extended 
  family would include a patriarch and his kin. A patriarch is 
  usually the oldest married male. Living with him would be 
  his wives, their adult sons, the sons' wives, the adult 
  grandsons, the grandsons' wives, all unmarried adult 
   
  Intelligent Species 
  
   
  36 
   
   
   
  daughters, and all the children of the various marriages. 
  An extended family averages 20-40 people, but could 
  range from 10 to 100 individuals. A patriarch can order 
  the family to be divided if the number or people living in 
  his household become too large.  
   
  The next most important group is the clan. A clan is all 
  the extended families with the same last name. All 
  members of the clan are descendants of the one who gave 
  his name to the clan. The actual descent is sometimes 
  hard to trace since the clan founder is sometimes a 
  mythical individual directly related to the gods.  
   
  All Kurabanda families who live in one forest form a tribe.  
   
  The final organization is that of the Kurabanda people, 
  who are all descended from Kurabanda, "The First 
  Ancestor".  
   
  Kurabanda have a strong sense of territoriality. The 
  hunting area belongs to the tribe and other tribes may not 
  trespass. Each clan and extended family also has their 
  smaller hunting territories inside the Tribe's territory. One 
  of the most prevalent types of cases in court is a suit 
  involving boundaries between hunting territories.  
   
  Kurabanda trace their descent through the male line and 
  all children have their father's last names. Married sons 
  remain in the household of their father while married 
  daughters join the households of their husband's fathers. 
  It is illegal for anyone to marry a member of the same 
  clan. A male may have as many wives as he can support. 
  In fact, a male's social standing increases if he has many 
  wives, but it is a great dishonor to have more wives than 
  can be supported.  
   
  A marriage is not seen as primarily a love relationship 
  between two individuals, but as an alliance between two 
  families. The goods that are exchanged before a marriage 
  ceremony are gestures of good faith on the part of both 
  families.  
   
  Despite the rather formal method by which marriages are 
  arranged, the concept of love is not unknown to the 
  Kurabanda. 
  In fact, a common theme throughout 
  Kurabanda literature involves two lovers defying their 
  families in order to remain together. Many long-running 
  feuds have such situations at their roots.  
   
  Each Kurabanda tribe has a chief. When the old chief dies, 
  his eldest son becomes chief, provided that he is willing to 
  fight for the chieftainship. If no one in the tribe challenges 
  the right of the candidate to be chief, the candidate 
  automatically becomes chief for life. Any male who is the 
  head of an extended family may, however, challenge the 
  candidate to trial by combat. if several individuals 
  challenge, there is a preliminary fight which eliminates all 
  the challengers except one. That challenger then fights 
  the candidate for the chieftainship. The winner is the new 
  chief. All challenge matches are to the death.  
   
  If a chief possesses the Sacred Idol, he is proclaimed chief 
  of chiefs and is entitled to lead all the Kurabanda if the 
  need should arise. (At the beginning of the module, the 
  Kurabanda do not possess the Sacred Idol.)  
   
  Kurabanda law is based on tradition and custom. Cases 
  are tried by a council of elders chosen from the major 
  families of a clan. The council interprets the traditional law 
  for all cases.  
   
  Kurabanda religion is influenced by "magic", controlled by 
  experts known as shamans. Shamans often try to shift the 
  blame to innocent victims when "magic" doesn't work, 
  accusing the scapegoat of being an evil witch.  
   
  The Kurabanda believe in the magic of "power objects". 
  These ward off evil and give good luck. The objects may 
  be anything: an odd shaped pebble, a dried leaf, and so 
  forth. The most important power objects, however, are art 
  objects left over from Eorna civilization. One such object is 
  the Sacred Idol. The Keeper of the Sacred Idol is the only 
  individual who can unite all the Kurabanda.   
   
  The closest thing to worship for the Kurabanda is the cult 
  of the ancestors. Every Kurabanda house has its own 
  shrine where the ancestors of the family and clan are 
  honored. The chief is responsible for the care of the tribal 
  shrine. Kurabanda consider that the ancestors can help 
  the family after death, much as they did during life. If 
  anything, ancestors will have increased power, since they 
  now live in the realm of the spirits. Sacrifices are made to 
  obtain the goodwill of the ancestors. 
    
