The climate is mostly tropical, with more temperate poles than Terra due to the greenhouse affect of the almost permanent clouds and atmospheric storms afflicting the planet.
| The party finds itself, hopefully in need of cash or simply looking for something different to test their adventuring skills, on a Rastan Empire planet whose name translates as Hermes. This planet has 0.9 Earth gravity, is ruled by Rastan aristocracy and is plagued by frequent electro-magnetic storms which make many advanced methods of surface transport and communications very expensive and hence limited.
The climate is mostly tropical, with more temperate poles than Terra due to the greenhouse affect of the almost permanent clouds and atmospheric storms afflicting the planet. | Rastan Imerial Logo. Source SSDragon. U.W.P. |
| Starport C | Size 7 | Atmos 7 | Hydro 6 | Pop. 8 | Govt. C | Law 7 | Tech Lvl 9 |
| C-Class Starport =average facilities, with unrefined fuel and ships' repairs available. | Size =medium, Terran-size | Atmos =standard breathable | Hydro =60% covered by H2O | Pop. =tens of millions | Gov't =Gov't by a select group or class enjoying the overwhelming confidence of its people | Law 7 =Shotguns & wpns stronger are prohibited on the streets | Tech Lvl =Planetside tech is equal to Terran 2000AD. |
A major mining firm-Rastan Imperial Ores, or R.I.O.-run by a branch of the aristocracy in this district, operate a precious metals mining operation along a particular mountain range not far from its capital, Hermes City. R.I.O. has decided to work with the inclement weather conditions rather than against it, and has opted for a lower tech operation not as susceptible to climactic upheavals. R.I.O. uses the finest Tech Level 15 mining equipment underground where it can operate in relative isolation from the surface storms. But apart from standard air rafts and all-terrain vehicles, the only other major transport system is that of Airships.
Go to the Strasser Airship page for these airship stats.
These airships use technology that electro-magnetic activity does not disrupt. Internal combustion engines run the propellers, and the airships can drop anchor behind hills or in jungle clearings and avoid the worst of the violent winds. They can also "surf" the winds and use prevailing conditions to aid in travelling. A further major advantage is the ability of airships to hover along cliff-side loading bays to drop off food and gear, take on cargoes of precious metals and minerals, and to exchange miners for work shifts at the remote jungle mountain mining sites.
R.I.O has a large turnover of staff due to the remote working conditions of miners and airship staff. They will hire off-worlders if they have the skills necessary to operate these airships, and even sometimes train them if they show aptitude or demonstrate competency in similar skills, like heavy weapons skill or planet-based navigation, etc.
The adventuring party can hear of this work available through the usual channels, ie a rumour at a pub or tavern. Or they may have seen ads for positions vacant on news screens. Or they may have come to this planet after hearing of good profits to be made transporting precious stones and metals and rare minerals out of system and mining equipment and manufacturing components and materials into the system. Either way, make up some reason for them to know of the work on the R.I.O. airships, and entice them to take it on.
Work Details:
Work on the airships includes spots for gunners (Hvy Wpn Skill), radio operators (communications skill), guards (small arms wpns skills), engineers (Engineering Skill), medics (First Aid, other Medical Skills), navigators (planet navigation skills) and pilots (Airship Pilot skills). During flight time on the airship, the party can work on their current skill level, as well as learn new ones "on the job". Double-skilling is encouraged on airships to keep the weight down. Those wishing to learn Hvy Wpns skill as gunners will have to pay back 50Cr per day of training to cover ammunition costs. All other training is free, but characters will only get base pay of 100Cr per week while training.
The working week is six 24-hour days straight, then three off in a 9-day cycle. Pay is 100Cr per week per skill level in whatever job they do, or whatever you decide might entice them. Bonuses are often attractive, and that kind of incentive would fit in with this scenario. Danger money during storms is one bonus. Combat pay should thieves try to hijack the airships is another.
There will be enough positions available for the entire party on one Airship, unless there are more than 11 in the party.
If the party decides not to take this work, end of story. If they do, however, take on this noble employment, they can start the next day.
Click here for the R.I.O. Mines Map & Details
Week 1:
The first day, the Party will start work on the airship, Number 46. Those training in new skills will be shown the basics of what is required (easy tasks) The airship will travel northeast to the Eastern Tiers mountain range where the richest R.I.O. mines are located. The party will pass over the outskirts of Hermes City and fly over lush green and purple ground vegetation of the jungle. If they ask, their Rastan work mates will tell them there are dangerous animals down there. The closest translations that come through are "felines", "reptiles" and "scary things in holes", which only you as games' master know what they are. (see animals notes below) Occasionally the sun breaks through the clouds briefly. Sunset turns the clouds phosphorescent colours of the rainbow.
