When Psi-Corps can't figure out if you are full of shit or a potential threat

Session 15: A New Mission             With the successful completion of the operation in the Quingaul system, it was time to move on. Due to the substantial difficulties involved with their previous mission and the apparent ease at which they had overcome them, Psi-Corps Command had decided to test their over-zealous operatives with an impossible mission. The team was instructed to abscond with one of the most notorious Titan Generals known, from a place that would prevent them from using their most powerful talents; magic.           Their destination was Xonkaelara, a desert planet in the Titan controlled Bisotune System. The mission; to capture the commander of the entire Titan army and hand him over to the Federation military. A simple enough prospect until you start reading the fine print. Supreme Commander Jade Hail is the one of the most ruthless individuals to ever hold that position. In addition, his personal bodyguard is rumored to have precognitive abilities on top of his lightning fast reflexes. Finally, the location the target must be taken from is the Grand Bazaar. The bazaar is a massive hive city enclosed within an even bigger pyramid, protected by some of the most powerful magic in the universe. A peace rune said to be crafted by Tiamat herself. Any magic use or violence that transpires within the confines of the bazaar is dealt with by a huge magical backlash of energy from the peace rune.             They were given four months to travel, outfit, and train for the upcoming mission. Seth spent most of that time in a sleep-like trance, learning to understand his new abilities. His interaction with the goddess Faye back on Eritos had opened his eyes to the wonders of the universe. His kind were known for their complete understanding of magic, but now he understood that the most powerful mage in the galaxy was but a child playing with forces they barely understood. There were no rules to magic, only a need to comprehend the forces that make up all reality. He now had the ability to bend these forces to his will. *   *   *   *             Their ship had been refitted to appear to be a civilian vessel and was given a new designation, The Pilgrim’s Passage. The ship had entered the enemy controlled system and was currently passing Arcadia Station; an orbital platform that served as both planetary defense and as a casino for tourists. As they slowly drifted by the station, Seth could feel a subtle pull at the back of his mind. With his new understanding of magic, he glanced out the cockpit at the looming space station. He could see/feel/taste glowing runes covering the exterior of the station. He knew the runes were meant to entice visitors to have a good time and to encourage them to continue doing so regardless of the cost. He could see the magic slowly infecting his crew and was glad this was not their destination. *   *   *   *             Gil gracefully landed the Pilgrim at the designated spaceport and they crew gathered their belongings in preparation to disembark. As the hatch opened and the ramp descended, they were hit by a blast of hot air. He could tell that Ambella and Grey were uncomfortable with the heat but Corvus was protected by his environmentally sealed armor. Bjorn, like Seth, seemed unphased by the heat.             Having had some difficulties with lodging on the last mission, Seth had decided to make it a priority to procure proper accommodations right away. Scanning the causeway for any trade terminals, Bjorn pointed out a kiosk that advertised commercial rental properties. Was it his imagination, or was his crew starting to understand what he needed before he said what it was? Either way, Seth found a small office building that was suitable for what he needed. As the bazaar was the size of a small country, he thought it would be wise to have a space near their ship that could serve as a rendezvous in case they had to leave the city. Leaving Gil instructions and a budget to furnish the building and to guard the ship, he then led the rest of his team to the tram that would take them into the Grand Bazaar.             To Seth, the most impressive aspect of the bazaar was not it’s size but the massive glowing rune floating above the city near the apex of the pyramid. It was beautiful, and it radiated with power that unmistakably originated from a god. He could sense that the power of the rune touched every living being within the bazaar. For all it’s beauty, Seth also knew it was deadly. The stories went, that anyone who broke the tenets of the peace accord were destroyed with absolute lethal purpose. It was all so fascinating.             As they arrived at their destination, Seth considered heading straight for the location where he intended to procure their primary lodging. He realized that it was still some distance away, and instead chose to peruse the many shops along the way. He was hoping to find a shrine to Tiamat along the way. Something connected to her.             Seth had been hearing stories of Tiamat and her adventures since before he was brought into this world. His mother had taught him many life lessons with these stories as he lay suspended in the void, warm in the comforting embrace of his mother’s voice in his dark little world. Because of her, he knew of color before ever seeing light. He knew of the stars before ever looking up at the sky. He knew of power before ever hearing the critical voice of his father.             He found a tent selling religious curios dedicated to Tiamat. There was nothing of value but he bought a few things anyway. You never know when something like that might come in handy. The only item of power he noticed obviously belonged to the proprietor, but he offered to buy it anyway. They refused, but rewarded his boldness with some information and a business card belonging to a merchant that could provide something more to his liking.             The merchant was an annoying squid-faced being that talked too much, but eventually provided what Seth was looking for. He had been dealing with the discomfort of wearing armor that did not change when he did for weeks. Now, he had a suit of polymorphic clothing that would not only provide protection but would, once properly prepared, alter its shape and style to fit his needs. Once purchased, he decided to make one more stop before heading out to the Sugar Bowl. He dispatched Ambella to acquire some staticite from the local Black Market. *   *   *   *             The Sugar Bowl was an archaic gladiatorial arena that was indistinguishable from any other bloody fighting pit except on two counts; the peace rune that governed the entire area of the bazaar did not function in the Sugar Bowl, and the menu for visitors to the arena included items that could be fought in the arena before being served as dinner. It was Seth’s intent to acquire lodging as close to the arena as was reasonably affordable.             Once the lodging had been rented, Seth asked if anyone wanted to visit the arena. Unsurprisingly, everyone wanted to go. Seth was hoping to find a way to meet with the owner in hopes of gathering information that might assist them in their mission. As fate would have it, that meeting would be happening much sooner than he had planned.             Approaching the front entrance to the arena, Seth introduced himself as a potential business partner to Holly Jaxx. The guards promptly ushered him and his crew into a lush balcony over looking the arena where the proprietor sat awaiting their arrival. She offered them expensive champagne and offered polite conversation. It was not until she asked the purpose for him requesting this meeting that he realized that she thought he was someone else. Pausing for only a moment, he quickly corrected her mistake. Holly took this revelation in stride. Politely informing them that she had another engagement, she had them ushered out of the room to an adjoining room. As they were being led away, Seth overheard her address the subject of her actual appointment as ‘Senator’.             