  KURABANDA REACTIONS TO  
  PLAYER CHARACTERS  
  Attitudes and behavior that will be likely to cause an 
  unfriendly reaction in the Kurabanda include poor 
  sportsmanship, an angry reaction to a practical joke, 
  declining to accept a gift, and giving a valuable gift to a 
  Kurabanda without allowing a good chance of paying it 
  back. on the other hand, the Kurabanda will be unsure 
  how to deal with Humans. Dralasites and Kurabanda have 
  in common a rather overdeveloped sense of humor. 
  Usually, the two races will get along fine. The Vrusks will 
  seem so alien to the Kurabanda that they will be viewed 
  with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. The Yazirians 
  will be well- received by the Kurabanda because of the 
  physical similarities between the two races. 
   
  THE EDESTEKAI  
   
  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION  
  The Edestekai are an intelligent race descended from 
  Volturnian arthropods. They are trilaterally symmetrical. 
  That is, if their bodies were divided lengthwise into three 
  equal parts, the parts would be mirror images of each 
  other.  
   
  The body of an Edestekai is shaped like a giant peanut 
  with three bulbous lobes on top. Three eyes are arranged 
  in a circle around the narrowest part of the body, the 
  midpoint or "waist". The eyes are arranged in such a way 
  that the Edestekai have a 360 degree field of vision.  
   
  Edestekai have three lower limbs arranged like a tripod. 
  The first and largest joint on each of these limbs is 
  covered with a hard extension of shell and serves as a 
  foot. The limb continues to second and third joint which 
  
   
  37 
   
   
   
   
  are roughly analogous to a Human elbow and wrist. Below 
  the third joint are three tentacles which are used for 
  grasping and manipulating objects. 
   
  Underneath their bodies, Edestekai have a number of 
  special thick cilia, or hair-like filaments. These cilia are 
  used as a base to support the body when the limbs are 
  extended completely straight. Except for their tentacles, 
  cilia, and eyes, Edestekai bodies and limbs are encased in 
  an exoskeleton made of chitin, a hard shell-like material.  
   
  The mouth of an Edestekai is located near the base of the 
  body and is hidden by the special cilia. The Edestekai 
  communicate by means of a language composed of 
  shrieks, whistles, groans, and other sounds combined with 
  clicks of the limbs and signs with the grasping tentacles.  
   
  There are two physiological factors which have greatly 
  influenced Edestekai culture: the fact that Edestekai are 
  trilaterally symmetrical and the fact that they have three 
  sexes. The three sexes of the Edestekai are the "Egg 
  Layers" who produce eggs, the "Fertilizers" who fertilize 
  the eggs, and the "Nurturers" who then carry the eggs 
  internally and actually give birth to live young Edestekai.  
   
  CULTURE  
  The primary values of the Edestekai are order, fertility and 
  abundance of lands and crops, and peace. Edestekai 
  abhor killing and violence, and any act of violence except 
  in self-defense is strictly punished and requires a lengthy 
  ritual of purification. Edestekai will defend themselves if 
  attacked, and have been known to fight with an almost 
  insane fury when their religious principles are at stake.  
   
  Edestekai prefer to remain isolated from the other 
  intelligent species on Volturnus, and would prohibit 
  outsiders from their villages if this did not conflict with 
  their values of non-violence and peace. Because of these 
  values, they will tolerate outsiders provided the outsiders 
  do not violate Edestekai law or interfere with the 
  Edestekai religious rituals. If an outsider becomes 
  completely 
  accepted 
  into 
  Edestekai 
  society, 
  that 
  individual's role in the rituals of the race is decided by the 
  High Priest.  
   
  Edestekai believe that meat should be eaten only by the 
  gods, 
  and 
  are 
  thus 
  vegetarians 
  themselves. 
  They 
  intensely dislike the Kurabanda, who hunt for meat. 
  Edestekai see the Kurabanda as ignorant savages. The 
  Edestekai strongly hate the Ul-Mor, because the Ul-Mor 
  manhood ritual involves trying to kill a quickdeath.  
   
