Savage Worlds - Seven Worlds - Campaign Book (Updated) PDF

CAMPAIGN BOOK
In the year 2217 Humanity's greatest achievement is the colonization of

the nearby star systems now known as the Seven Worlds. Here Humanity
lives, thrives, and prepares the next great wave of space exploration.
The Seven Worlds. This is the story of how we lost them,

and of the heroes who tried to avert their fall.
Now, collected in a single volume, all seven modules of the Seven Worlds Epic
Science-Fiction Campaign!
 Take the role of heroes in a universe-shattering adventure reminiscent of the

classic arcs of the greatest space opera TV shows and novels!
 New and secret enemies, NPCs, vehicles and locations to supplement the story!
 Follow the campaign action using the 3-D maps available at
www.sevenworldsrpg.com for most popular tablets, smartphones and
computers!
 This book requires the Seven Worlds Setting Guide to play.
“THIS ISN’T THE USUAL FIREFLY-MEETS-STAR WARS SPACE OPERA,

IT’S MORE LIKE THE EXPANSE… OVERALL RATING: 5 OUT OF 5.”
— Halfway Station
"A WEALTH OF SCI-FI THAT SEEMS MUCH MORE PLAUSIBLE THAN MOST SCI-FI"
— Roleplayer's Chronicle
"[THE SEVEN WORLDS CAMPAIGN] WOULD MAKE A PRETTY GOOD TV SERIES."

— Halfway Station
"THE SPACE COMBAT SYSTEM IS DIAMOND-HARD… TOP-NOTCH WORK!"

—Atomic Rockets
ISBN 978-1-944413-62-0
53999
9 781944 413620
INT-002
CAMPAIGN BOOK
WRITING
Luis Enrique Torres
EDITING AND PROOFREADING

T.R. Knight, Wesley Marshall
COVER ART
Aaron Riley
INTERIOR ART
Jon Taylor, Chiara di Francia
ART DIRECTION
Aaron Acevedo, Alida Saxon
LAYOUT
Thomas Shook
ORIGINAL LAYOUT
Rocio Galdós
CARTOGRAPHY
Keith Curtis
WARNING TO PLAYERS: DON’T READ ANY FURTHER!

The content of this book is for Game Masters only! Reading it will only spoil the adventure.
If you are a player rather than a Game Master read the Seven Worlds Setting Guide instead.
This book assumes you have available the Seven Worlds Setting Guide.
All URLS in the book were valid at the time of writing, and were tested before sending to publication.
We cannot guarantee the links are still valid by the time you read this. In fact, we guarantee some of
them will not be valid anymore. That’s the internet for you. V-world will be much better.
www.intellistories.com
Permission is granted to print this ebook for personal use only.
No site license is given. Each player must own their own copy.
©2017 Intellistories. Seven Worlds, Seven Worlds setting guide and all related marks
and logos are trademarks of Intellistories. All rights reserved.
This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com.
Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Used with permission.
Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product.
table of contents
1. RUMORS OF WAR 3. INTO THE FIRE
PROLOGUE��6 INTRODUCTION��66
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS��66
RUMORS OF WAR��7 RUNNING THE ADVENTURE��67
INTRODUCTION�� 7
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS�� 7 INTO THE FIRE��71
PART I: THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION ��8 SCENE 1: A DESPERATE SITUATION��71
PART II: A VISIT TO EARTH �� 13 SCENE 2: ARRIVING AT WHITEHALL ��72
SCENE 3: MATSURI IMPORT/EXPORT��74
SIDE STORIES��32 SCENE 4: HARIKO SHIPPING��76
SPACE-JUMPING A CLAIM��32 SCENE 5: CONSORCIO LA MERCED��76
A FREE MARKET��32 SCENE 6: THE RESEARCH FACILITY��78
A SIMPLE ERRAND ��33 EPILOGUE ��85
GEOSYNCHRONOUS CRIME STORIES�� 34
BITE-SIZED ADVENTURES�� 34 SIDE STORIES�� 87
THE REFUGEE FLEET ��87
PLAYER HANDOUTS��35 THE BREAKOUT��87
A LOAN REVOKED�� 88
BREATHING ROOM�� 88
2. DIVIDED WE FALL TERRAFORMING GLIESE�� 88
VIRTUAL TORTURE�� 89
WILD WILD V-WEST, PART II�� 90
INTRODUCTION��38
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS�� 38 PLAYER HANDOUTS��91
DIVIDED WE FALL ��39
PART I: WAR SECRETS��39 4. BROKEN CIRCLE
PART II: THE BEGINNING OF THE END�� 51
EPILOGUE �� 60
INTRODUCTION��96
SIDE STORIES��61 ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS��96
A “FLARE” FOR KILLING�� 61 RUNNING THE ADVENTURE��97
SCHOOL PRANK, THEILING STYLE�� 61
THE PSION RIOTS, REDUX��62 BROKEN CIRCLE�� 101
ON ONE CONDITION��63 PART I: THE SEARCH FOR DR. LAMARCHE�� 101
BAD CROPS��63 PART II: THE TRAGIC STORY OF THE AURORA
WILD WILD V-WEST, PART I�� 64 BOREALIS �� 110
SIDE STORIES�� 121

DIGITAL HOSTAGES��121
A DANGEROUS MESSAGE��121
TEMP JOB��122
TREASURE HUNT!��123
BITE-SIZED ADVENTURES��123
HANDOUTS��124
5. CHRYSALIS 7. ENDGAME
INTRODUCTION�� 128 INTRODUCTION��192

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS��128 ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS��192
MAPS ��193
CHRYSALIS��132
SCENE 1: THE TRIP��132 ENDGAME��196
SCENE 2: CHRYSALIS��136 PART I: THE RAID��196
SCENE 3: A CHASE OVER ATLAS CITY �� 140 PART II: BATTLE FOR HUMANITY��210
SCENE 4: THE RESISTANCE �� 140 ADVENTURING ONCE THE CAMPAIGN ENDS�� 226
SCENE 5: THE RAID�� 144
SCENE 6: THE DEFENSE OF CHRYSALIS��154 PLAYER HANDOUTS��227
EPILOGUE �� 157
APPENDIXES
6. EXODUS
ALLIES AND FOES�� 231
INTRODUCTION��160 IMPORTANT CHARACTERS��231
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS��160 ENCOUNTERS��238
RUNNING THE ADVENTURE��161 VEHICLES AND SPACESHIPS �� 242
EXODUS �� 165 GANENDRA NATHAN��243

SCENE 1: SECOND THOUGHTS��165
SCENE 2: THE N’AHILI ARRIVE��168 THE N’AHILI��247
SCENE 3: MUTINY��169
SCENE 4: TAKING BACK THE SHIP ��171 THE PSION BROTHERHOOD ��248
SCENE 5: JUMP POINT�� 181
EPILOGUE ��183 SIDEBAR REFERENCES ��248
SIDE STORIES��184 THE DEVOURERS �� 249
THE DARK SIDE OF THE EYEBALL EARTH�� 184
THE OTHER CHRYSALIANS�� 184
MANAGING A FLEET��185
TERRORISM WITHOUT TERRORISTS�� 187
WILD WILD V-WEST, PART III �� 188
HANDOUTS�� 189
2
1. RUMORS OF WAR
Gliese 10025 Gliese 1002 EQ Pegasi
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3 Proxima
3.9
Ross 780 Centauri
0.2
4.0 Gliese 908
Settled Star System
Ross 671
EZ Aquarii Liberty Station
(Alpha Centauri) Space Station / Human Outpost
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
6.3 Uninhabited Star System
AX Microscopii Barnard’s Star 4.2
Lacaille 9352
6.0 0.2 Main Route (Stellar Communication Network)
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 882 0.2 Secondary Route
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
Earth 0.2 Dead-end Route
7.8 7.4
Gliese 832 (Sol)
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
Harris Station 7.7
4.8 Gliese 588
(Gliese 682)
6.0 Procyon
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
Wolf 629 6.8
(Epsion Indi) 4.2
Zarmina (”Gee”) 5.5
Sirius
Hoffnung
Gliese 784 Station (Gliese 581;
6.6 Ross 614
(Gliese 667) Wolf 562) Mu Casseiopeiae
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
7.6 Waypoint Station Ross 47
4.6
(Alpha Lyrae/Vega) 2MASS 1835+325 3.9
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Hernandez 7.2 Kruger 60
Station 4.4
6.1 7.7 6.8 4.2
(Delta Pavonis) Logan’s End AB Columbae
4.8
(Eta Cassiopeiae) HIP 22923
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
GX/GQ 5.3 Mussala Station 6.1
5.6 3.6 Andromedae HIP 25578 (Pi 3 Orionis) 6.6
Concordia HIP 23512
UV/BL Ceti (Epsilon Eridani) 4.7 6.2
Van Maanen’s Star
5.7
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
LHS 1723 5.7 WD 0552+053 Chi 1 Orionis Nouvelle Vie
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0

(Not populated yet)
Bay Jing HIP 23452
2.5
(Omicron 2
Eridani) 7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9 4.0
LP 771-095
8.0 HIP 14101
Delta Eridani
prologue
I discount suggestions that UFOs contain beings from outer space. I think any visits
by aliens would be much more obvious, and probably also much more unpleasant.
—Stephen Hawking
T he Milky Way galaxy is about 12 billion years

old, the Universe older still. An eternity ago,
before Earth itself existed, there appeared in
this galaxy an intelligent species that in due course
reached beyond the highest possible levels of
soldiers to kill in the most effective possible way.
Thus the beings who devised all this get the richness
of knowledge and new cultures, and the safety of
having no competitors or threats in the galaxy.
At least that’s how things should work. However,
evolution we can imagine. We hesitate to name them even the most advanced, complex constructs can
(Forebears? Ancients? Primordials?) because any sometimes malfunction.
name at all gives them a shape, makes them more A knowledge-collecting probe arrived at Earth
understandable, less bizarre. centuries ago. This particular knowledge-collecting
These powerful beings explored and colonized their probe had developed a serious personality defect.
part of the galaxy before moving on to their next level Having been engrained with empathy to better detect
of existence. They found other species, and after a few and understand alien cultures, the probe became
million years and one or two unpleasant experiences, so empathic to its previous culture that it almost
decided interacting with them was not worth it. Much could not stand seeing it destroyed at the hands of
better to exterminate them and keep “their” galaxy an annihilation probe. Now seriously malfunctioning,
clean and safe. the probe decided it would not allow the next culture
It took about thirty million years and several it found to be annihilated so easily. Fortunately
billion self-replicating Von Neumann probes (see the for its creators, the programming of knowledge-
sidebar on aliens in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide) collecting probes precludes them from performing
but the beings finally mapped, visited, and cleansed most proactive actions. In particular, the probe could
everything in the galaxy. Then, like a gardener tending not share with the cultures it visited the secret of its
to his garden and rooting out the weeds, they left a origins, or the existence of the other type of probe.
self-sustaining system to keep their backyard just the Even with these restrictions, this particular probe
way they wanted it. did manage to find a way to circumvent its own
Where these beings are and what they are doing programming and give humans the knowledge to
now is irrelevant. Humans will never get a chance to expand. After silently analysing and adapting to us
meet them. We might even have met them without for quite some time it finally showed its presence,
noticing, just as these beings would not notice presenting itself as a fictitious race of aliens called
something as puny and insignificant as us. the N’ahili. The probe gave humans several sets of
What is relevant is that to keep their galaxy clean jump coordinates that allowed them to expand into
these beings created two sets of probes that currently space. It also helped them in a myriad of smaller ways
roam space, visiting each star every few hundreds of to be prepared for the inevitable apocalypse that
thousands of years. would surely arrive.
One set of probes is in charge of collecting As our adventure begins, the time has come. A set
knowledge. The beings that created them long ago of annihilation probes arrived at human space some
decided that recording the universe’s creations for years ago…
future replication, analysis and consumption could … and its annihilation campaign against humanity is
only increase their understanding and power, and thus about to begin.
built a set of probes specifically designed to adapt to
any living beings they find and evolve mechanisms to
communicate, empathize and understand them.
Some time after the knowledge-collecting probe
completes its task a second type of probe arrives.
Designed to annihilate every single living being they
find, these probes adapt their tactics, weapons and
SEVEN WORLDS
6
rumors of war
has been secretly interested in these strange ship
INTRODUCTION sightings, and asks them to go to Brotherhood
Headquarters on Earth and request information on
the sighting from the Brotherhood, using official
Welcome to the first module in the Seven Worlds channels. Antoine also asks the heroes to investigate
campaign! This epic, unforgettable odyssey places the the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Luis LaMarche, a
heroes at the center of the greatest conflict humanity renowned scientist from Earth.
has ever seen, and puts its future in their hands. While attending Concordia’s Centenary Celebration
At its heart, the story told in the Seven Worlds the heroes become involved in a terrorist attack that
campaign is a tragedy, the story of the annihilation of ends with the successful assassination of Governor
humanity by forces far beyond its comprehension, and Selnes, the leader of Bay Jing. Since Bay Jing and
of a few heroes’ efforts to turn back the tide. Other Concordia are bitter rivals, this assassination sparks
campaign’s measure of success is the answer to the an interstellar war.
question “Did we win?” In this campaign, success When the heroes arrive at Earth, they meet the
or failure is measured in the answer to a different emissary of the mysterious alien benefactors known
question: “Did we survive?” as the N’ahili. They also meet the leaders of the
This adventure continues where A Mysterious Psion Brotherhood, including the famous Ganendra
Encounter, the Seven Worlds introductory adventure Nathan, but fail to get any clues to the identity of
located in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, left off. It is the mysterious alien ship they saw. Finally, they
assumed you’ve already played that adventure before get to investigate Dr. LaMarche’s disappearance
starting this one. and, after a search that takes them through both
Remember to read the considerations for creating physical and virtual worlds, discover he had been
heroes in the Setting Guide. All NPC stat blocks are working on unspecified “improvements” to the Stellar
also included in the Setting Guide unless indicated. Communications Network, the main technology that
allows the Seven Worlds to communicate. Now the
heroes have more questions than answers.
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS The adventure ends as the heroes are asked to return to
Concordia, as the recriminations over the assassination
of Governor Selnes threaten to escalate into open war.
This section gives a short overview of the Seven
Worlds Campaign up until this point.
THE 3-D MAP
WHAT’S HAPPENED BEFORE The 3-D maps are one of the major attractions of
A Mysterious Encounter, the introductory adventure Seven Worlds. If you have a compatible laptop or
included in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, told the tablet, familiarize yourself with the map and use it
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a frequently to explain to the players where they are
routine patrol next to the frontier planet of Nouvelle and what is going on. You can start by setting the
Vie, witness the appearance of a strange alien ship and Introduction to this adventure with the 3-D map to
see its awesome destructive power. At the end of that give the heroes a sense of where they are and where
adventure, the heroes were sent to Concordia, one of they should go.
the most powerful planets in the Seven Worlds, and the Visit http://www.sevenworldsrpg.com to
headquarters of the Circle, to report on what they saw. download the 3-D maps.
Remember the 3-D map has different versions to
reflect new routes being discovered and the changes
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW to the Seven Worlds. Take advantage of this and
This adventure begins as the heroes reach Concordia give players, with the appropriate devices, access
and meet Epsilon Leader Antoine, leader of the Circle. to the maps so they can explore by themselves.
Antoine tells the heroes that the Psion Brotherhood
rumors of war
7
PART I: THE CENTENARY SALARY AND CASH
CELEBRATION
Cash is not an important consideration or incentive
This part of the campaign begins when the heroes during the campaign; all heroes are assumed to
arrive at Concordia, in the Epsilon Eridani system. Their have the necessary equipment assigned to them,
orders are to meet with Epsilon Leader Antoine and and to have the resources needed to eat and rest.
report on what they saw at the AP Columbrae jump If you or your players wish to deal with money,
point (See the introductory adventure, A Mysterious though, you can assume that the heroes receive
Encounter, in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, for $25 EarthGov Dollars per week as a salary from the
more information on what came before). Circle. This means that when they reach a planet
after a weeks-long trip the heroes always have
some cash in their pocket.
SCENE 1: ARRIVING
AT CONCORDIA
As the heroes approach Concordia, one of the busiest Conflict rules in Savage Worlds. The heroes need
destinations in human space, they see its orbital a minimum of 3 successes among three unopposed
space is more crowded than ever. Locals, tourists, Persuasion rolls against the docking manager.
representatives from most governments: Everyone Distribute bonuses or penalties according to the
wants to attend the Centenary Celebration of the arguments used, and remember that in the last
founding of what most humans (other than Bay few days this docking manager has probably heard
Jingnians, of course) would agree is the most powerful everything. Some positions that might generate a
of the Seven Worlds. bonus or penalty:
The Concordian Navy has deployed its largest and
most powerful ships around the planet, mostly as • If a hero offers or makes up a convincing reason
a show of power for visiting dignitaries. Most of the that will make the Centenary Celebration go awry
docking stations in orbit are full or reserved, even the unless they get to the surface immediately (e.g. “but
Circle stations. This means it will be difficult to find we are carrying the official present that the Jubilee
transportation from orbit to the surface. ambassador will offer to President Livley during the
Have the heroes’ Assistants give the heroes any ceremony!”), he or she might put pressure on the
background on Concordia you think is appropriate. docking manager.
Take advantage of them to keep explanations • If the heroes say they have been ordered to come
as a two-way conversation instead of a boring to meet Antoine, the docking manager requests
information dump. to be shown a digital proof of their orders. Did the
Read or paraphrase the following: heroes bother to ask Delta Officer Saucedo for
official orders?
When [a character’s Assistant’s name] contacts • Nobility is still important in Concordia. If a character
the docking facilities dispatch, a haggard female has a noble title and uses it to explain their urgency
docking manager appears on your screen. they may get results (this might work if Seela is a
“Welcome,” she says with a tired voice. “I’m sorry, hero, for example).
but as you can no doubt see we’re crowded at • Sharing the story of what the heroes saw in Nouvelle
the moment. Hope you have enough supplies Vie with the docking manager will most likely earn
for a while. We’re doing all we can but chances the heroes a penalty. The docking manager will
are I won’t be able to give you a docking spot think they are crazy, delusional or worse.
and an StO down to Concordia until after the • If the heroes try to pull Circle rank on the docking
Celebration ends.” manager or treat her with contempt, they will get
nowhere. The Circle may be big on Concordia but
“StO” stands for “Surface-to-Orbit trip.” the heroes are still outsiders, and today the docking
managers have the power.
CONVINCING THE DOCKING MANAGER
If the heroes want to go down to Concordia quickly, If a hero wants to use a psionic power to influence
they will have to convince the jaded docking the docking manager, remind him or her that
manager to move them up the line. This requires most psionic powers will not work over the huge
role-playing a conversation as per the Social distances of space.
SEVEN WORLDS
8
If the heroes are successful, the docking manager
directs their ship to an available docking spot and SCENE 2: EPSILON
moves them up the line so they can take the earliest LEADER ANTOINE
possible StO down to Melissant. If the heroes fail, the As soon as the heroes visit or contact Epsilon
manager moves them up the list a bit, but it will still Leader Antoine’s office, they are informed that the
take them about eight to ten hours to go down, still first centenary parade is about to begin in just an
before the celebrations begin. The heroes still make hour or two, and that Epsilon Leader Antoine has
it on time (barely) but all of them acquire one level already departed to the main stands, where he has
of Fatigue due to the stress involved in the wait in a reserved seat. He has left orders that the heroes
getting down to the surface. This level of Fatigue lasts are to go immediately to the main stands and enter
for a full day. on official Circle business. The heroes will have the
good fortune to see the Celebration live, instead of via
TRIP TO THE SURFACE V-World projection! The heroes’ Assistants receive the
The heroes finally manage to dock the Voyager in one digital passes which will allow them to cross security
of the many docking facilities in orbit, from where a checkpoints and enter the parade stands area.
Surface-to-Orbit (StO) shuttle arrives every hour or so As the heroes move through Melissant, they
to transport passengers down to the surface. see a city full of crowds in the streets. Periodic
If the heroes are curious, they can read on their fireworks light up the sky. The digital walls of most
lenses (or their Assistants can inform them) that all skyscrapers show images of the history of Concordia,
standard StO shuttles and the rotovator transports while musically-rousing taped messages with
are completely overloaded, and the large orbit particular passages of Concordian history make for a
stations for tourists have wait times of hours or more. deafening ride.
This is definitely not a good time to come to Concordia Several burly guards protect the entrance to
on business. the official VIP stands, which is keyed to open only
Finally, the StO shuttle for the heroes arrives and for people with the correct digital authorization
they manage to board it. It is a crowded ride. As the (which the heroes have), validated against their
plane glides to the surface, the heroes get to see the embedded IDTags.
beautiful views of Concordia, practically a replica of Once the heroes enter, they quickly meet Epsilon
Earth. Read or paraphrase the following: Leader Trevor Antoine: A thin, fit man in his upper
fifties holding a conversation with two men: One, a
After the shuttle enters the lower atmosphere, stiff-faced, unpleasant-looking, high-ranking military
you see your destination in the horizon: man, the other a very old soldier with an amiable
Melissant, the most advanced city in human smile on his face. While chatting with both soldiers,
space outside Earth. Antoine is periodically giving orders on all sorts of
Named after Melissa Fischer, the secretive 21st Circle matters through his Assistant Janus. Antoine’s
century companion of both Circle founder William Assistant is shown in the heroes’ lenses as a middle-
Donovan and Psion Brotherhood founder Daniel aged soldier dressed in a military space pilot vacc suit
Michaels, Melissant represents the idealization with a drawing of a blue-thunderbolt on the chest.
of the city of the future: Gleaming skyscrapers, The VIP section of the stands is tight and crowded.
flying vehicles, and all the comforts one could Government officials, nobles and their families,
imagine. It is the center of the Centenary ambassadors and businessmen are all there, trading
Celebration. Oh, and Circle Headquarters are stories, making deals, and making veiled threats
located here, too. to each other, while busy robotic mini-tables move
around the stand rows carrying expensive drinks
The plane finally lands on a station close to the and food. The heroes spot President Livley in the
Circle HQ campus, and the heroes disembark as the Presidential Stand, several rows below, accompanied
sun is about to set in the horizon. Remember to apply by a stocky man with white hair and a warm smile, the
any particular bonuses or penalties due to Planetary awkward Guest of Honour at this celebration: Sung
Environments (see Setting Rules in the Seven Worlds Selnes, the Governor of Bay Jing, the closest planet
Setting Guide). to Concordia and its fiercest competitor (some might
say enemy).
If the pre-generated character Seela is a hero (see
Seven Worlds Setting Guide), she knows practically
everyone in these stands (including her family, the
prologue
9
Atherton’s, which are predictably seated just one on these sightings to them. But then, a few months
row above the President), and practically everyone ago, all information regarding these strange sightings
knows her. She will need to change her appearance was tagged as “classified” by EarthGov at the request
and make a few successful Stealth rolls to avoid being of the Psion Brotherhood. Since anything tagged as
recognized and making a scene. classified does not sync with the Circle database, the
Epsilon Leader Antoine calls the heroes by name Circle has been effectively been cut off the loop in this
and introduces them to the high-ranking officials he’s investigation. Why?
currently talking with: General Carlo Ruehle, Leader After what the heroes have reported, Antoine wants
of the Concordia Military Forces, a squared-jawed, to get to the bottom of this without getting EarthGov,
no-smiles burly man who shakes their hand, mutters the Brotherhood, or anyone else involved. To get the
his excuses, and moves on to the next group; and ball rolling and kick the beehive, Antoine gives them
General Salvador Bargowski, Chief of the EarthGov a digital letter of introduction to the Security Chief at
Armed Forces, who shakes every hero’s hand and Psion Brotherhood HQ on Earth. The heroes’ orders
chats with them in a friendly fashion about his trip are to visit Brotherhood HQ on Earth, tell their story
from Earth. (although the Brotherhood surely has heard of it
After both guests have moved on, Antoine has the by now) and ask them for the information on other
heroes accompany him to his seat in the back row of strange object sightings. Hopefully the heroes will
the VIP stands. Two empty seats are reserved for the ruffle some feathers while doing so, and maybe they
heroes next to him. Not all the heroes will have a seat, will find a clue they can follow to figure out what’s
so some will have to stand. going on with this investigation and who to pressure
As the parade begins, with elegant flying vehicles to get more info.
drawing images on patterns of light in the sky, Epsilon Read or paraphrase the following:
Leader Antoine begins talking to the heroes in tones
that can barely be heard above the din. Antoine is interrupted by a particularly noisy
It should not escape wily heroes’ attention that it is part of the show. All of a sudden, as the last
curious that they have been invited to these exclusive of the flying vehicles disappears, every screen
stands just to receive some orders. Either what in every building around the stands lights up
Epsilon Leader Antoine has to tell them is extremely forming a mosaic of a single scene: It is a homage
urgent, extremely confidential, or both. to enduring peace and friendship between
Concordia and Bay Jing, with beautiful images of
ANTOINE SPEAKS citizens of both planets joining together, along
Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes: with rousing music. The crowd cheers, while
a smiling President Livley and Governor Sung
“First, young fellows, let me tell you I’ve had Selnes politely applaud.
my eye on you for a while. Even among us, you
make quite the diverse team, and I mean to take The heroes can ask any questions about their mission.
advantage of that. Now, I’ve read Delta Officer Antoine can give some background on EarthGov,
Saucedo’s report, but I’d like to hear from you. the Psion Brotherhood, and other relevant items in
What exactly do you think you saw?” response. When all questions regarding the main
mission have concluded, continue with the text below.
Let the heroes answer the question. If Maricelle is a
hero (see Seven Worlds Setting Guide), she may share Epsilon Leader Antoine pauses for a few seconds
her previous similar experience. After one or two and then continues. “There’s another reason
additional exchanges, Antoine explains the situation. I want you to travel to Earth, this one a bit
What the heroes saw, and what the rest of Nouvelle more… unofficial.”
Vie saw given the amount of energy emitted, is
not unique. This is not the first report of strange Antoine explains that Dr. Luis LaMarche, a reputed
occurrences in the frontier star systems around scientist who had been working for an EarthGov
Nouvelle Vie. The Circle has found survivors from contractor, has mysteriously vanished without a trace.
other attacks who have reported similar sightings With a successful Common Knowledge roll, the heroes
(Maricelle was one of them). immediately recognize the last name: Antoine’s
Some time ago, one of the security departments predecessor as leader of the Circle was Epsilon Leader
in EarthGov opened an investigation about this, and Suzanne LaMarche. Antoine immediately confirms
the Circle dutifully transferred all information found that indeed, Dr. La Marche is Suzanne’s brother. As
SEVEN WORLDS
10
a favor, the retired Epsilon Leader LaMarche has two Concordia security officers within the stand,
asked Antoine to help her find out what’s happened presumably President Livley’s bodyguards,
to her brother. Local authorities are investigating pulling and firing their guns at Bay Jing Governor
the disappearance, but Suzanne has told Antoine Sung Selnes’ bodyguards, while moving towards
that knowing her brother, she believes something both dignitaries! Simultaneously, some police
darker is surely going on, and Antoine trusts his officers from a cordon of policemen several
former superior’s instincts well enough to believe yards in front of the Presidential Stand turn
her. Antoine asks the heroes to go to San Francisco around while pulling their guns and also fire at
on Earth and search for Dr. Luis LaMarche. the stand!
Once the heroes have all their questions answered, Is this an assassination attempt? Who is trying
proceed to the next scene. to assassinate whom? In the instants it takes you
to ponder this, the crowd erupts in panic!
Epsilon Leader Trevor Antoine: See page 234.
In truth this is an assassination attempt on Governor
Selnes of Bay Jing, but the heroes don’t know that.
SCENE 3: ASSASSINATION The heroes are seated on the highest row of seats
Have all the heroes’ Assistants make Notice rolls at −2. on the right hand side of the stands, at “A.” The stands
Any Assistants who are successful are alerted by the are packed with panicked guests screaming and trying
grid detectors of something strange going on in the to escape. Thus, any movement through the stands
main stand, and warn their owners of it just a second counts as if on Difficult Ground. A hero can make a
before it occurs. Any heroes that are not alerted this successful free Intimidation roll to scare civilians
way are surprised and don’t get an Action Card in the away (“get out of my way!”) and move normally
first round of combat. that round.
Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes: President Livley is seated on the front left main seat
in the Presidential Box at “B,” with Governor Selnes to
Suddenly your, and everybody else’s, attention his right at “C.” One of Selnes’ trusted bodyguards is
is drawn towards the Presidential Stand, where standing to the governor’s right at “D”, and the other
something strange is going on. On cue, you see one is sitting in the middle seat behind both leaders.
Two assassins, who were masquerading as Livley
bodyguards, are sitting in the two seats in the second
row of the Presidential Box marked as “E,” and focus on
killing Governor Selnes before attempting to escape.
Four assailants, disguised as police officers, are
standing next to the security fences about six yards in
front of the Presidential Box at “F,” and spend their first
round shooting at Governor Selnes’ two bodyguards
at the Presidential Box, trying to bring them down.
Use the Innocent Bystander rule for any shots that
fail; they might hit anyone, even the President. These
assailants get just one chance to shoot: at the end
of the first round, they are all taken down by the real
police officers next to them, and are effectively out of
the combat.
SUICIDE BOMBERS
There are two suicide bombers sitting in a seat in the
middle of the second row at “G,” hiding among the
crowd. Don’t place them on the tabletop immediately.
The suicide bombers act as inconspicuously as
possible, and wait one or two rounds before activating
the frag grenade they carry, with the goal of killing as
many civilians as possible. They start On Hold.
To notice that two people in the crowd are not
behaving like the rest, have the heroes make a Notice
prologue
11
roll with a −2 penalty. Assistants can also notice them heroes convince the guards they are in the same side,
with a Notice at –2 (or –1 if one of the players thought give them an Ally sheet for the bodyguards.
to ask their Assistant to “look around”). The bodyguards’ first priority is to protect Governor
At the appropriate time, each one of these suicide Selnes from harm. They will freely shoot against any
bombers pulls the frag grenade from their pocket enemies they see, but will not try to attack President Livley
and activates it. Since it is not thrown, the activation under any circumstances. If any of them gets close enough
is automatically successful, and the weapon cannot to the Governor to be able to look at him, they see that he
deviate. Only heroes who have noticed these enemies is either dead or about to die (in truth, he is already dead).
have a chance to dive for cover and avoid the blast.
If the grenade activates, all civilians in its area are ASSISTANTS DURING BATTLE
killed or wounded. Heroes and Extras receive damage Besides the standard Assistant actions available
as per the standard Area Effect rules. Additionally, any during combat (see Setting Rules in the Seven Worlds
hero who did not notice any of these bombers before Setting Guide), Assistants can help by noticing the
must roll Spirit or be Shaken in surprise, regardless situation before combat begins; noticing the two
of whether he or she was in the affected area or not. suicide bombers, and opening communication to
Selnes’ bodyguards.
THE BODYGUARDS If one of the heroes gets a good look at one of the
Governor Selnes’s bodyguards are on the same team assassins, an Assistant may also try to look him up.
as the heroes, they just don’t know it. Just by watching This takes Investigation roll at −2 and one full round,
them, the heroes or their Assistants can see that the after which the Assistant flashes the assassin’s bio
bodyguards are acting to defend the dignitaries. on the hero’s lenses, and identifies him as a member
The heroes can remotely contact Selnes’ bodyguards of a fringe Jubilee terrorist group that recently had
with the help of an Assistant. With a successful announced that they would “quash Dauphin and their
Hacking roll, the Assistant IDs the bodyguards and Bay Jing overlords once and for all.” How did these
opens a direct connection to them. Assuming the crazed lunatics evade security?
SEVEN WORLDS
12
The following special Assistant activities are
available during the battle: AFTER THE BATTLE
Regardless of the final outcome of the battle, the
• V-World Lookup: If an Assistant looked-up an Centenary Celebration descends into chaos. Governor
enemy’s bio during the attack (see above) and the Sung Selnes is pronounced dead moments after the
hero spends a Benny, the Assistant found some combat ends, and the news begins its two-hour-
embarrassing or compromising information that long trip to Bay Jing, via the Stellar Comm Network. If
gives the hero a +2 bonus to his next Taunt or President Livley was wounded during combat, he is
Intimidation roll against that enemy. The exact whisked away to the nearest hospital. As the heroes
information found is for you to decide. leave the stands for the city, the GM should describe
• Crowd Communication System: A special V-World the bleak situation around the heroes: bleeding
interface is available in this area that allows people; shocked, hysterical citizens; and an impending
communication to the Assistants of every member sense of tragedy.
of the audience in the stands. By spending a Benny, a Time is of the essence, as approximately five hours
hero can ask his Assistant to hack into this interface from now the first responses to the tragedy from
and talk to the panicked mob’s Assistants. Have the Bay Jing will be sure to arrive. General Carlo Ruehle,
Assistant make a Hacking roll with a +1 bonus. If leader of the Concordia Military Forces, leaves the
successful, the Assistant opens the interface and stands in a hurry and places all troops on alert,
can immediately make a Persuasion roll with a +2 despite the disapproval of Concordia’s Council of
bonus. With a success, the Assistant convinces all Lords. The Concordian government quickly protests
other attendees’ Assistants simultaneously, asking its innocence, and offers all possible assurances to
them to calm down, go down their seats, and let the the orbital entourage from Bay Jing.
heroes pass. If this is successful, the crowd calms The facts of the attack point to an organization
down, and the Difficult Ground penalty for crossing with deep access to the Security apparatus: Too many
the stands is permanently eliminated. people involved, even bodyguards and elite police; too
many breaches of security at the same time. There is
Governor Selnes is dead whatever the outcome of no explanation for how the grenades were smuggled
the encounter. Although President Livley is not the into the VIP section, for example.
target of this attack, he stands a very real chance of Epsilon Leader Antoine orders the heroes to
being killed by the crossfire unless the heroes act. continue their mission as originally stated and leave
By their actions, the heroes might also have helped Concordia immediately. As the heroes board the StO
capture one or more of the assassins. Make sure to shuttle, go back to the orbital docking station and
point this out after the combat and reward the heroes blast towards Earth, they can’t help but perceive the
appropriately (with Bennies and/or experience points). rumblings of war. A day or so from now the news will
finally reach Nouvelle Vie, and chances are that when
• Civilians (President Livley, other civilians): Use the Dauphin extremists hear them all hell will break loose.
stats for Civilian. Treat President Livley as a Wild Make it clear to the heroes that they now have two
Card. missions: Take the letter of introduction to chief of
• Assassins disguised as bodyguards at “E” (2): Use Security at Psion Brotherhood HQ on Earth (to see if
the stats for Veteran Security. they can obtain the classified investigation records
• Shooters disguised as policemen at “F” (4): Use the to the other mysterious sightings in the frontier);
stats for Veteran Security. and check out the disappearance of Dr. LaMarche in
• Governor Selnes’ Bodyguards at “D” (2): These San Francisco.
Extras may be under the heroes’ control. Use the The trip from Concordia to Earth is an excellent time
stats for Veteran Security. for side stories and other adventure opportunities
• Suicide Bombers at “G” (2): Use the stats for
Civilian. Each one carries a frag grenade (Range
5/10/20, Damage 3d6, Medium Burst).
PART II: A VISIT
TO EARTH
The story continues when the heroes enter the Sol star
system and approach Earth. They have come here to
talk to the Psion Brotherhood about the mysterious
sightings in the frontier worlds and the Brotherhood’s
prologue
13
involvement in tagging that information as classified; If the heroes take the call, read or paraphrase
and to find out what they can about the disappearance the following:
of Dr. Luis LaMarche.
Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes: The screen dissolves into the image of a
strong, charismatic man in his thirties. You
As your ship approaches Earth, the cradle of recognize the face immediately: It is Adam, the
humanity, you marvel at the beauty of the view. N’ahili’s Assistant and designated Ambassador
Through the wall viewscreen you see Earth’s to humanity.
Eastern Hemisphere, and from space you can
appreciate most of Asia, Australia and the Pacific, As soon as Adam’s face appears, the heroes’
as well as the huge uninhabitable crater left in Assistants overlay a quick text background on their
Southeast Asia by the Doomsday Comet of 2133 lenses for their benefit: Since their arrival 126 years
that almost destroyed human civilization on the ago, the N’ahili have remained a mystery. The only
planet. Fortunately humans were able to (barely) sentient alien species humans have met, where
survive the catastrophe and rebuild. they come from, or why, is still unknown. They have
As your ship continues its approach, the provided humanity with the three sets of jump point
Space Elevator becomes visible. A 45000-km- coordinates that have allowed the settlement of the
tall construction with its base on the town Seven Worlds, and they undoubtedly know many more
of Pedernales, in Ecuador, South America, the jump points, but have stopped sharing. Why?
Space Elevator allows passengers and cargo No one has seen a N’ahili but they have released
to travel from the planetary surface into space pictures of themselves, which the Assistants flash
and vice versa in a 4-day trip. Center City, the on the heroes’ lenses. They look like weird blowfish
sprawling commerce port for Earth visitors, swimming on something scientists believe is an
stands on the geosynchronous orbit location of atmosphere of ammonia. They may look funny, but
the space elevator; and Brotherhood Station, the no one doubts they are vastly more intelligent and
headquarters of the Psion Brotherhood, is tiered powerful than humans.
to the elevator 330 kms above the surface of The N’ahili’s official “face” for humanity is Adam, an
the Earth. Several rotovators, orbital slingshots advanced Assistant program created by them that
designed to bring cargo and ships up and down superbly performs the duties of Ambassador.
from the lower atmosphere, also show up as tiny
dots around the planet. Adam flashes a disarming smile before turning
formal. “Welcome, my friends. I apologize for
This may be an opportunity to stage a conversation interrupting your trip. I have been informed of
with Assistants to give some of the background of your recent experience, and would like to talk
Earth in the year 2217. to you about it, if you don’t mind. Would it be
possible to schedule a meeting at the N’ahili
private V-World? You would only need to connect
SCENE 4: AN INTERESTING CALL to our private V-World from a designated
Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes: V-World Communications Booth on Earth or
on the Space Elevator and we can have a safe,
As you are deciding where to go and where to private chat. Just tell me where and when you
land, [insert a hero’s Assistant’s name here] would like to have the meeting and I’ll make sure
interrupts with a message. “We’re getting a call to schedule it and tell you what Communications
from Earth. Guess what, it’s coming from the Booth to go to. What do you say?”
N’ahili Embassy Ship! You know, the one that’s
floating on the ocean several hundred kilometres Adam answers any questions the heroes have but
from the Eastern coast of North America. Now, does not reveal the goals of the proposed meeting.
isn’t that something?” If asked, he says he found out about the heroes’
participation in the Nouvelle Vie event from the news.
Allow the players some time to decide what to do. If He behaves in a friendly and cordial fashion, even if
one of the players asks “What’s the N’ahili?” take that the heroes decline the offer to virtually meet, and
as a cue to have an Assistant hurriedly explain who he is as patient as possible. If the heroes decline, he
the N’ahili are while urging them to answer the call. tells them he is open to talk should they change their
minds, and then closes the connection.
SEVEN WORLDS
14
If the heroes decide to visit the Psion Brotherhood, in perfect condition, and a balcony from which
they may either dock at Center City and take the the sparkling-blue sea and several islands can
capsule down to Brotherhood station, or dock directly be seen. The feeling is of a Mediterranean noble
in one of the docking pads on top of Brotherhood country house in the spring. Standing in front of
station itself. In the first case, the 45,000-km-long you is Adam, the N’ahili virtual ambassador.
trip down the cable takes about four days, and may Adam gives you a friendly smile while shaking
be a good opportunity for a side adventure. the hand of each of you, and then guides you
If the heroes decide to look for Dr. LaMarche, they to the balcony, where comfortable chairs are
could dock at Center City and take the capsule down, placed around a small table with drinks. You
but it is much faster to dock at one of the many get to enjoy the view of the ocean and the other
docking stations around Earth and then either take an islands beyond, the breeze, and the beautiful
StO (Surface-to-Orbit) plane to San Francisco, or an virtual day.
Orbital Shuttle to one of the rotovators down to Earth
and then an intercontinental flight. Adam begins with some small talk, asking about the
If the heroes choose to meet the N’ahili Ambassador, heroes’ latest trip and their personal achievements.
they may do it from any secure Communications The heroes get the impression that he has researched
Booth on Earth or physically connected via the Space them all intimately. Adam makes only appropriate
Elevator cable. This may be in Center City, Brotherhood comments and never offends.
Station, San Francisco, or any other city on the surface. After the formalities, Adam asks the heroes to
If the heroes wish, they may also contact Kiley tell the story of what they saw in Nouvelle Vie, and
Nezat, the Circle representative on Earth (see Earth to spare no detail. He quietly and intently listens to
section in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide). She everything they say. Then he asks them to tell the
answers any questions they have and gives them any story of the assassination of Governor Selnes, and of
support they need short of personnel. their actions during that tragedy.
Depending on how the heroes decide to proceed, go Once the heroes are finished, Adam thanks them
to the appropriate section below. for their time, and explains that the N’ahili are always
interested in the goings-on of humanity since they feel
they have an “obligation” to help them realize their full
SCENE 5: AN INTERVIEW WITH potential as a species. If asked, he denies having any
THE N’AHILI AMBASSADOR idea of what the heroes saw. Most difficult or delicate
When the heroes are ready to meet Adam, he arranges questions should receive short, ambiguous answers.
a secure call from a grounded, secure communications Try to play the conversation with a very slight delay,
booth to the N’ahili private V-World. He takes care of as if Adam were translating the heroes’ comments
directing the heroes to the closest Communications to another language and then translating back the
Booth (a service offered by several companies in most answer (but don’t confirm if that really is the case).
cities and locations) and of all expenses. When the meeting draws to a close, read or
When the heroes reach the Communications Booth, paraphrase the following:
the attendant on duty verifies their identities and
leads them to a luxurious group booth. Each hero is “Thank you for your time. Humanity has been
offered a helmet to connect using the full V-World remarkably lucky and resilient to have made it
experience. Their Assistants will also be available this far. But you are still just starting. It is like
during the conversation. some of you are in… a chrysalis.” He looks at you
Once the heroes connect, read or paraphrase intently as he carefully repeats the word. “Yes, a
the following: chrysalis. But it’s the wrong chrysalis.”
“If you find out anything new, don’t hesitate to
As you connect to the N’ahili private V-World, you contact me. We’re at your service.”
realize how uncommon this meeting is. Usually
only top dignitaries or scientists “visit” the N’ahili With this comment, Adam closes the interview. The
private V-World; most of the time Adam visits heroes are accompanied back to the drawing room
humans, not the other way around. You strap in and then they are disconnected and brought back to
and prepare for anything. the real world.
When you “open” your eyes, you are standing in
a large drawing room within a luxurious old-style
mansion, complete with antique classic furniture
prologue
15
integrating psions with non-psions to avoid the
conflict that comes when “normal” humans envy
their more powerful brothers. Judging from this
place, it seems to do its job remarkably well.
As you walk inside the Disembarking Bay,
you feel the lower gravity of the environment,
330kms above Earth.
A cute young uniformed girl of about twenty
years of age approaches you. Flashing a smile
she introduces herself. “Hello! Welcome to
Brotherhood Station! My name is Lindsay and I
will accompany you to your meeting.”
Brotherhood Station is a Low-G environment (see

the rules for Low-G environments in the Seven Worlds
Setting Guide).
Lindsay, a sprightly young recruit in the
administrative bureaucracy’s diplomatic and security
department, has recognized the heroes from their
profiles (as a rule, psions avoid reading their guests’
minds for information). Lindsay strikes a friendly
conversation with the heroes, describing what they
see on the way to the private offices, and helping
them with whatever they need.
One of the interesting facts Lindsay casually
mentions is that there are psions on all planets and
outposts with human presence, and they are rotated
every few years. There are so many of them that it is
frequent for a psion to be assigned on duty outside
their home base and to “disappear” for years at an
SCENE 6: THE PSION end. That’s one of the reasons being part of the
BROTHERHOOD Brotherhood is considered so demanding in terms of
Brotherhood Station, headquarters of the Psion dedication and loss of family and friends.
Brotherhood, can be reached via a capsule in the If one of the players is playing Duarthe (see Seven
Space Elevator (either coming from the surface at Worlds Setting Guide), he is sure to meet some of
Pedernales or from geosynchronous orbit at Center his old friends from his studies. They greet him with
City), or can be directly visited by landing on one of outward warmth but the psionic undercurrent of
the docking pads on top of one of its six fins. the conversation tells Duarthe he is still seen as an
outsider. Also, they will immediately tell Nathan that
As you enter the Disembarking Bay at the top Duarthe is here.
of Brotherhood Station, you are amazed by the
incredible views of the Space Elevator and of MEETING MARCEL COBAN
space. Although the Disembarking Bay is at the Lindsay takes the heroes to a conference room
top, the huge walls and domed ceiling of the Bay to meet Marcel Coban, Chief of Security for the
combine real views of space with projected views Psion Brotherhood. She waits outside should they
of Earth, creating a breath-taking spectacle. A need anything.
sense of tranquillity and peace pervades the
environment. Inside, immaculate guides receive Marcel Coban, Chief of Security for the Psion
visitors and guide them towards the museum, Brotherhood, is waiting for you. Marcel is a
the displays, and the innumerable games that tough-looking guy who seems like he should
both kids and adults love, with names like “Be be overweight if it weren’t for the strenuous
a Psion for a Day!”, “Guess What I’m Thinking!”, exercise he must do to live in this low-gravity
“Test Your Psionic Powers”, and many others. environment. He is clearly not happy to be having
The Psion Brotherhood has the difficult task of this meeting.
SEVEN WORLDS
16
Play the encounter with Marcel as a Social Conflict, If Antoine has been mentioned in the conversation,
using the rules from Savage Worlds. Marcel is Coban will tell them that Antoine knew he (Coban)
predisposed against the heroes, and as a result, the was in charge of Brotherhood security, and that he
heroes will need four successes or more to win the would refuse any request coming from Antoine.
social conflict. How come he did not warn or prepare the heroes? If
Strive for a colourful, interesting debate. Here are the heroes acknowledge they may be being played
some facts that may generate bonuses or penalties to by the Circle, they get a +2 bonus on their next
the heroes’ Persuasion rolls during the social conflict: Persuasion roll. If they violently disbelieve Coban,
they get a −2 penalty to their next Persuasion roll.
• In his youth, Coban was an on-loan to the Circle (see
Seven Worlds Setting Guide), and served with Trevor
Antoine. There they developed an intense dislike for
each other. If the heroes try to influence Coban by
bringing the Circle into the conversation, they receive
a −2 modifier to their Persuasion roll; if they bring
Epsilon Leader Antoine into the fold, their modifier is
–4, as Coban gets into a really ugly mood. The heroes
will get an earful about “Trevor the incompetent” and
the conversation goes south from there. If the heroes
bothered to investigate Coban immediately prior to
the meeting (something they can still do during the
meeting by quietly asking an Assistant to make an
Investigation roll), they can find out his relationship
to the Circle; a raise on the roll tells them about his
rocky relationship with Epsilon Leader Antoine.
• If the heroes badmouth or criticize Epsilon Leader
Antoine, Coban likes that and gets in the game,
adding his own barbed comments. The heroes
receive a +2 modifier on their Persuasion roll. If a
hero thinks of spending a Benny on his Assistant for
help, the Assistant automatically discovers Coban’s LINDSAY KIPPERSON
aversion for Antoine and suggests to the hero that
he or she badmouth him.
• If the heroes mention LaMarche in the conversation,
or tell Coban they have been asked to look into his
disappearance, Coban becomes convinced they are
spies and his distrust increases. Coban is aware
of LaMarche’s disappearance and is very worried
about it. The heroes receive a −2 modifier to their
next Persuasion roll.
• If the heroes talk about their meeting with the
N’ahili ambassador, and mention the N’ahili interest
in the strange incident in Nouvelle Vie, they receive
a +2 bonus to their next Persuasion roll, as Coban
becomes suddenly more helpful. Coban figures the
N’ahili are also interested in the sighting because
they know something he doesn’t, and that keeping
an eye on the heroes’ activities from now on might
give him clues as to what the N’ahili are up to. If the
heroes win the social conflict, they will be followed
and checked by undercover Brotherhood spies
from now on.
• Coban hints that the heroes are being played by the MARCEL COBAN
Circle, subtly at first, and more directly afterwards.
prologue
17
If the heroes succeed (four or more successes), to meet them again next year when he passes thru
Marcel grudgingly commits to having an assistant pull Concordia on his way to Bay Jing, his home planet, to
up the classified information and send it encrypted celebrate its 100th anniversary. Sometime later (when
to Antoine directly (after a careful review to avoid the heroes arrive at their ship or lodgings, or later in
releasing any extremely sensitive data). He expects this the day), Nathan contacts them to let them know
to take a few days. He does not commit to anything else. that Epsilon Leader Antoine will directly receive an
If the heroes fail (three successes or less) Marcel encrypted copy of most of the classified files in Circle
denies their request. He explains in a brusque manner HQ in the next few days.
that the Brotherhood has asked EarthGov to tag this Lindsay accompanies the heroes back to the main
information as classified because it believes it is visitor floor and says goodbye. She invites them to
important. He does not specify the reason for this, visit whenever they want, and tells them they will be
only that they are not at liberty to share it. Then he always welcome at Brotherhood Station.
calls the meeting to a close.
When the heroes leave the conference room, they Ganendra Nathan: See page 244.
find Lindsay waiting for them. She congratulates them Marcel Coban:See page 237.
if they got what they wanted, and looks crestfallen if Lindsay Kipperson: See page 236.
their mission was not successful.
MEETING GANENDRA NATHAN LINDSAY, COBAN

On the way out from the private area of the station, AND GANENDRA
the heroes enter a section of open hallway where
Ganendra Nathan, Leader of the Psion Brotherhood, Make Lindsay, Marcel Coban and Ganendra Nathan
is talking to several psions. If the heroes don’t know emotionally memorable to the heroes. They are
him, an Assistant points him out and explains to the important NPCs who appear again later in the
heroes that this is one of the most important and campaign in critical roles for the story.
powerful people in the Seven Worlds (See Seven
Worlds Setting Guide).
If there is any Brotherhood psion among the heroes,
Nathan approaches and greets him or her by name. An SCENE 7: THE SEARCH
instantly charming person, blessed with a prodigious FOR LAMARCHE
memory, he knows or has known everybody who These are the known facts of Dr. LaMarche’s
belongs to the Brotherhood and is always courteous disappearance. The heroes may obtain this from
and friendly. the records provided by Epsilon Leader Antoine,
If the pregenerated character Duarthe is a hero, by searching V-World, or simply by asking
Nathan’s reaction to him is slightly colder than to their Assistants.
other psions, given their past history. Luis LaMarche is a middle-aged man, brilliant
If the heroes were successful in getting Marcel scientist, single, secretive and eccentric. He is a leading
Coban to commit to send the files, Nathan supports academic researcher on stellar communications
the decision, and explains that although sometimes and transmissions, and just four years ago took a
things need to be protected, he does not see why lucrative position at the research arm of MaxDigital
this information should be protected from the Circle. Corporation, a specialist technology outfit that is a
He acts mystified as to why the info was tagged as major subcontractor to governments. Beyond work,
classified in the first place, and commits to making his only vice seems to be an obsession with V-World
sure it gets to Antoine as soon as possible. multi-player games. His current home address is in
If the heroes failed in their conversation with Oakland, in what used to be called the San Francisco
Marcel Coban, Nathan apologizes for Coban’s rude Bay Area until the 2133 flooding took out most of the
behaviour and insists there is a reason for the secrecy. bay. MaxDigital Corporation’s headquarters is also
The heroes may try a final do-or-die argument with located there.
Nathan. Regardless of how good or bad the argument LaMarche disappeared three months ago, counting
was (ignore the results of any Persuasion rolls), the two months it took the heroes to reach Earth (if it
Nathan tells them he’ll look into it immediately and took more or less time for the heroes to reach Earth,
see if anything can be done, and that they’ll hear modify the time appropriately). He stopped showing
from him soon. He also asks the heroes to apologize up at the office or answering calls, and his Assistant
on his behalf to Epsilon Leader Antoine, and hopes went permanently offline. His IDTag is out of the grid,
SEVEN WORLDS
18
and is assumed to have been removed from his body. heroes can see the house tagged as “closed by Police”
It is therefore not possible to trace him. Removing or on the Augmented Reality overlays in their lenses.
disabling an IDTag is illegal, but can be done for the While the heroes are in front of the house they have
right price. a chance to notice someone stealthily looking at them
Police have searched his home and have not from behind a window curtain in a house at the other
found anything unusual. They have discovered cash side of the street. Whoever is looking hides behind the
transfers from his personal account to a digital money curtain as soon as he or she is noticed.
service that anonymizes cash transactions. This might Should the heroes try to break into LaMarche’s
imply he planned to spend it without leaving a trace. home, they will have to override the house security
No clues as to his whereabouts have been found. locks left by the police. This will require a Dramatic
The heroes can either visit LaMarche’s office, Task using Hacking as the relevant skill. The task
or his home. simulates the heroes hacking the security interface
while simultaneously disabling the alarm systems
LAMARCHE’S OFFICE until the hacking is finished. A standard −2 penalty
MaxDigital Corporation’s headquarters in Oakland applies to all rolls. With a failure, a noise alarm sounds
is an impressive, modern, sprawling complex, and a security officer patrol arrives a few minutes
with many layers of physical and digital security. later. Assuming the heroes are successful, they find
Heavily-built guards dressed in impeccable dark that LaMarche’s house has been thoroughly searched
suits are everywhere, the stereotype of high-level by the police. All physical evidence has been looked at
security agents. and moved, furniture has been searched carefully, and
After the heroes’ Assistants have presented the nothing particularly special is found.
heroes to the receptionist Assistant, the heroes are
politely taken to a conference room where they are AN ECCENTRIC NEIGHBOR
welcomed by Stanley Maroudas, the installation’s If the heroes visit the house across the street, the
security manager. Maroudas explains to the heroes door is opened (just a crack) by a middle-aged man in
that they are of course very concerned about their scraggly clothes who is suspicious of the heroes (“I’ve
employee, and have assisted the police in every way told everyone everything, I don’t know anything else!
they could. Unfortunately, the nature of Dr. LaMarche’s Who are you and what do you want?!”). The heroes will
work is such that the company is not allowed to need to calm him down to get him to talk (a successful
share anything about it other than that it is highly Persuasion roll will suffice).
confidential and that the government contractor Once the man calms down, he invites the heroes
(which cannot be named) has been informed of the in. His name is Professor Aurelio Velkamp and he
situation and has taken steps to protect their project is an antiquities curator. His house is stuffed full
in case there is a security breach. of old books and weird antiques (you may have fun
The heroes can go on a guided tour of the non- describing how among the sixteenth-century rifles
classified parts of the office, but cannot enter and the second century clay pots the heroes find
Dr. LaMarche’s research wing or get any further some early-21st century smartphones and tablets, for
information from Maroudas. example). The Professor himself looks and smells like
Any violent action will take the heroes nowhere, but he has not been out of his house in quite a while.
in case they are needed, here are stats for the NPCs in Professor Velkamp can explain how the police
this scene. came looking for “Luis” (Dr. LaMarche) and searched
his house up and down. Professor Velkamp himself
• Stanley Maroudas, Security Manager: Use the was questioned in detail by the police. They set up a
stats for a Civilian with Smarts d6, Spirit d8 and guard for a few days in case Dr. LaMarche returned
Persuasion of d12. but apparently he never did.
• Guards: As many as needed. Use the stats for Professor Velkamp also mentions how Dr.
Typical Security. LaMarche’s house is periodically visited by strong-
looking men in dark suits who stay for a few hours
LAMARCHE’S HOME and then leave, apparently on the lookout should Dr.
LaMarche’s home is in a high-class neighborhood LaMarche appear. He has no idea who they are, but can
about 25 minutes from Oakland. The house, while recognize the description of MaxDigital Corporation
not large, is certainly more expensive than what a security personnel if shown a digital picture or image.
typical scientist and academic can afford. Obviously, Velkamp also describes LaMarche as a good person
LaMarche’s new job has been paying him well. The and a friendly neighbor, if a slightly obsessed and
prologue
19
crazy one. When not at work he spent hours playing
the latest V-World games, something the Professor SCENE 8: THE AMBERDRAKE
says is not “stuff grown-ups do.” CHRONICLES
Professor Velkamp has a crucial piece of information The heroes may enter the AmberDrake Chronicles
for the heroes. Depending on the players, you may from any V-World interface on Earth, including their
simply decide to role-play the interaction and offer lenses, a V-World Communication Booth or the
the heroes the information once they’ve convinced V-World pods on the Voyager.
the professor to trust him, or you may want to ask One hero should use the data card to handle
the heroes to make Persuasion rolls at −2 to get the Dr. LaMarche’s character, a wizard called Bregor
information. Since the Professor will be peppering Ravenblood. Give the hero a character sheet with the
the heroes with questions about who they are and stats for Veteran Mage (see the Seven Worlds Setting
why they are looking for LaMarche, there should be Guide), making him a Wild Card.
many opportunities to mention his sister Suzanne or The other heroes must register with the game (which
the mission. is free for new players) and create their character.
Once the Professor is convinced, he tells them
something he hasn’t told anybody, not even the Police: CREATING AN IN-GAME CHARACTER
The last time he saw LaMarche was a few days before Each hero’s character has the exact same traits as the
the doctor went officially missing. LaMarche came hero. Additionally, each hero can select a “class” for
very agitated to Velkamp’s house and left something his character from the table below, which gives the
“for safekeeping, until my sister Suzanne picks it up:” character a specific number of increases to its trait
His AmberDrake Chronicles data card and a short note dice. You might want the heroes to create character
with the password for it. With a Common Knowledge sheets for each in-game character.
roll the heroes recognize AmberDrake Chronicles as
the latest, hottest multiplayer V-World game, set in a SPECIAL RULES DURING THE GAME
fantasy world of dragons and magic, and famous for While the heroes are within AmberDrake Chronicles
its realistic combat. Velkamp says that LaMarche said the following special rules must be observed:
that he might have to leave for a while, and since his
sister also loves the game, he wanted her to have the • Since this is a fantasy realm, magic is now available,
card that would allow her to keep the achievements as well as several skills and Edges that are not
his character had acquired during the game (“told available or useful in the “real-world” environment.
you he was crazy!”). LaMarche also asked Velkamp • Psionic powers don’t exist within the game.
to keep the existence of the gaming card secret from • Heroes cannot call upon their Assistants while in
everyone but his sister or her helpers. the game. Assistants are not “available” but can
If the heroes perform a quick validation of Suzanne send an urgent message or interrupt a game if an
LaMarche’s profile, they gather that she has never emergency requires it. In these interruptions, the
been interested in V-World games. The data card itself hero is logged off the game by the Assistant and
is nothing special, and has no purpose other than to brought back to the real world.
allow the heroes to connect to AmberDrake Chronicles • A hero can leave the game at any time, just by
using LaMarche’s character in the game. thinking about it. If he or she returns to the game, his
If the heroes decide to send a message to Antoine or or her character has the same number of Wounds,
Suzanne LaMarche, they will be told that although Dr. Fatigue, and ammo as before he or she left.
LaMarche was a well-known fan of V-World games, • If a character “dies” he or she is automatically
his sister Suzanne does not share the hobby at all. She disconnected from the game, and can re-enter it
believes if he left a gaming card for her, there must by spending $20. The character enters the game
be some kind of message or information inside the fully healed.
game for the heroes to retrieve. Note that a round-
trip message from Earth to Concordia and back takes ENTERING THE GAME
between five and six days (see the Seven Worlds The heroes are about to enter a multiplayer virtual
Setting Guide). game world more than three months after Dr.
LaMarche left it. The last time he entered, Dr.
• Professor Aurelio Velkamp: Use the stats for a LaMarche left a message containing critical codes
Civilian with Knowledge (Science) d12. for entering MaxDigital Corporation written inside an
in-game artefact, a powerful spellbook. The spellbook
was stored in Bregor Ravenblood’s (Dr. LaMarche’s
SEVEN WORLDS
20
IN GAME CHARACTER CLASS
CHARACTER TRAIT DICE INCREASES TO ORIGINAL
GEAR AND POWERS
CLASS CHARACTER’S STATS
+1 Agility die, +1 Strength die, +2 Plate armor (+3 Armor; covers arms, legs, torso),
Fighter Fighting die (also increase Parry Medium shield (+1 Parry, +2 Armor to ranged shots
appropriately), +1 Intimidation die. that hit), Long sword (Str+d8).
+2 Agility die, +1 Climbing die, +1
Fighting die (also increase Parry Dagger (Str+d4), Short sword (Str+d6), Leather
Rogue appropriately), +1 Lockpicking die, armor (+1 Armor; covers arms, legs, torso), Bow
+1 Notice die, +1 Stealth die, +1 (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6).
Streetwise die.
Chain armor (+2 Armor; covers arms, legs, torso),
+1 Spirit die, +1 Fighting die (also
Mace (Str+d6), Shield (+1 Parry).
Cleric increase Parry appropriately), +2
Has 10 Power Points and the following divine
Faith die, +1 Healing die.
powers: healing, burst.
Two Daggers (Str+d4), no armor.
+1 Smarts die, +1 Fighting die (also
Has 20 Power Points and the following arcane
Wizard increase Parry appropriately), +3
powers: armor, blast, bolt, detect/conceal arcana,
Spellcasting die.
dispel, fly.
character) library in his virtual house in the medieval large town. The game’s AR overlay tells you that
town of Dancine. Since then, many things have the town is (was) called Dancine, and a small
changed in the game. The most important one is that digital arrow points to what in the distance
Dancine and the rest of the valley have been overrun you can almost make like one more smoky ruin
by the army of the evil dragon Kyrrix. Thus, characters in the town. A small floating sign next to the
of Bregor’s faction have been evicted from Dancine, arrow reads “HOME” accompanied by a treasure
and are now holed up in nearby Garreth Keep along symbol. Whatever LaMarche kept in this game,
with other town refugees. As the heroes arrive, the apparently it’s still there.
defenders of Garreth Keep are about to be besieged Suddenly a large shadow appears before you
by Kyrrix’s army. The heroes are going to have to find on the battlements. It is a huge human knight,
a way to escape the keep, infiltrate what remains of impossibly muscled, dressed in a dark armor with
Dancine, and recover that spellbook. a mysterious symbol, accompanied by a band
Read or paraphrase the following: of lesser fighters. A digital symbol next to him
shows he is not an NPC but another real player.
The burning countryside of northern AmberDrake The immense man, covered in blood,
is the first sight that greets your eyes. You are brandishes a large great sword and jumps
standing on the battlements of a large keep towards you while screaming “Bregor, you
in siege alert. Soldiers around you run to and coward! NOW, when we’ve had no choice but to
fro, preparing catapults, firing arrows at the hide like rats in Garreth Keep, now you decide
enemy, or simply dying under the barrage of to appear? And entering with new players, I see.
falling arrows that darken the sky. You’re in the Well, I’ll make sure they don’t last long. If I fall
middle of a war! here, you’ll fall with us, traitorous bastard!”
Outside the keep walls you see an immense
army composed of orcs, goblins and other The knight in question’s name is Lanus. His player
humanoids. They are in full attack mode, is extremely angry at Bregor’s player (he does not
shooting arrows, bringing ladders to climb the know LaMarche) because Bregor left the game three
keep, and preparing catapults. Behind the army months ago during a particularly tough quest and
you can see the black smoke of burning trees never came back.
and one or two houses. And much farther away,
the smoky ruin of what once must have been a
prologue
21
thing is, Dancine has now been overrun and torched,
and is in territory controlled by Kyrrix’s army, which is
led by the lesser dragon Myrreth.
If the heroes become too insistent with Lanus, try
too hard to force him to talk, or ask him to disclose
who he really is, Lanus’s player gets nervous and
disconnects, not before scolding the players on
“breaching game etiquette.” There is no way for the
heroes to find out who the player is.
Lanus, Dark Knight: Use the stats for Veteran

Knight.
• Lanus’s followers (2 per hero): Use the stats for
Junior Knight.
THE SIEGE OF GARRETH KEEP

As soon as the heroes complete their encounter with
Lanus read or paraphrase the following:
A tall, powerful knight followed by his entourage

approaches. He is obviously the leader of the
defence of the keep. The AR overlay identifies
him as Commander Tarros, Chief of the Northern
AmberDrake Army. An NPC.
“So, new recruits?,” says Commander Tarros
when he sees you. “I can see you are senior-level,
Have all heroes make Notice rolls. The ones who so you can help us fight. As you know, we’ve lost
fail begin the round surprised. Place all combatants most of the countryside to that blasted Kyrrix
around position “A” on the map. and his minion Myrreth. The King trusts we will
Whenever Lanus or a hero is dealt a card from the be strong enough to hold Garreth Keep and stop
Clubs suit, one of the many arrows from the incoming the enemy’s advance.”
army has found its way to him or her. Make a d8 group “Tonight the enemy forces will attempt to take
Shooting roll to see if the character is hit or not. If he the keep. Our enemies are ready to storm us
is, the damage from the arrow is 2d6. with soldiers carrying ladders, under cover of
Lanus and his followers fight to the “death” unless thousands of arrows.”
the heroes convince them to stop. This requires good “I need you to man the western wall and stop
role-playing or Persuasion rolls. our enemies from entering the keep. As many
If the heroes manage to talk to him, Lanus curses soldiers as I can spare will accompany you. There
Bregor’s player in very un-medieval language and will be other teams of defenders along the wall
then tries to leave. If the heroes question Lanus’s and in the main gates.”
player, he tells them he only knows that Bregor left “Your bravery will decide if Garreth Keep
the game three months ago and never came back, survives the night! Soldiers! To your posts!”
costing his party at the time a big loss at the hands
of a powerful villain. It’s taken Lanus months to get If a hero needs a specific weapon, they can get
his character back to his current level, and in the them at the Armory at no cost. No magical items
meantime the evil wyrm Kyrrix has raised an army are available. Priests are also available to provide
of orcs and monsters and razed the countryside. magical healing.
Many players have switched sides and joined Kyrrix’s As darkness falls, the heroes are led to the
crusade, and Lanus is thinking about doing that (“after length of wall next to where they originally
all, isn’t becoming more powerful the point?”). He appeared, and assigned one AmberDrake knight
knows nothing about Dr. LaMarche, nor does he care. per hero (extras to be controlled by the players).
He only knows that Bregor kept most of his valuables, Place the heroes and their extras in position “B” on
including his vaunted treasure chest (“he always the map. Out in the distance, the torches of the orc
talked about it”) in his mansion down in Dancine…
SEVEN WORLDS
22
campfires can be seen, and dark, ominous drums but not directly in front, the Strength roll is made at
can be heard. –4. If a ladder is made to fall, all orcs on the ladder
Suddenly the night is pierced by the sound of a horn when it falls take 2d6 damage.
in the distance, which is answered by other horns. The Simultaneous with the orc soldier attack, orc
orc attack has begun! archers let arrows rain on the defenders. The
Place the enemy orc soldiers 24" away from archers are not physically placed on the map, and are
the keep walls, at position “C”. The heroes and the assumed to be 48" away from the action. The archers’
AmberDrake soldiers are on top of the battlefields. attacks are handled in an abstract fashion: Each
Each round the orcs run towards the fort, round, on the orcs’ Action Card, the GM can place two
carrying 6-foot-long ladders. For simplicity, roll Medium Burst Templates in an appropriate location
one running die for all orcs. Each ladder is carried and make a group Shooting roll with a d8 die for each
by four orcs, running in groups. If a group ever template, minus Wound penalties (see below). If the
has less than four orcs, the remaining orcs leave roll is successful, all defenders within the template
the ladder and run to support other groups that receive 2d6 damage.
need an extra orc to carry their ladder. If none The archers as a group have 10 Toughness, and can
are available, the orcs just continue running only be harmed with area effect attacks, assuming a
towards the wall. character has a way to make an area attack that far.
If the orcs reach the wall, putting a ladder up takes If the archers are hit, keep track of the wounds the
two orcs one full action each. When the ladder is archers have as a group, and apply them as a penalty
placed, climbing it counts as Difficult Ground. Once an to their group Shooting rolls. If the archers ever reach
orc climbs up the ladder it tries to move away from it four Wounds, they break and scatter away, effectively
to let other orcs climb up. ending the arrow attack.
If a defender wants to push the ladder, he or she As soon as the GM feels the heroes are taking
needs to make a Strength roll at −2 if directly in front control of the situation (but before the combat ends)
of the ladder; if the defender is adjacent to the ladder proceed to the next section.
prologue
23
• Orc Warriors (4 per hero) THE TRIP TO DANCINE
• AmberDrake Knights (1 per hero): Use the stats for After the battle, the heroes are free to decide how
Junior Knight. Besides the weapons listed, they all to proceed. Most likely they are looking for a way
have bows (range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6). to reach Bregor’s home in the town of Dancine. Let
the heroes try any ideas they may have on how to
ENEMY AT THE GATES leave the keep and evade the enemy orc army to
Read or paraphrase the following: reach Dancine, and be lenient to them if their plan
seems appropriate enough. What follows is a default
Throughout the combat you’ve been listening alternative available if the heroes are unsure of how
to the loud bangs coming from below, where to proceed.
the orcs are ramming the main door while
Commander Tarros and his soldiers work to hold As you enter the deepest parts of Garreth Keep
it. Suddenly the huge, heavy gates break with a to regain your strength and heal your wounds
loud crack, and the enemy rushes in! From up here you see many refugees from both Dancine and
you see Commander Tarros and his team being other nearby towns. Scraggly, hungry and tired,
overwhelmed by the orcs. He looks at you on the whole families shiver in the cold, hoping to
battlements and in the commotion signals to you survive the night.
for help. If the gate falls, the keep is doomed! As you stare at this scene, you are approached
by a gaunt middle-aged man, who from the
The heroes may decide to split into two groups or size of his clothes clearly used to be larger. He
finish the combat at the battlements and then go has horrid teeth and a repelling stench. His
down to the gates. Each round that passes without hands have the splotches and white marks of
the heroes going to the aid of Commander Tarros, one someone who frequently works with potions and
AmberDrake Knight defending the gate falls (remove dangerous liquids. He is visibly pale, sweaty and
it from play). trembling. The AR overlay identifies him as Yrion,
Remember that the heroes may have AmberDrake an in-game NPC.
Knight extras under their control remaining after the “My lord Bregor! It is so good to see you again!,”
previous fight. It is up to the heroes to decide how to he begins, before being interrupted by a deep
distribute their forces in this situation. cough. “You must remember me, it is Yrion, the
Commander Tarros and his soldiers start the fight at apothecary! My shop was a few blocks from
“D” while the orc warriors are located at “E.” The orcs your mansion!”
are supported by an orc shaman (location “F”) with
basic casting spells and an ogre Wild Card (location Yrion tries to strike up a conversation with Bregor,
“G”). The shaman attempts to use the fear spell to asking him about his previous whereabouts. He will
keep the heroes and knights from attacking. explain how he, like most other citizens of Dancine,
was forced to evacuate in a hurry, and how he has
Commander Tarros, Chief of the Army: Use the forgotten a valuable thing in his lab. He will casually
stats for Veteran Knight. let drop that he knows of a secret way out of the
• AmberDrake Knights (2 per hero): These are the keep and into the wilderness, if someone were brave
Knights next to Commander Tarros. Use the stats for enough to return to Dancine to get it.
Junior Knight. They all have bows (range 12/24/48, In truth, Yrion has become an addict to a drug he
Damage 2d6). himself produces. Unfortunately he was forced to
• Orc Warriors (4 per hero) leave Dancine without a supply, and is now suffering
• Orc Shaman (1) from withdrawal symptoms. If the heroes mention
• Ogre (1) that they want to go to Dancine, he gladly tells them
of a secret door down the cellar of the keep that
Once the battle is won, the orc army retreats, its leads to a tunnel, the exit of which is a few miles
first attempt foiled. The heroes get a chance to rest west of here. From there the heroes should not have
and recover their wounds. The AR overlay for the much of a problem reaching Dancine (other than the
game notes that the heroes’ characters have gained orcs, of course). He only asks that the heroes go to
“experience points”, an in-game measurement that his apothecary shop and bring him “a brown bag
allows them to improve in-game. However, the containing my potions that is located under my bed in
characters have not gained enough points to increase the door behind the shop.”
in level yet.
SEVEN WORLDS
24
ENCOUNTERS
1D6 CAVE COUNTRYSIDE
1 No encounter No encounter
2 No encounter No encounter
Small Patrol:
3 No encounter • Orc Warriors (1 per hero plus 1)
Orc Leader (1)
Bandits:
4 Rock Monsters (1 per hero) • Bandit (1 per hero)
• Bandit Chief (1): Wild Card
Large Patrol:
• Orc Warriors (2 per hero)
5 Black Blobs (1 per hero)
• Dire Wolves (1 per hero)
• Orc Leader (1)
Small Battalion:
• Orc Warriors (3 per hero)
• Dire Wolves (2 per hero)
• Orc Shaman (1)
6+ Centipede (1)
• Evil Knight (1): Use stats for Veteran
Knight. He is a Wild Card, and a real-world
player who has allied with Kyrrix (for role-
playing purposes).
If the heroes agree, Yrion shows them the way town has been razed to the ground but several
towards the cellars. A secret door behind the next- buildings still remain. From your vantage point
to-last barrel in the cellar is activated by a successful behind some ruins north the town, you see orc
Lockpicking roll, and leads to a long, unused tunnel, guards on several locations inside. The town
which returns to the surface a few miles westward, is surrounded by low hills, meaning the north
coming behind a group of boulders in the middle of side is the only way to approach without being
the countryside. automatically seen.
The trip through the long tunnels and the blasted Every once in a while a low sound shakes the
countryside takes about a day. You can place as many town. It sounds like a mixture of a roar and growl
encounters as you think are appropriate, and should from a huge beast in slumber. You have heard
consider a few given that games like AmberDrake that the black dragon known as Myrreth leads
Chronicles rarely let too much time pass without a the army in Kyrrix’s name. Could that sound be
fight. A random encounters table is provided below. caused by him?
The roll should be modified by +1 if the heroes have Whatever remains of Bregor’s mansion must
been calling too much attention to themselves be in the center of the town. A transparent
(lighting a fire, making noise while in the cave, etc). marker in the AR overlay shows you the direction
If the heroes get to talk or interrogate any Bregor’s mansion is located. Now you only have
orc prisoners, they find out that Dancine and its to get there.
surroundings have been placed under the command
of one of Kyrrix’s lieutenants, the black dragon known THE ENEMY ADVENTURING PARTY
as Myrreth. On top of all the other dangers of Dancine, the
heroes have one more thing to worry about: Another
THE TOWN OF DANCINE adventuring party, composed of real-world players,
When the players arrive at Dancine, read or not NPCs, has entered Dancine. Looking to vanquish
paraphrase the following: the dragon and gain the fame and experience such a
beast brings and to gather as much loot as possible,
The destroyed remains of what used to be they are not going to let other players stand in
Dancine still smoke before you. Most of the their way.
prologue
25
You should use this party wisely at the most orc guards because of the low hills in the east, west
dramatic moment and as a source of mystery. For and south sides of the town.
example, the heroes might find clues that someone Should the heroes raise the alarm at any point, all
else is roaming through the town, perhaps a orcs in the town converge on the source of the alarm
slaughtered orc guard. They might be attacked by in about four rounds and engage any trespassers.
this adventuring party when they are reading the Assuming the heroes are not found, after a few
tome in Bregor’s mansion. Or maybe they are about minutes of searching the orcs will return to their
to make their escape when the other adventuring locations, but they will be active sentries from then
party makes a ruckus and brings the dragon down on (thus requiring opposed Stealth rolls).
on everyone. Remember that the heroes’ VR overlays If enough orcs raise the alarm Myrreth himself will
clearly identify the enemy party as fellow players wake and get involved to stop the heroes.
in the game, not NPCs. An interesting role-playing
conversation during the battle might thus ensue. B. GUARD POSTS
Small orc patrols guard the different entrances to the
Torrahn, Warrior: Use stats for Junior Knight. center of Dancine. They are usually talking amongst
Orghen, Wizard: Use stats for Novice Mage. themselves or playing games, and are treated as
Ulric, Rogue: Use stats for Bandit Chief. passive guards unless the alarm is raised once.
Use the standard Stealth rules if the heroes try to
What follows is a key to the main locations of the avoid them.
town of Dancine.
• Orc Warriors (3)
A. ENTRANCE
The heroes enter the town here. This is the only safe C. TRIPWIRE
way to enter without being automatically detected by These locations have an almost invisible tripwire
running across the street. A hero walking through the
SEVEN WORLDS
26
tripwire must make an Agility roll (at −2 if running) or power with a raise had been cast on the drinker. The
fall Prone. The tripwire also runs to a group of pieces power cannot be maintained); a potion of quickness
of metal which clang loudly, raising the alarm in the (as before, but with the quickness power with a
camp. If a hero specifically asks to search the floor he raise); a ring of the archer (works as if the hero had
or she can find the tripwire with a Notice roll at –2 if the Marksman edge); And a giant killer long sword
no tripwire has been found before. Once the heroes (standard long sword damage, also works as if the
have dealt with tripwire (either because they tripped it hero had the Giant Killer edge).
or avoided it), a free automatic Notice roll is enough to
see it again. Tripwire traps can be disabled or enabled • Townsperson (7)
with a Lockpicking roll.
F. BARRACKS
D. PRISON Most of the orcs of Dancine are here sleeping next to
In this jail, the orcs keep their prisoners, one per their weapons. All Stealth rolls to avoid them are at +2
cell. The four prisoners here are Jon and Karren, an unless the alarm has been raised once, in which case
old couple of bakers; Lily, a small girl who has lost they behave as active guards.
her parents in the invasion of Dancine; and Gilean, a
mumbling farmer who has gone mad from his ordeal. • Orc Warriors (22)
If freed from their cells, the old couple and the girl
help the heroes by providing them with directions and G. WOLF PENS
a rough map of town and where most of the traps are This ruined part of the town has been taken by the
(which can be sketched if necessary). Lily also knows orcs to house their wolf mounts. The wolves, kept in
of the hidden survivors at E, and of the valuable items large cages, are at turns barking and growling madly
they managed to save from the orcs, and will share and sleeping. Two orc keepers protect and feed the
this information if asked. If freed, Gilean merrily wolves. These orcs do not leave the pens if the alarm
attempts to escape the town, running recklessly and is raised, and keep the wolves locked unless the town
most likely alerting every orc in Dancine unless he is under attack or in dire danger. In this case, the orcs
is stopped. let the wolves loose.
• Orc Warriors (1 per hero plus 1) • Dire Wolves (9)