Curious, Seth pulled from his pocket a dull brass coin and placed it on the arm of one of the chairs. Once comfortably seated in the next room, he relaxed himself and let his senses drift. Once the details of his current surroundings had faded from thought, he summoned an image of the previous room and the coin he had left there. With minimal effort, he willed his sense of hearing to merge with the coin. Suddenly, he was listening to the conversation as if he where sitting in the room with them.             The visitor was named Enhous. Apparently, he was a former Federation Senator and was attempting to garner support for his re-instatement. Seth couldn’t figure out why he had approached Holly, but the former senator seemed convinced that she could help him. Holly seemed to be at a loss as well, so she told the Senator she would consider his offer.             Once the Senator had left, she invited them back into the previous room and began asking very pointed questions of Seth. He evaded answering most of them, but he had to give her something eventually. He finally relented and allowed her to assume they were part of Psi-Corps. She then started asking questions about his crew. She challenged Ambella to make a difficult shot from the balcony with her rifle. Ambella did not disappoint.             Coming to some sort of private decision, Holly sent a servant to invite the Senator back to the meeting room. Upon arrival she proposed a duel between bodyguards. The winner would receive her backing. Seth gave Grey leave to make his own decision and the Senator did the same with his bodyguard. Once both had agreed, Holly presented a deck of cards and asked them to take one. As they did, each one disappeared, to where Seth could only assume was the arena.             Seth had no interest in blood-sport and so he took a seat to await the outcome. A few minutes later, Grey reappeared with smoke coming from the barrels of his revolvers and seeming rather composed all things considered. Holly congratulated him on his victory and promised to provide any assistance she could to help in their mission. Seth asked a few questions about the area and inquired about a dragon named Wolfgang.             Meeting concluded, it was time to assess what they had learned so far. On their first day they had made an enemy and an ally, but had otherwise learned very little about how to accomplish their mission. Seth had some interesting ideas concerning the peace rune, but needed to do some experiments before he spoke of it. His team were full of ideas on how to take out the general. He couldn’t help but wonder when they would stop thinking like children. Inwardly, he suspected that would be when he told them to.

Session 16: Breaking the Peace             Having met their first VIP within the community of the Grand Bazaar, Holly Jaxx, Seth felt things were progressing nicely. Of course, he knew that Holly had only promised her cooperation to give herself time to gather more intel on his team and their reasons for being here. He felt he understood her motivations well enough to rely on her to stay the course. It occurred to him that they might be better off with lodgings within the confines of the Sugar Bowl and when asked, Holly provided them with a Presidential Suite.             After the group transferred their gear to the new suite, Seth determined it was time to put the fear of the Gods into his team. All of the ideas they had come up with so far regarding the target involved direct action against him and his agent. Any action of that sort was certain to get them all killed. He gave them a truncated version of the speech his father had given him when he was just a babe; Never attack your prey from the front, always find an angle that they will not expect. Most of them got the point. Bjorn was being stubborn, which was fitting considering he is a Dwarven Demolitionist, the poster-child for direct action.             Seth figured it was time for show-and-tell. Commanding Bjorn to pull the pin on a grenade and to throw it at him, he observed that the grenade the Dwarf chose was of the plasma variety. He had to give it to the guy, he did nothing half-ass. As the diminutive fellow pulled his arm back for the toss, Seth reached down to the braided and knotted rope at his belt. The rope represented Fate; the endless possibilities that each Pattern encountered on its passage from Beginning to End. Focusing his Sight on the grenade, he can see many possible scenarios; the grenade landing at his feet bathing him in its warmth, it sailing past him to blast a hole in the far wall, the projectile being deflected back at his crew ending them in a blaze of furious energy, and the weapon detonating in the Dwarf’s hand as soon as he pulls the pin. Once he finds the outcome he wants, he engages his will and manipulates the configuration of the rope.             Casually catching the projectile, Seth holds the grenade up for the Dwarf to see. Nothing happens. Bjorn assumes the grenade is a dud. To prove his point, Seth repeats his performance with Ambella’s rifle. Once again, a click but no bang. The Dwarf analyzes both weapons and finds no reason for the malfunction. Seth explains to them that their target most likely possesses a similar ability to manipulate the outcome of any single event and they need to learn to obscure their actions with layers of redundancy in order to give themselves any chance of success. Hoping they take his words to heart, he dismisses them. *   *   *   *             After spending the last couple of hours warding the closet to protect them from the effects of the staticite, Seth returns to the suite’s common area to find that Ambella had returned from her date with Harold the Security Chief. Against all expectations, she returned with a most valuable asset; she had obtained the codes to access the Bazaar’s teleportation network from her drunken host. He had to admit, despite the fact that her curiosity would likely get herself killed, she was shaping up into a fairly decent operative. *   *   *   *             The streets of the Bazaar were nearly devoid of all life except for his team. Every few steps required that they step over the corpse of a fallen citizen. A brief flash of movement from the shadows was answered with a report from the security drones that formed a perimeter around his team. Another body to add to the pile. Seth glanced up at the sky above the part of the city that was their destination. Where the giant peace rune should have been was a massive portal radiating with dark energies. Falling from the portal was an endless stream of demons raining down on the city. As he contemplated his next action, a figure approached; a woman.             She was the embodiment of beauty and power. As she approached, Seth could feel that she was completely unconcerned with the chaos surrounding her and at the same time had absolute control of every minute detail of the grisly scene. Nothing hindered her approach. He resisted the urge to fall to his knees. If she wanted his obedience, she needed but to ask. That was not her way.             “You have done well.”             She snapped her fingers and the glowing peace rune instantly popped into existence over the portal to the Demon Realm, ending the infernal tide. A sense of warmth erupted in his chest, a combination of both pleasure and pain at being in this woman’s presence. He had pleased her, but what exactly had he done? He grasped for the tendrils of thought that were his mission parameters, the things that still needed to be done. They fluttered in front of him like condescending little imps, daring him to reach out for them and laughing when he missed.             He turned to his team in hopes of finding assistance and found nothing but blood and ash. The sensation of warmth from the woman’s praise began to fade and was slowly being replaced with a cold sense of dread. How could he feel so alone and without purpose in her presence? Seth turned back to her with a questioning look in his eyes. She reached out and gently caressed his chest. The warmth returned as he looked down and noticed the gaping hole in his chest rapidly knitting itself back together. Looking back, he notices each of his teammates rising from where they had fallen.             “That would explain it.” *   *   *   *             Seth awoke feeling energized. He had long ago dismissed the notion that what he saw in his visions was preordained. His visions were a tool, allowing him to walk into danger with eyes wide open or potentially avert disaster entirely. Knowledge was power if you knew how to apply it properly. Besides, despite the dark nature of his vision it did have a nice twist at the end.             His main goal today was to study the peace rune that hovered in the sky above the bazaar. He knew there had to be a way around it, but he needed to know more about it to ascertain what that could be. Despite his best efforts, he kept getting interrupted by his team. Finally, he had to order them to not disturb him until evening. They needed to learn to think for themselves and now was as good of time as any.             When Ambella notified him that evening that Holly was on her way to speak to them, he had already learned more of the peace rune than he had anticipated. Not only was it possible to protect him and his crew from the effects of the enchantment, he had identified a critical weakness in its construction. This, combined with his vision from last night, painted a disturbing picture of what was to come. He offered to reveal what he had seen of the coming days to his team, but they opted to leave the room instead. They were learning.             As the servants arrive to prepare the room for Holly’s visit, Seth wonders what she is planning. As the two rabbit-women finish setting the table with all manner of food and drink, they wait nervously to be dismissed. Seth entertains the idea of offering them a gratuity, but decides against it. He does not want Holly thinking that he is attempting to garner affection among her staff.             The servants leave and a little imp enters the room wearing chains. It appears to be the same imp they had caught snooping earlier in the day and was most likely being punished for having been caught. He was followed by a stately, squid-faced gentleman whose function seemed to be magical security. After proclaiming the room secure, Holly entered the room and took a place at the table.             She shortly began greeting each member of his team by name. Not the false names they had given previously, but by the names they had registered with the Federation. She had even managed to obtain some intel from their previous mission on Eritos. Holly was obviously trying to maneuver them into a position that she could profit from, but Seth was prepared to reverse the tables on her.             He patiently laid out enough information concerning the impending destruction of the Grand Bazaar to convince her and her escort that the danger was real. She quickly changed her tune and started asking questions regarding what she would have to do to protect her investment in the Sugar Bowl. Seth gave her an idea of what might be required of her and made it very plain that anything less than complete cooperation could result in the loss of her livelihood. She wasn’t happy.             Seth had learned much from Holly’s visit and was confident that the elements required to navigate the coming days were falling into place. Gods and Titans, nuclear weapons, Demon Gates, and all manner of ugliness was on its way. He had yet to figure out why, but he was confident that it would reveal itself in time. Patience was key, and the ability to utilize the intel when it presented itself. He felt the confrontation with the Titan swiftly approaching. He needed to be ready.

Session 17: We Need a Cannon             With the departure of Holly, Seth needed time to process the implications of the information they had just obtained. Not only did the Supreme Commander have possession of Nuclear weapons, but it seemed he was trying to acquire or stop the acquisition of all staticite within the bazaar. It occurred to Seth that the reason Psi-Corps had sent them here was because they knew Commander Hail was up to something that could harm the Federation, they just didn’t know what. Hence, the kidnapping attempt.             He did not have long to ponder the details. A brief flash of light from the center of the common area indicated an incoming teleport. Two members of the bazaar security forces were left standing in the room. Seth recognized one of them as Harold, Ambella’s date from the previous evening. The other was a squirrel-man whom he did not recognize. Harold instantly spotted Ambella and approached her, asking questions about the events after their date. As Ambella deflected the gopher’s questions with ease, a precognitive flash revealed an assault on the apartment by a large group of crocodilians. Curious as to who he might have angered enough to send such brutes, Seth dismissed the feeling out of hand. He would know soon enough. It was a bit disturbing to have seen Tress in the apartment, engaged in conversation with Grey. He also knew that the impending attack was only minutes away as the two security personnel were still talking with Ambella in his vision.             The confused look from the others indicated that Seth had inadvertently shared his vision with everyone in the room. The disorientation was compounded by a sudden and authoritative knock at the door. Suspecting that the being at the door was Tress, Seth decided to let the events play themselves out as they would and retreated to the far side of the common are to wait.             It came as no surprise to anyone when Gil came over the comms warning them of the attack. Tress stepped in front of Grey, drawing his pistols and breathing into them to charge their magic as Bjorn emerged from the living area with two grenades of each type he owned. Seth had an idea for a welcoming treat for the invaders and began his summoning spell.             As the door flew open and the Crocodiles charged in, the first four through the entrance were hit with rounds from Tress’s pistols. From Seth’s vantage point it appeared that they were turned to stone and their comrades had to push their way past the immobilized creatures. Under a barrage of fire from his team, the few that made it past the living barricade found themselves surrounded by haunting wails and ghostly fairy lights. In seconds, most of them collapsed in a pile of dust and one was thrown from the entryway entirely, landing in an unconscious heap in the living room. A well-placed plasma grenade from Bjorn broke what was left of the charge as reptile scales fused with now pliable flesh.             Seth teleported to the hallway outside to make sure at least one of the attackers survived the massacre. Corvus and Northorn were there finishing off the few remaining aggressors with steel and fire. With a surge of power, Seth broke through the mental defenses of the last croc and commanded him to surrender. A powerful voice from inside answered the question on Seth’s mind, so he ordered the creature to return to his master and tell him what he had seen.             