  The Edestekai farm the hills of Volturnus. They cultivate 
  fields of a tuber called morda and several varieties of a 
  grain known as arbon. In addition, the Edestekai keep 
  large numbers of blotes, docile amphibians about the size 
  of a dog and similar in appearance to a salamander. 
  Blotes are hosts for a parasitical fungus called krume. 
  Krume looks something like shelf fungus, and grows 
  profusely on the skin of blotes. The Edestekai cultivate 
  this fungus on their blotes and harvest it about every six 
  weeks. Edestekai also use irrigation to create stagnant 
  ponds where they grow a green algae called squill.  
   
  Edestekai live in dug-out stone houses. Viewed from 
  ground level these houses appear to be only a few feet 
  high, but inside they are quite spacious. The houses often 
  continue into the hillside for quite some distance.  
   
  The trisex family is the basic unit of Edestekai society. 
  Nurturers are expected to remain in the household and 
  perform child-rearing and maintenance duties. Egg Layers 
  are expected to cultivate crops and assume general 
  responsibility for maintaining the food supply. Fertilizers 
  are free to become skilled workers, artisans, idol-makers 
  or even priests.  
   
  Higher society organization is on the village level. a typical 
  village contains about a thousand Edestekai. Organization 
  above the village is in the hands of the elected High Priest 
  and his immediate followers. They live in the holy city, 
  near the Crystal Stonehenge. Also living in the holy city is 
  "Justice", a captive quickdeath.  
   
  Religion is the strongest cultural force in Edestekai life. 
  Religious rules, rituals and beliefs control almost all facets 
  of daily life. There is no distinction between the 
  government and the religious authorities; in Edestekai 
  society, the priests are the government.  
   
  The Edestekai worship thousands of gods. The gods 
  represent the forces of nature: sun, moons, stars, winds, 
  creatures, oceans, etc. There are three gods which are 
  most important among these. The Edestekai believe that 
  Egarit ("Light") and Elenehet ("Darkness") created the 
  world. Nothing could live or grow in this world; the sun 
  and stars would not stay in place; the oceans would not 
  keep to their boundaries, etc. But then the goddess, 
  Edesti ("Order") intervened and the world in its present 
  form came about to crown the creation, Edesti nurtured 
  the "Chosen Ones", the Edestekai. These she made 
  trilaterally to reflect nature of ultimate divine authority. 
  The lesser gods were then given control of various areas 
  of functioning in the universe.  
   
  The Edestekai believe that they have a special mission to 
  magically assist the gods in the constant struggle against 
  chaos. The gods receive their power from magical rituals 
  which the Edestekai perform. Most of these rituals take 
  place on special consecrated grounds, and involve group 
  singing, chanting and very intricate patterns of dancing. 
  There are rituals for almost all aspects of Edestekai life: a 
  ritual of rain, a ritual of planting, a ritual of harvesting, a 
  ritual to prevent or cure disease, a ritual for protection 
  from enemies, etc.  
   
  Nothing is allowed to interfere with the performance of 
  these rituals at the proper time, for the Edestekai believe 
  that if the rituals are not performed at the proper time, 
  there is a chance the gods will lose too much power, 
  causing the world to end as stars fall from the skies, 
  oceans flood the world, and all life ends. Non-Edestekai 
  are not allowed to participate in these rituals. The sacred 
  grounds where rituals are performed may not be touched 
  or walked upon by any non-Edestekai.  
   
  All religious teaching and ritual is under the control of 
  priests. These are each equal in authority and power. The 
  supreme ruler of the Edestekai is a High Priest who lives 
  
   
  38 
   
   
   
  in the supreme temple near the Crystal Stonehenge. This 
  High Priest is elected for life by vote of all the other 
  priests.  
   
  Sometimes priests see visions or hear unknown voices. 
  The Edestekai believe these revelations have been sent to 
  reveal the will of the gods. Such revelations are called 
  True Visions. There is NO appeal from any judgment made 
  by a priest who has had a True Vision concerning the case 
  in question. However, the people as a whole must agree 
  that the priest/ judge's hallucination is in fact a True 
  Vision, and not merely a fantasy of the priest's own 
  creation. Priests who have seen an authentic True Vision 
  are regarded as living saints.  
   
  Each year a certain number of individuals from each 
  village are sent to the holy city to labor for the High 
  Priest. The pilgrimage and work time are considered holy. 
  Any individual who has worked in the holy city is held in 
  special reverence.  
   