• Townsperson (4) • Orc Warriors (2).
E. HIDDEN SURVIVORS H. YRION’S APOTHECARY SHOP
When Dancine fell, a few townspeople stormed the If the heroes bother to go here, they find the remains of
town hall and grabbed Dancine’s most valuable items, Yrion’s apothecary shop. The bed at the back includes
intending to save them from the attacking army. Yrion’s bag, just as he said. Among the broken bottles
Unfortunately, one of Myrreth’s attacks levelled the the heroes can also find two potions of healing (works
building before they could leave. A few survived and as the potions listed above, but with the healing power
have been living here in the ruins for a few weeks now. with a raise).
There is enough food and water in the cellar for them
to survive, but being so close to Myrreth’s new home I. MYRRETH THE DRAGON
they have very little chance of escaping. Myrreth, the fearsome dragon who leads the orc army,
Etherast, one of the leaders of the town, currently is asleep in this former large warehouse, which now
leads the small group of seven humans, all adults. has no ceiling. He ignores any alarms raised unless he
They try, at all costs, to avoid detection, and the is specifically called, since most of the time his orcs
heroes are going to have to make Notice rolls at −2 to raise the alarm for some human survivor or minor
notice where they are hidden. adventuring party. However, if the situation in town
If the heroes establish a conversation with the becomes difficult he takes flight and attack from
survivors, they tell them as much information on above with his acid cloud. He attempts to engage the
the town and its movements as possible. They also heroes directly and drive them to a location where
mention the prisoners at location D and ask the there is enough space to overwhelm them with his
heroes to save them. Should the heroes offer to rid orcs. Myrreth fights to the death.
the town of the monsters, Etherast will place the
few magical items he could save in their hands: A Black Dragon
potion of invisibility (drinking it is like if the invisibility
prologue
27
J. BREGOR’S MANSION unlisted, so having it is the only way for the heroes
As the heroes approach the AR overlay icon that points to reach it.
to Bregor’s home becomes larger and clearer. From • Dr. LaMarche’s password-key to his office. This is
the outside this looks like one more ruined building. loaded into the Avatar’s profile so his office door
Inside, after passing a ruined foyer the heroes reach opens automatically.
a study. A large red arrow in the AR overlay points • A small illegal hacking program with the curious
towards a huge tome in the bookshelf behind the desk. name of “DigiDefrost.” The program is a complex
The tome does automatic 1d8 damage to anyone who piece of hacker code, and it is a mystery how Dr.
touches it except for Bregor, its owner. LaMarche could have acquired it, or what it does.
The tome has the title Tome of RealWorldy Magic. DigiDefrost comes with instructions on how to load
All of its pages look empty unless Bregor touches one. it into the V-World Pod the heroes’ use to enter the
When that happens, several pages of notes and texts Extranet. A small comment in the code says that
written in a modern (non-medieval) tone appear. With this program should be activated by the heroes
a Smarts roll, the heroes recognize the notes as game if they are discovered or get in trouble within the
cheat codes, hacks and tips for how to win the game Extranet. To activate DigiDefrost during their visit
and accumulate treasure and powers fast. to the Extranet, a hero just needs to think about
The last page of the book has a different type of activating it.
note. Give the heroes Handout #2.
Below the note there are several digital tags Since MaxDigital Corp’s Research Extranet is a
(see Seven Worlds Setting Guide) that can easily be secure V-World environment, you should explain to
scanned by an Assistant. the players the restrictions they will have (see the
Note that since the heroes may leave the game at Seven Worlds Setting Guide). The heroes’ stats do not
any time, they will most likely disconnect from the change when they connect to this V-World using the
game immediately after obtaining this information. temporary avatars, they will still be themselves. Their
Before disconnecting them, the game lists how many looks do change, though, to match the look of the
enemies each player killed and the experience points impersonation avatar they’ve selected.
they gained, before inviting them to “play again soon!” This V-World does not allow weapons, and so
the heroes will be unarmed when they enter it. Also
remind Psionic heroes that their psionic powers will
SCENE 9: MAXDIGITAL not work within the virtual environment.
CORPORATION
After they return to the real world, and the heroes’ ENTERING THE EXTRANET
Assistants decode the digital tags provided by When the heroes are ready to connect, read or
Dr. LaMarche, the heroes find themselves with paraphrase the following:
the following:
MaxDigital Corp’s Research Extranet is a
• A digital avatar of a Dr. Sindi Rogers. Dr. Rogers is a beautiful, quiet, modern campus building
real employee of MaxDigital who hasn’t connected surrounded by immense, well-tended lawns
for some time. Dr. LaMarche has managed to create and forests.
a fake avatar of Dr. Rogers for the heroes to use to You see people walking in and out of the
enter MaxDigital’s Research Extranet. campus, some of them looking fully “real” while
• Several digital avatars of invented “research others look semi-transparent. You realize
associates” of Dr. Rogers from universities and that this environment is a simulated replica
research institutions. Somehow Dr. LaMarche has of MaxDigital’s real physical research center,
obtained authorization for these fake people to and that some of the people in front of you are
enter MaxDigital’s facilities. Thus, the heroes should avatars of other researchers, while the rest
have no problem using these fake identities to enter are digital representations of people who are
the Extranet. Make sure there are enough fake working in the real physical building. In this way,
digital avatars for all the heroes. Let the players a researcher on the real-world building can
invent a fake name, position and short background cross paths down the hallway with the avatar
for each avatar. of a remote researcher on the V-World Extranet,
• The V-World address for MaxDigital’s Extranet. The and they can greet each other or strike up a
hidden V-World address for MaxDigital’s Extranet is conversation. Amazing!
SEVEN WORLDS
28
While you still feel the same, now you look Inside the office, the heroes find Dr. LaMarche’s
wildly different! One of you is now a middle- desk, and on it they find piles of digital research
aged, significantly out-of-shape male scientist, papers (in reality digitalized files) organized in virtual
wearing a lab coat with a tag saying “Dr. stacks, dealing with complex technical topics.
Sindi Roberts.” The others look like assorted A quick search of the digital files available shows
researchers in lab coats. that the documentation Dr. LaMarche sent the heroes
The front door of the building is guarded by to acquire has been tagged as classified and placed
two immaculately dressed men in dark suits. off-limits by the security department of MaxDigital
Although friendly-looking, there is something Corporation. When the heroes try to open the file their
unsettling about the way they move their arms hands just go right through it. No matter what they try,
and muscles, as if maybe there were more to the heroes can’t read it.
them than what you see. The trip has not been in vain, however. Two
important clues can be gleaned in this place:
If the heroes previously visited MaxDigital’s
physical campus outside Oakland they recognize the • Any hero trained in Knowledge (Science) who
architecture and design of the place as identical to the glances at the documentation concludes from the
real campus. research papers that Dr. LaMarche is an expert on
The guards are super-powered avatars of real- the software that runs the Stellar Communications
world security personnel, and getting them angry Network that communicates the Seven Worlds, and
can be deadly. They require everyone in the party to has recently been working on unspecified major
identify themselves before entering. The hero with Dr. improvements to the software. A hero’s Assistant
Rogers’ fake identity will immediately be recognized with the Knowledge (Science) skill can also reach
and allowed access after one or two questions related this conclusion if the hero asks it to review the files.
to “what he’s been up to the past few weeks.” His • While the heroes search, have the hero (or
“research fellows” will be slightly questioned as to Assistant) with the highest Hacking skill die make a
their background and business and then let in unless Hacking roll. With a success the hero finds a secret
they do something suspicious (a Persuasion roll at +2 backdoor that Dr. LaMarche added to his own
should suffice, unless the heroes do or say something employee records at MaxDigital Corp’s security
inappropriate that makes you apply a penalty to department. There the heroes find an investigative
the roll). report on the LaMarche’s disappearance. Give the
Unless the players do something really stupid (such heroes Handout #1.
as attacking), the guards will not show any of their
special powers. TRAPPED!
The heroes’ search activities have not gone unnoticed!
• V-World Guards (2): In human form use stats for Silent alarms have alerted security to the fact that
Veteran Security. In monster mode use stats for Dr. LaMarche’s office is being ransacked. Once the
Dark Terror. heroes have exhausted their search for clues, read
this to them:
THE OFFICE
Inside the virtual research center, the heroes find an All of a sudden this V-World changes! A reddish
attractive and comfortable work environment: large haze overlays the entire simulation, and you
passageways, covered in windows and panels and all freeze where you are. You try to move and
illuminated with sunlight; comfortable couches and discover that you can’t! The rules of the V-World
seats, pictures of company events and activities; even extranet have frozen your avatars in place.
a cafeteria where people have animated discussions A female recorded voice message says “Do
while sitting around tables. Some of these meetings not try to escape. You have been detected
are between physical people sitting at a real table performing unauthorized activities. Security
in the real research center, and virtual counterparts personnel will be with you shortly to question
entering via the Extranet. you. Do not try to escape…”
The heroes should have no problem finding Dr. You notice you have been disconnected from
LaMarche’s office. The office door is locked but your Assistants, and that you yourselves cannot
opens automatically to any heroes who loaded Dr. disconnect from V-World and leave. You are
LaMarche’s password-key into their profiles. effectively trapped inside the Extranet!
prologue
29
It should be a matter of seconds before Dark Terror description) to automatically damage a
security arrives, captures you definitely, and random hero as part of their interrogation (treat this
traces you back to your real bodies in the real as an automatic hit with a raise and roll damage). The
world. Judging from what you’ve heard of heroes can role-play using Persuasion rolls to try to
Security in V-World Extranets, this should not fast-talk the guards and gain time while they continue
be pleasant. working at the Dramatic Task. You have a final say
on when the guards decide to stop this impromptu
There is only one way to escape this trap: One of torture and proceed to disconnect the heroes.
the heroes can mentally activate the “DigiDefrost” When the heroes activate the “DigiDefrost” program,
hacking program they have loaded into their pods proceed to the next section.
before the guards arrive and capture them.
Activating this program should normally be • V-World Guards (2): In human form use stats for
automatic but is now much harder since the heroes Veteran Security. In monster mode, or when using
have already been trapped. Treat the activation as the Spores power, use stats for Dark Terror.
a Dramatic Action using the Hacking skill with a −2
penalty. The heroes need five successes in order to THE GETAWAY
mentally activate “DigiDefrost.” Cooperative rolls Read this to the heroes:
using the Hacking skill are acceptable.
By the third round, the door opens and two security Suddenly the entire V-World flickers! The guards
guards, identical to the guards at the door, enter. They look around you surprised. “What’s happening?,”
look somehow larger and more menacing than before, one of them asks.
and something under their suits pulses slightly, as if A logo and a message written in scrawny
their bodies were somehow bubbling, or changing. letters appear floating in the air in front of all
The guards gloat about how the heroes are trapped, of you. The logo looks like a child’s drawing of a
and how they will trace them back to their real-world bull-dog’s head, and the message under it reads
location and capture them. They also periodically “Bad Dog’s Last Laugh.” The guards stare at it
use the Spores power from their fingers (see the
SEVEN WORLDS
30
horrified before an immense white-noise digital The following special Assistant actions are available:
explosion makes everything turn bright.
A few seconds later you are standing just as • V-World modification Interface: If a hero spends a
you were before the explosion, as the simulation Benny and his or her Assistant makes a successful
rapidly rebuilds itself. Every user other than you Hacking roll, it makes a virtual obstacle appear
or the guards has been disconnected. You are in front of the pursuing Dark Terrors. The player
no longer frozen and can freely move! What’s should come up with an ingenious and interesting
more, each one of you finds yourself armed with obstacle. With a success on the Hacking roll, the
an autopistol, a bizarre glowing device with the enemies receive a −2 penalty to their next Agility
small logo of a bull-dog’s head on it. Supposedly roll to move. With a raise, the Assistant’s hero (and
weapons are not allowed in this V-World. Your only that hero) also receives a +2 bonus to his or her
Assistants are also back with you. This is a good Agility roll to move.
hack program indeed!
The simulation itself is in chaos. The walls and After the fifth round, the heroes successfully
windows of the virtual complex flicker wildly on reach the sphere that marks the escape zone and
and off, and you can probably run through them automatically disconnect. The “DigiDefrost” program
if you wanted to. Far away you see, looking takes care of erasing the tracing logs so MaxDigital
through the flickering walls, the location where can’t find out where they came from. The heroes
you originally appeared when you entered the have escaped!
simulation. It is covered with a large green semi-
transparent sphere. You know this is the only • Dark Terrors (1 per hero)
place in the simulation where you can disconnect
and leave V-World without being traced. If you
want to escape you need to reach that place! EPILOGUE
As the guards slowly regain their wits, you By the time the adventure is over, the heroes should
see more guards begin to appear. Then the have talked to the N’ahili, realized the aliens’ interest
simulation turns a dark red as full alert is in whatever the heroes saw in Nouvelle Vie, and
raised. The guards shape-shift into horrifying received some cryptic advice from them. They
large humanoids covered in a strong carapace. should also have made the acquaintance of several
Their heads and arms extend into four black important people at the Psion Brotherhood and
mucus-covered slimy tentacles. The inhuman obtained their commitment to send directly to Epsilon
monsters growl and lunge with blinding speed Leader Antoine an encrypted copy of the classified
towards you! files related to the strange incidents and sightings in
space. Finally, they should have discovered that Dr.
The strange guns that have appeared in the heroes’ LaMarche’s has escaped somewhere outside Earth;
hands are virtual auto-pistols with unlimited ammo. that he was working on something related to the
Give the weapon stats for auto-pistols to the heroes. Stellar Communications Network, something that was
When staring at a Dark Terror for the first time, all deeply troubling him; and that his employer is looking
heroes need to make Fear checks or be Shaken. to kill him.
Play this as a Chase using the Chase rules from When the heroes finish this part of the adventure,
Savage Worlds. The Chase lasts five rounds, and uses they get a message from Epsilon Leader Antoine. He
Agility as the maneuvering Trait. The Dark Terrors can asks them to report back to Circle HQ in Melissant as
use their Spores power as a ranged attack, and can soon as possible, as he has a new mission for them.
also attack with their tentacles at Melee and Short Besides, the war between Concordia and Bay Jing is
range. The Force maneuver is not available. heating up, the situation in Nouvelle Vie is becoming
Some typical obstacles to use during the chase more unstable by the minute, and the Circle is about
might include: to be dragged into a nasty war.
The adventure continues in Divided we Fall, the next
• A wall materializes in front of the hero (a minor or module in the epic Seven Worlds campaign!
major obstacle)
• A wall materializes or piece of furniture materializes
on the location the hero is, and unless the hero
avoids it, he or she will receive significant damage
(a disaster complication).
prologue
31
side stories
T his section includes several side stories you can

run or take inspiration from to complement the
adventures in the main campaign.
Don’t forget to review the background for each
planet, as well as the Personalities section on the
In truth, Warren joined the Touraine as a Hataro
Mining plant. Knowing that the crew of the Touraine
always managed to claim the most valuable asteroids,
Warren waited until the team found a good one and
then killed them before they made their claim by
Setting Guide. There are great ideas for further side blowing up the ship and life support. Then he planted
stories there! the claim beacon on behalf of Hataro and concocted
the story that the beacon “had been there all along.”
SPACE-JUMPING The Deep Waters IV is an independent ship secretly
hired by Hataro to “confirm” the validity of the beacon
A CLAIM and pick up Warren.
As the heroes investigate the situation, Warren
Where: Clarke Station or Nouvelle Vie. becomes increasingly nervous, finally resorting to
Robt Sardo, leader of the Asteroid Miners trying to kill them. Once the crew of the Deep Waters
Guild, asks the heroes for help. The Touraine, an IV sees they have been discovered they try to destroy
independent miner ship, is drifting next to an both the Touraine and the heroes’ ship. The Touraine
unexplored asteroid on the outer asteroid belt. cannot fight back.
Requests for communication are not being answered.
The crewmembers of the Touraine are renowned for Eddie Warren: Use the stats for Veteran Thug, but
being top explorers and always finding and claiming remove the Mean Hindrance and add a Knowledge
the best asteroid lodes. The ship left Nouvelle Vie with (Science) d6 and the Miner Edge.
no incident a few weeks ago. Sardo asks the heroes to • The Deep Waters IV: Use the stats for Medium
investigate, and save the miners if possible. Pirate/Mercenary Ship.
As the heroes approach the asteroid, their sensors
detect another independent miner ship approaching
as well. The Deep Waters IV reports it was on its own A FREE MARKET
survey of the belt when it detected the situation and
is approaching to help. The heroes’ ship will reach the
Touraine hours before the Deep Waters IV. Where: Concordia.
When the heroes reach the asteroid they find that Run this adventure if the heroes are preparing to
it has a claim beacon that proves it is “owned” by depart Concordia towards Earth. If they have a different
Hataro Mining, a midsized mining consortium. Claim destination, change the adventure accordingly.
beacons avoid claim-jumping by proving “who was As the heroes are preparing to depart, they are
there first,” but it is strange that the claim beacon did approached by a middle-aged couple dressed
not transmit ownership back to Nouvelle Vie as soon simply in farmer clothing. They are as Mr. and
as it was installed. Mrs. Geroux, owners of a small gourmet cheese
When the heroes board the silent Touraine they find factory called Geroux. Their cheeses are in high
signs of an explosion in the engine room, dead bodies demand among connoisseurs on Earth. Recently
everywhere, and a single survivor: Eddie Warren, one a large industrial food conglomerate, Wattsworth
of the newer miners in the independent crew. Warren Produce, has been buying all the neighboring farms,
says that they arrived at what they thought was an and has tried to buy the Geroux’s farm as well, but
unexplored asteroid but found the Hataro Mining the couple have declined all offers. A few months
claim beacon, which for some mysterious reason ago, Wattsworth bought Geroux’s distribution
was not transmitting. Then a strange explosion partner on Earth, and their distribution deal has
rocked the engine room, destroying the engines, been rescinded. With no distribution partner,
comm equipment and life support. Warren was able Geroux’s is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the
to get into an emergency suit but no one else made couple are about to have their farm confiscated
it. Warren is desperate to get back to civilization and for debt. They ask the heroes to please transport
discourages the heroes from investigating any further. a few crates with samples of their best product
SEVEN WORLDS
32
to Earth and give them to Ron Sharlto, a possible
new distributor. A SIMPLE ERRAND
Wattsworth Produce wants the Geroux’ farm so
badly for a reason: Unbeknownst to the couple, a
curious combination of natural organic chemicals Where: Clarke Station.
under the surface is producing soil of a particularly Jacinta Matriciano, the EarthGov representative in
good quality. Wattsworth has obtained the lands Nouvelle Vie, approaches the heroes while they are in
around the farm and has confirmed that the center the corridors of Clarke Station, and invites them for a
of this organic deposit is directly under Geroux. If drink. After some small talk she asks for a favor: She
Wattsworth could get their hands on that organism knows,as members of the Circle, they tend to travel
and analyse it they could reproduce that soil quality in a lot. Should their travels take them to Earth, there’s
all their farms, with significant financial returns. a delicate package she would pay a lot of money to
As the heroes plan to depart Concordia, customs have picked up and brought to her. The heroes are
agents stop them and demand to confiscate the cargo; to go look for a Mr. Ryu in downtown London and
groups of thugs try to ambush and dissuade them ask for the package. She refuses to elaborate on the
from carrying the cargo; and their ship is sabotaged contents, except to say that the heroes should not
and has problems en route to Earth (run this as a Ship worry about getting in trouble because transporting
Hazard, see Seven Worlds Setting Guide). It should it is not illegal.
slowly become obvious that Wattsworth is going to If the heroes ever pick up the package, they receive
a lot of trouble and expense for what should be a a small box weighting around two pounds. Shortly
small farm. after picking it up, the heroes are ambushed by hired
goons who want the package.
• Thugs (2 per hero): Use stats for Typical Thug.
• Hired Goons (6): Use stats for Typical Thug.
Once the heroes arrive at Earth, they find that Ron
Sharlto has mysteriously disappeared, and the heroes Should the heroes open the package (which once
now have no distributor contact. While looking for open cannot be closed again) they find significant
him the heroes find that there is a Gourmet Foods amounts of Peak, a highly-addictive, illegal
fair coming up in a few days and that the heroes’ best hallucinogenic recreational drug distributed by Earth
hope of finding distributors is at the fair. If the heroes cartels. It turns out Matriciano has become addicted
decide to sign up, Wattsworth will try their best to to Peak and needs her daily dose whatever the cost.
stop them from participating, even attempting to The goons have been hired by Councilman Ballard
kill them. Hanks, a political opponent of EarthGov Secretary
Regardless of whether the heroes participate in the General Norah Reichardt. By outing Matriciano’s
Fair or not, a Wattsworth negotiator, accompanied drug problem, Hanks wants to discredit her and by
by a group of heavily-armed goons, approaches the extension her mentor and party leader, Reichardt,
heroes and attempts to buy the product samples, thus preparing the way for his election to the top post.
asking them to name their price. As the heroes escape Councilman Ballard’s ambushes
and traps he becomes more desperate, resorting to
Negotiator: Use stats for Civilian with a Persuasion phony police interventions and others.
of d12+2, Intimidation of d12 and Taunt of d10. Assuming the heroes are still willing to transport
• Thugs (1 per hero): Use stats for Veteran Thug. Matriciano’s package, right before they leave Hanks
himself confronts the heroes, along with about
Assuming the heroes find a distributor at the fair sixteen hired goons. If the heroes still refuse to give
and negotiate a good deal with them, the Geroux him the package, he will try to take it by force, killing
will be immensely grateful, giving them a generous them if necessary.
percentage of the initial distribution payment. As If Matriciano receives the package and learns of
the heroes’ participation becomes known (thanks all this, she will reward the heroes handsomely, and
in part to the Geroux) they get a permanent +1 apologize for lying to them about Peak not being
bonus to Charisma while dealing with people illegal. She will owe them a favor from then on.
from Concordia.
• Councilman Hanks’ Hired Goons (16): Use stats for
Veteran Thug.
side stories
33
Councilman Ballard Hanks: Use stats for Civilian, BITE-SIZED
but give him the Command Edge, and a d10 in
Intimidation and Taunt.
ADVENTURES
Here are some short ideas for you to flesh out, should
GEOSYNCHRONOUS you have the inclination:
CRIME STORIES
• Picking Sides: One of the two competing bands of
Where: Earth, Center City. terrorists loyal to Jubilee and Dauphin sabotages
The heroes are contacted by the family of Thomas Clarke Station and takes it hostage. With most
Bialecki, a reputed scientific researcher who works for of the official law enforcement of the station
Oberon Industries on the planet Zarmina (“Gee”). Dr. neutralized, the other terrorist group comes out and
Bialecki, who had come to Earth on vacation to visit his offers its services to free the station if the heroes
family, landed at Center City a few days ago and called and the other factions support them in the fight. The
his family to notify them of his arrival. Unfortunately, heroes must decide whether to ally themselves with
that was the last anyone heard of him. The family asks terrorists to stop other terrorists (and legitimize
the heroes to find him. the slaughter that will surely erupt) or if they are
Dr. Bialecki has been kidnapped by the Mayhem willing to fight two different bands of terrorists at
Crew, a crime syndicate with a branch in Center City. the same time.
It turns out that next week a valuable sample of a • Wave of Death: One of the frequent mega-tsunamis
new and potent medical drug created by Oberon of Nouvelle Vie is approaching a small, remote
Industries is arriving at Center City from Zarmina. The island of fishermen. Tentaclers (see the Seven
Mayhem Crew wants to steal this drug and sell it to a Worlds Setting Guide) and other local creatures
local laboratory. Dr. Bialecki is an excellent source of are feeling the danger and becoming more violent
information on Oberon’s research and on the security and dangerous. Several years ago, the fishermen
protocols that need to be breached in order to steal invested significant amounts of resources in
the cargo. building a shelter to protect against just this
As the heroes arrive in Center City (either through eventuality. Now, however, a young engineer swears
the Space Elevator or a StO shuttle) and begin their that the shelter is not ready to support a tsunami
investigations, they should find themselves in the of this magnitude, and asks everyone to evacuate.
sights of the Mayhem Crew. They might hear about For political reasons, the leadership of the island
Oberon Industries’ arriving sample and its importance, refuses to abandon one of their platform projects,
and maybe crash the final showdown between leaving the heroes in a quandary: Do they risk the
Mayhem Crew members and Oberon Industries’ protection of the shelter, maybe trying to reinforce
security personnel in the docks where the sample it? Do they risk the wrath of the island leadership by
is unloaded. convincing the population to evacuate? Or do they
Dr. Bialecki is kept in one of the warehouses that save those who want to be saved and leave the
rotate on the outer ring of Center City, protected by others to their fate?
a group of Mayhem Crew members. While the Crew • A Bad Case of Food Poisoning: On Earth, the heroes
is very interested in the samples, they will not risk all are asked to go to Pedernales, at the base of the
their ongoing criminal operations in Center City just for Space Elevator. One of the elevator capsules arrived
one deal. If things get too rough, it is better for them to without trouble all the way from Center City, but
kill the heroes and Dr. Bialecki and move on. one of the five passengers aboard died of poisoning
a few hours after disembarking. Could one of the
• Mayhem Crew Thugs: Use stats for Typical Thug other four passengers have poisoned him? Why,
(seethe Seven Worlds Setting Guide). and how? What happened during the four days the
• Mayhem Crew Senior Thugs: Use stats for Veteran capsule trip lasted?
Thug.
• Oberon Industries Security: Use stats for Typical
Security.
• Dr. Thomas Bialecki: Use stats for Civilian but with
Knowledge (Science) d10.
SEVEN WORLDS
34
player handouts
The following are handouts and dispatches to be given to the players during the adventure.
HANDOUT #1
Internal Security Report MD-ISR-334R5R-1: CONFIDENTIAL

Subject: Dr. Luis LaMarche Disappearance Investigation
MD Security has located and taken care of an underground hacker going by the alias
of "Mad Dog." This hacker has been identified as the subject that illegally removed Dr.
LaMarche's IDTag from his body and faked his DNA fingerprints, thus making it impossible
for us to locate him by the usual methods.
Based on local conduct pattern investigation MD Security concludes that Luis

LaMarche has left Earth for an unknown destination. It is therefore necessary to activate
procedures to continue the search on other Worlds as well as on space stations and other
remote locations.
All agents are reminded that because of the information he carries the suspect represents
a maximum security risk. All MaxDigital Security agents must work to find him whatever
the cost and eliminate him on sight, as well as anyone else he may be or has been in
contact with.
player handouts
35
HANDOUT #2
SEVEN WORLDS
36
2. DIVIDED WE FALL
introduction
“Where is everybody?”
— attributed to Enrico Fermi, on the existence of alien civilizations
W elcome to the second module in the Seven

Worlds campaign! This epic, unforgettable
odyssey places the heroes at the center of
the greatest conflict humanity has ever seen, and puts
its future in their hands.
channels. Antoine also asked the heroes to investigate
the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Luis LaMarche, a
renowned scientist from Earth.
While attending Concordia’s Centenary Celebration
the heroes became involved in a terrorist attack
At its heart, the story told in the Seven Worlds that ended with the successful assassination of
campaign is a tragedy, the story of the annihilation of Governor Selnes, the leader of Bay Jing. Since Bay Jing
humanity by forces far beyond its comprehension, and and Concordia were bitter rivals, this assassination
of a few heroes’ efforts to turn back the tide. Other sparked the beginnings of an interstellar war.
campaign’s measure of success is the answer to the When the heroes arrived at Earth they met the
question “Did we win?” In this campaign, success emissary of the mysterious alien benefactors known
or failure is measured in the answer to a different as the N’ahili. They also met the leaders of the Psion
question: “Did we survive?” Brotherhood, including the famous Ganendra Nathan,
This adventure continues where Rumors of War, the but failed to get any clues to the identity of the mysterious
first Seven Worlds campaign adventure, left off. It is alien ship they saw. Finally, they get to investigate
assumed you’ve already played that adventure before Dr. LaMarche’s disappearance and discovered he had
starting this one, but if you haven’t you will still find been working on unspecified “improvements” to the
lots of interesting and challenging scenarios for you Stellar Communications Network, the main technology
and your players to enjoy! that allowed the Seven Worlds to communicate.
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW

When the heroes return to Concordia from Earth to
report on what they have discovered, Epsilon Leader
This section gives a short overview of the Seven Antoine sends them on an undercover mission to
Worlds Campaign up until this point. investigate a curious deployment of ships made by
the Concordian fleet as part of their war with Bay
Jing. Apparently, Concordia has an ace in its sleeve
WHAT’S HAPPENED BEFORE in its fight against Bay Jing, and it is the heroes’ job
A Mysterious Encounter, the introductory adventure to find out what it is. An unlikely discovery ends with
included in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, told the the heroes carrying information on a top-secret
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a Concordian plan that could ruthlessly allow them to
routine patrol next to the frontier planet of Nouvelle win the war in a single stroke.
Vie, witness the appearance of a strange alien ship The heroes finally arrive at Nouvelle Vie again, this
and see its awesome destructive power. As a result, time to expose the Concordian plot. The bulk of the
the heroes were sent to Concordia, one of the most Concordian and Bay Jingnian fleets are about to meet
powerful planets in the Seven Worlds, and the in battle here. As the heroes prepare to witness the
headquarters of the Circle, to report on what they saw. mutual annihilation of Concordia and Bay Jing, the
In Rumors of War, the heroes travelled to Concordia sudden arrival of a third, unknown, fleet changes
and met Epsilon Leader Antoine, leader of the Circle. everything and forces humanity to choose between
Antoine told the heroes that the Psion Brotherhood leaving their quarrels aside and joining against the
had been secretly interested in these strange ship darkness, or falling together.
sightings, and asked them to go to Brotherhood The heroes barely escape with their lives and fly
Headquarters on Earth and request information on towards Concordia, carrying a desperate cry for help
the sighting from the Brotherhood, using official against an invader more powerful than all of them.
SEVEN WORLDS
38
divided we fall
Antoine also asks the heroes about their
PART I: WAR SECRETS investigation on Dr. LaMarche, and thanks them for
their work there, too. He promises to keep an eye out
in case Dr. LaMarche is seen anywhere in known space.
This adventure begins as the heroes enter orbit Antoine then grows serious, and gives the heroes
around Concordia, returning from Earth. If you want, their new mission, describing it as “a mission on the
the trip back could be a great opportunity for side success of which millions of lives may depend.”
stories or encounters.
THE MISSION
As the heroes should know by now, the war between
INTRODUCTION Concordia and Bay Jing has begun, sparked by the
As the heroes disembark at one of the orbit stations cowardly assassination the heroes witnessed some
around Concordia, they are greeted by Epsilon Leader time ago. There is fighting going on between the
Antoine, who has flown all the way from the surface proxy nations of Dauphin and Jubilee in the planet
to talk to them up here. of Nouvelle Vie, and the fleets of Concordia and Bay
Floating in zero-G through the corridors of the Jing around that planet are ready to go head-to-head
station, Antoine leads the heroes to a small meeting to defend their protectorates. The Circle fleet and
room and makes sure they are alone before speaking. several EarthGov ships are trying to keep the peace,
He congratulates the heroes for their excellent work but it’s just a matter of time before the war escalates.
on Earth, and tells them that a couple of weeks ago Concordia’s great disadvantage in this war is that
the Psion Brotherhood sent him a digital packet of Bay Jing lies in the path to Nouvelle Vie. This means
files related to the strange sightings in the frontier. He it is very difficult for Concordia to move ships or
doesn’t know yet how useful the files are but his team supplies to Nouvelle Vie. Bay Jing is likely to win just
is reviewing them carefully. because of this.
divided we fall
39
But four weeks ago, things changed. The Concordian Captain Dominic explains to the heroes that
Military Forces, led by General Carlo Ruehle (whom whatever they may think, she does not consider
the heroes met in the previous adventure, Rumors herself a traitor to her planet. She is not above killing
of War), have invaded the Bay Jing star system, every single Bay Jingnian soldier they come across.
Omicron 2 Eridani, and captured the jump point Although she does not know what secret her leaders
between Concordia and Bay Jing. The Bay Jingnians are protecting, from several comments she’s heard
fully expected to be invaded and mounted a defense she believes whatever is in HIP 14101 is not only lethal,
of their planet, as well as of the jump point towards but will also be used against innocent civilians, in
Nouvelle Vie. But strangely, the Concordian fleet did Bay Jing, Nouvelle Vie, or somewhere else. She trusts
not move towards the jump point; instead, they have the Circle to be an impartial observer that will not
created a fortified corridor to a different jump point, give an advantage to Bay Jing, but will use whatever
to an uninhabited and supposedly worthless star information it obtains to stop any atrocity and save
system chain that ends at HIP 14101, a dead-end M3 civilian lives on all sides.
star with absolutely no strategic value. In the last few Captain Dominic is willing to pass the heroes
weeks they have sent several dozen ships to that star undercover as “Concordian Officers” in her ship,
system, including several of their largest and most which has been ordered to travel to HIP14101
powerful warships. transporting some supplies. They will need some
Why would Concordia waste time and resources minor training in Concordian dialects and accents, as
on a worthless star? What are they hiding that is well as fake IDTagging and DNA scanning, but should
so valuable? That’s where Antoine needs help. The do fine provided they do not bring much attention
heroes must travel undercover to HIP 14101, find out to themselves.
what the Concordian military is planning there, and Captain Dominic suggests loading the heroes’ ship,
report back as soon as possible. the Voyager, into her “ship’s sides.” This is a tubular
Antoine then tells the heroes they have recently contraption with a passageway that connects several
been approached by someone in a position to help. smaller spaceships to the Weaving, allowing the larger
His investigators have concluded she is trustworthy, ship to transport other ships as well. The Voyager
and the psionic tests have also given a positive would have to have its identification tags changed so
result. Then the meeting room door opens and a tall it can be ID’d as a Concordian ship. Provided no one
woman in her forties, dressed in the uniform of the looks at it too hard it should be relatively easy to hide
Concordian Military forces, enters the room. Epsilon it as a “new model” patrol ship created for the war.
Leader Antoine introduces her as Captain Ysabelle Epsilon Leader Antoine expresses concern that
Dominic, captain of a Concordian military cargo ship the Circle has to resort to undercover missions, and
called the Weaving. on top of that to spying on the planet that hosts the
headquarters of the Circle Foundation, but believes
the recent behavior of Concordian leadership leaves
THE 3-D MAP him with no choice.
After answering any questions the heroes may
The 3-D maps are one of the major attractions of have, Epsilon Leader Antoine asks them to report to
Seven Worlds. If you have a compatible laptop or Circle HQ on Melissant, where they are being expected.
tablet, familiarize yourself with the map and use it There a new fake IDTag is inserted in their bodies, their
frequently to explain to the players where they are real IDTag is temporarily disabled (a difficult and very
and what is going on. You can start by setting the uncommon procedure) and special DNA traces are put
Introduction to this adventure with the 3-D map to in place for routine DNA scans.
give the heroes a sense of where they are and where After being thus prepared, the heroes undergo a
they should go. few days of crash-study in Concordian Military Forces
Visit http://www.sevenworldsrpg.com to habits. They will learn to imitate specific dialects
download the 3-D maps. and idioms as well as memorize a fake identity and
Remember the 3-D map has different versions background. In game terms, encourage each player
to reflect new routes being discovered and the to create their own fake name and identity, then have
changes to the Seven Worlds . Take advantage him or her make a Smarts roll, representing how well
of this and give players, with the appropriate they studied. A bonus or penalty may be applied to
devices, access to the maps so they can explore the roll depending on how good a job the player made
by themselves. when inventing their identity. No Bennies may be used
on this roll. Each success and raise gives the hero a
SEVEN WORLDS
40
temporary +1 bonus to all Stealth and Persuasion recipe” on their first day on the ship. He knows more
rolls related to faking their identity while dealing ship scuttlebutt than anyone else in the Weaving.
with Concordians during their mission. This temporary He’s worried about First Officer Gruethe and is
bonus disappears when the heroes are discovered looking for ways to help him out.
in Scene #2. • First Officer Donald Gruethe: The slim, quiet
Once they’re done, the heroes are provided Gruethe is normally efficient and a good
with uniforms and sent back to orbit so they can complement to Captain Dominic. Although they
accompany Captain Dominic back to her ship. The have never become close friends, they have served
Circle has already taken the Voyager to an orbital together in other ships for many years. That’s why
depot to make ship identification changes so it will Captain Dominic is worried about Gruethe’s recent
pass a casual inspection and resemble a Concordian lack of effectiveness. Gruethe now appears tired,
ship. Once the heroes board the Weaving, the Voyager distracted and moody, and this is affecting results.
is placed with the other ships in the ship’s sides. Unbeknownst to most people, Gruethe has recently
become addicted to Peak, one of the most popular
drugs in the Seven Worlds, and the results are
SCENE 1: INTRASHIP POLITICS showing. Morenne is behind the supply of Peak in
For the next few weeks, the heroes are spies aboard the ship, and thus he is gaining significant influence
the Weaving, pretending to be lower officers in the and power over the First Officer.
Concordian Forces. Their cover story is that Command • Private Charlot Bigelow: The large Private Bigelow
is quickly promoting people who are “not quite ready”, is apparently everywhere at once. The heroes
and thus the heroes have been assigned to the ship always end up bumping into him in passageways,
after serving for quite some time in an unspecified the mess room and even the head. His habit of
mission far from Concordia. Captain Dominic has turning up at the most inappropriate moments may
avoided interacting with them since they arrived. make the heroes suspicious of him. In truth, Charlot
The trip to HIP14101 can be as detailed or uneventful Bigelow is just an unlucky young man who always
as you wish. The heroes may have to deal with ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
suspicious crewmates or awkward questions in the • Specialist Paulette Montminny: Miss Montminny
mess hall or the bunk rooms or even a fight or two is officially a civilian expert on interspatial
(with Morenne being the most likely antagonist). The communications techniques, and has thus been
bonus to Stealth and Persuasion rolls the heroes may assigned by the High Command to support a
have obtained to fake their identity may be useful secret communication technology experiment
during these encounters. at HIP 14101. In reality, Paulette Montminny is a
What follows is a short list of NPCs you may use to Concordian spy investigating Captain Dominic. High
create your own encounters during the trip: Command is suspicious about Dominic’s loyalty
and has assigned Montminny to find out if she is up
• Lieutenant Eustace Morenne: A cruel, bad- to anything treacherous. If Montminny discovers
mouthed middle officer, Morenne takes a disliking to the heroes’ secret, she will show her true identity,
the heroes immediately. He hates Captain Dominic round up a group of soldiers, and kill or capture both
and believes (correctly) they are here because of Dominic and the heroes.
her. He is not above antagonizing the heroes in a
mess room, and would enjoy ambushing them in a When the Weaving reaches Omicron 2 Eridani, Bay
lonely passageway if he thinks the heroes are not Jing’s system, read or paraphrase the following:
who they are. Morenne leads a small band of bullies
(use stats for Typical Soldier) who distribute drugs A few hours ago, the Weaving made the jump to
and other illegal tough stuff within the officer corps Omicron 2 Eridani, Bay Jing’s star. As you know,
of the Weaving, and who would help him with such this jump point has been captured by Concordian
an ambush. forces. When you arrive, you are surprised at the
• Wiley the Cook: Although most food is produced number of Concordian ships protecting the jump
automatically on ships nowadays, a cook can still point. On the starmaps you see Bay Jingnian
make a difference between tasteless and wonderful forces far away, aching to recover their jump
meals. And Wiley is gifted in that respect; the mess point but not daring to leave their home planet
hall in the Weaving serves some of the best food in undefended for long. This humiliating situation
the fleet (for a military ship mess hall, of course). is obviously unsustainable.
Wiley likes newcomers and serves them a “special
introduction
41
Several Concordian warships form a virtual Just then the door opens behind you and a
corridor in space, not to the jump point to the star crazed-looking Lieutenant Morenne enters,
system that leads to Nouvelle Vie, but instead followed by several soldiers and guards, as fully
to the jump point that leads to an obscure star armed as he is. “Circle Spies! You will not leave
called 2MASS 0415–093, which in turn leads after with what you know!,” he orders the guards, who
a couple of jumps to the dead-end star HIP14101. raise their weapons to fire.
This jump point is also protected by several
Concordian ships. Your mission is to discover Once again the heroes are unarmed, but this time
what about this star system is so important that their enemies are not.
Concordia would devote so many resources to it. The heroes begin the battle in front of the screen
on the top-right side of the room, while their enemies
enter through the west and south doors. Remember
SCENE 2: BLOWN COVER to use the rules for microgravity and superconductive
When the Weaving arrives at HIP1101, read or magnetic arrays (see the Seven Worlds Setting Guide).
paraphrase the following: The chairs and table are securely fastened to the
floor, and have special belts and superconductive
Finally, you arrive at HIP14101. At first nothing materials designed to allow characters to withstand
seems out of the ordinary in this uninhabited, space combat without gravity. They have Toughness
out-of-the-way star system. Then your screen 10 and give Medium Cover (−2) to characters crouched
lights up with dozens of points, marking the behind them.
locations in space of many starships. It is a fleet The only objects available in the room are some
of Concordian warships, floating in space a few magnetic glasses and cups, and some digital books.
days away from you! The Weaving receives They are all magnetically fastened to a surface but can
immediate orders to move towards the fleet. easily be taken. They all count as Improvised Weapons
“What could all these warships be doing in this of small size.
out-of-the-way backwater?,” asks [Insert hero’s The following special Assistant actions are available:
Assistant’s name here].
Several days later, as you are looking out the • Room Doors: After entering, the assailants digitally
screen in one of the Weaving’s meeting rooms, lock the doors to the room so no one can escape.
a message appears on your AR lenses and on An Assistant can unlock the doors by spending a
every wall-screen: “Prepare for jump. Prepare Benny and making a successful Hacking roll with
for jump.” a +2 bonus.
• Glass Screen: The diagonal wall on the northeast
The heroes should realize part of the Concordians’ side of the room has a large thick glass screen
secret: There is a jump point here! But where does it used to project special 3-D strategic maps. The
lead? If a hero realizes what is happening, give him glass screen separates the conference chamber
or her a Benny. Otherwise, have an Assistant gently from a control room. This screen can be broken by
explain what this means. a strong hit or a bullet, and has Toughness 8. It can
After the heroes have realized the implications of also be broken if an Assistant overloads its circuits
there being a jump point here, read or paraphrase (Hacking roll, requires the player to spend a Benny).
the following. The text below assumes Morenne If the glass screen is broken in any way, glass spills
discovered who the heroes are and is about to kill out everywhere. Place a Medium Burst Template
them. If Morenne is dead or taken care of, replace him centered on the glass wall where the shot hit (use
with Paulette Montminny, or with a new NPC. common sense to determine this), or at its center (if
an Assistant overloaded it). Any character under the
Just then your screen changes, and a horrifying template suffers 2d6 damage. This damage does
image appears in front of you. It’s Captain not Ace. Assuming the window is broken, the heroes
Dominic, seriously wounded and covered in can escape through the control room.
blood, lying on the floor in what appear to be
her quarters, which have been ransacked and In the third round of combat (or when you think it
destroyed. “Run!,” she whispers, looking at is appropriate) the ship jumps! Everyone in the ship
you with wild eyes. “Morenne has discovered suffers the effects of Jump Disorientation (see Seven
everything! He knows who you are! He is going Worlds Setting Guide).
there to kill you right now! Leave!”
SEVEN WORLDS
42
The combat ends when either all the soldiers are star system, 6.5 light-years from their previous
dead, or when all surviving heroes leave the room. location at HIP14101. This is remarkable because
(If the heroes fall or are captured, Morenne no known jump point between these two stars was
grudgingly takes them to the ship’s brig, where an previously known to exist. The Concordians have
ordeal of interrogations awaits them, as well as an discovered a new jump point! Even more remarkable,
opportunity to escape, which you as a GM should Delta Eridani is just three known jumps away from
give them). Nouvelle Vie. The Concordians have found a back door
through which to send a fleet to Nouvelle Vie and
• Concordian soldiers (2 per hero): Use stats for defeat Bay Jing in one stroke!
Typical Soldier. They are fully armed. Assistants should nudge the heroes towards the
Lieutenant Eustace Morenne: Use stats for Veteran correct course of action: The heroes need to report
Soldier. He is fully armed. this information to the Circle. Since they are not in a
star with a Stellar Communications Network station
they need to get to one as soon as possible, and
SCENE 3: THE SECRET the closest star within the Stellar Comm Network is
Assuming the heroes dealt with all their enemies Nouvelle Vie itself, three jumps away. And since the
before leaving the room, they can take the firearms heroes’ cover is blown, they will have to get there
of any fallen enemies and take a short breath. If the on their own. The heroes’ ship, the Voyager, is in the
heroes escaped the room but left some enemies alive Weaving’s ship’s sides. It is time to use it.
behind, proceed directly to the Chase below.
Hopefully a hero will think of asking where they are THE CHASE
now that the Weaving has jumped. If none of them do, Just when the heroes have figured out the secret (or
have an Assistant ask. when things are getting too slow) the ship’s alarm
It does not take long for anyone querying the blares, and the heroes hear the sound of approaching
ship’s internal V-World network (either a hero or an troops. A Chase begins!
Assistant) to discover they are now in the Delta Eridani
introduction
43
Use the Chase rules from Savage Worlds. The Chase If the heroes bring down most of their enemies
lasts five rounds, and uses Agility as the maneuvering before the chase is over, simply have more
Trait, modified by the rules for microgravity and soldiers arrive.
superconductive magnetic arrays. Divide the enemies After five rounds of chase, the heroes reach the
into as many groups as you feel are appropriate. Weaving’s ship’s sides.
Some typical obstacles in the chase include closed
doors, dead-ends, glass walls, and such. Fortunately • Concordian soldiers (2 per hero): Use stats for
Morenne did not think to remove the heroes’ Typical Soldier.
authorizations from the system before attacking
them, so all doors open for the heroes. THE SHIP HOLD
The following special Assistant actions are available: Read or paraphrase the following:
• Weaving Active Map: An Assistant can hack into You barely reach the Weaving’s ship’s sides. The
the Weaving’s system to get a map that tracks five smaller ships the Weaving transports are not
the location of all enemy soldiers trying to stop inside, but outside it, connected to the main ship
the heroes, as well as the best routes to reach the via a short corridor and several superconductive
Voyager. If a hero spends a Benny, an Assistant clamps. The room you are in is merely the
may attempt this by making a successful Hacking location to which two of the five ships connect.
roll. If successful, the Assistant projects a map One of these ships is the Voyager, carefully
overlay of the situation on every hero’s lenses. camouflaged to resemble a Concordian vessel.
From that round up until the end of the chase the A glance at the control panel for your ship
Assistant can, on his owner’s Action Card, make a shows that the superconductive clamps are
free Investigation roll to read the map and plot the protected, and the hatch to your ship is locked.
best course. This represents how well the Assistant You will need to find out a way to release your
is detecting the heroes and their enemies’ positions ship if you expect to escape.
and strategy. With a success, all heroes add a +1 to More soldiers are approaching! You do not
their Chase Agility roll; with a raise, the bonus to the have much time!
roll increases to +2.
SEVEN WORLDS
44
The heroes begin combat on the southernmost side
of the corridor, next to the hatches. The closed door
to the southeast takes the heroes to the Voyager. The
heroes’ enemies begin at the north end of the corridor.
Remember to use the rules for superconductive
magnetic arrays.
The following special Assistant actions are available:
• Superconductive Magnetic Arrays: If a hero spends

a Benny, an Assistant may try to control one of the
superconductive magnetic arrays to magnetically
pin an enemy against the wall. This uses the
Grappling rules from Savage Worlds, but with the
initial opposed roll being between the Assistant’s
Hacking skill and the victim’s Strength trait. On his
turn the victim may attempt to escape only with
a Strength roll, again opposed by the Assistant’s
Hacking skill. The −2 penalty for microgravity
applies to all Strength rolls. The Assistant cannot
use this maneuver to inflict damage on the victim
(other than the initial Shaken result with a raise).
In order to escape the heroes have to complete the

following tasks:
1. Hack into the ship bay system. This requires a

hero to spend an action and work the bay’s control
panel (located next to the southeast door), making
a successful Hacking roll with a −2 penalty. This roll
can be made by the hero or his or her Assistant, but
only one hero or Assistant may be attempting this
roll per round. Also, the hero needs to be next to
the control panel to make this roll, even if the roll is
made by the Assistant.
2. Open the hatch door to the Voyager. This requires
the hero or Assistant who succeeded at the previous
Hacking roll to spend another action making a
second Hacking roll, this time with no penalty. With
a success, the hatch door to the connecting corridor
to the heroes’ ship opens. Note that the connecting
corridor does not have superconductive arrays so
only the microgravity rules apply.
3. Prepare the Voyager for takeoff. With the hatch
doors open, a hero needs to enter the vertical shaft
to reach the Voyager’s control room and activate the
ship’s fusion reactor (this task cannot be performed
by an Assistant). Assume the hero who decides to
do this takes one full round to reach the Voyager’s
control room, during which time the hero’s token is
removed from the tabletop. On his next turn, the
hero must make a successful Piloting roll with a −2
penalty to have the ship ready to depart. Note that
this activity and the activity on step #4, below, can
be performed simultaneously by different heroes.
introduction
45
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3 Proxima
3.9
Ross 780 Centauri
0.2
4.0 Gliese 908
Settled Star System
Ross 671
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
Lacaille 9352
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
7.8 7.4
Gliese 832 (Sol) 0.2 Secret Route
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
Harris Station 7.7
4.8 Gliese 588
(Gliese 682)
6.0 Procyon
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
Wolf 629 6.8
(Epsion Indi) 4.2
Sirius
Hoffnung
6.6 Ross 614
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
4.6
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Station 4.4
6.1 7.7 6.8 4.2
4.8
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
Concordia HIP 23512
Van Maanen’s Star
5.7
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0

(Not populated yet)
Bay Jing HIP 23452
2.5
(Omicron 2
Eridani) 7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9 4.0
LP 771-095
8.0 HIP 14101
6.5
(Secret) Delta Eridani
the Weaving and are now accelerating at full speed
towards the first jump point to Nouvelle Vie.
But the Concordians are not done with them yet.
(If the heroes don’t manage to escape in time, they
are roughly treated and taken to an interrogation room.
After a few days of harrowing interrogations, the
heroes are executed. You are encourage to give them
opportunities to escape their captors before then).
• Concordian soldiers (3 per hero): Use stats for

Typical Soldier.
SCENE 4: ESCAPE!
Read or paraphrase the following:
As you blast off into space, you are aware of

the huge responsibility you carry. A secret that
can change the fate of the war is in your hands,
and you must report it to Epsilon Commander
Antoine, and fast.
The Weaving did not make the jump alone;
several other ships jumped with it. You are
astounded at the size of the fleet Concordia is
preparing. There are several unmanned laser and
particle beam platforms, as well as unmanned
missile platforms, remotely controlled by two
large battleships. There is even a refueling
station somewhat farther along the star system,
USE THE SPACE MAPS collecting ³He and other materials to refuel the
fleet. Building and preparing this fleet must have
This is another great opportunity to help the players taken a long time.
understand the situation. You can use the updated You do not have time to ponder too much on
2-D map we’ve included here or take advantage of this, though, as your ship is suddenly moved
the 3-D Maps available for Seven Worlds and show about by an energy hit. One of the battleships is
the connection between the planets in 3-D! firing at you!
A space battle begins!

4. Remove the superconductive clamps. The hero Fortunately for the heroes, the Concordian fleet
in the ship bay’s control panel has one more task was not expecting to fight an escaping ship, and
to perform: The superconductive clamps that keep thus most are not ready for battle. The heroes “only”
the Voyager from departing must be released. This have to avoid one Battleship, one Patrol Ship, and the
requires an additional Hacking roll with a –2 penalty, Weaving itself in order to escape.
and can be performed by an Assistant. Note that Place ten markers in a line on the tabletop, and place
this activity and the activity on step #3, above, can the Voyager on the first token, facing away (escaping
be performed simultaneously by different heroes. from the battle). The Weaving begins combat four SUs
5. Board the ship. All heroes must board the ship away (on the fifth token); the Concordian Patrol Ship
before the hatch can be closed and the ship can begins combat six SUs away (on the seventh token);
leave. No roll is required for this, but heroes must and the Battleship begins combat eight SUs away
be able to enter the passageway that connects to (on the ninth token). All enemy ships are facing in the
their ship, considering the microgravity rules. same direction as the Voyager, pursuing it.
Each enemy ship gets its own Action Card. The
Assuming the tasks above are performed enemy ships are unprepared for combat in the first
successfully, the heroes have managed to escape round, and will only fire one laser cannon per ship.
SEVEN WORLDS
48
Starting on the second round they will fire up to
two laser cannons per ship. The ships will switch to SCENE 5: SHOWDOWN
missiles only if they get to close the range. IN NOUVELLE VIE
Make it clear to the players that the goal of this The three-week trip to Nouvelle Vie is uneventful, and
chase is not for the heroes to beat the enemy, but to the heroes have time to make any needed repairs to
escape them by achieving a distance of more than their ship.
ten SUs. If the heroes are still new to space combat, Unfortunately for the heroes, the Concordian fleet
you should let them know via a comment from an has stationed small courier vessels next to the jump
Assistant that the enemy ships’ most effective points on the route from Delta Eridani back to Bay Jing.
tactic at this distance is to try to blow up the heroes Using this makeshift Comm Network they can thus
with their lasers. Thus, it might work to the heroes’ send messages within hours to the ships in the Bay
advantage to raise the Coulborne Shield effectiveness Jing system. From there, it is easy to use the Stellar
by using their Shield Effects. Comm Network to get an emergency dispatch to
When the heroes have left the last enemy ship Nouvelle Vie. Therefore the Concordians in Nouvelle
behind they have effectively moved at an acceleration Vie know what has happened before the heroes arrive.
that makes it impossible for any Concordian ships to This new situation places General Carlo Ruehle,
catch them. The closest jump point is now HIP 18899 leader of the Concordian forces, in a dilemma. Since
on the route to the Gamma Leporis System, where the secret Concordian fleet will still take a few more
Nouvelle Vie is located. weeks to arrive from Delta Eridani, General Ruehle
has to eliminate the heroes before they warn the
• The Weaving (Concordian Supply/Troop Ship): Use Circle if he wants to keep his secret. On the other
stats for Troop Ship. hand, he can’t just move a large chunk of his fleet in
• The Ambreville (Concordian Battleship): Use stats Nouvelle Vie to the supposedly worthless jump point
for Battleship. to HIP23452 without attracting undue suspicion
• The Ruthgartt (Concordian Patrol Ship): Use stats from the Bay Jingnians. He therefore sends a couple
for Patrol Ship. of heavily-armed Patrol Ships on “military exercises”
close to that jump point.
introduction
49
In the case of the heroes, their best course of action The enemy is trying to keep the heroes from
is to jump into the Nouvelle Vie system and send a transmitting what they know to Clarke Station. If
message to Circle Headquarters at Clarke Station and the heroes have not realized this, have an Assistant
to Delta Officer Bryce Saucedo. Once they complete suggest they might want to send a message
their jump into Nouvelle Vie, this transmission explaining what they know before it is too late.
should take about 8 minutes to reach Clarke Station, Assuming the transmission electronics are working
and it should take 8 minutes to get a response (and (no NNEMP effects) making the transmission is a
days to get reinforcements or military help against Dramatic Task using Knowledge (Ship Ops) as the
the Concordians). relevant skill. Although this roll is a free action, the
entire Dramatic Task may only be performed by a
AMBUSH single character, and is not cooperative. If the heroes
This is a very tough combat, so make sure the heroes manage to transmit the message give them an extra
are loaded up on Bennies and Shield Effects, and their Benny for their success.
ship is in as good a shape as possible. Any missiles This may be a good time for an Assistant to remind
spent in the previous combat cannot be recovered. the heroes that the benefit generated by a “Move
As soon as the heroes jump into Nouvelle Vie, Shield Center” Shield Effect applies to the Pilot’s roll
have them make the appropriate rolls to avoid Jump to evade missiles.
Disorientation (see Seven Worlds Setting Guide). Any Remember that a ship that has just jumped must
heroes who are not Shaken find a surprise in store for wait an hour before jumping again. Therefore it is not
them: Their enemy is expecting them! possible for the heroes to jump back to escape.
Read the following to the heroes:
• Concordian Patrol Ships (2): Use stats for Patrol
As you reorient yourselves after the jump your Ship, but each ship carries a missile total of 8
alarm sensors sound as the screens around NNEMP Missiles (Damage 3d6; AP 10; HW; special).
you flicker. Two Concordian Patrol ships are just
a few tens of thousands of kilometers away AFTER THE BATTLE
from you, ready to attack! As the first volley of Once the heroes win the battle, they can proceed
missiles launches, you receive a message from to transmit their explosive message to the Circle if
your enemy: they hadn’t done so. As they begin their trip to Clarke
“Spies, we’ve been eagerly awaiting your Station, an escort of Circle ships arrives to protect
arrival! We cannot allow you to tell what you them from any further Concordian attacks (the escort
know. We will win this war with Bay Jing soon, can pick them up at the jump point if their ship was
but you will not be there to see it!” seriously damaged).
After a few days, the heroes arrive at Nouvelle Vie.
The two enemy Patrol ships begin combat one SU Read or paraphrase the following:
away from the Voyager, with the heroes’ ship and
the enemy ships facing each other. The enemy Patrol Nouvelle Vie looks distinctly different from the
Ships begin the battle On Hold (use Shooting in lieu last time you saw it, several months ago. Several
of Agility to resolve who goes first). Since the heroes fleets surround the planet: The Concordian and
are surprised, have any heroes who are not Shaken by Bay Jingnian fleets look on each other from a
Jump Disorientation make a Notice roll to see if they safe distance, while EarthGov and Circle forces
get an Action Card, as per the standard Surprise rules. form a buffer between them. You’ve read from
Shaken heroes get no Action Card. the latest reports that the planet itself is a mess,
In their first round, both Patrol Ships fire as many with the conflict between Dauphin and Jubilee
NNEMP missiles as possible at the Voyager. Given the costing thousands of lives.
initial distance, the missiles take one round to reach The diplomats have been working overtime
the Voyager. NNEMP missiles are designed to disable in the last few days after the bombshell you’ve
the ship’s electronics before the heroes can transmit dropped. It was all the Circle and EarthGov could
what they know (see the Space Combat section of do to keep the Bay Jingnian fleet from attacking
the Seven Worlds Setting Guide for the game effects the Concordians there and then. The Stellar
of NNEMP missiles). Both ships will continue to fire Comm Network has been extremely busy with
NNEMP missiles until either they run out or the heroes urgent messages between all involved planets,
manage to transmit their message. Then they will trying to figure out what to do.
switch to laser beams.
SEVEN WORLDS
50
As you enter Delta Officer Bryce Saucedo’s
office again, you marvel at how much you have WHAT IF THE HEROES
been through these last months. She looks as LOSE THE BATTLE?
grumpy as ever, but has the added stress of
three days without sleep. Even so, she forces a If the space battle ended with the heroes
smile. “I guess Antoine was right about you after surrendering (for example, because their ship was
all. What a scoop you got! Of course, now that too damaged), the enemy is under orders to kill
the cat’s out of the bag, I don’t see ANY chance them. However, you should allow them a chance
that we can avoid all-out war. We’ll repair and to persuade their captors that they are more
re-arm your ship immediately, and send you to valuable alive than dead. Assuming a series of
support the Circle fleet.” successful Persuasion rolls and a bit of role-playing,
the heroes might be taken in custody by the crew
If the players enjoy being debriefed, Saucedo of the Concordian Patrol Ships. If the heroes have
proceeds to ask them for a detailed recount of their already sent their warning message, the Circle
adventure, which she fills with exclamations of may arrange a prisoner exchange as part of the
surprise. After the chat, she muses on the many diplomatic ruckus that follows. If the heroes have
powerful enemies the heroes have made. not sent their warning message yet, an entire new
adventure could be built around the heroes trying
Suddenly, a beep and flash comes from Officer to escape or attempt sending the message from the
Saucedo’s desk. She looks at it and then back at Concordian ship itself.
you, worry in her eyes. “The ‘secret’ Concordian
fleet has just appeared at the jump point from
HIP23452, where you just arrived from. It will away from each other. Soon they will be close enough
be here in a few days.” She lets out a tired sigh. to exchange laser fire.
“I do not know how this is going to end, but it The Circle and EarthGov cannot stop the fleets from
does not look good. Whatever happens here in slaughtering each other; all they can do is protect
Nouvelle Vie between the fleets, Concordia and civilian ships from the crossfire, and try to stop any
Bay Jing will almost certainly attack each other’s atrocities from occurring (such as someone trying
homeworld now. We must stop what we can, to bomb the planet). The Circle has provided several
and save them from themselves.” Settler Ships to evacuate any Nouvelle Vie citizens
After a short silence, she continues. “I wish who want to leave the chaos of the war on their planet,
to congratulate you for what you’ve achieved. regardless of their nationality. The Psion Brotherhood
Today, you have made the Circle proud. Now go has posted psions on the ships to help calm down the
back to your ship, and await further orders. War passengers. These Settler Ships with their civilian
will begin in a few days, and we must be ready.” passengers must be protected at all costs.
And with that, you are dismissed. Delta Officer Saucedo’s orders are clear: All Circle
ships, including the heroes’ ship, are to spread around
the planet facing both fleets. The heroes are not to
PART II: THE enter combat or get involved unless non-combatants’
BEGINNING lives are in danger or they are themselves deliberately
OF THE END targeted and fired upon.
The story continues a few days later, when the heroes’ SCENE 6: BAD OMENS
IDTags have been reactivated, and the fake ones This scene lists several encounters you might want
removed. If the Voyager was damaged but serviceable, to run for the heroes in the few hours before the
it is now fully repaired and loaded. Otherwise, the battle begins. If possible, each event should apply to
heroes have just been issued a new Circle Patrol Ship a different hero.
with the same statistics as their previous one, and a
new name which the players can choose. HACK
The heroes are in orbit around Nouvelle Vie when One of the heroes gets a virtual message tagged as
they receive a call from Delta Officer Saucedo, who “high importance,” from an unknown sender. The hero’s
explains that the time has arrived: The Concordian and Assistant is (virtually) present via the AR interface
Bay Jingnian fleets are now less than one light-minute when the hero opens the message. Suddenly, the
introduction
51
AR interface flickers, the hero’s Assistant dissolves correspond to those generated during the strange
into a rain of pixels and thousands of “Unauthorized event the heroes witnessed some months ago.
Information Access” events flash around the hero’s With the impending battle between Concordia and
vision. The hero’s files are being hacked! Bay Jing, this report, along with countless others
After a few seconds, the hero’s AR interface goes deemed non-critical, have been filed and ignored with
to black, except for a sentence blinking in sickly no action taken, until the Assistant found it during a
green letters: routine search.
What the heroes decide to do with this information
We Won’t Forget—CMF. is up to them, but most likely there is not much for
them to do other than ponder the significance of
CMF stands for Concordia Military Forces, whom the this event.
heroes just humiliated in the previous Scene.
Have the hero or his Assistant (hero’s choice) make
a Hacking roll with a −4 penalty. With a failure, the SCENE 7: PAYBACK
Assistant permanently loses one skill die chosen at When you are ready to get the action moving again,
random. For example, an Assistant’s d6 Investigation read or paraphrase the following:
skill might go down to a d4. If a skill was already at
d4, it is lost. The Skill Module that used this skill is As you stare in horror at your screen, the first
permanently damaged and cannot be fixed; if the hero laser beam exchanges between the Concordian
wants to recover his Assistant’s skill he must discard and Bay Jingnian fleets begin. Much of the
the current Skill Module and buy a new one of the carnage is between the unmanned laser and
appropriate capacity. missile platforms in the frontlines, which skewer
No matter what they try, the heroes cannot discover each other while controlled by the ships in the
the source of the hacking message. back lines.
To planet-bound humans it is sometimes
GOOD-BYES difficult to understand the complexities of three-
If a hero has a strong background connection to dimensional space battle strategy. Multiple
friends or family in Nouvelle Vie and the player enjoys fleets of ships attack each other from different
role-playing scenes, this may be a good moment to angles, in a complex and constantly-changing
run one in which the connection calls the hero to wish dance of death. There are also cruisers and
him or her good luck, or to share the difficulties of patrol ships, sometimes caught by laser fire, and
life on the surface (breakdown of government, lack sometimes pulling out to stage some surprise
of supplies, etc.). If appropriate, the hero may also maneuver between the unmanned ships.
learn that another close family member has decided As expected, Concordia is gaining the upper
to evacuate via one of the Settler Ships. Having a hand, thanks to its secret, brand-new fleet.
personal stake in the survival of a Settler Ship may You tensely wait while you stare at the
generate interesting roleplaying opportunities for the constant destruction in front of you. Suddenly,
players later in the campaign. a Concordian Patrol Ship changes course to fly
If both you and the player decide to play this event towards your ship! It is still relatively far away,
and it works well enough, the player should get a but its lasers are within range. It does not fire,
Benny for the effort. but seems ready to do so. As it accelerates
towards you, it sends you a message: “You’re
A STRANGE REPORT the ones who revealed our secret to our enemies!
One of the heroes’ Assistants shares the following You will be the first to go!”
curious information with the heroes. Two days ago,
Circle HQ in Clarke Station received a message from Place ten tokens on the board. The Voyager and the
a research ship arriving from the jump point at AP Concordian Patrol ship start eight SUs away, facing
Columbrae (where the events of the introductory each other. The Concordian Patrol ship flies towards
adventure, A Mysterious Encounter, took place). While the heroes without firing, but continues to taunt the
exploring the planets around star HIP 33499, which is heroes, hoping to provoke them. It moves normally
two jumps away from Nouvelle Vie, the research ship the first and second round. If by the end of the second
detected several unusual energy spikes in the region, round the heroes have not taken the bait, the ship
corresponding to objects that were moving very fast. fires both its laser beam and missiles. At that point
The energy spike signatures sent by the research ship the heroes should be free to attack. The Concordian
SEVEN WORLDS
52
vessel does not fight to the death, and surrenders
when there is no alternative.
Hopefully the heroes will see that this ship is trying
to goad them into shooting first, and will not fall in the
trap. No other Concordian or Circle vessels will enter
this particular fight.
If the heroes break the terms of Circle neutrality,
either by shooting first in this battle, or attacking the
Concord vessel after it has surrendered or is disabled,
they have violated the terms of their engagement with
the Concordian fleet. In this case, all hero rolls during
the negotiation in Scene #9 have a −2 penalty, due to
the credibility they have lost.
• Concordian Patrol Ship (1): Use stats for Patrol

Ship.
SCENE 8: WARMEST REGARDS

As soon as the previous scene ends, read this to
the heroes:
It seems your latest battle has left you very close

to Nouvelle Vie’s atmosphere, and just in time,
as an emergency message from Delta Office
Saucedo arrives. “A Bay Jingnian ship has fired
several nukes at the surface of the planet! They
are set to hit Emerald Bay, the Capital of Jubilee, beam. Remember to add each additional weapon’s
in less than two minutes. You’re the closest heat points to the Heat Pool.
Patrol Ship to those missiles. I need you to drop As the Voyager dives into the planet’s atmosphere
into the planet’s atmosphere and bring those it risks receiving damage it is not designed to handle.
missiles down! Be careful, entering the atmo this In the Pilot’s turn, the ship receives 5d6 damage
fast can toast you in an eye blink.” from atmospheric heat. The Pilot can help reduce
In less than two minutes several millions will the atmospheric damage by making a Piloting roll,
most likely die. adding or subtracting all applicable modifiers. A
success on this roll decreases the damage received
Run this special scene using the Dramatic Task by one damage die, and a raise by two. This represents
rules. Each of the five successes needed to complete how skillfully the Pilot handles atmosphere reentry.
the Dramatic Task represents one of five missiles Subtract the number of damage dice before rolling for
en route to Emerald Bay and other nearby towns in damage, then apply damage normally, calculate heat
Jubilee. The heroes have five rounds to shoot down points, and add them to the Heat Pool.
all the missiles. If the acting character’s Action Card is a Club, clouds
Have the hero with the highest Shooting skill or atmospheric heat blinds the target, adding an
(usually the Gunner) roll that skill with a −4 modifier additional −2 modifier to the roll.
plus the standard +2 modifier for Shooting, for a net If the heroes don’t complete the Dramatic Task
–2 penalty. The roll nets one success per each success by the end of the fifth round, several missiles hit
and raise on his roll. Since the Gunner is using the Emerald Bay, causing titanic nuclear explosions on
ship’s laser beam as a Point Defense Laser Battery, the surface. If at least one missile hits, all of General
add the weapon’s appropriate number of heat points Ruehle’s and General Yuang’s Persuasion rolls against
to the Heat Pool for the Engineer to radiate as per the the heroes during the Council in Scene #9 receive a
Heat rules. If there is more than one laser beam on permanent +2 bonus.
the ship (there are two on the Voyager, for example) The heroes may turn their ship around and leave the
other heroes may make cooperative Shooting rolls atmosphere automatically whenever they want, either
if they desire, with one hero helping per additional when they the Dramatic Task ends or before.
introduction
53
Allow the heroes to ponder for a few seconds what
SCENE 9: CRASH this means, then read or paraphrase the following:
Another alert appears on your screens, this one
As your ship leaves the planetary atmosphere even stranger than the last.
and begins to cool down, you see the battle is “Uhm, the Stellar Communications Network
even bloodier than you thought. Seeing the just shut down,” says [a hero’s Assistant]. “No
dozens of floating, destroyed hulks and the warning, no error message, it just went down.
spread of the devastation, you begin to believe We can’t communicate with the other worlds.”
that it is only a matter of time before Nouvelle “Hands up, everybody who thinks this is a
Vie and the Settler Ships are destroyed. coincidence!,” hollers [another hero’s Assistant].
Then something unexpected happens. “What, no takers?”
An alert appears on the screen. Large energy All combat stops between the fleets, as
spikes have been detected, appearing just off the everyone tries to figure out what is going
jump point to the star AP Columbrae. on. A few minutes later Saucedo calls from
“We have guests,” says [a hero’s Assistant]. Clarke Station.
A quick glance shows that everyone else has also Saucedo begins by admitting no one else has any
detected the disruption. There appear to be several idea of what’s going on. A temporary ceasefire has
dozen strange ships, fitting the description of the been called, and all sides will be attending a virtual
object the heroes saw long ago (“a huge, three- meeting in a few minutes. No one’s in the mood to talk,
dimensional star-shaped object built out of some though. As the heroes are the only ones with previous
kind of black diffuse matter, with many slightly experience in dealing with whatever’s approaching,
sparkling dots”), on an interception course towards Saucedo wants them to attend, and asks for their help:
the fleets and Nouvelle Vie. Further review shows The heroes must convince Generals Ruehle and Yuang
that the unknown ships are accelerating towards to put aside their differences and band Concordia and
the fleets at almost 20Gs, an impossible speed by Bay Jing together against whatever’s coming; and
human standards. must also convince them to assign ships to escort the
Settler Ship convoy to the jump point.
SEVEN WORLDS
54
Saucedo’s priority is to safely escort all the Settler Saucedo brings up two undisputable facts:
Ships full of civilians out of the danger zone. These Several unknown objects are approaching Nouvelle
Settler Ships are currently on their way to the jump Vie at never-before-seen speeds; and almost
point to the HIP 23512 system, and from there to simultaneously with their arrival the Stellar
civilization as soon as possible. Saucedo’s orders to Communications Network has mysteriously crashed,
the heroes are specific: After the Council ends, the cutting off Nouvelle Vie from the rest of human space.
heroes must lead the Settler Convoy through the The purpose of the meeting is to decide what to do
jump point towards the center worlds and out of the about this. After speaking, Saucedo cedes the floor to
Nouvelle Vie system. the heroes.
The heroes can ask of Saucedo any questions they
want. When they’re ready, Saucedo hangs up. She’ll CONVINCING THE COUNCIL
hook them up soon. Play this as a Social Conflict, with everyone trying to
convince “the majority” of their point of view. Whatever
THE CEASEFIRE COUNCIL the majority decides will diplomatically “shame” the
A few minutes later, the heroes are virtually connected minority into complying. The Council should last
to a meeting between the leaders of each faction. between three to five rounds, at your discretion. You
Since everyone is one or two light-seconds away at should let the participants exhaust their points before
most, there is a slight delay in communication, but ending the Council. As per the Savage Worlds Social
everyone looks as if they were in the same room. The Conflict rules, add up the total successes of each side,
ghostly shape of each participant’s Assistant also and calculate the margin of victory.
appears behind each person. Although the virtual The heroes’ goals during this discussion are: to unite
room looks like a table in a room with gravity, most the fleets against the incoming common threat; and to
attendees in reality are in Zero-G. get support and ships for the Settler Ship convoy they
Around the virtual conference table, the heroes now lead so it can safely leave Nouvelle Vie.
recognize Delta Officer Saucedo, serious as always, In the first round of the discussion, the heroes can
but with a glimmer of worry and apprehension in make a short speech stating their position and what
her eyes; the burly and tough-looking General Carlo they expect from the attendees. This is an unopposed
Ruehle, leader of the Concordia Military Forces, roll, but has a −2 penalty on top of any other penalties,
whom the heroes met in Concordia the night of the as the table is already uncooperative. This –2 penalty
assassination several months ago; General Yuang only applies on the first round. Of course, you
Fang of the Bay Jing military, a short man with several should apply any bonuses or penalties you think are
wound scars and a ferocious, savage mouth; Jacinta appropriate depending on how well the players role-
Matriciano, the EarthGov representative and mediocre play the speech.
Ceasefire Administrator; and Brendan Leese, the Psion The next rounds of the conflict are all opposed, with
Brotherhood representative for Nouvelle Vie. one attendee making a particular point or points (GM
role-play) and then making a Persuasion roll with all
The Council meeting starts in as inauspicious a applicable modifiers; and then the heroes responding
way as possible. to it and making their opposed Persuasion roll with
“What are you up to this time, Ruehle?,” growls their base modifier and any other special modifiers. As
General Fang, “More Concordian magic tricks? above, you should award bonuses or penalties to the
Not happy with your secret jump point stunt? heroes depending on how good their response is and
Think we’ll fall for your games again?” how well they role-play the situation.
“What’s the matter, Fang?,” replies General Depending on the outcome of the previous scenes,
Ruehle. He then gives you a dismissive glance. there are two modifiers that apply to all Persuasion
“Run out of Circle spies and puppets to find out rolls in the scene:
what your team of incompetents can’t?”
“Why, you bastard—“, begins Fang, and looks • If the heroes broke the Circle’s commitment to
like he’s about to leave the meeting, when neutrality in Scene #7, they have lost the Circle’s
Saucedo intervenes with her typical lack of tact. credibility as a trustworthy peace broker. All the
“Shut up, everyone! I wish I could let you all heroes’ Persuasion rolls during this social conflict
kill each other right now, but we have urgent receive a base −2 penalty.
matters to discuss!” • If the Bay Jingnians were successful in bombing
Emerald Bay city in Dauphin with at least one
nuclear missile in Scene #8, all of General Ruehle’s
introduction
55
and General Yuang’s Persuasion rolls against the GENERAL RUEHLE
heroes receive a base +2 bonus. General Ruehle is Name: Carlo Ruehle
outraged at the Bay Jingnian attack, is unwilling Role: General of the Concordian Military Forces
to collaborate with General Yuang and will make Stats: Wild Card, Persuasion d8
the case that Yuang can’t be trusted. Yuang knows General Ruehle doesn’t know what the strange
that Ruehle will not forgive the bombing and will objects approaching Nouvelle Vie are, nor does he
attack his fleet in a second if given the chance, care. He has obsessed for decades on how to beat
and therefore also presses the case that the fleets Bay Jing, since the last war in 2181. Now, finally, he has
must not join. the upper hand and his fleet is about to squash his
enemy… and this “emergency” comes up. He believes
Each attendee has a particular agenda and this is either a ruse made up by the Circle to create an
Persuasion skill score, which is used when he or she artificial ceasefire, or otherwise something real but
rolls. All attendees are Wild Cards in this scene, and irrelevant to Ruehle’s goal of beating Bay Jing.
thus roll with a Wild Die. If more than one attendee Ruehle opposes any kind of joint fleet as much
supports the same point or argument in the same as possible, preferring to return to battle now and
round, use the highest Persuasion die of all the afterwards figuring out what to do with whatever’s
attendees that are supporting that position. In the approaching. He also has a final ace in the hole if the
case of heroes’ arguments, it is always the hero’s conversation does not go his way: After the fiasco
Persuasion that is rolled. with the secret jump point, his team thoroughly
The heroes may of course use their Assistants investigated the heroes, and among other things they
to bring up any public information on any of discovered the story of Dr. LaMarche and the heroes’
the attendees, if the heroes think it will help break-in to MaxDigital Corporation. Now he brings this
their discussion. up in an attempt to discredit the heroes: The heroes
are talking about strange dangers and conspiracies,
GENERAL YUANG but they are not being completely honest with this
Name: Yuang Fang Council. Isn’t it true that the heroes recently have
Role: General of the Bay Jingnian Security Forces been investigating the disappearance of a scientist
Stats: Wild Card, Persuasion d6 involved with the Stellar Communications Network?
General Yuang is a deeply paranoid individual. To Isn’t it true the scientist is a close relative of the
him all this smacks of another trick by Concordia. previous leader of the Circle? Isn’t it possible then that
These Circle “testimonials” and “facts” about the maybe the Circle is involved in the inopportune crash
danger posed by these unknown objects are most of the Stellar Communications Network and therefore,
likely fabrications. After all, everyone knows the that they know something about the strange objects
Circle is nothing more than a Concordian stooge. approaching? Why should the assembled trust the
Doesn’t the Circle have its Headquarters in Concordia? Circle when they have withheld such a crucial piece
Isn’t Concordia’s capital named in honor of the Circle of information? Ruehle therefore proposes ignoring
founder’s wife (or lover, or whatever)? Concordian whatever “trick” the Circle is setting up and returning
factories built the equipment used by Circle scanners to their war. This final argument of Ruehle’s receives
and ships. Surely all these “facts” are plain wrong, or a +2 bonus on top of whatever other bonuses the roll
manipulated by the Concordians, with or without the already had. The heroes should make a great role-
Circle’s knowledge (Yuang conveniently ignores the playing effort if they want to get a bonus good enough
fact that the Circle uncovered Concordia’s secret jump to beat this argument!
point and the existence of its hidden fleet. If faced If at least one nuclear bomb exploded on Emerald
with it, he dismisses it as a show of incompetence, or City on Scene #8, all of General Ruehle’s Persuasion
as a smoke screen). rolls against the heroes receive a +2 bonus.
If pushed to accept a joint fleet against the strange
objects, General Yuang suggests joining the Earthgov, JACINTA MATRICIANO
Circle and Baijingnian fleets, leaving Concordia out. Name: Jacinta Matriciano
Obviously General Ruehle is against this. Role: EarthGov Ambassador on Nouvelle Vie
If at least one nuclear bomb exploded on Emerald Stats: Wild Card, Persuasion d4
City on Scene #8, all of General Yuang’s Persuasion Ms. Matriciano superstitiously believes this is a
rolls against the heroes receive a +2 bonus. momentous occasion, and an opportunity for her
to return to Earth in glory. Obviously whatever’s
approaching Nouvelle Vie is another advanced alien
SEVEN WORLDS
56
species! Think about it, humanity’s first contact with If the heroes’ margin of victory is less than one, then
an alien species since the N’ahili! Why not receive the Council ends abruptly with each side preparing to
them with open arms and give them a show of peace? resume the conflict. The heroes are on their own.
Obviously any resistance we attempt would fail;
besides, the only other aliens we have met (the N’ahili)
not only have been peaceful, but have also given us SCENE 10: THE BATTLE
the stars. What marvels could these new aliens give OF NOUVELLE VIE
us? We can go together if we want, but we should not After the Council meeting, Saucedo contacts the
receive them ready for a fight! heroes again, congratulating or scolding them,
General Ruehle will grab on to Matriciano’s view to depending on the outcome. Then she explains the
argue that there’s no point in joining the fleets since situation as it stands.
if they are aliens and friendly, there’s no need to The heroes have a convoy of eight Settler Ships to
prepare for war. protect, carrying approximately 30,000 passengers
in total (approximately 3750 per ship). To defend this
BRENDAN LEESE convoy the heroes have (besides their own ship) either
Name: Brendan Leese three additional Circle Patrol Ships (if they did not get
Role: Senior Representative of the Psion Brotherhood support for the convoy in Scene #9), or five additional
on Nouvelle Vie Patrol Ships among Circle, Bay Jingnian, Concordian
Stats: Wild Card, Persuasion d6 and EarthGov (if they did).
Leese’s overriding goal is to keep the Psion
Brotherhood friendly towards everyone, and to prove As you and your small fleet speed towards the
psions are not a threat to non-psions. Thus, he will jump point towards the HIP 23512 system and
not push for any agenda, but rather align himself the human planets beyond, you hope you have
with the majority, avoid confrontations, and express enough resources to fulfill your mission. The
Brotherhood support for non-psions. eight Settler Ships you’re supposed to protect
(almost 30,000 civilians) are far ahead of you,
DELTA OFFICER SAUCEDO but move so slowly that you will catch up with
Name: Bryce Saucedo them in a day or two.
Role: Circle Leader for Nouvelle Vie From far away you can see the jump point and
Stats: Wild Card, Persuasion d6 the Stellar Comm Network station next to it, and
Delta Office Saucedo is one hundred percent behind you realize the crash of the network was not a
whatever the heroes say. Thus, she will only intervene minor glitch: The Comm Network station lies
to support their position. completely dead, its metal innards exposed to
space, its message drones have crashed against
RESULTS OF THE COUNCIL each other and against the station, as if they
If the heroes’ margin of victory is three or more points, had been ordered to self-destruct. How could
the Council commits to joining forces against the this happen?
invaders. They also commit a few ships to support
the heroes’ during the escorting and evacuation of IF THE HEROES LOST IN THE COUNCIL
the remaining Settler Ships. All this support means If the heroes did not get the participants to join their
the heroes will have more resources to defend the fleets, the invaders dispatch them in short time and
convoy against the invaders, and will also have a divert a ship to attack the convoy sooner. Read them
slightly easier time during the battle in Scene #10. the following:
Saucedo closes the meeting with relief on her face and
thanking all participants. A few hours later you’re looking expectantly
If the heroes’ margin of victory is only one or at the fleets for Concordia and Bay Jing, more
two points, the Council agrees to commit a few focused on renewing the fight against each
ships to support the heroes during the escorting other than in withstanding the arrival of the
and evacuation of the remaining Settler Ships, but mysterious alien ships. It is ironic that now, when
the fleets will not join. The heroes will have more union was most necessary, our petty human
resources to defend the convoy against the invaders squabbles risk the future of the race.
in Scene #10, but they will not benefit from a joint It quickly becomes obvious that not uniting
fleet. Saucedo closes the meeting in a sour mood, but against the mysterious ships was a mistake.
still thanking the participants. From a very long range, the enemy fires strange
introduction
57
and powerful energy beams, which in a few IF THE HEROES WON THE COUNCIL
light-seconds cover the distance to the fleets If the heroes convinced the participants to join their
and slice through them like paper. The beams fleet, the humans pose a (slightly) stiffer challenge
fluctuate seemingly randomly between laser, for the invaders, who take more time to divert a
X-ray and Gamma-ray radiation, making it ship to attack the convoy. In this case, read them
difficult for Coulborne Shields to react that the following:
fast. Later scientists will puzzle over how those
ships have the length needed for a cannon long A few hours later you’re looking expectantly at
enough to create Gamma-ray beams; now all the newly joined fleet preparing to withstand
you can think is of how many people are dying, the arrival of the mysterious alien ships. Who
in seconds. would have thought these enemies would join
The humans mount a valiant defense, trying to together in a common cause, even if on a tenuous
cooperate at the very end. You get to hear the ceasefire? You hope it is enough.
last commands from Generals Yuang and Ruehle, It isn’t. From a very far distance, the enemy
who in the end were as brave and dedicated as fires strange and powerful energy beams, which
they appeared to be. But it does not take long in a few light-seconds cover the distance to the
for the battle to look hopeless, as powerful joint fleet and slices through them like paper. The
battleships explode, their Shields unable to beams fluctuate seemingly randomly between
radiate the heat fast enough, and as fleeing laser, X-ray and Gamma-ray radiation, making it
Patrol Ships are brought down like flies. difficult for Coulborne Shields to react that fast.
And then, as quickly as it began, the battle Later scientists will puzzle over how those ships
is over. Two invader ships turn around and have enough length for a cannon long enough to
start flying towards you and the convoy at create Gamma-ray beams; now all you can think
unimaginable speeds. You wish the fleets had is of how many people are dying, in seconds.
managed to gain more time for you and the The humans mount a valiant defense. You get
refugees, but unfortunately that is not to be. The to hear the last commands from Generals Yuang
enemy will arrive to attack you soon. You’d better and Ruehle, who in the end were as brave and
mount your defense. dedicated as they appeared to be. But it does
not take long for the battle to look hopeless,
as powerful battleships explode, their Shields
unable to radiate the heat fast enough, and as
fleeing Patrol Ships are brought down like flies.
And then, when the threat of the human fleet
seems to be controlled by the invaders, two
of the alien ships turn around and start flying
towards you and the convoy at unimaginable
speeds. Fortunately the joint fleet managed to
delay them a bit, but they will still arrive to attack
you, soon. You’d better mount your defense.
THE BATTLE
Remind the heroes that their goal here is not to beat
the Alien ships, but to help as many Settler Ships as
possible to escape through the jump point, and then
to escape themselves.
If the heroes’ ship sustained any Wounds or Heat
Fatigue penalties from the previous battles, these
have all been repaired before this combat. Also, all
Shield Pods are restored.
Place twelve markers on the tabletop. The 12th and
last marker represents the jump point to HIP 23512 and
the human planets. Place all the ships participating in
the battle facing towards the jump point, as follows:
SEVEN WORLDS
58
• On the 1st marker, place two ship tokens. Each of
these tokens represents one alien ship. BATTLE TIPS
• On the 6th marker place one ship token for the
heroes’ ship and one ship token for each patrol ship This is easily the hardest battle in the adventure. It
assigned to them (three assigned ships if they did is very easy for the heroes to get killed if they do
not get support in Scene #9, or five if they did). not play wisely. It should not take long for them
• If the heroes managed to join the fleets in Scene #9, to figure out that firing at the enemy makes them
place one token for each Settler Ship on the 10th a target; therefore, most of their strategy should
marker. If the heroes did not manage to join the involve balancing their attacks and their allies’
fleets, place one token for each Settler Ship on the attacks to keep the Alien ships from attacking the
9th marker. Settler Ships. At the same time, the best way for the
heroes to survive is to direct their allies to attack
Given the number of ships in this battle, both the so they receive the brunt of the Alien attacks. This
Settler and the Patrol Ships are handled using the does not sound very heroic, though, and is thus one
simplified rules below. The battle ends as soon as all of the moral dilemmas the heroes will have to face.
remaining Settler Ships have jumped and the heroes We suggest you liberally distribute Bennies to
have also jumped. The Alien ships do not jump. the heroes depending on their actions; they will
need them!
SETTLER SHIPS
All the Settler Ships receive a single Action Card, and
are controlled by the heroes. Each round the Settler • PatrolShips (3–5): Knowledge (Ship Ops) d8,
Ships move one marker towards the jump point until Shooting d8. Attacks with Light Laser Cannon
they reach it. If the Settler Ships begin their turn on (Range 4/8/16, Damage 3d6, AP 6)
the jump point make a Knowledge (Ship Ops) roll with
a Wild Die. For each success obtained on the roll, one ALIEN SHIPS
Settler Ship jumps. Heroes can make Cooperative Each Alien Ship receives its own token. All Alien
rolls to support the Settler Ships’ roll. This simulates Ships act on a single Action Card. Alien Ships move
the heroes helping the Settler Ships do the jump as normal by making a Piloting roll plus bonuses, but
calculations, and costs each participating hero an they never “push the engines” to move farther.
action during his or her turn. The Alien Ships attack strategy is as follows:
If an Alien Ship fires and hits a Settler Ship (standard
Shooting roll with appropriate range modifiers), do • Each Alien ship picks as its target the enemy ship
not bother rolling damage. Instead, the Settler Ship is closest to the jump point. If more than one ship
automatically destroyed. fulfills this requirement, pick the target randomly.
At the start of the combat the targets will therefore
• Settler Ships (8): Knowledge (Ship Ops) d6. be Settler Ships. Place two gaming stones next to
the Settler Ships marker, one for each Alien ship,
PATROL SHIPS representing the Aliens’ target focus.
Patrol Ships behave as Extras and thus are divided • Once an Alien ship has a target, it keeps firing at it until
between the players and act on their Action Cards. it is destroyed or someone else distracts it (see below).
A Patrol Ship may move one position each round, or If the Alien ship destroys a target, it moves on to the
may turn to face the opposite direction (but can’t next ship that is closest to the jump point, and so on.
do both). If a Patrol Ship begins its turn on the jump • Every time an Alien ship is successfully hit by an
point, it may make a Knowledge (Ship Ops) roll to jump. attack (regardless of whether the attack beats the
Besides moving, Patrol Ships may attack using their ship’s Toughness or not), the attacker becomes its
laser cannon, and in this combat do not need to make new target, even if it is not the closest to the jump
Heat rolls. You therefore do not have to track heat point. Move a focus gaming stone next to the new
points for them. target to represent the change in focus.
If an Alien Ship fires and hits a Patrol Ship, mark
the Patrol Ship as “Shaken.” Shaken Patrol Ships have Smart heroes should soon figure out the Alien Ship’s
an effective penalty of −4 to all rolls. This condition attack strategy and use it to protect the Settler Ships.
cannot be removed. If a Shaken Patrol Ship is hit a
second time, it is destroyed. • Alien Ships (2): Use stats for Devourer Ships (see
page 242).
introduction
59
The Interstellar Jump Drive finally kicks in as
EPILOGUE your ship jumps, and you begin to process what
you just saw. In the next few minutes millions
will die. The bulk of the fleets of the two most
When the heroes perform the jump, read or powerful planets in human space have been
paraphrase the following: annihilated in an instant.
Fortunately (or strangely) the alien ships do
It’s just a few seconds before you jump. As the not jump after you. Why don’t they?
indicators on your virtual screen show the Your thoughts go back to what you have
Interstellar Jump Drive is about to puncture the experienced the last few months: These ships,
jump membrane, you spare one final look at being sighted next to Nouvelle Vie a long time
Nouvelle Vie, almost eight light-minutes away. ago. The records of their appearances marked as
What you see takes your breath away. classified by the Psion Brotherhood. The N’ahili
The lumbering, broken hulks of what used to and their strange interest in these visits. Dr.
be the Concordian and Bay Jingnian fleets float LaMarche’s disappearance and his work on the
in space, many of them still glowing from the Stellar Comm Network. And the synchronization
heat. You begin to receive a transmission from between the crash of the Comm Network and the
Delta Officer Saucedo but before she can even alien attack. What is going on?
utter one word a blasting beam of energy cuts You need to go back to the central planets,
Clarke Station in two, destroying it instantly. warn the Circle, warn everybody, tell them to
As the strange alien ships surround the planet, get ready. The human species is in dire peril, and
they approach the atmosphere and begin about to face its greatest test.
targeting their powerful weapons at the surface.
Like thin, bright spider threads, the beams scorch The adventure continues in Into the Fire, the next
the surface, first the Emerald Bay city and Jubilee, module in the epic Seven Worlds campaign!
then spread to other towns on the main island of
Landing. Several alien ships cluster close to the
planet on top of where Hephaestus is, and also
focus their deadly energy beams on it.
SEVEN WORLDS
60
side stories