Inside, Tress was now accompanied by Commander Hale. Apparently, the bodyguard was concerned that they would be unable to handle the situation. Seth allowed himself a brief moment of pleasure at the fact that they were unaware of how capable his team was. After a brief introduction, the Commander returned the apartment to its former state with a snap of his fingers. The blood, bodies, and plasma burns disappeared as if the battle had never happened. Seth allowed the conversation to stay casual until the Titan took his leave. *   *   *   *             Having spent all night working on his project, Seth felt confident that his design would work. The goal was to create an item that would allow his team to operate free from the constraints of the Peace Rune. The solution was an amulet that, worn by his team, would prevent the magic from establishing a connection with their life force. The only problem now, was that he needed two rare ingredients to make the item work; mithril and dragon’s blood. He had an idea of where to find the blood, but the mithril could prove to be much more difficult. Fortunately, there was an abandoned mithril mine on the planet but it was well known that every ounce of mithril would have been stripped from the ground before they moved on. However, it was statistically more probable that they might find some scrap of mithril left in the ground than the chance of finding any for sale at the bazaar. *   *   *   *             A few hours later, the crew were flying across the desert towards the location of the mine. Long before reaching their destination, they could see a massive battleship floating in the sky above the old mine. The ship bore the markings of Horus and each of them knew the chances for success had just gone from highly improbable to nearly impossible. Gil landed the ship just outside of the battleship’s scanner range and they worked out a plan.             It was decided that they would take the shuttle to get in close and to use one of the ventilation shafts to access the underground complex. Halfway down the shaft, they would exit the shuttle using graviton generators to control their fall. From a carefully chosen vantage point, they would assess the situation and work out a way to obtain what they needed.             A few minor mishaps later, the crew found themselves on the lip of the vent shaft looking down into the now active mine. Thousands of insectoid slaves worked tirelessly to break down and clear away tons of worthless rock. Hundreds of soldiers, wearing the markings of Horus, served as guards and taskmasters.             Seth instructed each of his team to keeps their eyes open for anything that might compromise their position. He then asked Grey to sneak around a bit and see what he could find, tasking Ambella as overwatch. Before the feline departed, Seth cast a Tongues spell on him to make sure he could listen in on the slave’s conversation, if any.             Finding a stable platform to meditate, Seth centered himself and after a few minutes of concentration felt his senses lift away from his body and float down into the mine. He let his senses drift at first, but after some time he felt a tug at his inner self. Focusing on this new sensation, he drifted in a new direction, eventually finding himself drifting down a side shaft. Amazingly, there were mithril deposits down both sides of the cavern. Thanking the Fates for his good fortune, He nearly failed in noticing the two dragonlings nearby. One of them pulled out a crystal sphere, a known tool of the Dragon Corps, and began scanning the area. Taking no chances, Seth retreated back to his body.             Knowing that what he needs is just on the other side of a few hundred soldiers, Seth is determined to find a way to extract it. The most effective way would be to create a distraction and take the mithril right out from under their nose. As usual, Bjorn suggests blowing the place up. With some consideration, Seth decides it is worth entertaining but they need to assess the stability of the mine first.             Seth coordinates with Gil to get the mining scanner sent down and Bjorn proceeds to analyze the mine for structural weaknesses. In the end, it proved unnecessary. Bjorn and Ambella discover the reason for the excavation. Horus’s troops are attempting to unearth a deposit of highly volatile mineral. At hearing this, Seth feels the vision expand in his mind.               From his vantage, he can plainly see the desert planet beneath him. An intense pulse of light explodes from various locations around its surface and within moments, continent sized chunks of the planet begin to drift away from the core. There is no saving this planet from total annihilation.             As before, the figure of Tiamat appears but this time she fills the entire sky. She wraps her long, graceful, yet powerful arms around the planet, and as if hugging her children, pulls the pieces back together again. What should be a Herculean effort seems effortless to her. Once the pieces have settled back into place, with a look of serene beauty on her face, she focuses her will into needle and thread and begins sewing the fractured planet back together.             Almost unable to take his eyes from such a spectacular sight, Seth notices another figure approach. Despite having never seen this being before, he knows with dread certainty exactly who it is. The Hematitan. The handsome yet monstrous figure reaches out his hand towards Tiamat and an evil blood-red pulse emanates from his hand, striking the prone goddess in the back. Her loving countenance twists into a grimace of pain. She does not scream, but the magical needle stitching the planet together wavers momentarily.             He can feel the crippling pain in his back, slowly spreading through every limb, draining his life away. He knows he is about to die. No. Not him. With sudden realization comes a wrenching pain in his chest. Heartbroken, he knows that Tiamat has sacrificed too much of herself to save the planet. Her planet. He can feel her force the last of her life energy into healing the broken celestial body.             When it is all over, he feels nothing. No pain, no hatred, no fear. Just emptiness. The last thing he sees before fading into oblivion is the triumphant form of the Hematitan standing over his mistress. As his vision fades to black, he almost doesn’t notice the body of Supreme Commander Hale crushed beneath the foot of the towering Hematitan. If he could feel anything, it might have brought joy at knowing the coward paid the ultimate price for his treason.               His senses come flooding back and with them a torrent of emotions that fade just as quickly. Blow shit up. That just might work. Turning to Bjorn, Seth tells him that he doesn’t want a simple cave-in. They need to make sure that nobody can dig up that deposit for a thousand years. The smile on the Dwarf’s face says it all.             While Bjorn was planning, the rest of the crew discussed ways of getting the mithril before they blew up the mines. Gil volunteered that he could use the teleportation network to remove a sizeable chunk but he would need to be back on the ship and they needed to attach a transmitter to one of the mithril deposits. It was decided that Grey should be the transmitter. That settled, Bjorn stated it would take about four hours to set the demolition charges. *   *   *   *             Hours later, Grey had already left for the mithril deposit and Bjorn had returned from planting the required explosives. The plan was to use the collapse of the mine to project as much earthen shrapnel into the sky as possible, like the galaxy's biggest cannon. If they were lucky, they could disable the battleship and make their escape unnoticed.             As they made their final preparations, Grey reported that the dragonlings had come sniffing around again and that their suspicions warranted calling down their commander to investigate. Seth realized they were out of time. He directed Gil to teleport Grey and the mithril onto the ship. Once the teleport was confirmed successful, He began the countdown.             At the count of zero, Bjorn activated the detonator. As the sounds of explosions came from below them, a surge of energy found them back on the ship. Everyone ran to the view-screen to see the effects of the explosion. Outer portions of the mine were collapsing but the central portion was starting to bulge from the pressure. With a final explosive burst, the central portion of the mines surface erupted into the sky like a volcano. Massive chunks of earth rocketed toward the unsuspecting battleship.             At the last moment, the ship began to veer away from the blast, but it was too late. Multiple impacts of solid rock hit the unshielded ship, rupturing the hull all along its length. There was no telling how much damage was done to the ship, but it was very clear that it would not be space-worthy any time in the near future. Horus would not be happy. 