  Edestekai villages and houses are filled with idols of the 
  various gods. Each idol must be given proper reverence. It 
  is a crime punishable by death to steal an idol belonging 
  to any Edestekai.  
   
  The Edestekai legal system is based upon belief in oracles, 
  communications from the gods. Accused persons are put 
  on trial before judges who are also priests. Evidence and 
  testimony are taken, but the final decision is left to the 
  priest, based upon what the priest believes to be the will 
  of the gods. If the accused does appeal, the priest picks a 
  sheaf of arbon grain at random and counts the number of 
  kernels on it. If the number is odd, this is believed to be a 
  special sign from the gods that the accused is innocent. If 
  the number is even, the accused is not only guilty of the 
  original crime, but has offended the gods by appealing to 
  them to cover up his or her guilt!  
   
  The Edestekai believe that their god of justice takes the 
  physical form of a quickdeath. To the Edestekai, these 
  animals are messengers of the god of justice and are holy 
  animals. Priests always wear a shawl of quickdeath hide 
  when hearing a case. A live quickdeath is always kept (in 
  captivity) in the main Edestekai temple near the Crystal 
  Stonehenge.  
   
  Punishments for crimes require the offender to pay back 
  to the person he or she harms something of equal value 
  to the harm done. In extreme cases, the punishment may 
  be legalized slavery. Death is administered by staking the 
  criminal out with three stakes to be eaten alive by a 
  quickdeath.  
   
  EDESTEKAI REACTIONS TO  
  PLAYER CHARACTERS.  
  Edestekai will react with great anger and hostility to any 
  show of force, violence, or sacrilege by any characters. 
  Player characters will find it difficult to make suggestions 
  to Edestekai; the Edestekai will see all player characters 
  as obviously inferior creatures who must be tolerated. 
  Edestekai will react favorably to evidence of sustained, 
  peaceful hard work, artistic craftsmanship, great wealth, 
  or extreme religious piety.  
   
  THE EORNA  
   
  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION  
  The Eorna are a race of intelligent creatures descended 
  from bipedal Volturnian dinosaurs. Most Eorna stand 
  about 3 meters tall. The thick hide of the reptile has been 
  replaced with a coat of fur that serves as insulation in cold 
  temperatures. They have a rather large tail which is used 
  for balance in walking. Their smaller forelimbs have 
  developed hands that are somewhat human in appearance 
  and function. Their vocal sounds are very different from 
  those made by Humans due to the different structure of 
  the Eorna palate.  
   
  Eorna are warm-blooded omnivores who evolved to build 
  an advanced technological civilization. The Eorna are 
  natural hypnotists. Their technology stresses mental 
  control, often reinforcing the natural abilities of the Eorna.  
   
  CULTURE  
  The Eorna worship beauty. They believe that the purpose 
  of life is to come to know true beauty, which can take 
  many forms; it can be physical, moral, intellectual, 
  historical, etc. Of course, the Eorna idea of beauty is not 
  necessarily the same as that of Humans or other player 
  character races.  
   
  The Eorna have no priests or spiritual leaders. As a form 
  of worship, the Eorna create magnificent sculptures of 
  crystals and light, high technology items, great works of 
  music, logical systems of thought, and other objects of 
  beauty. To an Eorna, creative work is in itself a religious 
  experience. Anything which tends to destroy life and 
  beauty should be discouraged, or if necessary, totally 
  eliminated.  
   
  The Eorna now see the Sathar as the ultimate enemy of 
  all that the Eorna believe in. To meet the Sathar 
  challenge, the Eorna have undertaken what they call the 
  Great Mission. The Eorna long ago realized that their 
  numbers were too few to survive as a race. The Eorna 
  have artificially interfered with evolution on Volturnus to 
  produce the Edestekai, the Kurabanda, and the Ul-Mor. 
  The Eorna hope one of these races will eventually achieve 
  a high level of civilization, dedicated to beauty, but with 
  sufficient technology and military skill to defend against, 
  and eventually destroy the Sathar.  
   