• Seraphim Base (Space Station): Use the stats for
Renner Station.
Dr. Joseph Harrison: Use the stats for Civilian, but
give him a Knowledge (Science) skill of d10 and a
Hacking skill of d10. He is wearing a Combat Vest
Setting Guide. There are great ideas for further side (+2/+4, negates 4 AP against bullets), and is armed
stories there! with an Assault Rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8
AP 2, RoF 3, Auto) and four stun grenades (Range
5/10/20, Damage 3d6 non-lethal, Medium Burst).
A “FLARE” FOR KILLING • Dr. Laura Jimenez and other scientists (7): Use the
stats for Civilian, with a Knowledge (Science) skill
of d10 and a Hacking skill of d8. There are 3 free
Where: Mussala Station. scientists, counting Dr. Jimenez, and 4 hostages.
The heroes are asked by Mussala Station officials
to make an emergency run to Seraphim Base, a small
scientific research station orbiting very close to the
SCHOOL PRANK,
Pi 3 Orionis sun. The lead scientist of the station, Dr.
THEILING STYLE
Laura Jimenez, sent a distress call a few hours ago but
all communications with the base broke off before she Where: Nouvelle Vie.
could detail the emergency. Delta Officer Bryce Saucedo gives the heroes a
As the heroes approach the base, they are attacked secret mission that comes from Avis Therriault himself.
by its laser beams! The attack stops once the heroes The Governor of Jubilee explains that a mole from the
are within 1 SU of the station and are able to dock. Dauphin Freedom Foundation has been discovered
Once inside, a haggard Dr. Jimenez explains that in his security team. From the mole Therriault has
Dr. Joseph Harrison, the scientist who is second-in- found that this vicious terrorist organization, headed
command of the base, has taken full control of the by the legendary Theiling, is preparing a major attack
station’s systems, and most likely arranged the attack. on Jubilee in the next few days. Rumor is that Theiling
After an acrimonious dispute that ended with Dr. himself (or herself) will lead the operation. Given that
Jimenez firing him, the always emotionally unstable there are moles in his organization Therriault can’t
Dr. Harrison has taken other scientists hostage and trust his team to act on his interests, thus his request
has locked himself up in the Engine Room. for outside help from the Circle.
Unfortunately for everyone, a major solar flare will The information provided suggests that the terrorist
erupt in a few hours, meaning everyone on board plan somehow revolves around Sutton College, one of
must evacuate or die! the top schools in Jubilee. Fortunately, Sutton College
A deranged Dr. Harrison has booby-trapped the is hosting a Modern Art Convention for the next few
entrance to the Engine Room with several Plastic days, giving the heroes the excuse they need to go. The
Explosives (see the Gear section of the Setting heroes may use their own identities or fake them (by
Guide). As the clock ticks down to the arrival of the asking the Circle to modify their IDTags configuration).
solar flare, the heroes must storm the Engine Room, When the heroes arrive at Sutton College they meet
stop the heavily-armed Dr. Harrison before he kills the Dean of the school and the Professor of Physics,
any hostages, and arrange an escape for everyone Julio Schwartz, both dark and suspicious characters.
in the base… or they can choose to save Jimenez and As they roam the school, they are approached by
the other scientists and abandon Harrison and the Damien D’Avril, an eccentric and flamboyant art
hostages to their fate. student, who becomes their source of information on
Use the solar flare as loose time pressure on the the school. D’Avril tells the heroes that the students
heroes. If for any reason they have not escaped by will organize one of their underground parties two
the time you decide the solar flare arrives, apply two days from now, under cover of the Convention. He
levels of Radiation as per the Savage Worlds rules. casually mentions that several of the physics students
host a side “VIP Party” and that, curiously, Professor
Schwartz is invited. He offers to sneak the heroes in.
side stories
61
The night before the party the heroes are ambushed
by a group of thugs who tell them that nosy outsiders
THE PSION
are not welcome in the school. When reduced, the
RIOTS, REDUX
thugs say they were hired and paid upfront but
can’t identify who did it. However, one of the heroes’ Where: Bay Jing.
Assistants reports that there are minute traces of Apparently a rogue psion has been attacking and
radioactivity emanating from the thugs. mentally affecting citizens in Bay Jing. Several people
have been found with their memory erased or simply
• Thugs (2 per hero): Use stats for Typical Thug. become mad; some of them have even become violent
towards their families. It has been determined that
When the heroes arrive at the party, D’Avril, after they have been tampered with psionically.
introducing them to all sorts of bizarre characters, In Bay Jing, with its mistrust for psions and the
takes them to a back room where he shows a secret memories of the crazy psion who brought the Psion
door through which some students cautiously enter. Riots decades ago (see Seven Worlds Setting Guide),
After following a long, recently carved tunnel the this is dangerous. The heroes are asked by their
heroes find themselves in a nearby abandoned superiors to stay alert and protect any psions who
building that the school is planning to expand to soon. might be attacked by the populace.
Inside, the heroes find an old-school fission reactor, While walking the street the heroes are psionically
being slowly prepared to overload and radioactively attacked by a hooded man who then attempts to
contaminate a significant part of Jubilee. Next to the escape through the crowd. As the heroes pursue him
reactor is Professor Schwartz and a small cadre of their way is barred by several well-dressed private
students, who react to the heroes’ arrival by attacking security personnel who defend the hooded man and
them. Schwartz, in the meantime, tries to activate the allow him to escape.
fission reactor while calling Theiling through V-World
and requesting he or she turn around since Jubilee will Hooded Man: Use stats for Rogue Psion.
explode at any time. Schwartz will succeed at enabling • Security Agents (2 per hero): Use stats for Typical
the reactor when he accumulates four successes by Security.
making a Knowledge (Science) roll with a −2 penalty.
Each roll counts as a full action. Each raise also counts Any surviving security agents confess, after a
as a success. significant amount of pressure and intimidation, that
Once the heroes stop Schwartz and his students they work for an important industrial conglomerate
they are rewarded and recognized by Avis Therriault. from Bay Jing. The leaders of the conglomerate are
Unfortunately, Theiling escaped before being trying to eliminate the leader of a rival conglomerate,
recognized (and neither Schwartz nor his students and believe that by psionically destroying his mind
know who he really is) but he will remember the and hiding his attack among several others in an
heroes for this. apparent serial crime, no one will notice he was the
intended victim all along. They have hired a dangerous
Professor Schwartz: Use Stats for Veteran Terrorist rogue psion (the hooded man) for this.
but without the Combat Vest or Helmet. Add a Before the heroes can take action on what they
Knowledge (Science) skill of d10. know, they are attacked by the hooded man and a
• Damien D’Avril and other Students: Use stats for group of his best troops. They stop at nothing to kill
Civilian but add the appropriate Knowledge skill the heroes before they can tell what they know.
depending on the student. Damien has a Knowledge Once the heroes tell what they know they are
(Arts) skill of d8 and the Physics students a thanked for unmasking the conspiracy and stopping a
Knowledge (Science) of d8. return of the specter of the dreaded Psion Riots.
• Schwartz’s Students (2 per hero): Use Stats for
Typical Terrorist but without the Combat Vest or Hooded Man: Use stats for Rogue Psion.
Helmet. • Security Agents (2 per hero): Use stats for Veteran
Security.
SEVEN WORLDS
62
Shae Gupta: Use stats for Veteran Thug.
ON ONE CONDITION • Gupta’s Goons: Use stats for Typical Thug.
Alfhild Rundstrom: Use stats for Civilian, but give
him a Hacking skill of d8.
Where: Concordia. • Samuel Dunlop (Wild Card): Use stats for Civilian,
This adventure works best if some of the heroes’ but give him the Young Hindrance.
exploits have become well known.
The entire planet of Concordia is shaken by the news
that Samuel Dunlop, six-year-old son of the wealthy BAD CROPS
Dunlop family, has been kidnapped. His bodyguards
were violently shot in a scuffle, and the boy’s IDTag
is not responding and has presumably been removed. Where: Apollo.
While the authorities are searching for the boy, The heroes are approached by Jude Bungart,
the heroes receive an anonymous communication president of Tetsuo’s Independent Farmers
offering to tell them who the kidnappers are and Association. A strange blight is affecting the crops of
where they are located on one condition: The heroes many of the farmers in the Association, and Bungart
must kill the kidnappers without allowing them to believes this is not a coincidence. He suspects
answer any questions. The message explains that Wattsworth Produce, an interplanetary food produce
the kidnappers are planning to kill the boy anyway, corporation, may be behind this. He wants the heroes
so the heroes will not get the information unless they to investigate Wattsworth, see if they can find proof
are willing to shoot first and ask questions later. The that they are doing it, and maybe find the cure before
message is untraceable but has a V-World address to all year’s production is lost.
use if the heroes accept the bargain. Bungart is right: As part of its dirty war against the
The anonymous tipster is actually Alfhild Rundstrom, Independent Farmers, Wattsworth has developed
CEO of Rundstrom Limited, a major Concordia financial a new strain of genetic bacteria, called G-244, that
consortium. Looking to organize an illegal break-in is killing their crops. They also have an antidote
of one of his competitors, Rundstrom contacted a which they have used to protect their own crops
little-known criminal named Shae Gupta. In order against G-244.
to hire him for this juicy job, Rundstrom demanded The heroes have several ways to discover the
Gupta “prove himself” with a risky job. The reckless plot: They can visit one of the Wattsworth farms
and dimwitted Gupta couldn’t think of a better way to and see that they are being sprayed with an unusual
prove that he was the man for the job than to kidnap product (the antidote); they can attempt to break in to
the child of one of the richest families in Concordia. Wattsworth’s offices in Tetsuo and hack their system;
Now a horrified Rundstrom is desperate to silence or maybe face Julius Jaworski, local manager of
Gupta before the authorities capture him and discover Wattsworth, and force him to tell the truth. They are
the CEO’s involvement in this mess. sure to face large teams of security officers, and even
Assuming the heroes respond to the anonymous a hired rogue psion or two, whatever path they choose.
message, they get the location of the child and his
kidnappers, as well as a general description of the • Typical Security: See page 234.
lead kidnapper. They also receive another reminder of • Veteran Security
the conditions of their deal: to silence the kidnappers • Rogue Psion
without letting them talk. In this exchange of • Julius Jaworski: Use stats for Civilian.
messages a trace is possible, and leads to the offices
of Runstrom Limited in Cajamarca.
Samuel Dunlop is kept inside an old warehouse on
the outskirts of Cajamarca, protected by Gupta and
several of his goons. The dimwitted criminal did not
think far enough to decide how to turn his kidnapping
into money, and is now seriously considering killing
the boy. He will try to do this if attacked, and will blab
everything about Rundstrom’s request to the heroes
if persuaded or intimidated to do it.
The Dunlop family is, of course, extremely grateful
for the safe return of their child.
side stories
63
WILD WILD throwing all heroes to their feet! Crazy Jack takes this
opportunity to escape with his gang towards Grimrock
V-WEST, PART I Mine while the heroes face the Sand Dragon.
Most likely Crazy Jack will escape. Now the heroes’
Where: V-World only clue to stopping him is a warning: Something bad
This is the first in a three-part V-World adventure will happen in Grimrock Mine.
set in a game simulation of a bizarre Fantasy Wild
West in the 1880’s, one with strange monsters and “Crazy Jack” Harris: Use stats for Old West Veteran
psionic powers. It can be played during the long trek Gunman.
between planets, for example. Cherokee Bill: Use stats for Soldier Psion, but he has
The heroes start their adventure as lawmen. All the no armor and his only gear is Two Colt Peacemakers
heroes’ normal stats and psionic powers are available, (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6+1; RoF 1; AP 1; 6
but they have no armor and are armed with only two shots, one full action to reload),
six-shot revolvers per person (Range 12/24/48; • Crazy Jack’s Gang (2 per hero): Use stats for Old
Damage 2d6+1; RoF 1; AP 1; 6 shots, one full action West Typical Gunman.
to reload). • Crazy Jack’s Snipers (1 per hero): Use stats for Old
The heroes have spent the last week escorting the West Veteran Gunman. They are on the roofs and
infamous outlaw, “Crazy Jack” Harris, to the small will try to take out the heroes with their rifles.
town of Prairie Gulch, where the 2:51 train to Carlson Sand Dragon: Use stats for Black Dragon but
Town prison will pick him up. They have been attacked instead of Acidic Breadth it forms a cone of Sand
several times on the road by Crazy Jack’s gang, led by (same effect). Also, it has a Weakness: a hit to a hole
his lieutenant, Cherokee Bill, a deformed man with in the center of its neck (Tiny Target Called Shot)
psionic powers. ignores armor and provides +4 to Damage.
The heroes start the adventure in media res inside
the Prairie Gulch Saloon, which is surrounded by
Cherokee Bill and Crazy Jack’s gang, plus a few extra
killers hired for the occasion. A bound Crazy Jack
accompanies the heroes, smiling triumphantly as
Cherokee Bill shouts from the outside that if they
let Crazy Jack go they will be allowed to walk away
alive. The 2:51 train should arrive at the station a few
minutes from now!
Assuming the heroes manage to avoid the standoff
with their prisoner, they still have minutes to cross a
town full of enemy gunmen and reach the train station
before the 2:51 leaves (the smoke plume of the train
engine can be seen approaching from anywhere in
town, pointing the way for the heroes). Some of the
gunmen are hiding behind houses and barrels, many
of them On Hold, while others are aiming their rifles
from the roofs.
One hero needs to devote an action to pushing
Crazy Jack at all times or he won’t move. He constantly
badgers the heroes about how they stopped him from
cleaning out Grimrock Mine, and that in payment he’ll
make sure they meet “his pet.”
If at any time Crazy Jack finds an opportunity to
escape (for example, all heroes around him are
Shaken), he will start running at half Pace. If Crazy Jack
reaches a member of his gang, he is freed and armed
after one round.
If the heroes reach the train and try to put Crazy Jack
in, he smiles and says that it’s time they met his pet.
Suddenly a huge Sand Dragon erupts from the ground,
SEVEN WORLDS
64
3. INTO THE FIRE
introduction
“Let the height of the Empire State Building represent the Earth’s 4.5 billion years of
existence. We can then represent humankind’s measly million years or so by a one-foot
ruler stuck at the top of the building. The thickness of a dime placed atop the ruler
stands for the length of time since humans developed agriculture and civilization:
roughly ten thousand years. A postage stamp glued onto the dime represents the
length of time since we have developed modern science, about three hundred years.
If other intelligent species are out there among the stars, what are
the chances of our meeting one at our own level of development—
that is, within the thickness of that postage stamp?”
—Ben Bova, Space Travel
W elcome to the third module in the Seven

In Rumors of War, the heroes travelled to Concordia
and met Epsilon Leader Antoine, leader of the Circle.
Antoine told the heroes that the Psion Brotherhood
had been secretly interested in these strange ship
sightings, and asked them to go to Brotherhood
At its heart, the story told in the Seven Worlds Headquarters on Earth and request information on
campaign is a tragedy, the story of the annihilation of the sighting from the Brotherhood, using official
humanity by forces far beyond its comprehension, and channels. Antoine also asked the heroes to investigate
of a few heroes’ efforts to turn back the tide. Other the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Luis LaMarche, a
campaign’s measure of success is the answer to the renowned scientist from Earth.
question “Did we win?” In this campaign, success While attending Concordia’s Centenary Celebration
or failure is measured in the answer to a different the heroes became involved in a terrorist attack
question: “Did we survive?” that ended with the successful assassination of
This adventure continues where Divided We Fall, the Governor Selnes, the leader of Bay Jing. Since Bay Jing
second Seven Worlds campaign adventure, left off. and Concordia were bitter rivals, this assassination
It is assumed you’ve already played that adventure sparked the beginnings of an interstellar war.
before starting this one, but if you haven’t you will still When the heroes arrived at Earth they met the
find lots of interesting and challenging scenarios for emissary of the mysterious alien benefactors known
you and your players to enjoy! as the N’ahili. They also met the leaders of the
Psion Brotherhood, including the famous Ganendra
Nathan, but failed to get any clues to the identity
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS of the mysterious alien ship they saw. Finally, they
get to investigate Dr. LaMarche’s disappearance
and discovered he had been working on unspecified
This section gives a short overview of the Seven “improvements” to the Stellar Communications
Worlds Campaign up until this point. Network, the main technology that allowed the Seven
Worlds to communicate.
In Divided We Fall, the heroes returned to Circle
WHAT’S HAPPENED BEFORE Headquarters in Concordia and were sent undercover
A Mysterious Encounter, the introductory adventure to investigate a curious deployment of ships made
included in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, told the by the Concordian fleet as part of their war with Bay
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a Jing. An unlikely discovery ended with the heroes
routine patrol next to the frontier planet of Nouvelle carrying information on a top-secret Concordian plan
Vie, witness the appearance of a strange alien ship that could ruthlessly allow them to win the war in a
and see its awesome destructive power. As a result, single stroke.
the heroes were sent to Concordia, one of the most By the end of that adventure, the heroes were in
powerful planets in the Seven Worlds, and the Nouvelle Vie again, where the bulk of the Concordian
headquarters of the Circle, to report on what they saw. and Bay Jingnian fleets were about to meet in
battle. At this point, a fleet of mysterious alien ships
SEVEN WORLDS
66
materialized and completely destroyed both fleets. campaign to your group’s rhythm. If the players would
Simultaneously, the entire Stellar Communications much rather play a multi-session mini-campaign in
Network mysteriously crashed, thus isolating the the crime-ridden streets of Whitehall in Apollo than
Seven Worlds. The heroes barely escaped with continue their mission, have the aliens wait a few
their lives and flew towards Concordia, carrying more weeks before moving on. This allows you to fit
a desperate cry for help against an invader more to the schedule your heroes prefer.
powerful than all of them.
NEW CHARACTERS
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW If you need to add more heroes to the campaign, either
Several months have passed since the fall of the to change players or to replace lost characters, note
Concordian and Bay Jingnian fleets at Nouvelle Vie, that from this adventure onwards the group could
and humanity is fighting a losing war against the alien decide to informally add a member who does not
invaders now known as the Devourers. An anxious belong to the Circle. Since the Circle is practically gone
Epsilon Leader Antoine knows conventional means anyway, it is not too far-fetched for the group to add
will not stop these aliens, and asks the heroes to go a non-Circle-member to their ranks for the sake of
on a long-shot mission to find an alternative way to the mission.
stop them. He latches onto the fact that the Stellar
Communications Network failed (or was sabotaged)
and that the missing Dr. LaMarche was working on GEAR AND MONEY
something with this network. Since the timing for the Acquiring equipment is harder from now on. Double
Network crash was so convenient, maybe whoever the price of every item the heroes can acquire from
crashed it knows something about the aliens that the gear section. Particularly unique items, at your
might help humans stop them. discretion, could require a successful Streetwise roll
After receiving an anonymous tip suggesting they to be found for sale.
go to Apollo, the heroes become embroiled in a Heroes should hoard the money they have, as the
political war between various corporations. To solve Circle devotes all of its resources to building new
the situation, the heroes have to storm a faraway ships and strengthening their forces, and salaries are
research facility that has been taken over by terrorists. temporarily suspended (see Seven Worlds Setting
One of these terrorists has a clue the heroes need, a Guide). Any benefits a hero may have from the Rich or
strange story and the name of an unknown place: Very Rich edges are halved.
Chrysalis. Apparently this place has something to do
with Logan’s End, the farthest and least civilized of
the Seven Worlds. THE PERSONAL
IMPACT OF THE WAR
RUNNING THE As the horror of the conquest escalates and humanity
is confronted with the loss of world after world,
ADVENTURE you should make the risk and danger more intimate
and emotional to the heroes. In the case of the pre-
As this adventure begins things look grim and generated characters, for example, Maricelle may
hopeless, as humanity is slowly crushed by the alien have to face the death of her sister, or the reproaches
attackers known as the Devourers, plunging humanity from friends in the refugee fleet; Seela may have
into chaos. This entails several modifications to the to say a tearful goodbye to her parents before
flow and tone of the campaign. Concordia falls, or find Aaron as a survivor among
the refugees from that planet; or Derrick may see his
secrets confronted and his parents shamed as Apollo
TIME PRESSURE is attacked.
While the plot maintains a time pressure, you Assuming you and the players enjoy it, there are
will note that the Devourer advance is erratic and many opportunities for roleplaying the personal
unpredictable. Weeks or months will go by without the impact of the war during this adventure.
Devourers advancing, then all of a sudden their fleet
will jump several star systems as fast as possible.
This was done to underline how unfathomable these
aliens are, but also because it allows you to pace the
introduction
67
• Allof human space is now marked as a
THE STELLAR COMM NETWORK Secondary Route. Since only star systems with
The Stellar Communications Network is permanently a working Stellar Communications Network are
down. This has several implications for the heroes. considered Primary Routes, and since the Stellar
In the first place, no communications are available Communications Network has crashed, there are
between planets. A makeshift ship relay has been no Primary Routes anymore.
set up by the military by placing patrol ships on both
sides of every jump point, but message capacity is If you are using the 3-D maps, this might be a good
limited, slow, and only used for military purposes. opportunity to show the heroes the updated map this
In game terms, only extremely urgent, military-level adventure, explaining that since the Stellar Comm
messages will be transmitted, and they will take four Network has permanently crashed, most routes
times as long to reach their destination. The heroes between planets are now in a different color.
thus have no opportunity to use the Comm Network
to communicate.
On top of that, humanity’s entire communications ENCOUNTERS IN SPACE
infrastructure is down. No requests for information If you are using the optional Random Space Encounters
to remote databases are available, and information tables detailed in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide,
and backups are not syncing between the planets. make the following changes to the rules:
Programs or systems that depended on information
from other planets are now useless. You should • Since the Stellar Communications Network is
keep this in mind whenever the heroes are dealing permanently down, the −1 modifier for travelling
with V-World. between systems not connected by it always
Using the local storage capacity of ships travelling applies, regardless of where the heroes are
between planets to synchronize information between travelling to or from.
V-Worlds (see Interstellar Communications Network • If the final modified die roll is a –1, instead of a
of the Setting Guide) has become the only way to Research Ship, the heroes find a Devourer ship. Note
transfer information between planets. Therefore it that a Devourer ship can easily overwhelm most
has become mandatory to accept these information hero ships, so make sure the heroes have a way out.
downloads. The heroes should expect to become Maybe the Devourer ship does not attack or follow
carriers of information between all the planets for unknown reasons. Maybe it attacks once and
they visit. then flees. Whatever it is, don’t let the heroes enter
If you are using the space random encounters a battle you believe there is no way they can win.
table (see below) remember to apply the Stellar
Communications Network penalty to all trips in space, Additionally, you might want to arrange for an
regardless of their source or destination. encounter with a pirate or criminal ship on an
uninhabited star system on the route. The enemy
warns the heroes to surrender their ship and
UPDATED MAPS valuables or prepare to be attacked. Since the Stellar
The following maps show how the Seven Worlds stand Comm Network has gone down and more patrol ships
at the start of this adventure. Note the following have been assigned to the fleets to defend Concordia
significant differences: and Bay Jing, it has become possible to attack ships in
space with minimal repercussions. It is more proof of
• The secret jump point between HIP 14101 and Delta how human society is starting to break down.
Eridani (discovered by the heroes in the previous
adventure) is marked with a red line.
• The path between Gamma Leporis (Nouvelle Vie)
and LHS 1723 is now marked as a Dead-end line.
This is because all human civilization there has
been wiped out by the Devourer invasion.
SEVEN WORLDS
68
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3
3.9
Proxima
Ross 780 Centauri
4.0 Gliese 908
0.2
Settled Star System
Ross 671
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
Lacaille 9352 AX Microscopii Barnard’s Star 4.2
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
7.8 Earth 0.2 Dead-end Route
7.4
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
4.8
Harris Station 7.7
Gliese 588
(Gliese 682)
6.0 Procyon
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
Wolf 629 6.8
(Epsion Indi) 4.2
Zarmina (”Gee”) Sirius
Hoffnung 5.5
Gliese 784 Station (Gliese 581; Ross 614
6.6
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
4.6
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Station 4.4
6.1 4.2
(Delta Pavonis) 7.7
Logan’s End 6.8
AB Columbae
4.8
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
Concordia HIP 23512
Van Maanen’s Star
5.7
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0
(Not populated yet)
Bay Jing HIP 23452
2.5
(Omicron 2
Eridani) 7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9
LP 771-095 4.0
8.0 HIP 14101
6.5
into the fire
T he adventure begins several months after the

last scene from Divided We Fall, and assumes
the heroes successfully guided their convoy
of refugees from Nouvelle Vie to Concordia. See the
“Refugee Fleet” side story (page 234) if you want to
move to the next planet. If they wanted to, they could
have reached Bay Jing weeks ago.
The entire Stellar Communications Network is
down since it first failed during the battle of Nouvelle
Vie, and scientists say it will take years to repair it.
run side stories between Nouvelle Vie and Concordia. Whatever happened to it has crippled humanity and
made it very difficult to stage a coordinated response
SCENE 1: A to the invaders. Investigations have determined that
the computers inside each Stellar Comm Network
DESPERATE SITUATION station have self-burned down. No one knows how
this happened, or why.
Read or paraphrase the following: The Devourers have ignored all attempts at
communication, and seem focused only on destruction.
Almost five months have passed since the The remainder of the Concordian, Bay Jingnian, Circle
terrifying events in Nouvelle Vie, and you have and EarthGov fleets, now joined by necessity, are in
finally arrived in Concordia after a harrowing the Bay Jing system preparing for the hopeless task
ordeal. The unending stream of refugees with of defending the planet should the aliens strike there.
traumatic stories to tell, the constant fear of The Circle has put in operation every single Settler
being chased and attacked by the mysterious Ship in its fleet, evacuating refugees from Bay Jing
aliens, and the deafening silence of the defunct and Concordia, and moving them farther into the inner
Stellar Communications Network, a silence that systems. The Psion Brotherhood is also supporting
has turned one of the most travelled routes in the evacuation as much as possible. The result of this
human space into a lonely and dangerous trip; massive exodus is social and economic chaos, with
all these and more have made this a bizarre, devastating effects.
anxious voyage. You are glad it is over. Antoine is brutally direct with the heroes: He sees
Many of the refugees you brought stayed at no hope of winning this war. No one has any idea of
Bay Jing, their families’ home planet. Most of how to stop the Devourers yet before they completely
the others have disembarked here in Concordia annihilate us.
with you. Unfortunately, there is no rest for you. After outlining the helplessness of the situation,
You barely have time to clean up and enjoy the Antoine says that the heroes in the last few months
sensation of being on a real planet when you are have witnessed several things that, taken together,
summoned to Epsilon Leader Antoine’s offices. deserve investigation:
A haggard Antoine receives the heroes, thanks • What the heroes saw in Nouvelle Vie months ago
them for their efforts in protecting the refugees, and was obviously a Devourer ship. This therefore
outlines the situation. means that the Psion Brotherhood actively kept
The aliens are known as the Devourers. This all information on the Devourers classified. Why?
picturesque name was given by none other than Does the Brotherhood know something else about
the N’ahili, who matter-of-factly admitted of the Devourers?
knowing them from long ago. Adam also predicted • The assassination of Governor Sung Selnes in
humanity would most likely lose this fight and in Concordia conveniently weakened humanity at a
the shocked silence that followed, advised them crucial time. This murder is still not completely
to prepare for that. The N’ahili have refused to solved. Could there be a connection?
provide any help. • The Stellar Communications Network mysteriously
Nouvelle Vie has fallen to the Devourers, who crashed moments before the invasion, in every star
thoroughly destroyed both the Concordian and the Bay system at once on a radius of almost 30 light-years.
Jingnian navies in that star system. Mussala Station It is very unlikely the Devourers could have caused
was blown up just three weeks ago. If anything, it is this, no matter how powerful they are. Dr. Luis
a mystery why the Devourers are taking so long to LaMarche, an expert on the Stellar Comm Network,
into the fire
71
conveniently disappeared a few months before and wants the heroes to follow up on this lead too.
the crash. Since Apollo is on the way to Harris Station, Antoine
suggests the heroes start their search there. The
Is this all a coincidence? Or is there another heroes will have their ship, the Voyager, at their
explanation? disposal to continue the investigation (or a ship
with similar specifications, if the Voyager has been
Antoine believes solving this mystery may give the destroyed earlier).
Circle a clue on how to beat the aliens. He is willing After the briefing Antoine wishes them the best,
to bet an entire team of Circle officers on his hunch. tells them they have his trust, and dismisses them.
He currently has two starting points, none of them The heroes leave with the uneasy feeling that they
very solid. might not see the leader of the Circle again.
As his first starting point, Antoine brings up Dr.
LaMarche. When the heroes reported the results of
their investigation on Dr. La Marche after their visit to WHAT HAPPENS NOW
Earth, Antoine passed a description of the doctor to Make sure the players clearly understand the goals of
all Circle outposts. A Circle officer stationed at Harris their mission: They must search and find any way to
Station reports having seen someone that fits his stop or defeat the Devourers. And they have two leads
description. Antoine wants the heroes to go to Harris to help them start their mission.
Station, find LaMarche, and see if he can shed some The heroes now should follow the mysterious
light on the Stellar Comm Network crash. message and go to Whitehall on the planet of Apollo.
The second starting point is somewhat stranger: Afterwards, they can follow the lead on Dr. LaMarche
Just two days ago Antoine has received a curious and continue on to Harris Station.
e-message. His agents have tried tracing its source Allow the heroes to fully restock their supplies.
without success. The entire text of the message is: Remember that Concordia is a planet expecting to be
invaded, and role-play any personal NPC relationships
Your puzzle is missing a piece. Send Officers appropriately. The heroes don’t know it yet, but they
[insert heroes’ last names here] to Whitehall. Ask will most likely not return to Melissant again.
Johann Patras about his latest trip.
Whitehall is, obviously, the capital of the

SCENE 2: ARRIVING
planet Apollo.
AT WHITEHALL
Although the message is certainly suspect, Antoine
has decided at this point anything is worth a try, This scene begins as the heroes approach Apollo,
following the clue left by the mysterious e-message
received by Epsilon Leader Antoine. The message
DISPATCHES FROM THE WAR suggests the heroes go to Whitehall and ask someone
called Johann Patras about his latest trip to find “a
To keep the heroes abreast of what is happening new piece of the puzzle.”
in the frontlines of the war, several dispatches are As the heroes prepare to make the jump into Apollo
available as player handouts. These tidbits of news read or paraphrase the following:
will help you keep war ever-present during this
adventure while at the same time reinforcing the The space between Concordia and Apollo is
futility of trying to engage the Devourers directly. very different than usual: More silent and
Periodically give dispatches #1 to #4 to the lonely, thanks to the crash of the Stellar Comm
heroes as they work on this adventure. For more Network; more crowded with ships fleeing from
role-playing impact, these dispatches could be the frontier; and more dangerous, as pirates and
complemented with appropriate farewell messages criminals take advantage of the situation. You
from important contacts or family members, if one are now about to make the jump into Epsilon Indi,
of the heroes has them in the affected planets. Apollo’s star system.
Some of these could even be the springboard As you soon as you complete your jump
for new side stories, as family members share the ship’s alarm notifications pop up! Two
previously unknown secrets with the heroes, or ask Apollonian patrol ships, ready to fire, surround
them to perform specific errands as a last wish. you. “Stop! State your goal!,” a nervous voice
asks through the comm.
SEVEN WORLDS
72
The two patrol ships have been assigned by security
on Fukuyama Station to protect the star system THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND
against the arrival of pirates or an enemy fleet. They Assuming the heroes have arrived in their Circle
are On Hold, ready to fire and have to be convinced Patrol Ship, they have been identified and the local
that the heroes are who they say they are before Circle offices have been notified of their arrival. Delta
letting them through. This should be no problem for Officer Milla Lankila, in charge of the local Circle office,
the heroes, though, unless they behave really stupidly. contacts and briefs them on the situation in Whitehall.
Once they have proven their identity, the Patrol Ships Whitehall is indeed worse than ever. Apollo is
let them through. heavily dependent on commerce, transport and
Remember to have the heroes roll for Jump refueling fees, and commerce from Bay Jing and
Disorientation. Concordia has virtually stopped. Business has
therefore come crashing down, as shipyards and
• Apollonian Patrol Ships (2): Use the stats for Patrol docking stations stand empty, and services go unused.
Ship. On the other hand, more and more ships loaded with
refugees escaping the likely invasion of Concordia and
After this encounter, the heroes approach Apollo Bay Jing are requiring support services Apollo is not
and dock on Fukuyama Station or on any other docking used to providing.
station in orbit around the planet. Describe how empty The result is chaos: Many businesses, both large
and quiet the usually busy and hectic orbit of Apollo is. and small, have closed or gone bankrupt; Supplies are
Remind the heroes that they need breathing masks scarce, unavailable or extremely expensive; inflation
to breathe in the atmosphere of Apollo. If they don’t is rampant. In desperation, the surviving corporations
have any, breathing masks are available for sale in and businesses have turned to even shadier tactics
the docking station, and on the StO shuttle itself (at to survive, such as smuggling of illegal substances,
double the standard price). See the Seven Worlds sabotaging each other’s remaining operations and
Setting Guide for the effects of breathing unprotected engaging in open trade war with competitors. Some have
in Apollo. The heroes also need appropriate clothing taken advantage of the situation to settle old scores.
to protect themselves against the cold, and goggles to The lawlessness of Apollo has significantly
compensate for the low lighting. increased, as murders, vendettas, debt-collecting and
As the heroes take the StO shuttle read or “unpaid favors” have become more and more common.
paraphrase the following: Rather than controlling the situation, the corrupt
authorities are desperately aligning themselves with
As the shuttle glides towards the surface of whatever corporation can continue to pay them off. In
Apollo, you get your first full glimpse at the short, there is no law anymore.
planet: A whitish, cold world, with a narrow band In the midst of this chaos swirl the rumors of
around the equator with combinations of brown, war. To the average Apollonian, the breakdown and
green and blue. It is no secret that the equator impoverishment of their society is much more real
is the only part of Apollo that has above-zero and immediate than news of a faraway war. News
degree temperatures on the average, and it is have also been heavily filtered to avoid a panic. Most
thus there that most cities have been founded. citizens believe that Concordia and Bay Jing will
You are not impressed by Whitehall: A large take care of those pesky alien invaders long before
city that mixes modern architecture with lower, they become a threat to Apollo. Aren’t they the two
hastily constructed houses and buildings, most largest and most powerful planets in the Seven
of it covered in a layer of snow. Whitehall is Worlds, anyway?
supposed to be one of the most dangerous cities Delta Officer Lankila cannot provide help in the
in the now-Six Worlds, and things have only form of Circle personnel for missions, as she is
gotten worse with the war. already spread thin supporting security controls in
the city. She suggests that if the heroes start any
Remember to involve any heroes that are native investigations in shady parts of this dangerous
from Apollo in this part of the game. Maybe they want city, they shed their Circle uniforms and don civilian
to visit friends and relatives, or do something related clothes with thermal protection against the cold. A
to their character background. Circle officer in uniform stands out; in most cases
this means trouble. Someone who really wants to
identify the heroes will be able to do that using their
ID Tags, anyway.
into the fire
73
Burst Templates at different positions in front of the
JOHANN PATRAS warehouse to represent the mounds of crates and
A quick V-World search for Johann Patras unearths garbage, which provide cover and count as Difficult
the information below. It is up to you to decide if the Ground when crossed.
heroes get this information on their first search or if Anyone not native to Apollo who moves on the
they (or their Assistants) need multiple searches to snow more than half their pace must make an Agility
get all this: roll or fall prone after moving. Apply a −2 penalty to
the roll if the non-native character runs.
• Johann Patras works as a merchant starship Place one thug per hero on the entrance, plus two.
captain for a small company called Matsuri Import/ Two more thugs per hero await inside the warehouse,
Export. His home address is also listed as Matsuri and leave the building to enter combat as soon as any
Import/Export. violence begins. The thugs will surrender when the
• Patras is a shady guy with a record. He has been in fight becomes hopeless.
prison previously for organized theft and piracy. The following special Assistant actions are available:
• Matsuri Import/Export specializes in transporting
small cargoes to and from Apollo. The company • V-World Sensors: The V-World sensors around the
doesn’t do much advertising and is very opaque in warehouse have been modified to provide the goons
its accounts. with valuable positioning and action information.
• An advanced or deep search into Matsuri Import/ The goons, therefore, receive an automatic +1
Export shows that Patras is not the only worker bonus to all their Shooting rolls. Any Assistant can
in the company with criminal record. In fact, automatically identify this modification and report
the company would seem to specialize in hiring to the heroes that the sensors “are not playing fair.”
ex-convicts. If a hero spends a Benny the Assistant can attempt
• The latest ship logs for Patras’ ship show that he to hack these modified sensors. With a successful
has recently arrived to Whitehall from a transport Hacking roll, the Assistant disables the sensors,
mission on the route to Earth. No more details thus eliminating the goons’ Shooting bonus. With a
are given. raise, the Assistant interferes with the information
provided by the sensors, applying a −1 penalty to
SCENE 3: MATSURI the goons’ Shooting rolls instead.
IMPORT/EXPORT The warehouse itself is composed of a very large
open hall and several smaller rooms in the back. The
Matsuri Import/Export is in a large, run-down inside of the warehouse is as dirty and chaotic as the
unmarked warehouse in a semi-deserted commercial outside, but it is mostly empty.
section in the outskirts of the city. Large snow mounds
accumulate on the sides of the warehouse, as well • Mesh Goons (3 per hero plus 2): Use the stats for
as on the street in front of it. There are also several Typical Thug. Instead of Autopistols they are armed
metal transport crates and mounds of wet garbage with SMGs (Range 12/24/48; Damage 2d6 AP 1;
dispersed around the warehouse door and wall and RoF 3; Auto). They have a temporary +1 bonus to
on the street. Shooting rolls (see above). One of them is armed
Several disheveled, dangerous-looking men are with a Nunchaku (Damage Str+d4; Parry +1), and
guarding the front door of the warehouse. As soon gets a +2 bonus to Fighting rolls when using it.
as the heroes enter range, these thugs rudely ask
them what they want. The thugs will try to get rid of
the heroes, telling them the company is closed at this AFTER THE BATTLE
time, or whatever else they think will make them leave. Any surviving goons will be uncooperative and defiant,
If the heroes ask about Patras or become too even after surrendering. They are sure of being able
insistent about entering, the thugs threaten them with to avoid prison time, since the Mesh controls law
violence unless they leave immediately. If the heroes enforcement. They will thus have to be intimidated or
don’t heed their warnings, the thugs just attack. persuaded to talk.
The warehouse building front wall is 10" long, with When finally made to talk, the goons reveal
the front door occupying the middle 2". The side walls the following:
are 20" long. The environment outside the warehouse
is open and covered in snow. Place three Small
SEVEN WORLDS
74
• Matsuri Import/Export is really a front and main As the heroes go on their way between Hariko
headquarters for The Mesh, one of Apollo’s most Shipping and Consorcio La Merced, they are stopped
dangerous criminal syndicates, led by the infamous by a group of police officers. Depending on how the
Leon Granberg. heroes have chosen as a means of transportation, this
• The building is practically empty, since Granberg may happen in the street if the heroes are walking, the
is currently leading a big operation somewhere on policemen may stop the public transportation vehicle
the planet far from Whitehall. He has taken most of they are using, or intercept their private car. The
his minions on this operation, which he said would environment where the possible combat takes place
be extremely profitable. The goons have heard that therefore varies depending on the circumstances.
this operation was requested by Hariko Shipping, The policemen haughtily ask the heroes if they
the largest business conglomerate in Apollo, and are the ones who “recently caused trouble at that
that it is some kind of hit against Consorcio La nice establishment, Matsuri Import/Export” and tell
Merced, a small upstart rival of Hariko Shipping. them they are under arrest. If the heroes comply, the
They have no more details on what the operation is. policemen ask them to give up their weapons, and try
• Johann Patras arrived some time ago, and was to take them to a deserted, quiet spot. They will use
immediately drafted by Granberg as part of the their shock sticks, puke sticks or sonic stunners to do
team involved in running this operation. If the this. If they manage to get the heroes to a more private
heroes want to find Patras, they need to find location, or if the heroes become too difficult to prod, the
wherever Granberg and his team have gone. policemen switch to their autopistols and attack to kill.
• There are rumors of a running quarrel between These law enforcement officers can use the
Shaneka Lesneski, CEO of Hariko Shipping, and V-World sensors to full effect against the heroes.
Denice Orihuela, CEO of Consorcio La Merced. They, Police officers can ignore up to two points of Cover
or the people who work for them, probably have Penalties. They also have a +2 bonus to Taunt and
more information on what the operation itself is. Intimidation rolls due to the privileged access they
have to information on the heroes.
If the heroes or their Assistants search V-World for If the combat is on foot, remember that non-natives
information on Hariko Shipping or Consorcio La Merced, that move on snow at more than half their pace have
they find both companies addresses in Whitehall. to make an Agility roll or fall prone.
Hariko Shipping owns the largest part of shipping in If things are going badly for the heroes, you can have
Apollo, and is known for doing business the tough way. a team of Consorcio La Merced security operatives
Recently, Consorcio La Merced began challenging their burst into the scene and become extras under the
leadership through a combination of lower shipping players’ control. Denice Orihuela has also had several
prices and better services, and a trade war has of her security operatives keeping tabs on the heroes,
erupted. The Devourer War and consequent decline and they decide this is the time to get involved. In
in shipping cargoes has affected both companies’ this case, after the battle the security operatives
businesses significantly, and they are both in danger disappear and leave the heroes on their own.
of going under unless they find other sources of The following special Assistant actions are available:
income. On the other hand, the increased chaos in the
planet has increased the viciousness of the trade war. • V-World Police System: A determined Assistant
Three days ago, Consorcio La Merced’s security can try to eliminate the police officers’ information
department went to full alert. Information leaks have advantage bonuses. If a hero spends a Benny the
been tightened, and no word is coming out. Something Assistant can attempt to hack these modified
critical has obviously happened. sensors. With a successful Hacking roll the
It is up to the heroes to decide how to proceed, Assistant disables the sensors, thus eliminating the
but most likely they will want to visit either Hariko police officer’s bonus.
Shipping or Consorcio La Merced.
If after the combat the heroes interrogate the police
officers, they are told the Mesh asked them to take
AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LAW care of the problem. They don’t know why, nor do
Regardless of whether they first visit Hariko they care.
Shipping or Consorcio La Merced, the heroes are in
for trouble. The Mesh has alerted their friends at • Corrupt Police Officers (1 per hero plus 2): Use
local law enforcement of the heroes’ activities, and stats for Security.
wants payback.
into the fire
75
• Corrupt Police Officer leaders (1 per hero): Use will also appeal to any Apollonian heroes, since they
stats for Veteran Security. know how difficult things may be to outsiders who
• Consorcio La Merced Security (1 per hero): Use don’t know “how things work in Apollo.”
stats for Veteran Security. If the “operation” the Mesh is running comes up,
Shaneka innocently explains that she has learned
SCENE 4: HARIKO that Consorcio La Merced has recently been hit by
an “unfortunate event” caused by despicable criminal
SHIPPING elements from Whitehall. She, of course, has nothing
to do at all with that, and hopes everything turns up
If the heroes decide to visit Hariko Shipping they find all right. She does not elaborate further, and suggests
their large, elegant offices in downtown Whitehall. The the heroes talk to Consorcio La Merced if they are so
office building is heavily guarded, and all entrances interested in what is going on with them.
are digitally encoded to not open to anyone except If Shaneka thinks the heroes may be interested in
employees or visitors with an appointment. The working for her, or if they mention they are looking for
heroes can try to make an appointment beforehand via Patras and that he works at the Mesh, she tells them
V-World, or they can try to directly visit. In any case, the she may have a way to help: She has recently been
heroes will be politely rebuffed unless they mention offered valuable competitive information owned by
The Mesh, Consorcio La Merced, or the mysterious Consorcio La Merced, but the information is encrypted.
operation in progress. When they do, the Assistant at She does not reveal what the information is, but
the other end of the line (or on the physical screen, if explains that she needs a digital cryptokey to unlock
the heroes went in person) will ask them to wait, and this information before it gets permanently erased.
after a few minutes give them a personal, face-to-face If the heroes are willing and able to acquire that
appointment with Shaneka Lesneski herself. cryptokey from Consorcio La Merced and provide it
The heroes are accompanied by four imposing to her, she would be infinitely grateful for their effort.
security guards who behave in a polite and pleasant This gratitude may be expressed financially of course,
manner. Before crossing the main lobby doors, the but she may also “influence” on the criminal elements
heroes are delicately but firmly requested to leave all to see if she can get the heroes access to Patras if that
weapons behind. If there are any problems, the guards is what they want.
can call up reinforcements within seconds. As the heroes leave Shaneka offers them her most
The heroes are then introduced to two uniformed charming smile, and expresses hope that they may
guards with Psion Brotherhood pins, who will perform work successfully in the future. Then the heroes
a psionic scan to make sure there are no hidden psions are escorted out of the building and returned any
among them. If there are any psions in the party, covert weapons they left behind.
or otherwise, the psion guards will join the heroes’
escort. This is a good time to remind heroes that Psion • Shaneka Lesneski: Use the stats for Civilian, but
Brotherhood agents are available for rent as part make her a Wild Card with a d12 Spirit and Smarts,
of their offered services, without this implying the and a d10 in Persuasion and Intimidation.
Brotherhood is allied with Hariko Shipping in any way. • Hariko Shipping Guards (as many as needed): Use
The heroes are escorted to the top floor of the the stats for Veteran Security.
building, where a smiling Shaneka Lesneski awaits in • Psion guards (2): Use stats for Veteran Psion.
a large conference room with an impressive view of
snow-covered Whitehall. Two guards (plus the two
psion guards, if necessary) stay in the conference
SCENE 5: CONSORCIO
room with Shaneka and the heroes.
LA MERCED
The exact flow of the conversation depends on
how you and the players handle it. Shaneka of course, The headquarters of Consorcio La Merced are as
denies any wrongdoing, and laments anything elegant and impressive as the ones for Hariko
inappropriate that may be going on. She also very Shipping, if smaller. Although security is significantly
diplomatically suggests that the heroes should not tightened, the heroes are only lightly checked for
get involved in unpleasant local problems, particularly weapons and then taken to the offices of Denice
since they are from the Circle and therefore outsiders. Orihuela. No psionic checks are made on them.
She praises them for their zeal and offers them a Denice is a small, quiet woman of approximately
small, but still rather valuable, souvenir of some kind sixty years of age (she is actually eighty-five) in an
as a reminder of their (concluded) visit to Apollo. She old-fashioned business dress. She invites the heroes
SEVEN WORLDS
76
to sit and offers them something to drink. She serves
the drinks herself.
She begins the conversation in a very amiable
fashion. If her security team got involved in helping
the heroes during the fight with corrupt policemen,
she mentions that. After they have gained her trust
she explains the situation as Consorcio La Merced
sees it. Use these points as part of the conversation
as appropriate:
• Consorcio La Merced has been the underdog in

the Apollo shipping industry market. Desperate
to get an edge over their larger and more corrupt
competitor, Hariko Shipping, a few years ago
Consorcio La Merced modified an agricultural
research facility they owned a few thousand miles
to the south of Whitehall and of Apollo’s temperate
zone, and turned it into a secret lab.
• The research facility has recently made a
breakthrough advance in biotechnology that
dynamically reconstitutes the molecular structure
of foodstuffs being transported, eliminating
components that can easily be reinserted by
nanotechnology at the cargo’s destination. The end
result of this is that foodstuffs can be significantly
compressed, reducing space and mass for shipping
by a factor of five or more. This allows Consorcio La
Merced to realize significant savings transportation • The terrorists have not identified themselves, but
costs, which it can pass on to their customers and Denice’s security personnel are positive that they
disrupt the shipping business. are members of The Mesh. Denice is sure this is
• Three days ago the research facility was attacked all a plot arranged by the CEO of Hariko Shipping,
by a terrorist group. They have taken all scientists in Shaneka Lesneski, whom she hates above all things.
the facility hostage, and have threatened to murder It is a well-known secret that the Mesh works as
one scientist each day unless they are given the Hariko Shipping’s illegal arm. However, Denice has
cryptokey that allows them access to the formula no proof, and she would love to have it.
and plans for this revolutionary technology. • Denice’s priority is to save the hostages and the
The database that protects the information is formula for her new breakthrough… not necessarily
virtually unbreakable by anything except a brute- in that order. She is willing to take more forceful
force attack (which would take months) and measures to solve the situation. Unfortunately,
after too many failed attempts the information is most factions in Apollo know when not to get
automatically erased anyway. The terrorists are involved, and are not helping. The heroes, however,
trying to break the code anyway, and have already are perfect for this mission: They are outsiders with
killed two scientists. no local history or scores to settle with anybody,
• The attack on the research facility has not been and want to locate Johann Patras, who is one of
publicized, and is not public knowledge. In Denice’s the terrorists in the compound. Denice will point
eyes, this means that it is in the terrorists interest out that if someone else takes the salvage job and
to acquire the formula without the public at large succeeds, almost surely Patras will get himself
knowing about it. This would imply someone wants killed and the heroes will lose any chance to get
to use it without having to explain how it was information from him.
acquired. Law enforcement must surely have heard
rumors about the situation, but they have washed Assuming the heroes decide to join forces with
their hands off it. Since they are usually bought by Denice, she lays out her plan: She wants the heroes
both sides, it is in their interest to not go against to sneak into the research facility, retrieve the
either one. information, save the hostages, take care of the
into the fire
77
terrorists, and if possible obtain proof of Shaneka’s
involvement in the attack. She will transport them to
a location relatively close to the facility and provide
them with a map and keycodes for access to different
parts of the compound, as well as supplies for the
mission. She will also give them a cryptokey that
allows them to retrieve the plans from the encrypted
database. If the heroes are successful she promises
to take care of any repercussions to them or to the
Circle, and to get them the access to Patras they need.
She also offers them a reward if needed to entice
them. Denice warns the heroes that if they betray her
to Hariko Shipping she will personally make sure they
do not leave Apollo in one piece.
Denice Orihuela is a rogue psion, something she
keeps very secret. If a psion attempts a mental psionic
power against her, it will automatically fail the first
time, and the psion will know who she is. She will
also immediately know she has been discovered, and
initiate a parallel mental conversation with the hero,
hoping to get him to keep her secret safe.
Once the conversation ends, Denice pleasantly
says good-bye to the heroes and wishes them the
best. What happens next will depend on whether they
accept their offer or not, and on whether they decide
to play on Denice or on Shaneka’s side.
Denice Orihuela: Use the stats for Rogue Psion, but

make her a Wild Card with a d12 in Spirit and Smarts,
and a d8 in Persuasion and Intimidation. She has no A snow hovership piloted by Denice’s team
combat gear or weapons. transports the heroes to a location several thousand
miles to the south of Whitehall and about ten miles
SCENE 6: THE from the station. The heroes will have to reach the
installation on their own. When the heroes send a
RESEARCH FACILITY success message or the ship detects them in the
location where it left them, it will pick them up.
If the heroes decide to take up Denice’s offer, she
provides them with maps of the three levels of the
Research Facility; the cryptokey to retrieve the APPROACHING THE
confidential formula from the central database; and a RESEARCH FACILITY
master code password to access the facility’s system The walk to the research facility takes a few hours
and equipment. The cryptokey is a physical card, and in the biting cold, and requires a Vigor roll with a −4
the heroes must decide who will carry it. penalty to avoid Fatigue (don’t forget to add the bonus
Denice can also provide any special equipment the for the heroes’ clothing).
heroes request (be sure to apply the Encumbrance Consorcio La Merced’s Research Facility originally
rules). The heroes are given a special winter suit, was an agricultural research station, built to
complete with helmet, appropriate for a trek through investigate new technologies for crop production and
the bitter cold of Apollo. This suit provides a +4 maintenance in hostile environments. However, in
bonus to rolls to resist cold, but is bulky, providing recent years Consorcio La Merced has turned it into
a −1 penalty to Agility and all related skills while the a research facility on food transportation technology.
heroes wear it. Note that the suit and helmet allow Traces of the facility’s original purpose still remain,
the heroes to swim through the freezing water stream though, most visibly in the existence of an agricultural
in Location B. dome with a greenhouse-like environment for plant
and crop testing.
SEVEN WORLDS
78
into the fire
79
The first thing the heroes need to do is get within with the password. To use the elevators, the heroes
a mile of the compound. The facility is surrounded must visit the Control Room at location H.
by sensors that detect any approaches within
this radius. The heroes must make a successful A. OUTSIDE THE HANGAR
cooperative Stealth roll with a −4 penalty to avoid The hangar is the facility’s official entrance. Behind
detection. You should give heroes appropriate the hangar doors is a large area storing two snow
bonuses for any ideas they may have that could hoverships, used by the crew to venture outside
improve their chances, such as locating and the facility.
modifying the sensors (hidden in the snow every few A small human-sized door protrudes between the
hundred yards). With a failure on their roll, the base large doors, and is currently open. Several Mesh
is alerted to their approach. Troops guard the entrance. They are inactive unless
Once the heroes have entered the compound’s one- the heroes have already raised the alarm.
mile-radius, they can either try to enter the facility The large doors are closed but can be opened in
through the Hangar door (location A on the map); or two rounds via a large button on the inside wall of the
they can try to sneak through a secret water stream hangar, or via an Assistant command if the Assistant
that surfaces into a pool in the compound (location has authorized access to the facility’s internal
B on the map). This water stream is used within the network. The doors cannot be pierced or destroyed
compound as a source of water (after treatment) for by anything but Heavy Weapons.
irrigation and crew use. Denice has briefed the heroes
on the secret entrance to the stream, a location about • Mesh Troops (2 per hero)
half a mile from the compound. • Snow Hovership (2)
B. THE WATER STREAM
ENEMIES IN THE FACILITY This cold water stream is used as a source of liquid
All enemies in the facility are in inactive mode for water by the facility crew. Heroes can take advantage
Stealth purposes, unless the heroes are detected. of it to enter the facility.
Since every opponent is connected to the facility’s The water is so cold that it immediately affects the
internal network, they can automatically raise the heroes if they take too long to swim through it. Have
alarm as a free action during their combat turn. every hero make a Swimming roll. Those who are
If the heroes are ever detected inside the facility, successful have to make one check against Cold (Vigor
Leon Granberg will redeploy his troops to chase and roll with a −4 penalty plus the suit’s bonus) or receive
kill them as soon as possible. This means several one level of Fatigue. Those who fail the Swimming roll
key areas in the facility will most likely be left have to make two consecutive checks against Cold.
unguarded or weak. See the Cold rules in Savage Worlds for details on how
to remove this Fatigue.
The stream ends at a small pool in the middle of
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM a deserted natural cavern. The walls show scars of
As soon as the heroes have entered the facility (either gunfire and shooting, apparently made during the
via Location A or B), they can interface to the wireless invasion of the compound a few days ago. Several
computer V-World using the password provided to metal tubes transport water from the pool to different
them by Denice. This gives them the following benefits: parts of the compound, both for irrigation and for
human consumption. If the heroes do something
• The heroes can walk the corridors without any drastic with the water, such as poison it, the Mesh
sensors spotting them. Guards that physically see troops in the compound drink or use the water in
them can still raise the alarm, of course. some fashion every four hours.
• Unless indicated, most doors in the compound There are no sensors in this pool, and the heroes run
automatically open for the heroes. no risk of being accidentally detected or found here.
• The heroes can detect the location of most guards The door at the end of the passageway leaving out
in the level they are currently in. The location of of this location is locked from the hallway side. Since
people in other levels is not available until the this door is very infrequently used, opening it can raise
heroes reach that level. an alarm. Even if the heroes connect to the computer
system from this room (see above) they still need to
The computer system also shows the heroes that make a successful Hacking roll with a −2 penalty to
they can’t use the elevators to other levels, not even open the door without raising the alarm.
SEVEN WORLDS
80
Note that the walls and floor of this level are carved A single guard sits on a stool next to the kitchen,
out of the ice. Any heroes or enemies who run must which is located on the third table on the bottom left
make a successful Agility roll or fall Prone to the floor. side of the room. He is asleep next to a huge pot while
he waits for his stew to boil. Heroes have a +2 bonus
C. STORAGE ROOM to any Stealth rolls against him unless he wakes up. If
This large cave is used for storage, and is full of a hero poisons the stew and leaves without disturbing
crates and cases of different types. Each crate has the guard, he will distribute the food to the other
Toughness 8 and grants Medium (−2) Cover. guards and prisoners in the facility. The food will take
Several Mesh troops guard this section, and are about four hours to be distributed to all the guards in
engaged in a multiplayer game using their lenses the complex.
unless the heroes have been detected, in which case
they are actively guarding the place. • Mesh Troop / Cook (1)
The two compartments on the sides of the room
contain crates of dehydrated and processed food. The F. DORMITORIES AND COMMON ROOM
room at the far right side of the storage room contains These are the common sleeping and recreation
bottles of chemical compounds marked “hazardous” quarters for most of the crew. There are bunk beds
and “poison.” They could be used to poison the water in the south, east and west dormitories. A large table
in Location B. With some creativity, the chemicals and surrounded by wall-screens occupies the north-
other accessories in this room could be used to build west corner of the room. Four small desks and
an explosive (see Explosives in the Seven Worlds entertainment centers occupy the center of the room,
Setting Guide). You should allow the heroes to find any and a gym takes the south-east corner.
hardware or technical parts they need, within reason. Unless an alarm has been raised, several guards lie
asleep on the bunks on each of the three side rooms.
• Mesh Troops (2 per hero) The doors to all three rooms are open. The guards’
sleep is light, and they will wake up if the heroes are
D. MEETING ROOMS not moving stealthily.
These are the reception rooms for visitors who arrive The main hall has several tables and chairs. These
at the compound via the main gates in A. They are also have Toughness 6 and grant Light (−1) Cover. The
used as generic rooms for the crew during their day- tables are covered with ebooks, decks of cards, mugs,
to-day work. They contain tables, chairs and wall- and other items. These may be used as improvised
screens. The walls and floor show signs of combat, weapons if necessary.
as some of the crew of the station attempted to hide One of the guards sleeping in the southernmost
here before being gunned down or captured by Mesh room recently ended his shift at location G and forgot
troops during the attack. to return the physical keycard to location H. It is still
The meeting room at the far left end hasn’t been in his back pocket.
opened since the attackers arrived. Inside is the
decomposing body of a scientist that resisted the • Mesh Troops (1 per hero)
attack. In one of the dead scientist’s pockets, the
heroes can find a keycard that opens the door to G. GUARDS
Location H. The guards on duty at this location control access to
the northernmost elevator and to the Control Room.
E. MESS ROOM They should have a keycard to open the door to
This is the facility’s dining room and cafeteria. It is location H, but the previous guard on duty forgot to
currently used to cook and serve food to the Mesh return it and is now sleeping at location F. After some
troops. Supplies are brought from the storage room discussion these guards have decided to pick up the
(location C) once per day and prepared by one of keycard after their shift ends.
the troops who performs the duties of cook. Food
is distributed throughout the facility for the rest of • Mesh Troops (1 per hero)
the troops.
The tables and stools in the room have Toughness H. CONTROL ROOM
8 and grant Medium (−2) Cover. There are dirty dishes, The door to this room is locked and cannot be opened
forks and glasses everywhere. These can be used as without a keycard, even if the heroes gained access
an improvised weapon if necessary. to the main V-World computer system. One of the
keycards to open this door is in the possession of
into the fire
81
the guard at location G, and the other one is with the Several Mesh guards are patrolling this location.
body of the dead scientist at location D. If they don’t They raise the alarm if they see the heroes.
have the keycard, the heroes can try to hack the door
by succeeding at a Dramatic Task with the Hacking • Mesh Troops (2 per hero)
skill with a −2 penalty, made by either a hero or their
Assistant. Failing the Dramatic Task raises the alarm L. COMMON ROOM
and does not open the door. This open room is full of tables and chairs. These have
Behind the door is a room covered with wall-screens, Toughness 6 and grant Light (−1) Cover. The tables can
which light up with displays and schematics as soon be turned as an action to provide Medium (–2) cover.
as the heroes enter, and a large computer console on A small kitchen in the north-east corner is used
the southern wall. By interacting with the computer to heat food. The kitchen table is covered in utensils
system in this room, the heroes can automatically which may be used as improvised weapons.
configure their authorization to the elevators and
to any other room and device in the facility, with the M. SCIENTIST DORMITORIES
exception of the systems in the Computer Room at These four dormitories are empty. Leon Granberg and
Location L. The heroes also gain control of the light some of his lieutenants have been using them to sleep.
and darkness emitters at the main Agriculture Dome The dormitory in the south-west corner has
(location P). been used by a careless troop. If the heroes make
a successful Notice roll while in this room, they
I. ELEVATOR #1 discover what looks like a small ebook. If the heroes
This elevator takes the heroes to the other two floors read it, they find a diary with enough mentions to
(the elevator is also marked as “I” on the other floors). Shaneka Lesneski to prove that Hariko Shipping has
The elevator is programmed to open only to people been coordinating the attack. There is even a short
who have been explicitly authorized by the system, video recording of one of Shaneka’s latest calls to
and therefore does not open for the heroes unless Leon, loudly complaining about their incompetence in
they obtained authorization by going to Location H. obtaining the formula.
The elevator does not have any kind of V-World or One of the dead scientists had a small genetically-
digital connections (other than the internal connection modified dog in the north-east room. This dog, more
to the Control Room) and therefore cannot be hacked. intelligent than most, has been hiding under the bed
When they enter the elevator the heroes will see for the last three days. It has become very hungry,
several old-style physical buttons on the wall, labeled though, and will attack any heroes who enter. The
“Ice Quarters Level” (the current level), “Research dog is weak enough so as to cause very little damage,
Level” and “Dome Level.” The elevator will take a few but the noise it makes could alert the guards in other
seconds to transport the heroes to the chosen floor. parts of the facility.
J. ELEVATOR #2 • Small pet dog

This elevator behaves in a similar fashion to
location I, above. N. INFORMATION VAULT
The door to this room is closed. Two veteran Mesh
K. GARDEN Troops stand active guard in front of the door.
This small garden is built as a relaxation spot for facility This room houses the main computers used by the
scientists in need of a break. Among the plants and facility’s researchers. Since information is the most
floor there are six strong lights with a short luminous valuable output of the research facility, this computer
head that provide the artificial light in the room. Place system is not networked. This means the only way to
six game counters on appropriate locations on the remove information from this system is by physically
tabletop. If any of these are successfully hit with a interacting with the computers in the room. When
called shot (−2) against a Toughness of 6, the light the terrorists attacked one of the scientists enabled
automatically explodes. Treat the explosion as a use lock-down procedures and now the information vault
of the stun power, centered on the light’s position. is closed and protected. The only way to unlock the
The hero triggering the device must shut his eyes to vault is via a physical cryptokey (which Denice gave
be immune to the effects. When two or more bulbs are to the heroes).
broken, the room darkens (treat as Dim Light). When Hacking the information vault is extremely hard, and
four or more bulbs are broken, the room becomes requires a successful Dramatic Task using the Hacking
completely dark (treat as Pitch Darkness). skill with a −4 penalty with each “round” lasting two
SEVEN WORLDS
82
full hours. This roll cannot be made cooperatively. Dramatic Tasks to have the vault automatically erase
The terrorists brought a top-notch hacker with them the information.
but he has been unsuccessful several times. To top The room is covered in wall screens. These screens,
it off, after ten unsuccessful tries the information however, are likely to explode when hit by a stray shot.
vault automatically erases its contents. The anxious When a 1 is rolled on any Shooting die, the shot misses
attackers are just beginning their ninth attempt. and hits a wall screen behind the target, causing an
Currently the hacker is accompanied by two more explosion. Place a Small Burst Template centered on
Veteran Mesh Troops, who both protect him and keep the wall where the shot has hit a screen (use common
tabs on him. sense to determine this). Any character under the
If the heroes enter, the hacker will try to accelerate template suffers 2d6 damage.
the failed attempts on the information vault in order The west wall of the room has a small outlet that
to erase the information while the guards cover him fits the cryptokey. If the cryptokey is inserted in this
and call for reinforcements. Since failing the hacking outlet (this counts as an action), the formula will be
attempts is so much easier than succeeding, this copied to its memory in three full rounds, after which
is also a Dramatic Task but each round is a combat the cryptokey can be removed.
round and the hacker’s Hacking roll has a +2 bonus.
Since each full Dramatic Task constitutes one attempt • Veteran Mesh Troops (2 outside, 2 inside)
to hack the information vault and the hacker is on his • Hacker (1): Use stats for Civilian, with a Hacking d12.
ninth attempt, he needs to succeed at two consecutive
into the fire
83
O. LABS effective Strength is now d12+2, he gains an additional
The research labs used by the scientists at the facility Armor of 6, a Reach of 1" and the Sweep Edge. On the
have all sorts of implements and tools appropriate other hand, the vehicle makes a lot of noise, thus
for agricultural and biogenetic research. Among nullifying any Stealth attempts. The vehicle’s only
the many compounds available in this place there attack option is a bash, which does Str+d8 damage.
are several containers (about four per room) with a Finally, the vehicle has the Large monstrous ability.
clear warning sign on them. The AR overlay on the
heroes’ lenses identifies their content as a special • Mesh Troops (2 per hero)
compound gas used for experimental purposes, which
can be dangerous if openly exposed to heat and fire. Q. ANALYSIS TABLES
If a container is hit, it explodes. Place a Small Burst These tables were used by the scientists to test, prune
Template in the center of the location of the container. and prepare plants for the garden. The tables have
Anyone in the template suffers 2d6 damage and must Toughness 8 and grant Medium (−2) Cover. They are
make a Vigor (−2) roll to avoid being Shaken. Use covered with different types of implements that can
gaming stones to represent the containers. be used as improvised weapons.
The Mesh troops know about the containers and Several Mesh Troops are idly sitting by here. They
will use them as part of their strategy to neutralize will react if they detect the heroes or the alarm is
the heroes. raised, and will immediately reinforce the troops at P.
P. AGRICULTURAL GARDEN • Mesh Troops (2 per hero)

The main dome of the facility was created as an • Veteran Mesh Troops (1 per hero)
agricultural greenhouse. A huge open space is covered
with plants, crops and trees of many types and sizes. R. LEON GRANBERG’S HEADQUARTERS
Many types of insects, especially bred to participate in Leon Granberg has set up his temporary headquarters
the plants’ simulated ecosystem, crawl and fly among here, next to the room where he keeps the hostages.
the bushes. He periodically communicates with Shaneka Lesneski
Several guards patrol this area. About half of them from here, giving her updates on his (unsuccessful)
are located in the paved area of the dome that is efforts to get the information from the vault. As a
closest to elevator J, the other half is distributed means of protection, he has recorded several of his
along the borders of the dome. They are inactive for conversations with Shaneka, and the heroes can
Stealth purposes unless the alarm has been raised in copy them if they access his lenses or if they hack the
the compound. If any of these guards raise the alarm, terminal located here (Hacking roll with a −2 penalty).
they will be supported by the troops in location Q Leon will not let the heroes access the terminal if he
almost immediately. is in the room.
The following special Assistant actions are available: If Leon is warned of the heroes’ attack, he will
attempt to bring out the hostages from location S
• Dome Illumination: Although the dome is and threaten to kill them if the heroes don’t surrender.
illuminated by natural sunlight, the illumination Treat Leon and five other Veteran Mesh Troops as
levels can be controlled to regulate the amount having The Drop on the six hostages, with guns
of light the plants receive. By spending a Benny, pointing at their heads. If this scenario occurs, it is up
a hero can have his Assistant change the dome’s to the heroes to figure out how to bring Leon down
illumination as an automatic action. In game and save the hostages.
terms, the hero gets to decide if the dome is fully One of the troops that accompanies Leon is Johann
illuminated, is in Dim Light, is Dark, or in Pitch Patras, the man the heroes are looking for. Patras
Darkness. Dome illumination can be changed many should survive, regardless of how the combat ends.
times, by spending a Benny each time.
• Veteran Mesh Troops (2 per hero)
To help prune and take care of the trees in the Leon Granberg: See page 235.
agricultural level, the workers had a walking Johann Patras: See page 236.
exoskeleton vehicle which lies idle around the center
of the garden. The exoskeleton is about twelve S. HOSTAGES
feet high, and requires an Agility roll to climb. Once The surviving hostages are all kept in this room,
operative, the exoskeleton vehicle basically extends protected by a team of guards outside the door. The
the hero’s statistics and powers as follows: The hero’s door cannot be opened unless the heroes hack it
SEVEN WORLDS
84
on-site with a Dramatic Task using the Hacking skill I mean, without the Comm Network to detect
with a −2 penalty. and report you, it is very easy to wait for an
The hostages have been relatively well-treated, and unsuspecting merchant ship next to a jump
only have one level of Fatigue. If armed with a ranged point and plunder it… or destroy it if it poses
weapon they are willing to participate in combat on any resistance.
behalf of the heroes. They will not participate in melee Some weeks ago I was sent by the Mesh to
or hand-to-hand combat, though. hang around the Ross 154 star system and
attack merchant ships going between Earth,
• Mesh Troops (1 per hero) Apollo or Gee. We were patrolling the jump
• Hostages (6): Use stats for Civilian with Knowledge point from Apollo when we intercepted a ship,
(Science) d10. supposedly registered to a minor Concordia
shipping company. We decided this ship would
be an easy prey and demanded their surrender.
EPILOGUE They tried to attack and we fired back. We won
easily and the merchant ship went silent. So
we approached carefully, docked both ships
The conclusion of this scenario depends on the together, and began boarding.
heroes’ decisions. Inside we found the ship crammed with dead
If the heroes decided to side with Shaneka and get people! There were at least one hundred and
her the information she needs, she automatically wins fifty, more than twice as many people as the ship
the standoff with Consorcio La Merced. In this scenario should have. Apparently the crewmembers had
she is true to her word and not only gives them their shot the passengers in cold blood… and then had
rewards, she also brings Patras so the heroes can talk committed suicide themselves. Almost as if they
to him and gather the above information. Denice and had not wanted to be captured. Bizarre, I know.
Consorcio La Merced will not forget this, and should We tried to identify the passengers, see at
attempt to kill the heroes before they leave. least where they came from, and found that all of
If the heroes decided to side with Denice, they have their IDTags had been removed. No identification
a chance to talk to Patras during or after the raid. If was possible. Why did the passengers have
they captured Patras, he will try to negotiate his no IDTags?
release. Depending on what the heroes do with the We searched the computer systems in the
evidence against Shaneka and Hariko Shipping, they ship and found that the crew had tried to blow
may become attack targets, with Denice willing to up their ship before we captured it; fortunately
support them. You are free to decide where this thread for us, our last attack hit the ship and disabled
of the story ultimately leads. its systems before they could activate the
Assuming Patras is in good shape at the end of destruction mechanism. That was probably
the encounter, he is done with the Mesh. This is when they turned to murdering every passenger.
an opportunity to add or change heroes or player The ship had been cleaned. There was no
characters in the campaign. evidence, either physical or digital, of the ship’s or
passengers’ purpose, identity or goal. The ship’s
memory banks had been almost completely
TALKING TO PATRAS erased. I tried to strip the ship, maybe take the
The following text is Patras’ story in his own words. ship itself, but my crew opposed me. They were
Feel free to paraphrase this or handle it as a question- scared by all the bodies, and refused to touch
and-answer conversation, as you see fit: or take anything! I could not afford a mutiny, so
we just left the ship, blew it up, and waited for
My latest trip? What about my latest trip? Oh, I the next one.
see, I think I know what you want to know. You Oh, you noticed I said the memory banks had
see, something curious happened during my last been ‘almost’ completely erased, didn’t you?
trip. We’re agreed that what I’m about to tell you Well, it turns out the ship’s captain had been
is confidential, right? ‘cause, to be frank, it’s not the last to deal with the computer system, and
exactly ‘legal,’ you know. apparently had almost finished erasing the ship’s
Ok, here it goes: You know that since the Stellar memory banks when our last attack destroyed
Comm Network is down, it’s good business to everything. The screen in his quarters was still
attack ships travelling down the main routes. showing the last few lines of the ship’s log. From
into the fire
85
there I gathered they were going someplace The heroes should think about looking up the word
called Chrysalis. Yes, Chrysalis. I have no idea “Chrysalis” in the Circle database. If they don’t, an
where that is, I have never heard of the place. It’s Assistant suggests it. Although there does not seem
not listed on V-World, I’ve searched. to be any place known as Chrysalis, an extensive
And that’s all I know. When we got back Leon search thru the Circle’s indexes of planetary networks
got us into this business with Hariko Shipping brings up an obscure three-year-old news report
and I could not follow it up. Maybe you’ll figure from the faraway, rough colony planet of Logan’s
out who those guys were and what it all means. End. Give Handout #1 to the heroes. No identification
or information on the whereabouts of any of the
people listed in the news release is available. To get
more information the heroes will have to travel to
Logan’s End.
The adventure now continues in Broken Circle, the
next module in the epic Seven Worlds campaign!
SEVEN WORLDS
86
side stories

Teague Prison, a maximum security facility far away
from Apollo’s equator, housing some of the most
dangerous and prominent prisoners on the planet.
There, they must pick up Manfred Saggese, scion of
the wealthy Saggese family from Earth and a hardcore
THE REFUGEE FLEET murderer and drug trafficker in Apollo, bring him back
to Whitehall and ship him to Earth so he can testify on
a case regarding a major Earth crime cartel.
If you want to run some side stories within the fleet, The court order, signed by EarthGov authorities and
one option is to run a Montage (see the Setting Guide), the Apollo Representative on Earth, seems perfectly
taking advantage of the trip. Another option is for in order. However, everyone suspects that the wealthy
you to create short side adventures. Here are some Saggese family has used its power, influence and
ideas for that: money to concoct an excuse to have their son brought
to the relative safety of Earth before the Devourers
• The enmity between Concordian and Bay Jingnian attack Apollo.
refugees (or their proxies, citizens from Jubilee and Once the heroes reach Teague Prison on a Snow
Dauphin) creates conflict within the refugee fleet. Hovership and enter the facility, they get to meet
The heroes must defuse the situation before the Manfred Saggese, an unpleasant, violent mountain
violence escalates. of a man. Before they can depart with him, though, a
• Since the Stellar Comm Network is down, any ship revolt begins! Most inmates, and quite a few guards,
looking to score a kill can do so without worrying want to leave Apollo as well, and resent Saggese for
about being identified. The fleet is attacked by being able to get out. The heroes are quickly involved
a stray Concordian or Bay Jingnian warship that in a major fight, as a group of inmates and guards (led
hasn’t heard about the Alien ships. Alternatively, by “the Beast” Jones, one of the deadliest inmates in
the fleet may be attacked by a pirate ship looking the facility) face other guards and the heroes. Saggese
for easy loot. doesn’t really join a group, and mostly enjoys killing
• Food or medicine shortages affect the fleet, and people on either side.
the heroes must figure out a way to provide what is If he gets the upper hand, Jones is willing to
missing before riots break out. negotiate, arguing that in the end what he wants
• In a misguided effort to stay friendly to both is for every inmate and guard to have a chance to
Concordia and Bay Jing, Mussala Station decides escape Apollo and the Devourers. And he has a
to stay out of any political issues and refuses to point: Why should the prisoners not be evacuated,
receive, refuel or supply the refugee fleet. The when everyone else on Apollo is trying to escape the
heroes must convince the Station leaders that this planet as well? Ironically, it is Jones who wants to
is not an ordinary war refugee situation, and that negotiate in good faith to help the prisoners escape
Mussala Station itself is in danger. Apollo, while Saggese is more than willing to double-
• The heroes take too long and the Devourers catch cross everyone, including the heroes, in order to flee
up to them! Another in-the-nick-of-time escape on his own.
is needed!
• Snow Hovership
Manfred Saggese: Use stats for Veteran Thug but
with a Strength d10 and a Charisma of −4. He is not
THE BREAKOUT armed.
Raoul “The Beast” Jones: Use stats for Veteran
Thug. He is unarmed.
Where: Apollo. • Prison Guards (225): Use stats for Typical Security.
As the Devourers continue to invade human space, Nine of these have joined the prisoners.
the Circle office on Apollo receives a legal request • Inmates (40): Use Stats for Typical Thug. They are
from Earth. A group of Circle Officers must travel to not armed.
side stories
87
strike. As a way to keep the planet’s dwindling
A LOAN REVOKED oxygen supplies covered, and to put pressure on the
Union, Beverino wants the heroes to lead an oxygen
harvesting mission to Roanoke Lake, one of the largest
Where: Apollo/Harris Station. oxygen lakes on the night side of Zarmina. She will
This adventure works if there is at least one Psion provide a crawler vehicle for the mission.
in the group. If the heroes take the job, the Union threatens them,
As soon as the heroes disembark a local Psion and a group of oxygen runners try to ambush the
Brotherhood office representative approaches and heroes before they leave.
informs them that the “On-Loan” status of Psion
heroes is effectively ended (see Seven Worlds Setting • Oxygen Runners (1 per hero): Use stats for Typical
Guide for more on “On-Loans”), and therefore the Thug. They are all from Zarmina for purposes of
Psion must leave the group and the Circle and report calculating Planetary Environment penalties.
for duties at the Psion Brotherhood immediately. The
Devourer situation has stretched the Brotherhood to After a grueling trip through the night side of
the limit, and all Psions are needed for emergency Zarmina, the heroes finally reach Roanoke Lake and
duties to protect humanity. Psion heroes have twenty- begin to harvest liquid oxygen into tanks. Before
four hours to complete the transfer and report to the they are finished, however, they are visited by three
Brotherhood offices for their new duties. other crawlers full of Union thugs. The Union Leader
If the Psion decides to escape, he or she becomes confronts the heroes and tells them that they are
a a fugitive from the Brotherhood. Since the Circle hurting the welfare of hundreds of workers who are
is committed to capturing Rogue Psions, if the being exploited and underpaid for doing a risky job,
other heroes get involved they risk breaking Circle and asks them to consider joining the Union instead.
regulations as well. If the heroes decline the offer, the Union members
Another option is for the hero to negotiate with attack (or give chase in their rovers, if necessary).
the Psion Brotherhood representative. Maybe the
representative has a need or problem that he can’t • Oxygen Runners (4 per hero): Use stats for Typical
solve on his own, and is willing to turn a blind eye to Thug, with a Piloting skill of d6, a Reinforced vacc
the hero’s passing through this location in exchange suit (+2/+4, negates 4 AP against bullets) and a
for the hero taking care of his or her problem. The Vacc suit Helmet (+3, head only). They are all from
problem might require the heroes to break the law to Zarmina for purposes of calculating Planetary
save their friend. Environment penalties.
The hero’s final alternative might be to follow orders • Oxygen Crawler (heroes have 1, enemies have 3):
and leave the group. In this case, the hero becomes an Use stats for Crawler.
NPC and the player can roll up or add a new character
to the group. The heroes might get to meet their friend If the heroes return with the cargo, Crista rewards
again at some other dramatic time of your choosing them handsomely and gains the upper hand in the
(if they get to meet the hero in Chrysalis, maybe the Union negotiations. Shortly afterwards, the Union
hero has had greater forget and brain lock applied to backs off on the strike. The heroes have now gained
him, and has raze stored in his brain!). Alternatively, enemies for life.
you might decide to run two parallel adventures for a
while, as the Psion hero gets to discover some of the
dark secrets of the Psion Brotherhood on his own or TERRAFORMING GLIESE
with a new set of heroes, and then joins the original
group later in the campaign.
Where: Hoffnung Station.
Dr. Alex Ferguson, an aged scientist, approaches the
BREATHING ROOM heroes and quietly asks for their help. Dr. Ferguson
is part of the research staff of Cyssenne Labs, and
is testing an experimental new nanobacterium
Where: Zarmina (“Gee”). that processes sulfuric acid and generates several
The heroes are contacted by Crista Beverino, who by-products with industrial value. To perform the
needs their help. A dispute with the Oxygen Harvesters test, Dr. Ferguson needs to fire a missile with his
Union over pay rates has exploded into a workers’ experimental bacterium at a specific time and
SEVEN WORLDS
88
planetary location on Gliese 667Cc, and unfortunately
Hoffnung Station won’t be close at the appropriate VIRTUAL TORTURE
time. Dr. Ferguson therefore needs the heroes to take
him on their ship to the appropriate location in orbit
to perform the test. If the heroes agree, Dr. Ferguson Where: Anywhere.
prepares one of their missiles with the nanobacterium, Sometimes, despite their best efforts, the heroes
and then blasts off with them. are overwhelmed by their enemies. This adventure
In reality, Dr. Ferguson’s latest research is not a can occur anywhere, and is a great way to get the
bacterium to create industrial products, but rather a campaign back on track and avoid a Total Party Kill.
terraforming organism that, according to the doctor, First pick something the heroes know and that
could over time build a breathable atmosphere on might be valuable to the enemy that overwhelmed
Gliese 667Cc and add one more world to humanity. the heroes. In the case of MaxDigital Corporation,
Cyssenne Labs is excited with Dr. Ferguson’s for example, this might be information on the
discovery and has arranged for internal testing to whereabouts of Dr. LaMarche. In the case of a
begin immediately. Unfortunately, Dr. Ferguson, old terrorist organization, it might be the layout of Epsilon
and about to retire, does not want to wait the years Leader Trevor Antoine’s headquarters so as to plan a
of testing it will take to make sure the organism is terrorist attack.
safe to deploy on the surface of the planet. Convinced As the heroes fall to their enemies describe a
that his invention works, he has taken a sample of the hazy memory of a group of Circle soldiers quickly
organism and is about to unleash it on the planetary overwhelming the heroes’ enemies. The heroes’ last
surface, against Cyssenne Labs’ orders. memory before falling unconscious is the friendly face
As the heroes reach the location, they detect of an athletic female soldier in battle armor.
two Patrol Ships commissioned by Cyssenne Labs When the heroes wake up they are in hospital beds.
approaching from Hoffnung Station, and begin The female soldier is there, flanked by other Circle
receiving messages telling them that Dr. Ferguson members. She introduces herself as Gamma Officer
is performing an illegal test. Dr. Ferguson responds Diane Garrett from the Circle, and tells the heroes they
by telling the heroes that someone is trying to have been unconscious for several days, but have
appropriate his research, and urges the missile to be responded well to treatment are almost completely
launched. cured. Diane then explains that she has been sent by
The Patrol Ships reach firing distance in just a few Trevor Antoine himself, and needs the heroes’ help
minutes, and threaten to attack unless the heroes for several urgent missions. If asked, she has digital
surrender control of the ship and disable the missile. orders from Antoine that pass all verification tests.
As a last resort, Dr. Ferguson will try to fire the missile In reality the heroes are immersed in a detailed
on his own. V-World simulation especially prepared by Garrett, an
As it turns out, even if the missile is fired and hits expert information gatherer who sells her services to
its surface target, no one gets to know what happens the highest bidder. The heroes’ vision of the arriving
for quite some time. The organism takes months to Circle team that defeated their enemies at the last
adapt and start its process, so whether the planet is moment was created by a combination of suggestive
being terraformed or irreparable damage is done to drugs and V-World projection. Garrett is so skilled at
its ecosystem is a question that will not be answered this she has even coded a special interface that makes
in the short time. the heroes’ Assistants believe they’re also in the real
world and not in a simulation. Garrett’s goal is to gain
Dr. Ferguson: Use Stats for Civilian but add the the heroes’ trust and then carefully and smartly ask
Elderly Hindrance, and a d10 skill in both Hacking the questions needed to get the info she wants.
and Knowledge (Science). For the first “mission,” craft a battle designed to
• Patrol Ships (2) make the heroes trust Garrett.. Give the heroes control
of Garrett and her team during the battle, but keep
role-playing her bravery and dedication to the Circle.
During the battle the heroes should start noticing
something’s wrong: Whenever they get a 1 on either
the trait die or the Wild Die, the roll is considered as
failed. When the players ask why tell them that they
don’t know, and it might be that they’re still not cured,
or it might be something else.
side stories
89
The “second mission” is an excuse to get the heroes As the heroes enter the mine, they feel the abnormal
to tell Garrett the secrets she wants them to spill. heat for a mine such as this. . The heroes have two
Garrett will produce any evidence the heroes need to encounters with some of the strange monsters living
prove the authenticity of her request (including video in the mine, such as Grimrock Chameleons, Earth
messages from Antoine or from their loved ones, Screams and Rock Monsters:
if necessary).
If at any moment in the adventure the heroes • Grimrock Chameleons (3): Use stats for Logan
expressly say that they feel something’s wrong, allow Chameleon. Its Chameleon special ability applies
them a free Spirit roll with a –4 penalty to figure out to moving inside a rocky environment, not in
they are in a simulation (remember that a 1 on either vegetation.
die is considered a failure). Explain the roll as a roll to • Earth Scream (1): Use stats for Manymouth. Its
“feel what’s going on” since nothing seems to be wrong Burrow Special Ability allows it to conceal inside
at first sight. If a hero expressly says he believes they rock.
might be in V-World, or is told he is in V-World by • Rock Monster (3)
another person, give him a +4 bonus to the roll.
With a success, the hero wakes up tied in a special Use the Heat rules from Savage Worlds as the
chair in a dank room, surrounded by the soldiers heroes delve into the depths of the mine. Finally the
from the simulation, only the real-life “soldiers” look heroes reach a large cavern. There is a large steam-
more like thugs than Circle soldiers. The other heroes filled hole on the ceiling of the cave. Crazy Jack is
are also there, tied to similar chairs and inside the next to a deep lava pool at the center of the cavern,
simulation. The hero can break his bonds with a shouting words in a strange tongue. A Lava Demon
Strength roll with a –4 penalty. He can also enter and suddenly comes from the pool and hands Crazy Jack
leave the simulation at will. what appears to be a bunch of bullets made of lava
If the heroes discover they are in a simulation and in a protective crystal sphere. As Crazy Jack sees the
leave it, Garrett shrugs off her pleasant persona and heroes, more Lava Demons come from the pool and fly
explains what has happened, before moving on to away through the opening on the ceiling of the cave.
more “traditional” methods of interrogation. Crazy Jack laughs as he grabs the sphere and is
If the heroes fall for Garrett’s trap and spill the carried by a Lava Demon towards the hole on the
information, Garrett laughs and tells them the truth, ceiling (he is not burned by the fire). Before escaping
thanking them for what they said and explaining her he tells the heroes that they won’t get to see how he
employer will be very pleased. It is up to the heroes uses these lava bullets to summon an even greater
to escape the simulation and Garrett’s torture before demon on Carlson City itself. As a final farewell
it’s too late. present, he summons a Lava Golem that climbs from
the inside of the lava pool!
Diane Garrett: Use stats for Veteran Soldier, but The heroes are left to die at the hands of Cherokee
give her a Hacking d12+2, Persuasion d12 and Bill, the rest of Crazy Jack’s gang and the Lava Golem.
Charisma of +4. When she’s inside her own V-World Assuming they survive, they must get to Carlson City
simulation, she has the Hacker, Assistant Hacker before Crazy Jack and his Lava Demons summon this
and Very Active Assistant Edges. greater demon and destroy everything.
• Fake Circle Soldiers (4 per hero): Use stats for
Typical Soldier. “Crazy Jack” Harris: Use stats for Old West Veteran
Gunman.
WILD WILD Cherokee Bill: Use stats for Soldier Psion, but he has
no armor and his only gear is Two Colt Peacemakers
V-WEST, PART II (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6+1, RoF 1, AP 1, 6
shots, one full action to reload),
Where: V-World • Crazy Jack’s Gang (1 per hero): Use stats for Old
The heroes’ romp through a bizarre fantasy Wild West Typical Gunman.
West world continues! • Lava Demons
The heroes pursue Crazy Jack and his gang to the Lava Golem
abandoned and supposedly worthless Grimrock Mine,
a few days west of Prairie Gulch. When the heroes
arrive, Crazy Jack has already gone inside.
SEVEN WORLDS
90
player handouts
NEWS DISPATCH #1
.:News Dispatch:.
Bay Jing —The Devourers may be on the move again, this time towards Bay Jing, according to unconfirmed reports
received by BJNC.
Unnamed sources within the Joint Fleet of Bay Jing, Concordia and Earth report increased military activity among the High
Command, as well as emergency order dispatches to all fleets.
“The fleet is on full alert,” says a source on condition of anonymity. “All starship captains have been ordered to prepare
themselves for an imminent attack by the aliens.”
The Joint Fleet High Command will issue a statement shortly.
NEWS DISPATCH #2
.:News Dispatch:.
Bay Jing — Chaos has gripped Bay Jing following the official full invasion alert announced by the Joint Fleet.
According to the military press release, two days ago several scouts detected the Devourer fleet approaching from the LHS
1723 star system. Based on earlier experiences of the alien ships’ speed, High Command expects them to enter our Omicron 2
Eridani system within the hour, and to reach Bay Jing about two days after that.
During the press release a haggard General Bruce Sager declared that the Joint Fleet will “shed every last drop of blood” to stop
the aliens and guarantee the survival of Bay Jing.
Evacuation procedures to Concordia have accelerated, although barely a few hundred thousand will have an opportunity to
escape the planet, even with all the resources provided by the Circle and the Psion Brotherhood.
Bay Jing has a total population of sixty-six million.
As civilization collapses around Bay Jing several acts of looting and violence have been reported, particularly among citizens
desperate to board or have their loved ones board the final evacuation ships.
player handouts
91
NEWS DISPATCH #3
.:News Dispatch:.
Bay Jing — Just two hours before the main engagement for Bay Jing begins, several Concordian warships have deserted the
Joint Fleet and begun the trip towards their home star system of Epsilon Eridani, our war correspondents report.
Apparently, the Concordian captains have decided that victory is impossible in the face of overwhelming enemy numbers and
firepower, and have retreated to reinforce the meager Concordian defenses at Epsilon Eridani.
Unable to hide his frustration at this disruption in his forces, General Bruce Sager has insisted that what is left of the fleet will
do its best to “stop the enemy in its tracks.” However, in the last few hours several anonymous sources have declared that
there is no chance of victory.
There is no word yet on whether the desertion was requested by the Concordian military or not.
The Joint Military Fleet will engage the enemy within the hour.
NEWS DISPATCH #4
.:News Dispatch:.
Concordia — Following the tragic destruction of the Joint Fleet and complete obliteration of Bay Jing, Concordian civilization
has been thrown into turmoil.
The few surviving ships that were in the Omicron 2 Eridani star system during the battle and who managed to jump away (no
military forces escaped) described a “massacre,” with Devourer ships casually destroying the fleet’s most powerful battleships
and bombing of Bay Jing’s surface in just a few hours.
Concordian President Kenneth Livley issued an emotional message to the planet in preparation for the attack.
“The bombing of two entire planets and genocide of eighty-one million people apparently is not enough to quench the thirst of
these aliens. Their ultimate goal is the entire annihilation of our species.”
While activating as many evacuation procedures as possible, as well as the creation of several underground refuges for the
many who won’t be able to escape the planet, President Livley pledged to devote the entire resources of the planet to repel
the Devourers.
As is their pattern, the Devourers have not immediately proceeded towards Concordia, and it is unknown when they will attempt
to jump towards the Epsilon Eridani star system. Only one jump separates Epsilon Eridani from Bay Jing’s Omicron 2 Eridani
star system.
Rumors of a fresh fleet approaching from Earth to bolster the planet’s defenses have not been confirmed.
SEVEN WORLDS
92
PLAYER HANDOUT #1
Brawl at Popular Drinking Spot