Session 18: Twist of Fate             Amidst the sounds of multiple emergency calls coming over the comms from the Horus battleship, Seth gives the command to leave the area with all haste. The crew watches as the enemy ship veers heavily away from its position above the mines, seriously damaged. Knowing security will be on high alert by the time they reach the bazaar, Seth considers the best way to get his people back to the relative safety of the city.             Seth asks Gil to prep the shuttle and explains his plan to the crew. They are to take the shuttle back to the spaceport and wait for the inevitable swarm of scavengers to launch from the bazaar. He instructs them to join with the outbound ship and to establish a presence as fellow scavengers. Seth and Ambella will take the Pilgrim and find a place to stash the mithril. Once finished, they will reunite with the rest of the team and follow the rest of the scavengers when they return to the city.             Instructions given, the crew quickly gets the shuttle ready and departs, leaving Seth and Ambella alone on the ship. Seth settles into the pilot’s chair and makes some quick calculations. In moments the ship turns towards the open desert. They need to find a suitable location to stash the mithril as it is too valuable to be left out in the open.             After hours of searching, Ambella spots an abandoned facility in the middle of nowhere. Scanning for any signs of habitation or recent activity and finding none, Seth agrees to the location. After several fly-bys, he finds a rocky overhang that would serve as a good hiding spot. Now to figure out how to get the payload out of the cargo bay. Seth hopes that he can disable the inertial dampeners in the hold and with a quick thrust dump the deposit relatively close to the intended hiding spot.             Pushing the limits of what little piloting skill he has, Seth finally manages to dump the cargo where he wanted. Landing the ship, the two of them go out to inspect the site. Good enough. Now, to bury the damned thing. Shaking his head, Seth makes a brief comment about how annoying it is to work with air spirits.             After a few hours spent trying to convince the air elementals in the area that burying the mithril would be a fun game, they finally get to work. Considering how much effort it took to get the rock on the ground in the first place, they made the task of burying it look effortless. Displacing a large amount of sand from the base of the rocky outcrop in a matter of seconds, the mithril suddenly slides down the hole to end up against the base of the hill. Then the displaced sand is quickly pushed back into place over the mithril deposit leaving behind no evidence that it was ever there.             All in all, the process took about 8 hours to complete. Seth comms his crew and discovers that they had already returned to the bazaar. Somehow, they had acquired two new ships as well as two pilots that were looking for work. He commended them on their performance and requested they stay low until he and Ambella’s return.             Upon approach to the bazaar spaceport, they where given instructions to land and await a security team to clear them to enter the bazaar. They did not have long to wait. The security team scanned the ship and finding nothing out of place, they gave them permission to enter the city. As Seth was preparing to secure the ship, he felt the familiar surge of power that preceded a vision.             Seth and Ambella were standing on the loading ramp, watching the approach of Commander Hale and his bodyguard Tress. At the base of the ramp, Commander Hale stopped and officially stated his desire for Asylum with the Federation and his intention of handing themselves over into Commander Hunter’s custody. With an inviting gesture, Seth welcomed the two aboard.             As the two reached the top of the ramp, a loud thump was heard outside and all four of them turned to see a heavily armored figure at the base of the ramp. The new figure leveled some not so veiled threats at the group in regards to their ability to escape unharmed. Tress turned to Seth and asked if he was having a vision. With a nod, he indicated it was so.             Everything went fuzzy for a moment and Seth found himself alone with Tress. She explained that what he had seen in the vision was true. Hale was defecting to the Federation and they had been waiting for an extraction team, but had not been told the identity of the team. She told him that they had everything in order and were ready to leave as soon as the team were ready.             Seth came out of his vision and asked Ambella to get everyone back to the ship. Once his crew had arrived, Seth had Gil contact their connection and let them know they were prepared for extraction. The call came back that the ship would be ready and to meet at the rendezvous point in four hours.             Suddenly, the Commander and his partner appeared in the cargo bay. Seth introduced himself and his crew, except for Grey who was already known to them. He explained that the extraction would be ready in a few hours and that they should lie low until them. They had one more task to complete before leaving the planet and staying on the ship might be dangerous.             Gil called from the bridge that he had lost the ability to access the teleportation network and since they needed to get back to the Sugar Bowl, Commander Hale volunteered to drop them off. Seth agreed and the crew found themselves back in their apartment.             Seth told them to collect their belongings and to leave nothing behind. He walked back to the closet where the staticite was being stored and after a few minutes, had transferred the wards from the wall to the cloth coverings that had came with the initial purchase. He then asked his crew if anyone wanted to meet Wolfgang.             As he suspected, everyone wanted to go and so they all left their apartment behind and headed through the Sugar Bowl to Wolfgang’s private balcony. Although they all knew that He was a dragon and a former Senator, Wolfgang appeared to be an immense, greasy, smelly humanoid that had abandoned any form of personal hygiene years ago.             Wolfgang greeted Seth by name and asked if he decided to try and convince him of the merits of sacrificing himself again. Seth was a bit surprised. Not only had he never met this being before, he had been playing with the idea of doing exactly what Wolfgang mentioned. He just hadn’t decided yet if it was necessary, or even possible.             As Seth struggled to keep up with the conversation that according to the dragon, they had discussed many times before, a familiar figure arrived. The Traveler appeared next to Wolfgang. He seemed a little perplexed at the fact that we knew who he was but had never met us before. The whole thing was ludicrous and eventually the Traveler left in the same manner he had arrived.             In the end, Seth convinced the dragon that the Peace Rune could be repaired and Wolfgang promised to do whatever was necessary to make sure it worked. He handed Seth a bag that contained the replacement sigil that Seth had designed to repair Tiamat’s Peace Rune. The weird part, Seth had designed the rune but had never gotten around to crafting it yet. According to Wolfgang, he had made some modifications to the rune as well as provided the necessary components for the ritual.             Realizing that powers well beyond his understanding had decided to take part in this undertaking, it was left to him to shut up and do what must be done. He took the bag from the dragon and thanked him for his assistance. He rounded up his crew and headed for the roof. Giving his team instructions to ensure nobody interrupted him while performing the ritual, he found the magical vertex and began his work.             He had no concept of time while he worked, but once completed he quickly realized that his team had been busy as well. He did not have the time to figure out what had happened though, as the replacement rune was coming to life. It began to spin as it rose into the air to take its rightful place among the magical network. As it joined with the energy matrix of the other runes, the whole system flared brightly for a moment and then the entire system collapsed.             Seth commed Gil and asked if he had regained access to the teleportation network. Gil responded that he had just regained control and was ready to send them to the Central Plaza. He gathered his team and a ring of light descended and, in a flash, the group found themselves just outside the plaza surrounded by their security drones.             The fight was brutal as wave upon wave of demons from the portal came crashing against their defenses. Their heroic stand did not go unnoticed and the demons began focusing their assault on the location of the most resistance. Fortunately, the demons were not the only ones that had noticed the fight and they began receiving support from others nearby. Before the battle ended, nearly every member of his team had fallen at least once, only to be picked up by another and encouraged to continue fighting. Weapons flashed, guns blazed and drones blasted every demon that came close. As the fight continued, the demons were so thick that it was impossible to target an individual demon. Instead, each member of his team was dispatching multiple demons at once. Their world was reduced to nothing but ash and blood. With a sudden flash, the entire rune network came to life with a blaze of magical glory. Demons began disintegrating before their eyes and in a few moments the plaza was cleared. As everyone took a knee to catch their breath, a figure approached from across the plaza. As she walked through the street, everything she passed began to repair itself. All signs that a battle had just taken place were quickly being erased in her wake. Beings that had been lying broken and bleeding were standing up and glancing around in wonder. Tiamat walked among her people with absolute confidence. The chaos of the vicious battle vanished due to her mere presence. She stopped in front of the exhausted defenders and allowed a brief smile to touch her lips to convey her pleasure at their duty fulfilled. She then turned to Seth. He had a hard time focusing on what was said and it wasn’t until the Sherriff recommended that they leave the area that he realized that Tiamat was gone. With a nod, he commed Gil for transit back to the ship. Once everyone was aboard, Commander Hale appeared with Tress. Seth asked the Commander for assistance in recovering some cargo before they reached the rendezvous and he agreed. Commander Hale took half of the mithril as compensation for his help. Seth was about to argue, but realized that even with half they still had enough to buy a planet if they wanted to. At the rendezvous, they were met by Sheppard who congratulated them on a job well done. They were also informed that their next mission was already being planned, but they had earned some down time and were being provided passage on a luxury cruise liner headed back to Federation space. Everyone was pleased with the prospect of traveling in style back to civilized territory.

