A FOREST APART

MARCO RAFALÀ
TERMINAL MUH051431-PDF

CREDITS
FAM 1670 5670 8132 386

SYSTEM DESIGN PROOFREADING PRODUCED BY

Nathan Dowdell Aric Wieder and Jim Johnson Chris Birch

LINE DEVELOPER COVER DESIGN OPERATIONS MANAGER

Sam Webb Richard Gale Garry Harper

WRITING GRAPHIC DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER

Marco Rafalà Matthew Comben Steve Daldry

EDITING LAYOUT COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Jim Johnson Thomas Deeny Lloyd Gyan

PUBLISHING ASSISTANT
Salwa Azar

FOR CBS STUDIOS

Bill Burke, John Van Citters,
Marian Cordry, Veronica Hart,
Brian Lady, And Keith Lowenadler

ND 101 22 1370

The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment
Ltd 2018. All 2d20 system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Any
unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names
are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. This is a work of
fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely
Published by Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in
2nd Floor, 39 Harwood Road, London, SW6 4QP, U.K. an historical context. TM & © 2018 CBS Studios inc. © 2018 Paramount Pictures
Corp. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios
[email protected] inc. All Rights Reserved.
WWW.MODIPHIUS.COM Artwork and graphics © and ™ CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved., except
the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. This is a work of
Modiphius Entertainment Product Number: MUH051431-PDF fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely
ISBN: 978-1-912200-63-4 coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described
in an historical context.

SW 845 21 3290

b STAR TREK ADVENTURES

A FOREST APART
BY MARCO RAFALÀ

CONTENTS
01.10 SYNOPSIS 002
01.20 ACT 1: THE GEODESIC DOME 003
01.30 ACT 2: THE GARDENERS 009
01.40 ACT 3: TO THE RUINS 015
01.50 CONCLUSION 019

AS 72 107 3391

A FOREST APART 001

01.10 A FOREST APART
SYNOPSIS
On the frontier of Federation space, the Player Characters helped wake the trees to sentience, and the memories of his
encounter a vessel of unknown origin: a forested geodesic home world are with them still. On Albali Prime, in an isolated
dome. The damaged craft appears to be well over 1,000 valley, the primitive people also carry a tale that one day trees
years old and foreign to the Milky Way Galaxy. It does not will grow again.
respond to hails and no intelligent life readings are detected.
Before the Players uncover these connections, they must first
When the Player Characters beam aboard, they discover grapple with the non-interference doctrine. Are they willing to
a vast and ancient forest. Yet many of the gold-leafed, violate the Prime Directive to save two intelligent species on
silver-barked trees are dead or dying. The Player Characters the edge of extinction? If so, at what cost? The fate of two
will soon learn that this is not just any forest. The trees alien races and the well-being of the Albali, a society still in
are the last of their kind: a sentient species from the Large its infancy, rests in the hands of the Players.
Magellanic Cloud. They are in desperate need of aid. But
helping them will put the Player Characters’ values to
the test. DIRECTIVES
While the Prime Directive is always in play for Starfleet
Killing the trees are small insectoids called the Jahan !Xu. officers, is it worth reminding the Player Characters of the
A sentient species, they exist in hyper-accelerated time, non-interference doctrine at the start of this adventure.
making them invisible. They suffer from a neurodegenerative
disease that has nearly wiped out their species. Only the XX No interference with the normal development of alien
sap of the sentient trees, to which they are addicted, slows cultures.
its progression.
Other Directives for this mission include:
As the Player Characters investigate how to help both
species, the geodesic dome suddenly sets course for Albali XX Provide humanitarian aid to other warp-capable species.
Prime. The Class-M planet harbors a peaceful, Bronze Age
humanoid civilization. The Sentient Trees believe this is XX Respect the faiths and belief-systems of alien cultures.
the mythical homeland foretold in their ancient tales. Since
their distant sun died, they have travelled across galaxies The Gamemaster begins this mission with 2 points of
in search of this place. They are not entirely wrong. Many Threat for every Player Character in the group.
millennia ago, before a biological war devastated the
ecosystem, a space-faring civilization thrived on Albali Prime.
Two of its astronauts crash-landed on the trees’ world. One

ADAPTING THIS MISSION TO OTHER ERAS

This adventure can easily be played in other eras. For games set If playing in the Enterprise era, Starfleet had not yet created the
in The Next Generation era, if one of the Player Characters is a Prime Directive. Instead, this should be articulated as a mission
Betazoid, their empathic abilities may enable them to sense that Directive to not “play God” with other cultures. In addition, in Act
there are sentient lifeforms within the forest. They will sense two 1, Scene 1, there would be no record of any Earth vessel’s prior
types of lifeforms: one is dreaming in some sort of hibernation encounters with the galactic barrier. Further, there will not have
and the other is sick and desperate. The Betazoid will not be able been an earlier planetary survey of Albali Prime, as referenced
to communicate telepathically, as neither species is empathic or in Acts 2 and 3. The Player Characters will instead need to learn
telepathic. But it may lead the Player Characters to suspect that the information by scanning the planet and interacting with
the trees are sentient earlier in the adventure. its inhabitants.

002 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

 01.20 A FOREST APART
ACT 1: THE GEODESIC DOME
Captain’s Log, Stardate 5929.4. Beyond the distant Using the inset computer terminal, the Science Officer may
edge of Federation space, we discovered a derelict conduct an analysis of the ship’s sensor readings. This is a
vessel – a forested geodesic dome – over one Reason + Sciences Task, assisted by the ship’s Sensors +
thousand years old and foreign to this Galaxy. Our Sciences with a Difficulty of 2. Success reveals:
instruments measure no intelligent life-readings and
yet, the vessel contains a breathable atmosphere. XX The bioelectric field is strongest at the heart of the
All hails and friendship messages have gone forested dome. This highly charged field floods the area
unanswered. Who built this craft, and what became with negative ions, scrambling sensors.
of its crew? I intend to find out.
Spending Momentum to Obtain Information further reveals:

XX The geodesic dome utilizes biological computing. Its

SCENE 1: THE GEODESIC DOME organic technology possesses remarkable regenerative
The Player Characters are in a remote sector of the Galaxy, systems. The vessel is currently repairing itself.
beyond the outer rim of Federation space. They have spent
the last month mapping star systems, globular clusters, and The Captain may ask his Science Officer if this organic
stellar phenomena. During that time, they haven’t discovered vessel could be a sentient being. Answering this question
even one class-M planet, not one new lifeform. To say that it requires a deeper analysis. This is a Reason + Science
has been a quiet month for the crew is an understatement. Task, assisted by the ship’s Computers + Science, with a
Difficulty of 0. No roll is required. The Task is automatically
All that changes when they come upon an alien vessel of successful with zero successes. However, the Player may roll
unknown origin, adrift among the stars. Though disabled, it if he wishes to generate Momentum. In that case, add two
generates a fluctuating bioenergetic field. Preliminary sensor points to the Threat Pool for any Complications that occur.
readings show a breathable atmosphere, but no intelligent Success reveals:
lifeforms aboard.
XX The biology of the geodesic dome is non-intelligent, and
THE BRIEFING ROOM comparable to plants.
The Player Characters sit around a conference table with
a tri-screen viewer displaying basic information about the Should the Player Characters question how the vessel
object from initial sensor scans. The alien vessel is organic survived such a perilous journey, they can cross reference
in nature. The craft is 10 kilometers in diameter. It possesses the data with their ship’s library computer. Doing this
no known weapons systems. There are no docking ports confirms that damage to the alien craft is consistent with
or hatches. An ancient ruin lies at the heart of the forested Captain James T. Kirk’s account of the U.S.S. Enterprise’s
dome. Analysis of the hull indicates the vessel is over 1,000 encounter with the galactic barrier on Stardate 1312.9. This
years old and trajectory analysis indicates it came from is a Difficulty 0 Task using Insight + Science, assisted by the
outside the Milky Way Galaxy. ship’s Computers + Science. As above, the Player may roll
to generate Momentum.
On the wall viewer, the alien vessel fills the screen. The dome
is transparent and covered in a hexagon of vines. A forest of The Chief Engineer may attempt to understand the alien
golden-leafed, silver-barked trees fills the geodesic dome. vessel’s design and propulsion systems. This is an Insight
Solar sails attach to the support frame beneath the dome, + Engineering Task, assisted by the ship’s Computers +
swept back like the wings of a majestic bird. The frame Engineering with a Difficulty of 1. Success reveals:
tapers into a massive root system. Increased magnifications
show that the forest is sick. Curiously, there is a ring of XX The solar sails appear to be the vessel’s only method of
healthy trees at the heart of the forest within the ruins. propulsion. It has no faster-than-light capabilities that
instruments can detect.

