Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Red: The Spirit Remembers


To explore my previous post that Fate is Powered by the Apocalypse is 5E, I'm going to try and run ICRPG Accelerated with some optional rules:

  1. Borrowing from page 123 of the Player’s Handbook, Personal Characteristics, using Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds and Flaws like FATE Aspects for Hero Coins.
  2. Borrowing from page 174 of the Player’s Handbook, Ability Checks, “Otherwise it's a failure… or makes progress combined with a setback determined by the DM.” That sounds an awful lot like Dungeon World’s 6-, doesn't it?
  3. Borrowing from page 175 of the Player’s Handbook, Skills with Different Abilities turns ability scores into Approaches.
  4. Borrowing from page 242 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, Resolution and Consequences, Success at a Cost. The DMG recommends allowing success at a cost for failure by 1 or 2 points. My initial reaction is, it should be five or less so the probability matches 7-9 and reinforces the 6- concept. I'll play it as is first.
  5. Black Streams: Solo Heroes for solo survivability, making 1 Heart = 1 Hit Die
  6. Unearthed Arcana, Players Roll the Dice. That puts all the dice rolling back on the players similar to Dungeon World.
  7. The Diaspora SRD is used for system generation.
  8. The Versatile Fighter Shell was designed using five Chunks, mirroring the five slots found in Camelot Trigger from Fate Worlds: Worlds in Shadow, and borrowing the Transforming trait idea from Tiny Frontiers: Mecha and Monsters.

Series Title: Red
Episode Name: The Spirit Remembers
Season: 1 Episode: 1

When does the episode take place?
22nd century

Where does the episode take place?
 |----------|       |----------|
[A]-[B]-[C]-[D]-[E]-[F]
 |-----|---------|       |
          |---------------|

F: T1 E -2 R -1 (Sachairi)
A World of Corrupted Air and Water
Mined Nearly to Depletion
To Import or Evacuate?

Sachairi was an Earth-like planet, slightly smaller with less land to settle. Was. Centuries after its discovery, Sachairi is now a dying husk. Mining and refining to the point that the air is no longer breathable, citizens of Sachairi require filtration masks to step outside. 90% of the world is under murky water. It is almost impossible to see the blue white sun through the perpetually overcast skies. Worse, it was only in recent history that the sister star, the dark star, was discovered approaching the system.

What do we know about the setting?
Faster than light travel is usually only possible from two stationed positions without a Warp Shell. The routes between the star systems resemble a mobius strip; Sachairi being the one system with only two connections, like a starting point in the Mobius Cluster. The crimson crystal fragments that litter the system contain raw power that can be mentally manipulated and projected.

What is the tone of the setting?
In spite of the dismal circumstances Sachairi finds itself, it isn’t grim and dark. More Firefly than Warhammer.

Cayden McKenzie, Geno Gunner
Average height with a slightly more muscled build due to his genetics.  He started his career as a scout then moved on to inter-system trade. Cayden typically wears practical, utilitarian clothing in blue and grey.

S +1 D +3 C +0 I +0 W +1 C +0
HP 10 / 10 Armor 11
Basic +2
Weapon +3
Magic +0
Ultimate +0

Personality I am driven by wanderlust.
Personality I have a lesson for every situation drawn from nature.
Ideal Life is like the seasons, in constant change.
Bond I suffer visions of a coming disaster.
Flaw I am slow to trust members of other species and societies.

Equipment blast pistol (6 capacity, common, concealed, durable, easy), burst fire unit (pulse rifle, 3x weapon effort), duranium dagger (concealed, fast, piercing, thrown), personal body armor (+1 armor), pulse rifle (accurate, alien, light, valuable), repair kit (+3 on repair attempts), supplies kit, weapon kit (+2 weapon effort)

Aoife, Versatile Fighter Shell Mk 3
5 10 HP Chunks
Chunk 1 Head: Cockpit
Chunk 2 Legs: Ion propulsion
Chunk 3 Left arm: Short range missiles
Chunk 4 Right arm: Railgun
Chunk 5 Transformation core

Opening Credits: Only My Railgun by GARNiDELiA and Luna Haruna

Location Crash Site / Forest
Obstacle Zurin Temple
Goal Reptoid Supercruiser

A silent explosion of heat bursts through the fabric of space as the Shell returns to normal space. The VFS Mark 3 speeds toward the nearest planet marked as habitable. Barely habitable. Displays show a contaminated atmosphere and just as contaminated oceans; Cayden will need his filtration mask to breathe, and who knows what would happen if he decided to visit the beach. However, there was no mistaking that the Zurin temple on the surface had sent a distress call.