Session 19: One Oath to Rule Them All             Apparently, Tiamat had expressed some commonality between her and Seth during their conversation at the Grand Bazaar and Ambella had picked up on it. Curse that girl’s curiosity. He was already beginning to question the need to keep his identity a secret, but he was unsure if his team was prepared for the truth. It seemed that Fate had already determined that they needed to know. They would have to learn to deal with it in their own way.             His secret came with a lot of baggage. A half-truth would only serve to put them in more danger. He spent the first two days of the pleasure cruise sequestered in his room, developing a way to keep them all safe. A Blood Oath was the only way he could ensure their loyalty and protect them from those that would kill to learn their secret. Once he had finalized the details, he headed to the upper cargo hold to prepare the ritual. *   *   *   *             He was a bit surprised, and relieved, that they all agreed to the Blood Oath. Each of them bled into a communal bowl, and once Seth added his own essence to the mix, each of them drank from it. Then he activated the ritual circle and he could feel the thrum of power as it filled the area. Making one final check to verify all of the elements were in place, he began his story.             Everyone knew Tiamat was once the Supreme Chancellor of the Dragon Council. What was not known was why she resigned her position. She had watched as her beloved creation had fallen to greed and corruption and could not make it right with political power alone. 1500 years ago, she left to form a new council whose purpose was to cleanse the Dragon Council of the rot that had infested it and, from the shadows, keep the political body healthy.             This secret council was formed of nine members, one representative for each of the most powerful races among the Federation, overseen by Tiamat herself. Seth’s father had once been a member of this secret organization and held the seat reserved for the race of dragons. His wife was his right hand and together they brought order to the galaxy.     Seth described some of what it meant to be a dragon hatchling and explained how his parents had taught him everything he needed to one day take back his father’s seat on the council.             After his story was completed, they asked many questions. The time allotted by the spell was limited though, and so he had to cut then off to finish the spell. He could now feel their loyalty to him as a tangible force, but he knew that power would only remain if he continued to inspire it. Adrestia warned him to stay vigilant, but the warning was unnecessary. For all their shortcomings, these were HIS people. Gods help anyone who tried to take advantage of them. *   *   *   *             Their mission was simple; assist in the evacuation of the planet and to learn everything they could about an artifact that command suspected was the purpose behind the Hematitan’s siege of the planet. Gil was to remain behind with the ship and was to meet us in four months’ time.  The crew was transported to a facility with a portal and given their final instructions before entering the portal.             Stepping from the portal, the city of Nell Frane was quieter than Seth would have expected. As the last bastion of safety on a planet that had been besieged for 60 years, he expected a lot more activity. Instead he found the defenses were paltry at best and a distinct lack of coordination among the defenders. They were greeted with mild indifference by the city’s commander, an off-blood named Xubor Manwise. It was obvious he did not think too highly of us, but gave a quick rundown of the situation before leaving to attend to matters of security.             Seth wanted to head directly for the fountain, but he knew he had to earn these people’s trust before they would allow him to study what he suspected was the artifact in question. With that in mind, he already had a plan to do so. A nearby city had just been overtaken by the Scorch and it was only a matter of time before they were overrun. He had to act fast.             Reports suggested a recent battle had left a mostly intact hover-tank near the city. A teenage Avian girl volunteered that she knew where the spare parts were kept and showed them the location. Seth organized with the defenders to acquire three trucks to assist with the recovery of the tank. He ordered his crew to mount up and they moved out.             A short foray into the war-torn landscape had them arrive at their destination; a small warehouse with no windows. The walls and front doors were covered in thick cobwebs which gave them a clue as to the current occupants. Using his magical talent to scan for life-signs, Seth discovered a number of beings in an underground lair beneath the structure. Shifting into his eagle form, he lifted Bjorn off the ground and surveyed the roof. A conveniently placed hatch allowed the dwarf to place a well-aimed grenade into the facility, destroying the creatures and burning of the majority of the webs.             As the team prepared to enter the building, Seth received a vision that indicated an incoming strike would level the place. He informed them that they had two minutes to grab what they needed, and to prioritize the tank parts above all else. In addition to the parts, they were also able to acquire a portable generator. As they prepared to leave, Seth also discovered a magical sphere that another vision had informed him would be invaluable to the defenders.             The team was leaving the area when the projectile hit. No explosion accompanied the impact and the sounds coming from the building meant only one thing; a drop pod. The newcomer exited the building in time to get a glimpse of the party driving away from the scene. Seth felt queasy at the sight of her, which meant she was likely very dangerous. Continue mission.             Their next stop was a comms tower a few hundred meters away from the damaged hover-tank. Seth wanted Ambella in a good position before they started working on the tank. Overwatch in place, they continued on to their destination. When they arrived, they found the lady that had come down in the drop pod sitting on the front of the tank. Seth told everyone to sit tight and exited the vehicle.             Seth approached the newcomer and after a few minor taunts, introductions were made. Her name was Anemia and behind her veiled threats, Seth could sense that she was bored. She was more curious about what they were doing than she was interested in stopping them. After convincing her that allowing them to repair the tank would be more entertaining in the long run, she agreed and disappeared.             After her departure, the parts were unloaded and the work began. Bjorn got to work on the main gun first because the engine would take hours of labor and the tanks weapon systems could prove an invaluable asset if they were attacked. As if the enemy had sensed their plans, a cloud of dust could be seen from the north. It would be hours before they arrived, but they were coming.             