XX The alien vessel uses a biodigester to convert plant

matter into fuel.

A FOREST APART 003

 Spending Momentum to Obtain Information reveals Spending Momentum to Obtain Information reveals, point
the following: for point:

XX Just as plants and other organisms use sunlight to XX The trees are generating the bioelectric field. With the
synthesize food, the dome itself appears to be designed forest dying, that field is weakening.
for photosynthesis. It converts light energy into chemical
energy as an additional fuel source. XX Current projections indicate that at the rate the trees are
losing their sap, the forest has only days before it dies out.
Their analysis of the vessel so far suggests even more
questions. Where did it come from? What is its purpose? Is Tricorders are unable to penetrate the flowering seedpods.
this a ghost ship with a long-dead crew, or is there intelligent
life aboard, a totally new alien lifeform unrecognizable to At this point, the purple stalks of the flowering plants begin
Starfleet instruments? To find answers, they will need to swaying back and forth. The felt-like tips strike a pattern on
board the alien vessel. the petals. Each produces a musical note, reminiscent of the
hammered dulcimer.
BEAMING TO THE GEODESIC DOME
Because the transporter cannot penetrate the ion disturbance The larger seedpods slowly open. Inside are the Gardeners.
surrounding the ancient ruins, the Player Characters must Their humanoid bodies are a connection of interlocking
beam aboard near the outer edge of the forest. Since the leaves and thick, gnarled vines. The tops of their heads taper
alien vessel does not have a transporter pad, the Difficulty into twisting, flowering branches. Each flower has its own
for this task increases by 1. This a Control + Engineering little purple stalks. The Gardeners have no mouths with which
Task, assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Engineering, with a to speak or eat.
Difficulty of 3. This Task Succeeds at Cost, adding two points
to the Threat Pool. The Gardeners ignore the Player Characters and stand as if
waiting for instructions. The music changes and a group of
Complications increase the Difficulty of future Tasks that Gardeners hurry toward the ruins at the center of the dome.
use the transporter by 1, representing interference from the The music changes again and the remaining Gardeners
bioelectric field. proceed to a small shed made of vines and leaves. The
flowers on the head of one of the Gardeners plays an
accompaniment to the music of the forest and the shed
SCENE 2: THE GARDENERS door’s interlocking vines release. The Gardener steps inside
The Player Characters materialize in a clearing in a vast and hands stone tools to the others. Together, they begin
forest. A chorus of insect noises surrounds them. Strange, tending to the forest.
since ship sensors and their own tricorders register no animal
life. Taller than Earth’s Redwood Forest, the ancient trees For the moment, the Player Characters can move freely
appear sickly, with many already dead. Golden leaves, the about the geodesic dome. But the Gardeners will not ignore
size of an open hand, litter the ground. The trees’ smooth, the Player Characters for long.
silver-blue bark is peeling. Holes from wood-boring pests
pockmark the trunks, oozing a sticky, yellow sap. Taking tricorder readings of the Gardeners is a Reason
+ Science or Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 2.
Large flowering plants with tall purple stalks grow at the base Success reveals:
of the trees. A seedpod the size of an adult human sprouts
from each plant. But the flowers and pods around the dead XX The humanoids are a botanical life-form.
trees have withered.
With the seedpods open, a tricorder scan becomes possible.
The geodesic dome has the following Location Trait: This is a Reason + Science Task with a Difficulty of 2.
Electronic Interference 2. This trait increases the Difficulty of Success reveals:
Tasks that use tricorders and other electronic equipment by
2. The trait remains active for as long the Player Characters XX The seedpods act as both birthing and stasis chambers
are aboard the alien vessel. for these lifeforms.

A tricorder analysis of the trees is a Reason + Science or Spending Momentum to Obtain Information reveals:
Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 2. Success reveals:
XX The seedpods are a bioelectric interface, requiring an
XX The sick trees are losing their sap at an alarming rate but, organic component to function.
if wood-boring pests are responsible, they are not present.

004 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

Any attempt to integrate a communicator or universal A Vulcan might suggest communicating with one of the
translator with the seedpod’s embryonic shoot is a Daring + Gardeners through a Mind-Meld, but the forest will perceive
Engineering or Science Task with a Difficulty of 4. Success this as a hostile act. If attempted, the music of the forest
produces nothing more than heavy electric squawks and ceases and the Gardeners stop to look at the Player
static. These lifeforms simply do not have a language as Characters. Proceed to The Forest Awakens encounter in
we understand it. See Observing the Botanical Lifeforms Scene 3. For additional information, see the Vulcan Mind-
and Modifications to the Universal Translator below for Meld sidebar on page 007.
additional information.

OBSERVING THE
BOTANICAL LIFEFORMS THE GARDENERS [MINOR NPC]
Observing the behavior of the Gardeners as it relates to the
music produced by the flowers might provide some valuable TRAITS: Botanical Humanoid Life-form, Mute
insights. It may be beneficial for the Player Character who
makes the attempt to have a Focus in Botany. Those who ATTRIBUTES
wish to assist may benefit from a Focus in Xenolinguistics.
CONTROL 08 FITNESS 09 PRESENCE 07
This is an Insight + Science Task with a Difficulty of 2.
Success reveals:
DARING 09 INSIGHT 07 REASON 08

XX The tricorder does not register any sound waves.

According to readings, there is no music. DISCIPLINES
COMMAND 00 SECURITY 02 SCIENCE 01
If the Player spends Momentum to Obtain Information, the
tricorder detects strange chemical compounds in the air. A
CONN 00 ENGINEERING 02 MEDICINE 01
simple analysis of the chemical compounds will show that
they are harmless.
STRESS: 11 RESISTANCE: 3
A deeper analysis requires a Reason + Science or Medicine
Task with a Difficulty of 3. Success reveals: WEAPONS:
XX Unarmed Strike (Melee, 3A, Knockdown, Size 1H, Non-
XX The music the Player Characters hear is a chemical lethal)
reaction inside their brains caused by chemical
compounds the flowers release when their petals are SPECIAL RULES:
struck. The botanical lifeforms feel the messages relayed XX The Song of the Forest: Gardeners are an extension of
by these compounds. The Player Characters interpret the Sentient Trees. They communicate via an airborne
them as audio tones when they breathe in and absorb chemical compound that non-botanical lifeforms perceive
the compounds via their mucous membranes. as music. When the Gardeners release twice the amount
of chemicals, this can become painful for non-botanical
At this point, they will have sufficient information to know life forms. This inflicts 6[CD] Non-lethal damage. If Effects
that the Universal Translator will not be helpful. Its design are rolled, then the Players are knocked prone as in
interprets brainwaves of humanoids and their languages. Knockdown.
In appearance, the Gardeners may look humanoid but they
are not. As botanical lifeforms, they do not have neurons, XX Vine Entanglement: On a successful Melee Attack,
synapses, or brains as we understand them. They have no spend Threat to create the Vine Entanglement
oral or tactile language – no recognizable brainwave patterns Complication. This Complication immobilizes the target.
– for the translation matrix to decipher. The botanical It prevents them from taking any action, including trying
lifeforms use a more primal mode of communication, to break free.
more like transmitting intuition and genetic memory than
communicating a thought. This species is unlike anything
Starfleet has encountered before.

Player Characters will need to find other ways to

communicate with the botanical lifeforms. The bioelectric
interface of the seedpods, for example, might be the answer.
But that comes with unknown risks and could forever alter
one who steps inside. See The Seedpod in Scene 3.