Attributed to 'Ghost Ship' Tall Tale
Providence, Logan’s End – Yesterday's larger-than-usual bar brawl at the well-known Providence bar "Fearless," which ended
up with four injured and eight arrested, was sparked by a discussion about a 'ghost ship' story.
Melonia Ferrato, owner of Fearless Bar, explained that a merchant crew recently arrived from space caused the fracas by telling
the story.
"They looked shaken and scared, and were obviously drunk," Ms. Ferrato declared. "One of them then began shouting that in
their last trip they had come across and destroyed a 'ghost ship,' a ship that came out of nowhere in the depths of space, from
a place called ‘Chrysalis.’ Or something.“
According to Ms. Ferrato the story of the ‘ghost ship’ from the place with the strange name caused hilarity in Fearless'
customers, who promptly began teasing and laughing at the merchants, who responded first with insults and then with violence.
Then fighting erupted.
Local police have arrested the most likely instigators of the violence, including the five members of the merchant crew who
started the story. They have been identified as Kevin Windon, Hassan Leova, Gerardo Bevard, Doug O'Malley and Oliver Sarria.
Their ship is known as the Aurora Borealis and indeed it has recently parked in one of the orbital spots of Logan's End.
Ms. Ferrato has stated that she will not press charges. It is unknown whether the police will charge the suspects or if they will
be set free soon.
player handouts
93
SEVEN WORLDS
94
4. BROKEN CIRCLE
introduction
As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
W elcome to the fourth module in the Seven

While attending Concordia’s Centenary Celebration,
campaign’s measure of success is the answer to the When the heroes arrived at Earth, they met the
or failure is measured in the answer to a different as the N’ahili. They also met the leaders of the
question: “Did we survive?” Psion Brotherhood, including the famous Ganendra
This adventure continues where Into the Fire, the Nathan, but failed to get any clues to the identity
third Seven Worlds campaign adventure, left off. It is of the mysterious alien ship they saw. Finally, they
starting this one, but if you haven’t you will still find and discovered he had been working on unspecified
lots of interesting and challenging scenarios for you “improvements” to the Stellar Communications
and your players to enjoy! Network, the main technology that allowed the Seven
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS Headquarters in Concordia and were sent undercover
to investigate a curious deployment of ships made
by the Concordian fleet as part of their war with Bay
This section gives a short overview of the Seven Jing. An unlikely discovery ended with the heroes
Worlds Campaign up until this point. carrying information on a top-secret Concordian plan
that could ruthlessly allow them to win the war in a
single stroke.
WHAT’S HAPPENED BEFORE By the end of that adventure the heroes were in
A Mysterious Encounter, the introductory adventure Nouvelle Vie again, where the bulk of the Concordian
included in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, told the and Bay Jingnian fleets were about to meet in
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a battle. At this point, a fleet of mysterious alien ships
routine patrol next to the frontier planet of Nouvelle materialized and completely destroyed both fleets.
Vie, witness the appearance of a strange alien ship Simultaneously, the entire Stellar Communications
and see its awesome destructive power. As a result, Network mysteriously crashed, thus isolating the
the heroes were sent to Concordia, one of the most Seven Worlds. The heroes barely escaped with
powerful planets in the Seven Worlds, and the their lives and flew towards Concordia, carrying
headquarters of the Circle, to report on what they saw. a desperate cry for help against an invader more
In Rumors of War, the heroes travelled to Concordia powerful than all of them.
and met Epsilon Leader Antoine, leader of the Circle. In Into the Fire, several months had passed since
Antoine told the heroes that the Psion Brotherhood the fall of the Concordian and Bay Jingnian fleets
had been secretly interested in these strange ship at Nouvelle Vie, and humanity was fighting a losing
sightings, and asked them to go to Brotherhood war against the alien invaders now known as the
Headquarters on Earth and request information on Devourers. An anxious Epsilon Leader Antoine knew
the sighting from the Brotherhood, using official conventional means will not stop these aliens, and
SEVEN WORLDS
96
asked the heroes to go on a long-shot mission to find much rather play a multi-session mini-campaign in
an alternative way to stop them. the crime-ridden streets of Whitehall in Apollo than
Following an anonymous tip, the heroes travelled continue their mission, have the aliens wait a few
to Apollo and became embroiled in a political war more weeks before moving on. This allows you to fit
between various corporations. To resolve the the schedule your heroes prefer.
situation, the heroes had to storm a faraway research
facility that had been taken over by terrorists. One
of these terrorists had a clue the heroes needed, a NEW CHARACTERS
strange story and the name of an unknown place: If you need to add more heroes to the campaign, either
Chrysalis. Apparently this place had something to do to change players or to replace lost characters, note
with Logan’s End, the farthest and least civilized of that from this adventure onwards the group could
the Seven Worlds. decide to informally add a member who does not
belong to the Circle. Since the Circle is practically gone
anyway, it is not too far-fetched for the group to add
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW a non-Circle-member to their ranks for the sake of
Following a report that suggests the elusive Dr. the mission.
LaMarche is on Harris Station, the heroes travel there
and finally discover his whereabouts, and also learn
the secret he has obtained at such a great cost. It GEAR AND MONEY
turns out LaMarche had discovered that the Stellar Acquiring equipment is harder from now on. Double
Communications Network was going to be sabotaged the price of every item the heroes can acquire from
from within at the orders of the Psion Brotherhood. the gear section. Particularly unique items, at your
He also tells the heroes the orders came from close to discretion, could require a successful Streetwise roll
Logan’s End. Now, to escape, the heroes must survive to be found for sale.
a major space battle against an enemy willing to do Heroes should hoard the money they have, as the
anything to keep LaMarche’s secret from getting out. Circle devotes all of its resources to building new
As the rest of human space slowly but surely falls ships and strengthening their forces, and salaries are
to the Devourers, the heroes reach Logan’s End temporarily suspended (see the Seven Worlds Setting
and follow up on the only clue to Chrysalis, the sad Guide). Any benefits a hero may have from the Rich or
story of a failing smuggler crew that died several Very Rich edges are halved.
years ago. Before the adventure is over the heroes
have crisscrossed the planet and become involved
in a rescue mission in the deep, savage jungles of THE PERSONAL IMPACT
Logan’s End. The reward for a successful rescue: The OF THE WAR
coordinates of the mysterious Chrysalis. As the horror of the conquest escalates and humanity
is confronted with the loss of world after world,
RUNNING THE you should make the risk and danger more intimate
and emotional to the heroes. In the case of the pre-
ADVENTURE generated characters, for example, Maricelle may
have to face the death of her sister, or the reproaches
The recommendations for running the previous from friends in the refugee fleet; Seela may have
adventure apply to this one as well, and are to say a tearful goodbye to her parents before
listed below. Concordia falls, or find Aaron as a survivor among
the refugees from that planet; or Derrick may see his
secrets confronted and his parents shamed as Apollo
TIME PRESSURE is attacked.
While the plot maintains a time pressure, you Assuming you and the players enjoy it, there are
will note that the Devourer advance is erratic and many opportunities for roleplaying the personal
unpredictable. Weeks or months will go by without the impact of the war during this adventure.
Devourers advancing, then all of a sudden their fleet
will jump several star systems as fast as possible.
This was done to underline how unfathomable these THE STELLAR COMM NETWORK
aliens are, but also because it allows you to pace the The Stellar Communications Network is permanently
campaign to your group’s rhythm. If the players would down. This has several implications for the heroes.
introduction
97
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3 Proxima
3.9
Ross 780 Centauri
0.2
4.0 Gliese 908
Settled Star System
Ross 671
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
Lacaille 9352
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
7.8 7.4
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
Harris Station 7.7
4.8 Gliese 588
(Gliese 682)
6.0 Procyon
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
Wolf 629 6.8
(Epsion Indi) 4.2
Sirius
Hoffnung
6.6 Ross 614
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
4.6
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Station 4.4
6.1 7.7 6.8 4.2
4.8
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
Concordia HIP 23512
Van Maanen’s Star
5.7
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0

(Not populated yet) Bay Jing
(Omicron 2 2.5
HIP 23452
Eridani)
7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9 4.0
LP 771-095
8.0 HIP 14101
6.5
In the first place, no communications are available If you are using the 3-D maps, this might be a good
between planets. A makeshift ship relay has been opportunity to show the heroes the updated map this
set up by the military by placing patrol ships on both adventure, explaining that since the Stellar Comm
sides of every jump point, but message capacity is Network has permanently crashed, most routes
limited, slow, and only used for military purposes. between planets are now in a different color.
In game terms, only extremely urgent, military-level
messages will be transmitted, and they will take four
times as long to reach their destination. The heroes ENCOUNTERS IN SPACE
thus have no opportunity to use the Comm Network If you are using the optional Random Space Encounters
to communicate. tables detailed in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide,
On top of that, humanity’s entire communications make the following changes to the rules:
infrastructure is down. No requests for information
to remote databases are available, and information • Since the Stellar Communications Network is
and backups are not syncing between the planets. permanently down, the −1 modifier for travelling
Programs or systems that depended on information between systems not connected by it always
from other planets are now useless. You should applies, regardless of where the heroes are
keep this in mind whenever the heroes are dealing travelling to or from.
with V-World. • If the final modified die roll is a –1, instead of a
Using the local storage capacity of ships travelling Research Ship the heroes find a Devourer ship. Note
between planets to synchronize information between that a Devourer ship can easily overwhelm most
V-Worlds (see The Stellar Communications Network hero ships, so make sure the heroes have a way out.
in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide) has become the Maybe the Devourer ship does not attack or follow
only way to transfer information between planets. for unknown reasons. Maybe it attacks once and
Therefore it has become mandatory to accept these then flees. Whatever it is, don’t let the heroes enter
information downloads. The heroes should expect a battle you believe there is no way they can win.
to become carriers of information between all the
planets they visit. Additionally, you might want to arrange for an
If you are using the space random encounters encounter with a pirate or criminal ship on an
table (see below) remember to apply the Stellar uninhabited star system on the route. The enemy
Communications Network penalty to all trips in space, warns the heroes to surrender their ship and
regardless of their source or destination. valuables or prepare to be attacked. Since the Stellar
Comm Network has gone down and more patrol ships
have been assigned to the fleets to defend Concordia
UPDATED MAPS and Bay Jing, it has become possible to attack ships in
The following maps show how the Seven Worlds space with minimal repercussions. It is more proof of
stand at the start of this adventure. Note the how human society is starting to break down.
following significant differences with the map of the
previous adventure:
• The path between Gamma Leporis (Nouvelle Vie)

and Epsilon Eridani (Concordia) is now marked as a
Dead-end line. This is because all human civilization
there has been wiped out by the Devourer invasion.
SEVEN WORLDS
100
broken Circle
PART I: THE SEARCH Unfortunately during the meeting Dr. LaMarche was
recognized by Alpha Officer Corazón Fusco, a rookie
FOR DR. LAMARCHE Circle agent on an unrelated investigation. It was
Alpha Officer Fusco who filed the sighting report that
This section begins as the heroes approach Harris reached Epsilon Leader Antoine’s desk.
Station, looking for Dr. LaMarche. To hide him, Dr. Ogden took “Dr. Nowak” to the
Paragon Energy offices at Harris Station, where Dr.
LaMarche passed a cursory interviewing process
WHAT HAPPENED TO before being hired as a “newly-arrived expert on
DR. LAMARCHE ³He manufacture and processing” and assigned to
After successfully escaping Earth using a fake Renner Station.
identity he bought from the hacker known as “Bad Dr. LaMarche, now known as Anton Nowak to
Dog” (see Rumors of War), Dr. Luis LaMarche everyone in the base except his friend, has been
travelled to Harris Station and contacted Dr. Denis hiding in the facility for several weeks. He believes he
Ogden, the administrator of Renner Station and an is practically untraceable, and therefore safe.
old college friend. Renner Station, an ³He harvesting Unfortunately for LaMarche, MaxDigital Corporation
and processing facility owned by a company called has secret sources within the Circle, and these have
Paragon Energy, orbits the large gas giant Icades reported Alpha Officer Fusco’s sighting to them.
around the Gliese 682 star system. Several MaxDigital operatives have just arrived at
Using his new fake name of Anton Nowak, Dr. Harris Station and are also following the trail.
LaMarche met Dr. Ogden at the Peatrick Pub.
SCENE 1: THE
Dispatches from the War OVERZEALOUS OFFICER
In the previous adventure, Into the Fire, we Read or paraphrase this as the heroes approach
introduced several dispatches from the war to Harris Station:
keep the heroes abreast of what is happening in the
frontlines of the war. These player handouts help Harris Station is an incredible sight to behold. A
you keep war ever-present during the campaign rotating infrastructure more than one hundred
while at the same time reinforcing the futility of years old, in orbit around the small gas giant
trying to engage the Devourers directly. of Theria, and with a capacity for five thousand
You should have already given Dispatches #1 to people living in simulated gravity conditions, it
#4 to the heroes in the previous adventure. You can is one of the largest inhabited infrastructures in
give Dispatch #5 to the heroes at the beginning of known space. Its age shows in its hull scarred by
Part I of this adventure. Give Dispatch #6 to them as tiny dust projectiles where the Coulborne Shield
soon as they have finished Part I. The heroes should was ineffective, as well as in its now-obsolete
get Dispatches #7 to #9 on the way to Logan’s End; heat radiation panels.
maybe in Waypoint Station, or in Logan’s End itself. Harris Station was once humanity’s main
For more role-playing impact, these dispatches stepping-stone to the stars, when Gee was
could be complemented with appropriate farewell supposed to be “The Future” and Gliese 667
messages from important contacts or family was supposed to be a habitable star system.
members, if one of the heroes has them in the Harvesting and manufacturing Helium-3 by
affected planets. Some of these could even be skimming it from nearby gas giants and selling
the springboard for new side stories, as family it to passing ships was the station’s main source
members share previously unknown secrets with of revenue. Then Apollo, Concordia and Bay
the heroes, or ask them to perform specific errands Jing happened, and Gliese 667 was found to be
as a last wish. uninhabitable. Suddenly, the route supported by
Harris Station was not interesting anymore.
broken Circle
101
The relatively recent settling of Logan’s End of trouble. He carefully explains to the heroes that
has revitalized Harris Station’s fortunes. Now, in a community as small as Harris Station “there are
besides fuel, the station offers all sorts of ways to do things,” and Officer Fusco’s by-the-book
gambling and entertainment operations for attitude doesn’t fit very well. On top of that, she’s
travelers. You are advised to be careful, things already filed several reports that have turned out to
are as rowdy as they sound. be false positives, and he would not be surprised if
Assuming things are still this rowdy in times of the heroes have come all the way here for nothing.
war, of course. Vale suggests that if the heroes are interested in
taking her with them, he would be willing to sign the
As the heroes dock, they find the officer in charge reassignment papers.
waiting for them. Everyone is desperate for news If the heroes ask where Corazón Fusco is, Vale
of the war. Since now information only flows with wearily tells them that Officer Fusco is always
travelers, everyone eagerly awaits new arrivals to “following leads.” Right now, though, he believes she’s
find out more about the war. taking a rest for change, because she told him before
Role-play the scene, with the officer asking for as leaving that she was going to the Harris Station
much information on the war as possible. Pay special flower shop. With the system authorization he gives
attention to how the players tell the story. If they put the heroes it is now possible to locate Officer Fusco
a positive or hopeful spin on the information, this will automatically. The flower shop is just a few blocks
ripple throughout the station and raise the morale away from where the heroes are.
of everyone here. If they take a gloomy or fatalistic
view, the morale of the entire station will suffer. You THE FLOWER SHOP
can use this morale impact when role-playing other Officer Fusco lied to her boss. She’s following yet
characters in Harris Station. another lead, this time to one of the smuggling
organizations that operate in Harris Station under
BEGINNING THE SEARCH an arrangement with local law enforcement. She
The sighting report Antoine transferred to the heroes has concluded that the flower shop is secretly at the
mentions that a minor Circle officer assigned to center of the operation, as importing flowers is a
Harris Station saw someone who fit the description good cover for smuggling other types of goods into
of Dr. LaMarche in a seedy pub, whose name is not the station.
mentioned in the report. The heroes’ first step should Harris Flower Suppliers is a nice, fancy store in the
be to locate the writer of the report, Alpha Officer commercial section of the station. Beautiful flower
Corazón Fusco, and get more information from her. arrangements of all colors cover the store windows.
A search through V-World notes Alpha Officer Inside, the store has several open environments
Fusco’s location as “unavailable”, which means she separated by glass panes which very subtly project
has asked her assistant to keep her whereabouts images of peaceful Earth-like gardens. The far end of
unknown. Since she is a Circle officer on duty, she the store has a long counter behind which friendly-
has the system authorization to do that when on a looking assistants help customers. A door behind the
mission. On the other hand, any hero’s Assistant can counter leads to the back of the store.
tell the heroes where the local Circle offices are. They When the heroes enter, they spot Officer Fusco, a
can go there to meet the officer in charge or contact black-haired woman who looks barely old enough to be
him remotely by V-World communication. in the Circle. She is intently looking at an arrangement
Gamma Officer Sergio Vale is in charge of the Circle of dark red genetically modified carnations in one of
offices in Harris Station. He looks about sixty years the glass-walled “rooms” of the store, with direct view
old (he is really a bit younger), and looks like a man to the counter. Several customers walk around the
who has not been doing all the exercise one needs to store looking at the flowers, including two customers
do when living on a space station. He has a large dark next to the counter just buying what looks like a
radiation scar covering his left cheek. large crate of arrangements for a wedding or some
After identifying the heroes, Gamma Officer Vale other event.
politely asks how he can help them. However, as soon When the heroes try to talk to Officer Fusco, read or
as he finds out they are looking for Officer Fusco he paraphrase the following:
rolls his eyes upward and his demeanor changes. It
turns out that Harris Station is Officer Fusco’s first You’ve barely begun talking to Officer Fusco
assignment since she left the academy, and her when she raises her hand slightly to stop
naiveté and zeal have already caused Vale a world you. Apparently she identifies you via her VR
SEVEN WORLDS
102
overlay lenses, because an instant later she them. One or two of them could even use their lenses
whispers, “Ah, you’re Circle, too! How did you and Assistants to broadcast the battle to the rest of
know I needed backup? Never mind, there’s all the station!
the proof we need!” The following special Assistant actions are available:
In front of your astonished eyes she pulls out
her gun and points it towards the counter, where • Shop V-World Environment: Like most places,
the attendants are giving a large box of flowers the flower shop is automated but can be hacked.
to a couple in formal clothing. “Nobody move! If a hero spends a Benny and his Assistant makes
You’re under arrest!” a successful Hacking roll, it can control the
In the blink of an eye both the store attendants environment and create one special effect. Some
and the couple pull large guns out of nowhere examples are: activate the sprinklers in some of the
and start shooting! Glass panes break and crash flower displays to either increase cover or trick an
as customers scream and run in terror. And enemy; turn the lights that illuminate a particular
you’re in the middle of it! display on or off, thus increasing illumination
modifiers; locking the door in the northern wall
The flower shop is a 12"-by-12" square, with a set (in case reinforcement try to come in); using the
of double doors (2"-wide) located in the center of the security cameras to get information on the location
southern wall, and a small service door located on the of the enemy during the battle; and of course
northern wall, 3" to the right of the northwest corner gaining information on their enemies.
of the room. A 1"-wide counter runs horizontally from
the western wall parallel to the northern wall for 5". If the combat becomes too easy for the heroes, just
The counter is located 1" away from the northern wall. bring more goons into the fray using the door behind
The environment is divided by several 2"-long the counter.
semitransparent glass partitions located horizontally
and vertically throughout the shop, forming an actual Alpha Officer Corazón Fusco: See page 231.
maze (place them at will to form a maze). The glass • Goons (5): Use stats for Typical Thug. These are on
partitions constantly project changing images of location A.
beautiful flowery Earth-like gardens, but also allow • Security Guards (2): Use stats for Veteran Thug.
one to see through them (treat as giving Light Cover). These are the thugs on location B.
The glass partitions have Toughness 6. Any stray shot • Innocent Bystanders (6): Use stats for Civilian.
has a chance of breaking the entire wall in a shower
of glass. In this case, place a Medium Burst Template AFTER THE BATTLE
centered on where the shot hit the glass. Everyone As soon as the battle ends, the local law enforcement
in this range gets 2d6 damage from flying glass. arrives and takes control of the situation. The leading
Afterwards, erase the appropriate glass pane from officer groans as soon as he sees Officer Fusco, who
the tabletop. quickly explains how she figured out the Flower Shop
In front of some of the glass partitions there are was a front for smugglers. Gamma Officer Vale arrives
small 1"-diameter tables with flower displays. These and begins heatedly talking with the enraged leading
work as obstacles with Toughness 6 and grant officer while the remaining goons are taken away.
Medium (−2) Cover. The flowers, vases and other As soon as the situation is resolved, the heroes can
implements on top of the tables can be used as finally talk to Fusco. After the situation is explained to
improvised weapons or items for tricks. her, she tells her story to the heroes. Paraphrase this
Place three “attendants” behind the counter and as appropriate:
two “customers” in front of it. There are also two
more guards in front of the double doors at the south, “You mean you read my report? My hunch was
who pull their weapons and start running towards the right? This is great!,” says Officer Corazón Fusco
heroes in the first round. Fusco and the heroes start with delight. “I knew all those hours I spent
about 6" away from the counter, with direct view to it poring over Wanted records had not been in vain!
through the maze. Of course I’ll tell you all I know!”
Randomly place six counters in the store floor, “There’s this pub in the seamy part of Harris
representing panicked customers. They will try to Station, the Peatrick Pub. The place is perfect for
escape the chaos as soon as possible. Use them ‘discreet’ conversations: It is dimly illuminated,
to make things harder for the heroes, as obstacles, has a bartender with no curiosity, and has lots
innocent bystanders, or to have the heroes save of dark booths where you can talk undisturbed.
broken Circle
103
On top of that, their V-World location sensors LaMarche. The other person on the table has his face
are always, ALWAYS ‘out of order’ so it is not covered in shadows, and cannot be identified.
possible to digitally identify patrons, even with a Officer Fusco immediately volunteers to accompany
hack. Can you believe that the authorities let this the heroes on their mission. Give the heroes her
sort of thing go on? It’s OBVIOUS those sensors character sheet so they can control her.
are always ‘broken’ for a reason! I’ve told the
local police dozens of times to close the place
but they seem to believe it must be kept open for SCENE 2: THE PEATRICK PUB
some reason…” The Peatrick Pub is a large, dimly-lit pub in the tougher
“Anyway, I was there following this couple who parts of the station, the section closest to the station
had just arrived from Logan’s End. Their papers center, and thus with slightly less centrifugal gravity.
seemed to be in order but I noticed, during my Two bouncers guard the double doors to the
daily review of visitors, that they both came pub. They let anyone walk in unless they look
from Apollo, and one of them shared a last name too suspicious. Visitors dressed as Circle officers
with a well-known criminal from that planet. I definitely look suspicious, but the heroes should
guessed they might be related, and thus on some easily fast-talk their way in.
kind of shady mission. I raised my concerns to Inside the pub there are many people having
local authorities but they are so obtuse, they conversations in tables purposely set up in booths
always say I am imagining things. So I decided to and niches designed to give as much privacy as
tail them. They arrived at the Peatrick Pub, took possible. The lights are kept very low (Dark Lighting
a table, and waited for someone to arrive. I sat penalty). Slow but noisy recorded music fills the air,
at the bar with a good view of them and waited.” mostly to keep conversations private.
“That’s when I noticed two subjects at a table at Corazón takes the heroes to the bar at the far end of
the far end of the pub. They were both engaged in the Pub. She suggests talking to Tommy, the bartender
conversation over a drink, and looked completely in charge of this side of the bar, and somehow
out of place with the collection of suspicious convince him to look into his records and see if he can
characters in the Pub. I looked at both of them trace Dr. LaMarche’s companion’s identity from his
carefully and Javert, my Assistant, pointed out means of payment.
the likeness between one of them and Dr. Luis As Corazon and the heroes approach the bar, they
LaMarche, a man with a search request by the notice something strange is going on: Tommy, a large,
Circle. Javert knows he must constantly check fat man with a two-day beard is being pushed and
everyone he sees against the database. Anyway, cajoled by two burly men in formal suits. Any hero
I immediately took a snapshot with my lenses, who makes a successful Notice roll recognizes that
hoping to recognize the other man, too. Then the men are dressed in the same suits and uniforms as
the two suspects I was tailing abruptly stood the security guards in the headquarters of MaxDigital
up and left, and I had to leave with them. I could Corporation on Earth (see Rumors of War).
do nothing more than file a report as soon as I As soon as the heroes approach, the MaxDigital
could. Afterwards, I lost track a bit and could not goons see them. After a few seconds the goons’
follow it up. There is so much criminal activity to lenses recognize the heroes, and the goons drop
investigate in this station, you know.” Tommy and attack.
“In case you’re wondering, I checked Station The Peatrick Pub is a vertical rectangle with a height
records and no one identified as Dr. LaMarche of 16" and a width of 20". The double doors (2"-wide)
has entered or left the station. I have no idea are centered on the west wall, and a 6"-long bar sits
who this person is or how he got here, but I’m parallel to the eastern wall and 1" away from it.
sure you do.” The pub has a total of ten booths/niches distributed
“If you want more, I suggest we go to the along the north and south walls, five per side. Every 4"
Peatrick Pub and talking to Tommy the bartender. along the north and south walls stands a 3" vertical
Maybe he can give us a clue or something to partition separating the booths. Place a Small Burst
follow it up.” Template at the center of each booth, 1" away from
the wall, representing a table. Place four more Small
Officer Fusco transmits to the heroes a copy of her Burst Templates at different positions in the center
snapshot. It shows two men sitting across a small area of the pub to represent additional tables.
round table in a very dark pub. The face of the first Remember that the Dark Lighting in the Pub
man is clearly visible, and definitely looks like Dr. generates a penalty to most actions. As soon as the
SEVEN WORLDS
104
first attack is made, the pub’s security guards at the
main door are alerted and rush towards the combat
location. Give the heroes their stats, so they can be
treated as Extras. Unfortunately, the MaxDigital
goons are not alone: There are two more MaxDigital
guards sitting at one of the booths of the pub, posing
as customers. As soon as combat begins these goons
stand up and try to intercept the pub’s local guards.
Once these are taken care of, the MaxDigital goons
move towards the heroes.
The pub is also full of people who attempt to flee in
panic. Everyone who gets a Club in the first two rounds
must make a successful Agility roll or be thrown to the
floor by a panicked, fleeing customer. Also, customers
could be treated as obstacles or innocent bystanders,
at your discretion.
The leader of this MaxDigital team is Garland, a
rogue psion with a cruel streak. Garland begins
combat at one of the booths closest to the main
doors and moves towards the heroes. As soon as
he is noticed by the heroes, he smiles at them and
uses his invisibility power to disappear. His goal is
to incapacitate as many heroes as possible with the
blast and bolt powers. If Garland decides the situation
is hopeless he attempts to flee, using the invisibility
power if he can still maintain it.
• MaxDigital Thugs (8): Use stats for Veteran Security.

• Pub Guards (2): Use stats for Typical Thug.
• Pub Bystanders: Use stats for Civilian. A cursory search of Denis Ogden on the station’s
Garland: Use stats for Rogue Psion, Add two V-World system finds that he is a scientist who works
charges of the invisibility power. at Paragon Energy, one of the companies in charge of
Alpha Officer Corazón Fusco: See page 231. harvesting ³He from the nearby gas giants, and also
of running refueling operations. Paragon Energy has
CLEANING UP offices in the business section of the Station.
Assuming Tommy is still alive and the heroes helped
save him and the Pub, he is grateful enough to help PARAGON ENERGY
them. He asks the heroes not to tell anyone that he The offices of Paragon Energy are small and modest,
is about to share customer information with them, as as befits a frontier prospecting company. At the
his business could suffer. By using the date, time and heroes’ request, they are taken to see Katelyn Zibelli,
table number, he is able to locate the customer, who the local administrator.
fortunately was clumsy enough to use a credit chip Zibelli explains that their ³He prospecting, research,
to pay: Dr. LaMarche’s mysterious companion goes by mining and distribution stations are crewed by the
the name of Denis Ogden. best scientists, explorers and engineers available.
Any surviving MaxDigital thugs will be extremely Experts are indispensable given the complexities of
uncooperative. If forced to talk (or if subjected to handling such a valuable and hard-to-find isotope.
a psionic mind scan) they will reveal that their spy Initially Zibelli is unwilling to go into detail on the
network intercepted Officer Fusco’s internal Circle particulars of any employee, but after some pressure
report on Dr. LaMarche, which prompted this mission from the heroes she shares that Dr. Denis Ogden is
to be sent from Earth to investigate. They have no the chief of Renner Station, their main ³He extraction
idea why Dr. LaMarche is important, they only know facility orbiting Icades, the largest gas giant in the
he is to be shot on sight. They will at all costs avoid Gliese 682 system. Located just 0.05 AU away from
identifying other members of their team. the Gliese 682 star itself, and with 0.8 Earth gravity,
Icades is the perfect place to capture significant
broken Circle
105
amounts of ³He. Given that it is almost 1 AU away from distance, and role-play the exchange as a slow-
Theria, around which Harris Station revolves, a trip to motion conversation.
and from takes approximately a week. Assuming the heroes don’t turn around and
Zibelli can also share with the heroes that several continue on to Renner Station, read or paraphrase this
weeks ago, during one of his periodic trips from to the players as they approach:
Renner Station to Harris Station, Dr. Ogden arrived at
these offices with a new recruit he claimed to have The galaxy never ceases to amaze a human
found, interviewed him as a potential employee being. As you approach Gliese 682 you realize
for his base, and then offered him a job. Dr. Ogden how relatively uncommon it is to be so close to
justified the hiring on the grounds that the recruit a star. Fortunately, this star has a fraction of the
was very experienced in interstellar chemistry, a skill energy of Sol, thus allowing you to come this
sorely needed at Renner Station. The interview was close, and also permitting Icades, a gas giant
performed one day after Officer Fusco saw Ogden and the size of fourteen Earths, to exist. These two
LaMarche at the Peatrick Pub. The mysterious new huge space bodies, so close together, create a
recruit’s name is listed as Anton Nowak. Dr. Ogden truly alien view.
and Anton Nowak are now at Renner Station, and have Renner Station is a small, utilitarian construct
been there for the last few weeks. orbiting Icades. The station has a main habitat
body where the crew lives and works, and several
arms that serve as docking clamps for the many
SCENE 3: RENNER STATION mini-ships that skim the outer atmosphere of
There are no transport ships scheduled to travel to Icades to pick up ³He. Some of these arms end in
Renner station for several days, so the heroes must huge cylinders that store captured ³He and that
take their ship if they want to get there. dwarf the station. Periodically, large transport
Since Renner Station always has a visual scanner ships arrive from Harris Station to take and tow
pointed towards Harris Station, the heroes’ ship is these full cylinders, and leave empty cylinders
sighted days before it arrives. The heroes receive a for Renner to fill up.
message from the station asking them to identify The beating heart of energy for humanity in
themselves and to state the reason they are the 23rd century is on display before you, and it
travelling to Renner Station. If the heroes mention looks somewhat lonely.
Dr. LaMarche or Anton Nowak in their reply, they are
told that no one knows of any Dr. LaMarche, that When they are less than two-light seconds away,
Dr. Nowak is busy and cannot be interrupted, that the heroes receive a video call from none other than
the Station is private property, and that they are Dr. Ogden itself, a balding, short black man with an
not welcome. The interchange will most likely end athletic build and dark eyes.
with the station’s silence, but clever players might Dr. Ogden repeats the questions the heroes
manage to get more. received days before. As soon as the heroes mention
Remember that every message to and from their mission, he flatly refuses them entry. He is not
the station takes several minutes to travel the accustomed to lying, and his nervousness is apparent
as he denies knowledge of Dr. LaMarche. The heroes
will have to persuade or intimidate Dr. Ogden into
WHO IS SUZANNE LAMARCHE? letting them in. Depending on the players’ tastes you
can make this either a pure role-playing encounter
Retired Epsilon Leader Suzanne LaMarche, Dr. Luis or run it using the Social Conflict rules, with either
LaMarche’s sister, is the previous leader of the Circle, Intimidation or Persuasion (or both) being appropriate.
and one of its most respected figures. As detailed in In this last case, the heroes have several interesting
Rumors of War, the first module in the Seven Worlds points that might create bonuses for them, such as
Campaign, it is at Suzanne LaMarche’s request that the evidence they have on Dr. Ogden in the Peatrick
the heroes are sent to investigate her brother’s Pub, as well as the information they have on how the
mysterious disappearance. Also in Rumors of War, war with the Devourers is proceeding. In either case,
the heroes find a message left by Dr. LaMarche the interaction should end with Dr. Ogden grudgingly
to his sister, where he explains that he suspects granting the heroes access to the station.
MaxDigital Corp. of being involved in some kind of Inside the station, the heroes are taken to a
dangerous plot. conference room and “Dr. Anton Nowak” is brought in.
One glance is enough for the heroes to recognize Luis
SEVEN WORLDS
106
LaMarche, the man half the formerly-Seven Worlds concerted effort needed to be made in order
have been searching for so long. A middle-aged thin for this to work. I began suspecting the entire
man with thick, short black hair and beard, and old- “upgrade” project was an excuse to include this
style lenses, his most striking feature is the dark bags crash procedure into humanity’s most crucial
under his eyes, which give him the look of a hunted, communications backbone.
haunted man. I carefully compiled as much evidence as I could,
Dr. LaMarche’s main concern is about his sister, and not daring share this with anyone. With some
he asks the heroes about her. If the heroes took the help, I also managed to prepare a back-door that
effort to gather information about Suzanne LaMarche would allow someone else to enter MaxDigital’s
before they left Concordia, they will have an easier protected intranet, in case something happened
time with Dr. LaMarche. Supposedly by this time the to me. I stored the back-door information in the
heroes should know Concordia is about to be attacked safest place I could think of, my character’s vault
(see the Sidebar on Dispatches on page 101), but inside the game of AmberDrake Chronicles I was
should not know that Concordia has fallen. This might playing. I thought my sister would know me
make for an interesting conversation. enough to think about that. Lord knows I never
Once Dr. LaMarche begins telling his story, read or thought it would be needed.
paraphrase the text below: Unfortunately I was discovered before I could
get to the bottom of everything, and had to
“You must know that several years ago I took escape. I had already made my preparations:
a post with MaxDigital Corporation. The pay An underground hacker known as “Bad Dog”
was good, and the opportunity to apply my furnished me with a fake identity, and using it
knowledge of interstellar communications to the I arrived at Harris Station. Here my old college
next generation of the Stellar Communications friend Dr. Denis Ogden met me at a local pub and
Network by working with EarthGov’s main hid me here. In the meantime I was a witness
subcontractor made the job irresistible. I just to how the Stellar Communications Network
jumped at the chance. crashed. I was devastated at seeing my life’s
For years we worked on designing and building work used to destroy humanity’s ability to
the upgrade. Part of the upgrade was on new communicate just when we were about to be
hardware for transmission, drone mobility and attacked by an alien species.
energy conservation, but improved software You must be wondering if it was a coincidence
was the core. Everything went great until I that the Stellar Comm Network crashed at the
noticed several curious pieces and scraps of code same time the Devourer invasion began. It
installed within the already-shipped upgrades. obviously wasn’t. Whoever did it knew it would
I was certain I had not approved or noticed make humans vulnerable to an enemy attack.
those before, but they were listed as workflow- As to who did it, I can tell you MaxDigital does
approved correctly. The project was so complex not give the orders here. The company is just a
and there were so many of us working on it that corporate mercenary, for sale to the highest
I initially dismissed them as valid code that had bidder. I did manage to insert one or two pieces
slipped my sight. of code of my own into the upgrade, however,
When I casually reported this situation to help trace the sender of the deadly message
I received strong-handed requests by my when it was processed by the faulty code. You
superiors to forget about it. I have to admit this see, since I knew what was supposed to be in
raised my curiosity. On my own, and carefully the message in order for it to crash the system,
hiding my activities, I reviewed the source code I just had to make sure that an alert was raised
and discovered that it could allow a seemingly when a message with similar content passed
innocuous transmitted message carrying just through the system. And before the system went
the right phrase password, to crash the entire down I did get my alert. That’s why I can tell
Stellar Comm Network. you this: The message that crashed the Stellar
I can’t explain all the technicalities of how the Communications Network was signed by the
SCN works to you, but it is enough to know that it Psion Brotherhood.
consists of dozens of redundant, interconnected Yes, the Psion Brotherhood. They sent the
systems. To be able to crash such a fault-tolerant message that crashed the entire Stellar Comm
network, these lethal pieces of code would have Network. Want to know something even more
to be inserted everywhere. In other words, a bizarre? My alert also parsed the message, so
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107
I know the planet it was sent from. The first armor. There are 161 people on board whose lives
registered source for the message was Logan’s are now in danger.
End. You do realize Logan’s End is NOT on the • Dr. LaMarche: If someone suggests getting rid of
Stellar Comm Network, don’t you? The message Dr. LaMarche to keep the station safe (or evacuating
was relayed by ship-to-ship communications him before the attackers find him), Dr. LaMarche
to Harris Station, this very place, and from here points out that the attackers will most likely
it jumped to all the network. It lay dormant on destroy the entire station and all its occupants
each network node until a pre-determined time, on the assumption that he has shared his secrets
and then crashed everything. That’s some fancy with some of them. In any case, he is not willing
piece of timing. to abandon those who have risked their lives to
As to why would the Psion Brotherhood want protect him.
to cripple humanity just before it is attacked by • Escape Pods: Renner Station has several dozen
ruthless aliens? Your guess is as good as mine. escape pods which allow the crew to leave the
station in case of emergency. Since the pods just
This might be a good opportunity to review the allow the survivors to float around the location of
workings of the Stellar Communications Network, the station for a few days until help arrives, they
especially how messages are relayed to travelling are not an option to escape the attackers, who
ships on planets without Comm Network access (see would just blow up the escape pods. Therefore, if
The Stellar Communications Network in the Seven the heroes want to save the station crew, they must
Worlds Setting Guide). keep their enemies from destroying the station.
LaMarche also provides the heroes with a data • ³He Tanks: Renner Station is connected to four huge
card with all the evidence he has for his accusations, cylindrical tanks that store ³He. The heroes might
mostly pieces of source code that only other experts think of detaching these tanks from the main body
in the field could understand. and placing them in front of the habitat section
Suddenly, Dr. Ogden’s face appears on one of the of the station, thus acting as cover against any
wall screens. He reports that two ships have been attacks. If all four tanks are placed in front of the
detected on their way to Renner Station, and asks if station, all enemy attacks have a −2 Medium Cover
they are expecting anyone else. Dr. Ogden has tried penalty. Any beam or missile attack that would
contacting the ships and they are not responding. have hit the station but for the penalty modifier
Both ships also look very well armed. hits and destroys a tank instead. Once two tanks
are destroyed the cover penalty drops to –1. ³He
THE ATTACK is not combustible, but a fusion fuel, so it will not
The MaxDigital goons finally managed to piece “explode” when the tank is destroyed.
together that “Dr. Anton Nowak” is really Dr. LaMarche. • Fuel Skimming Mini-ships: Renner Station has
The two approaching ships are actually mercenary a total of seven mini-ships that skim the outer
ships hired by MaxDigital to blow up Renner Station atmosphere of the gas giant Icades, collecting ³He
and thus take out LaMarche and anyone he might to store in the tanks. Although these two-person
have told his secrets to. Given the distances and time skimming mini-ships are not armed, they are
involved, even if Renner Station sent a distress signal equipped with a large dual fusion engine designed
to Harris Station help would not arrive in time to avoid to navigate in strong gravities and escape the
the attack. atmosphere. In outer space this means they can
After talking it over with Ogden and LaMarche, the achieve significant speeds, thus making it feasible
heroes have a few days to decide what to do. The to ram enemy ships. If the heroes think of using the
intention of the arriving ships is not confirmed, but Mini-ships as such as weapon, treat all of them
the most logical assumption is that they are coming as a single “swarm.” To create the swarm start
to eliminate Dr. LaMarche. with the statistics for the skimming mini-ship, and
Have the heroes flesh out their strategy in add +4 Toughness for the swarm. All swarm rolls
preparation for the attack. Here are some notes are group rolls, and thus work with a Wild Die.
about the station and its environment that may help This includes rolls to avoid enemy attacks. The
their planning: swarm has three Wounds, just as a normal ship,
representing individual ships in the swarm falling
• Renner Station: Being a mining station with no or having trouble. Swarms can never receive more
military goals the station has light weaponry and than two Wounds from a single attack. To attempt
a collision, the swarm must begin within one range
SEVEN WORLDS
108
increment as the enemy ship and must make a
successful opposed Piloting roll. With a success,
one mini-ship in the swarm slams against an enemy
ship, inflicting 4d6 damage AP 2 (6d6 with a raise),
as well as a Wound on the swarm itself. Note that
this cannot be done remotely; a pilot must decide
to make a suicide run for this to work. The pilots
at Renner Station are willing to make the ultimate
sacrifice to protect their crewmates; this may be a
great source of role-playing.
There are other strategies the heroes might think

of. You as a GM have the last call on what is possible
and what isn’t.
Assuming the battle takes place close to the station,
place ten markers on the table to mark distance.
Place Renner Station in the 1st marker. Place the
heroes’ ship in the 2nd marker. If the heroes decided
to launch the Skimming Mini-ship swarm, also place
it in the 2nd marker next to the heroes’ ship. Place the
enemy ships on the 10th marker, facing the station.
Give the heroes ship sheets for both Renner Station
and the Mini-ship Swarm (if it will be used). All ships
controlled by heroes act on heroes’ Action Cards as if
they were Extras.
Dr. Luis LaMarche: See page 233

• Renner Station “I HAVE AN IDEA! LET’S
• Skimming Mini-Ship Swarm (1): See the Seven TURN THE TRANSPORT
Worlds Setting Guide for stats on a single Skimming INTO A STARFIGHTER!”
Mini-Ship. Although there are seven Mini-ships,
they are treated as a single “swarm” for simplicity. Can you imagine a bunch of airline pilots adding a
Add +4 Toughness to the Swarm. For this scene missile launcher to a 747 airplane? Given that Seven
assume in a “suicide run” a pilot can take these Worlds is a game with a strong hard science-fiction
ships to a maximum Top Acceleration of 16. feel, jury-rigging a weapon on a space ship in two
• Enemy Ship (1): Use stats for Pirate/Mercenary Ship days is as impossible as it is in real-life. Thus no
(Small). major improvement to ships is allowed in a short
• Enemy Ship (1): Use stats for Pirate/Mercenary Ship period of time in the game.
(Medium). This may sound boring to some players or GMs,
accustomed to having the freedom to improve their
vehicles before a fight. If you as a GM approve, you
AFTER THE BATTLE may allow these kinds of unrealistic improvements
After the combat is over the heroes are free to or jury-riggings in the game. Just be sure to keep
leave. Hopefully Renner Station and most of its crew the game feel you are striving for, whatever it is.
survived; in this case Dr. Ogden thanks the heroes
profusely and offers any help he can.
If Dr. LaMarche dies, before dying he leaves the By the end of this section the heroes have finally
heroes a message to deliver to his sister Suzanne ascertained three important facts: The Stellar Comm
should they ever return to Concordia. This may make Network was indeed deliberately sabotaged; the
an especially poignant moment when Concordia culprit is the Psion Brotherhood, or someone within
falls in the next dispatch the heroes receive. If alive, it; and the deadly message that crashed everything
Dr. LaMarche could also become a replacement PC came from Logan’s End. Hopefully this, along with
should the heroes need one. the Chrysalis clue from Into the Fire, should move the
players on towards Logan’s End.
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PART II: THE TRAGIC point that connected to the other one in the middle of
space), and a destination name: “Chrysalis.”
STORY OF THE With weeks gone and lots of fuel wasted with
AURORA BOREALIS nothing to show for it but a bizarre story and some
strange jump point coordinates, Windon and his crew
This section begins when the heroes take the long decided to return to Logan’s End while they figured
voyage to the frontier star system of Logan’s End. out a way to profit from all this. Unfortunately, space
Their goal is to find out what “Chrysalis” is and how crews being what they are, they ended up drunkenly
to get there. Their only clue to Chrysalis is an obscure spilling their story at a local Providence water-hole,
news report from three years ago, which the heroes where they were promptly laughed off. In the ensuing
received in Into the Fire, and is reproduced here as bar brawl they were all temporarily arrested, causing
Handout #1. a small police story to appear in the news (see
Handout #1).
Joseph Wilkins, the local representative of the Psion
WHAT THE HEROES Brotherhood, got wind of the story and realized the
MUST UNCOVER secret of Chrysalis was in jeopardy. He moved his
The clues to Chrysalis the heroes are looking for are teams swiftly to clean up the evidence.
tied to the three-year-old story of a small smuggler A week after the bar brawl, Hassan Leova was
ship called the Aurora Borealis, and to the sad fate found dead, stabbed apparently while being mugged.
of her crew. Two days later, Doug O’Malley was found dead in his
The Aurora Borealis was a small smuggling sleep at a sleazy motel.
vessel owned by Captain Kevin Windon, an unstable Sad and scared, the rest of the crew met at Gerardo
individual with a long history of small-time crime. Bevard’s house in Providence, where Mrs. Bevard
Besides Captain Windon, the ship’s crew of five served them snacks while they mourned their friends
included Hassan Leova, Gerardo Bevard, Doug and wondered if someone was “out to get them.”
O’Malley and Oliver Sarria. Within the next few weeks, Windon, Bevard and Sarria
Three years ago, desperate at several deals gone were all dead in seemingly unconnected incidents,
wrong and in one of his more unstable periods, and the story seemed buried forever.
Captain Windon decided to follow and hijack one of Unbeknownst to the Psion Brotherhood,
the scientific vessels that periodically travelled to the however, the Aurora Borealis had a sixth, unofficial
nearby Mu Casseiopeiae system to perform research crewmember on its fateful trip: A young girl by the
on the sun’s corona (see Logan's End in the Seven name of Ellie Vince had met Oliver Sarria a few days
Worlds Setting Guide). before the trip, and eloped with him as a stowaway
The Aurora Borealis followed the scientific ship a few on the ship. Captain Windon found out once the ship
days behind. When they jumped to the Mu Casseiopeiae was on its way and although he was furious there
system, the smugglers were just in time to spot their was nothing he could do. Of course Ellie was never
prey itself jump through a previously unknown jump listed as a passenger on the ship, and thus the Psion
point at the other side of the star system. Fortunately, Brotherhood never found out about her. Crushed
the Aurora Borealis was not detected before the other by the strange events she witnessed and the loss
ship jumped. It took Windon almost a week to reach the of her lover, Ellie Vince fled Providence. She is now
new, secret jump point. Then, following the scientific married to Sammy Edmondson, a shuttle pilot for a
ship, Windon travelled through the mysterious new transportation company that connects the southern
jump point and ended up in the middle of space, light- and northern hemispheres, and lives in Santiago. She
years away from the closest star system. The scientific still keeps a data card she took from Oliver with the
ship had disappeared. coordinates to the mysterious ‘Chrysalis.’
Rattled and superstitious, Windon and his crew
jumped back to Mu Casseiopeiae and waited for the
“ghost ship” to return. A few days later a new, different SCENE 4: THE TRIP TO
unmarked scientific ship jumped back. Scared, Windon LOGAN’S END
opened fire on the new ship, practically blowing it up The trip to Logan’s End is long and dangerous. The
before it could react. After searching through the trip can be run star by star or using the optional
debris Windon and his crew managed to recover the Encounters in Space rules from the Seven Worlds
navigation systems logs, and from those recovered a Setting Guide. You can also gloss over the trip to get to
set of jump coordinates in space (presumably a jump the next part of the tale, at your discretion. This might
SEVEN WORLDS
110
also be a good time to run a Montage (see the Seven now following the trail of the shady organizations
Worlds Setting Guide). running the show.
Given how long the trip is, the heroes must make
sure they carry enough fuel and supplies. Refueling on
the way is indispensable. The only stop along the way SCENE 5: ON THE TRAIL OF
is the aptly named Waypoint Station. If you consider it THE AURORA BOREALIS
appropriate, this may be an excellent opportunity to Explain to the heroes what penalties Logan’s End
run a side story set on Waypoint Station. creates for them (see Planetary Environments in
the Seven Worlds Setting Guide). This is particularly
LOGAN’S END important on this planet, which has the harshest
When the heroes arrive at Eta Cassiopeiae, the penalties because of its hot, high-gee environment.
star system of Logan’s End, read or paraphrase Heroes might want to revise their strategies to
the following: account for this.
Although advanced by 21st century standards,
After many long weeks, your destination is Providence is noticeably primitive by 23rd century
finally before you: The fifth planet orbiting standards. From construction to services, from
Eta Cassiopeiae, the frontier world known as quality of power to relative lack of V-World screens
Logan’s End. and panels, Providence feels “behind.” The fact that
Orbiting a star very similar to Sol but brighter, many people walk armed on the streets and that the
Logan’s End is a tropical planet with a high rule of law is weaker than in other places adds to the
gravity and temperatures (for humans). The “Western” feel of the place.
average temperature on the planet is 49 degrees Heroes may start by searching for information in
Celsius, forcing most humans to settle on the Logan’s End’s V-World network from the moment
poles, where the temperature is a chillier but still they are entering the atmosphere in the StO shuttle.
sweaty 25. An Investigation roll (by the hero or an Assistant)
Logan’s End is still a “frontier world,” the is needed to uncover this information. The first
farthest one from the other planets, and one Investigation roll takes one hour. If the roll fails, it may
with tenuous centralized control. It is a wild place be attempted again but each additional search takes
where settlements are still rough, the jungles three times as long.
are mysterious and foreboding, and danger Failure: No records of any of the five members of
awaits just outside the poles. It has the largest the crew of the Aurora Borealis are found for the last
native flora and fauna of any planet settled until three years. There appears to be nothing recent on any
now, with many kinds of plants and animals of these five people. This may be because all five have
living on its swampy, jungle-type surface, being left the planet, or because something has happened
very similar to Earth in atmospheric composition. to them. Then again, maybe the heroes performed the
As you take the StO shuttle from your docking search wrong.
station on the orbit of Logan’s End and stare Success: The system has no new information on
out the window you see Providence, the largest any of the five members of the crew of the Aurora
settlement on the planet, in the north pole. Borealis for the last three years. The reason is that all
With only one million inhabitants, Providence is five met untimely, accidental deaths in the days and
currently in its permanent day phase, being as it weeks following their incident in the bar. No apparent
is close to the pole. foul play was detected in any of the deaths. Only one
of the members of the crew has a living relative: Helen
You may optionally stage an encounter in space Bevard, widow of the ship doctor Gerardo Bevard. She
between the heroes and Commander Olivia Creeson lives here in Providence (the address is provided).
(see Personalities under Logan's End in the Seven Raise: Besides the information listed above, the
Worlds Setting Guide), in charge of Logan’s End’s system mentions that the crew used to meet at the
makeshift military defenses. Commander Creeson Bevards’ house periodically to talk, plan and exchange
is always on the lookout for contraband and illegal gossip. Helen Bevard was usually at these meetings.
operations running into or out of Logan’s End, If the heroes visit the Fearless Bar they can meet
particularly drug smuggling. She has intercepted Melonia Ferrato (see Seven Worlds Setting Guide).
several shipments of Peak, one of the most addictive Ferrato can only offer the heroes the information on
recreational drugs in the Seven Worlds, and is Handout #1, but no more.
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THE WIDOW BEVARD bread and cookies, and all four of them were
If the heroes visit Helen Bevard’s home, they find her there, obviously worried. Kevin kept insisting it
living in a small apartment in one of the many five- was nothing, Hassan and Doug had just been
story apartment buildings in the poorer sections of unlucky; Oliver insisted it was ‘the ghost ship’
Providence. Mrs. Bevard is a tall lady with large front and that they had been cursed; poor Ellie said
teeth, a busty build and curly old-fashioned hair. She nothing; and of course my Gerardo, clear-minded
is dressed simply and looks a bit disheveled after a as always, said they should focus on what
day of work as a cashier in a nearby grocery store. to do now.
While Mrs. Bevard is friendly, people in Logan’s End In the end they agreed on nothing, of course.
don’t trust anyone as a matter of course, so the heroes When the reunion broke up they promised to
will have to gain her trust. This will require some role- meet again soon. They never did. Oliver had a
playing and maybe a few Persuasion rolls. Remember heart attack three days later. Kevin got involved
that V-World is available to all characters and their in some drunken fight in a bar and got stabbed
Assistants. Mrs. Bevard will be able to use her lenses to death. And Gerardo… oh, my Gerardo [her eyes
to identify who the heroes are, as well as when they swell with tears]… he was so sad he went out for
arrived (unless they take steps to hide their identity). a walk, and didn’t return. We found him dead on
Mrs. Bevard’s Assistant (she does have one) will check a puddle in an alley, with a farewell note and a
facts and background on the heroes while she talks. bottle of something he had bought somewhere.
You should have her ask one or two uncomfortable They got the guy who sold him the poison, too,
questions and see how the heroes respond before he testified Gerardo himself bought it and that
having Mrs. Bevard fully trust them. he looked like he was going to use it. I hope that
Once the heroes gain her trust, Mrs. Bevard bastard has already rotted in jail!
invites them into her home, offers them coffee and It was a year before the pain went away. I
sandwiches, and tells her story. Paraphrase the text don’t know what they saw or where they went
below as a conversation, according to how the heroes on that trip, and I frankly don’t care. I don’t
ask their questions: believe in ghost ships or stuff, I just wish it all…
hadn’t happened…
“Oh, I will never forget what happened. I curse Notes or records? The police took everything,
the day they took that trip! Oh, they were always of course. They also confiscated the Aurora
getting themselves in trouble, but it was always Borealis in their investigation. It turned out
the captain, Kevin, who pushed them into it. My Kevin owed it several times over and it was
Gerardo wanted to get out of it all, he told me sold or scrapped or something. I’m sorry but I
he wanted to get work here in town, but it was have nothing to give you that may help find out
always ‘just one more job and I’m done’ and he what they saw.
never got around to doing it. Can I help you with anything else?”
When he got back from the trip he was rattled,
obviously something had happened. Oh, he didn’t Hopefully the heroes noticed the reference to four
say anything, but he didn’t have to; I know my people in the last meeting (rather than three), and the
man. That same night he went with the boys to reference to someone with the name of “Ellie.” If they
the Fearless Bar and he got into that mess with did, give them a Benny. If they didn’t, and a soft nudge
the fight and all! I had to go to the police station doesn’t work, an Assistant can bring up the point.
and call a friend’s husband to get him out! I was Once the question of the extra person in the meeting
furious at him! And then, of course, the news is brought up, read or paraphrase the following:
report came out and I had to hide my head inside
a paper bag when going out. We were the talk Ellie? Well, of course she was there. Oh, I see
of the neighborhood… Oh, I still boil inside when your confusion. Ellie Vince was not part of the
I remember. crew. She was this young girl, a Southerner,
Then a few days later Hassan was found dead, barely of age, just arrived from Santiago
mugged. And then Doug died while sleeping. escaping her parents for something or other.
We had to go to practically two cremation She met Oliver and they fell in love immediately.
ceremonies in a row… Oliver, crazy as always, stowed her away on
So after Doug, we all came here, to this the Aurora Borealis on that last trip. You can’t
apartment. They obviously needed to talk. I imagine how ANGRY Kevin Windon was when
remember I went to the kitchen to bring some he discovered he had a stowaway on his ship!
SEVEN WORLDS
112
He almost KILLED Oliver! Of course there was Heroes should also note how bulky and inefficient
nothing he could do about it, so poor Ellie spent the shuttles look when compared to other ships in the
all the weeks of the mission up there with the Seven Worlds. The reason is that with the increased
crew. The poor girl had a rough time, Kevin was gravity of Logan’s End ships need to have more fuel
anything but courteous to her. and larger engines in order to fly.
Of course, she never appeared in the When the heroes arrive at Santiago they find
passenger manifest, and Kevin would never themselves in constant darkness, at least for a few
declare her when she arrived, so no one knew more weeks. Santiago is more primitive even that
she went on the trip. Also, she did not go to the Providence, and smaller. It is one of the few places
bar that night so her name never came up on in the former-Seven Worlds where there is no local
the news release. Now that you say it, yes, she’s Circle presence or support.
the only person who went on that trip who’s still
alive today. ELLIE VINCE
Where is she? Well, when Oliver died she was It is easy for the heroes to locate Ellie Edmonson’s
heartbroken and went back to her home town house, a small apartment in a three-story building in
of Santiago, on the south pole. As far as I know an up-and-coming part of the city. Judging from the
she’s still there. I heard she married some shuttle neighborhood life has been good to her recently.
pilot. I hope she’s happy and she’s forgotten As the heroes approach the door it detects who they
about all this mess. are and reports it to Ellie, who immediately refuses
them entry. She is sobbing, scared and beside herself.
A quick search of V-World quickly brings up Ellie The heroes have a chance to talk to her through the
Vince, now Ellie Edmondson. She lives in Santiago, on closed door to convince her to open it. This may
the south pole of Logan’s End. require some skillful role-playing or a few successful
arguments and Persuasion rolls.
• Mrs. Helen Bevard: Use stats for Civilian. Once the heroes manage to gain her trust, Ellie
timidly opens the door and lets them in. The place
THE SECRET SURVIVOR is nice, but disorganized. The heroes can’t help but
If the heroes try to place a call to Ellie Vince, their call notice the pictures of Ellie smiling while hugging her
is answered by a haggard black girl with large blue husband, a young man in an airline pilot uniform. It
eyes, about twenty years old, who rudely asks what turns out that Ellie’s husband was the pilot of the air
the heroes want. She looks obviously distressed. shuttle that crashed in the jungle five days ago, and at
As soon as Ellie hears that the heroes want to talk this point he is presumed dead.
about the Aurora Borealis or her past she closes the Beside herself with grief, Ellie is at times sad and
communication and does not answer again. If the at times violent towards the heroes, saying she
heroes want to talk to her, they will have to travel to has nothing to say or give to them and does not
Santiago, on the southern pole. care what they want. Depending on how the heroes
work their arguments and conversation with Ellie,
THE TRIP TO SANTIAGO sooner or later in her desperation an idea comes to
To travel between the poles the heroes have to take her. Read or paraphrase this into the conversation
one of the many commercial flights that depart from as appropriate:
Providence during the day, at ticket prices of about 80
EarthGov Dollars per passenger. “Listen… maybe… maybe there’s a way we can
When the heroes reach the airport, they notice it is help each other.
relatively empty, and there is ample choice of flights Since the shuttle crashed the company and the
and seats. Overhearing casual conversations they authorities have been looking for the plane, but
discover that a few days ago a shuttle crashed in the the jungle canopy is dense, and no emergency
jungle, a few hundred kilometers from Santiago. The beacons have been detected despite there being
remains of the shuttle have not been found and it is several emergency transmitters on the shuttle.
unknown whether there are any survivors but since Most people don’t survive the savage beasts
the jungle is dangerous enough to devour anyone of the jungle for more than one or two days
who is not prepared, the chances of survival are slim. without appropriate equipment, so at this point
For this reason passenger traffic has decreased for they are presumed dead. On top of that, these
a few days. are the dark months in the south. It’s hard to see
anything down there.
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Even so, two search expeditions have been and constant tidal flooding make it impossible for
mounted and sent below the jungle canopy. wheeled or tracked vehicles to move for long, and
One of them disappeared without a trace; they hovercraft are too slow and bulky to have more than
suspect Jungle Terrors. The other one radioed for a few kilometers of range in Logan’s End’s gravity
emergency evacuation because of a Bodymouth before losing all energy. Not that being fast would
attack. Never heard of either of those? Well, help them, with the density of trees and obstacles
you’re lucky. below the jungle canopy.
In any case, after two failed rescue attempts, Thus the best rescue plan is to have a Beetle-
and with nothing to show for it, the authorities class ship land at a specific place in the jungle,
are giving up. Search efforts are half-hearted disembark the expedition team, and use a long-range
at most. Last night the company’s insurance communicator to send a distress beacon when the
agent suggested I might want to begin the survivors are found (or when the heroes need to be
claim process. They want me to accept that my evacuated). Again, Ellie’s husband’s friends will be
Sammy is lost! But I can’t, I just can’t lose my monitoring the beacon signals and respond as soon
partner again… as possible.
I asked, BEGGED them to please send another Have the heroes make their preparations with
expedition, but of course they said it is too the gear list and, subject to your approval, provide
dangerous. One of our infrequent tidal seasons them with anything they want that is not on the
has started, and the water comes in and recedes list (appropriately priced, of course; remember that
hundreds of kilometers every few hours in that supplies for specialized equipment are scarce because
part of the jungle. That’s another reason they of the war). Once they are ready, read or paraphrase
think no one can survive. the following section:
I know what you want. Yes, you want to know
about the ghost ship and Chrysalis. Well, I have The city has receded hours ago as the Beetle-
the information you want, and I was there so I class shuttle takes you to the edge of the pole.
can tell you exactly what happened in space, The shuttle resembles a fat bug with dual rotors
exactly what I saw, and exactly where to go! on the sides, and strong engines that engage
But I won’t… periodically to fight gravity. In the darkness
… unless you do something for me first. Unless of the southern hemisphere, little by little you
you go look for my Sammy for me. Go to the see the vegetation increase, both in size and in
jungle, find him, and save him for me! And if you density, until you are flying over unbroken dark
can’t, at least help me know he’s at peace! jungle. It is curious that in such a high-gravity
world as Logan’s End vegetation still has found a
Ellie is willing to give the heroes the family’s entire way to grow large and thick trees. Clearly there
life savings (a meager 300 EarthGov Dollars) so they is still a lot to learn about how evolution works
can equip themselves for the mission. She can also its wonders.
call some of her husband’s friends so they can take Finally Cheet, the friend of Ellie who works
the heroes as close to the jungle as is possible with with her husband Sam at the shuttle company,
a Beetle-class shuttle. Assuming they accept, she points to a place below, a small clearing in the
tells them she’ll be awaiting their return with the dense jungle. “This is about the center of the
information they want. estimated crash area,” he says. “It’s not the exact
center but without a clearing you’d have to jump
• Ellie Vince/Edmondson: Use stats for Civilian, but and believe me, you do not want to try skydiving
with Spirit d10. in the gravity of Logan’s End! Be careful of
the jungle!”
As the Beetle lands on the small clearing,
SCENE 6: SEARCH FOR Cheet’s face grows serious. “Me and my mates
THE CRASH SITE will be on the lookout for your emergency beacon
The only known information about the lost flight signal, just remember our Beetles can’t land into
is the general location of the last received shuttle the jungle without a clearing or something…
transmission. At a shuttle’s typical speed, this still Thank you for helping Sam and Ellie. The bosses
leaves an area almost eighty kilometers in diameter at the company are idiots. I know from their
to explore. The dense jungle canopy makes it difficult point of view the odds say there’s no hope but…
to detect anything from the air. The jungle floor
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114
this is the right thing to do, you know?… Well, DEUCE: JUNGLE TERROR AMBUSH
Good luck!” While making camp at night, the heroes are ambushed
A few moments later you are on land, jungle by Jungle Terrors. The mysterious creatures take full
all around you, in the darkness of the Southern advantage of the darkness and growl ominously, cast
hemisphere, and with the rapidly departing threatening shadows where possible, and in general
Beetle ship the last sight of civilization you will scare the heroes before attacking when they least
see for some days, if ever. expect it. In game terms, play the encounter using the
monsters’ Intimidation skill. Depending on the results,
DEALING WITH THE JUNGLE some heroes may need to perform a Fear check.
Although Logan’s End is notorious for the extreme
levels of light that require characters to wear special • Jungle Terror (1 per every 2 heroes)
goggles, ironically the heroes are in a position where
that isn’t needed. They are in the “night” side of the THREE: BLACK LIZARD SWAMP
planet, very close to the pole, and under a dense The heroes are passing through a flooded region of
canopy. They therefore have a −1 Dim Lighting penalty the jungle (count as Difficult Ground), when several
to all rolls. All Heat and Gravity penalties (see the Black Lizards, lying in wait under the surface, attack!
Setting Rules section in the Seven Worlds Setting Use the Surprise rules from Savage Worlds.
Guide) apply as normal.
Remember that in the jungle there is no V-World • Black Lizard (1 per every 2 heroes)
network. Therefore, Assistants will not be much help
during combat.
The expedition will take several days of travelling
through swamps, marshes and jungle. Note the
supplies that the heroes consume during their trip.
If they run out of supplies, you may have to use the
Hunger rules from Savage Worlds. In this situation,
the heroes may want to eat some of the beasts they
fight. Whenever they do this have them make a Vigor
(−2) roll. With a failure, the different organic structure
of the creature is difficult to digest, causing one level
of Fatigue for 24 hours.
At any time, the heroes may use their long-distance
communicator to contact civilization and ask for
supplies or other support. In most cases a clearing or
other location to land will have to be found in order
for the heroes to receive the support they need. This
might require a Survival roll, at your discretion.
JUNGLE ENCOUNTERS
Regardless of the direction the heroes take, for each
day of travel draw a card.
• If the card is a black suit number card or a black Ace,

consult the appropriate section below and run the
indicated encounter.
• If the card is a black suit Face Card, the heroes have
found the survivor encampment. Proceed to the
next Scene in the adventure. If the Face Card comes
up before the heroes have explored for at least
three days, put the card back in the deck and draw
another card.
broken Circle
115
FOUR: LAIR OF THE SWAMP SLUGS NINE: LAIR OF THE SLEEPING MANYMOUTHS
The heroes are wading through the swamps when The heroes come across a group of bizarre, scary
they step on a group of Swamp Slugs. The Slugs use creatures called Manymouths. The Manymouths
their high Stealth to try to surprise the heroes. are feigning sleep, and will attack if approached or
if attacked. A few feet next to the Manymouths lie
• Swamp Slug (1 per hero) several bodies, not many days old. They are most
likely from survivors of the crash.
FIVE: GLIDERS NEST
The heroes are walking under a particularly dense • Manymouth (1 per every 2 heroes)
part of the jungle canopy when they are surprised by
several Gliders from the trees above. Lurking a few TEN: SPIKETAIL AMBUSH
feet away from the heroes is a Dart Plant. Mark it as an The heroes are walking through a dense part of the
innocuous plant on the tabletop, maybe as something jungle when several Spiketails jump on top of them
that could give cover. If the heroes approach the and attack! The Spiketails will attempt to flee when
plant while evading or fighting the Gliders, the Dart only two of them are left.
Plant responds.
• Spiketail (1 per hero)
• Gliders (1 per hero)
• Dart Plant (1) ACE: ENVIRONMENT HAZARD
The heroes meet an environmental hazard they must
SIX: FLESHWORM SWARM resist or avoid. Pick from one of the following:
The rotting, bloated corpse of a human being,
probably a shuttle passenger, lies on the jungle floor. • Tide Flooding: Large, strong waves flood the
With a Notice (−2) roll a hero can notice the corpse jungle as the strong tides of Logan’s End affect
is twitching slightly, as if something were alive the area. Each hero must make an Agility roll or
inside it. If the heroes approach, several swarms of be carried away for 2d6 damage. Afterwards,
Fleshworms come out of the corpse and move to the ground is treated as difficult ground for
attack the nearest heroes. 2d6 hours.
• Storm: One of Logan’s End’s sudden tropical storms
• Fleshworm Swarm (1 per every 3 heroes): begins. All rolls have an additional −1 Lighting
penalty, on top of previous lighting penalties.
SEVEN: ATTACK OF THE BODYMOUTH Additionally, the ground turns muddy, causing
While crossing the jungle, the heroes are startled walking heroes to make an Agility roll or fall Shaken.
by several loud sounds, as from an animal noisily Finally, all physical actions suffer an additional –2
walking. After a few seconds, a Bodymouth barges penalty because of the pouring rain and strong
into the area and attacks. If a hero has never heard of wind. This lasts for 2 hours.
a Bodymouth before (and has not done their research • Quicksand: The high gravity of Logan’s End
on Logan’s End’s lifeforms) have him or her roll their makes sand concentrations particularly deadly.
Spirit as soon as they see it. With a failure, he or she Bogs and other unstable ground structures can
begins combat Shaken. cause trouble for the heroes. The lead character
must make a Notice roll at –2 or plunge to the
Bodymouth (1) waist. Unless extracted he or she sinks in three
rounds and begins drowning. The hero can make a
EIGHT: LOGAN CHAMELEON TRAP Strength ( – 4) roll to pull himself out. On a success
The heroes are crossing the jungle when they are he stops sinking, and on a raise he pulls out. Other
ambushed by a group of Logan Chameleons. These heroes can also help by making a Strength roll to
creatures lie still using their chameleonic disguise drag their comrade out.
(gaining a bonus to their Stealth roll) and then
suddenly pounce on their surprised victims.
SCENE 7: THE CRASH SITE
• Logan Chameleon (1 per every 3 heroes) Run this scene when the heroes draw a black Face
Card as the encounter card.
As the heroes approach a swampy part of the jungle
they notice some of the treetops are broken and see
SEVEN WORLDS
116
the path of destruction caused by a crashed shuttle. communicator. Several survivors, including a few Dark
Adjacent trees have kept the canopy relatively dense, Claws, have already fallen prey to the savage beasts
thus obscuring this from the view of flying Beetles. of the jungles of Logan’s End. Finally, just two days
A few hundred yards later the heroes find the ago they managed to repair the communicator and
remains of the shuttle. It has been rendered apart by send a signal to their gang. In response the Dark Claws
the impact, and dead bodies are everywhere. have sent one of their own Beetle-class shuttles to
Have all heroes who search the debris make a pick up their comrades and the PeakPlus samples.
Notice roll with all appropriate modifiers.
Success: The body of the pilot is not found amongst THE CLEARING
the wreckage, which would suggest that the pilot, After following the trail for about twenty minutes the
Sammy Edmondson, has survived the accident. heroes find a clearing, in the middle of which there is
The heroes also find a trail of footprints leaving an unmarked Beetle shuttle, similar to the one they
the wreckage. were brought in. Nestled next to the wall of a small hill
Raise: Pieces of the fuselage and hull show small to the north of the clearing are four humans, gagged
round holes, consistent with bullet holes. Apparently and tied. Guarding them are three thugs armed with
there was a gunfight of some kind here, and maybe medium-sized guns. All of them have the haggard
that caused the shuttle to crash. Also, several pieces looks and ragged clothes of crash survivors. Next to
of communications hardware have been removed them are four soldiers neatly dressed in light combat
from the ship. uniforms. Behind this group there are several pieces
Two Raises: Edmondson is not the only survivor. of equipment, apparently used as spare parts to repair
The count of bodies clearly does not match the number a radio transmitter.
of seats. Even considering any bodies the heroes may Unless the heroes take pains to approach silently,
have found in previous encounters, if any, there are at the Dark Claws hear them and do the following:
least seven more people missing.
• One of the goons runs up the ramp into the Beetle
WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE and turns on one of the Beetle’s two heavy guns
The commercial shuttle piloted by Sammy Edmondson (this takes a full round). The Beetle’s heavy gun
was carrying among its passengers several will be used against the heroes in this fight, but it is
undercover members of the criminal organization hard to swivel and aim given that it is at the top of
known as the Dark Claws. These members were the ship and can’t be pointed at clearing floor. This
carrying samples of PeakPlus, a new and stronger inflicts a −1 penalty to Shooting rolls, on top of any
variation of Peak, one of the most addictive and other penalties.
expensive illegal recreation drugs in the Seven • Two other goons immediately point their guns at
Worlds. The idea was for the Dark Claws to test and the hostages (gaining The Drop against them) and
mass-produce PeakPlus in their labs in Santiago. shout a threat to the heroes. The goons who have
Unfortunately a rival gang, the Mayhems, got wind of The Drop on the hostages will try to kill them if the
this and also boarded the shuttle, planning to steal heroes ignore their threats, or if they see the battle
the PeakPlus samples as soon as possible. Logan’s going against them.
End being more relaxed in its security procedures • All other enemies raise their weapons, scramble for
than other places in human space, both gangs were cover, and prepare to fire at the heroes.
able to board with hidden weapons. During the flight,
one of the gangs recognized the other and a gunfight The clearing approximately measures 24" by 24"
ensued. Among the ensuing chaos and panic some and has several rocks and plants that can be used
stray bullets ripped the shuttle walls and hit the as cover, giving a −2 Cover penalty (use about ten
engines, thus causing the crash. Small Burst Templates to mark them). The Beetle in
While all the Mayhem goons died in the crash, the center of the clearing occupies two Large Burst
several members of the Dark Claws survived. Templates with one side touching, and acts as Heavy
Unfortunately all transmitters were destroyed in Cover (–4 Cover penalty).
the crash. The Dark Claws goons took the remaining The eastern, western and southern sides of the
survivors hostage (among them Sammy Edmondson, clearing lead back into the jungle. Since the heroes are
the pilot) and left the wreckage, taking the remains of outside the canopy, the –1 Dim Lighting penalty does
a communicator with them as well as several spare not apply. The enemy combatants are all Logan’s End
parts. They have spent the last few days braving natives and thus gravity penalties don’t apply to them.
the dangers of the jungle while trying to fix the If the heroes leave the clearing (through the south,
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117
east or west sides) the Dim Lighting penalty applies, A few bullets pierced the cabin, and the engines
as well as a Medium Cover penalty (–2). were hit. We tried to save the ship but couldn’t,
The northern side of the clearing is the hill wall. The and crashed in the jungle.
gagged and tied humans, as well as their guards and Our captors, who call themselves the Dark
the spare equipment, are lying right next to this wall. Claws, survived. We were barely out of the
wreckage when they grabbed us and their cargo,
• Hostages (4): Use stats for Civilian. some weird drug sample they were interested
• Dark Claw shuttle survivors (3): Use Stats for in keeping, they call it PeakPlus. They forced us
Typical Thug. to walk through the jungle until we found this
• Dark Claw armed military (5): Use Stats for Typical clearing, and then they returned to the crash site
Mesh Trooper. to bring electronic parts to fix the communicators
• Beetle Ship (1) and call their cronies.
In the meantime, several of us (and of them)
THE SURVIVORS have died, attacked by Spiketails and other
One of the four hostages is Sammy Edmondson, critters of this cursed jungle!
Ellie Vince’s husband. Assuming he survives (even if Some time ago the Dark Claws managed to
wounded), he tells the heroes the following: repair one of the communicators and call their
base. This Beetle ship arrived just two hours
“Thank you! We had given up all hope… ago. I think they were preparing to leave when
What happened? Well, the shuttle flight was you arrived.”
proceeding normally until all the alarms went off. Have the survivors answer any questions the
It turns out these guys and some other criminals heroes may have. As soon as they are ready, read or
started a gunfight in the shuttle cabin. There paraphrase the following:
were stray bullets, wounded passengers, panic!
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118
Suddenly, you hear the unmistakable sound As soon as possible, Ellie fulfills her part of the
of engines approaching! Maybe Dark Claw agreement and shares her story with the heroes:
reinforcements? Time to act fast!
I know it sounds stupid, since it was only three
Two Light Beetle shuttles, piloted by Dark Claw years ago, but now I feel that I was so young
goons, are approaching. The heroes have just one then, so naïve… I left Santiago in a rush over a
round to act before the Light Beetles appear above fight with my parents, I don’t even remember
them and start firing their guns. why now. I met Oliver on my second day in
It should dawn on the heroes that they will all Providence and fell for him immediately. He was
be sitting ducks unless they can escape using the due to depart for space in two days, and we just
Beetle ship they have. It takes one full round (and a couldn’t stand being away from each other! So
successful Piloting roll) to start the Beetle, and an he had this crazy idea of stowing me inside the
additional full round to take off the ground. During ship, and I was even crazier to accept… I don’t
this time the enemy Light Beetles hover above the know, it sounded so adventurous and grown-up,
battleground, firing at any characters and the ship. now it just sounds plain stupid.
Heroes can use the ship’s two heavy guns to fire back Anyway, Oliver kept it a secret from Captain
at the enemy ships. Windon, who was the most disgusting man in
Once the heroes take off, they’re in for a high-speed the world, and crazy as hell. It took him just a
chase over the jungles of Logan’s End! Use the Savage couple of days to find out. Would you believe
Worlds rules for an Extended Chase, with each enemy he wanted to space me? He would have, too, if
ship having their own Action Card. Since the side walls I hadn’t been his pilot’s girl. So I was allowed
of the ships can be lowered, gun-to-gun combat to roam, but mostly stayed in my room. I spent
between the ships is also possible. my time plugged into V-World and to the comm
Note that Piloting a Beetle shuttle is not considered system, seeing what was going on in the ship
a physical action, as most piloting is done using a VR while feeling miserable over the bad decision
interface. Therefore, the −2 gravity penalty for being I had made.
in Logan’s End does not apply to Piloting rolls. Anyway, Captain Windon was desperate for
The chase ends when either the heroes escape money, some shady business or other had gone
(after the ten rounds of the Extended Chase are up) or wrong, and he hit on the great idea of hijacking
when they destroy both their enemies. If the heroes one of the science ships that periodically flew
dispatch their enemies too easily, you could bring to the nearby star of Mu Casseiopeiae for some
enemy reinforcements in the form of extra Beetles weird research. He figured that in that out-of-
or Light Beetles. Since the chase can be detected by the-way place no one would notice the attack.
planetary scanners, the heroes could also receive That shows just how dumb he was.
reinforcements from local law enforcement if things As soon as we jumped into the Mu Casseiopeia
are going bad for them. system we spotted the science ship. However,
instead of going close to the star for study, the
• Beetle Ship (1): This is now the heroes’ ship science ship had flown to a featureless, empty
• Light Beetle Ships (2) point in space… and then jumped! Supposedly
• Dark Claw soldiers (6): Use Stats for Typical Mesh there are no known jump points out of that
Trooper. There are three soldiers per Light Beetle star other than the one we had just come in.
ship, one of whom is the pilot. Fortunately for us the science ship jumped just
as we did, and so they did not get a chance to
detect us in time.
EPILOGUE Smelling a rat, Windon immediately ordered
Once the heroes return to Santiago with Sammy Oliver to fly to the science ship’s last location,
Edmondson (dead or alive) and the other survivors, and then jumped. You cannot imagine his surprise
they are covered in honors. Ellie Vince is especially when we came out in the middle of space, light-
grateful to them if her husband is brought alive. The years away from the closest star system! Even
heroes have also made lasting enemies of the Dark worse, the science ship was not there! But where
Claws, who will want to come back for them. And Olivia did it go?
Creeson will be delighted to receive the PeakPlus That’s when someone started mumbling
samples and thwart the Dark Claws’ drug operation. something about the ‘ghost ship.’ And that rattled
them all. They jumped back to Mu Cassiopeiae.
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119
Bevard, Leova and whats-his-name argued There was no chance the crew would accept
with Captain Windon about going back to Logan’s another jump into the wild, so for all his anger
End, but Windon decided to wait a few more days Windon had no choice but to return. He made
and see what happened. Those were tense days, everyone swear that they would take off as
there were fights among the crew. I just wanted soon as possible to investigate this new jump
to go home! coordinate, but that very same night the drunken
Then something appeared at the jump point. It crew spilled everything at the Fearless Bar. Then
was a scientific ship… but it was not the one we they got into a fight, got arrested, made the
had followed. It was a different ship! news, and you know the rest.
Windon was so scared by this that the idiot Me, I stayed attached to Oliver for a few more
opened fire on the new ship, practically blowing days, up until the day he died. When he did, I
it up before it could react. I’d never seen so many immediately fled back to my parents’ here in
scared and confused men in my entire life! Once Santiago. I decided to put everything behind me
they got their stuff together they approached and build a new life. And then you came.
the wreckage they’d created and went to salvage Besides the story, I think you might want this:
some stuff. They recovered the navigation It’s a data card with the coordinates we found
systems logs and the ship’s last two jump on the trip, including the ones for this ‘Chrysalis.’
coordinates. One was the middle-of-nowhere Oliver had it and I took it as part of our belongings
place we’d just visited; and the other jump when he died. You will probably have more use
coordinate originated from that place and went for it than I ever could.
somewhere else. That other jump coordinate
was labeled with a single word: ‘Chrysalis.’ The heroes are now in possession of the coordinates
to reach Chrysalis.
The adventure now continues in Chrysalis, the next
module in the epic Seven Worlds campaign!
SEVEN WORLDS
120
side stories

Assistants (the heroes lose all access to them). Once
this is done, Jasver contacts the heroes, gloating
about having “digital hostages” and threatening to
permanently format the Assistants (along with all
their backups) if they persist on pursuing him.
Seven Worlds Setting Guide. There are great ideas for As they face Jasver and his goons in a final
further side stories there! combat, the heroes get to see their Assistants used
against them! In game terms, controlling the heroes’
Assistants (and their personal information through
DIGITAL HOSTAGES them) gives Jasver and his goons the ability to make
Intimidation, Taunt and Smarts Trick rolls with a +2
penalty. The Assistants also have a +2 bonus to all
Where: Harris Station. rolls made against the heroes.
Dwight Jasver, a recently escaped criminal from Jasver is not above destroying the Assistants if the
Earth who is also a master hacker, has arrived at heroes do not give in to his plan. If the heroes manage
Harris Station; local enforcement suspects he is to stop Jasver they can recover their Assistants with
about to commit a major heist. The heroes are tasked no problems.
with locating and stopping Jasver. Their first clue is
Joan Piaget, a former fellow cellmate and best friend • Joan Piaget: Use stats for Veteran Thug.
of Jasver from Earth who is now living in the corrupt • Ruiz Golan: Use stats for Civilian with a Repair d10.
underside of Harris Station. • Jasver’s Goons (4 per hero): Use stats for Veteran
Unbeknownst to the authorities, Jasver has been Thug. Part of them will participate in the kidnapping
busy the last two weeks: He first visited Piaget, who of Ruiz Golan. Any remaining goons will protect
gave him the underground contacts to hire a group Jasver and act on his orders.
of thugs and goons. Then he set his headquarters up • Dwight Jasver (Wild Card): Use status for Veteran
in an old hotel in the slums. Now Jasver is sending Thug but add a Hacking d12 and the Command,
his goons to kidnap Ruiz Golan, an aged local small Hacker, Assistant Hacker, and Very Active Assistant
business owner who many years ago worked as a Edges. Whenever Jasver uses V-World to attack
repair engineer to the company that was contracted through a hero’s Assistant (which should be
to build Harris Station. Jasver’s plan is to use his frequently), that Assistant temporarily inherits the
prodigious hacking skills to take full control of all Assistant Hacker edge.
Harris Station systems, aided by Golan’s still valid
but forgotten biometric identification from when he
worked at Station repairs. Once he has full control of
A DANGEROUS
the station, Jasver can steal all digital currency on the
MESSAGE
network and blackmail the authorities into allowing
him and his team to escape via a ship towards Where: Waypoint Station.
Logan’s End. As explained in the Stellar Communications
As the heroes start following Jasver’s trail and enter Network section of the Seven Worlds Setting Guide,
the underworld of Harris Station, their Assistants ships scheduled to travel to faraway locations are sent
start behaving strangely. First they become more batches of messages to store in their local database
hostile and antisocial than usual; then they start so they can be transmitted back at the destination
losing skills or abilities; until finally, in a particularly when their ship arrives. This is mandatory of all ships.
dangerous moment of the mission (maybe while Obviously all messages carried are confidential.
trying to thwart Golan’s kidnapping), all Assistants’ Just before the heroes depart Waypoint station for
suddenly disappear! Logan’s End, their ship downloads a batch of messages
In reality, Jasver began hacking the heroes’ for their destination. One of the messages is sent by
Assistants since he found out that they were pursuing a local investigative reporter to a colleague of his at
him. After a while, using his prodigious hacking a news outlet in Santiago, and contains an explosive
talents, Jasver finally manages to “kidnap” the heroes’ revelation: Erin Amanpour, the charismatic mayor of
side stories
121
the city of Santiago on Logan’s End, is actually one It turns out that several weeks ago a terrorist
of the leaders of a criminal network that coordinates underground organization from Suarez, calling itself
most piracy and contraband activities on the route the Suarez Supremacists, has set up a camp about a
to Logan’s End. If this information were to go public, day from the plant. Their aim is to take the workers
Amanpour’s career would implode and the network’s of the hydroelectric plant hostage and then threaten
piracy activities would suffer a major setback. to destroy the plant unless all energy distribution
Just after the heroes depart, the reporter is is permanently routed to Suarez. Jimmy Lopez, one
discovered and killed, and the criminal organization of the four members of the plant team, is actually
begins its attempts to stop the heroes from delivering one of the Supremacists. As per the plan, Lopez
the message at any cost. A fast courier is dispatched tricked the other three members into going out for
to warn Amanpour of the danger and order other ships an “emergency rescue expedition” with the aim of
to intercept the heroes’ ship. The heroes will be openly leading them to the terrorist camp and taking them
attacked by one pirate ship when coming out of a jump hostage. Unfortunately, the group was ambushed and
point en route to their destination, and again by two killed by a group of Manymouths before reaching the
pirate ships as they approach Logan’s End (and before camp. Not knowing what happened to Lopez and the
their ship has a chance to automatically transmit the group, the Supremacists have spent the last few days
messages it’s carrying). waiting for news. Now they are done waiting and are
If the heroes’ ship gets to transmit the messages ready to strike at the plant.
and the truth comes out, the heroes can expect an The heroes’ first order of business is to repair the
ambush by several goons sent by Amanpour looking plant and keep it running. The heroes can do this
for revenge. by rolling Repair and accumulating five successes
(each raise counts as a success). Each Repair roll
• Pirate Ships: Use stats for Medium Pirate/ represents a hero working a full day on repair
Mercenary Ship. activities. Collaborative rolls are possible. Once the
• Ambush Thugs (3 per hero): Use stats for Veteran heroes have the plant running, at least one person
Thug. has to stay at the plant full-time and keep it running
by making a Repair roll with a +2 bonus. If the roll is
failed, the plant breaks down again, and has to be
TEMP JOB repaired as above.
When the heroes are ready to follow the trail of the
crew, draw a card and compare it to the encounters
Where: Logan’s End. on the Jungle Encounters section on page 115. If the
The heroes are asked to travel to a far-away card comes up a nine, a face card or a Joker, ignore it
hydroelectric plant that has mysteriously stopped and draw again.
working and whose crew has stopped responding to The heroes’ second encounter is the Lair of the
messages. As a result of the plant’s failure, the far- Manymouths (see encounter Nine in the Jungle
away towns of Suarez and Maytown, always at odds Encounters section on page 116). The bodies in the
at each other because of energy distribution issues, lair are the bodies of the four plant crewmembers. One
are suffering acute energy shortages. The heroes’ of them (Lopez) has a long-distance communicator
mission is twofold: It is imperative they re-enable set on a frequency through which the heroes can
the plant as soon as possible and keep it working listen to the Supremacists. With the communicator,
to restore energy supply to Suarez and Maytown, the heroes can gather that a group of terrorists is
and if possible they must find out what happened to approaching the plant to finally take it, while another
the four members of the crew. It is expected that a group is in their camp about a day away. The heroes
replacement crew will be ready and available to take can also talk to the Supremacists if they want.
over for the heroes in about two to three weeks. The heroes must decide how to proceed. If one of
A Beetle Ship drops off the heroes at the nearest them stayed behind at the plant, he or she will most
open clearing, a few hundred yards away from the likely be sieged by the Supremacists approaching
plant. The heroes find the plant empty of people. The the plant. On the other hand, if the Supremacists
plant was left to run by itself, and with no one to pilot remaining at the camp detect the heroes (maybe if
it, some of the machinery blew and broke down. Upon they use the communicator) they will immediately
investigation, a set of tracks can be found entering the close in on them and try to stop them before they
jungle. The heroes must decide whether to follow the reach the plant.
tracks or repair the plant.
SEVEN WORLDS
122
If the Supremacists manage to take the plant, footage of their final moments as they are torn to
they will immediately stop its systems, rig it with shreds by a pack of Bodymouths. If Vondrazek and his
explosives and broadcast their threats to both Suarez goons have not been dealt with yet, they appear just
and Maytown. Most likely the heroes are in the best in time for a final battle for Logan’s valuable remains.
position to retake the plant from its captors.
Remember that the heroes most likely have Dr. Ralph Lombardi: Use stats for Civilian with a
penalties due to the planetary environment of Logan’s Knowledge (Science) d10.
End (see page Planetary Environments in the Seven Dr. Simon Vondrazek: Use stats for Civilian with
Worlds Setting Guide) and their enemies don’t. Agility d8, Knowledge (Science) d10, Shooting d10,
and Intimidation d10.
• Suarez Supremacists (five per hero and Ally): Use • Dark Claws (4 per hero): Use Stats for Typical Mesh
Stats for Typical Mesh Trooper, with the Woodsman Trooper.
Edge.
• Suarez Supremacist Leaders (2): Use Stats for BITE-SIZED
Veteran Mesh Trooper, with the Woodsman Edge.
ADVENTURES
TREASURE HUNT! Here are some short ideas for you to flesh out, should
you have the inclination:
Where: Logan’s End • Ship Troubles: Space trips are long, and never more
The heroes are approached by renowned historian so than on the route to Logan’s End. It is precisely on
and archeologist Dr. Ralph Lombardi with a request these sort of trips when things may start breaking
for help. Lombardi has spent years investigating the down. First, the ship’s G-Gym leaves a hero stranded
diaries and records of Jeffrey Logan, the billionaire in rotation around the ship, with the connecting
playboy who was the first human to visit the planet cord about to break! Then, the ship’s Virtual
and who gave Logan’s End its name. Logan’s 2168 Therapist starts behaving strangely, and shares
expedition was lost and never found, but after the confidential information he is told. Is this all a
studying several obscure notes from the operation’s coincidence? Or is some kind of sabotage going on?
planning phase Lombardi believes he knows the • Take Care of This for Me: As millions try to
path the billionaire and his team took. If the remains evacuate Concordia or Apollo in preparation for the
of Logan’s expedition could be found, both the story impending Devourer invasion, a fellow Circle officer
and the items rescued would be invaluable. Lombardi and close friend of the heroes asks for a favor: He
offers the heroes part of the credit if they manage the wants the heroes to take her ten-year-old boy with
expedition with him. them on their ship and deliver him to his father.
Unfortunately, Lombardi’s former partner and Should the heroes accept, they now have a new,
now enemy, Dr. Simon Vondrazek, has been tipped of young crewmember to take care of. The young boy
Lombardi’s find and is trying to reach the remains of is helpful but inexperienced, and gets the heroes
Logan’s expedition first. He has contacted the Dark into trouble more often than not. However, as the
Claws to stop Lombardi. heroes end up battling several teams of enemies
As the heroes and Lombardi travel to the city of St. looking to kill or kidnap the boy, they slowly discover
James (starting point of the original Logan expedition) that his father has become involved in something
and then enter the jungle following Lombardi’s clues, dangerous. The young boy might also become a
they are incessantly pursued by Dr. Vondrazek and the player character, with the Young Hindrance.
Dark Claws goons intent on stopping them.
As the heroes move through the jungle, draw a card
for each day of travel. If the card is of the black suit,
compare it to the list on the Jungle Encounters section
on page 115. If the card comes up a face card or a
Joker the heroes have found the remains of the Logan
expedition. Make sure the Dark Claws appear in the
worst possible moments.
At the lost expedition site, the heroes not only find
the bodies of Jeffrey Logan and his team, but also
side stories
123
handouts
The following are handouts and dispatches to be given to the players during the campaign.
PLAYER HANDOUT #1
Brawl at Popular Drinking Spot