The Party makes it to the closest of the mines, where it off-loads food and takes on its full load of cargo. The airship makes the return trip at night, and watches are assigned while the rest bunk down on hammocks slung over the cargo. Those in the forward gondola have a quiet ride, those in the stern with the engines have it fairly noisy, as in most conventional engine rooms.
The next day goes much the same.
After two days of relatively good conditions, foul weather approaches from the north. Before the radio goes off-line due to static, your captain hears that one of R.I.O.'s airships, Number 83, has gone down. Emergency procedures go into effect. The Party's blimp is ordered to investigate on the nearby slopes of the Eastern Tiers. R.I.O.'s M-14 deluthium mine (rare element used in Rastan space ship electronics circuits) last saw No. 83 when it lifted off carrying a full cargo of ore six hours ago, but it disappeared from all radar sensors two hours earlier as the electro-magnetic storm approached and made further scoping impossible. The Party will continue searching the Tiers for the missing No. 83. The storm does not abate, and visibility becomes poor when rain pours down in torrents. The Party's blimp will eventually be forced to take shelter in a narrow valley and hover at anchor all night.
On day 4, the weather is no better. The Party again heads out in No. 46 to search, but finds nothing. They return to M-14 and stay the night in the mining camp inside the mountain. The camp is spartan, with cots and hammocks for sleeping, areas for games, cooking/eating and ablutions, all surrounded by bare rock walls void of decoration.
Conditions outside get even worse overnight. The gale sweeps in from the west. The captain is forced to head over the Tiers and take shelter on the eastern side. While looking for a spot to anchor, one of the gunners will spot an air raft's nav lights far away to the south.
Will the Party become suspicious?
If not, the captain does, as the weather is too bad for air rafts, and the mines in this part of the Tiers are located on the other side of the mountains. Either way, the skipper fires up the blimp and goes in pursuit, but shortly after, the air raft dips below the tree line of the jungle and disappears. The skipper cannot raise it on the radio nor spot it again. He begins to search the area on a hunch.
As the sun makes a rare appearance through a break in the clouds, he or one of the crew spots a glint of silver in a nearby ravine. "It could be water on a rock," someone says. "Or it could be the air raft's base camp. A few freelancers come out here prospecting sometimes."
The skipper heads for the ravine and begins a long search as the rain slackens off for an hour or two. After three hours and a good dice roll, someone manages to spot something on the jungle floor below. No. 46 heads down low. The Party can barely make out what looks like the remains of an airship hidden under huge camo netting. He orders the Party to gear up and go down to check it out. Anchors are dropped and the Party is lowered on winched cables to the damaged blimp.
The Party will inspect the site. They will find that indeed, No. 83 has ended up here. Its cargo bay is empty, parts of the consoles and all the machine guns have been removed. The engine has been lifted off its mounts and waits in a loading cradle to be hauled away. Only the frame and deflated fabric of the blimp remains, and has been half rolled up to hide it. The Party also finds traces of blood in the gondola, and deeper back in the jungle, what looks like three mass graves, each big enough for 12 Rastans. The remains of a temporary camp site rests further up the ravine, air raft impressions in the rain-soaked clearing and a cave can be spotted farther back.
What will the Party do?
If they try to radio their findings, they will hear only static and not know if they have been received.
If they wish to head into the cave, they can do so.
If they pull on the cables to signal they wish to come up, or just one come up to report, they can do that.
If they go into the caves, they will be attacked by "scary things in holes", namely giant cave spiders. They will be three feet across (or 1 metre) and half again as long. They have venom in their fangs which will paralyze their victims in 3 minutes.
| Legs=armor 2 (10SP for Cyberpunk) | Torso/Head 4 (20SP for CPunk) | Speed=8 (MA 12 for Cpunk) |
| Fangs Damage=1/2 armor value, 1d6 wound damage + poison | Legs Damage=crush damage 2d6 unless victim is wearing rigid armor, then 1d6. Must make a successful grapple test at +2 to dice roll to crush victim | Venom= Paralyze victim in 3 minutes |
If one person reports back, they will receive permission to go look in the cave (or will be ordered to go in, if they don't wish to go) but will be warned to watch out for the "scary things in holes". The facial expressions will appear quite humorous, as will the small finger movements of the Rastans to indicate their size, both quite misleading.
Once they go into the cave, they must all make a very difficult test roll to see if they set off a "web" alarm, which should be nearly impossible to avoid. At least one person will trip it, causing three spiders to rush out at the Party from a hole in the cave floor in front of them, and one to drop from the ceiling. Another roll should be made to see who is caught by surprise. Those surprised must wait to react till the spiders make their first attacks.