A FOREST APART 005

 MODIFICATIONS TO THE An examination of the standing stone is a Reason + Science
UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR Task with a Difficulty of 2. Success reveals:
While this adventure operates under the assumption that the
translation matrix cannot be modified – that these botanical XX The stone is older than the geodesic dome by 10,000
lifeforms are simply too alien – the Players may wish to make years.
the attempt anyway in a desperate bid at communication.
After all, making the impossible possible is as much a part of Spending Momentum to Obtain Information, reveals:
Star Trek as warp drive and strange new worlds. If this is their
intention, follow them on their course. The attempt should be XX The engravings appear to represent two spiral galaxies,
daunting. Consider an Extended Task or Gated Challenge, or and may have some mythological significance.
even the rules for the Scientific Method, for these botanical
lifeforms communicate in such a way that is truly unique in If the Player Characters recognize the mound as a place of
the experience of Starfleet. Impress upon the Players just interment, they may decide not to violate it. If so, make note
how difficult a Task they have set for themselves. This isn’t of this fact. That decision creates an Advantage for the Social
something that can be accomplished with just a tricorder. At Conflict with the First Tree. See Judgment of the First Tree
least one among them will need to return to their vessel and in Act 2.
make use of its vast array of laboratories and equipment.
Gamemasters might need to make significant changes to The Player Characters may attempt to enter in the same way
the adventure, but success here will be nothing short of the Gardeners opened the shed. Deciphering the correct
extraordinary for the Player Characters, a breakthrough in chemical compounds to release from the flowers is a difficult
linguacode translation technology. Task. It requires a cross analysis of the tricorder readings
taken earlier. This is a Daring + Science Task. Due to the
electronic interference, the Difficulty is increased to 4.
SCENE 3: TO THE RUINS
As the Player Characters move toward the heart of the forest, If they never discovered the chemical compounds
they enter an area of extreme deforestation. Several trees and the role those compounds play in the plant-based
have fallen, making passage more difficult. No Gardeners communication, then their options are limited. Any attempt
work here, as there are so few surviving trees. to synthesize the melody using a tricorder or other device will
have no effect. Using phasers to cut through the vines will be
THE SEEDLING seen as an attack by the forest; proceed immediately to The
In this stretch of heavily damaged forest, the Player Forest Awakens encounter.
Characters’ passage disrupts an unsteady nurse log. A
young seedling growing in the log is knocked to the ground. The Player Characters might also attempt to remember or
Half a meter tall, the seedling will most likely die without aid. make an educated guess as to the pattern used to open
Will the Player Characters replant the seedling or continue on the shed door. This could be a Reason + Engineering or
their way? Science Task, an Insight + Engineering or even an Insight +
Science task. The Difficulty is 3.
The Player Characters will feel the repercussions of this
choice later in the adventure. See Encounter: Judgment of A success at either approach means the Player Characters
the First Tree in Act 2. know what petals to touch in what order to open the
door. When this happens, they hear a melody and the
THE BURIAL MOUND door opens. But then the melody of the forest stops. The
As the Player Characters leave the deforested area, the Gardeners cease working and slowly turn to watch the Player
Gardeners’ hum of activity resumes around them. In a grassy Characters, as if seeing them for the first time.
clearing, a spiral-carved standing stone marks a burial
mound 2 meters high and 3 meters in diameter. The burial Inside the burial mound rests an organically constructed
mound’s door is made of white flowering vines, with no sarcophagus covered in white flowers. An examination
visible opening mechanism. is a Reason + Science Task with a Difficulty of 2.
Success reveals:
Recognizing the burial mound for what it is requires an
Observation Task. This Task could use Insight or Reason XX Within the sarcophagus is the mummified corpse of a
+ Science. The Engineering Discipline might also be non-botanical life-form, a humanoid. The tricorder dates
appropriate since burial mounds are a primitive feat the remains back to roughly the same time period the
of engineering. standing stone was erected.

006 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

ENCOUNTER: THE FOREST AWAKENS VULCAN MIND-MELD
The Sentient Trees have been in hibernation for more than
100 years while they directed all energy into repairing the
geodesic dome. The damage caused by passing through Should a Vulcan Player Character initiate a Mind-Meld with a
the Great Barrier was nearly catastrophic. The Sentient Trees Gardener, the Difficulty for this Task is 3. As stated elsewhere, this
awaken to discover that the forest is dying, invaded by both will initiate a combat encounter. The Player may attempt the Mind-
wood-boring insects and non-botanical humanoid lifeforms. Meld so long as he is protected. For the Task, use the Attribute
The trees surmise that, most likely, the two events are and Discipline that best describes the Player’s approach, purpose,
connected and the humanoids are to blame. and intent.

After the Player Characters have studied the sarcophagus (or, Consider the Gardener an unwilling participant, and spend two
if they did not enter the burial mound, after they have moved points of Threat to create an Advantage. The Gardener will root
on toward the ruins), the forest erupts into a new song. This himself firmly into the soil. These roots join with the root system of
time, the music is unbearably loud and the Player Characters the Sentient Trees. Using 1d20, the Tree assists the Opposed Task
are struck with terrible headaches. They may drop to their with a Fitness + Security roll. The Difficulty is 2. The Gardener’s
knees from the pain (see Sentient Trees special rules for The Task also uses Fitness + Security, with the same Difficulty. If the
Song of the Forest). Opposed Task succeeds, then the Mind-Meld is severed. The
combat encounter continues until its natural conclusion.
Unknown to the Starfleet officers, the trees are attempting to
communicate with them. The forest has never spoken in this A successful Mind-Meld links the Vulcan’s mind to the forest. The
way with another species before, however, and they quickly Vulcan Player Character becomes aware of the Sentient Trees. The
learn that their form of communication is incompatible with Player Character feels great pain and loneliness. See The Seedpod
non-botanical life. for the message the Sentient Trees convey through this joining
of minds.
The pain in the Player Characters’ heads lets up just as
suddenly as it began, and the Gardeners advance. Spend The Player may spend Momentum for a deeper telepathic
Threat to bring in Reinforcements as the forest overwhelms exchange. In this case, the Vulcan will learn about the destruction
the Player Characters. Gardeners are Minor NPCs, so the of their solar system, the First Tree, and their long journey in search
cost is one Threat apiece. But their attack is non-lethal. of a new home foretold in their ancient myths (see The World They
Players can determine this with an Insight + Security Task Left Behind).
with a Difficulty of 0.
Complications from the Mind-Meld will result in disorientation and
If the Player Characters put away their weapons and leave the possible loss of a turn if the situation turned hostile.
the burial mound the combat ends. One of the Gardeners
takes a random Player Character by the hand and leads them
to an open seedpod. The Gardener motions for the Player nervous system. While painless, this process would make all
Character to get inside. If the Player Character does not but a stoic Vulcan squirm at the tingling sensation.
comply, more Gardeners arrive to force the officer in with a
successful Melee Attack. This attempt at communication is similar to a Mind-Meld.
For the Sentient Trees, this is an Insight + Security Task
If the Player Characters continue fighting and do not leave with a Difficulty of 1. An unwilling participant may resist with
the burial mound, the combat will end when the Gardeners an Opposed Task. This is a Fitness + Security task with
successfully entangle the Player Characters. At that point, a Difficulty of 3. Allow the Player to suggest an Attribute
they will select one at random and carry him off to a and Discipline combination that better fits the character’s
nearby seedpod. approach to the situation. Complications will result in 4[CD]
damage. A successful Opposed Task damages the seedpod.
If more than half the Gardeners are stunned, or otherwise The pod opens and quickly withers. The music of the forest
knocked out of the combat, the rest will disengage and changes, and the Gardeners attack.
retreat into the forest.
If the Sentient Trees are successful, then they now control the
THE SEEDPOD Player Character’s speech and actions. But the forest cannot
The seedpod closes when one of the Starfleet officers read the Player Character’s mind. The Player Character can
gets inside, willingly or not. Once inside, the Sentient Trees speak his or her own words, if the Sentient Trees allow it.
attempt to link with that person the way they would link with
the Gardeners. A thin, embryonic shoot painlessly enters at The thin shoot retracts from the base of the Player
the base of the officer’s head and connects with their central Character’s head and the pod opens. The music of the forest

A FOREST APART 007

 changes. The Player Character steps out and speaks: SENTIENT TREES [MAJOR NPC]
“I am the oldest in the Cycle from the First. What you see is TRAITS: Botanical Life-form, Skeptical, Unwavering Faith
all that remains of a once vast and beautiful forest, the last
of our kind. You invade our ark, murder us, demons from VALUES:
the void, parasites all. Even now your servants continue to XX Preserve the Forest
harvest our spirit. We feel them burrowing ever deeper for our
life force. There is a word for this in your barbarian tongue: XX Find and Settle the Home Promised Us in the Great Cycle
genocide.”
XX We Will Die Before Allowing Others to Put an Axe to Us
The Player Characters are innocent, of course, and they
will no doubt say as much. This is a Difficulty 5 Persuasion XX There is a Better World, One Where All Creatures Exist in
Task. The Sentient Trees are suspicious, and with good Harmony
reason. They are dying at the hands of an unknown, alien
intruder. Their suspicion increases the Difficulty by 2. With the ATTRIBUTES
Difficulty over 5, the Task becomes impossible. The Sentient
CONTROL 10 FITNESS 08 PRESENCE 08
Trees demand that the Player Characters deliver proof of their
innocence to the First Tree.
DARING 10 INSIGHT 10 REASON 10

At that moment, the Player Characters will receive a message

from their starship. Systems aboard the geodesic dome DISCIPLINES
are starting to come online. The dome has raised shields,
COMMAND 03 SECURITY 02 SCIENCE 03
preventing use of the transporters.