Seth sent a message back to Nell Frane inviting the defenders to participate in the coming fight and organized his own people into a defensive posture. It was not long before the defenders arrived looking to kill a few demons. Seth allowed Commander Manwise to take charge of the defense while he prepared a magical surprise for the enemy. Drawing a semi-circle of runes in the sand around the front half of the tank, Seth smiled at the damage it would cause should the demons attack the tank directly. Finishing the ritual, he asked Xubor to keep his people away from the tank and to channel the enemy towards it. With the weapon system functional again and occupied by Grey, the battle should be entertaining.             In a nutshell, it was a massacre. Ambella and Killer Bee took out the largest of the demons before they ever made in to the fight. Grey utilized the tanks weapons to thin out the advancing horde. The hundreds of demons that remained, both on the ground and in the air, came at the defenders at full speed. Seth took to the air to lay waste to the airborne demons and the ground troops did well in funneling the demons towards the tank. Any demon that came within striking distance of the vehicle disintegrated; some explosively, some not. In a matter of minutes, the enemy was no more. No casualties and no significant injuries were reported after the fight. Seth convinced Xubor that returning to Nell Frane would be a waste of time and they should continue to the front lines. He reluctantly agreed and they all loaded up in the trucks and headed out.             Some hours later, the convoy came upon a strange sight. A creature that was half flesh and half machine appeared to be growing out of the ground. It was quite alien, with tentacles growing out of its back. The creature immediately began to command them to surrender to the Hematitan’s forces, but otherwise made no attempt to harm them or bar their passage. Taking a moment to assess the being properly, Seth discovered that beneath the surface the entity was growing a massive root-like structure that spread for miles. When he asked Xubor if he knew anything about it, the Off-blood explained that its purpose was to accelerate the spread of the scorch. Briefly entertaining the idea of destroying the weird creature, Seth received a vision that made that idea extremely unpalatable. The group moved on, but he couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises were in store for them.

Session 20: The Legion of Seth             The convoy continued on until morning. Shortly after the sun broke the horizon, a moderate sized town could be seen coming up quickly. From their vantage, the town looked deserted, but they could hear the sounds of battle clearly. Someone was home and they did not appreciate the demons trying to take it from them.             Entering the city, they soon came upon areas of the city that had been cleared for military encampments. Xubor told the driver to pull up near the command tent and when they stopped, he exited the vehicle with authority. He threw open the flaps to the tent as if he owned the place, which he did. This was his command. Seth briefly questioned why a commander would be away from the front lines and his troops, and realized that it was none of his business, for the moment.             Xubor ordered his aides to gather his lieutenants for a situation report. Various officers began filtering into the tent and waiting patiently for them all to arrive. The last to arrive was an officer with an insignia that was familiar to Seth. The soldier bore a crest that was identical to the one he had created for the office of Champion of Quingaul; the Chimera.             Upon noticing Seth, the officer went to one knee.             “Supreme Commander” he said, clearly indicating Seth despite his bowed head.             “Rise and report” replied Seth.             Xubor was confused and at a loss as to how the newcomer had just usurped his authority. The legionnaire rose and quickly briefed Seth on their status. He explained that Commander Bloodmoon had been captured by blood mages and they were preparing a rescue op. The rest of the tent remained silent as the legionnaire gave his report. It was evident that the other soldiers held a healthy respect for the members of the legion and apparently, a bit of fear as well.             Once he completed his report, the officer asked if they had come to assist the legion. With a nod from Seth the officer turned on his heels and exited the tent, holding the flap open for the entire team. Outside, they were met by more legion officers, each hardened soldiers, bearing the scars of years of continuous battle. They seemed excited by the team’s presence and genuinely happy to see them. It was becoming apparent that the legion was made of multiple divisions and that each division had been trained by a particular member of his team. Each of the commanders referred to their respective mentors as ‘My Lord’.             The group worked their way over to the legion encampment and could see hundreds of soldiers forming up for the engagement. Weapons were made ready and orders were given. Seth tried his best to ignore the fact that despite having never met these soldiers, they had been trained by him and his team and had been dispatched sixty years ago to fight this battle. These soldiers looked up to them as leaders and were willing to die for them.             Finally, the word was given to move out and the whole legion took off at a jog. They were not wasting any time in getting their commander back. Seth steeled himself for the moment they hit the scorch. He had never experienced such a thing before, and he hoped he would never have to again. The amulets protected him somewhat, but he could still feel an uncomfortable sucking sensation to his life force.             Arriving at their destination, they could see a grounded vessel that was been guarded by two recognizable figures. Cappilus and Arcturus were the blood mages that were holding Commander Bloodmoon. At the sight of the approaching legion, the two of them decided to abandon their post. Before departing, Cappilus converted a large portion of the ship into a roiling mist of blood that slowly drifted towards the oncoming legion. The soldiers made a valiant effort of burning away the mist with fire, but a few of the front ranks were consumed by it anyway. The lucky ones were killed by their own troops to save them from the agony of being eaten alive. Once the mist had been destroyed the legion made its way onto the ship and quickly located the commander. *   *   *   * Back at the encampment, the team was led to a building with a sign that said ‘Mother’s Milk’. Inside, it appeared that this structure was a cantina for the troops to relax and entertain themselves in. the ‘Milk’ was a hallucinogenic substance drawn from the teats of a large beast whose belly also served as one of the walls of the establishment. As drinks were handed out, Seth was planning his next moves. It was time to stop sacrificing these people’s lives for a lost cause.

