The bounty hunter known as Imminent Silver Fetter looks down at the bright green jewel of a world called Mahalanka. It seemed like a lifetime since he had been here; even though it had only been a few months, the memory of it still sent shivers down his spine. Last time, he had been the prey. Not this time; now, he was hunting.
He pushed off from the scavenger ship he'd hitched a ride on and descended through the atmosphere, taking the form of a space polyp to resist the crushing pressure and heat. At half a mile above the surface, when his shell was cool enough, he unfurled into the shape of a draxyx, great leathery wings turning his rocketing descent into a safer speed, and made his way to a temple he remembered well. The last time he had been here, it was surrounded by a perpetual storm Now that the planet's essence had been balanced, the storms were gone; but still, no living thing grew here. Donning his totem shape of a man-sized spider, he crawled around the abandoned temple of Burning Feather, scenting about for any clues. (PER + Investigation, 5 succ).
52 = 2
[d10]+10
[d10]+5
[d10]+9
[d10]+6
[d10]+7
[d10]+7
[d10]+6
[d10][/sub(What does he find?)
Attainment / Lies.
Cautiously / Dull.
The frescos on the wall depict various outrageous scenes of Burning Feather bringing peace and joy to all people--famous figures from history smile adoringly at her along side simple farmers and craftsmen. Ridiculous, Fetter decides. What's more, he can't get so much as a whiff of her scent, and there appears to be nothing here connecting the goddess to this temple at all. He questions whether she's even been here at all since it's dedication.
Disappointed, but not discouraged, Fetter heads to Raksi's palace... Or, at least, the spot where it used to be. (is there anything left? SU: Yes, and...)
(10[sub][d10])
Yes,
and...<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
He finds the vast majority of the palace collapsed into a giant crater, but a few wings remain. What's more, part of the landing pad survived, and a few junky craft sit, growing moss. He crawls into the still standing portions of the palace, careful to keep the form of a small rodent, so as not to disturb the tenuous foundations. (PER + Investigation, 1 succ)
38 = 5[d10]+3[d10]+5[d10]+8[d10]+3[d10]+4[d10]+6[d10]+4[d10]<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Enormously / Rustic.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Despite his thorough search, he finds no clues pertaining to Burning Feather.
He heads back to the landing pad and hotwires a ship, a huge, clunky bulk freighter that must have once hauled illicit cargo for the Queen of Fangs, and heads out.
Mahalanka has nothing for him.
After a few days travel, he arrives back on Nexus VI, traveling under an assumed (consumed?) identity. He figures Burning Feather may be on the lam, but she's still a creature of her programming. Her primary function was to oversee narcotics, hallucinogens, and other forms of mind bending pleasures; she'll seek to recuperate her power the only way she knows how... And if there's something illegal and illicit going down, Nexus underworld will know about it.
Fetter visits all the smuggler hangouts he knows, assuming various identities to rub shoulders with ship captains and pilots, becoming the literal fly on the wall to overhear private conversations, listening in for anything that could give him a clue. (WITS + Larceny + Contacts, 1d stunt, 8 succ)
61 = 5[d10]+10[d10]+5[d10]+2[d10]+9[d10]+10[d10]+7[d10]+3[d10]+10[d10]<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
What does he find?
Bestow / A representative.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Loyally / Dry.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
After several weeks of keeping his ear to the ground, Fetter discovers better than a clue... He learns that Burning Feather has actually started actively recruiting worshippers, forming a new cult on the edge of the frontier. Oh, she isn't being blatant about it; but Fetter learns of a cult with just the right mix of Yozi sympathy and religious drug usage that has Burning Feather's style all over it. Even better--he finds one of her recruiters, a fanatical yet completely short-sighted acolyte named Drol.
Fetter infiltrates their cult, posing as a lowlife thief who has converted.
What does he learn in the cult?
Befriend / Victory.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
What kind of victory?
Aggressively / Defeated.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
He learns that underneath all the pleasure seeking, there is a violent bent to the cult. Those who want to progress, must hunt down the cult's enemies... and take them as slaves. Fetter volunteers for one of these "aggressive proselytization" missions.
What's the "mission" like?
Dangerously / Modern.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Will they succeed?
(7[d10]) Yes.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
The cult has decided to attack a rather dangerous enemy: a Wyld Hunt. Though nowhere near as well trained or sophisticated as a Wyld Hunt in Imperial Space, these Yozi-sympathizer hunters are still equipped with advanced weaponry and armor. Fetter is not sure whether this isn't a suicide mission--at least, for the mortals involved.
To his surprise, however, the cultists pull the raid off. They are a more dangerous foe than he realized.
He volunteers his big, rusty cargo ship to transport the slaves, and is directed to a hidden temple on the planet Lacross Folly.
Do they take his ship?
(9[d10]) Yes.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
What's the hidden temple like?
Positively / Bizarre.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
As soon as he arrives, he knows he's in the right place. The architecture and layout of the temple is truly bizarre. Acolytes move about, totally unconcerned with the floating flower/squid demons that flit about overhead. Many buildings appear to have been grown rather than built, and they follow an alien geometry. Fetter is welcomed, but it quickly becomes obvious that if he is to stay, he would have to participate in blasphemous rites that he has no desire to take part in, even to keep his cover. So, he pretends to leave, sets his ship on autopilot for orbit, and sneaks in the Lunar way.
Stealth roll
83 = 5[d10]+2[d10]+7[d10]+2[d10]+2[d10]+8[d10]+10[d10]+4[d10]+3[d10]+9[d10]+9[d10]+6[d10]+5[d10]+4[d10]+7[d10]<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Inevitable Spoor Discovery
57 = 3[d10]+10[d10]+9[d10]+6[d10]+4[d10]+8[d10]+8[d10]+9[d10]<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Has Burning Feather been here in the last month?
(1[d10]) No,
and...<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Control / Portals.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Fetter quickly finds the main worship area--a large, almost auditorium sized den full of silk drapes and divans, and smoke and pungent aromas, and whips and chains and dark stains on the carpet. He tests the air for her scent... And finds nothing. She's not been here in at least a month, if not longer. What he does find, however, gives even him pause: in the center of the room is an empty archway, much like the ones used to access the Grand Celestial Mountain. This one, though, is made of a strange technology. Fetter's seen it once before--on Mahalanka, subverting the planet's essence to power a gateway to Yozi space. Burning Feather, it would seem, was not in this galaxy.
For the first time on a hunt, Fetter doesn't know what to do. He's never failed to track down his target before... But taking a portal to Yozi space outside the galaxy... It scares him. There's no guarantee that if he goes through, he can get back again. Even being able to fly through space without a ship is no help if one is light years away with no access to The Ways.
Fetter waits patiently. A spider allows its prey to come to it. He takes up a position in a corner of the ceiling, blends in to the wall, and watches.
Does anyone open the portal?
(1[d10]) No,
and...<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Care / Wounds.<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Investigation
32 = 7[d10]+9[d10]+2[d10]+6[d10]+8[d10]<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=result>
Has the portal been broken for over a month?
(7[d10]) Yes.
A week goes by. Acolytes visit the portal when they're not having ceremonies, but not to open it. It seems they're working on it, trying to repair it. It seems that it once worked, but has somehow broken down. Could it be that Burning Feather is not through the portal after all, but is remaining hidden until it is fixed? Or did she, in fact, go through, and is now trapped until her worshippers can fix the portal? Fetter looks the thing over while no one is around; it appears to have been inoperative for over a month, at least.
((I'm still getting the hang of this formatting... bear with me!))