CONN 02 ENGINEERING 03 MEDICINE 01

The Player Character controlled by the Sentient Trees
speaks again:
FOCUSES: Biological Technology, Photosynthesis
“This Interface will now accompany you and observe.”
STRESS: 10 RESISTANCE: 4
This person, called the Interface, and the forest are slowly
becoming one. Over time, this connection will grow stronger. WEAPONS:
There is a chance that it might become permanent unless XX Bough Strike (Melee, 4A, Knockdown, Size 1H)
the Player Characters can devise a way of disconnecting the
pathways without irreversibly damaging the nervous system SPECIAL RULES:
(see The Fate of the Interface). XX The Song of the Forest: The Sentient Trees
communicate via an airborne chemical compound that
The Player should know this danger ahead of time before non-botanical lifeforms perceive as music. When the
having his or her character step into the seedpod. Some Sentient Trees release twice the amount of chemicals,
Players will appreciate the storytelling potential this provides. this can become painful for non-botanical lifeforms. This
Gamemasters should know their groups, however, and inflicts 6CD Non-lethal damage. If Effects are rolled, then
suggest use of a Supporting Character if that is preferable. the Players are knocked prone as in Knockdown.

XX Extraordinary Insight 2: The Sentient Tree gains two

automatic successes on all Tasks using Insight in
addition to any successes generated by rolling.

XX Threatening 6: The Gardeners are of the trees and the

trees are of the forest. They are one. This makes the
Sentient Trees a formidable opponent. They begin each
scene with 10 Threat that may only be used to benefit
themselves. These points are not drawn from the normal
Threat Pool.

XX Bitter Chemical Compounds: Whenever performing

a Security Task, spend 1 Threat to release a chemical
compound into the air, which inflicts 3A, Non-lethal damage.

008 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

 01.30 A FOREST APART
ACT 2: THE GARDENERS
SCENE 1: AMONG TREES AND that swoop back almost to the very end of their bodies. Pairs
STONES of sharp teeth in circular mouths protract and retract below
The Interface leads the Player Characters to the heart of the compound, crescent-shaped eyes.
forest and the ruins there. The Gardeners follow at a short yet
menacing distance. Contrary to appearances, these stowaways are an intelligent,
sentient species. They speak a complex language that uses
If the Player Characters are not able to communicate with clicks as phonemes. Just as the Gardeners are about to
the Sentient Trees, either through a Vulcan Mind-Meld or kill the last of the creatures here, the Universal Translator
the incident with the seedpod, the Gardeners will still herd translates the words: “Help me.”
them toward the ruins. The Gardeners’ aim will be to deliver
the Player Characters to the First Tree for judgment (see What the characters do upon discovery of the Jahan !Xu will
Encounter: Judgment of the First Tree). factor into their encounter with the First Tree. The Players
could argue with the Interface that sparing the insect’s life is
The heart of the geodesic dome is where the bioelectric field vital if they are to prove their innocence. This is a Difficulty 3
is strongest. Upon entering, the air feels charged with static. Persuasion Task. A failure should Succeed at Cost, creating
The forest here is healthy, with no visible evidence that the a Complication that increases the Difficulty by 1 for the
wood-boring pests infested any of the trees here. Persuasion Task during the Judgment of the First Tree.

An analysis of the area is a Reason + Science Task with a Examining the Jahan !Xu with a medical tricorder is a Reason
Difficulty of 2. Success reveals: + Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 2. Success reveals:

XX The highly-charged bioelectric field has flooded the area XX The aliens have been consuming the tree sap and display
with negative ions and, as a result, ozone has built up in symptoms of addiction and withdrawal.
the air. These negative ions are not harmful.
XX They are also suffering from a neurodegenerative
XX Intermittent life sign readings appear as blips or sensor disease.
ghosts for brief moments.

Spending Momentum to Obtain Information reveals, point THE JAHAN !XU

for point:

XX The negative ions are somehow protecting the trees The Jahan !Xu originate from an asteroid field at the fringes of
within the bioelectric field. our galaxy. They can exist in both the vacuum of space and most
atmospheres. Generations ago, a neurodegenerative disease
XX The sensor blips are lifeforms that exist in a state of brought their race to the edge of extinction. Those who had not
hyper-acceleration. In normal time, these aliens are yet shown symptoms of the illness fled the colony and wandered
invisible to instruments and people, perceptible only as the depths of space in search of a new home. But they still carried
a hum of insects. Exposure to negative ions slows down the disease and soon began to die. As luck would have it, they
their physiology and renders them visible. They appear found the geodesic dome not long after those first few deaths.
and disappear in a flicker until their bodies adjust to The dome was adrift, wounded from its passage through the Great
normal time. Barrier. Burrowing through the roots on the underside, the Jahan
!Xu boarded the vessel. They soon discovered that the tree sap
THE STOWAWAYS slowed the progression of their disease. Their new colony aboard
Several of the Gardeners veer away and begin stomping the dome flourished, doubling in size. The sap saved them from
at the ground just inside the bioelectric field. A chorus extinction, but not without a price. The Jahan !Xu are now addicted
of clicking rises from the forest floor. The Gardeners are to the sap and its opioid-like effects. But harvesting the sap is a
squashing insects, presumably the wood-boring pests. The death sentence for the forest. Ultimately, if the forest dies, what will
creatures are seven centimetres long, four-armed and multi- become of the Jahan !Xu?
legged. They have arched exoskeletons and two antennae

A FOREST APART 009

 Spending Momentum to Obtain Information further reveals: If the Persuasion Task is successful, the Jahan !Xu stop
harvesting the tree sap. This creates an Advantage for the
XX The tree sap acts like an opioid but also slows the Player Characters in their interaction with the Sentient Trees.
progression of the neurodegenerative disease. Without It overcomes the skepticism of the forest and makes the
the sap, the aliens will die. Persuasion Task to prove their innocence possible. Once the
Jahan !Xu stop ingesting the sap, they begin suffering from
To learn more about the disease and addiction, and discover withdrawal symptoms in Scene 2.
any possible treatment, the Player Characters will need the
facilities of their sickbay and medical laboratories. At this Another scenario might see the Player Characters devising a
stage in the adventure, however, they are unable to use way to flood the geodesic dome with negative ions. With only
the transporter because of the dome’s shields. This adds their standard issue equipment available, they will need to jury-
urgency to negotiations with both the Jahan !Xu and the rig a device. This requires a Daring + Engineering Task with a
First Tree. Difficulty of 4. Success forces the stowaways into normal time.
The Jahan !Xu will be visible, and sensors will be able to detect
In the interim, the Players might consider convincing the them. Once visible, the Gardeners begin to kill the stowaways
Jahan !Xu to stop consuming the tree sap. A doctor among unless the Player Characters can convince the Sentient Trees
the crew may warn against this course of action without otherwise. One way to stop the slaughter is if the Player
access to their sickbay. Withdrawal can be dangerous, Characters offer to beam the entire colony to their vessel (see
even life threatening. Should the Players move ahead with Judgment of the First Tree). The colony consists of hundreds
this plan, it will be difficult but not impossible. The Jahan of Jahan !Xu so the Player Characters will need to convert a
!Xu know that the trees are dying because of them, and cargo bay as a temporary shelter for them.
without the trees they will also perish. But their judgment is
impaired by their addiction. In game terms, their addiction THE RUINS
is a Complication. It increases the Difficulty by 1 in any The crumbling ruin is shrouded in dense foliage and almost
Social Conflict. The Player Characters will need to persuade completely covered by the forest canopy. A massive tangle
the stowaways that they can find a cure, and ease the of roots and vines envelops the stonework. Trees twist
suffering of their withdrawal symptoms. This is a Difficulty 4 and entwine themselves into cracks and grow around
Persuasion Task. the structure.