Session 21: Piracy at Its Finest             As his team engaged in casual conversation with the Legion commanders, Seth was working out the details of his plan in his head. It was shaping up nicely, but there were a few parts that still needed some work. Bjorn mentioned that he still hadn’t worked out a functional prototype for the God-killer rounds and this seemed to pique Seamus’s interest. When it was explained that he had been experimenting with a mithril/staticite suspension round, the commander got really excited.             When it was confirmed that we did indeed possess mithril, Seamus asked to see it. Bjorn pulled out a sliver of mithril and with a gesture, the shard flew across the table into the Traveler’s open hand. Hovering over his open palm, the mithril took on a spherical shape. Over the next few minutes, a deal was struck and Seth now had the last details of his plan.             Indicating that Bjorn should start on building the God-killer rounds immediately, Seth then had Ambella look for a suitable site for a sniper’s nest. Taking Seamus off to the side, he discussed his plan. When finished, the commander smiled and stated the only thing left was to convince Xubor. *   *   *   *             As the group entered the command tent, the off-blood commander’s attitude had changed from the day before. He actually asked what he could do to help. Taking a moment to see if the tent was secure, Seth found a blood fairy in the supports. Sending the spy packing, he ran down his plan to Xubor. He wasn’t happy about the plan, but he did enjoy the fact that Seamus was the bait. In the end he agreed. He even offered a reward if we pulled it off. Everyone dispersed to manage their part of the plan.             The plan was simple. Stage a fight between the Legion and Xubor’s forces. Commander Bloodmoon would be captured and the Legion would retreats back to Nell Frane. Xubor would offers a trade; the enemy could have the Traveler in exchange for free passage out of the system. When the enemy came to make the trade, we would take the ship and use it to transport everyone back to Nell Frane.             Seth knew they would take the deal. He also knew they would be prepared. They would send 4 of their most potent blood mages to ensure the transfer went smoothly. They also seemed to be aware of their one offensive weapon, Ambella with the Volt. They would set up Arturus as a counter-sniper to take her out before she could make her shot. Fortunately, knowing what they knew allowed Seth to set up contingencies. *   *   *   *             The following day found Seth and his team, accompanied by a few Legionnaires, taking up residence in the downed ship they had rescued Seamus from. Everything had gone to plan so far and the enemy was on its way to collect the Traveler. As part of the contingency plan, Seth had dispatched Grey for a solo mission: distract Arturus and keep him from participating in the exchange.             While Cappilus, Leukemia, and Anemia were on the ground waiting for Xubor to deliver Seamus, Seth’s team boarded their ship by teleporting them directly into the cargo hold. Once secured, he sent Bjorn and Godhammer to disable the teleporter and Corvus and Northorn to secure the bridge. Seth remained in the cargo hold waiting for the right time to meet the titans on the ground.             Once the soldiers dragging the Traveler got to within 50 meters of the blood mages they stopped. The three female titans demanded he be handed over. The soldiers released Seamus and he stood and smiled at the them. At that moment, Seth appeared in front of Seamus, also smiling. The ladies seemed amused as well and Cappilus asked what they hoped to accomplish. So, Seth told them.             Since his previous encounter with Cappilus, Arturus and Anemia had been relatively cordial, they were safe from his retribution. Leukemia however, was known for being anything but polite and so, her life was forfeit if they all did not leave the battlefield immediately. A smile spread across Leukemia’s lips, but before she opened her mouth to spew her useless words, the upper half of her body splattered across the ground accompanied by a massive BOOM from the encampment.             As the Scorch began to slowly consume what was left of Leukemia, Seth continued with his demands. Their ship was now under his command. He would use the ship to transport all remaining troops back to Nell Frane and he would be gracious and send the ship back to pick them up when he was done with it. He gave them a brief window to decide. In seconds they had resorted to threats, which were silenced by another BOOM from the city. Since none of their heads exploded, Seth figured Ambella had taken a shot at Arturus. Explaining that they were now down to two, it would be wise to surrender. They did. Seth promised them if they made no more trouble, they would be safe and he turned away to organize the loading of troops. *   *   *   *             Back in Nell Frane, the troops began unloading the ship and integrating themselves and the new supplies into the city’s minimal defenses. Seth tasked Bjorn with getting the shield generator back online and the rest to assist with preparing the city for attack. Seth decided it was high time to have a chat with Princess Nefrin and, together with Corvus, headed for the palace.             The two of them arrived to see Xubor finishing his conversation with the Princess. He was probably regaling her with stories to explain his extreme distaste for everything Legion, to include Seth and his team. As Xubor left, the princess thanked them for their assistance and wondered as to their purpose here. Seth explained that he and his team were here to help, nothing more. She questioned his role in sending the Legion to assist in the battle. He responded that he was not yet the individual responsible for that decision. She seemed to take his meaning and expressed her distaste for the Traveler.             Seth requested permission to inspect the fountain. The Princess seemed like she wanted to deny the request, but the weight of responsibility had bowed her lovely shoulders and she acquiesced when Seth reminded her that he had returned one of her children to her. With a wave of her hand, a portion of the floor disappeared leaving a dark cavern heading down into the earth. She floated them down the long tunnel until they reached a massive cavern at the bottom.             What greeted them was an amazing sight. The entire cavern was lit with fire from the lava as well as small creatures that seemed to made completely of fire. The Princess introduced them to the guardian, a large lion wreathed in fire. He protested their presence as well, but quieted when confronted with his inability to keep track of the baby elementals.             They were then taken to the fountain. It looked like any stone fountain, except for the fact that it contained lava not water. Seth could sense some sort of spatial distortion, but could not identify its true purpose. The Princess invited them to enter the fountain. Having no aversion to fire, Seth did so and was followed by a somewhat dubious Corvus.             Once they were fully submerged, they found themselves in another world. A world of fire. The Elemental Plane of Fire to be precise. As they glanced around at the wondrous new environment, they could see a great set of doors nearby. The Princess led them to the doors, and as they passed through them, they found themselves in another fantastical world. Seth knew without a doubt that they were in the Astral Plane.             It was about that time that Seth realized the true threat. If the Scorch reached the portal, it would eventually destroy both worlds. A disaster of monumental proportions in and of itself, but could hypothetically destroy all creation. At that moment Seth was convinced that the only option was to close the portal permanently, or move it. He also had an immediate rush of anger towards the Princess for letting the Hematitans army get this close to the portal. He needed time to study the portal and then he would have to put her in her place.