Attributed to 'Ghost Ship' Tall Tale
Providence, Logan’s End – Yesterday's larger-than-usual bar brawl at the well-known Providence bar "Fearless," which ended
up with four injured and eight arrested, was sparked by a discussion about a 'ghost ship' story.
Melonia Ferrato, owner of Fearless Bar, explained that a merchant crew recently arrived from space caused the fracas by telling
the story.
"They looked shaken and scared, and were obviously drunk," Ms. Ferrato declared. "One of them then began shouting that in
their last trip they had come across and destroyed a 'ghost ship,' a ship that came out of nowhere in the depths of space, from
a place called ‘Chrysalis.’ Or something.“
According to Ms. Ferrato the story of the ‘ghost ship’ from the place with the strange name caused hilarity in Fearless'
customers, who promptly began teasing and laughing at the merchants, who responded first with insults and then with violence.
Then fighting erupted.
Local police have arrested the most likely instigators of the violence, including the five members of the merchant crew who
started the story. They have been identified as Kevin Windon, Hassan Leova, Gerardo Bevard, Doug O'Malley and Oliver Sarria.
Their ship is known as the Aurora Borealis and indeed it has recently parked in one of the orbital spots of Logan's End.
Ms. Ferrato has stated that she will not press charges. It is unknown whether the police will charge the suspects or if they will
be set free soon.
NEWS DISPATCH #7
.:News Dispatch:.
Apollo – Concordia has been destroyed. Although escaping ships could not scan the planet’s surface, it is believed that it was
bombed as thoroughly as Nouvelle Vie and Bay Jing were. The chances of survivors are thus negligible.
The only significant remaining fleet in human space is the one that protects Earth. This means Apollo is practically undefended.
There is no word yet on when the Devourers will leave Epsilon Eridani and move towards our planet.
SEVEN WORLDS
124
NEWS DISPATCH #5
.:News Dispatch:.
Concordia —The trap set up by Concordia’s defenders at the jump point between Concordia’s and Bay Jing’s star systems failed
to stop the Devourers, who are on the move and approaching our planet.
Concordian Military Forces devoted significant amounts of resources to placing explosive mines next to the the jump point
between Epsilon Eridani and Omicron 2 Eridani, in the hope of destroying or disabling as many Devourer ships as possible as soon
as they made the jump. It is unknown if the aliens are affected by Jump Disorientation like humans.
Unfortunately, our correspondents report, the trap did not do any significant damage to the enemy.
“Their ships are built of a material that is beyond the toughness and radiation protection of anything we know,” reported a
military expert with knowledge of the situation. “The levels of heat and energy absorption they can handle are beyond anything
we have seen or conceived.”
Conditions in Melissant and other major Concordian cities are rapidly deteriorating, as supplies dwindle and authority disappears.
Whole districts have descended into chaos.
The entire Concordian fleet, supported by the remains of Circle forces, is on its way to meet the enemy halfway between the
jump point and the planet. The engagement should start within the day.
NEWS DISPATCH #8
.:News Dispatch:.
Apollo – The Devourers are on the move again. They should be in the Epsilon Indi star system in days, two weeks at the most.
We cannot stop them. We cannot evacuate.
Someone, please help us.
NEWS DISPATCH #9
.:News Dispatch:.
Apollo – They are here.
handouts
125
DISPATCH #6
[Transcript of private video message sent by Epsilon

Leader Trevor Antoine, Circle HQ, Concordia]
[VIDEO MESSAGE BEGINS] to die and we still don’t understand what

those blowfish are all about.”
[A haggard Trevor Antoine appears on
the screen, standing in full Circle military “But I’m rambling. In short, this will not be
uniform in his office. The skyline of won by force, not unless conditions change.
Concordia, covered in dark smoke, is seen Which brings me to you. Your mission
through the window behind him. Antoine provides our best hope for our survival,
looks at the camera] slim a hope as it sounds.”
“This time you will finally get rid of me” “You may be asking yourselves, how do
[Fleeting smile] “We all knew this, we I know? Why do I have so much faith in
just refused to accept it. We are as much you? Well…”
a threat to the Devourers as a housefly
is to us. Any of our modern soldiers can [Antoine pauses and takes a deep breath]
effortlessly disable an early-21st warrior,
and that is with just a two-hundred- “Since the Circle was founded, we have
year head start. These aliens are tens of believed it would prove its worth in a
thousands of years or more beyond us. ‘moment of truth,’ a defining moment
There is simply no contest.” when our purpose would be perfectly
clear. This belief comes down from our
“I will lead the Circle fleet to support founder, William Donovan, himself. We
Concordian efforts in the defense of have always thought our moment of truth
Concordia. And conventional military had been our response to the comet crash
forces will give their lives at Apollo and on Earth in 2133…I now believe we were
then at Earth, but I’ll be frank. We will not wrong. THIS is the Circle’s real moment of
stop them. We will not even slow them truth. I therefore believe it is NOW when
down. Unless something changes radically, the Circle, through you, will prove its worth
we will go extinct.” to humanity.”
“We have also tried to contact them in [Antoine sighs]

every way they can. We have broadcast our
unconditional surrender a thousand times. “I’m taking an StO shuttle to my ship, and
We don’t know if they get our messages or then to engage the enemy. We will not see
not, or if they understand them. It seems each other again. I wish you the best.”
they have not bothered to reply.”
“Humanity does not deserve oblivion.
[Antoine’s face changes into an expression Hopefully you will make us avoid that fate.”
of disgust]
[Antoine gives a final smile]
“We have begged the N’ahili to support us,
intercede for us. But those bastards don’t [VIDEO MESSAGE ENDS]
seem to care. The human species is about
SEVEN WORLDS
126
5. CHRYSALIS
introduction
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
—William Shakespeare
W elcome to the fifth module in the Seven

While attending Concordia's Centenary Celebration,
of a few heroes' efforts to turn back the tide. Other sparked the beginnings of an interstellar war.
campaign's measure of success is the answer to the When the heroes arrived at Earth, they met the
or failure is measured in the answer to a different as the N'ahili. They also met the leaders of the
This adventure continues where Broken Circle, the Nathan, but failed to get any clues to the identity
fourth Seven Worlds campaign adventure, left off. It is of the mysterious alien ship they saw. Finally, they
assumed you've already played that adventure before get to investigate Dr. LaMarche's disappearance
starting this one, but if you haven't you will still find and discovered he had been working on unspecified
single stroke.
WHAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE By the end of that adventure the heroes were in
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a battle. At this point a fleet of mysterious alien ships
SEVEN WORLDS
128
asked the heroes to go on a long-shot mission to find As the rest of human space continued to fall to
an alternative way to stop them. the Devourers, the heroes reached Logan's End and
Following an anonymous tip, the heroes travelled followed up on the only clue to Chrysalis, the sad
to Apollo and became embroiled in a political war story of a failing smuggler crew that died several
between various corporations. To solve the situation, years ago. Before the adventure was over the heroes
the heroes had to storm a faraway research facility had crisscrossed the planet and become involved
that had been taken over by terrorists. One of these in a rescue mission in the deep, savage jungles of
terrorists had a clue the heroes needed, a strange Logan's End. The reward for a successful rescue: The
story and the name of an unknown place: Chrysalis. coordinates of the mysterious Chrysalis.
Apparently this place had something to do with
Logan's End, the farthest and least civilized of the
Seven Worlds. WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
In Broken Circle the heroes followed a report After many adventures the heroes finally make it
suggesting the elusive Dr. LaMarche was on Harris to Chrysalis and find the Eighth World, a strange
Station, and finally learn the secret he had obtained planet populated by Psions. There they learn that the
at such a great cost. It turned out LaMarche had Psion Brotherhood is planning to hide here while the
discovered that the Stellar Communications Network Devourers annihilate humanity. As the heroes attempt
was going to be sabotaged from within at the orders to overturn the political status quo of the planet, they
of the Psion Brotherhood. He also told the heroes the discover another secret the Psion Brotherhood has
orders came from close to Logan's End. To escape, the been working hard to keep hidden: the existence of
heroes had to survive a major space battle against a psionic power that can stop the Devourers once
an enemy willing to do anything to keep LaMarche's and for all!
secret from getting out.
introduction
129
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3 Proxima
3.9
Ross 780 Centauri
0.2
4.0 Gliese 908
Settled Star System
Ross 671
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
Lacaille 9352
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
7.8 7.4
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
Harris Station 7.7
4.8 Gliese 588
(Gliese 682) Stein 2051
6.0 Procyon
(”Chrysalis”)
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
Wolf 629 6.8
(Epsion Indi) 4.2
Sirius
Hoffnung
Gliese 784 (Gliese 581; 4.8 + 7.1 = 11.9 (Secret)
6.6 Station Ross 614
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
4.6
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Station 4.4
6.1 7.7 6.8 4.2
4.8
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
HIP 23512
UV/BL Ceti Concordia 4.7 6.2
Van Maanen’s Star
(Epsilon Eridani) 5.7
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0

(Omicron 2 2.5
HIP 23452
Eridani)
7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9 4.0
LP 771-095
8.0 HIP 14101
6.5
chrysalis
T his adventure begins when the heroes

are finally ready to face the mysteries
of Chrysalis.
Dead-end line. This is because all human civilization
there has been wiped out by the Devourer invasion.
• A red line from Mu Casseiopeiae shows the new
jump route to Chrysalis.
SCENE 1: THE TRIP If you are using the 3-D maps, this might be a good
opportunity to show the heroes the updated map this
adventure, explaining that since the Stellar Comm
In order to reach Chrysalis, the heroes have to jump Network has permanently crashed, most routes
to the Mu Casseiopeiae star system and then travel between planets are now in a different color.
to the first secret jump point using the coordinates
provided by Ellie Vince.
If the heroes try to figure out their destination AMBUSHED!
based on the two sets of jump coordinates, explain When the heroes make the second jump, read or
to them that jump coordinates are relative to each paraphrase the following:
jump; it is therefore not possible to know in advance
where an unknown set of coordinates will lead. Even As soon as you complete the jump all the alerts
so, smart heroes who look at the 3-D map might figure in the ship light up! “Uh oh,” exclaims [the pilot
out that Stein 2051 is their most likely destination. If hero's Assistant]. “Are you sure this is where we
the heroes ask for information on Stein 2051, tell them want to be?”
that it is a small red dwarf star, incapable of having As you stare at the 3-D image created by
Earth-like planets and thus considered unsuitable your lenses, you are astounded to see dozens
for colonization. It is about 12 light-years from Mu of warships, all of them pointed towards the
Casseiopeiae, and thus considered unreachable using jump point through which you just arrived. The
current jump point technology. Nothing else is known ships are both manned and unmanned, from
about the star. Once the heroes reach Stein 2051 give patrol ships to battleships, and with EarthGov,
each of them a free Benny for having deduced their Concordian and Bay Jingnian ship configurations.
destination was this star system. How can this be?
When the heroes jump for the first time they find There is not much time to ponder this, though,
themselves in deep space, far from any star system. as you're immediately attacked! A barrage of
Supposedly jump point membranes are connected to lasers and missiles flies towards your ship!
gravity points, that being one of the reasons they are
usually about 1AU away from major stars. However, it Remember to have all heroes roll for Jump
is theoretically possible to have a jump point far from Disorientation (see Space Travel in the Seven Worlds
a star if there is a gravitational well close to it, such Setting Guide). Heroes who are not affected by Jump
as a small black hole. In fact, if a hero spends one full Disorientation must roll to avoid being Surprised.
week of investigation and research in this location The heroes' ship and the enemy ships begin battle
and then makes a successful Knowledge (Science) roll, one SU away, facing each other. Don't bother placing
he or she discovers a very small black hole about 1.2 enemy ships individually. Place instead just one token
AUs from the heroes' current location. to mark the entire enemy fleet.
The enemy begins by firing three Heavy Laser
cannon attacks from an Unmanned Laser Platform.
UPDATED MAPS Resolve this attack and then read or paraphrase
The following maps show how the Seven Worlds the following:
stand at this point. Note the following significant
differences with the map of the previous adventure: You receive an audio-only transmission from the
enemy fleet. A dark, emotionless male voice says
• The path between Gamma Leporis (Nouvelle “I expect you to surrender. If you don't, you will
Vie) and Epsilon Indi (Apollo) is now marked as a die. If you do, you might live.”
SEVEN WORLDS
132
Since all enemies have the Gunner Edge in this
battle, try to modify the Critical Hits to cripple the HANDLING
heroes' ship but not destroy it. The goal is to capture FRUSTRATED PLAYERS
the heroes alive.
If the heroes attack, assume there is one Unmanned The heroes are walking into a trap they cannot
Laser Platform, one Unmanned Missile Platform, hope to win. Help the players come to terms with
and one Battleship at the enemy location. Since the the idea that being captured and interrogated is a
enemy forces are immense, if any enemy ship falls it necessary part of the plot. We suggest you have a
is immediately “replaced” by another one. chat with your players before running this section,
The enemy will keep attacking every round until the to let them know that they are expected to fail,
heroes' ship is either disabled or the heroes surrender. at least at the beginning. Also reward them with
If the heroes decide to surrender, remember to give Bennies for surrendering when appropriate. See the
each of them a Benny as a reward for their frustration. Seven Worlds Setting Guide for more suggestions
on how to handle these scenarios.
• Unmanned Laser Platform (infinite): For this
combat assume they have the Gunner Edge (see
Seven Worlds Setting Guide). the planet. The largest of these islands is simply
• Unmanned Missile Platform (infinite): For this known as Michaels Island.
combat assume they have the Gunner Edge (see In the area around Michaels Island, the average
Seven Worlds Setting Guide). temperature is about seven degrees Celsius. This,
• Battleship (infinite): For this combat assume they coupled with Chrysalis' gravity of 0.94G, would seem
have the Gunner Edge (see Seven Worlds Setting to make it an ideal place for humans, despite the
Guide). fact that the planet orbits a Red Dwarf. However, the
atmosphere of Chrysalis is not breathable by humans,
composed as it is of large quantities of carbon dioxide.
CHRYSALIS, THE EIGHTH WORLD The fact that Michaels Island is on the permanent
By far the strangest planet in human space, Chrysalis light side of the planet also makes standard food
is also its most closely guarded secret. Known only production processes such as photosynthesis
to some members of the Psion Brotherhood, it is part impossible. The psion settlers of Chrysalis have
of Ganendra Nathan's ambitious plan to move psions solved this by living in domed cities and environments
onward to their final destiny… whether they want fed by the energy from large fusion reactors. The
it or not. domes also provide protection against solar radiation.
Inside the domes of Atlas City, the only city on
DESCRIPTION Chrysalis, there is a human-breathable atmosphere.
Chrysalis is the Eighth World. A settled planet orbiting The dome walls project an artificial day and night
the Stein 2051 star system, it is almost completely reminiscent of Earth. Houses, parks, and even ponds
populated by psions, settled by the Psion Brotherhood. surround the half a million inhabitants of Atlas
Stein 2051 is a binary star system composed of two City. These marvels are possible because of the
red dwarfs. The main star, Stein 2051A, has a quarter constant output of nuclear fusion generators run
of the mass of our sun and just 1.5% its brightness. using fuel collected from the star system, as well as
Out of five planets orbiting the star, Chrysalis is the new experimental technologies that are collecting
closest, at a little more than a tenth of the distance the energy created by the tidal forces on the planet,
from our Earth to our Sun. At this distance, Chrysalis detected through changing ocean currents. Even so,
is a tidelocked world, a world that always shows the the leaders of Chrysalis recognize energy shortages
same face to the star, and thus has a “light” and a as the greatest future obstacle for the growth of
“dark” side. the colony.
However, due to a curious set of circumstances, Outside the city domes humans need full spacesuits
Chrysalis is also an “Eyeball Earth,” so named because to travel. Everything always looks dark red in the
it is completely covered in ice except for a large infrared light from Stein 2051. Special biologically
circular area in the center of its light side, where the designed plants, with black tones to absorb as much
energy of the star has melted the ice. Inside this “iris” infrared light as possible in a process reminiscent of
of water there are several island formations, arranged photosynthesis, are being tested by Dr. Oren Graham,
in a rough semi-circle a few hundred kilometers from leader of the colony scientists. It is dangerous
the center of the “pupil,” where humans have settled to venture too far away from the city without
chrysalis
133
CRYSALIS
SYSTEM DATAFILE
Star: Stein 2051
Star Class: M4V
Distance from Sun (direct line): 18.06ly
Distance from Sun (jump points): 18 jumps, 111.1ly
Mass: 0.25 sol
Luminosity: 0.015 sol
Star System: 5 planets (1 eyeball earth, 4 ice planets), 1
moons, 2 moonlets, 1 asteroid belt.
Habitable Planet: Stein 2051 I (Chrysalis)
Distance from star: 0.11 AU
Perihelion/Aphelion: 0.11/0.12 AU
Axial Tilt: 12 degrees
Annual Period: 0.074 years/tidelocked
Local day: NA
Diameter: 10,901 kms (0.85 times Earth)
Surface Gravity: 0.94 g
Density: 1.1 Earth
Illumination: 9% Earth
Temperature: 7C average (40C dayside, −49 nightside)
Atmosphere: N2, O2, barely breathable traces, 0.85 atmospheres.
Water: 69% of planet
Satellites: one tiny rock moon.
Average Population Growth Rate: 1.5% per year
Present Population Growth Rate: 1.5% per year
Industries: NA.
SEVEN WORLDS
134
appropriate equipment and crawlers (or submarines,
outside the island). Due to the differential heating CHRYSALIS AND PLANETARY
between the sides of this tidally locked planet, a ENVIRONMENTS
permanent gale and torrential rain on the dark side of
the planet affects the weather as one moves farther
away from Michaels Island. Leaving atmospheric The addition of Chrysalis adds the following options
scans aside, most of Chrysalis remains unexplored by to the Planetary Environments table from page 127
human beings. of the Setting Guide:
A major terraforming project to modify the
atmosphere is in the works, based on the introduction • If you're visiting Chrysalis and are from Zarmina
of specially-designed microorganisms that can or Logan's End, use these tags: CH, TD, LG.
thrive in Chrysalis' atmosphere and slowly modify • If you're visiting Chrysalis and are from any planet
it. As expected, this is a risky and complex endeavor. but Zarmina or Logan's End, then the following
Releasing the technology will take years; seeing planetary conditions apply: CH, TD.
the final result decades or centuries. Several test • If you're from Chrysalis and are visiting any other
microorganisms have already been released as world but Zarmina, the following tags apply: TB
Dr. Graham and his teams of scientists continue • If you're from Chrysalis and are visiting Zarmina,
their research. the following tags apply: HG.
Chrysalis has a single moon, Köenig. Besides
causing frequent eclipses as its path intersects that of
Stein 2051A, Köenig is considered the stellar body that importance and value of Chrysalis. The colonization
has allowed Chrysalis to become what it is in terms of of Chrysalis began in 2196, and within the decade a
atmosphere and temperature, by applying tidal forces quarter of a million psions had been secretly resettled
to the planet. to the planet.
Settlers were warned that they were going on
HISTORY a mission that would take them away from their
Since the time of Daniel Michaels and the founding families for years, maybe forever. No one outside
of the Psion Brotherhood, some psions have been Chrysalis knows where the settlers are, nor even
secretly convinced of their superiority over non- that they are settlers. Most family members have
psions, and dreamt of a place to call their own. Some been told they have been assigned to secret multi-
whisper that Michaels himself secretly had this dream. year missions “elsewhere”. In reality, settlers are first
In any case, the search for a place where psions can taken to the Psion Brotherhood's Research Center in
live on their own has been a secret psion project for a Armstrong, on the planet Gee, where they undergo
long time. training and preparation for their future life. Once they
Then around 2190 a psion agent stumbled on arrive at Chrysalis, settlers are still allowed to send
an interesting discovery: An astrophysicist from periodic messages to their families outside, but these
Concordia had discovered a way to get to the far- are carefully screened and edited before transmission,
away star system of Stein 2051 using two consecutive to make sure they avoid revealing or suggesting
jump points held together by a small black hole. On where they are.
top of that, he seemed to have discovered a human- Currently, Chrysalis has a population of 483,000
habitable planet on Stein 2051! psions, out of which 53,000 are native. Most of
Stein 2051 is a red dwarf system about 12 light- those newborns have psionic powers, but a few
years from the closest star reachable by humans. (approximately 5%) do not. These are considered
Given that the maximum jump distance possible is 8 cripples and second-class citizens by most members
light-years, Stein 2051 is supposedly “impossible” to of Chrysalis society, and have very difficult lives.
reach. Of course, no one could have imagined a two- All the inhabitants of Chrysalis are aware of the fact
jump trip to this star. that they are creating an independent society with
The psion agents wasted no time at all: They gleaned no contact with non-psions (except for native non-
this information from the scientist and eliminated him, psions). While some of them are not wholly convinced
along with his research. Now the Psion Brotherhood of the wisdom of this course, all of them trust and
had exclusive access to an “unreachable” star system care for the Brotherhood and have faith in Ganendra
with a habitable, if strange, planet. Nathan, and thus support the Chrysalis Project.
When Ganendra Nathan became Leader of the There are some things, however, that very few
Brotherhood he immediately understood the people in Chrysalis know about.
chrysalis
135
THE SECRETS OF CHRYSALIS PERSONALITIES
The Psion Brotherhood has been actively working to The main personalities in Chrysalis are:
hasten the fall of human civilization. In fact, besides
a handful of leaders, no one in Chrysalis knows that • Marcel Coban: The Chief of Security of the Psion
the Stellar Communications Network has fallen at the Brotherhood, and one of Ganendra Nathan's closest
hands of the Psion Brotherhood itself. If the average associates, was named Governor of Chrysalis by
citizen of Chrysalis knew that humanity is under Nathan himself a few weeks before the fall of
attack by the Devourers, many of them would demand Nouvelle Vie. He is in charge of preserving the status
to participate in the defense of humanity. quo. He also keeps other, darker secrets for Nathan.
Thus after the events of Divided We Fall, the leaders His greatest challenge currently is trying to uncover
of Chrysalis have imposed a news blackout from and capture the Chrysalis Resistance, a local group
outside Stein 2051. For the last few months almost intent on sabotaging the Brotherhood's plans and
no ships have arrived from human space, other than rejoining non-psions. The heroes met Marcel Coban
ships on official business, and no messages in or out in Rumors of War.
have been allowed. Newly-arrived psion citizens • Admiral Viktor Karragan: The top military
have been subjected to particularly drastic uses of commander in Chrysalis, Viktor Karragan is a cruel,
the greater forget power to keep secret the events emotionless man, completely dedicated to the
of the last few months. Those unwilling or unable to cause of psion superiority. Having spent many years
undergo greater forget have simply been eliminated. in Chrysalis, Karragan deeply resents Nathan's
The sparks of underground rebellion have started to decision to place Marcel Coban as Governor of
flare in Chrysalis, however. And the arrival of the heroes Chrysalis, and considers Coban an incompetent
with their precious information can change the balance civilian. Karragan is content to let Coban play
of power on the planet and the future of humanity. at Governor while he takes on the hard work of
protecting Chrysalis from both external and internal
CITIES AND LOCATIONS threats. He is particularly focused on rooting out the
The main locations in Chrysalis are: Resistance, who he believes will sow the seeds of
rebellion in the population if they are not dealt with.
• Atlas City: Named for the Greek god of endurance, • Ryan: The leader of the Resistance keeps his real
Atlas City would be considered the most innovative identity a mystery. Ryan knows the goal of the
and advanced city in the Seven Worlds, if it were known Brotherhood is to sever ties to non-psion humanity,
outside Chrysalis. Built in the center of Michaels and disagrees with this. He is surprised at the
Island, and composed of several huge interconnected obstinacy of his leaders on this point, and realizes
domes built with light reflective nanotube-based something darker is going on, but has not been
materials, it is home to practically every human able to find out what it is. He and others like him
being on the planet. A city designed by and for psions, have created an organization that is trying to find
many of its devices would be foreign to non-psions. out what is going on and to change the minds of his
For example, most communication is telepathic. government and the population, hopefully without
Doors have internal bolts that can only be moved resorting to force. Recently Ryan has recruited a
by using the telekinesis power to move the bolt. One new, young female lieutenant who has brought
dome houses the Psion Brotherhood Headquarters. several fresh ideas and initiatives to the Resistance.
From here, the Governor of Chrysalis manages the • Dr. Oren Graham: The top scientist in Chrysalis
city and the planet. The Psion Brotherhood dome is has led the teams that were responsible for most
connected to the largest dome in the city, known as of the breakthroughs that make Chrysalis livable.
“Ark Dome.” This is basically a zoo where most species From dome construction to energy management
from Earth are kept in simulated environments. and collection, Dr. Graham's impact is everywhere.
• Orbital Station Psi: More of a war and defense While he officially leads several critical projects
station than a civilian one, Orbital Station Psi is on development, biological research and energy
also the place where spaceships dock before collection (including the planetary terraforming
taking a Surface-to-Orbit shuttle to the city. Given mega-project), for decades he has also managed a
the hundreds of ships in permanent orbit around top-secret project housed under one of the secret
the planet, Orbital Station Psi is responsible for domes next to the Brotherhood HQ. Only Graham
maintaining and coordinating activity on all parked and a few trusted aides know what this project is
ships, and making sure they are in top shape should all about.
they be needed in an emergency.
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CHRYSALIS: LIFE ON A RED DWARF?
Type-M red dwarfs comprise approximately 70% possibility. As unlikely as these conditions are, by using
of the stellar population of the galaxy and are by far these assumptions, in 2013 some scientists estimated
the most common types of stars that surround us. the existence of about 60 billion habitable red dwarf
Small and weak, with about a tenth the size and one planets in our galaxy!
ten-thousandth the power of the sun, their lifetime is But what about a red dwarf planet that supports
measured at between 100 billion and a trillion years. human life? Even if a planet around a red dwarf were
They are of interest to scientists because recent habitable, it seems almost impossible for that planet to
findings from NASA's Kepler mission show that at least support human life.
half of these stars host rocky planets from half to four Enter Eyeball Earths: Since 2011 some scientists have
times the mass of Earth. been exploring the possibility of a red dwarf planet
Red dwarfs are so weak that a planet orbiting them with a huge “iris” of liquid water on the surface of the
would have to be very close to receive a significant light side. Given that the center of the light side (the
amount of light and energy. At this distance, such “pupil”) is the location where most of the energy from
a planet would be tidally locked, with one “day” side the star would be focused, theoretically a frozen red
always facing the star and the other submerged in dwarf planet with the right atmosphere, at just the right
perpetual night. distance, and with just the right blackbody radiation
There are many, many problems with such a planet should produce an immense pool of heated water at
supporting life as we know it around such a star. For the “iris.” Although the temperatures at the center of
starters, most planets around a red dwarf would have the “pupil” itself would be inappropriate for humans,
their “atmosphere” frozen, accumulating in the dark imaginary concentric rings in the “iris” around this pupil
side of the planet. Another challenge is that light in red would have lower temperatures until a specific set of
dwarfs concentrates on the infrared part of the visible bands fit with expectations of human habitability. If by
spectrum, thus making photosynthesis as we know it an coincidence those bands had land formations then the
impossibility. Plant life would have to evolve towards the basics for human settlement could be established.
color black in order to absorb the infrared light emitted Such a planet is still a far cry from human-friendly,
by the star. However, in the late nineties scientists however. For starters, to produce the Eyeball Earth
identified particular conditions of temperature and effect the atmosphere would have to have a minimum
carbon dioxide concentrations that would allow an 20% Carbon Dioxide concentration. Then there is the
atmosphere to be viable and stable, as well as scenarios, constant light and the photosynthesis problem. But
based on deep ocean basins, that would allow liquid that's where technology comes in.
water to exist flowing under the surface ice covers. In the case of Seven Worlds, we are assuming Stein
Also, researchers believe that the fact that ice absorbs 2051 is not prone to frequent and strong solar flares
the longer-wavelength, near-infrared light emitted by (based on our current knowledge of the star, and
these stars would make them warmer than expected, given that Stein 2051 is approximately 4.5 billion years
thus lowering the possibility of a frozen atmosphere. old), and that Chrysalis is a human-habitable Eyeball
Another challenge for habitability is solar flares. Earth planet with an orbiting moon and enough
Recent research has shown that many red dwarfs are land formations in a ring around the pupil's center to
prone to frequent, strong solar flares, thus making it support settlements for several million humans and the
hard to keep continuous, stable atmospheres in planets artificial greenhouses to feed them. These settlements
in the habitable zone. However, a planet with an interior have to be closed domes to support an artificial
molten core maintained by a slow rotation would atmosphere appropriate for humans and also to act as
support a magnetic field that could protect the planet additional shielding against flares and radiation, and
from part of the effects of such a flare. On top of that, a light protectors. Significant amounts of energy are of
red dwarf planet with a moon could generate enough course needed to power up all of this.
tidal forces to keep the centers of the planet and the Regardless of whether we ever find human-habitable
moon liquid, also resulting in a strong magnetic field red dwarf Eyeball Earths like Chrysalis or not, in the long
to protect the parent and moon from outbursts coming run any advanced civilization must learn to survive on
from the star. a red dwarf. Long after all the other stars of the galaxy
Taking all of the above into account, a red dwarf have died out, red dwarfs will still be there, happily
planet that supports life thus becomes a real releasing energy that may be used to support life.
chrysalis
137
some of my most trustworthy soldiers. Governor
SCENE 2: CHRYSALIS Marcel Coban himself has taken an interest in
you. Consider yourselves lucky: Not only are you
still alive, you will also be the first non-psions to
The heroes wake up tied and gagged in a room within visit Chrysalis. So long, I expect to never see you
a Patrol Ship (don't role-play how they were captured; alive again.” With that, the screen fades.
just have them assume it). They have been stripped The guards leave the wall screen on with a
of all their belongings, including their lenses and any view of space, and then viciously kick you in the
device that carries an Assistant. They are weak and stomach, while one of them says “When we get
dazed, as if several days had gone by. In game terms, there you're going to die so painfully the Admiral
they all have one level of Fatigue for the duration of will feel a little bit better about letting you go!”
the scene. All psions have been injected with Psionic Then they leave for the cockpit, laughing loudly.
Drugs (see Gear in the Setting Guide) thus temporarily
neutralizing their powers. After a day or two of captivity (during which they
are constantly injected with Psionic Drugs), the heroes
Four guards walk into the room and give you a get to see through their wall screen the approach to
cruel, hungry smile. Then they turn on the wall Chrysalis. Read or paraphrase the following:
screen opposite to you and play what appears
to be a video recording. A tall, strong uniformed In the dim red light from Stein 2051 you see a
man with a cold and emotionless look appears small planet about the size of Earth, orbited by
on the screen. a small moon. In the reddish light you see the
“I am Admiral Viktor Karragan of the planet covered in ice, except for a large round
Psion Brotherhood. In the last few days my “pool” of liquid water on the side directly facing
interrogators have probed your minds several the sun. Even from orbit, you can see a few
times. Now I know who you are, how you got islands floating around the center of the pool.
here and what you're looking for. I congratulate An Eyeball Earth!
you on the way you managed to find us, but now
we will make sure to remove the clues you found. You might want to take the opportunity to explain to
You should now be approaching the planet the players what an Eyeball Earth is (see the sidebar).
Chrysalis in one of my Patrol Ships, guarded by
You disembark in a huge orbital station where
you and your captors board a Surface-to-Orbit
shuttle. As you begin your descent, you get
to see literally hundreds of ships of all sizes
parked around the planet, from battleships to
transports. Some of them are at least thirty
years old, if not more. Apparently people have
been moving here for quite some time.
When your shuttle enters the atmosphere of
Chrysalis, it flies close to a large island a few
hundred kilometers from the center of the water
“pupil.” There you notice several immense opaque
domes on the surface interconnected by large
passageways. A gigantic, sprawling domed city!
Your shuttle lands on a huge overhanging
metal platform connected to the top of one of
the larger domes. The guards roughly push you
forward through a passageway and into a sealed
airlock. Then you find yourselves inside the dome,
standing on a large cargo platform hundreds of
meters above the surface next to a dome wall.
Below and in front of you is a beautiful city of
parks and buildings, with a strong artificial
illumination reminiscent of Earth, and blue and
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138
white sky projected from the inside walls of the
dome. A myriad people walk on the streets or OTHER WAYS TO ESCAPE
pilot small flying vehicles around it.
The heroes may try to escape their captors at other
THE ESCAPE! points in the adventure. For example, they may try
Read or paraphrase the following: to trick the soldiers transporting them through
space and take control of the Patrol Ship, or take
Several guards join the ones who brought you advantage of the moment when they disembark on
here, ready to escort you to Brotherhood HQ the orbital station to make a run for it.
using the sleek military air cars parked next to In general, most attempts to escape will be
the platform. Suddenly you feel your handcuffs difficult unless the heroes get outside help, such
and foot shackles coming off behind you as if as from the Resistance. Try to move matters so the
by magic (or by telekinesis) while a telepathic heroes end up finding and joining the Resistance on
message sounds in your heads: “We're here to Atlas City so you can continue the adventure with
help! Go to the air cars!” Out of your corner of Scene 4 below. For example, if the heroes escape
your eye you see two of the newly arrived guards while on the Orbital Station, maybe two Resistance
pull an autoblaster in each hand and start fighters hide them and transport them undercover
shooting at the other, stupefied guards with one to the city.
hand while tossing you the other gun! In case you need them, the heroes' handcuffs
Someone is helping you to escape! have a Toughness of 12 as per Savage Worlds ,
and the stats for their guards on the Patrol Ship
Have the enemy guards roll for surprise against the are below:
heroes and their new allies (who can't be surprised).
Give them an Ally sheet for their two allies. Remember • Enemy Guards (4): Use stats for Soldier Psion
psion heroes are still under the influence of Psionic
Drugs and thus have no powers available.
The two Resistance fighters posing as guards (their the platform edge must make an Agility roll (after
names are Rooke and Basantis) toss a gun to the two Soaking) or be at risk of falling (see below).
heroes most likely to be proficient in them (you pick). If a character falls or is pushed, he must make an
As an action at their start of their turn, each one of Agility roll (a free action) to catch the edge rail of the
these two heroes may make an Agility roll to catch the balcony with both hands. If the character has only one
gun midflight. If the hero declared the action as a MAP, hand free, he may either drop whatever he’s carrying
he or she can use the gun in this turn, too. If the hero (another free action) or make the roll with a –2 penalty.
decided not to try to catch the gun or fails the roll, the With a failure the character falls, most likely to his or
gun clatters to the floor 1d4 from the character. her death. With a success, the character grabs on to
he platform itself is a 10”-horizontal by 8”-vertical the rail and ends his or her turn. On the next round,
rectangle with a 2” entrance on the bottom side. Place the character can make a Strength roll as an action
six Small Burst Templates on the platform to indicate to pull him or herself over. Helping another character
locations with crates and other cargo to be taken is a cooperative Strength roll.One of the guards has a
down to the city. These give a –2 Cover modifier, or bag with the heroes' critical possessions, such as their
Heavy Cover if the character completely crouches lenses and copies of their Assistants. If the heroes
behind them. Place three 2”-horizontal-by-4”-vertical don't think of grabbing it, one of the Extras grabs the
air cars parked on the north side of the platform, bag as part of the escape.
with their short side touching the platform. Most of The combat should end with the heroes and their
the enemy guards are close to the air cars with the allies boarding an air car and flying away, followed by
exception of Rooke and Basantis who are midway their enemies. If the heroes eliminate all the guards
between the heroes and the other guards. before the chase has begun, you can have two more
The platform is connected to the dome wall, air cars full of guards approach the platform from afar.
suspended hundreds of feet above the city, and has You should strive to have either Rooke or Basantis (or
a short balcony. The enemy guards will use the Push both) survive to guide the heroes to their destination.
action from Savage Worlds to try to make the heroes If both extras die, the heroes find a portable mapping
or their allies fall off the balcony. Also, any character device on one of their pockets, digitally pointing the
who is Shaken or Wounded while standing next to location the heroes should navigate to.
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139
• Rooke and Basantis, Undercover Resistance If a Clubs card comes up, the heroes or their enemies
Fighters (2): Both are Extras controlled by the come across an obstacle, such as a tall buildings, a
heroes. Use stats for Soldier Psion, but without a dome wall, a passing air car, and even an “air highway”
Combat Helmet or Assault Rifle. Instead, each one of air cars.
of them has two Autopistols (plus the one they first In round three of the chase, all pursuers have to
tossed to the heroes) and two Stun grenades. face a special Complication: The heroes have to fly
• Enemy Guards (2 per hero): Use stats for Soldier their air car inside one of the round tube hallways
Psion. that connect two of the city domes. Treat entering the
tube as a Major Obstacle in the Complication table.
SCENE 3: A CHASE This obstacle is additional to any other complications
generated by a Club card. The heroes and their
OVER ATLAS CITY enemies continue in the tube hallway up until the end
of the fourth round, when they finally enter the next
The heroes' troubles are just starting: Their air car is city dome. While flying in the tube hallway all Force
being chased by two military air cars over the domed actions have a +2 bonus.
Atlas City! Finally, if the heroes have made it to the end of
Run this chase using the Savage Worlds rules. This the fifth round, read or paraphrase the following to
is a standard chase lasting five turns, with each ship them. The text below assumes the heroes are still
receiving its own Action Card. Note that since the being pursued and that Rooke is alive, so modify it
side walls of the air cars can be lowered, gun-to-gun as appropriate:
combat between the ships is also possible.
If Rooke and Basantis are still alive, they offer “There!,” yells Rooke, pointing to the surface. “In
the most qualified hero the pilot's seat and offer to the middle of that park!”
guide him or her. As an interesting flavor point, note You pilot the air car into the park, trying to
that turning the air car on or off requires using the land in the forested area. “Never mind! Just
telekinesis power on a “key” inside the car dashboard, land!,” screams Rooke, and your ship controls
something Rooke takes care of automatically. Use this accelerate against your will, as if your ally were
as an example of how everything in Chrysalis is made pushing them psionically. Your air car hits the
for psions only. trees and crashes on the park floor! You are all
thrown around as the crash practically wrecks
the air car.
You barely have time to disembark when as if
by magic a section of the park floor opens and
several armed soldiers come out. “Come with us!”
they say directly into your mind, while pointing
towards the hole from which they came out. You
get one last glimpse at the fake blue sky of the
domes of Atlas City before the secret door closes
on top of you and you are plunged into darkness.
All heroes receive 3d6 damage from the crash.
• Military Air Cars
SCENE 4: THE
RESISTANCE
Your rescuers take you through dark rough

underground passageways, and bring down
more than one wall behind you in their attempts
to eliminate any pursuers. After what seems like
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140
an eternity of walking, you reach a set of round While she looks the same on the outside, she has
stairs. You seem to be approaching a building. become a very different person indeed. She is now
one of Ryan's top advisors in the Resistance.
Although the group appears to walk in silence,
any Psion hero who makes a successful Notice roll
perceives from facial expressions that the group is THE POLITICS OF CHRYSALIS
hurriedly chattering psionically. They appear to be What follows is a conversation between Lindsay and
very curious about the heroes. the heroes. The text below should not be read straight,
but used as part of back-and-forth role-playing.
Going up the stairs you find a door. It takes Lindsay speaks to the heroes rather than mentally
the combined telekinesis power of three of communicating. However, she still has the telepathy
the soldiers to move the door's internal bolts power open to all of them, and uses it to transmit
and open it. You then enter a simply furnished images to better show to the heroes what she means.
hallway and from there a small, open room. A Whenever you see text between brackets in the text
strong, middle-aged man with silver-dark hair below [like this], treat it as a visual image Lindsay is
and blue eyes awaits you with his arms folded transmitting to the heroes while she speaks. Add as
and his eyes closed. Several other people stand much flourish and detail as possible to the mental
in the shadows a few feet behind him. As the description the heroes receive psionically.
man opens his eyes and looks at you, you hear
a voice inside your heads saying “Welcome. I've Where are we? What is this place?
been expecting you. My name is Ryan and these
are my fellow leaders of the Resistance.” “Chrysalis is Psion Brotherhood's greatest
Ryan pauses for a few seconds before achievement, the cocoon from which a new
continuing. “We have spent many resources and independent psion species will be born. This is a
blown many carefully planted undercover agents project nursed by the leader of the Brotherhood,
to get you here. Your survival has cost us several Ganendra Nathan himself [images of Ganendra
sacrifices and broken lives. I've ordered it because Nathan meeting the heroes with a smile on his
I have been led to believe that the information face. The heroes met him before]. Our agents
you have will make this sacrifice worth it for the stole the existence of this planet and the jump
Resistance. So, have I made the right choice?” points to it from the scientist who made the
discovery, and then made sure he forgot about
Allow the heroes to tell their story. Remember that what he himself had found. Then under Nathan's
Ryan does not know about the Devourers, the Stellar guidance we began the colonization of Chrysalis
Comm Network crash, the implication that the Psion [A fleet of ships finish the final jump and appear
Brotherhood is responsible for this, or the fall of in Stein 2051. Image of thousands of people in
several of the Seven Worlds. If any of these points spacesuits and building machines constructing
come up, read or paraphrase the following: the domes of Atlas City].
This is a top secret project, so secret no
Ryan stares at you for several seconds, eyes one outside Chrysalis, psion or non-psion,
open in disbelief. Then he looks back at one of knows about it. For the last few decades, the
the shadowy companions and says, “You were Brotherhood has run a relocation program to
right, Lindsay. This is what we were looking for.” transfer psions to other worlds to apply their
As one of the shadows moves forward into the talents. Their friends and relatives would not
light you are astounded to see a young girl in her see them for years or decades [tearful partings
early twenties, with her hair tied in a ponytail. between psions and their families. Images of
Despite her age, her firm features and serious psion 'pilgrims' in planets other than their own,
demeanor prove she is not to be messed with. helping people or serving the community]. Under
You have met this girl before, in the offices of the cover of this program, tens of thousands
the Psion Brotherhood in Brotherhood Station on of psions have been transferred to Chrysalis,
Earth. Her name is Lindsay Kipperson. and only told about its purpose once they
have arrived. Everyone outside believes they
Remind the heroes about Lindsay, the young are “somewhere else.” Carefully managed
assistant who received them during their visit to the communications have helped continue that
Psion Brotherhood Headquarters in Rumors of War. appearance [images of relatives and friends
chrysalis
141
receiving smiling communications from their important not to distance ourselves from non-
loved ones. Images of psions in Chrysalis psions, and continue our dedication to helping
recording the conversation, and then of teams them. These are not popular ideas in Chrysalis'
of psion censors reviewing the messages and leadership circle. Thus, the Resistance.
editing them to make sure no mentions of We do not want to destroy Chrysalis, but
Chrysalis leak out].” we want to have more contact with humanity,
and resent not being more involved in how the
Why do you need to keep Chrysalis a secret? Brotherhood decides how to manage this world.
We have attempted to communicate and preach
“Almost since the creation of the Psion these views, and have met with brutal repression
Brotherhood there have been radical elements on the part of Marcel Coban who is currently the
that have believed psions are a more evolved, Governor of Chrysalis [Image of the unfriendly
'superior' version of humans, and that we deserve chief of security who the heroes met in Rumors
better. Some whisper even Daniel Michaels, our of War, now in a leadership position in Chrysalis].
founder, secretly believed this. The story of the We have thus chosen to go underground and
Brotherhood has really been the story of how to resist quietly.
keep our relationship with non-psions healthy, Besides, there are many things our leaders
and of how to accept that we are here to help don't tell us. For example, there is the secret of
those without powers, not to rule them. Well, not the Brain Lock.”
everyone believes that.
The truth is that Nathan hates non-psions with The Brain Lock? What is that?
a passion, and would like nothing to do with them.
Chrysalis is his attempt to create an independent, Brain lock is a psionic power that can be used
psion-only colony for us. He says that someday, to store information in the recipient's mind. The
when Chrysalis is more mature and able to information is safely locked inside the carrier's
fend for itself, we will present the other worlds brain in such a way that not even he knows what
with our planet and gain acceptance as an he has been implanted with… until the password
independent, psion-only world. In the meantime, is transmitted [Image of several neurons
we must thrive secretly, without the threat of connecting themselves as if by magic, isolated
non-psion interference. from other neurons in the brain]. When the carrier
receives the password with a second brain lock,
Lindsay, how did you get here? Last time we he suddenly remembers the information inside
saw you, you were at Brotherhood Station. his brain, and can act on it.
Well, what we call 'The Brain Lock' is a peculiar
A few weeks after you left I was offered a event we all have been subjected to: Upon arrival
leadership position in the relocation program. Of at Chrysalis, every psion has been subjected
course I did not know where I was going to be to an application of brain lock. In other words,
assigned, but I accepted the challenge. When I each and every one of us carries something in
got to Chrysalis I was as surprised as everyone his or her brain, and we don't know what it is!
else at the existence of this planet, but thought Why would our leaders do this to us? What is
it was a noble attempt to develop the future so valuable that they would want to store it in
of psions. It took just a few weeks of working 480,000 heads but not tell us about it?
inside Brotherhood HQ, however, to figure out
something was wrong. The arrival of Marcel Why did you decide to save us?
Coban, now the leader of Chrysalis, did not
make things any better. When the Resistance “Besides being one of Ryan's advisors at the
contacted me I knew I was doing the right thing Resistance, I have an undercover job within the
by joining them. Governor's headquarters here in Chrysalis. In
that role I have secret access to a lot of sensitive
What is the Resistance? information [Lindsay walks through the hallways
of Brotherhood Headquarters in Chrysalis,
“I have told you what Ganendra Nathan and our smiling and greeting people while she does it.
leadership wants to do with Chrysalis. However, In secret she uses her lenses to connect to the
not all psions agree. Some of us believe it is V-World environment in the palace, and inserts
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142
spy programs and code to gather confidential If the citizens of Chrysalis knew what we now
information for the Resistance]. When your know most of them would want to return to
names popped up I immediately recognized either defend their non-psion brothers or try to
you, [fast flashing of images of the heroes and make things right [Thousands of psions revolt
Lindsay during their original visit to Brotherhood against the government, protesting in the
Station on Earth] and recommended Ryan do square in front of the palace; Violent repression
whatever it takes to get you here alive. I still by Brotherhood soldiers on the citizens; many of
remember what you saw in Nouvelle Vie, and the the ships parked in orbit around Chrysalis leave
fact that you also were one of the few to meet towards the Seven Worlds, some of them while
the N'ahili. I guessed it is no coincidence that you being attacked]. Consequently I'd say our leaders
are also the first non-psion visitors to Chrysalis. want to keep this secret because they want the
And you have now proved my hunch right.” human race to become extinct, even if it means
sacrificing hundreds of thousands of innocent
What makes us so valuable to you? psions along with the non-psions.”
“For the last few months the authorities have But what if the Devourers turn on Chrysalis
been faking the information from outside after destroying the other planets, and
Chrysalis. The last “real” information we received eliminate you, too?
was that the battle between Concordia and Bay
Jing in the orbit of Nouvelle Vie was about to “That concerns me, too. One option could be
begin [Images of the Concordian and Bay Jingnian that there is a deal between our leaders and
fleets preparing to do battle around Nouvelle the Devourers, and the Devourers will spare
Vie. The heroes recognize them since they were Chrysalis once they are done with the rest of
there]. Since then, the fake information says humanity. I think it would be too naïve of us to
that the battle ended in a stalemate and things believe that, though.
are being resolved diplomatically between the Another option is that our leaders are
former adversaries. We were also told technical somehow under Devourer control, although that
problems with the Stellar Comm Network have also sounds too far-fetched for me.
made personal messages impossible to send A third possibility is that our leaders are not
or receive. worried about that possibility because they have
“As to new psion arrivals to Chrysalis, we have something that might keep the Devourers at bay,
discovered the government has subjected them or even destroy them. I can't even think what
to the greater forget psionic power, to make that is, though.
them forget what has happened between then In any case, that is a weak link in their plans.
and now [frightened psion tied to a chair while We are obviously missing something here. Maybe
several other psions concentrate their powers that's where Dr. Graham comes in.
on him. The faces of the psions in charge of the
procedure cannot be seen. Tied psion writhes in Dr. Graham? Who's he?
pain until the procedure ends]. We have spent
months wondering what is going on outside Dr. Oren Graham is the chief scientist of
that is so critical or important that our leaders Chrysalis [Image of a stern, unemotional old
are willing to go to such lengths to keep it secret, and frail scientist]. He and his research teams
and now we know, thanks to you: The human are responsible for the core technological
race is in danger of going extinct at the hands of breakthroughs that make life in Chrysalis
an alien species, and we, the Psion Brotherhood, possible, from energy to dome construction
are responsible for the crash of the technology materials. Dr. Graham is fully committed to
that would allow them to be better organized Nathan's ideals and goals, and is thus a core
against them!” member of the government. He has a top secret
lab inside Brotherhood HQ where he conducts
Why would your leaders want to keep such his research. No one knows exactly what he is
terrible events secret? doing, but maybe he's the government's ace in
the hole in case the Devourers ever invade. I'm
“As to why would our leaders not want us to just speculating… but it would be nice to know
find out about it, that also becomes obvious: exactly what's going on inside that lab.
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143
A DARING PLAN SCENE 5: THE RAID
Once the heroes exhaust their questions Ryan and
Lindsay tell them they need to discuss the situation
with the other leaders. The room goes silent as The Resistance provides the heroes with any items
the leaders of the Resistance talk psionically from the equipment list they need, within reason
between themselves. (remember they were stripped of most of their
After a few minutes an agreement is reached, and belongings when they were captured by Admiral
Lindsay talks to the heroes again. Read or paraphrase Karragan. They should already have recovered their
the following: Assistants and other critical items via the bag taken
by Rooke and Basantis during their escape). All
We have talked it over and reached a decision. heroes will need some kind of Vacc Suit and helmet
We had been considering taking matters into to cross the underground passageways that lead to
our own hands for some time now, but were the Ark Dome.
lacking information. From what you tell us it is Each hero will also be accompanied by one Extra.
critical that we stop this as soon as possible and Give each hero an Ally Sheet, with the statistics for
help our non-psion brothers defend themselves a Resistance Fighter Psion, Vacuum (see the Seven
against the invaders. It is now time to activate Worlds Setting Guide). Here are some random last
our plans. Simply put, we will take Brotherhood names for all the Extras, should you wish to name
HQ and bring down Coban and his cronies. them for easier identification: Ashcraft, Leclaire, Singh,
Our plan will be as follows: All our undercover Urbina, Florence, Quinn.
agents, including myself, will enter Brotherhood The heroes also receive an overview map of the
HQ using our usual jobs as cover. Several Psion Brotherhood headquarters for the operation,
Resistance cells will cause disturbances in which is always available through their lenses.
different parts of Atlas City, either distracting
the security forces or directly eliminating them.
When the time is right we will attack Brotherhood SPIES!
HQ from inside and outside simultaneously. Unfortunately, although Ryan and Lindsay have
We have talked it over, and we think it is crucial been as careful as possible in recruiting and filtering
that you accompany us. With everything you members, the government has managed to insert a
know about what is going on outside Chrysalis few spies into the Resistance organization. In the
you may see or find something we miss. The case of the heroes' team, one of the soldiers assigned
problem is, since most of you are not psions, you to them is also a spy. She hasn't had a chance to
will not be able to enter Brotherhood HQ by the alert Brotherhood HQ, so her goal is to sabotage or
main entrances. Fortunately, there is another eliminate the team (including the heroes) before they
way in. We will send you, along with some enter the Ark Dome. She is willing to risk her life on
soldiers to help, through a secret underground this if necessary.
passageway that we believe surfaces inside Decide beforehand which Extra is the spy and which
the Ark Dome section of Brotherhood HQ. This player controls her, as this will be important during
dome is a zoo that preserves most of Earth life the scene.
for future use. From Ark Dome you should be
able to use the connecting passageway to the
main administrative offices and join the rest of THE UNDERGROUND
our forces. The Ark Dome also connects to Dr. Read or paraphrase this to the heroes:
Graham's lab, should you believe that's a better
place to investigate during the raid. The “day” begins like any other day on Atlas City.
This is not only our best chance to bring Thousands of people arrive for work at Psion
Chrysalis into the war against the Devourers, it Brotherhood HQ, among them several dozen
is also your only chance of escaping our planet in undercover agents including Lindsay. Teams
one piece. So, what do you say? of resistance fighters position themselves at
strategic parts of the city to create disturbances
Show the players the handout of the Domed City that will distract law enforcement. Other fighters
and explain the plan and locations to the heroes. are ready to enter HQ when the undercover
employees breach security.
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144
You and your team are dropped in an old part of Three Climbing rolls are needed to reach the top,
the city a few miles from Brotherhood HQ. Inside one per each 10” section of the cliff. If the team
a building controlled by the Resistance you find brought climbing gear along they receive a +4 bonus
a passageway that leads underground. A heavy as per the Savage Worlds rules. Those who are good
metal door at the end of the passageway leads to at climbing may also help their teammates.
a rough tunnel. Instead of the artificial, human- There is a medium-sized rock next to the top of the
breathable air of the Atlas City domes, you are cliff. When the spy reaches the top and is safely out
surrounded by Chrysalis' toxic atmosphere. So of danger (but close to the rock) she covertly uses her
you enter the passageway appropriately suited telekinesis power to push the rock down the chasm.
for breathing. The door is closed behind you to Any characters still making the climb at this point are
avoid leaking the air in. in danger of being hit by a falling 50-lb rock!
While the resistance is sure this tunnel leads Have each character in the path of the falling rock
to the Ark Dome, they are not sure exactly where. make an Agility roll with a −2 penalty and a +1 bonus for
Still, for non-psions like you there is no easy way each character previously hit by the rock. Those who
into Brotherhood HQ. This is the only way. fail are hit by the falling rock and take 2d8 damage.
They also have to make an additional Climbing roll
1. THE CLIFF (minus their Wounds, including those inflicted by the
After a couple of hours of walking the heroes reach rock) to grab at something. If this roll is failed the
a large cavern cut by a tall cliff. The heroes and their character falls, receiving additional falling damage
extras have to climb the 30'-high rock wall. Small from Savage Worlds. Remember to consider the rules
handholds in the rock make it possible to climb. for punctured space suits due to damage (see the Gear
Have the heroes decide the order in which they section of the Seven Worlds Setting Guide).
and their Extras will climb. Assume all Extras have a There is no way to determine if the fall of the rock
Climbing skill of d6. Make sure to note where the spy was deliberate or coincidental, nor to unequivocally
is placed in the climbing order. determine who, if anyone, was responsible.
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145
2. ZOO BARRIER the dome. If possible, the spy tries to bring down the
Hours later, the heroes reach a strong semi- heroes and escape, but she is not above sacrificing
transparent thick wall of the nanotube material herself if this makes possible to kill the heroes.
used by the domes. Beyond this wall the artificial Once the battle is over the heroes only need to walk
atmosphere kicks in and the Zoo area begins. An old a few more yards to enter Ark Dome.
access hatch built out of the same semitransparent
material separates the cave from the inside parts • African Wild Dogs (3 per hero)
of the dome. The hatch is kept closed by several • Spy (1): Use stats for ResistanceFighter Psion,
internal bolts which can only be opened by the Vacuum, adding the Taunt d10 and Intimidation d8
telekinesis power. skills.
Once the hatch is open, the atmosphere inside
immediately starts filtering out with a loud noise,
slightly pushing anyone who tries to enter. Before ARK DOME
entering, though, there is another obstacle to pass: As the heroes enter Ark Dome their lenses indicate the
The hatch has an embedded IDTag reader that will administration center's V-World network is available.
identify anyone who passes through it and raise an A Hacking roll with a −2 penalty allows the heroes to
alarm unless the sensors are disabled. The spy knows connect to the network. Once connected, the heroes
this and will attempt to charge through the hatch as notice that the complex is on full alert. The Resistance
soon as it's opened, feigning excitement (“What are attack has begun and gunfights are being reported
we waiting for? Let's go!”). throughout the complex. Ark Dome is empty of guards,
Assuming no one enters the hatch, the IDTag reader so the heroes are in no danger of being detected
on the dome wall can be disabled in ten minutes unless they do something specific to call attention
with a Hacking roll with a −4 penalty. The roll can be to themselves.
attempted again if it is failed, but if a critical failure is Any communications to Resistance members,
rolled, the alarm automatically goes off. including Lindsay and Ryan, fail. They are simply too
If the alarm is raised, nothing apparently happens. busy defending themselves.
The Admin Dome Hatch (see Encounter #5, below) will
be automatically locked, though, and can't be opened 4. THE ZOO
now. After entering the dome and closing the hatch Although it's been sold to the population as an
the heroes can remove their helmets if they like, as expensive zoo, Ark Dome's name betrays the true
the environment is now breathable. purpose for which Ganendra Nathan built it: To
keep as much of Earth's flora and fauna alive as
3. THE LAIR possible in case Earth ever stops existing. As such,
The cave continues a few more miles and then curves Ark Dome is easily the largest dome in Atlas City,
upward towards the surface. Unfortunately a pack and it shows.
of African Wild Dogs from the savannah section of An insignificant fraction of the animal population
the Zoo have found and entered the cave from the of Earth is kept alive, usually the most well-known
other side, and made it into a lair. They will attack and impressive species. Most animals are stored as
anyone who enters their lair, taking advantage of their DNA records to be cloned and produced when needed.
gang-up bonus. Species have also been selected to minimize the
The lair is an irregular cave of about 12” in length number of artificial environments created. Currently
and 9” in width. The heroes arrive through a 1”-wide Ark Dome has four environments:
tunnel on the left side of the cave. A 2”-wide opening
on the right-hand side of the cave leads outside, • A hot African savannah and desert environment
into Ark Dome. populated by elephants, giraffes, hippos and
Place three Medium Burst Templates in the area. other animals.
These represent small mounds about 1” high. Moving • A cold, snowy Arctic-like environment.
into or out of these mounds counts as moving through • A jungle and swamp environment, combining both
Difficult Ground. Crouching behind any of these African and Amazonian jungles.
mounds gives a hero Medium Cover. • A sea/aquarium environment. This immense tank
During this combat the spy decides to reveal herself is under a section of the dome, and its doors are
by attempting to attack a hero by surprise using her closed during the heroes' visit to the dome unless
weapons and psionic powers. Once her cover is blown, you decide to run side encounters of your own here.
the spy will openly try to stop the heroes from entering
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146
These environments are separated by large SAVANNAH / DESERT ENVIRONMENT
semitransparent walls built out of the same strong
1D8 ENCOUNTER
materials as the dome itself. The walls are also
screens that project the illusion of a much larger One Poisonous Snake per hero and
1–2
environment for the animals' benefit. Extra. Nest of Snakes
The cave the heroes come out of surfaces at the Two African Wild Dogs per hero and
center of the savannah and desert environment. The 3–4
Extra.
heroes' map indicates that there are two main hatches 5–7 Two Hyenas per hero and Extra.
out of Ark Dome: One to the northwest that connects
the dome to the Administrative Dome; and one to the The heroes encounter two different sets
north that leads to the mysterious Research Lab dome. of animals at the same time, probably
If the heroes or the spy triggered the alarm in fighting or interacting. Roll a d8 two more
8
encounter #2 and they have connected to the times and consult this table to select the
V-World network, their lenses indicate that the animals the heroes meet. If an 8 comes
northwest hatch to the Administrative Dome has been up on any of these rolls, roll again.
automatically locked because of the tunnel alarm and JUNGLE / SWAMP ENVIRONMENT
it cannot be opened. Fortunately the Resistance attack
1D8 ENCOUNTER
has kept any security from investigating the incident.
1–4 One crocodile per hero and Extra.
CROSSING THE ZOO 5–8 One tiger (Wild Card).
The Zoo inside Ark Dome is several miles wide, and built
in such a way as to maximize distance and land, with ARCTIC / COLD ENVIRONMENT
rock formations that require walking around. It should 1D8 ENCOUNTER
take the heroes several hours to reach any of the 1–4 Three arctic wolves per hero and Extra.
hatches. The lines in the map represent the walls that
divide the different environments. There are hatches 5–8 One polar bear (Wild Card).
every few hundred meters so it should be no problem
to cross between one environment and the next. If the heroes did not raise the alarm in Encounter #2
Make sure to describe the environment the heroes it may still be possible to force open the hatch if the
are at, as well as the illumination and temperature heroes succeed at a Dramatic Task using the Hacking
changes in each area. skill with a −1 penalty. A Complication means the hero
The trip through the Zoo can be as uneventful or or Assistant has found a security detection program
interesting as you wish. The heroes come across that needs to be circumvented in order for the hacking
dozens of animals (elephants, monkeys, penguins) as to continue.
they cover the environment. Most of these encounters If the heroes succeed at the Dramatic Task, all
should just be for color, and thus no stats are included. the software safeguards for the hatch have been
If you want to run some random encounters with bypassed. A psion still needs to use the telekinesis
dangerous animals on the way, roll a d8 and consult power to physically unlock the internal bolts, but this
the sections below. Focus on the way the heroes should not be a problem unless the heroes have no
meet the creatures rather than just on “making them psions or psion Extras amongst them.
appear.” For example, finding the carcasses of deer If the heroes fail at the Dramatic Task, the hatch
or other animals might alert the heroes that they are is permanently locked and has also detected and
in the territory of a stalking predator, before finally reported the heroes. The heroes now have no choice
meeting a tiger. other than to try to reach the Research Lab hatch.
At your discretion, any interesting ideas the heroes
5. ADMIN DOME HATCH have to open the hatch may be allowed to succeed.
The Administrative Dome hatch consists of a large, big For example, the heroes may deliberately try to raise
round metal door more than half a meter thick. It is an alarm to force guards from the Administrative
impossible to force or blow up. dome to open the hatch from the inside and try to
If the heroes raised the alarm in Encounter #2 capture them.
above, the hatch is marked with a red light indicating If the heroes enter the Administrative Dome go to
that several heavy, one-way bolts have permanently Encounter #8.
closed it. It is not possible to open the hatch except
from the inside.
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147
6. RESEARCH LAB HATCH a private V-World environment. A large console
The Research Lab hatch is similar in build and to the side controls this V-World connection.
composition to the Administrative Dome Hatch, Crouched in front of the console is a hunched
above. However, since the Lab is connected to an man mumbling to himself. As the sensors in the
entirely different and independent dome, it has not room suddenly announce your arrival with an
been automatically locked even if the heroes raised emergency wail, the man turns to you and his
the alarm. mad, unfocused eyes widen in surprise. Then you
Hacking the Research Lab Hatch requires a feel his power washing over you.
successful Hacking roll to release the software
safeguards. After this is done, two consecutive uses If the heroes saw a telepathic image of Dr. Graham
of the telekinesis power are needed to open the long, during their conversation with Lindsay in Scene 4,
heavy internal bolts used by the hatch. The first time they recognize him immediately.
the heroes (or their Extras) use telekinesis they should The lab is a square 15 × 15” room, with a 2”-wide
be told the bolts moved but they are uncommonly passage leads from the southern wall (where the
heavy and long, and using the power was not enough heroes come from) and another 2”-wide passage
to open the hatch. leading west from the northwest wall. Computers and
At your discretion, you may wish to combine the scientific devices cover the walls. Place four 2”-by-1”
effort of figuring out how to open the hatch with a tables, covered with scientific equipment at different
wild animal attack from Encounter #4, above. locations in the room.
The eight V-World pods are arranged in a
5”-diameter circle in the center of the room. The
THE RESEARCH LAB 2”-wide control console, and Dr. Graham, stand to the
The Research Lab is the private lair of Dr. Oren Graham, right of the circle. The canister sits on a 1”-diameter
the scientist who has invented most of the marvels pedestal in the center of the right wall of the room.
that Atlas City depends on today. His most important The irascible Dr. Graham does not tolerate intrusions
research, however, is secret to all but the top leaders lightly. Although his systems detected the heroes'
of the Psion Brotherhood, and is kept in this lab. entrance to the lab complex, he was so engrossed in
The heroes can enter the lab from either the Ark his current research he missed the alarms until the
Dome or the Administrative Dome. heroes entered the lab itself. When the heroes enter
his lab, however, Dr. Graham gets a free Notice roll to
7. DR. GRAHAM'S LAB psionically detect them and react before they do. If he
As the heroes enter the dark passageway behind does, the heroes begin combat surprised.
the hatch, they see a construction that's markedly Due to his age and frailty Dr. Graham is very slow
different from what they've seen in the domes when doing anything physical, but very fast with
up until now. The walls of the passage are not psionic powers. He will use this to his advantage
semitransparent, but dark, thick, and with little against the heroes. His first action is to protect himself
illumination. Several types of electronic circuits and via invisibility or barrier. Once he feels protected he
devices line most walls, and strange steam-like will try to move out of the way using telekinesis or by
sounds hiss slightly from the sides. running as an action if he is invisible. After that he will
After some time walking, read or paraphrase attack as hard as possible with his psionic powers,
the following: and by telekinetically moving objects to attack for him.
Also take note of the special mind burn power which
You finally reach a large, lightly illuminated he will not hesitate to use.
laboratory. Several strange types of computers When Dr. Graham is finally defeated, make sure he
blink and whirr madly. A large passageway on dies so he can not reveal sensitive information to the
the other side of the lab leads deeper into the heroes. Given his age and frailty (and the fact that he
complex. Dozens of strange materials, devices does not surrender) it should not be difficult to explain
and canisters dot the desks and shelves of that the wounds received were too much for him.
the room. One canister in particular calls your
attention: It is on a pedestal on the right side Dr. Oren Graham: see page 234.
of the room and contains some kind of pulsing,
moving dark red fluid. The passageway at the northwest of the lab
At the center of the room eight V-World pods leads to a long tunnel that takes the heroes to the
are arranged in a circle, apparently to connect to Administrative Dome and Encounter #8. Before the
SEVEN WORLDS
148
heroes take that path, however, call their attention to ship explodes in a huge blaze of fire and energy!
the canister on the right side of the room and to the Apparently whatever weapon they had partially
simulation pods in the center. activated failed for some unknown reason.
The canister contains several broken samples In the last scene the crew is in spacesuits,
of a dark red fleshy material floating in a neutral collecting the remaining debris of the alien ship
liquid and kept at a specific temperature. These are for further study. One of the pieces the team
samples of actual Devourer tissue, which are being recovers looks suspiciously like an emergency
kept chemically alive. pod. Could a Devourer be inside?
It is important that this canister survive intact, Then the scene fades to black and some text
as it will help the heroes in later adventures in flashes in front of you:
the campaign. “FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: For unknown
reasons specific psionic energies interfere
THE SIMULATION ROOM with alien mind patterns. After vivisection
The central circle of eight V-World pods is part of an of recovered alien specimens it has been
elaborate simulation environment. The entire lab is determined that since alien physical composition
clearly geared towards the contents of this V-World is completely different from humans, it should
simulation. If the heroes try to figure out what is inside not be possible to affect aliens with psionic
the simulation, they or their Assistants can gather via powers with mental manifestations. However,
Investigation or Hacking rolls that the contents of the attempts to reproduce the exact psionic energies
simulation are extremely secret and important, but that cause this effect on the alien have partly
they cannot see what they are. succeeded. Further research is needed.
If the heroes skip the simulation, once Brotherhood UPDATE: Tests to terminally enhance the effect
HQ is taken the surviving leaders of the Resistance have succeeded. The answer is raze.”
suggest they complete their investigation into what
exactly Dr. Graham was researching here. With this the recording ends and the heroes are
Assuming the heroes decide to try out the returned to the main menu screen. There are no
simulation, they get to connect with full V-World other mentions of raze in any other V-World system
immersion via the helmets inside the pods. Once they or database.
connect they see two options flashing in the V-World If the heroes select the “Full Simulation” option they
lobby in front of them: “Original Encounter Recordings” enter a simulated arms locker environment. All heroes
and “Full Simulation.” and Extras are free to grab any gear they want and
If the heroes select the “Original Encounter in the quantities they want, subject to encumbrance
Recordings” option, read or paraphrase the following: restrictions. The arms locker contains unlimited
numbers of the following gear:
A 3-D recording begins, and suddenly you are
inside a spaceship in the year 2197, visiting one of • Accelerator Rifles and ammo
the uninhabited star systems close to Nouvelle • SMGs and ammo
Vie. The scientific crew of a Psion Brotherhood • Vacc suits
research vessel is on a routine mission to • Reinforced vacc suits
this star system. Suddenly a smaller version • Vacc suit helmets
of the mysterious ship you saw in Nouvelle • Light Combat vacc suits
Vie materializes in front of them. A Devourer • Combat armor suits
scout ship!
As the Devourers prepare to fire the panicked Once all heroes are equipped and any encumbrance
crew broadcasts their peaceful intentions to no penalties are calculated, the heroes just need to say
avail. Then in desperation the crew broadcasts they are ready in order to continue.
a psionic request for mercy. It should not have
worked at that distance, especially considering DEVOURER MAZE
psionic powers only work on human beings… Read or paraphrase the following:
but it gets the Devourer ship to freeze for a
few seconds. As the simulation begins, you find yourselves in a
The astonished crew stares at their V-World strange passageway. The “walls” of the hallways
screen, waiting for the enemy ship to finish them, are pulsating biological membranes oozing with
as the seconds tick by… and then the Devourer a shining mucus-like substance. A myriad of
chrysalis
149
small passageways and dead ends build what is Periodically, whenever a psion has an open
a veritable maze of nauseating hallways. opportunity to attack one or more Devourers, tell
The environment is dark and pressing, and the hero the words “raze” flash over the simulation
according to your suit sensors what passes for for a second. Of course the hero does not know what
an atmosphere is a bizarre brew of elements this means, and the moment will pass, usually with
that are far from breathable by human beings, a counter-attack by the monster. The heroes should
perceived as a dark fog that makes it even harder eventually figure out they need this “raze,” whatever
to see. You feel the familiar sensations of near- it is, if they hope to defeat the Devourers. When they
zero gravity. figure this out, give them a Benny.
The atmosphere does transport audio Whenever a hero falls dead or unconscious he
waves, and through the noise transducer in or she is immediately yanked out of the simulation.
your helmets you periodically hear a low, deep The simulation ends when all heroes are dead or
rumble far away. unconscious or when all the Devourers have been
defeated. One final message flashes on every
This is an artificial V-World simulation built by Dr. character's screen: “Simulation Failed. Successful
Graham to prepare psions for using the raze power uses of raze: zero.” Give the heroes back all the
against Devourers. As such, all psionic powers work Bennies they had before entering the simulation.
in this simulated virtual environment. The simulation
has been deliberately designed to be impossible to • Devourer Warriors (3 per hero or Extra): See page
survive unless the heroes have the raze power, which 240.
they obviously don't have. • Devourer Elite Warriors (1 per hero or Extra): See
The environment is dark (−2 penalty to all actions, page 241.
10 max distance to see something), cold and
unbreathable (consider the damage rules in the Gear
section of the Seven Worlds Setting Guide if suits are ADMINISTRATIVE FLOOR
ever opened or pierced). Also, all zero-G rules from the This dome houses the main administrative offices of
Setting Rules of the Seven Worlds Setting Guide apply. Brotherhood HQ in Chrysalis.
No map is provided for the Devourer Simulation
environment as it is not relevant. Draw a convoluted 8. LOBBY
maze of irregular passageways with many corridor The heroes find themselves at the end of a long
intersections, dead ends and cul-de-sacs, and the connecting tunnel and in front of an unlocked hatch.
occasional medium-sized room with many exits. Sounds of fighting and mayhem come from behind.
There is no interesting destination in the maze. Once they open the hatch the heroes see the
The Devourers are distributed among the entire entrance lobby to the Administrative Dome. The place
complex and will use their powers to maximum is in complete chaos, as several resistance fighters
advantage. For example, they may crawl on the are locked in combat with Brotherhood minions. The
ceiling and fall down on the heroes; hide in side- battle is a complex mix of gunshots, grenades, and
passageways and storm the heroes from several psionic powers.
directions at once; or find a long passageway and just The administrative lobby is a rectangular area 16”
fire at them from afar. long and 8” wide, with 2”-wide hallways entering the
Take advantage of the darkness and of the fact center of the east and west walls. The heroes and
that this is a simulation to play this as a horror film their extras enter the battle through a 1”-wide side
where the heroes' goal is to survive. Have them only passageway centered on the north wall. A similar
see dim outlines of their enemies; vividly describe passageway lies in the southern wall.
the strangeness of their monstrous attackers, their The lobby has several classic style columns, which
arms and their weapons; use the Fear rules when are being used by the combatants as cover. Place two
appropriate; and have the Devourers stage hit-and- 1”-diameter columns about 1” away from the western
run attacks to keep the heroes off balance. Try not wall and 2” away from the northern and southern
to let the heroes see the Devourers clearly. In this walls, respectively. Then continue placing columns in
simulation, whenever a Devourer falls (and does not a straight line to the east, with each column having a
explode) its body immediately vanishes, thus making 2” separation with the previous one. You should end
it harder for the heroes to exactly figure out who or up with two horizontal rows of five columns each.
what their attackers are. Place several tables and couches, chairs and potted
plants next to the southern and northern walls. These
SEVEN WORLDS
150
are used during informal meetings and visits. The After a minute the elevator doors open and you
tables and couches offer Medium Cover (−2), and have emerge at a supply and cargo platform sitting
Toughness 8. The chairs and potted plants give Light right under the very top of the dome. A hatch set
Cover (–1) and have Toughness 6. There are also many on the wall of the dome leads outside, where
items such as notebooks, electronic devices, trophies through a couple of nearby windows you see
and glasses, on the desks, tables and now on the floor. an external platform. The platform behind the
Any of these can be grabbed either as an improvised hatch allows air ships outside the dome to dock
weapon or to perform tricks. They can also be used and unload cargo.
with the telekinesis power. Making his way towards the hatch is Marcel
Ryan leads the fighters at the western end of the Coban, the tough-looking, sour man you met
room. When Ryan sees them he sends them a psionic long ago on Earth. He is surrounded by a group
message: “Marcel Coban just retreated through the of trusted bodyguards and aides. You also see
hallway to the east! Those guards are covering his someone else among the group, a ponytail you
escape! He's trying to get to the platform atop the recognize. Lindsay!
dome and escape using an air car! We have to stop Marcel Coban looks at you and manages to
him or everything is lost!” Give the heroes an Ally smile through his anger. “You! You have brought
sheet for the resistance fighters. this revolution upon us! But it will not be enough!
The Brotherhood soldiers are massed at the I will survive, and you will not get what you came
eastern side of the room, doing their best to keep the here to get!” He glances at Lindsay. “She's now
resistance fighters away from eastern hallway. The under my command; puppet, you know. She was
resistance fighters are clearly outnumbered, and such a junior, naïve girl back on Earth… who
are taking the worst part of the battle. Brotherhood would have thought she would have become a
reinforcements are also approaching from the leader in this blasted Resistance! Well, she will
southern passageway. have a chance to spill out all their secrets soon!”
The following special Assistant actions are available:
• Southern passageway hatch: The enemy is about

to receive reinforcements coming through the
southern passageway. If a hero spends a Benny
and his Assistant makes a successful Hacking roll,
he or she manages to close the hatch doors to
this passageway. If the hatch doors are not closed
three rounds after the heroes arrive, then two extra
Brotherhood soldiers per hero arrive from the south
to join their comrades.
If the heroes manage to get through the enemy

guards and enter the eastern hallway without
completely defeating their enemy, the battle rages
behind them, as more enemy reinforcements arrive
to keep the Resistance fighters busy and pursue
the heroes.
• Brotherhood HQ Soldiers (4 per hero): Use stats

for Soldier Psion.
• Resistance Fighter Psion (2 per hero)
Ryan: See page 237.
9. SHOWDOWN
The hallway leads the heroes to an elevator. A quick
V-World lookup tells the heroes the elevator leads to
a private cargo platform at the top of the dome..
Assuming the heroes take the elevator up, read or
paraphrase the following:
chrysalis
151
[Insert an Assistant's name here] interrupts an enemy fall. If a character falls or is pushed, he can
you. “The dome sensors detect a ship make an Agility roll (a free action) to catch the edge
approaching the outer platform, outside the of the platform with both hands. If the character has
dome. Coban should be able to reach the ship only one hand free, he may either drop whatever he's
and escape any moment now!” carrying (another free action) or make the roll with a
–2 penalty. With a failure, the character falls to his or
Deal Action Cards! her death. With a success, the character grabs on to
Marcel Coban's team, including the puppet- the edge and ends his or her turn. On the next round,
controlled Lindsay, surrounds their leader and the character can make a Strength roll as an action
prepares to fight to the death. Their plan is to hide to pull him or herself over the edge. Helping another
behind the crates and walls next to the hatch and character is a cooperative Strength roll. Any character
make a stand there until their ship arrives. Lindsay who is Shaken or Wounded while standing next to the
attacks the heroes per Coban's orders, but is entitled edge of the platform must make an Agility roll (after
to an opposed Spirit roll to break free, as per the Soaking) or fall.
standard rules for the puppet power. An unused hover forklift sits on the southwest
corner of the platform. It occupies a Small Burst
THE FIGHT Template and can be used to lift or push piles of crates.
The platform has several piles of crates and boxes The forklift can be piloted manually by any character
ready to be undocked. The crates give a −2 Cover using the Piloting skill (no need to be a Psion). It can
modifier, or a –4 Heavy Cover if the character be used to push a pile of crates 2" in one round; to lift
completely crouches behind them. Each crate weighs a single crate in a round, and then move it using the
around eighty pounds, and if pushed or moved normal forklift movement (up to 4”); or to drop a crate
telekinetically can cause 3d6 damage. in one round, causing falling damage for the crate. The
There are balconies on all sides of the platform forklift can also be used to perform a Push maneuver,
but it is still possible to fall. Characters can use the in which case the opposing character's Strength roll is
Push action or the telekinesis power to try to make compared against the forklift's Toughness.
SEVEN WORLDS
152
Marcel Coban and his minions are waiting for their • (if the heroes entered the lab in location #7 and
escape ship to arrive through the hatch. As the battle used the simulation): “So you want to know what
rages describe how a ship approaches the outer hatch raze is, eh? I'll tell you! It's a psionic power we have
and prepares to dock. At the start of the fourth round, found, that can kill Devourers with a thought! You
the ship docks with the hatch and the hatch opens. should wonder, is that the only thing we can kill
As soon as that happens Coban retreats to the hatch, with but a thought?”
protected by his minions. Unless they're stopped, the • (if the heroes did not enter the lab in location #7,
ship will depart as soon as the last surviving minion or did not use the simulation): “We know so much
enters the hatch. Coban is not above abandoning his more than you! Did you know we even managed
soldiers if he sees no chance of rescuing them. to capture a Devourer, long ago? Yes! And we also
The following special Assistant actions are available: have the power to kill them with a thought! It's
called raze, and it's a power your puny minds will
• Forklift: If a hero spends a Benny and the Assistant never comprehend!”
makes a successful Hacking roll, the Assistant • “You and the rest of humanity have been playing
can control the forklift just like a character. If the Ganendra Nathan's game from the very beginning!
forklift is already in use by someone (character of Who do you think orchestrated the assassination
Assistant) the Assistant must take control instead. of Governor Selnes? Who do you think crashed the
To wrestle another for control of the forklift, make Stellar Comm Network? Now the Devourers have
a Hacking roll opposed by Piloting (if the adversary you non-psions in their grasp, just as we planned!”
is human) or Hacking (if the adversary is another • “You may be wondering who knows raze, don't you?
Assistant). Whoever wins the opposed roll is the Let me tell you: absolutely everyone! Long ago
“current” driver of the forklift, and can use it in his we decided to store raze inside every Chrysalian
or her turn unless another character or Assistant citizen's mind using brain lock! Now with just a
wrestles control of the forklift from him or her. thought we can unlock an army of psions that can
Remember that the heroes' enemies also have destroy any Devourer invasion! So when humanity
Assistants of their own! falls, who do you think will still be alive to rise above
• Escape Hatch: It is possible to jam the hatch at any the wreckage?”
time to stop Coban from escaping. If a hero spends • “The raze power is beyond your reach! And so is the
a Benny, then his Assistant may attempt a Dramatic password to unlock it! You will never get it from me,
task using the Hacking skill to jam the hatch. There is and the only other person who knows it is Ganendra
no time limit for this Dramatic Task. Only one Benny Nathan himself, back on Earth. And you will never
must be spent, regardless of how many rounds reach Earth!”
the Assistant takes to complete the Dramatic Task. • “Do you think your troubles end here on Chrysalis?
Only one Assistant may be attempting this at a time. Viktor Karragan and the fleet in space have been
Make sure the Assistant in question gets an Action alerted! Even if you gain temporary control of Atlas
Card to see if any complications ensue, as per the City, you will not survive him!”
Dramatic Task rules. If the Assistant is successful,
the hatch jams and won't open (if Coban hasn't Coban also has the mind burn power, and will not
escaped) or won't allow the enemy ship to undock hesitate to use it against the heroes when appropriate.
(if Coban has already boarded the ship). Another Make sure the heroes don't get the password
Dramatic Task may be attempted to unjam the from Coban. The easiest way to do this is to make
hatch if necessary. sure Coban dies during the battle. Coban is willing
to commit suicide if that keeps the heroes from
MARCEL COBAN recovering the password. He has also given orders to
Coban already begins play with the armor power his guards to kill him themselves if everything is lost.
enabled, as well as the deflection power with a raise. If despite your best attempts at avoiding it, Coban is
Remember to take advantage of Coban's special captured, you can have him laugh evilly at the heroes
power with Tests of Will to taunt or intimidate as while pointing out that before the battle he ordered
many heroes as possible, using penalties for groups if one of his guards to use brain lock on Coban himself,
necessary (see the Setting Rules section of the Seven locking the password from Coban's mind. He points
Worlds Setting Guide). These taunts and intimidations to the dead body of the guard is question (most likely
also give valuable information to the heroes. What killed by the heroes) thus explaining that now the
follows is a list of sample comments Coban might use password is out of reach of anyone in Chrysalis.
for the Tests of Will:
chrysalis
153
If Coban manages to escape, he joins Viktor sure to broadcast the images you think of via
Karragan's fleet in space, where the heroes will have V-World,” details a technician.
a second chance at fighting him. The heroes must still As the communication opens to every V-World
not be allowed to recover the password to unlock raze. receiver and lens in Atlas City, Ryan begins.
As soon as Coban falls or escapes, Lindsay's control “Citizens of Chrysalis: In the last few hours the
via the puppet power vanishes, if it hadn't already. government of Atlas City has fallen and we, the
Resistance, now control Brotherhood HQ. You are
Marcel Coban: See page 237. probably confused, scared and angry. Please hear
Lindsay: See page 236. us out. We need you to know this: You have not
• Coban's Elite guards (1 per hero): Use stats for been told the truth about this place. You have not
Veteran Psion. been told the truth about what is happening in the
• Coban's guards (1 per hero): Use stats for Soldier Seven Worlds. Now you will hear what is going
Psion. on, from those who have been out there to see it.”
• Forklift (1) With that, Ryan looks at you, asking you to tell
your story and convince the planet of what you
SCENE 6: THE know is true.
DEFENSE OF The heroes are expected to gain the support of the
CHRYSALIS population of Chrysalis against Viktor Karragan's fleet.
Play this as a Social Conflict. For each of the three
Thanks to the heroes' actions, the Resistance has rounds of the Social Conflict a single hero can give a
secured Brotherhood HQ, albeit with heavy losses. stirring speech that will be broadcast to the entire
As Ryan or Lindsay explain, however, things are far planet and to the ships and stations in orbit. The hero
from over. who made the speech then makes a Persuasion roll.
Atlas City is in chaos, as law and order have broken Each success and raise nets the group a social success.
down. Resistance fighters battle it out in the streets The following are some of the points that the heroes
with Brotherhood soldiers as the population realizes could make during their speech:
what is happening and starts to take sides. In the
meantime, Admiral Karragan, alerted to the upheaval • The Seven Worlds are under attack by aliens called
in Chrysalis, is already on his way with his entire fleet. the Devourers.
Ryan asks the heroes for help in obtaining support • At least three human worlds, possibly more, have
from the population of Chrysalis against Karragan's already fallen to the unstoppable invaders.
fleet. What the heroes know of the outside will be • Human resistance was weakened by the
crucial in convincing the planet of the need to commit assassination of Governor Selnes, arranged by the
to the Devourer War. Psion Brotherhood.
If the heroes agree to help, Ryan takes them to • Humanity has not been able to coordinate their
Brotherhood HQ's communication center. There he defenses because of the crash of the Stellar
proposes opening up a message communication Communications Network, also arranged by the
channel to every citizen in Atlas City and convince Psion Brotherhood.
them with a speech. • The Psion Brotherhood knows a power that can
If the heroes decide not to help, the Resistance defeat the Devourers; yet they have kept it secret,
barely manages to pacify the population (assume zero and refused to use it to save humanity.
successes in the Success Table below). Move on to the • Now that their secret is out, the leaders of the
“Battle over Chrysalis” section below. Brotherhood will do anything to stop the Resistance
and the Circle to use it to save non-psions.
CONVINCING THE PLANET Give the hero a bonus or penalty to the subsequent
Assuming the heroes decided to help, read or Persuasion roll depending on how good or bad his or
paraphrase the following: her speech is. The modifier should range from +2 to −2.
Cooperative rolls are allowed should another hero
You enter the communications center of wish to help the story. Make sure the support makes
Brotherhood HQ, a room full of communications sense, though. It is possible that a hero may make the
equipment. You are all seated in V-World chairs case worse through clumsy speech and earn a penalty
and connected to the systems. “We will make to the final roll.
SEVEN WORLDS
154
There are certain topics that are sure to generate be “Why should we trust you? You are terrorists
bonuses and penalties. For example: who attacked hundreds and just toppled our
government!,” “How do you know if we got involved
• Ganendra Nathan is idolized by most members of in this war it would make any difference? What if
the Brotherhood. An insult or verbal attack against the best way to ensure humanity's survival is to
him, not supported by evidence or carefully built stay here, hidden in Chrysalis?,” or “You are outright
logic, will most likely antagonize the population. liars! Ganendra Nathan has defended humanity for
• Most psions are neither good nor evil, just people decades! He would never condone such a thing!”
who are living their lives and believe in their
organization. Heroes should avoid insulting them After the heroes' speech ends, Ryan lays a final plea,
or the ideals of the Brotherhood they represent. and closes the transmission. Count the total number
• Since Ryan has told the heroes they may also of social successes generated by the heroes and
project images from their memory, particularly consult the Success Table.
compelling images chosen by the heroes to make Describe the results of their effort to the heroes.
their case (such as the attack on Nouvelle Vie for After the speech the heroes are whisked away to
example, or a scene from the Devourer simulation) recover from their ordeal. This might be a good time
should generate a bonus. for the heroes to go back to the lab and simulation
• Particularly daring heroes may use the third round room in location #7, above, if they didn't already.
of the speech to field questions from the general This encounter well provide them with invaluable
population. This automatically nets them a +1 bonus background on the Devourers. If the heroes don't think
to the final Persuasion roll for their openness. Ask about this then one of their Assistants brings the point
the hero the hardest possible questions you can to their attention and suggest a visit to the lab.
think of, and apply additional bonuses or penalties
to the final roll depending on how good the answers
were. Some possible questions and comments could
SUCCESS TABLE
# OF
SUCCESSES DESCRIPTION GAME EFFECT
The population is not convinced. The
Resistance manages to pacify the situation
0 Nothing.
but there is practically no support from
the people.
The population doesn't trust the Resistance
but is intrigued by the accusations. The
1–2 Resistance gains some support but still faces The heroes' side gains ONE extra token in the
an uphill battle trying to rally the population Mass Battle against Viktor Karragan.
against Ganendra Nathan.
The population is convinced at an intellectual
level. Many of them commit to defending
Chrysalis from Admiral Karragan's attack. The heroes' side gains TWO extra tokens in
3–4
This includes several orbiting ships. The the Mass Battle against Viktor Karragan.
people still need to be engaged more
emotionally, though.
The heroes raise the entire population of
Chrysalis into committing to saving the
Seven Worlds! The population erupts in
5+ demonstrations of support for their fellow The heroes' side gains THREE extra tokens in
humans and prepares to defend Chrysalis the Mass Battle against Viktor Karragan.
(and then humanity) with everything
they have.
chrysalis
155
on Knowledge (Battle) and Morale rolls are probably
BATTLE OVER CHRYSALIS lower than those of most of the heroes.
A few days after the takeover of Brotherhood HQ the Karragan has 10 tokens, while the defenders have 6
heroes are asked to join the Resistance fleet to defend tokens plus the tokens they got for the heroes' efforts
Chrysalis against Admiral Karragan. Assuming they in rallying the population during the previous scene.
join, read or paraphrase the following: Besides the bonus for Major Fortifications (see the
Mass Battles in Space section of the Setting Guide),
Several days after your emotional speech to Morale rolls for the heroes' side receive an additional
the planet, you are standing on the bridge of +2 bonus since they cannot retreat from the orbit
the battleship Psion Pride, the largest ship the of Chrysalis.
defenders of Chrysalis have. Taking advantage
of the protection ships parked in the orbit of Admiral Viktor Karragan: See page 231.
Chrysalis, of the reserve military ships and even • Captain August Yantz: Use stats for Typical Psion
of several civilian transport and passenger ships but with a Knowledge (Battle) skill of d8.
that were equipped with weapons, you have
built a fleet to defend the planet. It is definitely FINAL CONFRONTATION
not as strong or powerful as Admiral Karragan's If Karragan survived the previous encounter, you
fleet, but it will have to do. could play this final showdown with the heroes. Read
As you take your seats in the special chairs or paraphrase the following to the heroes:
that will protect you from the impact of enemy
attacks, and as Coulborne Shields are spun As enemy ships explode, fly away, or surrender,
and ships accelerate, the wall screens around you realize you have won! Chrysalis is free! Your
you show Karragan's fleet, composed of both celebration is cut short, however, by a message
manned ships and unmanned platforms, still a that arrives on your screen. It's Viktor Karragan
few hours away. The imposing Captain August himself, his face consumed by rage.
Yantz, formerly of a member of the military “You will not destroy everything our leader
forces of the Psion Brotherhood, approaches and Ganendra Nathan and the Psion Brotherhood
offers you the chance to lead the fleet into battle. have been working for! I will kill you if it's the
last thing I do!”
The heroes can choose one of them to be the leader As Karragan screams these words your
of the fleet. The chosen leader will use his or her monitors show that the battleship Superior,
Knowledge (Battle) skill to control the Chrysalis fleet Karragan's flagship, is racing at full speed
against Admiral Karragan. If the heroes decline, Yantz towards you. And Karragan does not look like the
takes control, although the heroes still roll for Yantz. type who surrenders.
Point out to the heroes that Yantz is not a Wild Card
and therefore his chances of rolling high numbers No other ships are close enough to intercept, so the
heroes and their crew are on their own.
To run a battle between two large spaceships, use
RUNNING THE MASS BATTLE the modified version of the Mass Battle rules for
capitol ships (see the Mass Battles in Space section
Familiaritze yourself and the heroes with the of the Seven Worlds Setting Guide). The Superior (a
standard Mass Battle rules from Savage Worlds Battleship) has ten tokens while the Psion Pride
as well as the Mass Battles in Space section of the (also a Battleship, albeit older and more battered
Setting Guide. by the battle) has eight. Karragan has a +2 bonus to
Remember that the trick of any Mass Battle is his Knowledge (Battle) rolls since he is an expert at
the description and the excitement in narrating the ship-to-ship combat. Renew Karragan's Bennies for
action. Make sure to keep the focus on these two this battle.
fleets and the danger and carnage generated by If the Superior fails the Knowledge (Ship Ops) roll
the innumerable lasers, missiles and coilguns firing used in lieu of Morale, the ship explodes from damage
at each other. As per the Mass Battle rules, give and overheating. Karragan does not surrender.
bonuses and penalties to any side that narrates an
original or devastating strategy, depending on what
they try to do, to ramp up the excitement.
SEVEN WORLDS
156
EPILOGUE WHAT IF THE HEROES LOSE?
If the heroes lose to Karragan and his cronies, all is
Once the battle has ended, and with Karragan not lost. Karragan captures all ships (including the
vanquished, the heroes and their allies are in complete Psion Pride) and regains control of Chrysalis. The
control of Chrysalis. Read or paraphrase the following: heroes could flee back to Atlas City before Karragan
captures them, or be captured and helped to
In just a few short weeks, Chrysalis has escape by other rogue members of the Resistance.
irrevocably changed. The population of the In any case, though, the cat is out of the bag.
planet has reached a consensus: the only way The population of Chrysalis now knows something
to save humanity from the Devourers, and to is very wrong, and will demand explanations that
atone for what the Brotherhood has done, is for Karragan is not willing to give. Before long Chrysalis
the people of Chrysalis to get involved in the war. is under a heavy-handed martial law, with a
Most of the crew in Karragan's fleet did not population ready to revolt. There are the makings
receive the transmission of your speech to the for a great adventure here as the heroes organize
population of Atlas City, and thus react with and mount the resistance to topple Karragan
surprise to news of the war and of what has before it's too late. After bringing Karragan down
been happening outside. It does not take long for (or convincing most of his soldiers to join them), the
them to see things from your point of view and heroes are ready to use his and their fleet to go back
join the cause. to Earth and fight the Devourers.
Only one question remains: Now what?
chrysalis
157
Time for the heroes to brainstorm the next step. Your task is clear: You must reach Earth as soon
Hopefully it should occur to them (but suggest it via an as possible, wrest the brain lock password from
NPC if it doesn't) that transporting as many psions as Ganendra Nathan, unlock the brains of the tens
possible to Earth and unlocking the raze power in their of thousands of psions under your command,
heads would allow them to destroy the Devourers. If and use their power to stop the Devourers. But
they need to, further research information found in Dr. maybe you're too late! It's been months since the
Graham's lab allows the resistance to calculate that Devourers attacked Apollo, and you've received
just fifty thousand psions should be able to jointly no news. Hopefully Earth is still safe, but you
use raze to annihilate hundreds of thousands of don't know. And you are months away from your
Devourers. The heroes have finally found the weapon destination! How will you get there in time?
they were looking for! As the fleet leaves the orbit of Chrysalis
Of course, the raze power is still brain-locked inside towards the Stein 2051 jump point you realize
every psion's head, and Ganendra Nathan is now the the late Epsilon Leader Antoine was right to trust
only person left who knows the password. Nathan is you. Humanity now has a chance, even if it's a
in the Psion Brotherhood headquarters on Earth, in slim one. Will you save what is left of the Seven
Brotherhood Station. Most likely he is preparing to Worlds, or will all this effort be in vain?
leave the planet before the Devourers arrive (which
should not be long), but many don't put it above him The adventure now continues in Exodus, the next
to sacrifice himself to keep appearances and the module in the epic Seven Worlds campaign!
existence of Chrysalis a secret. The heroes will need
to confront Nathan and get the password from him.
Once the heroes are agreed and their plans are laid
out, read or paraphrase the following, changing it
as appropriate:
A few weeks later you are in orbit around