In the central courtyard of an ancient temple, an enormous

JAHAN !XU [MINOR NPC]
tree grows. This is the First Tree. At 116 meters, it reaches
TRAITS: Insectoid Life-form, Addiction heights far beyond those of its brethren. Its mammoth trunk
measures 12 meters in diameter. A tricorder’s DNA analysis
ATTRIBUTES confirms that this is a single tree, approximately 10,000 years
old. But that isn’t even the most fascinating aspect about the
CONTROL 07 FITNESS 09 PRESENCE 08
First Tree. On its trunk is a humanoid face and the fingers of
one hand, curled and grasping at nothing. Dark, wavy lines in
DARING 09 INSIGHT 08 REASON 07
the bark splay out like hair.

DISCIPLINES When the Player Characters arrive, the First Tree wakes from
its hibernation. The eyes of the face in the tree open and
COMMAND 02 SECURITY 02 SCIENCE 00
blink. But its mouth never moves. The music of the forest
changes. The Interface’s head tilts to one side, as if listening
CONN 01 ENGINEERING 01 MEDICINE 00
to the music.

STRESS: 11 RESISTANCE: 1

WEAPONS:
XX Bite (Melee, 2A, Intense)

SPECIAL RULES:
XX Hyper-acceleration: In their natural state, the Jahan
!Xu are invisible to those who exist in normal time. While
in this state, no instrument can detect their life-signs.
Negative ions slow their physiology down to normal time.
compound into the air, which inflicts 3A, Non-lethal damage.

010 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

ENCOUNTER: JUDGMENT OF THE If the Persuasion Task is successful, then the music of
FIRST TREE the forest changes and the First Tree speaks through
The Player Characters must now attempt to persuade the the Interface:
First Tree of their innocence. This will be possible, though
still challenging, only if they have created an Advantage as “I have told my children that you are not the cause of our
described above or taken some other action to overcome the sorrows. Indeed, you may yet be a cause for celebration if
Sentient Trees’ skepticism. This is a Difficulty 5 Persuasion your deeds are equal to your lofty promises. Our long and
Task. But past actions will affect the difficulty level: difficult journey is near an end. I have located the island
promised us in the Great Cycle. We have found our new
XX If the Player Characters replanted or otherwise saved the home at last. Soon, our repairs will be complete and we
seedling in Act 1, Scene 2, reduce the Difficulty by 1. shall bury our roots deep into new soil. But our time grows
short, and the distance remains vast. We ask for your aid in
XX If the Player Characters did not enter the burial mound, completing our journey.”
thus avoiding the combat that ensued, reduce the
Difficulty by 1. The Player Characters may freely ask the First Tree about
the forest’s origins and destination. For answers, see The
XX If the Player Characters Succeeded at Cost while World They Left Behind. If the Player Characters ask how
convincing the Interface to spare the life of the Jahan !Xu, they can assist the Sentient Trees, the First Tree will request
increase the Difficulty by 1. aid in increasing the energy available to power and repair the
dome’s superluminal motion. The concept that this vessel
XX If the Player Characters have worked to strengthen the possesses a faster-than-light propulsion system may baffle
bioelectric field or flood the dome with negative ions, the Player Characters. There are no engines, no reactor of
reduce the Difficulty by 1. any kind, no means to generate a subspace field to achieve
warp speeds. It’s a mystery the First Tree will not answer
XX If the Player Characters offered to beam the Jahan !Xu to to their satisfaction. If questioned, the First Tree will only
their vessel, reduce the Difficulty by 1. say that the cosmic ocean has many currents. It takes an
enormous amount of power to ride the fastest tidal motions.
The Player Characters may spend one point of Determination
if one of their Values applies to the situation. Examples of If the Player Characters ask for a small sample of the Sentient
Values that might be appropriate are those that emphasize Trees’ sap for analysis to help in synthesizing medicine for the
honesty or compassion, such as “A Responsibility to the Jahan !Xu, then a Gardener approaches with a biodegradable
Truth” or “Driven to Ease Suffering.” vial holding the sample. This creates an Advantage for the
medical treatment in Act 3 (see Curing the Jahan !Xu).

THE WORLD THEY LEFT BEHIND

The home world of the Sentient Trees, Shahana, is located in the accepted that he would soon die from his injuries. Like a curious
Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy 160,000 light years from child picking up a toy to put in its mouth, the tree sent a shoot
our own. However, the trees were not the first sentient beings to into the base of the astronaut’s neck and connected directly
evolve on that planet. Millennia ago, Shahana was once home to with his consciousness. The two beings’ thoughts and minds
a humanoid species that reached a level of development similar became one. And so the First Tree was born.
to Earth’s Aztecs. This civilization cleared forests to make way
for their cities and temples. When the humanoids died out for This led to huge leaps forward in evolution in the millennia
unknown reasons, they left behind only ruins and, at a genetic that followed. The astronaut’s memories of home—and his
level within the trees, a deep distrust of non-botanical lifeforms. people that worshipped trees as the source of all life—created
a mythology within the Sentient Trees, which they called “The
Thousands of years later, two astronauts crash-landed on the Great Cycle.”
planet at a moment when the trees were just beginning to evolve
to sentience. One of the astronauts was killed in the crash; As their sun began to die, the trees realized they needed to
his mummified remains can be found in the burial mound. The leave their planet or die with it. They built a ship and sent a
surviving astronaut, however, was injured and sat down to colony of trees into the stars to find their promised land: the
rest at the foot of a young tree that, unbeknownst to him, was astronaut’s home.
awakening to self-awareness. He leaned against the trunk and

A FOREST APART 011

 The Player Characters will then receive a call from their CURING THE JAHAN !XU
ship. The geodesic dome has lowered its shields and begun In sickbay, the Player Characters will be able to study the
to move. Its course will take it to Albali Prime, in a binary neurodegenerative disease that afflicts the Jahan !Xu, and
star system one month away at sub-light speed. But the attempt to find a cure.
forest will not survive long enough to complete that journey.
Complicating matters, a 10-year-old Starfleet planetary First, they must resolve the alien’s addiction to the tree sap.
survey indicates Albali Prime is inhabited by a Bronze Age The withdrawal can be deadly so this is a Timed Challenged.
humanoid civilization. Each Task takes 2 intervals of time to attempt, and each
interval equals two hours. The Player Characters have 10
If the Persuasion Task was not successful then the First Tree intervals of time before the alien succumbs from heart failure
passes judgment: due to stress cardiomyopathy. Due to the unfamiliar biology
of the Jahan !Xu and the tree sap, the Complication Range
“Strangers from across the glittering, black sea, it is the is increased one level. Complications add a single interval to
judgment of the First that you shall be composted for your the Task.
crimes. You will become fuel for the ark and food for the
forest.” XX Study the Patient: Studying the physiology of the aliens
to understand how the sap acts like an opiate in their
The First Tree then announces that their journey is near an system is a Control + Medicine Task with a Difficulty
end as above, though it does not ask for aid. of 3, assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Medicine. If the
Player Characters gained Advantage by obtaining a
If the First Tree’s judgment goes against the Player sample of the tree sap, reduce the Difficulty by 1.
Characters, then they have limited options. For example, they
may force the forest to divert its resources to protect the First XX Find a Treatment: Using the knowledge obtained from
Tree by counteracting the negative ions. This would bring the studying the aliens’ physiology, the Player Characters
Jahan !Xu into the ruins and endanger the First Tree – and may now prepare a treatment. This is a Control or
the shields would fall. Jury-rigging a device to do this is a Reason + Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 3, assisted
Daring + Engineering Task with a Difficulty of 3. The Player by the ship’s Computers + Medicine.
Characters should describe the function of the device. Is it
flooding the area with positive ions or is it interfering with XX Administer the Treatment: Using a hypospray, the
the bioelectric field? The Players will have to get creative in Player Characters may now administer the treatment to
their solution. ease the withdrawal symptoms and begin weaning the
Jahan !Xu from their dependency. However, determining
Another option might be for a Vulcan Player Character to the correct dosage requires an Insight + Medicine Task
use a mind-meld to gain control of the geodesic dome. The with a Difficulty of 1. This Task Succeeds at Cost, adding
Player would need to spend Momentum to gain the type of two points to the Threat pool.
deep, telepathic access required. Such a violation will be
difficult and dangerous. Increase the Complication range by The Players may need to devise a more efficient method
3. A successful mind-meld enables the Player Character to of treating the entire colony. One possible solution is to
lower the geodesic dome’s shield. This would allow them aerosolize the medication. This is a Daring + Medicine
the use of their ship’s transporter. A Vulcan would not be Task with a Difficulty of 3, assisted by the ship’s Computers
able to maintain the link for long. Spend 2 Threat to create a + Medicine.
Complication that severs the mind-meld.
Finding a cure for the neurodegenerative disease is a Linear
Challenge with several Tasks that must be completed in
SCENE 2: THE COURSE IS SET order. The Players may wish to have more than one patient
This scene assumes that the Player Characters successfully for an effective study.
proved their innocence, and convinced the Jahan !Xu to stop
harvesting the tree sap. With the geodesic dome’s shields XX Study the Patient: The Player Characters must study
down, the crew can beam one or more Jahan !Xu to their the aliens’ nervous system and brainwave patterns.
vessel and attempt a remedy. But time is of the essence. This is a Control + Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 3,
The Jahan !Xu will soon experience withdrawal symptoms. assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Medicine. The Player
This manifests with extreme agitation, but quickly moves on Characters created Advantage if they previously studied
to vomiting and fever and eventually death. If there are still the aliens’ physiology, which reduces the Difficulty by 1.
Jahan !Xu aboard the geodesic dome, they will not wait long A success reduces the Difficulty of the next step by 1.
for medicine to ease their suffering. After 8 intervals in the
Task below, they begin ingesting the tree sap again.