  The efforts of most surviving individual Eorna are given 
  wholeheartedly 
  to 
  the 
  Great 
  Mission. 
  The 
  original 
  survivors of the Sathar attack have undergone cryogenic 
  sleep. Only 10 of the original survivors are awake at any 
  given time. When one of these individuals dies, a sleeper 
  is awakened to replace the dead Eorna. Forty-six 
  individuals remain in cryogenic sleep. Those who are 
  awake are aided in their efforts by the most capable of 
  their descendants (many of whom have inbred genetic 
  defects).  
   
  The number of Eorna is so small that they no longer need 
  a formal society. There are no social organizations other 
  than the family. Eorna society thus maximizes individual 
  freedom of choice and minimizes social control of the 
  individual. 
  Criminal 
  behavior 
  is 
  handled 
  by 
  a 
  
   
  39 
   
   
   
   
  computerized/robotic legal system. This system works for 
  the Eorna because they all share the same basic goals and 
  ideals (the Great Mission).  
   
  The Eorna legal system remains the one that was used 
  before the Sathar attack which nearly destroyed their 
  race. All laws have been codified and entered into special 
  computers. Computers run the robot police and serve as 
  ultimate judges in all civil and criminal cases. Eorna law 
  recognizes that there may be extenuating circumstances 
  involved in a criminal act. The system tries to evaluate a 
  person's intentions and motives when considering guilt or 
  innocence.  
   
  The 
  usual 
  punishment 
  for 
  serious 
  violations 
  is 
  imprisonment in a mental hospital. In some cases 
  convicted criminals may be required to provide some type 
  of restitution to the victims of their crimes. Finally, Eorna 
  law recognizes a special appeal based upon the criminal's 
  value to society.  
   
  The prison and mental hospital systems have largely 
  broken down. Some criminal or insane Eorna do exist and 
  wander free in a few areas of the planet. The robot police 
  frequently malfunction due to neglect.  
   
  EORNA REACTIONS TO  
  PLAYER CHARACTERS  
  The Eorna will be impressed by any player character who 
  shows an interest in beauty, and the Eorna are likely to 
  discuss the finer points of beauty with these characters for 
  hours. The Eorna will at first be wary about explaining the 
  Great Mission to the player characters, but will eventually 
  take the player characters into their confidence.  
   
  Any form of unnecessary violence, any destruction or 
  vandalism of works of art or intellect, or any similar 
  behavior on the part of a player character will cause an 
  unfriendly reaction from the Eorna.  
   
  Regardless of a player character's behavior, all sane Eorna 
  will recognize an obligation to provide food, water, and 
  medical attention to any other intelligent creature, no 
  matter how repulsive. Extremes of bad behavior may 
  result in an Eorna calling the robotic police by means of 
  the computers found in most Eorna dwellings and work 
  places.  
   
  It is important that the referee eventually allow the  
  player characters and the Eorna to become allies. Without 
  such an alliance, there will be no hope of defeating the 
  Sathar armada which is already en route to Volturnus.  
  
   
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  SF1: THE VOLTURNUS ADVENTURE, Part 2 
   
  The adventure is explosive... 
   
  Volturnus: a barren, hostile world.  
  When a pirate attack stranded your 
  party of adventurers here, your luck 
  and skill, and the help of the Ul-Mor, 
  enabled you to survive. 
   
  The Kurabanda, a mysterious tree 
  dwelling race, are your only hope of 
  finding the lost explorers you seek.  
  On this planet of mystery and 
  danger, survival itself is doubtful.  
  Are you equal to the challenge that 
  lies ahead? 
   
  VOLTURNUS, PLANET OF MYSTERY is 
  the second in the Volturnus series of 
  modules for the STAR FRONTIERSTM 
  game.  It can be played as a separate 
  adventure or as a continuation of 
  CRASH ON VOLTURNUS, included in 
  the STAR FRONTIERS book.  
  VOLTURNUS, PLANET OF MYSTERY 
  contains maps and referee’s notes, 
  as well as full information on several 
  creatures and intelligent races 
  inhabiting the planet.  The Volturnus 
  adventure will be continued in SF2: 
  STARSPAWN OF VOLTURNUS. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Frontiers (osr)/Star Frontier 1st Edition/Adventure/SFAD - Adventure - Alpha Dawn - SF1 Volturnus Planet of Mystery.pdf