After two rounds, another two spiders will drop down from the ceiling, and six more will come from various holes in walls and further in the cave. The Party can fight or run. If they stay to fight these off, another 3 spiders will drop down after two more rounds, and another six will rush into the fray. Increase the numbers every two rounds until the Party retreats. A hasty tug on the cables will enable the Party to come up four at a time. Who stays behind as rear guard?
On a good dice roll, one remaining gunner from the forward gondola will be able to see what is happening and give some covering fire.
If any Party members have been bitten, the Medic will be able to inject "scary thing" anti-venom serums into Party members if they make it to the gondola within three minutes and Medic's roll succeeds (moderate difficulty). They will have aches and pains for 24 hours, but will be able to carry on light duties, but with minuses as if they have the flu. Other crew will tell them, "See, we tell you 'scary things in holes' might be there. You not very careful!" Party members may die within an hour if a first aid roll is not successful or if bitten members are not returned to the gondola in time. Survival chance is halved once the person is paralyzed. (Very Difficult Dice Roll to succeed.) Oh dear. How sad. Never mind. At least the survivors will be older, wiser, and be able to confirm that no hijacker storage exists in the cave.
Though the storm is easing, radio communication is still not possible with any mine or Hermes City. The skipper decides to wait here while the storm abates. Meanwhile, he assigns the crew to winch aboard the spare engine into their empty cargo bay. They will take it back to Hermes City. He would like to set a trap for the hijackers should they return for the engine and the remaining useful bits of No. 83, but he knows he cannot hide the airship anywhere nearby. Also he fears the air raft they saw in the distance might have spotted them long before his crew spotted them, and being almost certainly a hijacker, may not return to this site for some time, if ever.
He decides to wait till the storm permits radio signals again, and will then inform R.I.O. of their discovery. They can send out patrols to check on the site regularly. He also reckons the hijackers have probably skooted through one of the many narrow passes through the Tiers and have unloaded their booty at a black market warehouse by now. He has heard that several such warehouses operate as independent miners' assaying and trade companies, of which there are twenty or thirty in Hermes City alone. He doubts they will be able to locate the stolen minerals or equipment by the time the storm lets up. He sets a watch for the next two days till the storm peters out, but no air rafts show. No. 46 returns to Hermes City.
On Return
The Party is offered more work on a dedicated guarding airship. They find this is the third airship to go missing in the past 6 months, and R.I.O. is offering a big bonus for the crew who can break this hijacking ring. 10-50K Credits can be offered, or whatever you think is reasonable for the Party, but the ringleaders must also be either captured or terminated, preferably the first option.
What will the party do?
The Party can continue working as guards. They will be storm chasers, trying to catch small, quick air rafts through jungle terrain. They might catch the odd air raft, but not the brains, though if they roll well enough interrogating prisoners, they may get some leads. Let them try if they wish. Time can be sped up by rolling for encounters on a week by week basis.
OR
Party may decide to check out warehouses and independent trading companies to try and locate hijackers' lair. This will take up to a week and cost the services of a hacker at $1000 per day. The "knock on doors" way will take a month. Remember to deduct living expenses, transport costs, bribes etc.
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| INT=6 | REF=8 | TECH=5 | COOL=6 | ATTR=3 |
| LUCK=2 | MA=3 | BODY=14 | EMP=4 | LIFT=300/750KG (carry/dead lift) |
| SPEC: STEALTH=4 | PISTOL=5 | RIFLE=5 | MELEE/AXE=7 | STR FEAT=14 |
| L.ARMOR JACKET=14SP | HVY PISTOL=3d6 | SHOTGUN=4D6 | CMBT AXE=2D10+STR FEAT | COMM UNIT |
The Rastan Hijackers also have Air Rafts (see Traveller sourcebooks for Stats or use AV6 Stats from CP2020.), lock pick kits both mechanical and electronic, tool kits for stripping vehicles, fake ID's with Rastan Independent Ores' Chrome Panther logo on them, 750Credits in cash and a map of several remote valleys in the Eastern Tiers.
They also bear the Chrome Panther logo on some of their gear.
For stats on Nia Onow, the Hijacker Leader, Go to The Rastan Scenarios Part 2 page
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Go to the CP2020 to Traveller--Go Off-World page
Go to the Strasser Airship page
Go to the Rastan History page
Go to the Rastan R.I.O. Mines Map page
Go to the Rastan Scenarios Part 2 page
Go to the Voltarn stats page
Return to Stewart Wochen's page.
Strasser Airships by Chris Cox A.K.A. chriscox@ix.netcom.com
Copyright© 1996, 1997 by Lawrence C. Cox
Minor addition of optional Cargo version by Stewart Wochen, 1999, with permission by Chris Cox.
®1997. Traveller is a registered trademark of
FarFuture Enterprises. All rights reserved.