012 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

XX Study the Symptoms of the Neurodegenerative change the end of the adventure dramatically.
Disease: The Player Characters must study the
symptoms to understand the disease’s cause. This is Should the Players choose to go against the Prime Directive,
a Control + Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 3 (or 2 if they will gain a point of Determination. Have them each take
the previous step was successful), assisted by the ship’s note that they have challenged this Directive, as they may
Computers + Medicine. Successfully completing this suffer consequences for this action later on.
Task allows the Players to move on to the next step.
However, if there is more than one patient, then the After they have debated this dilemma, here are some options
Player Characters may perform this Task again, once on the Players may consider:
each additional patient, to gather supplementary data.
Each success reduces the Difficulty of the next step by 1, FIND ANOTHER PLANET
to a minimum of 1. Adhering to the Prime Directive, the Player Characters may
scan for a suitable, uninhabited planet. But this remote sector
XX Discover a Cure: Using the knowledge obtained, Player of space is largely devoid of habitable worlds and time is
Characters may now work on a cure. This is a Control or running out for the Sentient Trees. They will in a matter of
Reason + Medicine Task with a Difficulty of 4 (this may days. But the Unwavering Faith of the Sentient Trees is a
have been reduced if additional data was gathered in Complication that makes any Persuasion Task to convince
the previous step), assisted by the ship’s Computers + them to settle on another world impossible. To make a
Medicine. Persuasion Task possible, the Player Characters will need to
create an Advantage by first finding a habitable world.
Complications that arise from any step in this Task will
increase the difficulty of the next step by 1. This represents This is a Timed Challenge with each Task taking two intervals
the Player Characters misinterpreting data from laboratory of time to attempt. Each interval equals 6 hours. The Player
results or misdiagnosing a key symptom of the condition. Characters have 7 intervals of time before the forest dies.

THE PRIME DIRECTIVE AND COMPLI- First, they must conduct a Sensor Sweep of this sector to
CATIONS locate a suitable planet. Even though they have spent the
Either before or after treating the Jahan !Xu, the Player last month star-charting this sector and have yet to discover
Characters must decide on a course of action. Even if the an M-class world, space is big – perhaps they missed
Jahan !Xu stopped harvesting the tree sap, the damage is something. This is a Reason + Science Task assisted by the
done. The forest is dying. Soon, the only remaining trees left ship’s Sensors + Science, with a Difficulty of 3. The Players
alive will not be enough to maintain the dome’s life support may make as many attempts as time with allow. Each sweep
systems and other vital functions. scans several parsecs within the sector. Complications add a
single interval to the Task.
If the Player Characters aid the Sentient Trees, then the Albali
people face forced colonization and cultural contamination. Momentum spends to Obtain Information will mean that
But if the Player Characters do nothing, an ancient species sensors pick up a signal from Albali Prime (see Scene 3). The
will go extinct, the sum of their knowledge lost. In this way, First Tree also detects this signal and it solidifies the Sentient
the Player Characters will have averted the resettlement of Trees’ belief that Albali Prime is their promised land. This is a
the Sentient Trees and preserved the natural evolution of the Complication that increases the Difficulty of the Persuasion
peaceful Albali, but at what cost? Task by 1.

Since the Albali are a pre-warp civilization, the Gamemaster While a successful Sensor Sweep eventually finds an M-class
should remind the Players that helping the Sentient Trees world, the Player Characters must still convince the Sentient
colonize the planet would be in direct violation of the Prime Trees to abandon their plans to colonize Albali Prime. Use
Directive. Encourage a robust discussion about the ethics of the appropriate Attribute + Discipline combination that best
action or inaction. suits the approach of the Player Characters. For example,
a Reason + Command should be used for those who
The Gamemaster may consider using this Directive to wish to find a solution through diplomacy. If the Players
introduce a Complication. Starfleet officers took an oath to wish to impress upon the Sentient Trees the ramifications
uphold the Prime Directive with their lives if necessary. Use colonization might have on the Albali, Presence + Security
this belief against the Player Captain. might be appropriate. Regardless of the combination, the
Difficulty of this Persuasion Task is 5. If the Complication
If the Player Captain accepts this Complication, he receives from the signal from Albali Prime increases this Difficulty to 6,
one point of Determination and reminds the crew of their then the Task becomes impossible.
oath. The Player Captain has made his decision: They will not
assist the Sentient Trees in reaching Albali Prime. This will

A FOREST APART 013

 If the Persuasion Task fails, or becomes impossible, the First SCENE 3: BEACON FROM THE
Tree says: PLANET
If the Player Characters’ starship is in orbit around Albali
“Our promised land is where we are meant to go. I will get Prime, then they detect a faint beacon transmitting at random
my people there or I will die trying. I will expend all of my life’s intervals from the surface. If the Player Characters have not
energy to ensure some of them survive.” left the geodesic dome, then their long-range sensors will
eventually detect the beacon. Before they can get an exact
VISIT ALBALI PRIME fix on its location, the beacon stops transmitting. This goes
The Player Characters may decide to leave the geodesic against everything in the planetary survey report, which
dome and travel to Albali Prime with the intention of locating is only 10 years old. The technology required to transmit
an out-of-the-way place for the forest to colonize. Proceed to the signal could not have been invented by the native
Scene 3. inhabitants. Is it an alien probe that fell to the surface of
the planet or something else? Either way, the survey team
TRANSFERRING POWER TO THE GEO- missed something. If the Player Characters are not already in
DESIC DOME orbit, they will probably want to investigate.
The Player Characters may decide to help the geodesic
dome reach Albali Prime or some other suitable world before Scanning the planet surface is a Reason + Science Task,
the forest dies. This might be accomplished by transferring assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Science, with a Difficulty of
power from the Player Characters’ ship to the geodesic 0. Success reveals:
dome. This speeds the Sentient Tree’s repair cycle, enabling
them to fix their propulsion system with enough power to XX No obvious uninhabited continent for the Sentient Trees
travel at warp 2. This enables them to reach Albali Prime in to settle.
just 17 hours.
XX A sparsely populated valley nestled between two
The Players would need to beam several of their ship’s mountain ranges. 1,132 humanoids inhabit the valley,
batteries to the geodesic dome and connect them to spread across 1,000 square kilometers. The valley is
a seedpod’s bioelectric interface. This is a Daring + barren of trees. Only bushes and bamboo-like plants
Engineering Task with a Difficulty of 4. A Complication here grow here, despite fertile soil and ample water from
might result in the Players transferring too much power too rivers, streams, and small lakes. The inhabitants practice
quickly. The battery overloads, causing a fire. agriculture, along with foraging and hunting in the
mountains.

ALBALI [MINOR NPC]

Spending Momentum to Obtain Information reveals:
TRAITS: Albalin
XX The beacon came from somewhere in this valley. The
ATTRIBUTES beacon will not transmit again, making it impossible to
pinpoint precise coordinates.
CONTROL 08 FITNESS 09 PRESENCE 09

At this point, the Player Characters might send a landing

DARING 08 INSIGHT 07 REASON 07
party to the valley to investigate. The planet is protected by
the Prime Directive so the Player Characters should proceed
DISCIPLINES with caution. They are to avoid any interference with the
normal social development of the Albali. To blend in with the
COMMAND 02 SECURITY 00 SCIENCE 01
inhabitants, ship’s stores should provide native costumes.