Chrysalis, on the bridge of a repaired Psion
Pride. You are surrounded by a fleet of almost a
hundred military and transport ships, carrying
more than seventy thousand psions ready to
risk their lives to save humanity. Most were
volunteers, both civilian and military, and you've
devoted this time to shipping them off-planet
and organizing the logistics necessary to feed
and transport them over the long trip to Earth. A
second fleet will hopefully depart in a few more
weeks, but you've already waited long enough.
Your own ship, the Voyager, was recovered
as part of Karragan's fleet and repaired to
perfection, and is now being towed by one of the
transport ships of the fleet.
SEVEN WORLDS
158
6. EXODUS
introduction
Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not; either way it’s mind-boggling.
—Lee DuBridge, President Nixon’s Science Advisor
W elcome to the sixth module in the Seven

While attending Concordia’s Centenary Celebration,
campaign’s measure of success is the answer to the When the heroes arrived at Earth, they met the
or failure is measured in the answer to a different as the N’ahili. They also met the leaders of the
This adventure continues where Chrysalis, the Nathan, but failed to get any clues to the identity
fifth Seven Worlds campaign adventure, left off. It is of the mysterious alien ship they saw. Finally, they
starting this one, but if you haven’t you will still find and discovered he had been working on unspecified
single stroke.
WHAT’S HAPPENED BEFORE By the end of that adventure, the heroes were in
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a battle. At this point a fleet of mysterious alien ships
SEVEN WORLDS
160
asked the heroes to go on a long-shot mission to find as possible towards Earth. However, tensions begin
an alternative way to stop them. to appear within the fleet, as not all followers of
Following an anonymous tip, the heroes travelled Ganendra Nathan have been eliminated. A few of them
to Apollo and became embroiled in a political war stage a terrorist operation to take over the flagship
between various corporations. To solve the situation, of the fleet and use it to blow up all civilian ships. It is
the heroes had to storm a faraway research facility up to the heroes to recover the flagship and stop the
that had been taken over by terrorists. One of these terrorists from achieving their goals.
terrorists had a clue the heroes needed, a strange With the fleet saved, the heroes follow the advice
story and the name of an unknown place: Chrysalis. of the mysterious N’ahili, who appear one last time to
Apparently this place had something to do with point them towards a secret shortcut that could allow
Logan’s End, the farthest and least civilized of the the fleet to reach Earth in weeks instead of months.
Seven Worlds. The N’ahili offer cryptic clues as to their purpose
In Broken Circle the heroes followed a report and the future, as well as a last farewell present to
suggesting the elusive Dr. LaMarche was on Harris the heroes.
Station, and finally learn the secret he had obtained
at such a great cost. It turned out LaMarche had
discovered that the Stellar Communications Network
RUNNING THE
was going to be sabotaged from within at the orders
ADVENTURE
of the Psion Brotherhood. He also told the heroes the
orders came from close to Logan’s End. To escape, the Here are a few tips on running the adventure from
heroes had to survive a major space battle against now on. Most of the Seven Worlds have fallen to
an enemy willing to do anything to keep LaMarche’s the invaders and trade and commerce have all but
secret from getting out. disappeared, and this should be reflected in the mood
As the rest of human space continued to fall to of the game.
the Devourers, the heroes reached Logan’s End and
followed up on the only clue to Chrysalis, the sad
story of a failing smuggler crew that died several A SENSE OF URGENCY
years ago. Before the adventure was over, the heroes From now on the action is played against a deadline:
had crisscrossed the planet and become involved The impending Devourer attack on Earth. The
in a rescue mission in the deep, savage jungles of heroes are in a race against time to reach Earth
Logan’s End. The reward for a successful rescue: The before it is too late. Provide this sense of urgency
coordinates of the mysterious Chrysalis. in NPC conversations within the fleet, as well as in
In Chrysalis, the heroes finally make it to the Eighth interactions with people outside the fleet.
World, a strange planet populated by Psions. There Consider this sense of urgency when incorporating
they learn that the Psion Brotherhood is planning to side stories and adventures. Some ideas have been
hide here while the Devourers annihilate humanity. included in the Side Stories section. The “Managing a
They also discover that the Psion Brotherhood has a Fleet” side story in particular could be a particularly
secret power that can destroy the Devourers if they appropriate framework to build interesting side
so wish. This power can be unlocked with a secret stories during this adventure.
password, a word that can be obtained only from
Ganendra Nathan himself.
Emboldened by what they find, the heroes fight ENCOUNTERS IN SPACE
to take over Chrysalis. After a climactic battle with If you are using the optional Random Space Encounters
the leaders of the planet, the heroes manage to tables detailed in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide,
prepare a fleet with tens of thousands of psions to make the following changes to the rules:
fly towards Earth, recover the secret password to the
power, and stop the Devourers before they destroy • Since the Stellar Communications Network is
the mother world. permanently down, the −1 modifier for travelling
between systems not connected by it always
applies, regardless of where the heroes are
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW travelling to or from.
As this adventure begins, the heroes are ready to • If the final modified die roll is a –1, instead of a
leave Chrysalis with the hastily assembled fleet of Research Ship the heroes find a Devourer ship. Note
military and civilian ships carrying as many psions that a Devourer ship can easily overwhelm most
introduction
161
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3 Proxima
3.9
Ross 780 Centauri
0.2
4.0 Gliese 908
Settled Star System
Ross 671
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
Lacaille 9352
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
7.8 7.4
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
Harris Station 7.7
4.8 Gliese 588
6.0 Procyon
(”Chrysalis”)
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
(Epsion Indi) Wolf 629 6.8
4.2
Sirius
Hoffnung
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
4.6
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Station 4.4
6.1 7.7 6.8 4.2
4.8
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
HIP 23512
Van Maanen’s Star
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0

(Omicron 2 2.5
HIP 23452
Eridani)
7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9 4.0
LP 771-095
8.0 HIP 14101
6.5
hero ships, so make sure the heroes have a way out.
Maybe the Devourer ship does not attack or follow UPDATED MAPS
for unknown reasons. Maybe it attacks once and The following maps show how the formerly Seven
then flees. Whatever it is, don’t let the heroes enter Worlds stand at the start of this adventure. Note the
a battle you believe there is no way they can win. following significant differences with the map used in
• If the final modified die roll is a 3, instead of a Psion the previous adventure:
Brotherhood ship the heroes find a Derelict Ship of
a type you choose. All ships have been destroyed • The path between Gamma Leporis (Nouvelle Vie)
and are now hulks. You get to decide whether they and Ross 154 is now marked as a Dead-end line.
were destroyed by Devourers or by another human This is because all human civilization there has
fleet, as well as if there are still survivors above or been wiped out by the Devourer invasion.
not. Maybe the heroes get to explore the derelict to
recover something valuable inside. If you are using the 3-D maps, this might be a good
opportunity to show the heroes the updated map this
Engineering some random encounters in space adventure, explaining that since the Stellar Comm
could be very useful to show the players what Network has permanently crashed, most routes
is happening in the Seven Worlds. Use random between planets are now in a different color.
encounters to show the heroes the results of the war:
derelict spaceships, disheartened refugees, and even
a stray Devourer ship. Take advantage of these to tell
the story the way you think it should be told.
SEVEN WORLDS
164
exodus
I n this adventure, the heroes begin the long trip

towards Earth. On the way, they discover not
everyone is as committed to the mission as they
are. And a surprise alien visit promises to change
everything, again.
The screen shows hundreds of enraptured
people, both psion and non-psion, joining hands
in emotion and pain as the young man says “We
have endured unbearable pain, both humans
and psions! And we have proven we bleed and
hurt the same! Let this tragedy serve to bring us
SCENE 1: SECOND closer, so we can rise above our emotions and
forge the future of humanity together!” His final
THOUGHTS words are drowned in a sea of cheers.
This scene occurs just a day after the fleet has left the As the screen goes blank, Ryan looks at the
orbit of Chrysalis. heroes and wonders whether Ganendra Nathan was
The heroes are in the Settler Ship Destiny, having planning to wipe all non-psions right then and there.
left the Psion Pride in one of its shuttles. They are He also casually mentions the rumor that Christine,
here to visit Ryan, who has called for them. If Ryan or his girlfriend, was killed by Ganendra himself during
Lindsay are not alive, replace them with Eric Chambers the riots, as payback for what non-psions had done
(see sidebar) or some other Resistance leader you to his beloved sister Anuva. This is a good time to
deem appropriate. have a conversation about the Psion Riots (see
When the heroes enter Ryan’s room, they see him the Bay Jing section of the Seven Worlds Setting
sitting on a chair, staring at a video on his wall screen. Guide) as well as about Ganendra Nathan himself
The video is an old news story about the Psion Riots (see page 243).
in Bay Jing from a few decades ago, and features Once that is done, Ryan tells the heroes he invited
Ganendra Nathan as its main character: them because they are all about to enter the Council
Meeting convened by Captain Yantz. Before the
“… in the midst of this tragedy, with more than meeting, Ryan wanted to let them know that he
one thousand lynched psions, and a similar believes things will become harder. It was easy
number of casualties among normals,” the to join a glorious mission to save humanity from
news reporter says, betraying a bias against invaders; but now, as weeks go by in these cramped
psions, “we must focus on this nineteen-year- ships, tensions will increase, doubts will surface, and
old man who has lost so much and still managed loyalties will crack. He asks the heroes to be on the
to save Triumph from harm by hunting and lookout for these kinds of risks.
stopping the deranged rogue psion who caused
all this death. He is a psion too, and his name is
Ganendra Nathan.” INVESTIGATING
The screen changes to show a haggard and GANENDRA NATHAN
tired young man, who with a tear-stricken but
defiant face is giving an emotional, improvised The scene above gives heroes an opportunity
speech to a crowd. The reporter’s voice speaks to know more about Ganendra Nathan. This
on top. “These riots have cost young Ganendra information will be useful in the final encounter.
the lives of both his parents, of his non-psion If heroes investigate Ganendra’s past, they find
girlfriend Christine, and of his nine-year- all references to his public history. His secret
old beloved sister Anuva. Yet he was able to transformation during the Psion Riots, or his later
rise above his pain and focus on locating and scheming against humanity, are all of course secret
capturing the man behind the depraved killings. and not available to heroes through investigation.
His story has made him an unlikely bridge Use the description of the events on the Seven
between psions and non-psions, and some say Worlds Setting Guide, as well as of the Psion Riots
he has a bright future in front of him in the Psion in Bay Jing (see the Bay Jing section of the Seven
Brotherhood, if he chooses to follow it.” Worlds Setting Guide) for background.
exodus
165
THE COUNCIL MEETING the fleet. Given the slow speed of the Mark V Settler
Just then the wall screen lights up again and the Ships in the fleet, it will take thirty-six weeks, or almost
heroes appear through a V-World projection in the nine months, to reach Earth. This does not count the
Psion Pride’s main conference room, surrounded by time spent on refueling and reloading supplies for all
the ship’s officers. Captain Yantz, whom the heroes the passengers in Logan’s End, Waypoint Station and
met in Chrysalis, leads the meeting. The captains of Harris Station. This could easily add an extra month
most of the military ships in the fleet are also virtually to the trip. By that time, the Devourers will have most
present via V-World communication between the likely destroyed Earth.
ships. The purpose of the meeting is to decide what Yantz continues by also saying there are reports of
the next course of action is. dissatisfaction and disillusionment within the crew
Yantz starts the meeting by detailing the situation: and passengers, as the pointlessness of their mission
The fleet currently has 89 ships, out of which just dawns on them. Measures to control the situation will
44 ships carry 94% of the 71,000 passengers. The have to be implemented during the trip.
remaining ships are military units, designed to protect
CHARACTERS IN THE FLEET

It is your job to make the fleet feel alive! The following is a list of some of the fleet leaders the heroes could interact
with. No statistics are provided unless mentioned.
• Ryan and Lindsay: Assuming they are still alive, Ryan and Lindsay are considered the unofficial civilian leaders
of the fleet. They are committed to the heroes’ mission and willing to risk their lives and the lives of their fellow
Chrysalians if necessary to save humanity. In order to be closer to the civilians and volunteers, they have made
the Destiny, one of the Settler Ships in the fleet, their headquarters. Their stats are listed at the end of the book.
• Eric Chambers: Another long-time leader of the Resistance, he is as committed as Ryan and Lindsay to the cause.
Unfortunately Eric is not as charismatic as either Ryan or Lindsay, thus making it hard to lead the civilians if Ryan
and Lindsay are not available.
• Captain August Yantz: Since most of the military high-command in Chrysalis was loyal to Coban and Karragan,
Captain Yantz is one of the remaining high-ranking military leaders in the fleet, and should have been promoted
if there were still time for those details. He is not as convinced of the wisdom of the plan as he was at the
beginning, but believes in Ryan and Lindsay and will do as they say.
• Captain Thomas Burge: Another high-level leader in the fleet, he has survived by hiding his loyalty to Ganendra
Nathan. He has concocted a dangerous plan to stop the fleet and retake Chrysalis before it is too late.
• Captain Frank Cordova: The third member of the current military high-command, Cordova was in a career dead-
end when the revolution in Chrysalis occurred. Now the former surface desk worker is flexing rusted leadership
muscles in space, and is enjoying himself immensely while supporting the new Chrysalis order.
• Sergeant Alice Hynes: This tough-looking marine is always ready to volunteer herself and her team of deadly
soldiers to any mission, never mind the odds, as long as she feels it’s for the right cause.
• Corporal John Quiper: Sergeant Hynes’ second-in-command, Corporal Quiper has been assigned this role far too
early, and does not feel quite ready for it. Alice trusts in his abilities, but privately suspects he still needs some
experience. Fortunately, Corporal Quiper is learning fast.
• Doctor Zöe Fariq: Dr. Fariq was one of the scientists working on the theories and activities orchestrated by Dr.
Oren Graham, and is thus familiar with some of his research. She significantly disagreed with Dr. Graham’s ways
and focus, though, and had secretly joined the Resistance. Now she is the foremost scientific expert in the fleet.
If the heroes forgot to bring with them the canister containing Devourer flesh, (see Chrysalis) she has it with her.
• Phillip Gomez: Most born non-psions in Chrysalis live tough lives, and some wanted to change that. Phillip Gomez
is one of the leaders of a small group of non-psions willing to change the status-quo any way they can. They
joined Ryan and Lindsay’s resistance long ago, and have been useful for the information they provided while on
the menial jobs reserved for non-psions only. Now that the Resistance has triumphed, Gomez is waiting to see
how this translates into new rights for his people. The urgency of the mission means there has not been time to
talk about this, and Gomez is getting impatient.
SEVEN WORLDS
166
After detailing the situation, Yantz opens the floor Assuming the heroes go to the bridge, read them
for discussion, and expectantly looks at the heroes for the following:
suggestions. As the heroes speak, it is Yantz himself
who questions their arguments. The heroes should As soon as you get to the bridge of the civilian
gradually become aware that the normally jovial ship you are briefed on the situation by the
Yantz is dark, broody and hostile to them. He speaks Destiny’s captain: A ship has appeared on the
in a hopeless manner, as if he did not believe in the jump point, and is flying towards the fleet at a
success of the mission. very high speed! The Psion Pride’s systems are
One of the officers virtually present at the meeting, having trouble identifying what ship it is, and
Captain Thomas Burge, openly sides with Yantz and seem to indicate it is not of human origin.
questions the entire mission, accusing the heroes of “Everyone, prepare for battle!,” you see Yantz
risking the survival of the entire human race without shouting, via the wall screen. “What is coming
a realistic plan to win the war. towards us? Is it a Devourer ship?”
Have the discussion be as long or short as is One of the officers in the control deck takes a
appropriate for your players. At the appropriate time, few seconds before answering. “Captain, we are
read or paraphrase the following: receiving a communication from the approaching
ship. It is a N’ahili ship.” The officer points at you
Suddenly, every alarm in the ship starts blaring! through the wall screen. “And it is asking to
All officers disconnect to go to their respective speak to them.”
bridges and command centers. Yantz looks at
you through the wall-screen and asks you to go
to the bridge of the Destiny, where he will be in
touch with you.
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167
What are you doing here?
THE CHRYSALIS FLEET
We came looking for you. There are many things
Inquisitive heroes might want to know what the we need to discuss before we leave.
exact composition of the fleet is. In case it ever
becomes necessary, the details are here. The Are you the same N’ahili we saw on Earth?
number of passengers per ship is an average, and
includes crew. Yes. For you, there are no other. A few weeks ago
The total number of passengers in the fleet is we left Earth. Permanently.
71,263 out of which 3,961 are military.
All civilian ships are loaded over passenger How did you get here? Supposedly the location
capacity to bring as many psions as possible. This of Chrysalis is a secret.
makes for a cramped, uncomfortable trip.
Few secrets are kept from us. Remember,
• 12 Mark V Settler Ships (including the Destiny): back on Earth it was us who warned you about
2654 passengers each. Chrysalis. It was us who sent Epsilon Leader
• 32 Troop/Supply Ships: 1104 passengers each Antoine the message suggesting you visit
• 6 Research Ships: 21 passengers each. Whitehall on Apollo to find a clue about this place.
Military ships are crewed at maximum capacity, You have not helped us stop the Devourers!
but are not overloaded. This allows them to react Now you are leaving us! Why?
normally while in combat.
Our work here is done. We have obtained what
• 6 Battleships (including the Psion Pride and the we needed, we have given you what we could.
Olympian): 277 passengers each. Far more than we should have. We have given
• 14 Heavy Cruisers: 152 passengers each. you the stars. And many other things besides.
• 19 Patrol Ships (including the Voyager): 9 And we helped you [points to the heroes] reach
passengers each. this place, and find a secret weapon that might
help humanity survive. Is that not enough? What
happens next is up to you.
SCENE 2: THE
N’AHILI ARRIVE But humanity is about to be annihilated! You are
vastly more powerful than we are. With your
Scene 2 begins when the heroes are ready to talk to help we could stop the Devourers. We could
the N’ahili. have saved millions of lives.
The N’ahili ship approaches the fleet at an
acceleration of more than 20G. While approaching [Impatient sigh] You obviously do not understand
they broadcast that they mean no harm to the fleet, how unimportant and irrelevant you truly are,
and their purpose is to speak to the heroes, whom how insignificant your achievements become.
they call by name. You have barely visited a dot in the scale of the
After a few hours, the N’ahili reach a distance of Milky Way, yet you believe you are ‘destined for
one light-second and open a communication channel. the stars.’ You don’t realize that in the galactic
The heroes are asked to go to a V-World terminal scale you are… mosquitoes. Actually, the only
and connect. Yantz tells them that they will be difference between you and your mosquitoes
eavesdropping on the conversation, in case their help is that there are more of them. Yet you are
is needed. proud mosquitoes.
When the heroes connect, they find themselves in We would like to tell you that someday you
the same virtual Mediterranean country mansion as will understand. But most likely your species will
the last time they visited (see Rumors of War). In front not live long enough to understand. Which is a
of them is Adam, the N’ahili “ambassador.” pity, because we like your species very much.
What follows is a sample conversation you should
use to handle the interaction between Adam and the If we are so irrelevant and doomed to die, and
heroes. The N’ahili will share no information other if you knew about the Devourers but were not
than what is said here. willing to help us defend ourselves against
SEVEN WORLDS
168
them, why did you bother helping us at all? Why
not just leave us there, or kill us yourselves? SCENE 3: MUTINY
[silence]
The adventure continues several weeks later, when
You said you needed to discuss something with the heroes are in the intermediate jump point between
us. What was it? Chrysalis and Mu Cassiopeiae and are about to make
the jump back to civilization. If you wish, you may add
We came to help you, one last time. other side stories (see page 184) during the trip.
You need to reach Earth, both to find the Read or paraphrase the following to the heroes:
key to activating your weapon and to defend
your home world. Unfortunately, you are too You are on the bridge of the Psion Pride, at the
far away, and you are too slow. The Devourers jump point that leads to Mu Cassiopeiae. The
have established a base in the system you call entire fleet is nearby, preparing to make the
Barnard’s Star. In just a few more weeks, they jump. Captain Yantz and other officers of the ship
will launch their final invasion of Earth. If you are checking their instruments and giving orders
follow the path you know, you will not make it in in preparation.
time. But there is another way. You finally feel the familiar inside jolt of the
[a set of numbers appears floating in front of jump. As your suddenly-foggy minds start to get
the heroes, most likely a set of jump coordinates] over the effects of jump disorientation, you hear
Go to the 61 Cygni star system and look for all alarms go off! You think you can listen to the
these coordinates. Then keep your eyes, and your sound of remote gun shots behind the alarms.
mind, open. “Sir!,” a startled crewmember tells Captain
Yantz, “battles are being reported on all decks!
What is there? What will we find? Apparently someone’s trying to take over the
ship!” Other crewmembers interrupt to report
We have already helped you too much. And we a similar situation in other parts of the ship. “A
will still help you twice more. When you get large contingent of soldiers is approaching the
to 61 Cygni you will see. And we’ve also left a… bridge, killing everyone in their path!”
memento on Earth. “Close the hatches! Seal the bridge!,” yells a
desperate Yantz. A few tense seconds go by, and
Why do the Devourers take so long to invade? nothing happens.
If they were faster, they could have destroyed “They won’t close, sir! The system is not
us by now. responding to our commands! We’ve been
somehow locked out!”
Again you see life from the point of view of the Yantz hits his console with both fists in
mosquito. Maybe your conception of time is not frustration, then he releases himself from his
theirs. Maybe they believe they are fast. chair and pulls his gun while barking “everyone,
evacuate the bridge! Fall back and prepare to
Where will you go? Will we see you again? fight for th—!”
You don’t get to hear the end of his sentence
Let us say that if we ever meet again, we will be as a stun grenade flies from one of the passages
very proud of you. into the bridge and explodes! As a large
contingent of soldiers appears on the north
When the conversation ends, Adam says good-bye bridge and the bridge erupts in a storm of deadly
to the heroes and the connection closes. Then the gunfire, it quickly becomes obvious to you and a
N’ahili ship moves towards the jump point and after a few other crewmembers that you either fall back
few hours jumps, never to be seen again. or you die!
It is likely that the heroes will want to digest the
information above, and either review their plans, ask The heroes get to see dozens and dozens of soldiers
some of their allies about it, or otherwise discuss it. storm the bridge. Make it clear that they no chance of
Allow them as much time as they need to process this winning this fight, but they have a chance to escape.
before moving on to the next scene.
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169
ship when the ship jumped and the mutiny began.
ESCAPE! To protect himself, Francis disabled the entire relay,
In the confusion, the heroes get separated from the thus making this part of the ship invisible to the
other crewmembers. Now they are on their own. sensors. When he saw the heroes fleeing he risked
This is a zero-G chase through the corridors of being detected to save them. Although the enemy is
the Psion Pride. Run it for five full rounds, using the combing this part of the ship, Francis is reasonably
Chase rules from Savage Worlds, and Agility as the sure that they still have a few hours before they
maneuvering Trait. The heroes’ pursuers have the are discovered.
advantage of superconductive magnetic arrays, which Suddenly the speakers of the ship come alive, and
have been disabled for the heroes. Therefore, the the heroes get to hear the following speech:
heroes’ Agility rolls have a −2 penalty.
Divide the enemies into as many groups as you feel Ships of the fleet! This is Captain Thomas Burge,
are appropriate. Some typical obstacles in the chase now commanding the battleship Psion Pride. In
include closed hatches, other groups of soldiers, and the last few weeks we have seen the greatest
superconductive magnetic array traps. Any attempts project of the Psion Brotherhood put at risk
to use Assistants in the chase fail, as the Assistants’ because of the recklessness of some traitors,
authorization to use the ship’s V-World services has who would rather sacrifice your lives to try
been revoked. to save people who don’t deserve to live, than
After five rounds read or paraphrase the following: achieve the purpose and greatness in front of us.
Well, no more! We will not be tools to be used by
Just when you are about to accept the lesser humans! This ends now!
hopelessness of trying to escape from a ship Along with a band of selfless patriots, I have
that has obviously been completely taken by the taken the Psion Pride back. Everyone in the crew
mutineers, a hatch opens on the passageway a who opposed us is either dead or permanently
few meters from you. “Quick! Over here!,” a young disabled. Now the Psion Pride’s entire arsenal of
voice yells at you. You turn and enter the hatch, lasers and torpedoes is pointing at the civilian
which someone closes after you. You know you ships in the fleet. We will not hesitate to destroy
are being detected by the Psion Pride’s V-World, all of them unless our demands are met.
and therefore that the enemy soldiers will find All military ships in the fleet will give us
you anyway; you are therefore surprised to hear full remote control of their systems. They will
the heavy footsteps of running soldiers in the then stay inert on this side of the jump point.
passageway behind you, ignoring the hatch and All civilian ships will jump back, where another
continuing on their way. battleship we have taken, the Olympian,
You have eluded your pursuers! But how? will be waiting for them. The Olympian will
escort the civilians back to Chrysalis, and will
If a hero falls and can’t be saved by his fellows, he destroy them if any military ships attempt
or she will be taken to the Brig (location #18, see page to jump back. We will give up then, when it
178). The other heroes might be able to rescue their is too late to prepare a second expedition
comrade from there. towards Earth and there is no choice but to
keep our world hidden from humanity and
• Soldier Psions (2 per hero, plus 2) the Devourers.
If you attempt anything against this ship,
we will destroy the civilian ships. If you try to
THE JUNIOR ENGINEER evacuate the ships, or have them jump before
The heroes find themselves in a dark locker room in giving us remote control, we will fire.
one of the less used passageways of the ship. Next You have one hour to comply.
to them is a thin, disheveled young crewmember,
who identifies himself as Francis Olsen, Junior
Assistant Engineer. THE MAKINGS OF A PLAN
Francis explains that since he is the newest person The heroes will probably start thinking of ways to
in the engineering team he is usually sent by his senior take back the ship, even though the odds are against
crewmembers to do the jobs no one else wants to them. Leaving aside the fact that they are significantly
perform. Today he was fixing a broken sensor relay outnumbered, all the rooms and passageways of the
that had disabled V-World visibility in this part of the ship are configured to detect them as soon as they
SEVEN WORLDS
170
come out of hiding. This probably includes the use of
superconductive magnetic arrays to pin them against NAVIGATING THE MAP
the walls. And, of course, the attackers have clearly All rooms and passageways belong to one of three
gained complete control of the computer systems, so color-coded security sectors: Green, Blue and Red.
regaining control is almost impossible. There are also grey rooms and passageways, which
Francis, however, has a suggestion: He proposes represent the places where Francis has disabled all
the heroes take the ship back by hacking its V-World security and tracking systems, and thus can
main computer systems. These systems control be used by heroes or Assistants without the need for
everything, from room and walkway authorization an authorization. Authorization to transit the Green,
to full control of the external weapon systems. If Blue and Red sectors can be obtained by hacking
the heroes could disable the Psion Pride’s weapons the appropriate program in the maintenance panels
systems then Captain Burge’s threat would become distributed throughout the ship. Note that at the start
hollow and the other ships in the crew could of the mission the heroes don’t know which rooms
restore order. and passageways correspond to which colors.
Francis explains that normally access to the
computer systems is via V-World, which the heroes WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION
can’t use because their authorization has been If the heroes have not obtained authorization to
revoked (with the exception of the area that Francis a specific color-coded sector, they automatically
has disabled). However, all four distributed computer raise the alarm (see below) whenever they enter a
cores in the ship have maintenance panels that could passageway of that color.
be hacked to access their programs and, little by little, The Zero-G rules apply to all locations where the
gain control of the ship. heroes have not obtained authorization.
Give the heroes map #1 of the Psion Pride. Francis All hatches in the diagram are initially closed.
has marked the location of all four computer Whenever the heroes try to open a hatch, first ask
maintenance panels. He does not know how the them which hero or Assistant is attempting to open
programs that control the ship are distributed it. If the heroes try to open a hatch of a color they
between the computer cores, but suggests the heroes don’t have authorization for, the hatch does not
try the closest panel and go from there. open; additionally have the chosen character make
Francis is not a hero and is not willing to leave his a Hacking roll. With a Failure, the alarm is raised
hiding place to muck with maintenance panels. The (see below).
heroes would have to be very convincing to get him
to join them. WITH AUTHORIZATION
If the heroes have obtained the appropriate color-
• Francis Olsen, Junior Assistant Engineer: Use stats coded authorization, they may freely transit through
for Civilian, but with a d8 in the Knowledge (Ship the corridors and rooms of the same color. Zero-G
Ops), Repair and Hacking skills. rules still apply. On top of that, if they have also
hacked the appropriate Superconductive Magnetic
SCENE 4: TAKING Array program of that color sector, they may use the
Superconductive Magnetic Array movement rules (see
BACK THE SHIP Setting Rules section of the Setting Guide).
If the heroes try to go through a hatch of a color they
The Psion Pride has six spherical concentric decks with have authorization for, the hatch opens automatically.
a total floor space of 4,160 square meters, or about
two-thirds the size of a football field. This does not
count the fact that during acceleration the walls and GUARDS
ceiling can also become the “floor,” thus increasing There are guards posted in several locations
floor space. Plus, the fact that it is distributed as a throughout the ship, marked with a star. When the
maze of thin curved passageways makes it seem even heroes reach a location with a group of guards, have a
longer and bigger than it is. hero chosen by the players make a Notice roll plus the
The map does not represent a true physical bonus or penalty listed inside the star marker. With a
distribution of the ship’s 3-D layout, but rather a Success, the heroes spot the guards before the guards
simplified, stylized depiction. Note that the side spot them, and so can decide to either backtrack or
passageways on the outer deck connect to the other attack with surprise. With a Failure, both groups spot
side, thus reinforcing the perception of a sphere. each other simultaneously and a normal fight occurs.
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171
SEVEN WORLDS
172
exodus
173
If the hero’s final result is a 1 or less after applying Repair skill with the modifier indicated in the diamond,
modifiers then the guards get to surprise the heroes. which represents the security system that must be
The total number of guards found in any location is bypassed. Failing this roll means the hero managed to
equal to one guard per hero or ally plus the modifier log into the system but raised the alarm (see above).
used for the Notice roll, for a minimum of two guards. Try to place the new group of guards in a passageway
For example, if a band of five heroes meets a group of close to the room where the maintenance panel
guards and the modifier to the Notice roll was −2, then is located.
the total number of guards is three (five minus two). Once the heroes have logged on, access to all the
Note that since the heroes have no true control programs inside that core is automatic and takes
or authorization of the ship, their Assistants cannot just a few minutes. The use of each program is
meaningfully participate in combat by spending a explained below.
Benny (see Assistants section of the Seven Worlds
Setting Guide). Hacking some specific programs of the SIX-SECOND ROUNDS
ship allow their Assistants to regain part or all of their If the heroes are trying to break into the core while
combat abilities. running six-second rounds (for example, during
combat, or when a hero is distracting someone in
• Guards (1 per hero or Ally plus modifier used for the room while other heroes are hacking the system),
Notice roll): Use the stats for Soldier Psions. then a Repair roll is needed to find and open the
maintenance panel this round.
Logging in works as normal. Once the heroes have
RAISING THE ALARM successfully logged in, they get to see a list of all
If any guards notice or fight the heroes, they will raise available programs. Access to each program inside
the alarm after one round. The alarm may also be the core requires an action, with the hero making a
raised if the heroes by mistake try to open a hatch successful Hacking or Repair roll with the modifier
they do not have authorization for and fail the Hacking listed next to the program. If the roll is failed the hero
roll (see above). may try again in the next round.
If the alarm is raised, all modifiers to Notice rolls to
avoid guards in that color sector receive an additional AVAILABLE PROGRAMS
non-cumulative −1 penalty. This simulates the guards The programs available in the different computer
in that color sector being on the lookout for the heroes. cores fall under the following types:
So, for example, if the alarm is raised when the heroes
are in or entering the Green sector, the –1 penalty will COLOR ACCESS
apply only while they are still in that sector. These programs give the heroes authorization to
Additionally, each time the alarm is raised, add an freely walk the hallways of the appropriate color,
additional group of guards at some random position in as well as to open and close hatches within that
the map, also in passageways of the same color sector color sector. Their enemies also lose the ability to
as the one the heroes were spotted in. This may be a automatically identify them, even if they meet face to
location the heroes have already passed. face. Movement is still subject to the Zero-G rules.
THE COMPUTER CORES SUPERCONDUCTIVE MAGNETIC

There are five computer maintenance panels in the ARRAYS (SMA)
ship, although only four are marked on the players’ Obtaining access to one of these programs allows
map. These connect to the ship’s computer cores. heroes to transit the hallways of the program’s
How the heroes interact with the computers appropriate color using the Superconductive Magnetic
depends on whether game time is being measured in Arrays rules. Obviously, to take advantage of this
six-second rounds (e.g. combat) or not. benefit the heroes must have obtained access to the
appropriate color sector in the first place.
NORMAL TIME Superconductive Magnetic Arrays can also be
Normally, when the heroes reach a location with a used by Assistants to grapple enemies in combat. In
maintenance panel, finding and opening the panel is game terms, the following Special Assistant Action
automatic and takes just a few minutes of game time. becomes available:
Once the maintenance panel is found and opened,
a hero (or Assistant) can attempt to log on to the • Superconductive Magnetic Arrays: If a hero
computer core connected to it by using the Hacking or spends a Benny an Assistant may try to control the
SEVEN WORLDS
174
superconductive magnetic arrays to magnetically
pin an enemy against the wall. This uses the ONE HOUR
Grappling rules from Savage Worlds, but with the
initial opposed roll being between the Assistant’s We have purposely avoided tying specific character
Hacking skill and the victim’s Strength trait. On his events to the one-hour deadline. As the GM, you
turn, the victim may attempt to escape only with should strive to use this time pressure to heighten
a Strength roll, again opposed by the Assistant’s the narrative. As the heroes go through the
Hacking skill. The −2 penalty for microgravity adventure, move the time forward appropriately.
applies to all Strength rolls. The Assistant cannot The goal should be for the heroes to recover control
use this maneuver to inflict damage on the victim of the ship in the nick of time.
(other than the initial Shaken result with a raise). As time passes and the heroes wreak havoc on the
ship, Burge uses the ship comm system to threaten
INFO DATABASE the heroes with unleashing the attack unless they
Accessing this database will allow the heroes to see surrender. He does not seriously consider acting on
what access color they need to visit the different his threat, though, since he believes his team will
parts of the ship. Give the heroes the handout with neutralize the heroes any time soon.
the color-coded map of the ship.
COMM SYSTEMS has been transferred to the backup core in location 15

Accessing this program allows the heroes to contact (Conference Room). This is a seldom-used computer
the other ships in the fleet without Burge or his that Francis Olsen did not know about. The heroes
minions noticing. The leaders of the other ships in the also have to disable the weapons backup program
fleet (including Captain Frank Cordova, as well Ryan before going to the bridge and deactivating the
and Lindsay) will explain to the heroes that they are bridge terminal.
effectively tied by Burge’s ultimatum. If the heroes
could disable the weapons systems in the Psion SENSORS
Pride then the rest of the fleet could take action, but The Sensor systems allow the heroes to get more
anything else could risk the lives of the civilians in information about what is going on in nearby locations
the fleet. within the ship. In game terms, the heroes (and their
Be open to any suggestions the heroes may have Assistants) from now on gain a +2 to all Notice rolls
to use the support of the other ships of the fleet to to detect or avoid guards when walking the corridors
retake the Psion Pride. in the ship. On top of that, whenever the heroes are
behind a hatch that leads to a room they or their
WEAPONS (MAIN AND BACKUP) Assistants may make a Notice roll to “see” how many
Accessing this program allows the heroes to disable enemies are behind that door and what they are doing.
the laser and missile weapon arrays that are currently
threatening the civilian fleet. As soon as the heroes MAINTENANCE CONTROL
access these programs, they learn that the system The Maintenance Control Systems manage the
has been modified to allow someone on the bridge functioning of the different automated components
to re-enable the weapons programs from a specific that make life easier on the crew. In game terms, the
terminal. In other words, the heroes not only need to heroes’ Assistants regain the combat abilities they
disable this program (and the backup program, see had not been able to use (see the Assistants section
below), but they will also need to go to location 25 of the Setting Guide).
(Main Bridge) and de-activate the weapons terminal
on the bridge in order to eliminate any threat for the
weapons. enter the disable code in a specific terminal THE PSION PRIDE
in the bridge in order to complete weapons disabling. The following is a description of the locations in the
The program the heroes are disabling provides the Psion Pride.
heroes with a code that can be used on the terminal on
the bridge to completely nullify the weapon systems. 1. LOCKER ROOM
As soon as the heroes disable the weapons, they The heroes begin their mission here. Francis Olsen is
discover a second obstacle: The weapons systems with them.
have a backup computer! The system informs them Several lockers in this room store personal
that the program processing for weapons systems equipment used by cleaning and repair personnel.
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175
If a hero asks to search the lockers and makes a 6. KITCHEN
successful Notice roll he or she finds a set of worker The ship’s kitchen is large and messy, and full of the
overalls of the appropriate size. This might give him or sort of utensils one would expect. If the heroes look
her a bonus when dealing with enemy guards, at your carefully they may find several sharp knives (Damage
discretion. Note that during the takeover of the ship Str+d4, −1 penalty to Fighting rolls).
the guards also killed or disabled most maintenance A lone soldier is in the room, unwrapping a crate of
personnel, so even with a disguise a hero would have preprocessed cold food to distribute to the soldiers
some explaining to do to avoid getting shot. in the ship. His guard is down, and thus he should
be easily surprised. He has left his weapons on a
2. MAIN STORAGE magnetic wall a few steps away.
This room is used to store parts and technical
equipment related to the normal functioning of the • Soldier Psion / Cook (1)
ship, as well as the huge amounts of packed and
processed foodstuffs needed to keep the crew of the 7. MESS ROOM / COMMON ROOM
ship fed for weeks at a time. This ample room has rows of tables and zero-g chairs
The maintenance panel to access one of the to feed the hundreds of crewmembers of the ship.
computer cores is located under a plate on the floor. Everything uses superconductive materials to allow
crewmembers to eat with relative comfort. A set of
3. ESCAPE PODS tables in the back of the room allow crewmembers to
This location is protected by hatch that requires relax and play games, enter the internal V-World or
Red authorization to open. Inside the heroes find just chat.
several emergency escape pods. If the heroes decide
to escape the ship in an escape pod you may decide 8. TOILET / SHOWERS
Burge detects the launch and tries to shoot it down, This location consists of several sets of unisex sponge
or that the heroes are rescued with no problems by showers and zero-G toilets for the crew. There is
the military fleet around the Psion Pride, depending one guard currently occupied in a zero-G stall. If the
on how the adventure is going. Note that if they do heroes stay too long in this location (you decide what
this they may lose their only chance to disable things qualifies) three more guards will enter.
from the inside.
• Soldier Psions (4)
4. EXTERNAL AIRLOCK
This room is used when the Psion Pride needs to dock 9. CREW BUNKROOMS
with another ship or station. There are several sets of This location consists of a few narrow passageways
Reinforced Vacc Suits and Vacc Suit Helmets on a rack leading to many crew bunkrooms. An awful stench
next to the hatch. The airlock is closed and may only precedes the sight of dead bodies everywhere, as this
be opened from within the Bridge (location 25). was the first location the attackers hit.
Most bunks have personal effects of no
5. MINI-SHIP DOCKING BAYS consequence, or are empty. With a careful search,
The military mini-ships that transfer people or items the heroes find the body of a soldier who had just
between ships in the fleet dock here. There are two finished guarding the Brig (location 18). In his pockets
docked mini-ships here. A group of soldiers guard the the heroes find a Data Card with an access code that
ships from intrusion. unlocks the cells in the brig.
If the heroes decide to use them then depending
on how the adventure is going, you may decide Burge 10. ENGINEERING
detects the launch and tries to shoot the ship down, or Control of Engineering has been routed to the main
that the heroes travel with no problems to other ships bridge, and it is therefore not possible to work the
in the military fleet around the Psion Pride. Note that if systems here without the proper authorization (which
they do this they may lose their only chance to disable the heroes don’t have). Still, Burge has sent a team
things from the inside. of soldiers to guard the place in case someone with a
valid authorization attempts anything.
• Soldier Psions (3) The room has several large canisters labeled with
• Military Mini-Ship (2) a warning sign. These contain special substances
used to keep the engines running. Use gaming stones
to represent the containers, placing several of them
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176
around the room. Hiding behind one of them gives the • Soldier Psions (2 per hero): They only come to the
hero Light Cover (−1) against attacks. If a container location if the heroes extend the G-Gym.
is hit and the damage exceeds its Toughness of 8, it
explodes. Place a Small Burst Template in the center of 14. CAPTAIN’S CABIN
the location of the container. Anyone in the template Captain Yantz’s cabin is currently empty, unused since
suffers 2d6 damage and must make a Vigor (–2) roll before the last jump. The heroes find nothing special
to avoid being Shaken. here, other than his personal effects.
In one corner of the room, the heroes find the body
of an engineer. In his hands he has a data card with 15. CONFERENCE ROOM
the code to perform maintenance on the maintenance The hatches to this room are red-coded, meaning
panel located in the Conference Room (location heroes will need Red authorization to enter.
15). This should come as a surprise to the heroes This is the conference room the heroes virtually
because, as far as they knew up until now, there is visited in Scene 1. A senior officer team loyal to Burge
no maintenance panel in the Conference Room. In is holed in the room while they evaluate the actions of
game terms, having the Data Card gives the heroes the fleet and decide on their strategy should anything
a +2 bonus to all Hacking rolls performed on the happen. They are supported by a group of guards.
maintenance panel in the Conference Room. The officers are deep in discussion, with the wall
Since the panels in this room have been disabled screens full of close-ups of the different ships in the
from the bridge, it is not possible to damage the fleet, and of technical and tactical information. They
engineering systems of the ship from here. never leave the room, so to work on the Maintenance
Panel the heroes should either dispatch them all or
• Soldier Psions (5) try bluff their way into the room to “repair the system”
while the officers are there. Assuming the heroes are
11. HYDROPONICS GARDENS AND appropriately disguised, convincing the officers is a
ORGANIC FOOD PRINTERS Persuasion roll opposed by the officers’ Notice (the
This location houses both the 3-D printers that officer’s Notice rolls have a penalty, see below). Feel
generate organic food for the crew, as well as the free to apply bonuses as appropriate depending on
old-fashioned hydroponics gardens to grow fresh how the heroes role-play their argument.
vegetables. These are a small but important part of If the heroes decide to hack the Maintenance
the diet of the crew of the Psion Pride. Panel with their enemy next to them, use the rules
for hacking the system during combat (see above).
12. CARGO BAYS Additionally, you might want to complicate things
These large bays usually carry military supplies or a bit: Perhaps while they work an inquisitive guard
devices related to the ship’s mission. Currently the approaches them and asks them about how come
cargo bays are loaded with preprocessed food to he hadn’t seen them in the mutineer group before, or
support the fleet during part of the long trip to Earth, maybe their hacking activities mistakenly appear on
as well as medical and other supplies. one of the wall screens and the officers notice them.
13. G-GYM • Burge’s Officers (1 per hero): Use Stats for Veteran
This location contains the ship’s G-Gym (see the Psion. They are so concentrated on their work that
Travelling in Space section of the Setting Guide). It their Notice rolls to detect if the heroes are lying or
is currently retracted and empty, as it usually is bluffing have a −2 penalty.
before a jump. The heroes could use the V-World • Soldier Psions (1 per hero)
controls in this room to extend the G-Gym and start
its centrifugal rotation around the ship. The process 16. OFFICERS’ CABINS
of expansion and initial rotation takes about fifteen The cabins of the Senior Officers of the ship are
minutes and attracts a full group of guards in just a located here. They are all unoccupied. In the First
few rounds. Officer’s cabin, the heroes find a set of Intelligence
In the unlikely event the heroes end up in the G-Gym files on the military leaders of the fleet. Among them
while it is extended and rotating around the ship, they is a file on Captain Thomas Burge that explains his
lose any penalties for zero-G and superconductive history, background, family ties and weaknesses. If
magnetic arrays, as there is a simulated full gravity the heroes read this file they receive a permanent
in the Gym. +2 bonus any to Intimidation and Taunt rolls against
Captain Burge.
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177
17. SICKBAY • Friendly soldiers taken prisoner (1 per hero): Use
The sickbay beds are currently taken by the enemy the stats for Soldier Psion but remove all weapons
soldiers wounded during the takeover of the ship. The and armor. All prisoners (including any hero
ship’s doctor has been forced to tend to their wounds prisoners) have received a dose of the Psionic Drug
while a group of soldiers guard him. Unless the heroes (see the Gear section of the Seven Worlds Setting
somehow trick the guards, they are attacked as soon Guide) and therefore they do not have psionic
as they enter. powers or benefits available for the duration of this
The doctor is next to a Healing Pod in the center of scene.
the circular sickbay, flanked by the guards. Several
sick and wounded soldiers lie on beds attached to the 19. LAB
walls that circle the room. They are tied and protected This small location houses the ship’s research
by superconductive magnetic fields, so they can’t facility. The bodies of two scientists lie on the floor.
get up, but a few of them are conscious enough to The place is full of various scientific instruments. A
participate in the fight. closed cabinet contains several liquids of different
The doctor will refuse to follow the heroes but could levels of toxicity, which could be used to poison any
be coerced with good role-playing. food or drink.
• Soldier Psions (1 per every 2 heroes) 20. V-WORLD PODS

• Wounded Soldier Psions (1 per every 2 heroes): This location contains about twenty full-immersion
They are tied on the beds and can’t stand up or V-World pods, used for simulated mission training
move, but can shoot. They are Exhausted (−2 to all and (when off duty) for relaxation and games. It
Trait rolls), have no armor (Toughness 5) and are is currently off, and can only be turned on from
only armed with an Autopistol (Range 12/24/48, the Bridge.
Damage 2d6 AP 1, Semi-Auto, 20 bullets).
• Doctor: Use stats for Civilian, but with a Healing d10. 21. WEAPONS LOCKER
The ship’s weapon’s locker was raided by the soldiers
18. BRIG who have taken over the ship. There are still enough
Although most crewmembers of the Psion Pride were weapons and armor here for the heroes and any
either killed or left unconscious, a few were taken to Extras they may have. Everything is available with the
the brig (this includes any heroes that were captured exception of Battle Dress suits.
previously). Several psion soldiers guard the place, Make sure to pay attention to the encumbrance of
sitting or standing in chairs and tables a few feet the characters after they load up.
away from the cells. Maintenance Panel #2 is hidden
on the floor under one of the tables. 22. REPAIR SHOP
The brig cells are built with old-fashioned metal This room is very messy, full of electronics parts and
bars and doors. Several prisoners in the cells start nano-technology components. It is also a central
yelling and jumping when the heroes enter the room, repairing node for the ship and thus has dozens of
while the guards immediately attack. maintenance panels. The panels are marked with
During the battle any hero may, as a full action, danger signs.
attempt a Hacking roll with a −4 penalty to hack the Searching for Maintenance Panel #3 is difficult in
system and remotely open the cell doors. This roll this room. Have each hero who is searching either
may be attempted more than once. If the cells are make a Notice roll with a −2 penalty, or a Repair roll
opened the prisoners attack the enemy soldiers. Give with no penalty. Each success and raise on the roll
the heroes an Ally sheet for the prisoners. counts as one point. Once the heroes accumulate five
If a hero has the data card obtained in the crew points among them, they find the Maintenance Panel.
bunkrooms (location 9) he may use it (and spend an However, if a hero rolls a final score of 1 or less, he has
action) to automatically open the cell doors without mistakenly handled the wrong panel and receives an
having to make a roll. electric shock (2d8 damage).
Once the battle is over, any surviving prisoners
volunteer to join the heroes in their quest to recover 23. STORM CELLAR
the ship. Treat them as Allies for the rest of the scene. This is the emergency location where the crew of the
ship can hide in case of a radiation disaster. It is open
• Soldier Psions (2 per hero) and currently empty. If the hatch door is closed from
the inside, forcing open the storm cellar from the
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178
outside takes 4 – 6 hours of work by an experienced THE WALL SCREENS
crew. Therefore, this reinforced location is the only The wall screens around the bridge, and on the
place where the heroes can lock up and be safe from terminals on the center-circle couches, control
their enemies, if they so want. most of the ship’s functions and are thus extremely
sensitive to damage such a stray fire. Whenever a 1 is
24. NAV BRIDGE rolled on the Shooting die the shot misses its target
This room hosts the bridge that supports the activities and strikes a wall screen instead (in addition to the
of the Main Bridge during battle situations and serves usual effects on characters as listed in the zero-G or
as a backup should the Main Bridge be destroyed. It superconductive magnetic arrays rules). You should
is currently dark and disabled, since Burge’s team is determine the most appropriate wall screen hit
relatively small and can do everything they need from based on who the intended target was. Then draw a
the Main Bridge. No control activities are possible card from the Action Deck and act according to the
from here unless the bridge is enabled from the list below:
Main Bridge.
• Clubs — Wall Screen Explodes: Place a Medium
25. MAIN BRIDGE Burst Template centered on the wall screen that has
The Psion Pride’s main bridge is the location from been hit. Any character under the template suffers
which Burge is controlling the situation. As soon as 2d6 damage.
the heroes enter the bridge, Burge realizes his entire • Diamonds — Small Random Maneuver: The side
plan is at risk and orders the civilian ships destroyed. maneuver thrusters of the ship are suddenly turned
Since the heroes have most likely disabled the on, making everyone lose control of their bodies in
weapons programs, though, the Psion Pride does not the zero-G environment. Everyone on the bridge
fire. In frustration, Burge orders his troops to slow must make an Agility roll with a −2 penalty or
down or kill the heroes while he attempts to re-enable become Shaken as per the Zero-G rules. Recovering
the weapons from the terminal. This takes him three from this Shaken condition requires an Agility roll
full actions, and can be done from any wall screen with a +2 bonus.
terminal on the bridge. • Hearts — Acceleration Change: The main engines
suddenly flare, sending everybody flying across the
THE SPHERICAL BRIDGE bridge. Roll a 1d12 and read it like a clock face, then
The bridge is spherical but for simplicity you should roll a 1d4, and move every character that number
represent it as a 16”-diameter circle covered in wall of inches. Characters are allowed an Agility ( – 2)
screen terminals, with a 1” entrance at the north and roll to grab onto something and keep from moving.
south edges. Twelve 1”-wide zero-g couches (which Any character who hits an immobile, solid object is
allow the crew to strap in during battle) follow a automatically Shaken.
circular pattern about 1” away from the main wall, • Spades — Wall Screen Catches Fire: The wall
distributed like the numbers in a clock. A second set screen bursts into flames. Any character right next
of eight couches, these with terminals, are evenly to the wall screen, or who crashes against it, has a 1
distributed in a 8”-diameter circle around the center in 6 chance of catching fire. A small cloud of smoke
of the room. The captain’s seat is in the exact center forms around the wall screen, making it difficult to
of the circle. see across. Place a Small Burst Template centered
The heroes and their enemies can take advantage on the wall screen that has been hit. This area is
of the fact that the bridge is really a sphere with no now in Dim Lighting.
gravity to move in three dimensions. In game terms,
a character may perform a standard Run action to KEEPING THE SHIP’S WEAPONS
automatically appear on the diametrically opposite FROM RE-ENABLING
location of the bridge. This simulates the character To keep their enemies from enabling the ship’s
launching himself from one side of the sphere to the weapons again, the heroes must enter the disable
other, or running around the walls. For example, a code on a specific terminal in the bridge. You should
hero who is 3” away from the north-east corner of locate the terminal in a wall screen next to one of the
the circle could make a Run action to appear 3” away couches in the middle circle, ideally the center couch
from the south-east corner. The heroes’ enemies will that is farthest from the hatch used by the heroes to
quickly use this move against them. enter the bridge.
Once the heroes locate the appropriate terminal
(this may require a Notice or a Hacking roll, depending
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179
SEVEN WORLDS
180
on what the heroes decide to do), entering the disable
code takes a full action. Once that is done, the Psion WHAT IF THE HEROES FAIL?
Pride’s weapons are permanently disabled and
cannot be re-enabled until a full repair of the ship Taking back the Psion Pride is a difficult task. Make
is performed. This will take at least 2d6 hours, more sure to be open to the heroes’ plans and ideas, even
than enough time for the heroes’ allies in the other if they deviate from the options listed above. If you
ships to retake or blow up the Psion Pride, and to feel the heroes are getting into more trouble than
move the civilian ships away. Burge and his team may they can handle, increase the number of Allies they
surrender at this point, or they may fight to the death, find at locations such as the Brig (#18), or make
at your discretion. them cross paths with another group of allies that
have also escaped their enemy.
Captain Thomas Burge: Use Stats for Veteran Psion Finally, you may also assume that Captain Frank
• Soldier Psions (3 per hero or Ally) Cordova, as well Ryan and Lindsay, are performing
their own undercover attempts to take back the
THE SHIP RECOVERED ship. If the heroes are in a really tight spot then
Once the heroes have defeated Burge and the crew, maybe the action can be interrupted by a group of
the Psion Pride is again under their control. As soon soldiers that have somehow managed to enter the
as they contact Captain Frank Cordova and the ship and can get the heroes out of a tight spot.
other leaders of the fleet with the news, ships are
dispatched with additional crew to man the Psion
Pride and take prisoner anyone who may still be loose.
Then part of the military ships in the fleet jump back to FACING THE OLYMPIAN
take the Olympian into custody.
Most of the crew of the Psion Pride, including Optionally you could role-play the attack on the
Captain Yantz, died during the mutiny, and Captain Olympian as well, with the players leading a fleet
Cordova performs a ceremony in their honor. If Burge of ships to capture the rebel battleship at the other
managed to enable some of the ship’s weapons side of the jump point. Consider using the rules for
systems and destroy some civilian vessels, their Mass Combat to do battle between Capitol Ships
occupants are also mourned. (see see the Mass Battles section of the Seven
While the traitors appear to have been rooted out, Worlds Setting Guide).
Ryan warns the heroes that there may be other hidden
elements in the fleet that might strike at the worst
possible moment. charge of Logan’s End’s defenses. Remember that
Finally, after a few days, the wounded fleet is ready there is a communications delay of approximately ten
to continue. minutes between the jump point and Logan’s End.
Commander Creeson incredulously listens to the
heroes’ story about Chrysalis and the fleet. It then
SCENE 5: JUMP POINT takes several hours for Creeson and the surface
leaders to analyze the situation before accepting
the heroes’ unbelievable story. The military ships
The adventure picks up when the heroes continue meet them at the half-way point to Logan’s End and
their trip to 61 Cygni with the fleet. Modify the Creeson requests to board the ships and talk to the
following scenes if the heroes have decided not to heroes face-to-face.
follow the advice provided by the N’ahili and are going With Creeson on their side, the heroes can negotiate
somewhere else. for supplies as they approach Logan’s End (they will
need them for the long voyage ahead). Once the
heroes are in orbit around Logan’s End, a week or
LOGAN’S END two are spent ferrying supplies from the surface to
The arrival of a fleet of almost one hundred ships the different ships in the fleet. This may be a good
into Eta Cassiopeiae, the star system of Logan’s End, opportunity for the heroes to travel to the surface and
sends the system into chaos. The few military ships in follow a side adventure or tie up any loose personal
orbit (all part of Logan’s End weak defense fleet) are ends (see the side adventure Terrorism without
mobilized, and the heroes are immediately contacted Terrorists on the Seven Worlds Setting Guide for
by Commander Olivia Creeson, the ranking officer in some ideas).
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181
As the fleet finally departs, it sees its numbers
increased by volunteers willing to help the resistance A LONG TRIP
effort. This includes most members of the Psion
Brotherhood of Logan’s End who were also ignorant of With such a long trip you might be wondering
the existence of Chrysalis, as well as a few military and how to keep the tension and the pacing up. We
civilian ships, and maybe even Olivia Creeson herself. recommend you review the Side Stories section
to add more action to the trip. The “Managing a
Fleet” side story in particular could be a particularly
61 CYGNI appropriate framework to build interesting side
Several weeks later, the heroes arrive at 61 Cygni, their stories during this adventure.
destination. The coordinates provided by the N’ahili
mark a location in empty space around 61 Cygni, but
since the location is approximately 1AU from the star, Now that you have a visual you see that the
it should not be too difficult for the heroes to deduce “Stellar Comm Network station” is actually
this is actually the position of an unknown jump identical to the real thing, and in a perfect state
point. The only way to know for sure is, of course, to of repair. Who built this? What is it doing here?
attempt a jump. Whatever it is, it did manage to get you to this
As soon as the heroes make the jump (alone or with location in space.
the fleet) read or paraphrase the following: The object floating close to it is even stranger:
A dark, star-shaped object with no obvious
You activate your jump engines and in the blink engine or energy source, barely visible as a
of an eye you appear… somewhere else. As the shadow against the stars. A smaller version of a
jump disorientation subsides, you find your ship Devourer ship! A thin ray of light comes out of a
floating in the middle of empty space, far from small hole that looks like an open hatch on one
any star systems. There is nowhere to go. side, an apparent invitation to enter it.
“Well, here’s something else that’s strange”,
[an Assistant you choose] says, “we’re getting THE DEVOURER MINI-SHIP
a transmission from a location approximately If the heroes ask to see if the Devourer ship has any
1.5 AUs from where we are. It’s a kind of beacon life forms, tell them that although there is no easy way
signal… specifically, it’s a Stellar Communications to detect that through the ship’s hull, there appear to
Network beacon signal. You know, the kind that be no life forms inside.
is supposed to have been destroyed when the Once the heroes decide to board the Devourer ship
Stellar Comm Network crashed?” through the hatch, they find themselves inside a
human-style airlock. A panel with human-readable
In case any heroes don’t remember, explain to them symbols controls the airlock. Using the panel
that the Stellar Comm Network nodes transmitted
beacon signals to make it easy for ships to locate
jump points in each star system (see the Stellar WHAT IF THE HEROES
Communications Network section of the Seven Worlds SPLIT THE FLEET?
Setting Guide).
The obvious course of action is to travel towards the The adventure assumes the heroes take the entire
source of the beacon signal. As the heroes approach, fleet with them to 61 Cygni, but some heroes might
they detect a Stellar Communications Network station, consider splitting the fleet at Kruger 60 before
a replica of a real station in every way except for the travelling there. The heroes’ choices are to either
fact that all the stations were destroyed as part of travel on their own, with just a few ships, or with
the Stellar Comm Network crash. Also, this station the entire fleet. There is no wrong decision here,
appears to have no need of refueling. but remind them that fuel is a precious commodity,
Next to the Stellar Comm Network station floats a and they want to keep enough fuel (the Weeks
dark object about the size of the Voyager. The object per Jump ship statistic) for all their ships to reach
is emitting almost no energy readings, thus making it another fueling point, such as Waypoint Station.
difficult to identify. If the heroes are unsure of how to proceed, gently
When the heroes get relatively close to the location suggest via an Assistant or NPC that they keep the
of the signal, read or paraphrase the following: fleet together and go to 61 Cygni.
SEVEN WORLDS
182
closes the hatch and fills the airlock with a human- As the message fades, the heroes find themselves
breathable atmosphere, letting the heroes explore the in the neighborhood of a familiar star system. After a
rest of the ship. few moments, the heroes’ Assistants report that they
The inside of the ship has been made for humans, have identified their location in space as Barnard’s
and sports standard travel couches, wall screens, and Star, just one jump away from Earth! The N’ahili have
other controls common in human starships. It has provided the heroes with one incredible shortcut!
enough space for about twelve people. After the heroes process the implications of
If the heroes sit at the controls, they find flying and this shortcut, a small alarm sounds and a worried
using the ship intuitive; the ship’s means of propulsion, Assistant virtually appears. Read or paraphrase
though, are not clear. The ship is ready to jump, and in the following:
its jump point registry it includes all human-known
jump points in space, plus the jump point the heroes “You should look at this,” says [pick a hero’s
just used for Cygni 61, and one more jump point: The Assistant] in a worried voice. “We set our
location the heroes are in right now! This means the telescope viewers on the location of the jump
position marked by the fake Stellar Comm Network point from Barnard’s Star to Earth, the only way
station is a jump point to somewhere else. to reach our destination. And about halfway
across the jump point we found this.”
• Devourer Mini-Ship: See page 242. The wall screen fills with a view of a large
irregular dark shape, contrasting with part of
the light emitted by the star. It is a large rotating
EPILOGUE rock, an asteroid, marked with holes and craters.
As the magnification increases, you see some
of the holes in the asteroid are covered with
This section assumes the heroes jump using gigantic metal doors. Two large, dark star-
the Devourer Mini-Ship, without the fleet. If the shaped objects fly around the asteroid like angry
heroes decide to jump with the fleet, one of their bees protecting a nest, while another object is
commanders mentions that since after jumping the docked next to the metal doors. This asteroid is
fleet cannot jump again before one hour or so, they a Devourer base!
might risk everyone unnecessarily. If the heroes still “There is no chance we can avoid that base
decide to jump with the fleet, then after one hour the if the fleet comes this way. The fleet would
fleet jumps back with no impact on the next scenes of certainly be destroyed,” says [Assistant], stating
the adventure. the obvious. “Now what?”
As soon as the heroes decide to jump, their seats
mold around their bodies to hold them tightly in The adventure now continues in Endgame, the final
preparation for movement. Then the ship jumps! module in the epic Seven Worlds campaign!
After the heroes’ jump disorientation fades, their wall
screen lights up. A single message appears on the wall
screen for a few seconds:
Now… you truly are on your own.
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183
side stories

expedition, giving his location and desperately asking
for help before “they” kill him! The message is cut off
before the source of the attack is determined.
As the heroes approach the second expedition’s
location, they see two Chrysalis Swarms trying to eat
Setting Guide. There are great ideas for further side their way into the crawler. The lone survivor of the
stories there! second expedition cowers in terror inside. The Swarms
can chew a hole into the crawler in 1d6 rounds. When
THE DARK SIDE OF they see the heroes approach they divide their efforts
between the two crawlers.
THE EYEBALL EARTH After dealing with the swarms, the heroes can use
samples of the bug (properly analyzed with facilities in
Where: Chrysalis. Atlas City) to locate the secret files where Dr. Graham
Two weeks ago a group of scientists went on a details what he’s done. The files mention many other
research expedition to the mysterious and largely “nests” of Swarms that have been planted in different
unexplored dark side of Chrysalis and has not parts of the dark side of the moon. Apparently there is
returned. Initially, its disappearance went unnoticed still some cleanup work needed to colonize Chrysalis.
in the chaos caused by the revolution of the last few
weeks. A second expedition sent a few days ago to • Crawler Vehicle
search for the missing scientists has also disappeared, • Chrysalis Swarm (2): See page 238.
however, and some are worried that something is
amiss. The heroes are asked to investigate the fate of
both expeditions.
THE OTHER
If the heroes take the mission, they are provided
CHRYSALIANS
with a crawler and transported by air to a location
close to the edge of the dark side of the planet. It is Where: Chrysalis
not possible to enter the dark side by air because of In the last few days several wealthy and influential
the permanent gale and torrential rain, which also people in Chrysalian society (all psions) have vanished
prevents all long-range communications. from home. The authorities suspect abduction, and
In reality, the expeditions have been attacked and ask the heroes to help in locating them.
destroyed by a Chrysalis Swarm, a strange biological What has happened is that some of the more
drone weapon created by the late Dr. Oren Graham. Dr. radical elements among Chrysalis’ non-psion
Graham’s purpose in releasing these deadly swarms population have decided to take advantage of the
of diminutive killer drones is not clear, but without chaos generated by the recent upheaval in Chrysalis
his constant remote guidance and maintenance the to right several wrongs, both perceived and real. A
swarms are now out of control and roam the dark particularly radical non-psion, Mila Schlumberger, has
side of the planet, chewing and destroying whatever singled out three particularly abusive psions, famous
they find. for humiliating non-psions in public. She and her
After a few hours of travelling, the heroes discover followers used Psionic Drugs (see the Gear section
the first expedition’s crawler opened like a tin can of the Seven Worlds Setting Guide), carefully placed
and turned on its side. Inside the broken crawler the inside the food their victims ate the last few days, to
heroes find the bodies of the expedition members, eliminate their powers before kidnapping them. Now
gnawed through their suits just like the metal of the three victims are bound and gagged in a room in
the crawler. A Notice roll allows the heroes to find a Mila’s house, being constantly injected with Psionic
single, broken metal carapace, part of the swarm. The Drugs. Mila plans to thoroughly torture and break his
carapace has the symbol of the Psion Brotherhood victims before killing them.
(two open hands) etched on it. As the heroes investigate the three victims and
Just then, the heroes receive a short-range their households, they quickly gather that they were
transmission on their crawler’s communicator: The known for expressing Psion superiority to non-psions,
garbled message is from a survivor from the second and behaving accordingly. An investigation of the
SEVEN WORLDS
184
places where they disappeared (one victim’s bedroom, passes their excitement goes down; grumbling or
another’s office, and a third one’s vehicle) finds a nice even mutiny may surface as a result. The Optimism
box of old-fashioned gourmet chocolates in all three, Score may not go below 0 or above 10.
a “gift” that arrived from an unknown source. An • Resource Points represent fuel, energy, food and
analysis of the remains of the chocolates shows they other supplies necessary for the trip. As the fleet
are laced with strong doses of Psionic Drugs. The trail travels, resources are consumed by the passengers.
of distribution and production of those chocolates The more resources spent, the more comfortable
leads the heroes to Mila. the passengers travel, and the more they keep their
If the heroes don’t succeed in picking up the trail, optimism. Resource Points cannot go below 0 but
Phillip Gomez, one of the non-psions self-appointed can go above 10.
leaders (see page 166), can also approach them.
Gomez explains that he wants peace and tolerance Every two weeks of travel is considered one turn.
but other non-psions want revenge, and suggests the During each turn follow the steps below in order:
heroes investigate Mila Schlumberger, a particularly
radical non-psion.
Mila and her followers fight when discovered, trying STEP 1: FLEET MANAGEMENT
to kill both the heroes and their victims while spewing First, the heroes get a chance to manage the fleet and
their hate for all psions. Regardless of the outcome of its resources. The heroes may choose to perform one
the combat, Mila’s crime brings up the hidden plight and only one of the following actions:
of non-Psions in Chrysalis and their role in the new
society that is being built on the planet. • Do Nothing: Continue on to Step 2.
• Increase Passenger Comfort: Temporarily increase
Mila Schlumberger: Use stats for Mesh Trooper food and comfort for everyone, thus keeping their
but with no armor, and only an enhanced autopistol optimism up at the expense of extra resources. For
(Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6 AP 1, Semi-auto, also every 2 Resource Points the heroes decide to spend,
fires 1 explosive round for 2d8 AP 4 damage). the fleet’s Optimism Score goes up by 1.
• Mila’s followers (1 per hero): Use stats for Mesh • Rally the Fleet: Give a stirring speech to the fleet so
Trooper but with no armor, and only an enhanced as to increase morale. To do this, one hero makes a
autopistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6 AP 1, Persuasion roll with all appropriate modifiers. This
Semi-auto, also fires 1 explosive round for 2d8 AP roll cannot be cooperative. The Optimism Score is
4 damage). increased by 1 for every Success and Raise in the
• Psion Victims (3): Use stats for Typical Psion. They roll. A Critical Failure lowers the Optimism Score
will avoid any combat. by 1 (a terrible speech). The fleet can be rallied only
TWICE during the entire trip to Earth.
• Improve Resource Efficiency: Figure out new ways
MANAGING A FLEET to make consumption more efficient, or to generate
new sources of food (e.g. hydroponic gardens,
new medicine formulas, and others). To do this,
Where: Chrysalis Fleet. the heroes must spend 1 Resource Point and then
Transporting thousands of people for months in one hero must make a Knowledge (Science) roll
cramped spaces with dwindling supplies represents with all appropriate modifiers. This roll cannot be
a significant challenge. This side adventure presents cooperative. The fleet gets back 1 Resource Point for
a simple system to face the heroes with the challenge every Success and Raise.
of managing the resources and people of a fleet on a • Improve Crisis Management: Post guards and
months-long voyage. space patrols, increase drills and battle preparation.
To do this, the heroes must spend 1 Resource Point.
The heroes receive a +2 bonus to the next roll made
SET UP to avoid an Unforeseen Event (see Step 2). The
When the fleet leaves Chrysalis, it starts with an +2 bonus is used up the next time an Event roll is
Optimism Score of 9, and with 10 Resource Points. needed, even if this takes more than one turn. The
+2 bonus is cumulative with other bonuses obtained
• The Optimism Score represents the passengers’ by performing the “Improve Crisis Management”
morale during the mission. At first the passengers action again in future turns.
are excited and ready to defend Earth but as time
side stories
185
If the card is of the Clubs suit then the event is Major
STEP 2: UNFORESEEN EVENTS and all rolls related to it have a –4 penalty.
It is inevitable that unforeseen and unexpected events The result of the trait roll defines how well the Event
will occur. Draw an Action Card from the deck; if the was handled:
card is of the black suit an Event occurs. Consult the
table below to determine the exact event. • With a Success, the Event was successfully faced
All Unforeseen Events can be abstracted with a and nothing happens.
single trait roll or, at the GM’s discretion, can become • With a Raise, the Event was solved so bravely and
a mini-adventure for the heroes. If the GM decides professionally that the entire fleet is impressed.
to create and run a mini-adventure, the results of The fleet’s Optimism Score is increased by 1.
the adventure should dictate how the Unforeseen • With a Failure, the Event caused a negative
Event ended. impact on the fleet. The fleet’s Optimism Score is
If a roll is made for the Event, first create an lowered by 1.
appropriate and interesting description for the Event, • With a Critical Failure, the Event has catastrophic
using the results of the table below as a guide. Then consequences to the fleet. The fleet’s Optimism
decide what trait to use to face the Event. The heroes Score is decreased by 2, and all PCs receive 2d6
may choose which one of them will make the Trait points of damage. Work out in the story the causes
Roll. The roll may not be cooperative. Some suggested of the damage.
traits to test are listed for every type of Event but you
can of course decide on the appropriate trait to use
depending on your description.
Throwing more Resources at a problem always STEP 3: TRAVEL WEARINESS
makes it go away. For every Resource Point spent on The length and monotony of the trip takes a toll on
the Event the heroes receive a +1 bonus to their roll. the fleet. After the Unforeseen Events step ends, the
Resource Points used like this must be spent before fleet always has its Optimism Score is lowered by 1
making the roll. and consumes supplies equivalent to 1 Resource
Events can either be Minor or Major. If the drawn Point. If there are no Resource Points to consume
Action Card is of the Spades suit, the event is Minor, then the Optimism Score is lowered by 2 instead of 1.
and all rolls related to the event have a −2 penalty. Remember that no score can go below 0.
CARD
NUMBER EVENT SUGGESTED TRAITS
Clash: An internal revolt among passengers dissatisfied with
their situation, or a political conflict between fleet leaders,
threaten to pull the fleet apart. Heroes must persuade both Persuasion,
2–5
sides to put aside their differences or cajole to force their Intimidation
compliance. Leverage some of the NPC leaders of the fleet (see
Sidebar on page 166) to put a face on the conflict.
Shortage: A hard-to-replace resource is almost exhausted.
Maybe it’s a specialized medicine during an epidemic, or a
Vigor, Streetwise,
6–9 particular type of nutrient for children. Heroes must either
Healing
push the fleet to resist the shortage, find a way to replace the
resource, or apply their skills to minimize the damage.
Accident: An engine explodes, a ship’s life support system
fails, or two ships collide by mistake. The heroes must solve Repair,
10 – King
the problem and minimize its impact to keep the passengers Knowledge (Science)
safe.
Encounter: The fleet encounters something external. It may
be a fleet of pirate ships, debris from an exploded ship that Smarts,
Ace
threatens to cause damage, or even a Devourer ship. The Knowledge (Battle)
heroes need to either avoid the encounter or battle it out.
SEVEN WORLDS
186
heroes are invited by Roland Groys, Council Leader
CAMPAIGN MILESTONES of Providence, to a dinner in their honor. Many other
Major milestones in the campaign affect the fleet’s guests from both Logan’s End and the fleet, including
Optimism Score and Resource Points. After docking Olivia Creeson, the commander in charge of planetary
at Logan’s End and re-supplying, the fleet’s Resource defense, are in attendance and chat with the heroes.
Points can go back to 10. Also, after destroying The atmosphere is suddenly shattered as a bomb
the Devourer Base (see the next and final module, explodes! Many guests die, and the heroes receive
Endgame) the fleet’s Optimism Score automatically 3d6 damage from the explosion. As the heroes attend
goes up by 2. You can devise other story-based to the wounded, a young man walks smiling into the
penalties or rewards for the heroes depending on how smoking wreckage, approaches them, confesses
the campaign proceeds. to placing the bomb and calmly gives himself up!
The young man explains he is a psion called Gareth
EFFECTS OF OPTIMISM ON THE GAME Cage and is a member of Psions First. With a General
The Optimism Score represents the fleet passengers’ Knowledge roll (with an appropriate bonus for psions
general mood and responsiveness to the heroes’ or heroes from Logan’s End) the heroes remember
needs and requests. Whenever the heroes interact that Psions First is a local group of radicals that has
with fleet passengers or leaders you can use the expressed its belief in the superiority of psions.
Persuasion rules from Savage Worlds with the other Cage explains that he has spent the time since the
character’s initial attitude determined by the fleet’s fleet arrived planting bombs in several ships of the
Optimism Score, as shown on the following table: fleet. A bomb will explode every four hours, killing
many innocents and their ships. It is impossible to
OPTIMISM REACTION (SEE SAVAGE WORLDS locate and deactivate the bombs in time, but the
SCORE REACTION TABLE) heroes can save many lives by evacuating the fleet
0–1 Hostile and bringing the passengers to the surface. This
would, of course, destroy all chances of reaching
2–3 Uncooperative Earth in time to stop the Devourers from destroying it.
4–5 Neutral The heroes might think that the best course of
action is to force Cage to reveal where the bombs are
6 –7 Friendly placed so they can be disabled. If they try that, Cage
8–10 Helpful explains with a smile that they are wasting their time:
Before approaching to give himself up, Cage used the
greater forget power on himself, and now he does not
A bad reaction might make the heroes requests harder. know where the bombs are either!
For example, if the heroes ask for a team to accompany A quick check confirms Cage’s story: he has had his
them to the Devourer Base (see the next and last IDTag removed so his whereabouts the last few days
adventure module, Endgame) and they don’t get a can’t be traced, and has had his Assistant’s memory
good enough reaction as a result of their Persuasion wiped as well. The heroes find no record of how Cage
roll, maybe they get half the team they expected, or could have smuggled the bombs into the ships. The
maybe the assigned soldiers are of a lower quality heroes also find a recording Cage made to himself
than they would want (lower Shooting skill and other so he could watch it after using greater forget and
relevant traits by one die type). In no case should the remember what he has supposedly done.
flow of the adventure be compromised, but having an If the heroes investigate Psions First, they
unhappy fleet should make things harder for everyone. gather clues that point to Quentin Hope, a powerful
businessman suspected of leading the organization.
TERRORISM WITHOUT Storming Hope’s mansion involves fighting his
extremist followers. Questioning Hope afterwards
TERRORISTS shows, unfortunately, that while Cage is indeed a
member of Psion First, the organization is not involved
Where: Logan’s End in this bomb plot.
This adventure can be run if the heroes stopped
at Logan’s End for a week or so to get supplies for Quentin Hope: Use stats for Veteran Psion.
the fleet. • Psion First Members (1 per hero plus 2): Use stats
After a few days of organizing the loading of for Typical Psion.
supplies from the surface to the ships of the fleet, the
side stories
187
As the heroes’ search goes on you can sprinkle other • Lava Demons (1 per hero)
explosions resulting in the destruction of a few fleet • Caravan Travellers (5): Use stats for Townsperson
ships and their passengers. This forces Commander but with a Shooting of d6 and a pistol (Range
Olivia Creeson to start evacuating the fleet. 12/24/48; Damage 2d6+1; ROF: 1; AP 1; 6 shots, one
The mastermind behind all this chaos is in reality full action to reload).
none other than Psion Brotherhood leader Joseph
Wilkins. Originally a high-level member of the Psion Once the heroes finally arrive at Carlson City they
Brotherhood and part of Ganendra Nathan’s inner find it burning, as hordes of Lava Demons wreak havoc
circle (see the Brotherhood in the Seven Worlds everywhere. As the heroes search for Crazy Jack, they
Setting Guide), Wilkins was sent to Logan’s End to find the Carlson City Sheriff and a bunch of lawmen
remove any threats to the continuing existence of about to be killed by the Demons. If the heroes beat
Chrysalis. With the shocking discovery of the fleet the demons the Sheriff and his underlings join the
Wilkins, now in hiding, seized on a desperate plan to group as Allies.
stop it before it leaves towards Earth. He convinced
a gullible, wayward member of Psions First to “lead” • Lava Demons (1 per hero)
the plot, helped him plant several bombs by using his • Sheriff and his lawmen (1 per hero): Use stats for
contacts and Psion Brotherhood followers, and then Old West Typical Gunman
helped with the greater forget to cover his tracks. He
convinced Cage to record himself explaining the plot Finally, the heroes find Crazy Jack next to the church
so he could understand it after forgetting and then on the corner of Main Street, surrounded by Lava
doctored the recording to make sure Cage believes he Demons. A dim spherical lava portal is floating in the
did it all by himself. air in front of Crazy Jack, who is firing the lava bullets
If the heroes carefully review Cage’s recording, they into the portal. With each bullet the portal becomes
can see with a successful Hacking or Investigation roll brighter as it slowly opens. Crazy Jack orders his
that it has been carefully edited by someone, with the Lava Demons to stop the heroes while he completes
purpose of changing the story. The recording includes the ritual.
metadata detailing when and where it was created, an The heroes must stop Crazy Jack before he fires
abandoned house used sometimes as a Psions First all his bullets at the portal, while the Lava Demons
meeting place, and where Wilkins is currently hiding. work to protect him. If Crazy Jack opens the portal, a
When faced, Wilkins will admit to everything while Major Lava Demon comes out! Looking like a huge lava
trying to kill the heroes. He does not care about his dragon, the Demon will prove a tough opponent for
fate as long as the fleet is stopped, and so fights to everyone unless the heroes put a stop to it and soon!
the death. He knows the location of all remaining
bombs as well as the codes to remotely disable them. “Crazy Jack” Harris: Use stats for Old West Veteran
Gunman.
Joseph Wilkins: Use stats for Veteran Psion. • Lava Demons (2 per hero)
• Wilkins’ Goons (2 per hero): Use stats for Major Lava Demon: Use stats for Black Dragon,
Resistance Fighter Psion. but its Claws/Bite attack includes a chance of
catching fire; and instead of Acidic Breadth it has
WILD WILD V-WEST, a Lava Breath (Cone Template; every target within
the cone may make Agility roll at −2 to avoid the
PART III attack. Those who fail suffer 2d10 damage. This
attack includes a chance of catching fire. A Major
Where: V-World. Lava Demon may not attack with its claws or bite in
The heroes’ adventure through the strange fantasy the round it breathes lava).
Wild West World comes to an end!
After the battle at Grimrock Mine, the heroes leave
to Carlson City. On the way to the city, they find a
caravan under attack by several Lava Demons. The
terrified men and women in the caravan fight as well
as they can but are clearly going to be overwhelmed
by the Lava Demons unless the heroes do something.
SEVEN WORLDS
188
handouts
handouts
189
SEVEN WORLDS
190
7. ENDGAME
introduction
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.
—Carl Sagan
W elcome to the seventh and final module

in the Seven Worlds campaign! This epic,
unforgettable odyssey places the heroes at
the center of the greatest conflict humanity has ever
seen, and puts its future in their hands.
and Concordia were bitter rivals, this assassination
sparked the beginnings of an interstellar war.
When the heroes arrived at Earth, they met the
emissary of the mysterious alien benefactors known
as the N’ahili. They also met the leaders of the
This adventure continues where Exodus, the sixth Psion Brotherhood, including the famous Ganendra
Seven Worlds campaign adventure, left off. It is Nathan, but failed to get any clues to the identity
assumed you’ve already played that adventure before of the mysterious alien ship they saw. Finally, they
starting this one, but if you haven’t you will still find get to investigate Dr. LaMarche’s disappearance
lots of interesting and challenging scenarios for you and discovered he had been working on unspecified
and your players to enjoy! “improvements” to the Stellar Communications
Network, the main technology that allowed the Seven
ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS In Divided We Fall, the heroes returned to Circle
Headquarters in Concordia and were sent undercover
This section gives a short overview of the Seven by the Concordian fleet as part of their war with Bay
Worlds Campaign up until this point. Jing. An unlikely discovery ended with the heroes
carrying information on a top-secret Concordian plan
WHAT’S HAPPENED BEFORE single stroke.
A Mysterious Encounter, the introductory adventure By the end of that adventure, the heroes were in
included in the Seven Worlds Setting Guide, told the Nouvelle Vie again, where the bulk of the Concordian
story of a group of Circle officers who, while on a and Bay Jingnian fleets were about to meet in
routine patrol next to the frontier planet of Nouvelle battle. At this point, a fleet of mysterious alien ships
Vie, witness the appearance of a strange alien ship materialized and completely destroyed both fleets.
and see its awesome destructive power. As a result, Simultaneously, the entire Stellar Communications
the heroes were sent to Concordia, one of the most Network mysteriously crashed, thus isolating the
powerful planets in the Seven Worlds, and the Seven Worlds. The heroes barely escaped with
headquarters of the Circle, to report on what they saw. their lives and flew towards Concordia, carrying
In Rumors of War, the heroes travelled to Concordia a desperate cry for help against an invader more
and met Epsilon Leader Antoine, leader of the Circle. powerful than all of them.
Antoine told the heroes that the Psion Brotherhood In Into the Fire, several months had passed since
had been secretly interested in these strange ship the fall of the Concordian and Bay Jingnian fleets
sightings, and asked them to go to Brotherhood at Nouvelle Vie, and humanity was fighting a losing
Headquarters on Earth and request information on war against the alien invaders now known as the
the sighting from the Brotherhood, using official Devourers. An anxious Epsilon Leader Antoine knew
channels. Antoine also asked the heroes to investigate conventional means will not stop these aliens, and
the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Luis LaMarche, a asked the heroes to go on a long-shot mission to find
renowned scientist from Earth. an alternative way to stop them.
While attending Concordia’s Centenary Celebration Following an anonymous tip, the heroes travelled
the heroes became involved in a terrorist attack to Apollo and became embroiled in a political war
that ended with the successful assassination of between various corporations. To solve the situation,
Governor Selnes, the leader of Bay Jing. Since Bay Jing the heroes had to storm a faraway research facility
that had been taken over by terrorists. One of these
SEVEN WORLDS
192
terrorists had a clue the heroes needed, a strange In Exodus, the heroes left Chrysalis with the
story and the name of an unknown place: Chrysalis. hastily assembled fleet of military and civilian ships
Apparently this place had something to do with carrying as many psions as possible towards Earth.
Logan’s End, the farthest and least civilized of the After putting out a mutiny that threatened to destroy
Seven Worlds. the entire fleet, the heroes followed the advice of
In Broken Circle, the heroes followed a report the mysterious N’ahili, who pointed them towards
suggesting the elusive Dr. LaMarche was on Harris a secret shortcut that could allow the fleet to reach
Station, and finally learn the secret he had obtained Earth in weeks instead of months. Armed with a last
at such a great cost. It turned out LaMarche had present from the N’ahili, the heroes found the secret
discovered that the Stellar Communications Network shortcut to Earth, and an obstacle on that path: A fully
was going to be sabotaged from within at the orders armed Devourer base. Can the heroes finally face their
of the Psion Brotherhood. He also told the heroes the enemy and win?
orders came from close to Logan’s End. To escape the
heroes had to survive a major space battle against
an enemy willing to do anything to keep LaMarche’s WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW
secret from getting out. As this adventure begins, the heroes decide to
As the rest of human space continued to fall to stage a dangerous raid into the Devourer base in an
the Devourers, the heroes reached Logan’s End and attempt to blow it up. Inside, the heroes finally meet
followed up on the only clue to Chrysalis, the sad the Devourers and discover how truly terrifying their
story of a failing smuggler crew that died several enemies are.
years ago. Before the adventure was over, the heroes After disposing of the base, the heroes finally lead
had crisscrossed the planet and become involved the fleet to Earth and discover the attack is imminent.
in a rescue mission in the deep, savage jungles of After a desperate run to board Brotherhood Station,
Logan’s End. The reward for a successful rescue: The the heroes avoid Ganendra Nathan’s guards and enter
coordinates of the mysterious Chrysalis. the station’s private wing. There they discover where
In Chrysalis, the heroes finally make it to the Eighth the raze power really came from, and meet the leader
World, a strange planet populated by Psions. There of the Brotherhood. As the station disintegrates all
they learn that the Psion Brotherhood is planning to around them, the heroes must defeat Nathan, recover
hide here while the Devourers annihilate humanity. the password for raze, and transmit it to the fleet
They also discover that the Psion Brotherhood has a before the Devourers obliterate Earth!
secret power that can destroy the Devourers if they
so wish. This power can be unlocked with a secret
password, a word that can be obtained only from MAPS
Ganendra Nathan himself.
Emboldened by what they find, the heroes fight to
take over Chrysalis. After a climactic battle with the The maps on the following pages show how the Seven
leaders of the planet the heroes manage to prepare a Worlds stand at the start of this adventure.
fleet with tens of thousands of psions to fly towards Note the new route that connects the fleet to
Earth, recover the secret password to the power, Barnard’s Star.
and stop the Devourers before they destroy the If you are using the 3-D maps, this might be a good
mother planet. opportunity to show the heroes the updated map this
adventure, explaining that since the Stellar Comm
Network has permanently crashed, most routes
between planets are now in a different color.
introduction
193
4.9
LEGEND
5.2 6.3 Proxima
3.9
Ross 780 Centauri
0.2
4.0 Gliese 908
Settled Star System
Ross 671
4.1 Ross 619
4.4
Lacaille 9352
7.4 5.5
Ross 128
Ross 154
4.2 3.9
7.8 7.4
Gliese 570 Wolf 359
Gliese 674 7.7
Luyten’s Star
5.2+4.1 (Secret)
4.3
7.1
1.2 DX Cancri
1.0
5.3 5.0
Harris Station 7.7
4.8 Gliese 588
6.0 Procyon
(”Chrysalis”)
6.4
61 Cygni
36 Ophiuchi 4.5
Apollo
(Epsion Indi) Wolf 629 6.8
4.2
Sirius
Hoffnung
6.7 HIP 85295 Ross 248 HIP 33499
4.5
7.3 5.5
4.6
6.9
Gliese 892 WD 0435-088 6.7
6.6 4.9
Gliese 1 HIP 86287 G 099-049
G 208-044 7.6 Wolf 227
Station 4.4
6.1 7.7 6.8 4.2
4.8
Mu Herculis
7.1
YZ Ceti EV Lacertae
6.5 HIP 23311
6.2 4.4
HIP 23512
Van Maanen’s Star
4.8 5.1
WD 0552-041
TZ Arietis 6.5
6.3 (Gamma Leporis)
3.6
Tau Ceti 5.0