Cayden checks over the rest of the fighter’s systems, muttering, “I don’t know why anyone would hassle the Zurin here. I don’t even know why anyone would want to stay here.”

Most of the systems show green, though Aoife’s propulsion took a hit during the escape from the last system. Navigating down to the surface won’t be an issue; continuing to fly may become one.

Cayden marks the location of the Zurin temple and hopes Aoife decides to land as close to the distress beacon as possible.

The fighter descends through the smog. The sky turns a dark pumpkin orange from the refineries located below churning out pollutants. The temple is away from the populated area, off near what is left of a forest. As most of the surrounding area had been razed, finding a clear space to land within a short distance from the temple is easy.

Cayden checks his flight suit and ensures his helmet and mask are secure. The sensors didn’t mention anything about any dangers to the skin, so there shouldn’t be a reason to wear a hazmat suit. He steps down from the cockpit and begins the walk toward the temple.

Something heavy kicks into Cayde’s shoulder knocking him to his knees. The sting of impact shoots along his shoulder, the crack of gunfire somewhere behind him.

He growls, hissing, “What. The. Fuck?” Cayde is near the treeline; he sprints to take cover behind them.

Another bullet flies from across the clearing, shattering the tree bark from the cover Cayde is behind.

“Well, shit…,” Cayde reaches back and pulls the pulse rifle from his harness.

A figure sprints across the clearing; Cayde sees it just as the assault rifle comes up and fires a quick burst in his direction. More tree bark flies from the trunk, another bullet barely managing to make contact with Cayden’s shoulder.

“Gotcha,” he says, pulling the trigger of the pulse rifle. Cayde returned fire, kicking up patches of dirt as he followed the figure across the clearing. The third pulse finding its mark; the sprinting figure falls to the ground. “Fuck!” he exclaims, walking out to ensure his victim was dead as he glares at Aoife. “Are you kidding me?”

No response.

Cayden crosses to the prone figure. What had seemed like a shimmering cloak is, instead, a pair of wings. Its helmeted head is actually insectoid. The chitinous carapace is colored black with bands of yellow like a wasp; its useless blast rifle lays a couple feet from the corpse. Nirisian.

“Perfect.” He glances skyward, just to be sure nothing is hovering above him, and sprints back to the trees, pulse rifle ready, and makes his way, cautiously, to the temple.

Even being so close to the temple, the trees and cautious progress costs Cayden twenty minutes. The careful approach is rewarded as he hears a steady stream of gun fire. Something screams in pain. Peering from behind cover, Cayden sees a trio of Nirisians shooting up the temple steps; a robed figure sprawled across the steps, sliding slowly down toward them.

“My turn,” Cayde says, smiling. The pulse rifle comes up to his shoulder, support arm resting on one knee.

He lines up a shot and pulls the trigger. The laser burns a hole through one of the Nirisians’ head, immediately cauterizing the wound with a hiss. The two remaining insectoids turn around, weapons at the ready; their wings flicker rapidly as they scan the trees.

Cayden sits and lines up another shot, hoping they haven’t spotted him yet.

The pulse rifle lights the air again, the burst fire catching each of the Nirisians in the chest with a subtle whine then hiss from the rifle. Their fluttering wings stop, and the bodies drop to the ground. Beyond the trees, silence.

Cayden continues to the edge of the tree line and looks for any more Nirisians.

There are no Nirisians nearby; a robed figure steps from behind a pillar that holds a levitating crimson crystal the size of a standing person and kneels beside the other that had been shot. From this vantage point, Cayde gets a clear view of the temple. Made entirely of smooth stone, it resembles a chapel. Stone steps lead up to the door, a pair of pillars at the base of the steps with floating crimson crystals suspended by invisible strings.

He steps from the trees, the pulse rifle collapsing into stowage mode before being placed onto the harness. Cayden climbs the few steps toward the two robed figures. “Are you alright?”