CONN 00 ENGINEERING 02 MEDICINE 01

Whatever the Player Characters do, they will need to work
quickly. Time will either be running out for the Sentient Trees
STRESS: 9 RESISTANCE: 0 or the geodesic dome will be speeding toward the planet and
will soon arrive – whether the Player Characters are ready
WEAPONS: or not.
XX Simple Tools (Melee, 2A, Knockdown)

014 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

 01.40 A FOREST APART
ACT 3: TO THE RUINS
SCENE 1: SEARCH FOR THE BEACON Balfourwin calls for his daughter and the young girl peeks
Finding the beacon – and determining its origin – is essential out from behind one of the curtains. He introduces her as
to understanding the relationship between the Sentient Trees Narabal and tells her he is making tea for the trade. She
and Albali Prime. The information the Player Characters gain runs out and sits beside the fire, staring wide-eyed at the
may reinforce the choices they have made about aiding the Player Characters.
Sentient Trees or lead them to shift their thinking. Locating
the beacon will not be easy, as it only transmits sporadically XX In the traditions of the Albali, the guests tell a story
– sometimes years between transmissions. The Player while the tea brews. The tale can be about their travels
Characters will need to interact with the inhabitants of the or their family history. It can even be of a fantastical
valley if they hope to find the beacon. But to avoid violating nature. Regardless, the goal is to influence and inspire
the Prime Directive, they will need to be careful to not divulge the listener. This is a Presence + Command Task with
anything about space travel or advanced technology. a Difficulty of 2. Success creates Advantage in Scene
2 during their interaction with the Library while failure
IN THE VALLEY Succeeds at Cost, creating a Complication in that scene.
The landing party materializes in a lush valley ringed by
snow-topped mountains. Scans detect a structure on the When the Players Characters have told their story, Balfourwin
other side of a rise, less than half a kilometer away. The rise pours the tea and his wife tells a tale of a lost forest – the
provides a commanding a view of the structure below. mythology many in the valley share.

The building is a rammed earth and stone roundhouse with a “In a time before this one, beyond living memory, a forest
thatched conical roof. Nearby, on a large flat stone that juts grew in this valley from mountain to mountain. The forest
into the clear waters of a glacial lake, a man washes clothes. gave our people all they needed, sweet fruit to eat, cool
A woman tends a patch of bright red, bamboo-like plants. shade from the two suns, limbs to climb and cradle us. But
She sees the Player Characters, puts down her clay watering our ancestors forgot their love of that forest. They sought
pail, and waves to the Player Characters. only to serve themselves. They thought themselves above the
world, not part of it. And their arrogance almost destroyed
As the Player Characters approach, the man lays the wet us all. Many died in the great catastrophe and in the years of
clothes on the stone to dry in the sun. The woman greets sorrow that followed. But in our tales of remembrance, we
them with a smile: relearned what our ancestors forgot. Care for the land and the
land will care for you, and keep you always.”
“I am the one called Narapol, of the two called Nara and Pol.
And this is my partner, the one called Balfourwin, of the two At the end of the telling, the little girl says, “I can take you to
called Fourwin and Bal. They are gone now but not gone. the cave. The story is there. I can show you.”
In here, we keep them.” She places a palm over her heart,
and Balfourwin stands to join her. “Our home is your home. PLANETARY SURVEY REPORT EXCERPT
Come. Are you here for the Library?”

XX The Library is a female who recounts the stories of their The Albali are human in appearance. Both men and women wear
people for those who have come of age. It is a seasonal simple knee-length woollen wraps with a single shoulder strap.
gathering, initiating their young into the story trade. Even They are an affable people, ever curious and always welcoming of
those without children attend. strangers from distant lands. There is no history of violence among
them. Never has one settlement taken up arms against another.
Inside, a fire pit roars in the center of the roundhouse. They use a barter system and their most valuable commodity is
Benches made from the bamboo-like plants line the white stories. They take pleasure in trading stories, the better the tale
stone walls. The beams supporting the thatched roof are also the more valuable the exchange. In fact, it is customary to greet
constructed from this plant. Curtains drape over two sleeping newcomers with such a trade.
cots for privacy.
- Lieutenant Cristobal Hensley

A FOREST APART 015

 Balfourwin chides his daughter, saying, “It’s a myth, little If the Player Characters did not analyze the remains aboard
sprout.” And to his wife, he says, “The girl must understand the geodesic dome they may still make this discovery. The
the difference between what is true and what is imagined.” tricorder will register faint similarities between the seedpod
and their analysis of the First Tree. But they will need to send
“Faith is not imagined, husband.” Narapol says. “Go on, my the results to their vessel to run further tests in the lab. This is
daughter, show them. There is still time before the Library a Reason + Science Task assisted by the ship’s Computers
begins. We will meet you there.” + Science, with a Difficulty of 2. Success isolates the
common DNA shared between the seedpod and the First
Narabal leads the Player Characters to the far side of the Tree – it is Albali DNA. The Sentient Trees are a blending
glacial lake, to a cave in the hills. of the two species, a humanoid from Albali Prime and a
botanical lifeform from another galaxy.

SCENE 2: LOST CIVILIZATION What happens next will largely be determined by the Player
Inside the cave, luminescent moss dispels the darkness. The Characters’ choices so far:
Player Characters follow Narabal through twisting underground
passages to a massive chamber. Among quartzite columns XX If the Players helped the Sentient Trees, then the
and petroglyphs rests a half-buried seedpod. Composed of geodesic dome is arriving imminently. They must prepare
metal and organic material, the teardrop-shaped seedpod is a the Albali, ensuring they are not simply being colonized
meter tall. Living roots extend from the bottom and into nearby by this alien species. See The Library.
pools of water. A delicate seedling – a red-leafed tree – is
visible through a small window. XX If the Players did not help the Sentient Trees, then after
this discovery they may decide that the Prime Directive
On the chamber’s walls, petroglyphs depict a vast forest. doesn’t apply under these circumstances. It will be a race
Narabal points to the carvings and says: “This is the empty against time to aid the Sentient Trees before it is too late.
valley before it emptied.” See Alternative Ending. Regardless, the Players will still
need to grapple with the impending settlement, as per
She then points out the seedpod. “The stories say it sings a above.
beautiful melody. The Library heard it once, long ago. I have
sat here many cycles of the suns, hoping to hear its song. Do
you think it will ever sing for me?” THE LIBRARY
The Library arrives soon after the Player Characters make
An analysis of the seedpod requires the use of a tricorder. their discovery. She is an old, wizened woman with a
This is a Reason + Science Task, with a Difficulty of 3. bamboo walking cane. She takes a seat on a stone beside
Alternatively, they can use Insight + Engineering. Ask the the seedpod. Children and their parents file into the cave,
Players how they manage to do this without Narabal seeing sitting in a circle around her. Narabal’s parents arrive and join
or hearing the tricorder. Success reveals: their daughter.

XX The seedpod is a biomechanical transmitter. The Library’s creaking voice echoes in the cave. “My children,
you are here for the great truth. You are the seedlings that will
XX It is approximately 10,000 years old. carry our stories to the next generation. Are you ready?”

Spending Momentum to Obtain Information reveals, point The children murmur their eager agreement. The
for point: Library continues:

XX The device is not alien to Albali Prime. Its biology is “Long ago, our ancestors foresaw the coming of the great
comparable to the planet’s other plant and animal life. cataclysm. They foresaw the end of the forest. So they sent
away the last surviving trees, with the faithful to care for them.
XX The organic elements show evidence of antibodies to a They hoped one day we could make our valley worthy again
weaponized biological agent. of such a gift. This seedling reminds us of our destiny. If the
day comes when the forest grows once more, we must not
If the Player Characters analyzed the mummified remains forget our place in the order of things. This is why we keep
within the sarcophagus on the geodesic dome, then the our stories close. To see where we are going, we must first
tricorder still retains that data. It registers similarities between understand where we have been.”
the biology of the seedpod and the remains: both share
the same DNA codes for processing sugars. The deceased The Library asks each child to share the story they have
humanoid came from Albali Prime. prepared. The stories range from the mundane – the season’s

016 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

planting and harvest – to the deeply personal – tales of years and then only for a few minutes. This time, the song
loss and sadness. When it is Narabal’s turn, she tells of the is continuous. This further reduces the Difficulty of the
strangers coming to her homestead. Persuasion Task by 1, to a minimum of 1.

