Traveller Notes Jan 22nd, 2019 Travelers : Koral [Cory] Thea [Dylan] Bishop [Alex] Liam [David] Y295.04.3 The Traveller are on Median in the Keystone system. The ruler of Median is Count Farwood, a Treant. Count Farwood was given Median as his holdings by the late Duke of Mensah, Cordell Richmond. The Count’s human assistant, Dame Doris Young, takes the Travellers on a tour of the growing colony. They discover that the colonist, humans and orsons, are raising and harvesting Brustles, an aquatic animal native to Median. Some Brustles produce a stone in their digestive tract. This stone, called a Bearl, is highly priced on Rich worlds. The Travellers are also introduced to “The Beast”. An aquatic pet purchased by the Count about 15 years ago from a visiting Freetrader. The Beast has been trained to pull small water carts up and down the canals. It can often be heard vocalizing deep bass sounds. Koral let slip that Thea was a minor celebrity having been in a Jason Dare Ghost Hunting video. The Colonist decide this is reason enough to through a feast for the Travellers. Koral begins investigating the reason for the explosive growth of Brustles in the colony canals. He takes samples of the water and builds a filter system for a plastic barrel. He is informed that previous attempts to raise Brustles off world have failed. A Doctor Clark Benson of the University of Mensah in Mensah down had started preliminary research into the life cycle of the Brustle. Y295.04.4 Count Farwood asks the Travellers to find an orson named Squaliolus, who he sent to Quartermark to purchase 200 tons of a fertilizer called Black Kensy. He offers to sell the Travellers one ton of Bearls for 400,000 Cr in exchange for bring Squaliolus and the Black Kensy back to Median. Count Farwood provides the Travellers with the frequency of the transponder in the “wet suit” used by Squaliolus. The Fat-trader Song Meng leaves Median and successfully enters Jump Space for Mensah. Y295.05.4 In Jump to Mensah. Thea studies electronics on the computer from Taper. Koral and Bishop work to test the barrel of water from Median. Y295.06.4 The Free-trader Song Ming arrive in the Mensah star system and uneventfully docks at the Mensah Adam’s Port. During the week the Travellers spend time buying armor, weapons and other equipment. Thea checks in with The Marquis to find out how the simulations of the volcano are progressing and is informed that it will still be several weeks before they are ready. Bishop is hired to do a simple quick job for Mondo Bits. Deliver a data drive to a contact in Quartermark Down. He’s paid Cr100. Y295.07.4 The Travellers book passage aboard a standard liner from Mensah to Quartermark. Y295.08.4 The Travellers arrive in the Quartermark star system. Koral uses his knowledge of contacts to find out that three weeks previously, the Orson Squaliolus (Squalis) travelled to the Black Gold Ranch to purchase 200 tons of Black Kency. He hasn’t been heard from after that. Thea waits for an appointment with the Duchess of Quartermark only to meet with Captain Brian Page instead. Although he has never stated it directly Page is known for his role with Quartermark Navy Intelligence. Thea explains the issues with Tantry and how the Tantry Navy is making moves to expand into the Keystone system. Page suggests Mercenaries by hired to provide additional security for Count Farwood’s planet of Median in the Keystone system. Page asks Thea to locate a Merc group capable of providing the security services. The Duchess will quietly pay. Thea asks Page if he can track a weak transponder signal. She gives him the frequency of Median’s “wet suit”. Y295.08.5 The Travellers rent an air/raft and fly to the Black Gold Ranch. They leave a Cr50,000 deposit and agree to Cr2,000 per week for the rental. Koral flies the air/raft. (He’s such a useful chap!). Y295.08.6 The Travellers arrive at the Black Gold Ranch. They smell it before they see it. The Owner of the Range is Lawrence Palmer, who sells the Travellers 200 tons of semi-liquid Black Kency in 3,200 plastic barrels. Cost is Cr50,000 plus Cr500 per week for storage. The smell is without a doubt the most disgusting odor any member of the group has ever experienced. At the ranch Thea is contacted by radio from Amadi, an Efray she meet over a year ago in the Twins star system. Amadi is an officer in the Quartermark Navy recently assigned to the Restoration class battleship “Still Water That Simmes with Righteousness”. He has the location of the transponder signal Thea requested. It’s located only a few kilometers away. The Travellers conclude their deal with Palmer and fly off to find the Orson. After a short flight they start to pick up the transponder signal on their own radio equipment. They find Squalis in a muddy pond surrounded by hunger carnivores. The Orson’s “wet suit” is at the water’s edge. Shooting the carnivores from the air works to drive them from the brackish water. Koral works a miracle and repairs the damaged “wet suit”, learning that if was damage by a bullet. Bishop wades into the pond with the repaired suit and attempts to secure Squalis. He gets thumped hard in the chest by the crazed delirious Orson. Finally the Orson dons the “wet suit” and rolls out the water only to faint into unconsciousness after traveling only several meters. The Travellers are able to pick up the Orson, “wet suit” and all and store it into the open cargo section of the air/raft. The carnivores make one more attempt to prevent their meal from being taken from them but they slow down when Thea waves her broadsword at them. Squalis is in very critical condition and the Travellers find a nearby village to that can provide some medical assistance. Despite having two trained medics in the group neither thought to buy and bring any medical supplies. The village of Cornette is close by and is ruled by the Barness Shea Salter. It was touch and go for the stricken Orson but after several days he regains consciousness. The Travellers are forced to wait until the medical staff agrees that he is strong enough to travel to Quartermark Down. Koral makes permanent repairs to the “wet suit” and adds minor improvements such as armored reinforcement to the environmental controls. Thea discusses the Mensah political situation with Baroness Shea Salter. Several days pass. Y295.10.1 Current date.