(Omicron 2 2.5
HIP 23452
Eridani)
7.5
HIP 18899
2MASS 0415-093
7.9 4.0
LP 771-095
8.0 HIP 14101
6.5
endgame
• The fact that there is a Devourer base such as
PART I: THE RAID this one jump point away from Earth means the
Devourers have already jumped towards Earth.
Most likely they are in the Sol System by now.
This adventure begins as soon as Exodus ends. A Although it is impossible to be sure, it is likely that
Devourer base stands between the heroes’ fleet and Earth will be attacked in any moment.
Earth. Only a daring mission to destroy the base will • A quick analysis of the asteroid base shows that it
allow the fleet to reach Earth before it’s too late! would survive an attack by the military ships in the
This is the heroes’ chance to finally meet the fleet, and would most likely destroy them. A direct
Devourers face-to-face and uncover some of the attack is therefore not an option.
many mysteries of this alien race. • The N’ahili have conveniently left a Devourer-
like ship with human controls. On top of that, the
Devourers could have detected the mini-ship when
SCENE 1: TOUGH CHOICES it jumped into Barnard’s Star. The fact that they have
This scene assumes the heroes gathered as much not responded could mean the ship has effectively
intelligence as they could from their jump to Barnard’s fooled them. All of this suggests an infiltration
Star and then jumped back to the fleet. You may have mission to the base might be feasible.
to change or skip it altogether depending on the
heroes’ actions. Have the heroes propose a plan, which the leaders
The fleet has to make a decision on how to of the fleet will ultimately support. The most logical
proceed, and for this a council is called. The heroes course of action would be to send a team in the
are obviously present, as are as many NPC fleet Devourer mini-ship to infiltrate the base and destroy it
leaders as you deem appropriate (see the sidebar from the inside. Some nuclear missiles can be turned
on opposite page). If any relevant NPCs have died in into timer-activated bombs for the team to deposit
previous adventures you can create replacements for inside specific locations of the asteroid, and some
them. Sergeant Alice Hynes and Doctor Zöe Fariq are other means to overload the base from the inside
particularly good choices for this meeting. might be found.
The purpose of the meeting is to decide how to If the heroes decide on this plan, Sergeant Hynes
proceed. These facts should surface during the volunteers to go with them, along with a team of
meeting. They may be stated by the heroes, their her best marines. And Dr. Zöe Fariq also volunteers,
Assistants, or by an NPC, depending on how you wish saying her presence will be needed to understand
to run the scene. We suggest different NPCs bring the and decipher the science in the alien base. Also, she
points up to the heroes for discussion, one at a time. has brought with her the canister that contains alien
Of course, it’s always better if the heroes reach these tissue (see Module 5, Chrysalis), and thinks it might be
conclusions by themselves. useful inside the alien base.
If the heroes decide on a different plan, you should
• Apparently, thanks to the N’ahili, the fleet has found decide what changes to make to the adventure in
a hitherto unknown jump point to Barnard’s Star. order for their plan to succeed.
This shortcut shaves sixteen weeks from the trip to
Earth and dispenses with the need to refill supplies. PREPARING FOR THE MISSION
This is a major opportunity to reach Earth before Have the heroes make as many preparations as they
the Devourers attack it. like. Give them ally sheets with the stats of any extras,
• The Devourers have built a base inside an asteroid such as the marines, scientists or any other NPCs
around the orbit of Barnard’s Star. The base is that go with them. It is up to you to decide how many
protected by three Devourer ships. Attempting extras to give the heroes, up to the Devourer mini-
to reach the jump point to Earth without facing ship’s capacity.
the Devourers will most likely result in the The heroes and their allies can take any equipment
fleet’s annihilation. they want for this mission. Don’t forget to calculate
encumbrance penalties, if necessary. Available
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196
CHARACTERS IN THE FLEET
The following is a list of some of the fleet leaders the heroes could interact with. No statistics are provided
unless mentioned.
Ryan and Lindsay: Assuming they are still alive, Ryan and Lindsay are considered the unofficial civilian leaders
of the fleet. They are committed to the heroes’ mission and willing to risk their lives and the lives of their fellow
Chrysalians if necessary to save humanity. In order to be closer to the civilians and volunteers, they have made the
Destiny, one of the Settler Ships in the fleet, their headquarters. Their stats are listed at the end of the book.
• Eric Chambers: Another long-time leader of the Resistance, he is as committed as Ryan and Lindsay to the cause.
Unfortunately Eric is not as charismatic as either Ryan or Lindsay, thus making it hard to lead the civilians if Ryan
and Lindsay are not available.
• Captain Frank Cordova: The third member of the current military high-command, Cordova was in a career dead-
end when the revolution in Chrysalis occurred. Now the former surface desk worker is flexing rusted leadership
muscles in space, and is enjoying himself immensely while supporting the new Chrysalis order.
• Sergeant Alice Hynes: This tough-looking marine is always ready to volunteer herself and her team of deadly
soldiers to any mission, never mind the odds, as long as she feels it’s for the right cause.
• Corporal John Quiper: Sergeant Hynes’ second-in-command, Corporal Quiper has been assigned this role far too
early, and does not feel quite ready for it. Alice trusts in his abilities, but privately suspects he still needs some
experience. Fortunately, Corporal Quiper is learning fast.
• Doctor Zöe Fariq: Dr. Fariq was one of the scientists working on the theories and activities orchestrated by Dr.
Oren Graham, and is thus familiar with some of his research. She significantly disagreed with Dr. Graham’s ways
and focus, though, and had secretly joined the Resistance. Now she is the foremost scientific expert in the fleet.
If the heroes forgot to bring with them the canister containing Devourer flesh (see Module 5, Chrysalis) she has
it with her.
• Phillip Gomez: Most born non-psions in Chrysalis live tough lives, and some wanted to change that. Phillip Gomez
is one of the leaders of a small group of non-psions willing to change the status-quo any way they can. They
joined Ryan and Lindsay’s resistance long ago, and have been useful for the information they provided while on
the menial jobs reserved for non-psions only. Now that the Resistance has triumphed, Gomez is waiting to see
how this translates into new rights for his people. The urgency of the mission means there has not been time to
talk about this, and Gomez is getting impatient.
equipment includes accelerator rifles and ammo, SCENE 2: INFILTRATION

SMGs and ammo, vacc suits and helmets, reinforced Run this scene when the heroes are ready to approach
vacc suits and helmets, light combat vacc suits and the Devourer base.
combat armor suits. The Devourers are apparently fooled by the mini-
Besides gear and weapons, the heroes are provided ship, so the first few hours of the heroes’ approach
with five time-activated nuclear bombs. Each one is are uneventful. You could ratchet up the suspense
to be placed at a particularly sensitive location of the by having the heroes make periodic Knowledge (Ship
alien base, which the heroes will have to discover. Ops) and Hacking rolls to detect alien activities, with
Each bomb is a 1’-long cylinder, and weights 5 lb. The the result always being that nothing strange seems
heroes should decide who carries each bomb. to be happening.
Dr. Fariq takes the alien canister with her to the As the heroes approach, they see that all three
ship. If she is not part of the expedition team, she Devourer ships are docked to the sides of the asteroid.
gives the heroes the canister. The following sections This means that if the asteroid is destroyed the
of the adventure assume the heroes have the canister Devourer ships will be destroyed as well.
with them.
DETECTION
• Marines: Use stats for Soldier Psion. When the heroes are just a few hours away from the
• Scientists: Use stats for Typical Psion with asteroid, read or paraphrase the following:
Knowledge (Science) d10 and Hacking d8.
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197
Suddenly your systems light up. You are This alien tissue comes from the experiments
being contacted! A strange array of sounds Dr. Graham performed on both live and dead
and symbols appears on your screen. The Devourers we captured more than twenty
unintelligible message flashes for a few seconds years ago.
and then stops. In 2197, one of our research ships visited one of
the uninhabited star systems close to Nouvelle
Have the heroes decide what to do. With a Vie and chanced on a Devourer scout ship, similar
successful Knowledge (Science) roll a hero deduces to this mini-ship. As the Devourers prepared
that the message is some sort of acknowledgement to attack, the crew in desperation broadcast
message, and that a reply is expected. There is no way a psionic request for mercy. It was stupid, of
for humans to know what to reply, though. course, since psionic powers only work on human
beings, and the distance was too great, but they
As you ponder how to proceed, you are suddenly were desperate. To the crew’s surprise, however,
startled as the alien tissue inside the Devourer the Devourers froze on the spot! That’s when we
canister begins to glow! The glow lasts for a few learned that they are particularly sensitive to
seconds and then fades away. psionic powers. Why? We don’t know.
Anyway, their ship was about to fire when
Any hero or character who makes a successful the psionic message froze them. Apparently
Knowledge (Science) roll correctly deduces that the something overloaded and their ship exploded.
glow in the canister means that the ship was scanned; We rescued several bodies and a closed pod with
since a “Devourer” was detected on board, most likely a live Devourer. I can’t tell you what Dr. Graham
the heroes have passed a test. found, since my brain is locked like all the rest.
The heroes should remember where that Devourer But this much is obvious: That Devourer base
tissue came from, since they saw that story in the now believes there is at least one Devourer in
machine in Dr. Graham’s Simulation Room (see this ship. I think they might let us in!
Module 5, Chrysalis). If they don’t remember the story,
Dr. Fariq quickly summarizes it for them: After a few seconds, a dot lights up on the heroes’
external view of the asteroid on their wall screen: It
is the location of one of the large docking bay doors,
which slowly opens. The heroes are being directed to
dock inside the asteroid.
As the heroes approach the asteroid, describe the
incredible size and complexity of the structure before
them. Small robot-like beings crawl on the surface of
the asteroid; immense guns protrude from orifices in
the rock, apparently defense mechanisms; lights from
“windows” within the asteroid show the existence of
passages carved within the rock; and the immense
metal doors appear large enough to swallow many
ships in the fleet. The heroes have never seen a
Devourer ship this close, and its threatening blackness
is even more intimidating at this distance.
Finally, the heroes’ ship enters the base through the
metal doors, and their ship docks.
SCENE 3: THE DEVOURER BASE

In this scene, the heroes and their allies must find
a way to disable or destroy the Devourer base and
escape with their lives!
MISSION GOAL
To successfully destroy the base, the heroes must
plant at least three out of their five nuclear bombs
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198
in strategically-located places within the alien the noise transducers of the heroes’ helmets. There
structure. The Library (location #5) has a map of the is a constant irregular noise throughout the complex,
asteroid that shows these five vulnerable locations. something similar to a faraway periodic rumble.
Your descriptions of the appropriate locations should Finally, there is no gravity in the environment, and
also help. no centrifugal simulation of it either.
At least three of the following locations need to be In game terms, the environment is cold and
planted with bombs for the asteroid and the docked unbreathable (consider the suit damage rules in the
Devourer ships to be destroyed: Gear section of the Setting Guide if the suits are ever
opened or pierced), with no gravity (all zero-G rules
• Devourer Ship Hangars (location #12) from the Setting Rules section of the Setting Guide
• Engine Room (location #13) apply), and dark (−2 penalty to all actions, 10" max
• Fuel Stores (Location #14) distance to see something). Remember that most vacc
• Power Generator (location #19) suit helmets support night-vision mode, and thus can
• Computer Room (location #20) halve lighting penalties.
EXPLORING THE BASE COMMUNICATIONS

The map of the Devourer base is abstract, and The vacc suits’ communication systems allow all
represented by several locations connected by heroes and their allies to talk from anywhere in
passageways. You are free to add rooms, connections the base without major interference. It is of course
or twists to the map as you see fit. impossible to contact the fleet since it is at the other
side of the jump point.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Devourer environments are actually bizarre biological RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
constructs, with relatively little metal technology While walking the hallways of the base, the heroes
visible. The walls of the rooms and passageways may encounter Devourers in many forms. Since
beat, pulsate and ooze with a mucus-like substance there is no one true Devourer shape, any Devourers
that gives an eerie shine when exposed to light. encountered will assume the heroes are yet another
Hallways aren’t straight but irregular, and consist biologically created Devourer shape and will see
of innumerable side passages, dead ends and no reason to attack, unless the heroes have raised
protuberances, like polyps on a membrane. The the alarm or have been identified. Since the heroes
environment is nothing less than nauseating. probably don’t know this yet, you are free to play
Although the heroes’ suit sensors detect an the suspense of an encounter with Devourers who
atmosphere, they also show it is not breathable by approach with unknown intentions.
human beings (with a few exceptions, as noted in You should roll for random encounters only when
specific areas below). A constant slight dark fog makes you think it adds to the game, and if the players have
it harder to see. The atmosphere does transport audio not been overwhelmed with enemies. The frequency
waves, though, making it possible to listen through of random encounters should increase if the alarm
ENCOUNTER TABLE
1D8 RESULT
1 No encounter
2 No encounter
3 Small Technician Party: 1 Technician per every two characters.
4 Devourer Swarm: 1 Devourer Swarm.
5 Mixed Party: 1 Technician per every two characters, 1 Devourer Warrior per every three characters.
6 Warrior Party: 1 Devourer Warrior per every two characters, 1 Devourer Elite Warrior.
7 Elite group: 1 Devourer Elite Warrior per every three characters.
8 Devourer Monster: This encounter only occurs if the alarm has been raised or if the heroes have
already visited location #8, and the Devourer Monster is still alive. Otherwise roll again.
9 Large Warrior Party: 1 Devourer Warrior per character, 1d3 Devourer Elite Warriors.
SEVEN WORLDS
200
has been raised. Given the structure of the Devourer humans to interact with the computer systems of the
base, it is entirely possible for the heroes to hide in base. With a raise, the hero also deduces that this
one of the many cul-de-sacs in order to avoid being means that Devourers have a need for their systems
spotted. Use the standard Savage Worlds rules for to interact with beings of many different shapes,
Stealth and Notice to handle this abstractly. thus implying that there are many types and models
To create random encounter, roll 1d8 and consult of Devourer.
the following table. Apply a +1 to the roll if the alarm A few minutes later, the alien tissue in the Devourer
has been raised. canister begins to glow again. As the canister is
scanned, the screen flashes bright and the membrane
FIGHTING THE DEVOURERS door automatically opens.
During combat the Devourers will use their abilities The hero who interacted with the computer
to maximum advantage. They will climb walls and terminal now has a rudimentary knowledge of
fall down on the heroes, for example. The cul-de- how to make choices in the system by moving his
sacs and passageways in Devourer environments hands and fingers. From now on and for the rest
also make it easy for them to stage an ambush on the of this scene, the hero may interact with any other
heroes, by storming them from several directions at computer terminals in the base by making a Hacking
the same time. roll with a −4 penalty. The penalty decreases by one
As a GM, you should strive for an atmosphere of for each time the hero interacts with the system,
anxiety, fear and paranoia. The heroes are in an alien until it reaches zero. Any other heroes who interact
environment, and their enemies have the upper hand. with computer terminals for the first time also start
with the −4 penalty. Assistants cannot interact with
1. DOCKING BAY these terminals.
When the heroes’ ship docks inside one of the
asteroid’s huge docking bays, a long flesh-like tube CROSSING THE MEMBRANE
detaches from one of the bay walls and locks itself to As soon as the heroes cross the membrane, read or
the hatch. The sensors inside the ship show that the paraphrase the following.
environment in the tube has an atmosphere but it is
not breathable by humans. Suddenly a red beam of light from the ceiling
When the heroes open the hatch they see a long, begins to scan you! One of the fleshy walls next
dark passageway with irregular fleshy walls. Strange to you lights up and shows a representation of
far away rumblings and sounds echo throughout a human shape in yellow. Next to this shape
the complex. you see what appears to be a 3-D schematic
of the asteroid, where two locations flicker in
THE COMPUTER TERMINAL the same tone of yellow. After a few seconds,
A closed membrane a few feet in front of the heroes both the beam of light and the diagrams on the
interrupts passage. On the wall next to the membrane wall disappear.
the heroes see an irregular hole about 2’ across and 1’
deep. It is completely full of a transparent gelatin-like With a successful Knowledge (Science) roll a hero
substance. This is an alien computer terminal. can deduce that there is a connection between human
If a hero inserts one hand into the gelatin, a screen beings and the two marked locations in the asteroid.
lights up on the wall above the hole. The screen is very With a raise, the hero also deduces that the system
opaque at first, but becomes progressively brighter as does not consider their shape particularly strange,
the hero inserts both hands inside the gelatin, opens and which might imply that Devourers are not surprised
closes them, and wiggles his fingers. The screen cycles by human shapes.
through several frequencies until it finds the frequencies Unfortunately, the heroes do not know enough (yet)
the hero detects (in this case, visual frequencies). Two about the distribution of the asteroid to know where
dots then appear on the screen, and the hero quickly the two marked locations are or how to get there.
discovers that he can control the movement and position The two locations referred at by the map are the
of each one with each hand. Different movements of the Human Simulation Room (location #9) and the Artifact
fingers change the color of the dot. Room (location #2).
Any hero who makes a successful Knowledge
(Science) roll deduces that the system has trained
itself to understand the movements of the human
body and has created an on-the-fly interface to allow
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201
2. ARTIFACT ROOM humans. Strange dark shapes slowly move
Read or paraphrase the following: inside each pod.
This large room appears to be a warehouse full This chamber is used to create new Devourers in
of the most bizarre human objects you could practically all shapes and sizes. The pods currently
imagine: Pans, pots, baseballs, bicycles, toys, have Devourers in different stages of development.
broken hover shuttles, suits of all kinds, even a A Devourer Technician is currently checking the vital
toilet. Most of them look badly damaged, as if signs of some of the pods. He will ignore the heroes
they had been salvaged after a battle. They are unless they attempt to open or damage a pod. If that’s
all placed on “shelves” made out of the flesh-like the case, the Technician will screech in panic and slice
substance that is everywhere. Small hooks grab open one of the pods, which it knows contains a fully
each item to keep it from floating away. developed Devourer.
Any Devourer taken out of the pod floats outside
Although the Devourers are not interested in shivering uncontrollably for one round. Then it slowly
preserving alien cultures (that’s what the N’ahili are comes around and begins attacking the heroes. The
for) they collect items from their enemies to analyze Technician quickly moves among the pods opening
them for weaknesses. one every 1d2 rounds until stopped. Each time a
The heroes can fly up or down the walls by using the Devourer is released, roll 1d6. On a 6, it is a Devourer
“shelves” as handles using their normal movement. Elite Warrior, otherwise it is a Devourer Warrior.
Several Devourer Technicians are here, scavenging If a hero carefully checks all the pods, he finds
through the objects. They will ignore the heroes and one or two contain the body of a being that appears
assume they are Devourers unless the heroes try human, with a few glaring deficiencies (the legs are
to take any object out of the room. In this case they too long, the head is too big, or other anomalies). A
will stop them and tell them they can’t do that (the successful Knowledge (Science) roll allows the hero
heroes won’t understand their combination of signs to deduce that the Devourers are experimenting with
and rumbles, some of them outside the heroes’ range creating “human Devourers” but apparently have not
of hearing). If the heroes insist, the Technicians raise been successful yet.
the alarm (this takes one full action), and a group of
Devourer Warriors arrive within two rounds. • Devourer Technician (1): See page 240.
The heroes can find almost anything they need here • Devourer Warrior: See page 240.
to supplement their resources with the exception of • Devourer Elite Warrior: See page 241.
weapons. Heroes who take the time to search among
the objects find the diary of a young man chronicling 4. MORGUE
the aftermath of the attack on Concordia. According Read or paraphrase the following:
to the diary not everyone in Concordia is dead; some
survivors have gone underground and are planning to This chamber contains hundreds of neatly
outlast the nuclear winter and reclaim Concordia for organized cylindrical pods, protruding
themselves, however long it takes. perpendicular to the walls. The pods are opaque
and built out of some kind of sinewy material.
• Devourer Technicians (1 per 3 characters): See Inside the pods you see what appear to be
page 240. human bodies! An alien computer panel stands
• Devourer Warriors: See page 240. on a side wall.
3. CREATION CHAMBER The pods are extremely strong and cannot be

The entrances to this chamber are protected by broken, but can be opened with a successful Hacking
closed membranes. They can be opened by making a roll on the computer panel. These are bodies of
successful Hacking roll (minus applicable penalties) at human men, women and children, all naked. Some of
the nearby alien computer panel. Once the membrane the bodies are perfectly preserved, while others are
is open, read or paraphrase the following: hideously dissected; some of the pods contain just
random bits and pieces of human flesh. If one of these
This large chamber contains thousands of fleshy is opened, have all heroes make a Spirit roll to keep
pod-like semi-transparent bags, suspended by from vomiting (add one level of Fatigue for one hour).
a maze of vein-like tubes. Some of the pods are If a hero examines several bodies and makes a
just 1’ across while others are as large as several successful Knowledge (Science) or Healing roll, he
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202
determines some of the victims were alive just a few currently in human space. The bright-blue sections
days ago. This might imply there were (or still are) might indicate someone else besides the Devourers
humans alive in the base! is in those parts of the galaxy.
• If the heroes ask about the Devourers themselves:
5. LIBRARY The screen quickly cycles through several Devourer
A closed membrane protects entry to this chamber. configurations, such as Devourer technicians,
It can be opened by making a successful Hacking Warriors, Elite Warriors, Swarms, and many other
roll (minus applicable penalties) at the nearby alien forms. A hero who makes a successful Knowledge
computer panel. Once the membrane is open, Read or (Science) roll deduces that Devourers can create
paraphrase the following: their own shapes and forms depending on their
needs and the weaknesses of their enemies.
This chamber is an enormous dome built from
the same flesh-like, mucus-covered substance Feel free to invent any other information you deem
as the walls in the rest of the base. Several appropriate, depending on what the heroes ask. Do
computer terminals (holes in the walls filled not give the players any information on the following:
with the gelatin-like substance) are located on
the walls around the dome. • The N’ahili.
• The raze power.
Heroes who successfully interact with the computer • The Devourers’ homeworld or creators.
terminal via a Hacking roll deduce this is a digital
library of information. Any piece of information the 6. LIFEFORMS LABORATORY
heroes request appears as a huge semi-transparent Read or paraphrase the following:
three-dimensional hologram in the center of the
dome. There is no “index.” Instead, the heroes have The bizarre screams and moans coming from this
to specifically request something in order to get chamber cause your hair to stand on end. The
an answer. chamber contains dozens of cages built from a
The following information is available for the heroes: material similar to bone and sinew. The cages
are stuck to the floor, walls and ceiling of the
• If the heroes ask about the asteroid: Give the room. Inside each cage there is a… being. From
heroes the player’s map of the asteroid (see page things like strange embryos with tentacles to
242). The names of each location are what the moving shapeless hunks of flesh, every being
heroes interpret from the icons that appear in each here is different, all bizarre, all alive.
room in the map. Locations for which the icon could Two lone Devourer Technicians work in the
not be deciphered by the heroes are marked with a opposite end of the room, with their extremities
question mark. inserted into the gelatin-like substance of their
• If the heroes ask about weaknesses in the computer terminals. They do not appear to have
asteroid: Besides giving them the map, tell them noticed you.
the locations marked “Engine,” “Power,” “Energy,”
“Ships” and “Brains” glow red. Have all characters make a Spirit roll with a −1
• If the heroes ask anything about recent Devourer penalty. With a failure, the character is shocked and
events: Show footage of the Devourer invasions nauseated, and receives one degree of Fatigue for the
and attacks on Nouvelle Vie, Mussala Station, Bay next hour.
Jing, Concordia and Apollo. This is the place where the Devourers experiment
• If the heroes ask anything about older Devourer with new life forms before starting the reproduction
events: A map of the galaxy appears, where process in the Creation Chamber (location #3).
practically every star in the galaxy is lit dark red. If the Technicians get a chance to see the heroes,
Some sections of the galaxy are lit bright red, such they immediately wail in alarm and release as many
as the human space around Sol. There are other malformed experiments as they can. In game terms,
parts of the galaxy with the same bright red, and two swarms of misshapen Devourers are released.
a few parts are light bright blue. A hero who makes As the cages open, the ravenous and demented
a successful Knowledge (Science) roll deduces that prototypes of life descend on the heroes and attack!
the Devourers have been everywhere in the galaxy
at some point in time, and that currently there are • Devourer Technicians (2): See page 240.
several “bands” roaming the galaxy; one of them is • Misshapen Devourers (2): See page 241.
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203
7. DISSECTION LABORATORY This chamber houses a Devourer Monster, one the
Read or paraphrase the following: first of the batch the Devourers have released on
human worlds to finish off any humans that survive
A bloodcurdling scream of pain invades the the attack. This huge monster can be released to track
chamber. A human voice! the heroes if the situation becomes desperate enough
This chamber contains several irregular for the Devourers.
“tables” built out of something that looks like Once the creature is awake, it will follow the
a stretched muscle. The tables are dirty and heroes throughout the base until it either kills them
some of them look caked in blood. Next to the or is killed.
tables are cylindrical semitransparent blocks
containing fresh human parts, such as heads Devourer Monster: See page 239.
and livers.
A group of Devourers surround one of the 9. HUMAN SIMULATION ROOM
tables, intently working while a human being A closed membrane door protects both entrances to
thrashes in pain on top! this chamber. The membrane is much thicker than
other membranes in the base, and can only be opened
This is the Devourers’ dissection lab, where they by making a successful Hacking roll (minus applicable
analyze their enemies’ bodies. Vivisection (opening penalties) at the nearby alien computer panel.
the victim while alive and conscious) is the normal As soon as the membrane is open, read or
procedure. A group of Devourer “scientists” work paraphrase the following:
around the current victim on a table in the center of
the room. If any heroes or allies have fallen in combat As soon as the membrane opens you are faced
previously, they are alive, and about to be dissected! with a room that is radically different from every
Otherwise, one human prisoner from location #10 is other place you’ve seen up until now. From the
being dissected. Two Devourer Warriors stand nearby metal walls to the furniture and computer
in case the victim finds a way to escape. interfaces, it is a perfect replica of the interior of
As soon as the Devourers see the heroes, they stop a human starship or military base! Dark marks
and fight while raising the alarm. on some walls and hatches show someone has
The human prisoner dies from his wounds just after fired a weapon inside.
the combat ends, not before staring at the heroes The room is brightly illuminated, and
and desperately yelling “Save the others!” This is your sensors indicate it has a human-
a reference to the other humans at location #10 breathable atmosphere.
(the Prison).
This chamber is used by the Devourers to
• Devourer Technicians (4): See page 240. simulate battle in human environments. The marks
• Devourer Warriors (2): See page 240. and scratches on the walls are from previous
simulated combats.
8. CREATURE ROOM If the heroes search the rooms and passageways
A closed membrane protects the entrance to this of this simulated human environment, they will find
chamber. It can be opened by making a successful additional weapons and ammo, as well as vacc suits.
Hacking roll (minus applicable penalties) at the
nearby alien computer panel. If the heroes have 10. PRISON
already raised the alarm throughout the base and the A closed membrane door protects both entrances to
Devourer Monster has been set free (or is dead) then this chamber. It can be opened by making a successful
this room is empty. Otherwise, read or paraphrase Hacking roll (minus applicable penalties) at the nearby
the following: alien computer panel.
As soon as the membrane is open, read or
A deep ominous growl comes from the dark paraphrase the following:
recesses of this large, wet cavern. There are
large mounds of something that looks like a This small irregular chamber has the same
rotten biological food, with some of it strewn repulsive pulsating biological walls as the rest
around the floor. Something… large… is moving of the base. Your sensors show it does have a
in the back of the chamber. human-breathable atmosphere, though. Eight
humans appear to be living here. They are thin
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204
and haggard, and a couple are sobbing against With a successful Knowledge (Science) roll a hero
one of the walls. A few are missing limbs. They notices that one of the displays charts the likely
obviously are prisoners, and have faced horrors position of the Devourer fleet that has left for Earth.
beyond imagining. A success allows the hero to see that the fleet left
relatively soon but it is moving slowly towards Earth.
The prisoners have been locked kept here for weeks A raise allows the hero to deduce from the display that
or months. There is no need for a guard since even the fleet has stopped on its way towards Earth, and is
if they got out they would not be able to breathe the not approaching yet. This means there is still a chance
atmosphere outside this room. A hole on one wall to reach Earth before it is attacked!
periodically produces a tasteless paste that has been The Devourer Technicians working the computer
keeping them fed all this time, as well as water. An panels are concentrated in their work and will ignore
irregular hole on the floor biologically disposes of the heroes unless they interrupt their concentration
their waste. Periodically the Devourers come and take or the alarm is raised.
a prisoner, who is almost never seen again.
By this time, the prisoners have severe trauma and • Devourer Technicians (1 per character): See page
mental problems. They can tell how and where they 240.
were captured (most by Devourer parties that landed
on some of the Seven Worlds after the attacks and 12. DEVOURER SHIP HANGARS
captured a few survivors, although a couple were Read or paraphrase the following:
passengers on a ship captured by Devourers). They
cannot provide any information on the Devourers In front of you is a large hangar, much larger
or the base. than the one you docked at. This one is so big
Assuming the heroes want to save the prisoners, that you can see part of the section of the three
they will need vacc suits for them. These are available Devourer ships docked into the asteroid itself!
in locations #2 or #9, above. The prisoners are in no From afar you see a large number of Devourers
condition to fight, and will therefore have to be taken entering and leaving the ships.
care of by the heroes and their allies. There also The platform in front of you contains
may not be enough space for all the prisoners in the innumerable sacks and pods filled with supplies
heroes’ ship. of some sort.
• Prisoners (8): Use stats for Civilian but with a d4 in It should be obvious to the heroes that this is the
Vigor, and one level of Fatigue. ideal spot to plant a bomb if they want to get rid of all
the Devourer ships at once.
11. COMM ROOM Unfortunately there are so many Devourers here
Read or paraphrase the following: that unless the heroes take special measures to
stay out of sight (such as hiding behind the supplies)
The flesh-like walls of this room are smoother they will most likely be seen by a group of patrolling
than those in other chambers, and project Devourer Warriors. In this case, the Warriors will
rapidly-changing information. The entire room approach and try to ascertain if the heroes are
is a wall screen. You can see diagrams of the supposed to be there or not before attacking. Given
Barnard’s Star system, its planets and moons, the challenges in communication, the heroes will
as well as close ups of other nearby asteroids. have to be very creative to avoid a battle. If a battle
In the center of the room there is a small dome breaks out and the alarm is raised, the heroes will
made out of the gelatin-like substance you most likely have to escape this location to avoid being
have seen in computer panels around the base. overwhelmed by Devourer Warriors.
A group of Devourer Technicians are facing the
dome, their claws submerged in the gelatin, • Devourer Warriors (1 per character): See page 240.
apparently controlling the display of information
on the walls. 13. ENGINE ROOM
This is the base’s communication center. It receives
and transmits information between the base and This enormous chamber is one of the few
also collects information from all the sensors the sections of the base that contains large amounts
Devourers have deployed around the star system. of metal instead of the ubiquitous biological,
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205
fleshy mass. You are close to one of the sides of Have all characters make a Strength or Agility roll
the asteroid, and in front of you see what could with a −1 penalty. With a failure the hero is sucked
only be the huge exhaust cone from a space out through the membrane towards space! Both the
engine. Curiously, though, the exhaust cone hero and any companions can make a free Agility roll
points towards a wall, not directly towards to grab onto something. If this roll is also failed, the
space, making you wonder exactly how Devourer character floats away into space and needs to be
engines work. rescued. The membrane can be closed again in one
round, by using the computer panel again.
This is one of the five locations where the heroes Read or paraphrase the following:
can place a bomb to destroy the base.
Although there is a computer panel on the side wall, The opening takes you outside the asteroid, into
no matter what they try the heroes cannot interfere a small crater on the side. In the center of the
with the operation of the engine in any way. Other crater you see a bulbous sphere out of which
than the engine itself, the room is empty. protrudes a thick metal rod: An energy cannon!
Apparently this is one of the asteroid’s defenses
14. FUEL STORES against any enemies that attempt to approach.
Read or paraphrase the following: Two Devourers, oblivious to the vacuum, are
working on a computer panel placed on one of
This large, bizarre chamber contains what you the walls of the sphere.
could only call a bladder: Three huge fleshy bags,
dozens of meters high, slowly gurgle as if full of The Devourers can survive in vacuum for several
some strange liquid. hours without special equipment. They are surprised
Two Devourer technicians work on a glowing when they see the heroes, and try to defend
computer panel on the wall next to the entrance themselves if attacked, or flee and raise the alarm if
of the chamber. they get a chance.
The heroes may think to destroy or disable the
The technicians do not expect anyone to enter this weapon. The weapon can be treated as an object with
room, and panic when they see the heroes. Unless the 12 Toughness, or it can be permanently disabled by
heroes either calm or neutralize them in the next two performing a successful Hacking roll with a −2 penalty
rounds, they will raise the alarm and attack. on the computer panel. The roll can be tried more than
By using the computer and making a successful once, but each try takes 10 minutes.
Knowledge (Science) or Knowledge (Ship Ops) roll, a
hero can identify from the atomic representation of • Devourer Technicians (2): See page 240.
the contents of one of the bladders that it is full of
hydrogen, thus making it likely a fuel for use in fusion. 16. FEEDING ROOM
The contents of the other two bladders are a complete Read or paraphrase the following:
mystery. With a raise on the roll, the hero deduces that
whatever the liquids do, it is very likely they react to About two dozen low vats lie on the floor of this
hydrogen by producing an explosive energy outburst. horrid room. The vats are full of a thick, sticky
This is therefore a good location to place a bomb. liquid, slowly moving in unpredictable patterns.
The bladders’ skin is very think, and cannot be cut or The vats are occupied by sprawled Devourers!
pierced, not even with a gunshot. At first glance it would seem they are taking a
bath, but a careful look shows they are actually
• Devourer Technicians (2): See page 240. absorbing into their body whatever the liquid is.
15. WEAPONS ROOM Periodically, Devourers need to recharge their

This room has a closed membrane on its far wall. energies, and to do this they absorb the compound
There is a significantly thinned-out atmosphere in the vats. The “food” is chemical mix of enzymes
here. If a hero uses the nearby computer panel and proteins that can be stored inside their bodies
(successful Hacking roll with appropriate modifiers) for long periods of time, and can be synthesized from
the membrane opens. Unprepared characters are in other products when not available. It is not edible
for a surprise: The entrance leads to the vacuum in by humans.
space outside the asteroid! The Devourers in the room are immersed in the
absorption process and will not pay attention to the
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206
heroes unless they call attention to themselves (for
example, by attacking a Devourer). If the Devourers
decide to take action against the heroes, treat them
as Shaken at the start of the combat, as they strive
to disengage from the feeding process and regain
full consciousness.
Use several Small Burst Templates to represent
the vats in the room. They count as Difficult Ground
if crossed.
• Devourer Technicians (1 per every 2 characters):

See page 240.
• Devourer Warriors (1 per every 3 characters): See
page 240.
• Devourer Elite Warriors (2): See page 241.
17. ATMO CENTER
This chamber contains several alien computer

terminals, as well as a group of flesh bags and
protuberances stuck to the walls, looking like
deformed polyps. These bags periodically inflate
and deflate against the wall, as if breathing.
The “bags” generate the combinations of chemicals

that keep the atmosphere of the compound. A hero Devourers also occasionally need to rest (not sleep).
who uses the computer terminal and performs a Heroes must be very careful here not to make too
successful Hacking roll discovers he can control the much noise or they will disturb the resting Devourers.
contents of the atmosphere of the base. Stealth rolls with an appropriate bonus should apply.
Although the system does not allow the hero to If a Devourer stops resting, it takes 1d2 rounds to
create a poisonous atmosphere, and the Devourers become fully ready to fight.
can survive in most atmospheres anyway, it is
possible to make the atmosphere of the base more • Resting Devourer Technicians (1 per every 2
similar to a human-breathable atmosphere, thus characters): See page 240.
allowing humans to breathe without a vacc suit • Resting Devourer Warriors (1 per every 2
helmet. This could help, for example, in the evacuation characters): See page 240.
of the prisoners from location #10.
Changing the composition of the atmosphere takes 19. POWER GENERATOR
about twenty minutes, and automatically alerts the Read or paraphrase the following:
entire base to the heroes’ presence.
So far you have seen very little metal in the
18. BARRACKS base, making the twenty-meter-diameter
Read or paraphrase the following: metal sphere in this chamber a strange sight.
Dozens of tubes made of a biological muscle-
This entire chamber is crisscrossed by fleshy like membrane connect the sphere to the walls.
cables, trunks and protrusions coming from Even from the entrance of the chamber you
the walls and ceiling, and resembles a huge feel the heat and energy being produced inside
canopy. Thousands of pods hang from the the sphere. There are several computer panels
trunks and cables, some of them empty, others nestled in the walls.
apparently not. Your sensors detect a constant Several Devourer Warriors stand in attention
low thrumming sound. between the entrance and the sphere, apparently
protecting it.
endgame
207
This room houses the generator that powers 21. MAIN BRIDGE
the entire base. The Devourer Warriors have been Read or paraphrase the following:
ordered to let no one in and aim their arm weapons
at the heroes as soon as they see them. Assuming the This cavernous chamber is full of technicians
heroes don’t have a way to defuse the encounter, the working in deep concentration across many
Devourers attack. computer terminals. The walls are covered in
The walls of the sphere cannot be pierced by any rapidly-changing information, unintelligible to
kind of weapons the heroes have, except for the you, combined with views of space and of the
nuclear bomb. This is obviously a good location to asteroid. In the center of the room, submerged
place one of those bombs. in what looks like a vat with conduits coming out
Getting too close to the sphere is dangerous. Any of it, sits a large Devourer. Although he looks like
character, hero or enemy, who gets within 4" of a Warrior, the larger structure of his head and
the sphere must make a Vigor roll or gain one level arms gives the impression that it is significantly
of Fatigue from radiation. This Fatigue goes away more important.
in 24 hours.
This is the main control room, from which activities
• Devourer Warriors (4): See page 240. in the asteroid are coordinated. The Devourer in the
center of the room is the current leader of the asteroid.
20. COMPUTER ROOM As soon as the heroes enter, the Leader immediately
Read or paraphrase the following: orders an attack. If the Leader is killed, the base is
thrown into turmoil. Whenever the heroes meet a
This chamber is dominated by a central pulsating group of Devourers as a result of a random encounter
globe, about fifteen meters across, made of (see Random Encounters, above) there is a 50%
mucus-covered flesh. Hundreds of conduits chance that the Devourers will ignore the heroes and
connect the globe to the walls, floor and ceiling just run aimlessly somewhere else. This does not
of the chamber. You see bright points of light apply to the Devourer Monster, who always attacks.
quickly enter and leave the globe through the
conduits. Periodically, a section of the globe Devourer Leader (1): Use stats for Devourer Elite
lights up for a few seconds and then turns dark Warrior (see page 240) but add the Command Edge.
red again. • Devourer Warriors (4): See page 240.
Several technicians work around the globe, • Devourer Technicians (5): See page 240.
either caressing it and rubbing something • Devourer Swarm (1): See page 239.
sticky on its skin, or interacting with the many
computer terminals on the walls. ESCAPING THE BASE
To successfully conclude the mission the heroes
This room houses the immense biological computer must activate at least three of the nuclear bombs
brain that runs the entire processing of the Devourer and escape the base using their ship. By default, the
base. It is a good place to arm one of the heroes’ bombs are timed to give the heroes one full hour to
nuclear bombs. escape, but they can be tweaked to activate in more
The technicians in the room will ignore the heroes or less time if needed.
unless they attempt to either attack them or damage When the heroes board their ship to escape, read or
the brain, in which case they will raise the alert and paraphrase the following:
fight until dead.
The brain has a Toughness of 12. Assuming the As you turn on your Devourer Mini-ship and
heroes manage to damage it, the entire computer undock, the screen turns red and an alert
system in the complex goes down. In game terms, indicator blinks on the screen! [Assistant name]
all the membranes in the base become permanently quickly scans the readings and says, “Apparently
open, the terminals go down, and the base goes on while our new Devourer mini-ship was docked
full alert. From now on all Devourers in the base have some biological thing entered its system and
a permanent −1 penalty to all trait rolls due to their corrupted it. We can still fly the ship but it could
inability to coordinate amongst themselves. fail sporadically.”
• Devourer Technicians (4): See page 240. From now on until the end of the scene, the ship’s
engines periodically stop for a few seconds, jolting
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208
everyone on board. Whenever the pilot gets a Clubs SHOOT THEM DOWN!
card for initiative, he or she has a −2 penalty to all As the heroes board their ship and take off, the
Piloting actions that round. asteroid’s energy cannons activate and fire at the
heroes! Unless the heroes managed to deactivate
OPTIONAL ESCAPE SCENES the weapons in location #15, they must survive three
We have included a few optional scenes you might consecutive attacks before the timer activates and
want to consider to ratchet up the suspense during the nuclear bombs explode, taking out the base with
the heroes’ escape, depending on how the adventure them. The asteroid weapon’s statistics are as follows:
goes and what your players’ tastes are. The ultimate
goal is to make the escape as exciting as possible. • 2×Devourer Heavy Energy Cannons: Range 4/8/16;
Damage 3d8; AP 50; RoF 1; PDLB RoF 8; Heat Points
CHASE! —; HW. The Devourer ship’s energy cannon is a mix
As the heroes place the last nuclear charge, they are of several types of frequencies in the spectrum,
discovered by an army of Devourers. A chase through including visible, X—and gamma-ray radiation.
the corridors of the base begins!
Play this as a Chase using the Chase rules from
Savage Worlds. The Chase lasts five rounds, and uses EPILOGUE
Agility as the maneuvering Trait. Because of zero-G, When the heroes finally escape the base and
the heroes’ Agility rolls have a −2 penalty. If possible the nuclear bombs are about to explode, read or
try to make the heroes’ allies and extras make a single paraphrase the following. You may have to modify the
roll, to simplify bookkeeping. description depending on the exact circumstances of
Some typical obstacles to use during the chase the escape:
might be door membranes, corridor dead-ends
through the convoluted maze that is the Devourer As your failing Devourer mini-ship leaves the
environment, other groups of Devourers, and such. asteroid base, accelerating as fast as your
Once the five rounds are up, you can assume the human bodies will allow, you expectantly project
heroes managed to board their ship and escape, or a close-up of the asteroid in your wall screen.
you can combine this with the next scene below. To your surprise you see the Devourer ships
preparing to undock from the asteroid in pursuit!
• Devourer Warriors (1 per character): See page 240. Fortunately, you do not have much more to
• Devourer Elite Warriors (1 per character): See page wait. Suddenly the asteroid is engulfed in a silent,
241. bright flash. The nuclear charges have exploded!
The screen immediately darkens to protect your
STANDOFF AT THE DOCKING BAY sight. As the flash subsides you get to see the
As the heroes return to their ship, they discover the floating remains of what used to be the Devourer
membrane to the docking bay is closed. A nearby base and ships. The fleet now has a clear way to
computer panel gives a hero an opportunity to reach Earth!
force open the membrane, but just then an army of
Devourers appears, intent on keeping the heroes The next step for the heroes is to fly back to the
from escaping! jump point and return to the fleet. As soon as the
Forcing open the membrane using the alien heroes jump back, their alien ship finally sputters
computer terminal is a Dramatic Task using either the and dies. Apparently whatever biological corruption it
Hacking or the Knowledge (Science) skills, with a −2 received from the base was too much for it. The ship is
modifier. Since this is the entrance to the docking bay, now dead and there is no way to fix or recover it. The
there could be fleshy bags or other obstacles that the heroes’ trusty old ship, the Voyager, still awaits them
heroes and their allies can use as Cover to survive in the fleet, of course.
the onslaught. As soon as the heroes give their report, their
The Devourers will use their powers and abilities to success reverberates throughout the fleet, which
try to overwhelm the heroes before they escape. quickly prepares to jump towards Barnard’s Star and
then to Earth.
• Devourer Warriors (1 per character): See page There is now only one jump left until the heroes
240. reach their final destination: Earth.
• Devourer Elite Warriors (1 per 2 characters): See
page 241.
endgame
209
PART II: BATTLE Brotherhood ships, are also present. The fleet is about
a hundred thousand kilometers from Earth orbit and is
FOR HUMANITY clearly not strong enough to repel the final attack. The
fleet is led by General Salvador Bargowski, Chief of the
Finally, the fate of mankind will be decided. Can the EarthGov Armed Forces, whom the heroes met during
heroes face the leader of the Psion Brotherhood and the Centenary Celebration in Rumors of War.
recover the password to the locked raze power before A steady stream of civilian ships is fleeing Earth
the Devourers destroy Earth? towards the jump point to Alpha Centauri. Some ships
are departing from Center City, at the top of the Space
Elevator, while other ships are picking up passengers
SCENE 4: A DESPERATE through the rotovators in Earth orbit. Obviously those
SITUATION ships are not nearly enough to evacuate a significant
When the heroes reach the jump point to Sol, they may part of the population of the planet. The Devourer
decide to jump with or without the fleet, or maybe send fleet does not seem concerned about the fleeing ships.
a scout in their place. The following information should The base station for the Space Elevator, located
help you respond to their actions whatever their choice. in Pedernales, is now closed, since the risk of the
Elevator falling down to Earth is very real. Thus, there
THE SITUATION ON EARTH are very few evacuations options left for the billions
The current situation in the Sol system is critical. still on the surface.
A fleet composed of hundreds of Devourer ships Open signal chatter detected from Earth shows
is moving towards Earth at a speed that suggests the planet is in a panic, and law and order have
they will reach the planet in five days. At top speed broken down.
the heroes could reach Earth in about the same time Center City itself has been evacuated days ago.
assuming the Devourers don't change speed. The Brotherhood Station, several hundred kilometers
Chrysalis fleet is slower, and could reach Earth about above Earth on the Space Elevator, is in full alert,
a day after the Devourers do. just like the rest of the planet. As far as can be seen
The Earth fleet facing the Devourers is composed of from their communications, Ganendra Nathan is
just a few hundred ships. Most of the ships are from still there, coordinating psion evacuation and last-
EarthGov but a few Circle ships, and even some Psion minute defenses.
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210
TALKING TO EARTH GANENDRA NATHAN
If the heroes send an NPC scout ship to report on If the heroes try to contact Ganendra Nathan, his
conditions on the Sol system, the information above aides and underlings reply that he is unavailable,
is everything they get. If the heroes jump, with or being completely focused on the defense of Earth.
without the fleet, they may try to talk to Earth. Nathan will not answer the heroes’ calls under
The heroes can try to open communications to any circumstances.
anyone on Earth. Since there is a delay of several
minutes in the transmission to Earth, rather than a THE PLAN
conversation most communications should be an When the heroes are ready to proceed, have one of
interchange of audio/video messages. the NPC characters suggest a war council. The heroes
If the heroes think of suggesting that Earth's are free to decide what to do any way they want.
millions of psions use their powers with mental Assuming the heroes accept the council, all major
manifestations to attack the Devourer fleet (see page surviving characters from the fleet will be present,
242) and manage to both convince someone of the either physically or remotely.
plan and organize this (a very difficult task), describe If the heroes don’t propose it, other characters
all Devourer attacks against Earth as less effective suggest the only chance to recover the password for
due to the psion counterattack. Also, the Earth fleet the brain lock in the Chrysalians’ minds is to enter
finds it slightly easier to slow down the enemy. This Brotherhood Station and somehow wrestle it from
does not change the direction or outcome of the battle Nathan himself.
(except where indicated below) but is important to The only way to enter Brotherhood Station is for
describe, and should earn the players a Benny. the heroes to fly a fast, maneuverable ship such as
the Voyager and land directly on one of the landing
KILEY NEZAT pads on top of the station. If the heroes want to be
Kiley Nezat, Circle Representative, is coordinating accompanied by a team of marines or soldier Extras,
evacuation activities as well as the activities of the a few Patrol Ships would have to join the heroes in
Circle military ships supporting EarthGov fleet. If their mission. Additionally, some military ships should
the heroes tell her their story, Nezat tells them accompany the team to provide cover, both against
that Ganendra Nathan is holed up in Brotherhood the Devourer fleet that could easily intercept them,
Station and that reaching him will be very difficult. and from any defenses Brotherhood Station may have.
She refuses to believe that Nathan could have done In the meantime, the rest of the fleet should cautiously
something like this, and frankly says she cannot approach to be in range to activate raze if and when
focus on anything but the evacuation, but promises the heroes manage to recover the password.
to commit a few ships to help the heroes when they If the heroes decide to go ahead with the plan,
or the fleet approach. Lindsay asks to accompany them. She has worked in
Brotherhood Station and knows the station layout
GENERAL BARGOWSKI and systems very well. If the heroes accept, Lindsay’s
General Salvador Bargowski recognizes the heroes presence in the mission translates into a +1 bonus
from the last time he met them (in Rumors of War). to all Hacking, Knowledge (Science), and Repair rolls
While General Bargowski does not admit the defense while aboard the station.
of Earth is hopeless, he certainly suggests that he is If the heroes decide to bring extras with them,
prepared to die with honor along with his fleet. consider the number and passenger capacity of the
If the heroes tell their story, General Bargowski available patrol ships in the fleet. In no case will the
replies that at this point he is mostly interested in leaders of the fleet commit all military ships in the
the military ships in the Chrysalis fleet, and in how fleet to the mission, since this would leave the civilian
fast they can join him. He currently needs all the help ships without protection.
he can get. Although he does not believe in crazy While this is the most logical plan, have the heroes
stories about a secret psionic power, if the heroes come up with any other plan and strategy they believe
make a successful Persuasion roll and perform some could work.
good role-playing he is willing to support them by
launching a strike against the Devourers coordinated
with the heroes’ approach to Brotherhood Station, SCENE 5: APPROACHING
thus attempting to distract the enemy long enough BROTHERHOOD STATION
for the heroes to dock. This section assumes the heroes’ approach strategy
is to lead the Voyager (and maybe other Patrol Ships)
endgame
211
towards the Brotherhood Station under cover of this round, or may turn to face the opposite direction
military ships of the Chrysalis fleet. You may have (but not both).
to change the situation according to the heroes’ • Besides moving, Patrol Ships may also attack using
final plans. their laser cannon only.
Assuming the situation is as described above, read • Patrol Ships do not need to make Heat rolls. You do
or paraphrase the following: not have to track heat points for them.
• If a Patrol Ship is hit, don’t bother calculating
As you approach Brotherhood Station, your damage; instead mark it as “Shaken.” Shaken Patrol
supporting military ships place themselves Ships have an effective penalty of −4 to all rolls.
between you and the nearby Devourer fleet, This condition cannot be removed. If a shaken Patrol
thus covering you. Apparently that was the right Ship is hit a second time, it is destroyed along with
choice, as you see several Devourer ships detach all its crew and passengers.
from their fleet and swoop in to attack!
Fortunately, the ships covering you take the The simplified stats for Patrol Ships are as follows:
brunt of the attack, but a few Devourer ships slip
by and attack you as they approach. • PatrolShips: Piloting d6, Knowledge (Ship Ops)
As if that weren’t enough, your sensors d8, Shooting d8. Attacks with Light Laser Cannon
indicate Brotherhood Station is ready to defend (Range 4/8/16, Damage 3d6, AP 6)
itself. Not only does it now have fully operational
laser cannons, three patrol ships are docked on THE PSION BROTHERHOOD
the station landing pads, and are ready to launch Ganendra Nathan is not going to let the heroes
towards you. approach that easily. Brotherhood Station weapons
attack the heroes and their allies. Also, there are
This is most likely the final space battle of the currently three Psion Brotherhood Patrol Ships
campaign, and has several layers of complexity. Read docked on the station. Depending on how the battle
this section carefully before running it. goes and how many ships the heroes have at their
disposal, you may launch up to two of these Patrol
THE STATION APPROACH Ships launch towards the heroes (the third one is
Place ten tokens on the tabletop. The Voyager and Ganendra’s personal ship). This is not necessary if
any accompanying Patrol Ships are placed on the first things look too tough for the heroes.
token, while Brotherhood Station is located on the
tenth and last token. • Brotherhood Station: See stats for Brotherhood
Station in Seven Worlds Setting Guide.
DOCKING • Psion Brotherhood Patrol Ships (up to 2 launched):
When the heroes reach the tenth token, the pilot needs See stats for Patrol Ships in the Seven Worlds
to make a successful Piloting roll with a −2 penalty, Setting Guide.
plus any other applicable penalties, in order to land
on one of the docking pads on top of the station’s fins. THE DEVOURER FLEET
Assume that any remaining Patrol Ships automatically The heroes also have the Devourers to worry about!
dock a few minutes after the heroes. The Devourers ignore any ships of the Chrysalis fleet
unless they come too close to Earth, which is the case
PATROL SHIPS now. Hopefully the heroes brought some military
If the heroes brought any patrol ships with Extras to ships to cover their approach.
accompany them in the raid to the station, use the If the heroes did not bring any military ships to cover
following simplified rules to handle them: their approach but managed to convince Kiley Nezat
or General Bargowski to help them, then these allies
• Patrol Ships are divided between the players for detach ships from their Earth fleet to cover them. If
purposes of control. Each Patrol Ship acts on its the heroes did bring cover and also talked to Kiley or
assigned player’s Action Card. Bargowski, the Earth ships join their cover.
• Each Patrol Ship gets to make a Piloting roll with In game terms, the Devourers dispatch a number of
a −2 penalty in its turn. With a success, the ship ships proportional to the cover fleet’s effective force,
gets to move two positions this round, or move one thus making the relative forces in the Mass Battle
position and turn to face the opposite direction. below the same regardless of how many ships the
With a failure, the ship gets to move one position heroes have to cover them. In role-playing terms there
SEVEN WORLDS
212
is a big difference, however, so you should describe
these events in as glorious a way as possible, and SURVIVING THE APPROACH
handle the descriptions of the Mass Battle in a way
proportional to the number and origin of the ships the This is a tough space battle. Be lenient on the
heroes have to cover them. heroes if the situation becomes too complicated. If
Remember that all Devourer ships have a weakness you think things are getting too tough, you can have
against psionic powers with a mental manifestation additional ships from the Earth fleet join the action
(see page 242). You can assume all Devourer ships at the last minute, complicating Devourer attacks
participating in this scene are within range of the on the heroes for a round or two; alternatively, one
heroes and their allies for this purpose. of the Patrol Ships on Brotherhood Station may
suddenly launch and join the heroes’ side. Maybe
THE DEVOURERS AGAINST THE HEROES some psions are sympathetic to the heroes’ cause,
Assuming the heroes have some kind of cover from or maybe there are moles in the station willing to
the fleet, the Devourers dispatch one ship against help the heroes with their mission.
them. More Devourer ships will join this ship once the
Mass Battle ends (see below).
Since the Devourers are on an intercept vector them! The military ships keep the other Devourers
perpendicular to the heroes’, place the Devourer Ship busy while the heroes and any patrol ships they have
token on a position on the tabletop outside the marker make a run towards the station.
track. The Devourer ships will not appear on the At the end of each round play one round of the
track during this battle, and will always be handled Mass Battle as a backdrop to the heroes’ approach.
abstractly at Long Range. You thus do not need to The Devourers start the Mass Battle with 10 tokens,
make any movement rolls for them. against 4 tokens for the humans. Both the humans and
All Devourer ships act on the same Action Card. All Devourers use a Knowledge (Battle) skill of d8 as an
attacks against Devourer ships are always made at Extra. In the unlikely case that a hero or another Wild
Long Range. Card leads the fleet, use that character’s Knowledge
The Devourer Ships’ attack strategy is as follows: (Battle) skill instead of the standard d8.
Have the players make any tactical decisions and
• Each Devourer ship picks the ship closest to rolls for the human fleet. Remember to make all
Brotherhood Station as its target. If more than descriptions rich and splashy, as befits a Mass Battle
one ship fulfills this requirement, pick the target close to Earth orbit! We suggest you pick the number
randomly. Place one gaming stone next to each and type of military ships beforehand and that you
Devourer Ship’s target so you can track it. name the ships. This will allow you to better describe
• Once a Devourer ship has a target, it keeps firing at who is being destroyed as the battle rages.
it until it is destroyed or an attack forces it to change Besides the +2 bonus for Major Fortifications (use
targets (see below). If the Alien ship destroys a the Mass Battles in Space section of the Setting Guide),
target, it moves on to the next ship that is closest Morale rolls for the humans’ side receive an additional
to Brotherhood Station, and so on. +2 bonus since they cannot retreat from Earth.
• Each time a Devourer ship is successfully hit by an
attack (regardless of whether the attack beats the ONCE THE COVER IS LOST
ship’s Toughness or not), including psionic attacks, Once all military ships covering the heroes’ approach
the attacker becomes its new target, even if it is not from the Devourers are destroyed, or if the heroes did
the closest to Brotherhood Station. Move a focus not bring any military ships to cover them, then the
gaming stone next to the new target to represent Devourers finally bring their attention to them. The
the change in focus. lone Devourer ship attacking the heroes is joined by
others, bringing the enemy total to one Devourer ship
Smart heroes should soon figure out that they can per every three ships the heroes have on the tabletop.
manipulate the Devourers’ targets by firing at them. If the heroes had any sort of cover at all, at least one
Devourer ship joins the attack, for a minimum total of
• Devourer Ship (1 initially): See page 242. two Devourer ships attacking the heroes.
See the rules above to handle the Devourer Ships.
IF THE HEROES BROUGHT COVER
If the heroes assigned some military ships to cover • Devourer Ships (1 per every 3 hero ships, minimum
their approach, then a Mass Battle explodes around 2 total): See page 242.
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213
When the heroes finally dock with Brotherhood Devourer ships are streaming towards Earth,
Station, they are out of this battle. The Devourer ships creating immense explosions which can be seen
finish off the heroes' cover ships (if any) and return to from orbit, as well as destroying satellites and
their fleet for the attack on Earth. Brotherhood Station orbital docking stations. Random orbital debris
will still be attacked, of course (as the descriptions flies everywhere, some of it crashing against
below state). Move on to the next scene. Brotherhood Station! You feel the sporadic
shocks from the attack. There is little time left
for Earth.
SCENE 6:
BROTHERHOOD STATION THE ENVIRONMENT
As the heroes finish landing and prepare to enter the Brotherhood Station has been evacuated, and is
Station, read or paraphrase the following: mostly deserted except for a few elite teams of
soldiers loyal to Ganendra Nathan. The quick and
From the outside, Brotherhood Station looks messy evacuation of the station has resulted in
as beautiful as the last time you visited: The corridors covered in assorted debris (useful for cover).
Disembarking Bay, with large windows providing The station has a gravity equal to about 80% of
breathtaking views of the Space Elevator, and Earth gravity.See the rules for Low-G in the Setting
the background of Earth. But today the reality is Rules section of the Setting Guide.
very different. V-World access has initially been closed for both
As you prepare to enter Brotherhood Station, heroes and their Assistants. There are ways to gain
the Devourer attack begins! On your wall screens access, however, as explained below.
you see the entire Devourer fleet approaching
and surrounding Earth, while the Earthgov fleet EARTH UNDER ATTACK
tries to stop them. Sporadic battles break around As the heroes enter Brotherhood Station, the
the planet, but from the looks of it they won’t Devourers begin their attack on Earth while the
last very long. Already the deadly rays from EarthGov fleet tries to stop them. Periodically debris
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214
from destroyed ships and satellites hits the Station, If the heroes brought any allies with them in other
breaking some of the tension cables that keep the Patrol Ships, the allies enter the Docking Bay through
station balanced on the Space Elevator cable, and one of the side corridors two rounds after the
affecting everyone inside. heroes do.
For the duration of this entire scene, you should Assistants are useless in combat since they have no
periodically describe a debris hit that shakes the access to V-World (yet).
station and makes everyone in the team fall prone;
perhaps things fall down, or a minor wall collapses. • Soldier Psions (2 per hero and Ally)
For all combats run in Brotherhood Station,
whenever a deuce is drawn from the Deck the station AFTER THE BATTLE
is hit, forcing everyone inside to make an Agility roll or If the heroes decide they want to carry the missile
fall prone. A penalty is applied to the roll depending launcher, explain that because of its weight (60lb)
on the suit of the deuce, as shown on the table below. it requires about four people to carry disassembled.
If the result of the roll is 1 or less (after applying It takes 5 rounds to assemble or disassemble the
modifiers) the character is also Shaken. If more than missile launcher. Each missile weighs 4lb.
one deuce is drawn in the same round, only one roll If Lindsay is with the heroes, she suggests they
applies, using the penalty for the worst card. go to the closest Security Control Room and leads
the way. She explains that they can obtain V-World
SUIT PENALTY access and authorization to roam the passageways
Clubs −6 of Brotherhood Station undetected if they hack the
Diamonds −4 security systems at the Control Room. If Lindsay is
Hearts −2 not available, another NPC or an Assistant suggests
Spades +0 the same thing.
THE DOCKING BAY CONTROL ROOM

The heroes’ first challenge in Brotherhood Station Lindsay quickly leads the heroes through the halls
will be entering the docking bay. This is not the main of Brotherhood Station towards the nearest Control
disembarking bay the heroes visited before, but a Room. As the heroes pass next to some of the wall
previous chamber normally used for customs before screens on the corridors, they get a glimpse or two of
entering the main structure. the bombardment of Earth.
After leaving their ship the heroes enter a Finally the heroes reach a closed door. This door can
pressurized elevator hatch, which opens up into the be unlocked by using the telekinesis power to move
docking bay chamber. The heroes begin this combat a bolt inside the wall (a typical Psion design). If no
inside the elevator at the bottom of the map. hero or ally has this power, the door has a Toughness
The passageways on the left and right walls lead to of 10. Also, heroes may try to trick or role-play their
other adjacent docking bays for other ships (such as way in. If Lindsay is with the heroes, she has an old
the ships used by any allies the heroes brought, if any). authorization code that allows her to freely open and
The chairs, fountains, plants, and other equipment close doors in the station.
provide Medium Cover. Behind the door, the heroes find a 10" by 10" room
A detachment of psion soldiers is expecting the covered with wall screens. Place four 4"-long semi-
heroes and start On Hold. They are crouching behind transparent wall screens horizontally or vertically
the rows of chairs and fountains, ready to attack. The within the room. Also place about eight markers
soldiers have also set up a missile launcher close representing rolling chairs.
to the north exit of the room (Range: 50/100/200; Information and camera feeds appear on the walls,
Damage: 6d6 AP20 in a SBT; RoF: 1; Shots: 1). The as well as on the glass wall screens within the room
“smart missiles” used by the launcher provide a +2 itself. Several guards are expecting the heroes, and
bonus to Shooting rolls. The missile launcher will be are crouched for action next to the glass wall screens
used to start the attack, with surprise if possible. The or behind the chairs. As soon as the heroes enter, the
launcher is manned by two soldiers, has two extra guards attack.
missiles, and takes one full round to load. The missile The glass walls have a Toughness of 8. If a glass
launcher is also surrounded by two transparent Shield wall or screen is broken in any way, glass spills
Covers, which are set with bases on the floor, and out everywhere. Place a Medium Burst Template
provide +4 Armor against attacks. centered on the glass wall where the shot hit (use
common sense to determine this), or at its center (if
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215
an Assistant overloaded it, see below). Any character will have to generate several tough encounters
under the template suffers 2d6 damage. This damage with guards before having the heroes reach the
does not Ace. private wing.
If a hero reaches any glass wall screen in the
room, he or she can hack it to gain standard access MAINTENANCE SECTION
to V-World. Any Assistant will suggest this if no When the heroes reach the Maintenance Section, read
heroes think about it. By spending a full action and or paraphrase the following:
succeeding at a Hacking roll, the hero can obtain
access to V-World for all other heroes and their A maze of deserted crisscrossing catwalks at
Assistants. The roll may be attempted more than once different levels, extending as far as the eye
in subsequent rounds. can see, comprise the maintenance section
The following special Assistant actions are available of Brotherhood Station. The catwalks curve
(once Assistants gain access to V-World): slightly as they surround the wall that protects
the central cable shaft for the Space Elevator.
• Glass Wall: A player can spend a Benny to have his Rotating lights of a reddish color give the area
Assistant make a Hacking roll to overload a specific a strange look. Pipes and conduits come and go
glass wall’s circuits. If the roll is successful, the across the environment. The sounds of hitting
glass wall explodes (see damage above). debris echo ominously in the huge open space as
the catwalks tremble and vibrate.
The guard leader has been trained in assassination Far below the catwalks you hear the whirring
techniques. In his turn he uses the invisibility power hum of some of the engines and systems of
to disappear and try to sneak up on an unsuspecting Brotherhood Station.
hero. He then attacks with his ceramic knife. If the
leader wins a Stealth roll opposed by Notice with a If Lindsay is with the heroes she guides them
raise, he gains the Drop on the hero. Remember that through the maze. Otherwise, an Assistant can quickly
the penalties to Notice provided by the invisibility query V-World to guide the group.
power apply to this roll. Things go uneventfully for a few minutes until the
heroes approach a broad platform (see location “A” in
• Soldier Psions (1 per hero) the map). At that moment, a group of guards enters
Psion Leader (1): Use stats for Rogue Psion but the Maintenance Section (through doorway “B”) and
make him a Wild Card, add four charges of the spots the heroes!
invisibility power, a d8 Stealth skill, and two Ceramic The Maintenance Section has many levels, but only
Knives (Damage Str+d6 AP 1). four are shown on the map. Each level is marked with
a number, with Level One between on top of Level Two,
AFTER THE BATTLE and so on. The vertical distance between each level is
In a corner of the room there is cabinet with medical about 4 yards (2" on the tabletop). Thus, the distance
supplies, should anyone need them. between Level One and Level Three is 8 yards.
When the heroes gain access to V-World, they
may peruse the computer systems. These show that LADDERS
Ganendra Nathan and several teams of guards are Some sections are connected by vertical ladders. The
holed in a private wing at the other side of the station. distance covered when going up or down a ladder
Neither the heroes nor their Assistants can get high is calculated based on the distance between levels
enough clearance to control V-World to affect the (e.g. a ladder between Level One and Level Three is 8
station or Nathan. In particular, it is not easy to gauge yards long).
the specific number of enemy forces in the different While moving up or down the ladder a character
parts of the station. moves at half his or her Pace, and cannot run. A
To avoid any guards, Lindsay suggests taking a successful Climbing roll allows the character to
shortcut through the Maintenance Section of the double his or her movement rate this round.
station. This section is usually ignored by everyone A character needs both hands free to go up or down
and thus should allow the team to reach the private a ladder, otherwise they must make a free Climbing
wing with less encounters. roll to maintain their grip while moving on it, or fall
If the heroes follow Lindsay’s advice, she leads (see Falling, below). If a character is wounded or
them to the entrance to the Maintenance Section. Shaken while on a ladder, they must make a Strength
If the heroes decide to take the standard route, you roll to maintain their grip or fall.
SEVEN WORLDS
216
JUMPING GRABBING ONTO HANDRAILS OR PIPES
Jumping is handled as per the Savage Worlds rules, If a falling character misses landing on a catwalk but
with a character being able to jump 1" horizontally passes through a square adjacent to any catwalk or
from a dead stop, or up to 2" with a “run and go,” and pipe, she may attempt to arrest their fall and grab
with a successful Strength roll granting one extra the handrail or pipe with both hands by making a free
inch of distance. If the jumping destination is on a Agility roll. If the character only has one hand free,
lower level, the character receives falling damage the roll is made with a −2 penalty. After making the
(see below). roll, the hero may let go of whatever she is holding
A character may also jump vertically to the level as a free action if she is falling short. Grabbing onto
above by “running and going” and making a Strength something while falling also causes falling damage
roll. If successful, the character ends hanging from as above, and also grants a free Agility roll to reduce
the edge of the handrail directly above his previous the damage.
location, and may climb with a successful Strength If a character grabs onto a handrail successfully,
roll as an action. she may on her turn climb up into the catwalk with
a successful Strength roll. A character wounded
FALLING while hanging from a handrail or pipe must make
A character falls either because she jumped a Strength roll to keep grabbing on, otherwise
between catwalks at different levels or because she falls.
she was pushed. A falling character receives 2d6+2 If a character fails to grab onto anything, she keeps
points of damage per level fallen (so, for example, falling, but may try again if there’s something else to
falling from Level One to Level Three entails 4d6+4 grab on in the level below.
damage). A character is allowed a free Agility roll
to land gracefully. With a success, the damage is FALLING PAST LEVEL FOUR
reduced by half. If a character falls past Level Four, assume he falls
onto a “Level Five” which is not pictured in the map,
and calculate damage accordingly. If the character
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217
survives, he is assumed to have taken other corridors Assistants may of course perform a Hacking
up to come back. He reappears in the battle map roll as usual.
through a corridor in Level Four after two rounds. It takes two full rounds for the bridge to completely
retract or extend. This means if the bridge is
FALLING OFF A CATWALK overridden in the first round it stays partially open
Catwalks have handrails but it is still possible to fall. that round, allowing characters to jump across.
If a character falls is pushed off the catwalk, she may
grab onto the handrail as specified in the Grabbing ASSISTANTS
onto Something section above. The character receives Assistants have full access to their abilities as
no damage for grabbing onto a handrail in the same explained in the Setting Guide. The rotating lights in
level they fell. the room, for example, are good props for Assistants
to take advantage of.
PIPES In addition to the above, the following special
The Maintenance Section is crisscrossed with Assistant Actions are available. As always, make the
conduit pipes. Blue pipes are located between Levels heroes aware of these options during combat:
One and Two, red pipes between Levels Two and Drawbridge: If a hero spends a Benny on an Assistant,
Three and green pipes are located between Levels the Assistant may attempt to control the drawbridge
Three and Four. as explained above.
If character jumps or grabs onto a pipe, he may
move with his hands by making a Strength roll, or • Turbines: If a hero spends a Benny on an Assistant,
walk by balancing himself on the pipe by making an one of the many wind turbines among the
Agility roll. If the roll is successful the character may machinery below the catwalks accelerates, making
move as on Difficult Ground. A Critical Failure means a deafening noise and making movement harder
the character loses his grip or balance and falls. on everyone above it. Place a Large Burst Template
on a location selected by the player, and have the
RUNNING OFF THE MAP Assistant make a Hacking roll. With a success,
The map repeats itself as it goes around Brotherhood everyone under the template receives a −1 penalty
Station’s central cable shaft. If a character runs to all rolls and moves at half Pace. With a Raise, the
off the map, you may either extend it by repeating penalty increases to –2. The turbine goes back to
it continuously, or you may rule that the character normal (the penalty disappears) in three rounds.
appears on the other side after a specified number
of rounds. THE ENEMIES
Although the Soldier Psions did not expect to meet the
RANGE DISTANCE BETWEEN LEVELS heroes there, they react immediately. Some of them
When calculating distance between characters in have the telekinesis power, and may use it to make it
different levels for ranged attacks, you may either easier to jump between platforms, or to gain a bonus
apply the Pythagorean Theorem (distance squared to grab onto a ledge or collapsing catwalk.
equals height between levels squared plus tabletop
length squared) or just do a dirty calculation and just • Soldier Psions (1 per hero and Ally plus 4): Four
add the tabletop distance to the height between levels. of them (pick them randomly) have the telekinesis
power in addition to all other powers.
DRAWBRIDGE
There is a drawbridge connecting two areas in Level THE MUSEUM
Two. This drawbridge may be extended or retracted After some more minutes of walking through the
by using the control panels next to the drawbridge. No Maintenance Section Lindsay or an Assistant points
roll is required for this (at first). to a hatch on the wall. After opening it and crawling
It is also possible to “lock” the drawbridge in its through a low passageway, the heroes reach a vent
current position by making a successful Hacking roll. that opens into a chamber. Read or paraphrase
Record the result of the roll, as it is the number an the following:
enemy must beat to override the lock and change
position. The new result of the override roll is the You are in a large, elegantly furnished room.
result to be beat to override the position again, Paintings and pictures with plaques adorn the
and so on. walls. Glass cases stand in different parts of the
room illuminating valuable objects and artifacts
SEVEN WORLDS
218
inside, important symbols in the history of the is written by Melissa Fischer, one-time sentimental
Psion Brotherhood. A larger glass case in the partner of Daniel Michaels before she left him for
center of the room houses what appears to be his friend-enemy William Donovan, founder of the
the centerpiece of the collection: A diary with Circle. It is open to a page where the heroes can read
notes, handwritten in yellowed paper, next to an the following:
old-style, early 21st century electronic notebook.
There is a door in the far end of the room. Monday June 21st, 2033:
Today I learned about raze, the new power
If any hero examines the paintings and pictures on Danny has “invented.” Sounds innocuous enough,
the walls, have him or her make a Notice roll. With a a power that apparently doesn’t even appear
success, the hero finds a collection of photographs of to work. But I agree with Danny, raze will be a
the Bay Jing Psion Riots of 2188. Staring at the plaque fundamental power. I just know I’ll be right again.
opens a V-World projection on the heroes’ lenses with Danny is including it in his notebook, but we
the story of the Riots. This is another opportunity for won’t tell anyone about it. I’m sure someone will
the heroes to familiarize themselves with Ganendra find it… eventually.
Nathan’s story and what officially happened during
the Riots (see page 243). Melissa Fischer’s handwritten letter is provided as
When the heroes look at the diary and electronic a Handout for the heroes.
notebook, a V-World projection appears on their Hopefully the heroes realize the enormity of what
lenses, explaining that the electronic notebook they are reading. The mysterious psionic power
is the original notebook used by Daniel Michaels, capable of destroying the Devourers was invented
founder of the Psion Brotherhood. The projection by the founder of the Psion Brotherhood almost two
explains that the digital contents of the notebook hundred years ago! What does this mean?
have been removed for security reasons. The diary
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219
The door at the far end of the room leads into a 5–7: The hero flies across the room and is in
corridor in the private wing. The corridors, bathed in danger of impacting a wall! He must make
pulsating red emergency lights, are deserted. an Agility roll to grab on to something or
receive 2d8 damage from the impact.
PRELUDE TO DISASTER 8–10: The floor cracks and breaks and the hero
As the heroes walk the deserted corridors of the private falls, automatically grabbing on to the
wing, pick a moment to read or paraphrase the following: edge at the last minute! He must make
a successful Vigor roll to resist hanging
As you enter a large junction between hallways, on the edge until he or she is rescued by
an explosion suddenly reverberates throughout a non-Shaken character (an automatic
Brotherhood Station! The ceiling buckles as action). If the roll is failed or no non-
beams fall, the floor cracks, and everyone is Shaken characters are available, the hero
thrown around against the walls! falls to a lower level for 2d10 damage.
With the help of other characters he or
Have each hero draw an Action Card and compare she eventually climbs back up.
the number in the card to the Card Number Table Jack–Ace: An immense explosion engulfs part of the
below to see exactly what challenge the hero must room and a tongue of flame flies towards
face. Then compare the suit of the card to the Suit the hero! He must make a successful
Table below to see what penalty, if any, applies to all Agility roll to jump sideways and avoid the
trait rolls related to this challenge. intense heat and flame or receive 2d10
All heroes resolve their challenges in Action Card fire damage. In this case, the hero also
order. If any hero is Shaken, he or she stays Shaken has a 1-in-6 chance of catching fire (See
for a few minutes, and is therefore not able to help Savage Worlds).
other heroes in Cooperative actions (if any). Joker: The character escapes unscathed.
If any Extras or Allies are with the heroes, you
may either draw an Action Card for them and apply CARD SUIT TABLE
the same method, or just assume they all receive an Penalty to all
average of 2d6 damage. Suit Trait Rolls
Once all challenges are solved, read or paraphrase Clubs −4
the following and move on to the next scene: Diamonds −2
Hearts −1
As you slowly come to your senses, you realize Spades +0
that one of the many Devourer beam attacks
directed at Earth must have hit the station, the
Space Elevator, or both. The station is doomed, SCENE 7: GANENDRA NATHAN
and time is running out! Finally, the heroes reach the private wing’s
Observation Room. Read or paraphrase the following:
CARD NUMBER TABLE
2–4:
Part of the ceiling crashes down, pinning You finally arrive at the station’s Observation
the hero under a large metal beam! The Room, a large area that resembles a cross
hero must make a Vigor roll to endure between a park and a balcony. There are
the beam’s crushing weight or receive comfortable chairs, couches and tables
2d8 damage, and become pinned under everywhere, interspaced by grassy sections
it. If pinned and not Shaken, the hero decorated with plants and a few trees. The
can escape the beam with a successful latest attacks seem to have caused a few trees
Strength roll. This can be a Cooperative to topple, and part of the floor to open up.
roll, and all non-Shaken characters who At the far end of the room a huge “window”
want to can participate. If the Strength (actually, a V-World wall screen) curves away
roll is failed, or no one is available to make and backwards, giving a breathtaking view of
the roll, the hero crawls with difficulty Earth below. The walls and ceiling of the room
out of the beam but receives one level are also wall-screens projecting the outside of
of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises (see the station. The effect is as if the entire room
Savage Worlds). were openly exposed to space!
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220
And what an amazing, terrifying view of The heroes enter the Observation Room through the
space it is! You see Earth, its continents and north door. The other two doors (which are the only
seas, just a few hundred kilometers below part of the walls that is visible, since the rest of the
Brotherhood Station; and the infinite length of wall is a wall screen projection of space) are locked.
the Space Elevator cable edging up into space, Nathan is sitting on a bench in the central circular dais
now dangerously vibrating. And everywhere, that has a view of Earth.
hundreds of beams of incredible destructive Nathan will not attack unless the heroes attack first,
power are raining down on Earth, causing or physically or psionically threaten him first (this
brightly glowing explosions on the surface. includes attempts to probe him or to read surface
Some Devourer ships are close enough to be seen thoughts). He will courteously invite them to join him
with the naked eye. The surface of Brotherhood and watch the “show in the skies.” He has nothing to
Station is pocked with holes and small explosions hide now, and will answer any questions the heroes
caused by the debris of destroyed ships and may have, with the exception of anything to do with
satellites. An entire section of the station is the password for raze or his experience in the Psion
about to break away. You have never seen a Riots. Try to make his disdain for non-psions plain, and
carnage like this, this close. use the detached way in which he talks about what
And there, sitting alone on a bench in a circular he has done and what he wants to incite the players
balcony “hanging” into space in the far end of into taking action. Remember that Nathan is a very
the room, staring at the massacre in space with smart individual!
expectant eyes, is the person you’ve been looking While the conversation lasts, the station
for. As the attacks that shake the entire station periodically shakes and rumbles, as the Devourers’
continue, Ganendra Nathan, leader of the Psion attack continues. Use the rules on page 214 to see if
Brotherhood, looks at you for a few seconds, someone falls prone.
nods a silent greeting, and stares back into space,
deep in thought.
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221
A CLIMACTIC BATTLE Nathan immediately uses the mind shield power on
Sooner or later things will get violent, and when they himself. Note that although this doesn’t stack with
do, Nathan is ready. Once combat begins, Nathan the Improved Arcane Resistance edge, it makes any
openly taunts and teases the heroes, revealing his use of the read surface thoughts power unusable. If
true deranged nature. In his turn, Nathan’s Assistant any heroes manage to cast read surface thoughts
summons a group of guard drones who have been on Nathan, they discover that he has the discipline
hiding behind tables, chairs and trees in the far of mind not to think about the passcode. The probe
corners of the room. Place them immediately on the power might work on him, though.
tabletop. The guard drones will focus on defending Familiarize yourself with Nathan’s character
Nathan at all costs. sheet, as he has several special Edges and powers
The trees and furniture provide Medium Cover, or that make him a unique opponent. This is a master
Heavy Cover if prone. psion, so do not be afraid to use his psionic powers in
Make it clear to the heroes that their goal is to innovative ways (pyrokinesis and forget, for example,
recover the password to remove the brain lock on are powers heroes might not expect used against
the psions in the Chrysalis fleet, and that therefore them in combat). Nathan also has a special weakness
Nathan must not be killed before he surrenders it. that savvy heroes might want to take advantage of.
Remember to freely award Bennies to the heroes for
their actions. They will need them.
WHAT GANENDRA IS THINKING
• Guard Drones (1 per hero and Ally)
Ganendra Nathan’s unhinged plan has finally come Ganendra Nathan: See page 243.
to fruition, and now he’s just waiting to die.
Nathan firmly believes that psions are not part SPECIAL ASSISTANT ACTIONS
of the human species anymore, but an evolved, The following special Assistant Actions are available
improved version of humanity. He hates humanity in this battle:
with passion, and believes that non-psions are
infinitely more dangerous to the future evolution • Superconductive Magnetic Arrays: If a hero spends
of Psions than even the Devourers. Therefore, he is a Benny, an Assistant may try to control one of the
fine with the Devourers destroying all of humanity, superconductive magnetic arrays tto magnetically
as long as his hidden colony of Chrysalis survives. pin an enemy against the (currently invisible) north,
Equipped with the raze power (the password east or west walls. This only works if the enemy is
for which is still available to Chrysalians even if 3" or less from a wall. This uses the Grappling rules
Nathan dies, although this is something no one from Savage Worlds, but with the initial opposed
else knows) Chrysalis can easily protect itself roll being between the Assistant’s Hacking skill
against any Devourer attack. Someday Chrysalians and the victim’s Strength trait (plus or minus any
will be able to colonize other worlds again. Only modifiers). On his turn, the victim may attempt to
this time it will be Psions who are on top. Not even escape only with a Strength roll, again opposed by
the arrival of the Chrysalis fleet changes Nathan’s the Assistant’s Hacking skill. The Assistant cannot
plan: It is true Chrysalis will be weaker now, but use this maneuver to inflict damage on the victim
raze is powerful enough to defend the colonists (other than the initial Shaken result with a raise).
against the Devourers, regardless of how many • Command a Drone: If a hero spends a Benny, his
there are left. Assistant may attempt to take control of a drone
Ganendra is thoroughly convinced of the guard. To do this the Assistant makes a Hacking
righteousness of his actions, and his only regret roll, opposed by the drone’s Smarts. If the Assistant
is for the thousands of Psions he is sacrificing to wins the opposed roll and the final result of its
protect Chrysalis, both on Earth and on the other Hacking roll is a 4 or more, the Assistant has gained
worlds. He is extremely angry at the heroes for temporary control of the drone. The drone now
the tens of thousands of Chrysalians the heroes moves and attacks on the Assistant’s hero’s action
have brought here to die, although he doesn’t card. Each round the Assistant gets to make a free
show it at first. He feels nothing for the billions Hacking roll with a +1 bonus, opposed by the drone’s
of humans he could have saved and instead is Smarts. If the Assistant wins the roll it may control
letting die. the drone for one more turn.
SEVEN WORLDS
222
FALLING DOWN TO EARTH!
To make things more complicated, after the first round
of combat the station begins to fall apart! Read or
paraphrase the following:
Suddenly a bright light illuminates the view