The Library then turns to the Player Characters and asks If this Task fails, the people begin arguing among themselves
them why they have come. The Player Characters may use – divided over whether to believe these strangers. Make a
this moment to address the people and pave the way for note of this, as it will affect the outcome of the first meeting
the arrival of the Sentient Trees. Though many of the people between the Sentient Trees and the Albali.
would embrace the Sentient Trees, many, like Narabal’s
father, are skeptical of the old tales. Convincing the people
will be a Difficulty 3 Persuasion Task. SCENE 3: THE FOREST ARRIVES
The Player Characters’ ship notifies the landing party that
XX If the Players created a relationship Advantage in the the geodesic dome has appeared above Albali Prime and
previous scene, it will cancel one Complication. is now making its descent into the atmosphere. The large
tapering roots of the dome’s underbelly burn away in the
XX If the Players Succeeded at Cost in the previous scene extreme heat. Setting down in an open stretch of fields, the
and thus created a Complication, the Difficulty of translucent dome dissolves into a water vapor and dissipates
the Persuasion Task increases by 1. This represents in the air. The hexagonal vines, burnt to a crisp, fall to the
Narabal’s father speaking out against believing in forest floor. The roots of the trees burrow deep and settle into
superstition and myth, and inspiring others to do so as their new soil.
well. “These are stories to teach us how to live a good
life, nothing more.” The flowers sing. The Gardeners emerge from their seedpods
and begin their work. The Interface emerges from the forest
XX If the Players did not create this Complication, spend 2 before the Player Characters and the Albali. Note that, if the
Threat and create the Complication anyway. Interface did not remain in the geodesic dome, an irresistible
urge will have called them to beam down to the planet’s
This Task Succeeds at Cost, creating a Complication in the surface to reunite with the Sentient Trees.
form of a negative personal Trait for the Library. A majority of
the people may be swayed but the Library has the final say If the Player Characters were successful at convincing the
and she needs further convincing. She questions the honesty Albali to welcome the Sentient Trees, then the First Tree will
of the Player Characters. “We have rejected many a false address the people of the valley through the Interface.
promise. Traders from beyond the valley have come, offering
worthless seeds. How do we know that your trees are any “This alien yet familiar soil has awakened ancient memories
different?” within us. Millennia ago, your people journeyed among the
stars. One of them, an astronaut, woke us to consciousness.
Convincing the Library is a Difficulty 3 Persuasion Task. Her He is within me, even now, and so he is a part of all of us. He
Questioning Trait, however, increases the Difficulty by 1. If came from this valley. He carried its memory across galaxies.
the Players generated their own Complication by rolling a 20, He taught us about the people who lived here, who loved
then the Questioning Trait counts as two Traits, increasing the their forest like they loved their children. When our own world
Difficulty by 2. If this occurs, the Players may want to spend died, this love called us here.
any Momentum generated, even buying additional dice with
Threat to ensure a chance at success. “There are too few of us left to be called a forest but with your
tender care we may yet survive. If you welcome us, care of
But the Players will need to alter the circumstances in some us in our time of need, if you let us thrive and flourish, we will
way. The best approach might to provide the Library with provide you shade and fruit. It has been so long, so very long
evidence that what they claim is true. Each fact will reduce since your kind sat beneath our branches in peace. Let your
the Difficulty of the Persuasion Task by 1. But how much little ones climb upon our limbs as they would your backs,
about themselves are they willing to reveal? How much of the and we will cradle them always.”
truth will they tell? Will they violate the Prime Directive and
expose the Albali to the notions of space travel and extra- If the Player Characters were not successful at convincing
terrestrial life? the Albali, then the sight of the geodesic dome falling
from the sky and the vine-like Gardeners frightens them to
At this moment, if the Player Characters had helped the the point of forgetting themselves. Armed only with farm
Sentient Trees, the seedpod sputters into song as the implements, some move to attack. While they may be easily
geodesic dome drops out of warp above Albali Prime. subdued with phaser fire, the real challenge for the Players
The seedpod has made music before, but not for many will be stopping the combat and reasoning with them. The

A FOREST APART 017

 THE FATE OF THE JAHAN !XU

If the Player Characters were successful in treating the Jahan If the Player Characters were not successful in finding a cure
!Xu’s addiction and finding a cure for their neurodegenerative for the disease, they may need to find a way for the Sentient
disease, they will ask to be taken to the nearest asteroid Trees and the Jahan !Xu to exist in a state of symbiosis. The
field. This mission could serve as a catalyst for the Players’ Gamemaster should encourage the Players to be creative here.
next adventure. For example, the Albali may serve as the bridge between the
species: harvesting sap in a way that does not harm the Sentient
Trees but still slows the progression of the Jahan !Xu’s disease.

THE FATE OF THE INTERFACE

Whether a Player Character or Supporting Character, the Computers + Medicine. The consequences of failure may
Gamemaster should encourage the Players to explore how the be severe injuries resulting from nerve damage. Regardless of
Interface has been affected by the experience of being one with success or failure, the patient suffers emotional distress. He
the forest. Medical scans may show that the officer is slowly or she will feel a profound sense of loss, as if a part of them
becoming an entirely unique entity. Does the character wish to is missing.
return to live as a completely non-botanical life form, or do they
wish to further explore this new way of being? Like Willard Decker If the Sentient Trees have perished, the fate of the Interface is
joining with V’ger in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the officer may more uncertain. The pain of such a great loss may break even the
be drawn to give up their Starfleet commission and follow a new strongest mind. Even if the medical procedure is a success, the
path as a part of the forest. officer may never be the same again.

If the Interface opts to continue their Starfleet career, this requires If the Player Character has already received two or more Spotlight
surgery. Treat the medical procedure as an Extended Task with Milestones, then this could be an opportunity to award an Arc
a Work track of 10, a Magnitude of 4 and a Base Difficulty of 4. Milestone since it represents a major change for the character.
The Basic Task is Control + Medicine, assisted by the ship’s

arrival of the Sentient Trees has changed the circumstances

for the Player Characters and they can make another attempt
to convince the Albali. This is a Difficulty 3 Persuasion Task.
If the Player Characters created a relationship Advantage
at the roundhouse in Scene 1, the Difficulty is reduced by
1. This represents Narabal and her mother aiding the Player
Characters’ arguments.

XX If they are successful, Narabal will step forward from

the crowd. “This is not our way,” she says. “We greet
strangers with tea and story-trade. I would like to hear the
forest’s story.” Her words still her people’s fears and the
Interface speaks as above.

XX If they are not successful, the Sentient Trees will

recognize that they are not wanted. The genetic memory
of how the forests of their home world were once abused
by non-botanicals is strong. They would rather perish
than condemn their seedlings to such a life. The Interface
says: “We will not burden you with our existence.” The
remaining living Sentient Trees then wither before their
very eyes, until they are nothing but dead, petrified wood.
The Interface collapses, the link broken. See The Fate of
the Interface sidebar.

018 STAR TREK ADVENTURES

 01.50 A FOREST APART
CONCLUSION
The conclusion of this adventure will feel very different
ALTERNATIVE ENDING
depending on the Player Characters’ choices. If they
successfully helped the Sentient Trees or their seeds to join
in peaceful coexistence with the Albali, and aided the Jahan If the Player Characters did not aid the Sentient Trees by providing
!Xu, then the Player Characters may feel a sense of uneasy additional power for the dome’s propulsion, their experiences on
triumph. They have saved one or more sentient species from Albali Prime may change their minds. If so, they find the geodesic
extinction, but potentially violated the Prime Directive. Have dome adrift and the forest dying. Scattered on the ground around
they done the right thing? Was it worth it? Gamemasters the First Tree are several large, acorn-like golden seeds. Through
should take this into consideration when determining the Interface, the First Tree speaks: “We are lost. But if you take
Reputation and possible disciplinary actions. these seeds and plant them in good soil, then our people may live
on.” The Interface then goes on to reveal the story of the Ancient
Astronaut. At this stage, all tricorder readings and other analysis
CONTINUING VOYAGES… make it clear that the forest cannot be saved. The seeds – and the
If the Player Characters did not succeed in aiding the future of the Sentient Trees – now rest in the Player Characters’
Sentient Trees or the Jahan !Xu, or even both, they will need hands. They can return to Albali Prime with the seeds or find
to grapple with their role in failing to prevent the extinction another suitable planet that is uninhabited.
of sentient species. They may have followed the Prime
Directive, but at what cost? How will this affect the morale of
the crew on future missions?

A FOREST APART 019