The monk stands and regards Cayden, its robes moving oddly, disjointed, “Brother Jacob is dead, and you are hurt,” he says, eyeing where Cayden had been shot. “Step up so I may help you, then you can help me bring Jacob into the temple.”

Cayde continues up the steps and stands across from the monk.

“I am Seth,” he says, then begins to chant. He reaches forward with a taloned hand that seemed to only have two fingers and a thumb. Cayden’s wounds begin to close, in moments only bruising remained. The cowl tilts to one side awkwardly, “The best I can do.”

“Better than nothing,” replies Cayden with a faint smile. “I’m Cayde,” he says as the two reach down and lift the body of Brother Jacob.

The two walk into the temple, more robed figures bustle through the main chamber nervously. A pair of monks take the body from Seth and Cayde.

“If one of us were trained, we could have saved him,” Seth mutters. “Our evacuation vessel has not arrived; they are days behind. Could you help us?”

“With evacuation? No,” Cayde subconsciously nods his head toward Aoife. “I have a fighter, not a shuttle or anything capable of that. Besides, her ion drives were damaged escaping from the last system.”

“Ah. That we can help with. A moment,” the voice seemed almost a rasp, like dragging something across a rocky surface.

Cayden waits as Seth walks down a hallway. Minutes pass, the remaining monks are silent and dutifully performing whatever daily tasks they were assigned. Seth returns a short while later reverently carrying what seems like a hammer in his inhuman hands. The duranium hammer shines silver with a faint sheen of azure. Grooves trace lines and right angles like circuitry along the rectangular head and down the metallic shaft. Seth presents the hammer to Cayden.

“A Forge Hammer,” Seth says in his stony rasp. “Yours if you will make contact with our evacuation ship.”

Cayden takes the Forge Hammer from Seth, inspecting it. “For a Forge Hammer? When was the last contact?”

“Almost a week ago now. The Red Sword’s last position was in the Savriel system.”

“The Red Sword? You were going to trust pirates to evacuate your temple?” Cayde asks, incredulous.

“It seemed our only option,” Seth replies, glancing to the doors of the temple, “Given our current situation, it may still be. We offered a fair exchange, and we have no warmaster.”

There’s a loud crack as a fist sized hole appears in the stone wall. Lighter explosions of sound follow after from lighter caliber fire. The monks quickly take cover behind the altar, pews, and nearby walls.

Cayden pulls the pulse rifle from the harness and crosses to the foyer. “Alright, if we survive this, I’ll take your message to the Red Sword.”

Another fist sized hole punches through the door, just a couple feet above Cayden’s head. Seth pulls open one of the heavy stone doors.

Cayde’s pulse rifle fires a burst of energy around the door, trying to force the Nirisians back.

A couple of insectoids break ranks and fall back to the tree line. The one holding the gauss rifle, however, stands its ground and takes aim. Another explosion of stone shards, this time close enough to trace lacerations across Cayde’s face. The fusillade that follows chips smaller splinters from the door.

He waits for the gun fire to slow then quickly returns fire. The whine and pop of capacitors on burst fire sends three beams of light down the stairs, three of the Nirisians sizzle as tiny holes bore through them. A rapid count; the gauss rifle and a blast rifle Nirisian at the base of the stairs. There should still be a couple in the trees.

The gauss rifle punches through the door and the metallic projectile scrapes across Cayden’s back leaving a searing scratch across the back of his shoulders. Thankfully, the blast rifle hasn’t broken through the stone barricade yet.

Cayde slides from behind cover and opens fire with the pulse rifle. This time, the laser pierces the gauss rifle Nirisian in the neck; the blast rifle Nirisian’s chest is speared by a pencil thin beam. However, he’s lost sight of the other two.

A loud buzz fills the air; the two Nirisians drop in front of the door Cayden is using as cover. A machete swings angrily at him but scrapes off the stone door. The second insectoid kicks at the door, knocking Cayde back across the floor.

From his prone position, Cayde quickly fires three times. Two beams break through the chitin of one Nirisian. Another beam strikes the machete wielding Nirisian in the chest.

Cayden gets to his feet, breathing heavy with adrenaline still flooding his system. “Red Sword. Savriel. Got it…”

End Credits: Mirai by GARNiDELiA

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