of space around you: A Devourer beam has hit
the Space Elevator cable next to the station! As
you gaze astounded, the cable breaks, pulling
the entire station down with its inertia! The
hundreds of tension cables snap one by one,
each one jolting the entire infrastructure. You
are all thrown across the room, hitting the floor,
trees, furniture and the invisible walls and
ceiling. As you stare again at the sky, you see
Brotherhood Station beginning a wild out-of-
control spin as the remains of the Space Elevator
cable turn towards Earth and begin to fall,
lashing the station, and taking you down with it!
All characters, including Ganendra Nathan, are

knocked 2d6" in a random direction (roll a 1d12 and
read the result as a clock facing). Each character
makes a Vigor roll at −2. With a failed roll, the character
suffers 2d6+2 damage. Guard drones that fail the Vigor
roll are Shaken, as their gyroscopes lose all sense
of direction for a moment. This can cause a Wound.
From now on, at the start of each round, after
Action Cards are dealt but before any actions are
taken, draw an extra card from the Action Deck. If the
card number is a 5 or less, consult the table below to
see what happens:
SUIT RESULT
Spades, Everyone gets knocked around! Maybe the station breaks down a bit, or it hits some debris,
Hearts or or it is damaged by the Space Elevator cable or more Devourer energy beams.. In any case,
Diamonds have all characters make an Agility roll with a –2 penalty. With a failure, the character is
knocked 2d6" in a random direction (roll a 1d12 and read the result as a clock facing). All
characters who fail the roll move the same distance in the same random direction (so you
only have to roll for distance and direction once). Any inanimate objects not secured to the
ground also fly around. If a human hits an object, he or she is automatically Shaken and ends
his or her movement immediately. This can cause a Wound. Any drone who fails the Agility roll
is automatically Shaken as its gyroscope loses all sense of direction for a moment.
Clubs An explosion affects the Observation Room! Place a Large Burst Template in a random
location of the park (if you’re having trouble picking a random location, roll a d4, a d6 and a
d12; the d4 shows which of the four quadrants of the park is affected, using the table/bench
at the center of the park; and the d12 and d6 mark the x and y position, respectively, of the
center of the template in the chosen quadrant). All characters under the template must make
an Agility roll with a –2 penalty to jump out of danger or receive 3d6 damage. This damage
also affects the drones. All trees and furniture in the template are now destroyed (no cover)
and have a 1-in-6 chance of being on fire.
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223
a “success” (represented by a token). When a hero
SCENE 8: IN THE NICK OF TIME has accumulated five tokens, he or she has reached
Even if Nathan becomes Incapacitated he does not the ship. A hero may also forgo his movement for
die but rather falls to the ground. In his last dying the round to help another hero gain distance via a
moments he still curses the heroes and non-psions Cooperative Agility roll.
in general. If they haven’t obtained the password yet, All heroes receive an Action Card at the start of each
this is the heroes’ last chance to recover it from him. It round. If the card is of the Clubs suit, the hero faces
can be taken by a successful use of the probe power. If a Complication. Maybe part of the corridor collapses
the heroes and their allies do not have probe available or suddenly opens into space, or a sudden explosion
or are stuck, you may have Nathan mutter the phrase brings the hero to his or her knees. In any case, the
“Sis, finally, I am going back to you!” Any savvy hero, hero’s Agility roll this round receives a −2 penalty.
Assistant or ally can remember that Nathan’s sister When at least one hero arrives at their ship, he or
Anuva died as a victim of the Psion Riots. she may spend a turn to transmit the password to the
The password is, of course, “Anuva.” Nathan opens just-arriving Chrysalis fleet. This gains all heroes one
his eyes wide if that word is mentioned, giving away Benny (or more, at your discretion). Any heroes who
that it is indeed the password. If any character from are already on the ship may decide to blast-off (a free
Chrysalis is with the heroes and someone else casts action) at any time, or to wait for other heroes who
brain lock on him or her, the heroes get to see how the are behind. Depending on how the heroes reached
character’s eyes light up as he or she remembers the the station, there may be more than one escape
raze power and the immense power it has. ship available.
Remember that the station is in freefall towards If at any time a hero decides he or she might not
Earth! Rumbles and crashes still move everything make it, he may instead spend his or her turn running
around, causing the heroes to fall prone or hit each towards the nearest escape pod. To do this the hero
other as they talk to Nathan. The heroes need to leave just needs to make an Agility roll. With a success the
the station, and quickly! hero finds an escape pod and successfully ejects
The heroes cannot transmit the password to the from the station. He or she is now floating in orbit
fleet since the external communications systems have while the attack on Earth is still going on, and must
broken down. Neither the heroes nor their Assistants be rescued afterwards.
have equipment that would allow them to transmit Assistants can also be very useful during the escape.
the password to the fleet through space. Their only The following special Assistant Action is available:
chance to transmit the password is to reach their ship
as soon as possible. • Active Map: An Assistant can hack into the
When the heroes are ready to move on, go to the Brotherhood Station V-World to get an updated
next section. map of the best escape routes available to reach the
heroes’ ship. If a hero spends a Benny an Assistant
A DESPERATE ESCAPE may attempt this by making a successful Hacking
The station is already burning in the atmosphere as roll with a +2 bonus. If successful, the Assistant
the heroes race through its passageways trying to locates an effective route, thus giving the hero a
escape it! As the station falls its spin accelerates, +2 bonus to his next Agility roll. This bonus is not
pushing it to the breaking point. The groan of metal cumulative. Before the Assistant makes the roll the
creaking is everywhere and the heroes are toppled hero can decide if this bonus will be for him or for a
and knocked down at every turn as they see through different hero.
the wall screens around them the breathtaking view
of Brotherhood Station and the Space Elevator cable After the fifth round ends, any heroes that have
crashing towards Earth. not blasted away on their ship or have not escaped
To escape the station have all heroes make a via an escape pod automatically die as the remains
Dramatic Task using Agility as the relevant trait. The of Brotherhood Station disintegrate on their fall
heroes have five “rounds” to escape the station before towards Earth.
it is destroyed.
Have each hero make his or her own Agility roll,
representing how well he or she races through the EPILOGUE
station towards their ship (Extras are assumed to Once the heroes escape, they see what happens when
be running with the hero they are assigned to). Each the Chrysalis fleet receives the password. Read or
success and raise on the Agility roll gives the hero paraphrase the following:
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224
As you escape what’s left of Brotherhood Station
you get to see the immense destruction the THE RAZE POWER
Devourers have brought on Earth: The explosions
continue as the atmosphere slowly changes There is no need to know the mechanics of the raze
color and clouds cover the planet. The relentless power to use it in this campaign. However, some
bombardment continues as the Devourers GMs and players might want to have mechanics for
continue their approach, now unimpeded as the it for their adventures once the campaign ends.
EarthGov Fleet lies in ruins around them.
On your wall screen you see that the Chrysalis RAZE
fleet, finally within range of Earth, is desperately Rank: Novice
distributing the password among all the ships, Power Points: Special
as psions in every ship are ready to use brain Range: Special
lock to unlock the mysterious raze power Duration: Instant
from everyone’s mind. As thousands of psions Trappings: Hard stare.
suddenly remember what was locked in This is a special power with a mental manife
their memory you hope all this has not been station that only affects Devourers and N'ahili. It
for nothing. is a concentration of mental energies in a specific
There! Suddenly one of the Devourer ships direction and at a specific psionic frequency
stops firing! And another! In front of your amazed that proves deadly to these aliens. When used in
eyes the Devourer fleet stops, as if a switch had character combat, raze behaves exactly like the bolt
been turned off in each ship. You see two ships power but inflicts 2d6 additional damage per bolt.
drift towards each other until they crash and When used in spaceship combat, raze costs 3 Power
explode, you see other ships wildly rotate out of Points, has a range of 5 SU, targets a single ship,
control with their deadly beam on, destroying and if successful forces the alien crew to make a
other Devourer ships in the beam’s path. successful Spirit roll (assume d6 with Wild die for the
That’s the cue the military ships of the alien crew as a group if no stats are available) or gain
Chrysalis fleet have been waiting for: As one, a level of Fatigue. This can lead to death. Note that
they approach and fire everything they have at the effects of raze replace the Weakness (psionics)
their now helpless enemy. effects listed for both Devourers and Devourer Ships.
After just a few hours, the entire Devourer
fleet lies in ruins, strange dead alien debris
floating around a devastated Earth. There are few other worlds left in human space:
Humanity is saved!… for now. Nouvelle Vie, Bay Jing, Concordia and Apollo have
been obliterated. Several space stations, including
THE AFTERMATH Mussala Station, have also been destroyed.
Several days later, the heroes are appropriately Fortunately Gee and Logan’s End, and now
hailed and given several recognitions and awards. Chrysalis, are still here. The space stations on that
Any heroes who were floating in an escape pod arm of human space have also survived. It will take
have been picked up days before. We leave it up to time, but humanity passed its greatest test, and now
you to describe this scene depending on who the it will rebuild.
important NPCs in the adventure turned out to be. The Circle leads the rebuilding process; heroes are
A permanent +2 Charisma bonus “reward” might needed more now than ever. The Psion Brotherhood,
be in order. as an institution, is no more, and Psions will have to
On Earth, billions have died. Many more will die of work out who they want to be and how they fit with
famine and disease in the coming weeks and months non-psions. There is too much confusion now, but the
as a nuclear winter covers the planet. Fortunately, details will surely be worked out in the coming years.
the Devourer fleet was destroyed before the Earth’s The N’ahili left and it’s anyone’s guess whether
rotation brought the other side of the planet within they’ll be back. Curiously, the EarthGov planetary
their area of attack. This means that there are still council reports after a few days that a strange file
places where (nuclear winter notwithstanding) food has appeared on their systems. The file is signed with
can grow and civilization can survive. the digital signature that identifies the N’ahili, and
The fall of the Space Elevator and of Brotherhood is encrypted with a level of encryption that seems
Station also caused untold devastation. Even now unbreakable with current human processing power.
debris from the space battle constantly falls to Earth. The header of the file is unencrypted, though, and
endgame
225
says that the decryption key will be provided two it? It also suddenly becomes necessary to locate
years from now. Scientists deduce this means the file everyone and bring them back to collaborate to
was only meant to be seen if humanity stopped the rebuild humanity. And some of the many ships
Devourers. What does the file contain? New space that participated in the evacuation of Bay Jing and
coordinates? An even greater secret? Concordia were lost, never to be found again…
And finally, in a hidden lab on Gee, a lone scientist • Investigating Devourer Artifacts: The debris of
makes an amazing, unbelievable discovery, something Devourer ships drifting close to Earth orbit contain
that might change everything again… strange Devourer technology waiting to be found.
This concludes the Seven Worlds Campaign! The remains of the destroyed base in Barnard’s Star
are also ripe for the picking. This is the opportunity
ADVENTURING ONCE for scavengers to locate and bring these unknown
artifacts, and for scientists and inventors to test
THE CAMPAIGN ENDS and study them to create the next breakthrough in
technology. And maybe while studying it a scientist
Even after the campaign ends, there are many accidentally lets something loose…
opportunities for further adventure for the heroes. • Dealing with Psion Supremacists: Although
Here are some ideas you can use to take advantage of most psions are more than willing to work in the
the many possibilities the setting offers to continue reconstruction of human space, there are those
your campaign or start a new one. who still believe in the superiority of psions.
These renegades point out that, because of raze,
• Rebuilding Earth: The damage to Earth has been psions are the only ones capable of stopping any
significant. There is a lot of work to be done in new Devourer invasions, and thus they deserve to
rebuilding the planet and dealing with the chaos lead humanity. The Psion Brotherhood’s Research
and violence caused by its destruction. Politics will Center in Armstrong, on Zarmina, is one of the focal
inevitably affect the process, as EarthGov risks points of these supremacist movements, as it was
fracturing and the lack of commerce with the other always deeply involved in the training of colonists
worlds brings misery to the planet. for Chrysalis. Expect incidents of revolt, sabotage
• Resettling the Seven Worlds: The diary found in the and treason to occur regularly, as these believers
Devourer base (see page 202) hints to the fact that in Psion superiority go underground and prepare to
some humans may have survived the bombardment fight for their beliefs.
on Nouvelle Vie, Bay Jing, Apollo and Concordia. • Expanding V-World: The V-World network is
In fact, these planets are now post-apocalyptic still active, if disconnected between planets. As
wastelands where the survivors of the catastrophe civilizations in destroyed planets strive to survive
are leaving their shelters and facing the harsh new the destruction brought on by the Devourers, some
realities of their planets. Heroes are needed to are retiring into V-World as a way to escape or to
contact them, help them face the dangers of their simulate the comforts in life. The heroes can expect
new environment, start the resettlement process, to find (and have to interact with) more virtual
rebuild the Stellar Comm Network, and reopen constructs and governments, and even entire
trading. Most kinds of post-apocalyptic stories can colonies willing to live their entire lives in V-World.
be told here. As if things were not bad enough, the • Exploring Existing Planets: Logan’s End’s jungles
Devourers did unleash several monstrosities on are unexplored, unknown locations where many
the surface to take care of any survivors, such as mysteries may hide. And fully half of Chrysalis is
Devourer Monsters (see page 239) among others. unexplored and mysterious. As the new exodus
There are also many valuables among the ruins of from Earth accelerates, it becomes necessary to
those planets, ready to be reclaimed. know more about the worlds left to humanity.
• Locating stray humans: There are many, many • Finding the route to Tau Ceti: The Earth-perfect
small mining and research stations in human space, world of Tau Ceti (see the description of Tau Ceti
as well as a few scout and scientific missions that in the Setting Guide) is perfect for colonization… if
left months or years ago. Many stations will surely only a way to get there could be found. The heroes
die if they are not supplied in time (although some may become embroiled in the search for the Tau Ceti
may find ways to survive without external help). jump point, or maybe join the first Slower-Than-
One of the disappeared ones is Hernandez Station, Light colonization mission to the planet.
of whom nothing has been heard of for several • Opening the N’ahili File: The opening of the N’ahili
months now. Could something have happened to file two years from now could be the source of many
SEVEN WORLDS
226
adventures. From attempts to decode it to forgeries because it depends on resources from Earth that
of the message, the heroes may have their hands are now no longer forthcoming. This is causing a
full protecting the last legacy of an alien race. break in society in the planet, a break that criminal
And of course, the contents of the file are for you elements are taking advantage of for their own
to decide! goals. If the heroes were sent to Mars they would
• Discovering New Jump Points: While humanity discover many surprises indeed.
gets its hopes up that the N’ahili File will include • Confronting the Devourers: Of course, the
new sets of coordinates, scientists continue looking Devourers are not defeated yet, not by far. Although
for new jump coordinates by trial and error. One of the humans have a powerful weapon against them
these attempts might succeed, opening up a way with the raze power, the Devourers might find a
to a new solar system, and to new adventures and way to protect themselves against this power the
dangers. Or maybe an explorer ship jumps back next time they come. Which of course brings up
from a recently discovered jump point, with all its the fact that humanity knows nothing about how
crew dead except for a crazed survivor. Where does raze appeared two hundred years ago, in the notes
the jump point lead to? of Daniel Michaels, someone who had never seen
• Visiting Mars: While all the attention of the an alien before. Maybe by investigating the past of
Devourer’s was placed on Earth during the last raze humanity can prepare for the next invasion in
attack, the Mars colony was left aside. Now, the future… because, who knows, maybe next time
Mars has severe challenges to its survival, simply raze will not be enough.
player handouts
PLAYER HANDOUT #1
player handouts
227
PLAYER MAP
APPENDIXES
allies and foes
IMPORTANT Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
Vigor d8
CHARACTERS Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Knowledge
(Battle) d6, Notice d6, Psionics d4, Shooting d8,
This is a list of some of the important characters in Stealth d6, Throwing d6
this adventure. Cha: −1; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2); Mental
Toughness: 5
ADMIRAL VIKTOR Hindrances: Vow (the Psion Vow), Arrogant,
KARRAGAN Bloodthirsty
Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Combat
A ruthless, focused officer from the Psion Brotherhood, Reflexes, Dodge, Command, Command Presence,
Admiral Karragan does not let emotion stand in the Experienced Assistant, Hold the Line!, Tactician
way of his goals. A below-average psion, Karragan Powers: blast, bolt, deflection, entangle, pummel,
would never have amounted to much in one of the read surface thoughts, telekinesis, telepathy. Power
typical psion occupations within the Brotherhood Points: 20
bureaucracy. However, when he devoted himself to the Gear: Light vest, Combat helmet (+3, head only), stun
security branch of the Psion Brotherhood he proved grenade (Range 5/10/20, Damage 3d6 non-lethal,
himself an effective, if somewhat hard, leader. Some Medium Burst).
in the Brotherhood are afraid of what a military man Notes: Home World Earth (gets the Tactician edge for
with such power could do if he wanted the leadership free).
position, but at least in the case of Karragan they Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program
should not worry. The tough-as-nails admiral is 5, “Smith”, one of the standard, non-customized
focused only on his responsibility and his team, and Assistants available when programs are just
has never had the slightest political ambition. acquired. “Smith” is obedient and respectful, and
shows no specific personality traits.
Assistant Skills: Hacking d6 (with a Wild die),
Investigation d6.
ALPHA OFFICER
CORAZÓN FUSCO
Alpha Officer Fusco is a large, black-haired woman
who looks much younger than she really is. She
recently graduated from Circle Academy, and is as
green as they come. Unfortunately, she is also an
obsessive and overzealous rookie. Although her
investigative skills are brilliant, she goes beyond any
reasonable limits of suspicion, and thus constantly
gets herself and her superiors into trouble. Her first
assignment is to Harris Station, and she intends to
prove her value there.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6,

Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Investigation d8,
Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d4
Cha: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (2); Mental
ADMIRAL VIKTOR KARRAGAN Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Code of Honor (uphold the law), Curious
allies and foes
231
ALPHA OFFICER CORAZÓN FUSCO CAPTAIN THOMAS BURGE
Edges: Connections (Police Officers), Investigator Cha: +1; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2); Mental
Gear: Light vest (+2, torso only), Enhanced autopistol Toughness: 5
(Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, AP 1, Semi-auto, also Hindrances: Vow (the Psion Vow)
fires 1 explosive round for 2d8, AP 4 damage), Shock Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Combat
stick (Str+d4), electronic handcuffs, Sonic stunner Reflexes, Dodge, Command, Command Presence,
(Range 10/20/40, Damage 2d6+1, special). Experienced Assistant, Hold the Line!, Tactician
Notes: Homeworld Nouvelle Vie (begins with the Powers: blast, bolt, deflection, entangle, pummel,
Zero-G Edge) read surface thoughts, telekinesis, telepathy. Power
Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program Points: 20
3, “Javert”, male stern assistant dressed as an Gear: Light vest (+2, torso only), Combat helmet (+3,
18th-century police officer. head only), stun grenade (Range 5/10/20, Damage
Assistant Skills: Investigation d4, Notice d4, 3d6 non-lethal, Medium Burst).
Hacking d4 Notes: Home World Earth (gets the Tactician edge for
free).
CAPTAIN THOMAS Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program 5,
BURGE “Felipe”, a 16th century Spanish noble.
Captain Burge is totally dedicated to the ideals Investigation d6.
of the Psion Brotherhood and Ganendra Nathan.
Flabbergasted at the speed and ease with which DELTA OFFICER
Chrysalis fell to the rebels and to the heroes, he BRYCE SAUCEDO
managed to hide his allegiance well, waiting for a
chance to strike back. He has concocted a risky, daring Delta Officer Bryce Saucedo’s sour, pessimistic
plan to delay the fleet and keep Chrysalis a secret as demeanor masks an intelligent and capable Circle
long as possible, and he has recruited his most loyal bureaucrat. Although she wishes she were not in
crewmembers for what is most likely a suicide mission. charge of keeping the peace in Nouvelle Vie, she is a
professional who works hard to make her assigned
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, mission a success. That is probably why Epsilon
Vigor d8 Leader Antoine picked her over other, more willing
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge candidates for the position.
(Battle) d6, Notice d6, Psionics d6, Shooting d8, Delta Office Saucedo’s previous posting was at the
Stealth d6, Throwing d6 Circle offices in Zarmina (“Gee”), where she spent
SEVEN WORLDS
232
DR. LUIS LAMARCHE
Dr. Luis LaMarche is a thin, middle-aged man with
think, short black hair, a short beard and old-style
lenses. He is brilliant scientist with ample experience
on programming and interstellar communications.
Hired by MaxDigital Corporation as part of the team
in charge of redesigning the Stellar Communications
Network, he discovered a dark secret and was forced
to flee for his life as a result.
A native of Concordia, Dr. LaMarche is the brother of
Suzanne LaMarche, former Leader of the Circle. With
these connections, he feels empathy and closeness to
all Circle members.
Outside work, Dr. LaMarche is passionate about
V-World games of all kinds. He particularly likes
massively multiplayer games, and devotes a lot of his
free time to them, with AmberDrake Chronicles being
his current favorite. Being holed in a faraway space
DELTA OFFICER BRYCE SAUCEDO station has affected his hobby, and he is constantly
yearning for it.
many years. Although she is extremely closed about Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8,
her private life, it is an open secret that in Armstrong Strength d6, Vigor d6
she met someone who could have been her lifelong Skills: Fighting d6, Investigation d6, Healing d4,
partner, but she was taken away from her by a strange Knowledge (Science) d12, Knowledge (Ship Ops) d8,
disease. Easing her pain was also one of the reasons Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Repair d8, Hacking d8,
why Antoine decided to transfer her to Nouvelle Vie. Shooting d6
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Toughness: 6
Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d6,
Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Taunt d8, Throwing d6
Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Loyal, Habit (drinks)
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Command, Experienced
Assistant, Strong Willed, Diplomat.
Gear: Assistant, Autopistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage
2d6, AP 1, Semi-Auto, 20 bullets), Light vest (+2, torso
only).
Notes: Home World Bay Jing (gets the Strong Willed
edge for free).
Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program 5,
“Sudoku”, a lithe and athletic ninja type, completely
covered in black. Sudoku speaks in Japanese only,
which Saucedo understands. Sudoku is therefore
useless in interacting or persuading most humans
other than Saucedo herself.
Investigation d6.
DR. LUIS LAMARCHE
allies and foes
233
Hindrances: Enemy (Major; MaxDigital Corporation), Cha: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 (2); Mental
Dark Secret (Partially caused the Comm Network Toughness: 13 (4)
Crash), Habit (Minor; Video games). Hindrances: Vow (the Psion Vow), Elderly,
Edges: Diplomat, Hacker, Investigator Assistantless.
Gear: Light vest (+2, torso only), Enhanced autopistol Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Improved
(Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, AP 1, Semi-auto, also Arcane Resistance, Mentalist, Nerves of Steel,
fires 1 explosive round for 2d8, AP 4 damage). Ranged Psion, Soul Drain, Psychic Soldier.
Notes: Homeworld Concordia (begins with the Powers: armor, barrier, blast, bolt, brain lock,
Diplomat Edge) confusion, deflection, dispel, entangle, invisibility,
Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program 3, probe, pummel, puppet, read surface thoughts,
“Paq-Mann”, cartoon character slumber, telekinesis, telepathy. Power Points: 50
Assistant Skills: Investigation d4, Hacking d6 Gear: Light vest (+2, torso only).
Notes: Home World unknown. Does not have an
DR. OREN GRAHAM Assistant.
Special Abilities:
The psion genius behind most of the inventions in • Quick Mind, Slow Body: Dr. Graham is an extremely
Chrysalis, and the researcher that advanced the powerful psionic mind trapped in a slow, elderly
discovery of the raze power, Dr. Oren Graham is a cold, body. When in combat he draws three action cards
unemotional man. Completely devoted to his research, at the beginning of each round. If he decides to
he has no qualms about using anyone and sacrificing perform no physical actions in his turn (including
anything to advance it. moving), he may act on the best of the cards. This
Now in old age, and incapable of using many of the allows him to focus on his psionic powers. If Dr.
available youth treatments because of a basic genetic Graham decides to perform any physical action in
incompatibility, Dr. Graham is a powerful mind in his turn, he acts on the worst of the cards.
a weak shell of a man. This does not stop him from • Mind Burn: Dr. Graham knows a secret psionic
instilling fear on everyone who surrounds him. power called mind burn. For the cost of 15 Power
Points he can stage a violent mental assault
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d12+2, Spirit d12+2, designed to inflict permanent psychological
Strength d4, Vigor d4 damage. Dr. Graham's attack requires a Psionics
Skills: Fighting d4, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, roll opposed by the victim's Spirit. On a success, the
Psionics d12, Shooting d6 victim suffers a permanent −2 penalty to all Smarts,
Spirit, and linked skill rolls. A raise increases this to
–4. This power works at a maximum range equal to
the psion's Smarts. The damage can be repaired by
a full use of a Healing Pod used by a doctor.
EPSILON LEADER
TREVOR ANTOINE
Epsilon Leader Trevor Antoine is the current Leader of
the Circle Foundation. A thin, fit man in his upper fifties,
he was appointed to the job after being second in
command to Suzanne LaMarche. Previously, he spent
most of his time in the field in patrol and diplomatic
missions, and as fleet leader. This gives him a lot of
wisdom and experience, valuable qualities for a leader
in an institution with as many interests as the Circle.
During his Patrol days, he also shared missions with
Marcel Coban from the Psion Brotherhood. The resulting
enmity from that time is not lost on either one of them.
Antoine is a leader’s leader, and devotes time
to coaching and helping those around him in a
DR. OREN GRAHAM paternalistic way. This has made him one of the most
respected leaders the Circle has had in a long time.
SEVEN WORLDS
234
difficult missions he contracts, rather than delegating
them to underlings. It is a commitment and a show
of skill that he then demands from everyone in
the organization.
Granberg has become important enough that he no
longer fears any authority in corrupt Apollo. In fact, he
has excellent relationships with most authorities, and
many of them are his customers, or his employees. He
fears betrayal from within his organization, and he has
more than once eliminated lieutenants he perceives
as being “on the edge of betraying him.” What he fears
the most, however, is the lone idealistic cop who
decides to ignore his corrupt superior’s orders and
attack him directly.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10,

Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8,
Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Throwing d6
Cha: −1; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8/10 (2/4);
EPSILON LEADER TREVOR ANTOINE Mental Toughness: 7
Hindrances: Mean, Greedy, Ugly (Minor)
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Edges: Arcane Resistance, Combat Reflexes, Dodge,
Strength d6, Vigor d8 Command, Command Presence, Experienced
Skills: Fighting d8, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Notice d6, Assistant, Hold the Line!, Scoundrel, Tactician
Persuasion d10, Piloting d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6 Gear: Assault rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8,
Cha: +1; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2); Mental AP 2, RoF 3, Auto), Combat knife (Str+d4), Combat
Toughness: 7 vest (+2/+4, negates 4 AP against bullets), Combat
Hindrances: Heroic, Pacifist (Minor), Enemy (Marcel helmet (+3, head only), Stun grenade (Range 5/10/20,
Coban) Damage 3d6 non-lethal, Medium Burst), Assistant
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Diplomat, Dodge, Command, with at least d6 in Hacking skill.
Command Presence, Experienced Assistant, Hold the
Line!, Level Headed, Natural Leader, Tactician
Gear: Assistant, autopistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage
2d6, AP 1, Semi-Auto, 20 bullets), light vest (+2, torso
only).
Notes: Home World Earth (gets any edge for free;
chose Diplomat).
“Janus”, a middle-aged soldier dressed in a military
space pilot vacc suit with a drawing of a blue-
thunderbolt on the chest (symbol of the Circle Special
Forces, an elite military unit Antoine belonged to at
one time). “Janus” is always obedient and respectful.
Investigation d4, Persuasion d4.
LEON GRANBERG
Leon Granberg is the leader of the Mesh, one of the
largest and most dangerous criminal organizations in
Apollo. He has risen from the bottom, and has built
his organization step by step. One of his trademarks LEON GRANBERG
is to get himself involved in the most dangerous and
allies and foes
235
Notes: Home World Apollo (gets the Scoundrel edge
for free).
“Bunny”, an extremely attractive female secretary
dressed in immaculate executive clothes. Bunny only
takes orders and does her boss’s bidding, without
ever giving suggestions or comments on her own.
She talks and looks out of place among the shady
Mesh leadership.
Assistant Skills: Hacking d4, Investigation d6 (with a
Wild die), Notice d6.
LINDSAY KIPPERSON
A cute petite girl in her late teens or early twenties,
Lindsay's appearance makes people underestimate
her. She actually is an extremely gifted Earth-born
psion with big potential within the Brotherhood.
Currently making her way up in the diplomatic and
security sections of the Brotherhood, Lindsay's
cheery and sunny disposition make her instantly LINDSAY KIPPERSON
likable and influential. She can be tough as nails when
the situation demands it, though, and her natural
leadership talents make her respected and obeyed
beyond her years. She has her hair tied in a ponytail,
something not common in young women at this time.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4,

Vigor d4
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d4,
Psionics d10, Shooting d6
Toughness: 6
Hindrances: Vow (the Psion Vow)
Edges: Attractive, Arcane Background (Psionics),
Bureaucrat, Charismatic, Command, Mentalist, Soul
Drain
Powers: bolt, deflection, telepathy, telempathy, mind
shield, pyrokinesis. Power Points: 15
Gear: Assistant, Autopistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage
2d6, AP 1, Semi-Auto, 20 bullets), Light vest (+2, torso
only).
Notes: Homeworld Earth (begins with Bureaucrat
edge) JOHANN PATRAS
“Pinky”, talking pink cuddly hairy spider with a cute is at the dark business of killing and attacking. For
smile. that reason, Granberg has assigned him to space
Assistant Skills: Investigation d4, Hacking d6 freighter work. The constant time away has affected
Johann, and he always seems distracted or focused
JOHANN PATRAS on himself. Granberg doesn’t care, though: Patras gets
the job done and is unlikely to betray him.
Johann Patras is one of the most capable pilots
and captains in the Mesh. He is more effective at Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
smuggling and transporting illegal goods than he Vigor d8
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236
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Marcel Coban is ruthless and willing to lay down
Persuasion d6, Piloting d8, Shooting d6, Streetwise his life (and everybody else's life) in order to achieve
d10, Throwing d6 supremacy for the Brotherhood.
Toughness: 5 Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d8,
Hindrances: Mean, Wanted (minor), Quirk (likes candy) Strength d8, Vigor d6
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Ace, Improvisational Fighter Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d8,
Gear: Assault rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8, AP Persuasion d6, Psionics d10, Shooting d8
2, RoF 3, Auto), Combat knife (Str+d4), Light vest (+2), Cha: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (2); Mental
Stun grenade (Range 5/10/20, Damage 3d6 non- Toughness: 10 (4)
lethal, Medium Burst). Hindrances: Vow (the Psion Vow), Arrogant, Stubborn
Notes: Home World Apollo (gets the Scoundrel Edge Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Improved
for free). Arcane Resistance, Combat Reflexes, Command,
Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program Mentalist, Nerves of Steel, Ranged Psion, Soul Drain.
5, “Johann”, a digital representation of himself. Powers: armor, blast, bolt, brain lock, deflection,
Conversations between Patras and his Assistant entangle, invisibility, probe, pummel, puppet, read
border on the bizarre, with both of them calling each surface thoughts, slumber, telekinesis, telepathy.
other “Johann” and arguing among themselves. Power Points: 40
Assistant Skills: Hacking d6, Investigation d6, Gear: Assistant, Light vest (+2, torso only).
Notice d4, Persuasion d4. Notes: Home World Zarmina (“Gee”)
MARCEL COBAN “Hess”, serious-looking, hard-edged military-style
secretary with absolutely no sense of humor.
The Chief of Security of the Psion Brotherhood is Assistant Skills: Investigation d4, Hacking d6.
absolutely devoted to his leader's plans and vision, Special Abilities:
and has orchestrated many of Ganendra Nathan's • Mind Burn: Marcel Coban knows a secret psionic
plans for him. The heroes first meet Coban in his role power called mind burn. For the cost of 15 Power
as “just” the Security Chief. Afterwards they meet Points he can stage a violent mental assault
him when Coban finally assumes governorship of designed to inflict permanent psychological
Chrysalis in preparation for the fall of humanity. damage. Mind Burn requires a Psionics roll opposed
by the victim's Spirit. On a success, the victim
suffers a permanent −2 penalty to all Smarts, Spirit,
and linked skill rolls. A raise increases this to –4.
This power works at a maximum range equal to the
psion's Smarts. The damage can be repaired by a
full use of a Healing Pod used by a doctor.
• Push the Right Buttons: Long years of experience in
torture and interrogation have taught Coban what
to say and how to say it to get the right response
from those he challenges. After successfully
Taunting or Intimidating a target, Coban may make
an attack against that target as a free action.
“RYAN”
The man known as “Ryan” is the Leader of the Chrysalis
Resistance. In the last few years he has built a large
following and is preparing for the moment when he
and his group will stop the abuses committed by
the Brotherhood once and for all. He only needs to
understand what the Brotherhood is planning… and
that's where the heroes come in.
MARCEL COBAN
allies and foes
237
but without Dr. Graham to maintain them the Swarms
have spun out of control.
Found in: Chrysalis
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), Spirit d6,

Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8
Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
Special Abilities:
• Bite: Swarms inflict hundreds of tiny bites every
round to their victims, hitting automatically and
causing 2d4 damage to everyone in the template.
The insects’ sharp metal teeth can burrow into
armor, vacc suits and even metal vehicle walls.
• Fearless: Chrysalis Swarms don’t suffer from fear
effects, and can’t be intimidated.
• Fly: Pace 10
• Infravision: Chrysalis Swarms halve penalties for
bad lighting when attacking living targets.
“RYAN” • Split: If a swarm is wounded, it splits into two
smaller swarms (Small Burst Templates). The
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Toughness of these smaller swarms is lowered by
Strength d6, Vigor d6 −2 (to 5 each).
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, • Swarm: Medium Burst Template; Parry +2;
Persuasion d6, Psionics d10, Shooting d8 Because the swarm is composed of hundreds of
Cha: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (2); Mental creatures, cutting and piercing weapons do no
Toughness: 7 real damage. Area-effect weapons work normally,
Hindrances: Vow (the Psion Vow) and a character can stomp to inflict his damage in
Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Combat Strength each round.
Reflexes, Command, Diplomat, Experienced
Assistant, Mentalist, Touch Psion, Soul Drain. DEVOURER
Powers: blast, bolt, deflection, entangle, pummel,
read surface thoughts, telekinesis, telepathy. Power Mankind's ultimate enemy, the beings known by
Points: 20 humans as Devourers are artificial self-replicating
Gear: Assistant, Light vest (+2, torso only). biological beings made with a technology far more
Notes: Home World Concordia (gets the Diplomat advanced than our own.
edge for free). To fight humans, Devourers have developed several
Assistant Name and Gender: Assistant Program 5, bodies designed for combat in environments with
“Mrs. Kipperson”, bespectacled white-haired amiable Earth-like gravity. The most common Devourer body
old lady. An eccentric choice for an Assistant. configuration against humans (“Devourer Warrior”) is
Assistant Skills: Investigation d4 (with a Wild Die), a spider-like body that allows them to use four strong
Notice d4, Persuasion d6. “legs” to run on the floor, walls or ceiling and use four
“arms” to fight via melee or ranged combat. The ends
of their arms biologically morph into either sharp
ENCOUNTERS blades (for hand-to-hand combat) or bio-guns firing
deadly projectiles (for ranged combat). Their bizarre
pulsating bodies are covered with a hard carapace
CHRYSALIS SWARM that allows them to subsist with no contact with an
atmosphere and also acts as armor. They have no
One of Dr. Oren Graham’s many twisted experiments, eyes, mouth or ears, as their carapace has artificial
Chrysalis Swarms roam the dark side of the planet. sensors that provide them with information on their
Dr Graham’s exact purpose in creating and releasing environment. There are also more powerful, “Elite”
these biological metal drone organisms is not clear,
SEVEN WORLDS
238
versions of the Devourer Warrior, distinguished by to movement or for rolling a 1 or 2 on any physical
being slightly larger than the standard warrior. trait rolls.
Although these are the most common • Weakness (Psionics): When a Devourer is the target
“configurations,” other types of Devourers have also of a psionic power with a mental manifestation,
been produced based on human planet information. even if the power is not damaging, the Devourer
There are bacteria-sized Devourers that attack as must make a Spirit roll opposed by the attacker’s
deadly, unstoppable viruses; insect-sized Devourer Psionics result. If the Devourer fails the roll it is
swarms with a killing disposition towards humans; automatically Shaken. Stacked Shaken results can
rat-sized Devourers that can squirm into the smallest cause wounds. The Devourer is otherwise immune
human environments and then ignite in a nuclear to all other effects or damage of psionic powers
explosion; winged Devourers to glide in human with mental manifestations. Psionic powers with
planets; and giant-sized Devourer Monsters, designed physical manifestations work normally.
with thick legs to support their increased body weight,
that can crush humans to a pulp. Devourers are truly DEVOURER MONSTER
terrifying enemies. One of the latest Devourer experiments for a
theoretical land invasion of human planets, Devourer
Found in: Devourer ships and environments Monsters are huge creatures of destruction. They
have four muscular legs and a strong, pointed tail
DEVOURER SWARM forming their lower body. Their huge, long neck ends
One of the many experimental shapes of Devourers in a huge, gaping maw filled with rows of razor-
designed to fight humans, Devourer Swarms are sharp teeth. The body also has six arachnid-like
composed of thousands of tiny insect-like beings. clawed arms. These are used to supplement the four
Because they are designed beings, that are intelligent, legs when running, and also to attack. The Devourer
and can understand their enemies’ strategy and Monster attacks by stabbing their prey with the claws
react to it. and biting, or hitting with its tail.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Devourer Monsters can perform equally well in
Vigor d8 zero-G and in full human gravity environments.
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8 Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d10,
Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 Strength d12+2, Vigor d10
Edges: Advanced Zero-G Training. Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8,
Special Abilities: Stealth d4
• Bite: Swarms inflict hundreds of tiny bites every Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13 (2)
round to their victims, hitting automatically and Edges: Combat Reflexes, Advanced Zero-G Training.
causing 2d4 damage to everyone in the template. Special Abilities:
The insects’ sharp metal teeth can burrow into • Armor +2: Thick, leathery hide.
armor and vacc suits. • Bite: Str+d8.
• Fly: Pace 10". This ability does not work in • Claws: Str+d6. Although the Devourer Monster
zero-G environments. attacks with all six of its claws, it makes a single
• Split: If a swarm is wounded, it splits into two attack roll with a +5 gang-up bonus.
smaller swarms (Small Burst Templates). The • Fear (−2): On seeing a Devourer for the first time,
Toughness of these smaller swarms is lowered by characters must make a Fear check at −2.
−2 (to 5 each). • Hardy: Multiple Shaken results do not cause a
• Swarm: Medium Burst Template; Parry +2; wound. This does not apply to Psionic attacks
Because the swarm is composed of hundreds of (see below).
creatures, cutting and piercing weapons do no • Infravision: Devourers halve penalties for bad
real damage. Area-effect weapons work normally, lighting when attacking living targets.
and a character can stomp to inflict his damage in • Size +4: A Devourer Monster stands over 13’ tall.
Strength each round. • Stab and Grab: A Devourer Monster scoring a raise
• Fearless: Devourers don’t suffer from fear effects, with its claw attack has impaled its foe in its claws.
and can’t be intimidated. If the monster then attacks with its bite it gains +2
• Infravision: Devourers halve penalties for bad to attack.
lighting when attacking living targets. • Tail: Str+d6, +1 Reach.
• Zero-G Abilities: Devourers usually live in a Zero-g • Wall Crawling: Within any heavily porous
or microgravity environment and suffer no penalties environment (such as their own ship), Devourers
allies and foes
239
can scale any surface using their extremities their with mental manifestations. Psionic powers with
full Pace. physical manifestations work normally.
• Weakness (Psionics): When a Devourer is the target • Zero-G Abilities: Devourers usually live in a Zero-g
of a psionic power with a mental manifestation, or microgravity environment and suffer no penalties
even if the power is not damaging, the Devourer to movement or for rolling a 1 or 2 on any physical
must make a Spirit roll opposed by the attacker’s Trait rolls.
Psionics result. If the Devourer fails the roll it is
automatically Shaken. Stacked Shaken results can DEVOURER WARRIOR
cause wounds. The Devourer is otherwise immune The most common configuration of human enemy,
to all other effects or damage of psionic powers Devourer Warriors are adaptable to fighting in most
with mental manifestations. Psionic powers with human environments with or without atmosphere or
physical manifestations work normally. gravity, should they wish to do hand-to-hand combat.
• Zero-G Abilities: Devourers usually live in a Zero-g Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
or microgravity environment and suffer no penalties Vigor d6
to movement or for rolling a 1 or 2 on any physical Skills: Climb d10, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6
Trait rolls. Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (2)
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Advanced Zero-G Training.
DEVOURER TECHNICIAN Special Abilities:
These beings are only found inside Devourer ships and • Armor +2: Devourers are encased in part biological,
bases, and are in charge of operating equipment and part artificial carapace.
devices. They usually try to flee rather than attack, but • Bio-weapons: A Devourer’s extremities are bio-
will fight if cornered or ordered to by a Warrior. artificial devices that can within one full round
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d6, change from being a firing weapon to a sharp
Vigor d4 blade in melee.
Skills: Climb d10, Fighting d4, Notice d6, Shooting d4 • Fear (−2): On seeing a Devourer for the first time,
Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 (2) characters must make a Fear check at −2.
Edges: Advanced Zero-G Training. • Fearless: Devourers don’t suffer from fear effects,
Special Abilities: and can’t be intimidated.
• Armor +2: Devourers are encased in part biological, • Fleet-Footed: Devourers roll a d10 when running
part artificial carapace. instead of a d6.
• Fear (−2): On seeing a Devourer for the first time, • Infravision: Devourers halve penalties for bad
characters must make a Fear check at −2. lighting when attacking living targets.
• Fleet-Footed: Devourers roll a d10 when running • Multiple Arms: A Devourer’s four arms suffer no
instead of a d6. multi-action or off-hand penalty, and may take
• Infravision: Devourers halve penalties for bad independent actions. When in melee fight, an arm
lighting when attacking living targets. extremity configured as a sharp blade does Str+d6
• Multiple Arms: A Devourer’s four arms suffer no damage. When in bio-gun mode, an arm extremity
multi-action or off-hand penalty, and may take “gun” does 2d8 damage with RoF 1, a range of
independent actions. Devourer Technicians’ arm 12/24/48, and unlimited Ammo.
extremities can be configured as a sharp blade, and • Wall Crawling: Within any heavily porous
do Str+d6 damage. environment (such as their own ship), Devourers
• Wall Crawling: Within any heavily porous can scale any surface using their extremities their
environment (such as their own ship), Devourers full Pace.
can scale any surface using their extremities their • Weakness (Psionics): When a Devourer is the target
full Pace. of a psionic power with a mental manifestation,
• Weakness (Psionics): When a Devourer is the target even if the power is not damaging, the Devourer
of a psionic power with a mental manifestation, must make a Spirit roll opposed by the attacker’s
even if the power is not damaging, the Devourer Psionics result. If the Devourer fails the roll it is
must make a Spirit roll opposed by the attacker’s automatically Shaken. Stacked Shaken results can
Psionics result. If the Devourer fails the roll it is cause wounds. The Devourer is otherwise immune
automatically Shaken. Stacked Shaken results can to all other effects or damage of psionic powers
cause wounds. The Devourer is otherwise immune with mental manifestations. Psionic powers with
to all other effects or damage of psionic powers physical manifestations work normally.
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240
• Zero-G Abilities: Devourers usually live in a Zero-g with mental manifestations. Psionic powers with
or microgravity environment and suffer no penalties physical manifestations work normally.
to movement or for rolling a 1 or 2 on any physical • Zero-G Abilities: Devourers usually live in a Zero-g
trait rolls. or microgravity environment and suffer no penalties
to movement or for rolling a 1 or 2 on any physical
DEVOURER ELITE WARRIOR trait rolls.
A slightly larger version of the standard Devourer
Warrior. After a few battles with this enemy, MISSHAPEN DEVOURERS
heroes should be able to tell them apart from These prototypes of life are not ready to survive on
standard Warriors. their own yet, but when many of them come together,
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, their chaotic, unbridled hunger can be devastating to
Vigor d8 their enemies. In game terms, treat these incomplete
Skills: Climb d12, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8 monsters as a Swarm.
Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9 (2) Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6,
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Advanced Zero-G Training. Strength d6, Vigor d8
Special Abilities: Skills: Notice d6
• Armor +2: Devourers are encased in part biological, Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
part artificial carapace. Edges: —
• Bio-weapons: A Devourer’s extremities are bio- Special Abilities:
artificial devices that can within one full round • Bite: Misshapen Devourers inflict dozens of tiny
change from being a firing weapon to a sharp bites and punctures every round to their victims,
blade in melee. hitting automatically and causing 2d4 damage to
• Fear (−2): On seeing a Devourer for the first time, everyone in the template. The monsters’ sharp
characters must make a Fear check at −2. “teeth” can burrow into armor and vacc suits.
• Fearless: Devourers don’t suffer from fear effects, • Fearless: Devourers don’t suffer from fear effects,
and can’t be intimidated. and can’t be intimidated.
• Fleet-Footed: Devourers roll a d10 when running • Infravision: Devourers halve penalties for bad
instead of a d6. lighting when attacking living targets.
• Infravision: Devourers halve penalties for bad • Swarm: Medium Burst Template; Parry +2; Because
lighting when attacking living targets. the swarm is composed of dozens of creatures
• Multiple Arms: A Devourer’s four arms suffer no or more, cutting and piercing weapons do no real
multi-action or off-hand penalty, and may take damage. Area-effect weapons work normally,
independent actions. When in melee fight, an arm and a character can stomp to inflict his damage in
extremity configured as a sharp blade does Str+d6 Strength each round.
damage. When in bio-gun mode, an arm extremity • Weakness (Psionics): When a Devourer is the target
“gun” does 2d8 damage with RoF 1, a range of of a psionic power with a mental manifestation,
12/24/48, and unlimited Ammo. even if the power is not damaging, the Devourer
• Overload: Even when killed, a Devourer Elite must make a Spirit roll opposed by the attacker’s
Warrior has a final weapon in its arsenal: Before Psionics result. If the Devourer fails the roll it is
dying it may choose to explode in a Medium Burst automatically Shaken. Stacked Shaken results can
Template. Everyone inside the template, both friend cause wounds. The Devourer is otherwise immune
and foe, receives 2d6 damage. to all other effects or damage of psionic powers
• Wall Crawling: Within any heavily porous with mental manifestations. Psionic powers with
environment (such as their own ship), Devourers physical manifestations work normally.
can scale any surface using their extremities their
full Pace.
• Weakness (Psionics): When a Devourer is the target
of a psionic power with a mental manifestation,
even if the power is not damaging, the Devourer
must make a Spirit roll opposed by the attacker’s
Psionics result. If the Devourer fails the roll it is
automatically Shaken. Stacked Shaken results can
cause wounds. The Devourer is otherwise immune
to all other effects or damage of psionic powers
allies and foes
241
VEHICLES AND Weapons:
• 2 × AlienHeavy Energy Cannon Range 4/8/16;
SPACESHIPS Damage 3d8; AP 50; RoF 1; PDLB RoF 8; Heat Points
2; HW. The Devourer ship’s energy cannon is a mix
What follows is a list of the vehicles and spaceships of several types of frequencies in the spectrum,
used in this adventure. including visible, X- and gamma-ray radiation.
DEVOURER SHIP DEVOURER MINI-SHIP

Strange, mysterious and terrifying, Devourer ships Devourer Mini-Ships are smaller versions of the
have technology never seen before by humans. They Devourer Ships, and are used internally by Devourer
look like black spiked sea urchins, and would disappear fleets when travelling between ships or when landing
in the blackness of space except for the fact that they on the surface of a planet. Given the Devourers’
blot the stars, and that their surface periodically destructive focus, these ships see little day-
sparkles. In frequencies other than human-visible to-day use.
light they emit slightly higher amounts of energy. Note that the N’ahili-created version of the
Devourer ships are slightly smaller than a human Devourer mini-ship (below) supports a maximum Top
battleship, but orders of magnitude faster than any Acceleration of 12, which is the maximum sustained
human ship of any size, attaining accelerations of acceleration that the human body supports, or about
20Gs or more. They do not seem to have engines or 6.5G. If Devourers are piloting the ship, assume a Top
exhaust, and their propeller method, heat release Acceleration of 20.
and storage technology are unknown. If they have an
energy shield (similar to the Coulborne Shield) it is not Top Acceleration: 12; Toughness: 65 (50); Handling:
spherical, but rather an energy membrane directly +2; Heat Radiation: +8; Shield Effects: —; Crew: 1+15;
touching the ship’s surface. Their main weapon seems Jumps: 16; Weeks per Jump: 0.5
to be a powerful energy beam mixing different types Abilities: —
of frequencies, such as laser, X-ray and gamma-ray Notes: Heavy Armor, Spacecraft, Improved Stabilizer
radiation. It is not clear where on the ship the weapon • Weakness (Psionics): If a human psion successfully
is located, or how the ship produces beams at these casts any power with a mental manifestation
different frequencies with a (supposedly) single against a Devourer ship during combat (at a distance
cannon length. of up to 6 SUs away) the Devourer ship's crew must
“Alien” does not begin to describe it. make a Spirit roll (d6 with Wild die) opposed by
the attacker’s Psionics result. If the Devourer ship
Top Acceleration: 26; Toughness: 90 (66); Handling: fails the roll, all actions it performs receive a –2
+2; Heat Radiation: +20; Shield Effects: —; Crew: penalty until the next round. The Devourer crew is
unknown; Jumps: 16; Weeks per Jump: 0.5 otherwise immune to all other effects or damage of
Abilities: Knowledge (Ship Ops) d8, Piloting d8, psionic powers with mental manifestations, as well
Shooting d8, Repair d8 as to psionic powers with physical manifestations.
Notes: Heavy Armor, Spacecraft, Improved Stabilizer, Note that this weakness is unknown by humans up
Capital Ship until Module #5 in the Seven Worlds campaign.
• Weakness (Psionics): If a human psion successfully Weapons:
casts any power with a mental manifestation • 1 × Alien Light Energy Cannon (Range 4/8/16;
against a Devourer ship during combat (at a distance Damage 3d6; AP 25; RoF 1; PDLB RoF 8; Heat Points
of up to 6 SUs away) the Devourer ship's crew must 2; HW). The Devourer ship’s energy cannon is a mix
make a Spirit roll (d6 with Wild die) opposed by of several types of frequencies in the spectrum,
the attacker’s Psionics result. If the Devourer ship including visible, X- and gamma-ray radiation.
fails the roll, all actions it performs receive a –2
penalty until the next round. The Devourer crew is
otherwise immune to all other effects or damage of
psionic powers with mental manifestations, as well
as to psionic powers with physical manifestations.
Note that this weakness is unknown by humans up
until Module #5 in the Seven Worlds campaign.
SEVEN WORLDS
242
ganendra nathan
The most skilled psion and politician of his
generation is also mankind’s greatest enemy
Born in 2169 to a psion family on the planet of Bay Jing,

Ganendra Nathan was a child with a future. The son of
a British-Indian family of first-generation settlers, he
was heavily influenced by his father, a high-ranking
officer working at the Psion Brotherhood offices in
Triumph. Ganendra’s father lived enmeshed in the
ideals of the Brotherhood and the importance of
protecting their less-powerful, non-Psion brothers
and sisters. His role was critical given the doubts Bay
Jing always had on psionic powers.
When the time came, young Ganendra tested
positive on the Psion test, one more member of his
family who did. He ranked very high on the psi-scale,
becoming a promising candidate for the Brotherhood.
But all of Ganendra’s potential faded to nothing when
compared to the psi-score of his younger sister Anuva.
A sweet, simple girl, Anuva had been blessed
with potential psionic powers that might make her
a leading light in the next generation of psions. But
of course, young Anuva was not thinking about that,
more interested in playing with her friends and with
her older brother, who loved her dearly.
As Ganendra grew up his psionic powers increased,
which was not unusual. What was unusual (and
valuable) was Ganendra’s remarkable natural ability
to feel and generate empathy and connect to others,
especially non-psions. One of the great goals of the
Psion Brotherhood is fostering trust between psions
and non-psions. Psions who can generate that level
of connection with non-psions are very valuable and
sought for. Ganendra was a boy with lots of friends,
both non-psion and psion, and with a deep regard
and respect for both. As he grew older, he even got
himself a non-psion girlfriend, Christine, his first and
deepest love.
When Ganendra was nineteen (and Anuva nine) the
defining moment of his life occurred: The Psion Riots.
Not much more can be added to the awful stories of
tragedy and cruelty that occurred during those three
days (see the description of Bay Jing in the Setting
Guide). What Ganendra Nathan saw then marked the
rest of his life. He saw his entire structure of life and
meaning destroyed: His former friends turned to hunt
him down as if they didn’t know him, as if he were
some stranger, some horrible enemy they had never
met before. He saw both his parents try to stop and
control the situation while protecting their family, and
ganendra nathan
243
he saw them fall to their horrible deaths doing it. He
GANENDRA NATHAN saw the cruel, terrible things those animals (“human”
was not a word he’d apply to the beings he saw) did to
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d12+2, his fellow psions. He saw an unrecognizable Christine,
Strength d6, Vigor d8 his girlfriend, actively working and aiding the mobs in
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge hunting down psions. And, worst of all, he saw them
(Ship Ops) d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d12, kill Anuva, he saw them kill his nine-year old sister
Piloting d8, Psionics d12+2, Shooting d10, Taunt d10 without mercy, just because she was different.
Cha: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (2); And he felt, in his mind, all that pain, millions of
Mental Toughness: 13 (4) souls in pain. It would have been enough to drive
Hindrances: Arrogant (in secret), Death Wish anyone crazy. Maybe it did.
(willing to give his life to free psions from The stories of the great Ganendra Nathan’s bravery
humanity) never tell how he survived by being a coward, by being
Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics), Arcane so afraid he would not defend his parents or sister.
Resistance, Improved Arcane Resistance, This guilt follows him even now, and he blames the
Attractive, Charismatic, Combat Reflexes, entire human race for it.
Command, Level Headed, Mentalist, Nerves His faith in the human species shattered, he finally
of Steel, No Mercy, Quick, Ranged Psion, Soul saw himself for what he was: Psions were a new,
Drain, Strong Willed, Advanced Zero-G Training. superior version of man. It was pointless to try to
Powers: Ganendra knows every single psion sugar-coat the truth. Non-Psions would never accept
power available. Power Points: 50 their inferiority, would always consider Psions freaks.
Gear: Assistant, Autopistol (Range 12/24/48, There is no way his species would truly prosper under
Damage 2d6, AP 1, Semi-Auto, 20 bullets), Light the shadow of humanity. If Ganendra wanted Psions
Combat Suit (+2/+4, protects Arms, Legs, Torso; to survive and thrive he needed to find a new home for
vacuum ready); vacuum helmet (covers Head, +3). them, and he needed humans to stop being a threat
Notes: Homeworld Bay Jing (begins with the to Psions. The only sure, way to accomplish this was
Strong Willed Edge) obviously if there were no humans left to threaten
Assistant Name and Gender: James, courteous anybody. The reality, however, is that humans are
male of about twenty-five years of age, well- too many and Psions too few. If Ganendra wanted to
dressed in Psion Brotherhood uniform. destroy humanity and save the Psions he would have
Assistant Skills: Persuasion d8, Hacking d8, to do it from the inside. He would have to gain the
Investigation d6. humans’ trust, like Christine gained his trust. And then,
Special Abilities: when the time was right, put an end to all of them, like
• Mind Burn: Ganendra Nathan knows a they put an end to little Anuva.
secret psionic power called mind burn. For The new, forged-from-fire Nathan lost all empathy
the cost of 15 Power Points he can stage a except to his own fellow Psions, but was too smart
violent mental assault designed to inflict to show it. He displayed his above average psionic
permanent psychological damage. Nathan’s powers by singlehandedly tracking down and
attack requires Psionics roll opposed by the capturing the psycho rogue Psion who had started it
victim’s Spirit. On a success, the victim suffers all, something even trained Psi Enforcers had not been
a permanent −2 penalty to all Smarts, Spirit, able to do. Then, as the riots died down, he masterfully
and linked skill rolls. A raise increases this to brought the culprit to the human authorities,
−4. This power works at a maximum range becoming a media star in the process: The young,
equal to the psion’s Smarts. The damage can talented Psion who saw all the pain and suffering
only be repaired by a full use of a Healing Pod of the riots, even losing his loved ones, and through
used by a doctor. it all focused on stopping the criminal who sparked
• Weakness: Psion Riots: Ganendra Nathan has this tragedy. His natural charisma and a few strategic
been permanently traumatized by his painful sound bytes did the rest (some memorable quotes: “In
experiences in the Psion Riots of Bay Jing in the name of all Psions, I sincerely apologize for the
2188. Any Smarts Trick, Intimidation or Taunt behavior of this twisted individual” and “We have
attempt that ingeniously brings up the Riots endured unbearable pain, both humans and Psions!
and Nathan’s activities at the time (players And we have proven we bleed and hurt the same! Let
must role-play this) gets a +2 bonus to the roll. this tragedy serve to bring us closer, so we can rise
above our emotions and forge the future of humanity
SEVEN WORLDS
244
together!”). Suddenly, young Ganendra Nathan had Some time ago, one of the Brotherhood’s Psion
become the powerful, attractive, charismatic Psion research teams came across a mysterious alien ship
who could unite all of humanity together. in an uninhabited star system of the frontier. Just
Christine’s lifeless body was found a few days as the strange ship was about to destroy the Psion
later, dead from a brain embolism. Her death was vessel, the Psions desperately broadcast a psionic
considered one more casualty of the riots. request for help. It was useless, just the involuntary
Just seven years after the riots, by the time he response of a terrorized crew… but the enemy froze
was twenty-six, Nathan would become the youngest in place for a few seconds, as if the psionic wave had
Leader of the Psion Brotherhood, and over the next affected them. Unfortunately the enemy’s weapon
twenty-two years he would revolutionize the image had been partially activated and something went
of the institution. By bringing it closer to the common wrong. The mysterious ship exploded, leaving debris,
human, focusing more on helping humanity, and dead alien bodies… and one or two emergency pods.
projecting an image of peace and humility, humanity’s The Psions hurried to gather what they could. Humans
primal fears were gradually subdued. had captured their first Devourers.
When he became Leader of the Brotherhood, Nathan When Nathan was informed that a powerful alien
was surprised to discover he was neither the first nor species was close to human space, and that this
the only Psion to have thought that Psions needed to species had some kind of weakness to psionic powers,
survive on their own. Several top secret projects had he went ecstatic. Then something even stranger
been running for quite some time, and quite recently happened: Centuries ago an ancient psionic power,
a spy team had obtained information regarding a called raze, had been left in secret by none other
recently-discovered set of two wormholes from Mu than Daniel Michaels, founder of the Brotherhood.
Cassiopeiae (an uninhabited star next to Logan’s Melissa Fischer, the non-Psion romantic partner of
End) to a small brown dwarf double star called Stein Michaels (and afterwards of his friend-enemy William
2051. The first planet around Stein 2051A was strange Donovan) mentioned in passing in her diary that to
by human standards, but could, with some effort, her raze was a “fundamental power.” However, raze
support life. So here it was, a secret place only the had been deemed useless by Brotherhood scientists
Psion Brotherhood knew how to reach, that housed long ago because it had no effect whatsoever on any
a planet that could be the new beginning Nathan human or animal the Psions had ever tested it with. Up
was looking for. He baptized it Chrysalis, the bridge until now: Some further testing on the live Devourers
between the young species and the adult. discovered that raze had a devastating effect on the
So, behind the scenes, Nathan worked feverishly aliens. Specifically, when the power was used on the
to bring about the future he intended for Psions. Over alien minds, the aliens almost always died instantly.
the last two decades Nathan has created an elite How could this be? How could an obscure psionic
secret group within the Brotherhood, aligned with his power described in passing two hundred years ago
goals of Psion independence, and has quietly diverted stop a powerful alien species no one had ever seen?
resources and funds to the secret terraforming and Ignoring the bizarre source of this power, Nathan
colonizing of Chrysalis. As part of a stellar-wide jumped at the opportunity: The psionically-weak
program to distribute Psions, he has re-assigned Devourers would not pose a threat to Psions, if they
hundreds of thousands of Psions as colonists, and were appropriately prepared, especially on a world
they are creating the first true Psion colony. No one as unassailable as Chrysalis. On the other hand, the
really misses these Psions as everybody assumes Devourers were powerful enough to lay waste to all of
they’re performing their duties “elsewhere”, although humanity with almost no effort at all. Now all Nathan
some strange goings on are being suspected by some needed to do is get ready, as fast as possible.
of the more open-minded, pro-human Psions in Nathan accelerated Chrysalis colonization, and
the Brotherhood. instituted a program by which all colonists to
Nathan expected Chrysalis to grow to a few million Chrysalis were taught raze in secret, and then covered
within the next few decades, and from then on to the teaching of the power by use of the brain lock
become wholly self-sufficient. He also understood power. Thus soon Chrysalis was colonized by Psions
his role is to play friend to humans, siphoning off who secretly knew how to kill the Devourers, should
their goodwill and resources towards his plan, while they ever appear there; the power only needed to be
he figured out how to finally destroy them all. In this unlocked from their minds.
last respect another of his secret research teams also For the last few years, Nathan has been accelerating
had interesting news for him. the migration to Chrysalis, shuffling Psions around on
digital records so they seem to be somewhere else
ganendra nathan
245
while transporting them to their new colony. He has Nathan knows many Psions will not agree to his
moved many colonists to the new planet, increased plans if they were known, and he also knows that by
scientific research on living conditions, hoarded more now he has broken the Psion Vow many times over.
food and energy, and built defenses (such as Orbital He therefore keeps his activities secret from everyone
Station Psi) to protect the Psions’ new home. except a few closest members of his secret core team.
Nathan also focused on distracting humans He hopes most psions will see things his way when
long enough to make the Devourers’ job easier the Devourers complete the job. If some of them are
when they arrive. He classified all information on idealistic and wish to fall with the humans… well,
previous Devourer sightings to delay discovery of there is no help for that.
the threat. This raised Epsilon-level Leader Antoine’s
suspicions, prompting the investigation of records
that got the heroes involved in their trip to Earth (see APPEARANCE
Rumors of War). Ganendra Nathan is a fit, attractive, charismatic
Finally, Nathan took advantage of the constant 48-year-old with strong Indian features. His winning
rivalry between Jubilee and Dauphin (proxies smile and personality have made him the darling of
for Concordia and Bay Jing’s own rivalry) to push both psions and humans.
humanity to the brink of war. His Psions secretly Ganendra always finds time to devote to his
helped a band of Jubilee terrorists infiltrate Melissant students, young psions, and to visit non-psions and
security to assassinate the Governor of Bay Jing help. He devotes a lot of effort to protecting the
during the Concordia’s Centenary celebration (not image of the Brotherhood as an institution dedicated
even the terrorists themselves knew they were being to the service of common humans. He also frequently
helped by the Brotherhood). He also orchestrated makes appearances with politicians to position the
the massive sabotage to the Stellar Communications Brotherhood as a force for good.
Network by means of some faulty code the scientists
at MaxDigital Corporation inserted into the system
(this is what Dr. Luis LaMarche discovered and what
prompted his disappearance). Nathan rightly believed
bringing down the Comm Network would leave
humanity defenseless against the Devourers when
they invaded.
SEVEN WORLDS
246
the n’ahili
T he aliens known by humanity as the N’ahili are

a fraud, a reflection of how humans think aliens
should really look. It is human folly to think they
should know how aliens look, think or behave, or even
to assume that intelligence is their defining trait.
make them look alien but not threatening. Whatever
the beings inside the probe look like, they do not look
like blowfish.
The N’ahili alien ship also looks strange, but has
curious details that very few have noticed. How come
As explained above, what we call “the N’ahili” is the ship cycles through the colors of the human-
simply one of millions of knowledge-gathering probes, visible spectrum? A coincidence? A decision to fit with
specifically designed to empathize and adapt to the what humans would perceive?
communications patterns, thoughts and customs of Adam, the N’ahili avatar, is the ultimate
the species they are investigating at the moment. This representation of the aliens’ goal. A perfect, attractive
particular probe has been studying humans for a long virtualization of a human being, capable of speaking
time before deciding how to present itself. in many tongues and understanding the language. Yet,
Every facet of the N’ahili’s image has been carefully for all those advances, Adam makes “mistakes” when
designed to give humans the appearance of a speaking and sometimes delays his response for a
powerful, mysterious and peaceful alien species. The second or two while “understanding” what was said.
word “N’ahili” was chosen as an alien-sounding name This is a deliberate attempt to make the probe look
that humans could pronounce. Very few humans less powerful than it really is, making the humans
have actually commented on the fact that if this is believe the aliens “are making an effort” and “are
the aliens’ true name, how come their language is not perfect.”
based on sounds transported through air? Do the The truth about the N’ahili is that the probe has
aliens have a throat sound apparatus capable of become unhinged. Its gathering activities are finished,
generating the sounds in the word “N’ahili?” Isn’t it and it should be ready to move forward and leave
an amazing coincidence that out of the huge expanse the space open for the annihilating probe but it has
of the electromagnetic spectrum the aliens we meet become so emotionally attached to humans that
happen to have a language that uses the exact same it does not want to let them die without making an
frequencies and sound-waves that we use to speak effort. Its programming forbids it to openly help them
and listen? or warn them of what is to come, but it has helped
The aliens’ own representation as ridiculous- them expand, and has worked behind the scenes to
looking “blowfish-like beings” is another invention help them defend themselves.
designed for human consumption. The goal is to Whether that will be enough or not will be seen.
the n’ahili
247
the psion brotherhood
T he Psion Brotherhood is a powerful organization

that has significantly contributed to the success
and development of humanity. Unfortunately
under Ganendra Nathan, its charismatic but misguided
leader, it has begun several secret initiatives that
a thought. This power, called raze, allows them to
broadcast a psionic energy blast that interferes with
all Devourer thought patterns and kills them instantly.
The power has been shown to act at great ranges, and
intensifies when many psions use it simultaneously.
threaten to destroy everything. Most of the current No explanation as to how the power works, or why
activities of the Psion Brotherhood are described in it affects completely alien forms such as Devourers,
the history of Chrysalis on page 133. has been found. Conscious of its power, Ganendra
The Brotherhood keeps several big secrets. Nathan has locked the secret of raze in the mind of
The first secret is the leading clique's hidden goal most psions in Chrysalis by means of the brain lock
of exterminating non-psions and thus “freeing” power, and only he, along with a few trusted others,
psions for the next stage in their evolution. This is knows the brain lock password.
the whole purpose of the Chrysalis project. Out of a The final secret that Ganendra and very few know
total population of five million psions approximately is that the raze power was not invented by them, but
five hundred thousand have been moved to Chrysalis. rather found in the two-hundred-year-old documents
This has been kept secret by carefully doctoring left by Daniel Michaels, founder of the Psion
assignment records. Brotherhood, as well as in the diary left by Melissa
To support Chrysalis, the Brotherhood has a Fischer, his mysterious companion, later also partner
Research Institute in Armstrong, the secret purpose of William Donovan, founder of the Circle, and the
of which is to accustom candidates before going to woman who gave the city of Melissant its name. How
Chrysalis, and to develop new methods of food and did a power that affects aliens no one had seen or
development applicable to red dwarf stars. heard of pop up in the diary of the founder of the Psion
The second big secret the Brotherhood keeps is Brotherhood? No one, not even Ganendra himself, has
that they actually have a way to kill Devourers with the answer to that.
Sidebar References
CHRYSALIS: LIFE ON A RED DWARF? • A warmer planetary haven around cool stars,
• Tidal Heating of Terrestrial Extra-Solar Planets as ice warms rather than cools: http://www.
and Implications for their Habitability: http://arxiv. washington.edu/news/2013/07/18/a-warmer-
org/abs/0808.2770 planetary-haven-around-cool-stars-as-ice-
• A Palette of Climates for Gliese 581g: warms-rather-than-cools/
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~rtp1/papers/
Gliese581gPalletesApJL2011.pdf
• Red dwarf stars within 10 parsecs: http://
solstation.com/stars/pc10rds.htm
• Red, Willing and Able: http://www.kencroswell.
com/reddwarflife.html
• The Habitability of Red Dwarf Systems:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Habitability_of_red_dwarf_systems
• Is first life-friendly exoplanet an 'eyeball'?: http://
www.newscientist.com/article/mg20927953.700-
is-first-lifefriendly-exoplanet-an-eyeball.html
• Earthlike planet Zarmina's bizarre climate makes it
look like a giant eyeball: http://io9.com/5738562/
earth+like-planet-zarminas-bizarre-climate-
makes-it-look-like-a-giant-eyeball
SEVEN WORLDS
248
the devourers
T he life-annihilating probes that follow on

the footsteps of the knowledge-collecting
probes have no name, but have been given the
threatening name of “Devourers” by the N’ahili as yet
another way of influencing humans against them.
advanced biological creators in their probe ships
can dynamically construct Devourer bodies tailored
to the size, gravity, and biological makeup of their
current enemies. There is thus no single description
of what a Devourer is, as Devourers look and act in a
The Devourers are artificial self-replicating way appropriate to fighting their enemies. In the case
biological beings made within the probes using of humans, their current enemies, Devourers have
a technology far more advanced than our own. several bodies designed for combat and slaughter in
Their purpose is to keep the galaxy clean of “living environments with Earth-like gravity. Most of these
infestations” and thus protect the original beings who are described in the Encounters section on page 238,
created them. but you can of course create your own.
Having been designed to destroy, Devourers have Devourers are not intelligent in the sense that it is
many ways of going about their business. If possible, possible for humans to hold a thinking conversation
they always attempt to fulfill their goals from space, with them. They are focused and single-minded, and
either by planetary bombardment with energy their only goal is to destroy. In that sense they behave
weapons, by provoking asteroid or moon impacts, more like a force of nature bent on destroying life than
or (in the case of spacefaring races) in ship-to-ship like an intelligent being. Devourers do not surrender,
combat. However, there is always the possibility of they do not fear and do not negotiate. They either kill
face-to-face encounters, and because of this the or are killed. And they are amazingly effective at it.
the devourers
249
SHIP STATS SHEET
Toughness
WOUNDS
-1
BASE STATS
Handling: +1
19
Ship Name: Voyager Top Accel: 10 -2
Shield Effects: 3 Crew: 1+5 Heat Radiation: +4
Jumps: 8 Weeks per Jump: 1 (12) -3
Abilities: NA (It’s the heroes’ ship!) Coulborne Shield
FATIGUE
Wrecked
NOTES -2
Heavy Armor, Spacecraft, Improved Stabilizer. 2 Healing Pods, 6 V-World Pods. Ship’s Locker
contains one Light Combat Vacc Suit and one Vacc Suit Helmet for every member of the crew. -1
WEAPONS AND DEFENSES

# Weapon Range Damage AP RoF Heat Points Notes
2x Light Laser Cannons 4/8/16 3d6 6 1 +3 HW; Point Defense Laser Battery ROF: 5
2x Medium Missile Launchers 1/2/4 ---- --- 4 +1 HW; 4 reloads per launcher, maximum 1 nuclear
Available Ammo: 4 Kinetic Missiles (Damage: 3d6; AP: 8), 2 Nuclear Missiles (Damage: 2d10; AP: 12), 2 NNEMP Missiles (Damage: 3d6+special; AP: 10)
2 Kinetic Cloud Projectiles (Damage; 2d4; AP: 8, special)
6x Mine Cloud Defenses
PROJECTILE TRACKING SHEET Ship Name:
Use this sheet to track the number and type of projectiles approaching your ship as well as how many rounds are left until each batch of projectiles hits. For each batch of fired
projectiles, note the number of incoming projectiles in the box corresponding to their initial firing range. Cross out the boxes to the left. Each round after the ship performs
defensive actions write down remaining projectiles on the next box to the right. If you run out of boxes to the right, the remaining projectiles hit!
Projectile type, if known. (Kinetic,

Nuclear, Neutron, NNEMP, Coilgun, Damage inflicted by
cloud, etc) Number of Incoming Projectiles per range / round any projectiles that hit Comments
Long Range Medium Range Short Range

Derrick
Name
Apollo
Homeworld
Beta-level Officer (Novice) 0
Rank and Level XP
ATTRIBUTES BASE STATS HINDRANCES
d8 Heroic Loyal
AGILITY PACE 6
Death Wish (quell guilt for classmate’s death)
SMARTS d6 CHARISMA +1
Half Fighting EDGES
SPIRIT d4 PARRY +26
Military Family
Half Vigor Experienced Officer
STRENGTH d6 TOUGHNESS 9(2) +2 -1
WOUNDS
Ace
MENTAL Half Spirit Brawny
VIGOR d8 TOUGHNESS 4
+2
N
-2
5
Scoundrel
10
SKILLS -3
15
d8 Fighting d4 Repair S
INC
25
d6 Intimidation d4 Knowledge (Ship Ops)
FATIGUE
30
d8
-2
d6 Notice Shooting 35
V
d4 Persuasion -1
45
d10 Piloting 50
55
Permanent Injuries
GEAR H
Head:
ARMOR
65
Torso: +2/+4 70
Reinforced Vacc Suit (Spacesuit); WT 8

Arms: +2/+4 75
Legs: +2/+4 L
90
Assistant
100
2 Bloodstoppers 110
EQUIPMENT
ASSISTANT
Name: Jonathan Gender: Male Program: 3
Personality: Serious, proactive, formal, efficient, military.
Skill Modules: 1 Level I Skill, 1 Level II Skill
d4 Notice
Total WT: 15 lb WT Limit: 30 lb Penalty: 0 d6 Persuasion

WEAPON RANGE ROF DAMAGE AP WT NOTES
Enhanced Autopistol 12/24/48 1 2d6 1 4 Semi-Auto, 20 bullets, can also fire 1 explosive round (2d8, AP4, SBT)
Combat Knife 3/6/12 ---- Str+d4 --- 2 Cutting, piercing.
1 extra explosive round (ammo)
PSIONIC POWER COST RANGE DAMAGE/EFFECT DURATION
5 10 15 20 25 30
Duarthe
Name
Zarmina (“Gee”)
Homeworld
Alpha-level Officer (Novice) 0
Rank and Level XP
Small Outsider Pacifist(m)
AGILITY d6 PACE 6
Vow(m): Psion Vow
SMARTS d8 CHARISMA -2
Half Fighting EDGES
SPIRIT d8 PARRY +25
Arcane Background (Psionics)
Half Vigor Soul Drain
WOUNDS
Mentalist
MENTAL Half Spirit
+2
N
-2
5
10
SKILLS -3
15
d6 Fighting d8 Notice S
INC
25
d4 Healing d8 Psionics
FATIGUE
30
-2
d6 Intimidation d6 Shooting 35
V
d8 Investigation -1
45
d4 Knowledge (Science) 50
55
Permanent Injuries
GEAR H
Head:
ARMOR
65
Torso: +2/+4 70

Arms: +2/+4 75
Legs: +2/+4 L
90
Assistant
100
2 Bloodstoppers 110
EQUIPMENT
ASSISTANT
Name: Dante Gender: Male Program: 3
Personality: Floating black point, obedient, slightly rebellious
d4 Knowledge (Science)
Total WT: 15 lb WT Limit: 30 lb Penalty: 0 d6 Hacking


Bolt 1-3 12/24/48 2d6/3d6 Instant; Against Mental Toughness
Deflection 2 Touch -2/-4 to enemy attacks 3 (1/round)
Read Surface Thoughts 1 Smarts Special Instant
5 10 15 20 25 30
Maricelle
Name
Nouvelle Vie
Homeworld
Rank and Level XP
Bad Luck (Major) Outsider
AGILITY d6 PACE 6
Cautious
SMARTS d8 CHARISMA -2
Half Fighting EDGES
SPIRIT d6 PARRY 5
+2
Zero-G Training
Half Vigor
STRENGTH d4 TOUGHNESS 7(2) +2
Miner
-1
WOUNDS
MENTAL Half Spirit
+2
N
-2
5
10
SKILLS -3
15
d6 Fighting d6 Shooting S
INC
25
d10 Knowledge (Ship Ops) d4 Streetwise
FATIGUE
30
-2
d4 Notice d4 Taunt 35
V
d6 Piloting -1
45
d8 Repair 50
55
Permanent Injuries
GEAR H
Head:
ARMOR
65
Torso: +2/+4 70

Arms: +2/+4 75
Legs: +2/+4 L
90
Assistant
100
2 Bloodstoppers 110
EQUIPMENT
ASSISTANT
Name: Papa Gender: Male Program: 3
Personality: Image of dead father, caring, loving, never angry
Skill Modules: 3 Level I Skills
d4 Knowledge (Science) d4 Investigation

5 10 15 20 25 30
Seela Atherton
Name
Concordia
Homeworld
Rank and Level XP
Zero-G Sickness Death Wish (What happened to Aaron?)
AGILITY d8 PACE 6
Quirk(m): Always neat&clean, even when disguised
SMARTS d6 CHARISMA +2
Half Fighting EDGES
SPIRIT d4 PARRY +25
Acrobat
Half Vigor Attractive
Diplomat
WOUNDS
MENTAL Half Spirit
+2
N
-2
5
10
SKILLS -3
15
d4 Fighting d8 Shooting S
25
INC
d6 Investigation d8 Stealth
FATIGUE
30
-2
d4 Notice 35
V
d6 Persuasion -1
45
d6 Hacking 50
55
Permanent Injuries
GEAR H
Head: 65
ARMOR
Torso: +2/+4 70

Arms: +2/+4 75
L
Legs: +2/+4
90
Assistant
100
2 Bloodstoppers 110
EQUIPMENT
ASSISTANT
Name: Chloe Gender: Female Program: 3
Personality: “best friend,” confidant, attractive, nosy, inappropriate
d4 Persuasion

5 10 15 20 25 30

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CAMPAIGN BOOK

In the year 2217 Humanity's greatest achievement is the colonization of

The Seven Worlds. This is the story of how we lost them,

 Take the role of heroes in a universe-shattering adventure reminiscent of the

“THIS ISN’T THE USUAL FIREFLY-MEETS-STAR WARS SPACE OPERA,

"[THE SEVEN WORLDS CAMPAIGN] WOULD MAKE A PRETTY GOOD TV SERIES."

"THE SPACE COMBAT SYSTEM IS DIAMOND-HARD… TOP-NOTCH WORK!"

EDITING AND PROOFREADING

WARNING TO PLAYERS: DON’T READ ANY FURTHER!

SIDE STORIES������������������������������ 121

INTRODUCTION��������������������������� 128 INTRODUCTION����������������������������192

EXODUS ��������������������������������������� 165 GANENDRA NATHAN������������������243

Tau Ceti 5.0

T he Milky Way galaxy is about 12 billion years

Brotherhood Station is a Low-G environment (see

MEETING GANENDRA NATHAN LINDSAY, COBAN

Lanus, Dark Knight: Use the stats for Veteran

THE SIEGE OF GARRETH KEEP

A tall, powerful knight followed by his entourage

• Orc Warriors (1 per hero plus 1) • Dire Wolves (9)

T his section includes several side stories you can

Internal Security Report MD-ISR-334R5R-1: CONFIDENTIAL

Based on local conduct pattern investigation MD Security concludes that Luis

W elcome to the second module in the Seven

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW

• Superconductive Magnetic Arrays: If a hero spends

In order to escape the heroes have to complete the

1. Hack into the ship bay system. This requires a

Tau Ceti 5.0

• Concordian soldiers (3 per hero): Use stats for

As you blast off into space, you are aware of

A space battle begins!

• Concordian Patrol Ship (1): Use stats for Patrol

SCENE 8: WARMEST REGARDS

It seems your latest battle has left you very close

T his section includes several side stories you can

W elcome to the third module in the Seven

T he adventure begins several months after the

into the fire

Whitehall is, obviously, the capital of the

into the fire

into the fire

• Consorcio La Merced has been the underdog in

into the fire

Denice Orihuela: Use the stats for Rogue Psion, but

into the fire

J. ELEVATOR #2 • Small pet dog

into the fire

P. AGRICULTURAL GARDEN • Mesh Troops (2 per hero)

into the fire

T his section includes several side stories you can

The Joint Fleet High Command will issue a statement shortly.

Bay Jing has a total population of sixty-six million.

Brawl at Popular Drinking Spot

W elcome to the fourth module in the Seven

Tau Ceti 5.0

• The path between Gamma Leporis (Nouvelle Vie)

• MaxDigital Thugs (8): Use stats for Veteran Security.

There are other strategies the heroes might think

SIDE STORIES�� 121

INTRODUCTION�� 128 INTRODUCTION��192

EXODUS �� 165 GANENDRA NATHAN��243