Discussion about GameSession02

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Location: relax room, ArcheologicalFlyingTours, early morning, after the recce of the train.

BertiePiano is having a stiff drink to calm his nerves, thankful that he wasn't one of the team that boarded the train. He had been much better off in the helicopter with Kylara...

Bertie: You chaps have done a good job on the map - I can work things out better now. So we are about 2/3 of the way from Port Teros to the mine. Anybody got any information about Port Teros? Do the trains load and unload there, or somewhere else?

Vaughan: The line to Port Teros would have reached half way to the the northern port of Kellyos if laid northwards. In fact, about to Talet where there's a river. Perhaps the port is shipping people/droyne in from the eastern part of the continent, not the north at all?

Bertie: Anybody know anything about the Droyne, other than that they are oversized budgies? Do they normally live above ground? Could there be massive settlements underground?

Bertie: Hey, Fenton! Did that look like normal human blood in the train? See any feathers?

Vaughan tries to explain what he remembers about Droyne from basic training.

Bertie: I take it back about looking for feathers. Looks like they pluck themselves...

Vaughan: They are as sophisticated and technological as humans. So if it's a relatively primitive community then they wouldn't be living underground. If they are a technologically advanced community then I don't think they would be taking any nonsense from the locals. http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Droyne

Here's a general link for tech level comparison: http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Tech_Level_Comparison_Chart.

Bertie: What's the difference between a good and bad Droyne?

Bertie: Frequent basting!

Vaughan: Er, guys ... Did I ever mention that I'm a starship navigator? I was just sketching out what I think I know of local space for you and I've remembered something. Are we sure that the company is TREXALON interests?

Trexalon is a non-aligned planet outside the borders of our beloved Imperium. What the photon is going on here? How do they get to be on an interdicted Imperial planet demolishing mountains?

Fenton: Hmm, dunno, but someone must be getting a big pay-off for leaving well alone.

Bertie: Aren't the Soldani Zhodani off over that way? (''GM: Zhodani Consulate is towards above left of map'')

Bertie: Hold on! Let's not get dragged into this... The aim is to get off this bumhole of a planet, right? TI might be on to us...perhaps we should head north and try and find something lucrative up there. I can't see how we can raise cash down here - all we can do is get into more trouble (breaking and entering a moving train is pretty hard-core!). What do you think?

Vaughan: We've been north and we came south because of it. I don't want to be lynched. I suggest that we move further south or east. I want to see where the ships are really going - or coming from. I bet it's the east.

I suggest we vist TI and borrow some decent long range transport so we can really take a tour of the interesing touristic highlights. We're pretty sure that TI have air/rafts available. You know, as in the flying boxes of which the natives spake.

We could even fly up to orbit in one of these - if it's a high-tech model - and we all get good at holding our breath.

Bertie: You're probably right. I'd like to know more about what is going on over there. Didn't I hear a while back that the Droyne are 'descended' from the ancients? Perhaps TI are after some funky ancients' kit that they think is buried in the mountain. Doesn't explain the vast number of trains, but would explain the extreme secrecy, and the blockade.

Vaughan: Yes, it seems that the Droyne are physically identical to the Ancients. Technologically - intellectually??- they are fallen or de-evolved or something. I think there is a good correlation between Droyne worlds and ancient sites. In the absence of buckets of gems, some ancient artifacts would pay for a ticket off the planet. We are looking for 100k/head aren't we? I think we all have to admit that no 9-5 job is going to pay that ...

Fenton: Is anyone suspicious of Hilbert? For an archaeologist it seems odd that he can't spell archaeological......

Bertie: Nah, that's not him, that's my poor spelling when I entered it into our notes!

Vaughan: I expect Hilbert can spell entrepreneur though. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't make him one.

Bertie: Anybody know what he did before he set up down here?

Vaughan: We need to come up with a bit of a plan (too). In to the base on the train?

Bertie: Might be better to be cautious and case out the joint from the chopper. We

should get an idea of how well it is guarded before going in. Perhaps we

should meet up with our chums in the mountains again and see what info they

have.

Or perhaps we should send Fenton in on the train to do a recce whilst we

watch from a safe distance...

Vaughan: I think that TI has a flying (air/raft) armed response unit that they sent out against the nomads when they tried to get it on foot. Sending a chopper in will get noticed and might get an unpleasant response. If we want to recon the base then a single/couple of flyer(s) in a grav-belt might do better.

In general, I coming to think that the fact that we're not sure what to do means that we haven't enough information to make a good decision. Our priority should be to get more facts about what's going on. I've got three ideas for this:

1. Board a train going into the base and search for clues then get off the train and re-assess the situation. (i.e. don't ride all the way in first time)
2. Fly to the area of the base to see what's going on
3. Find a different TI outpost and get info from that. (e.g. the command post or vehicle the TI guys use when visiting the local town)

Comments

1. We know we can do this as we boarded the outbound
2. We can't all go and we might trigger a big reponse from the base/mine
3. We're not absolutely sure that there's one there to be found. Ask Hilbert or Mr Dodgy Geezer (Marcal)?

Fenton: "Or perhaps we should send Fenton in on the train to do a recce whilst we

watch from a safe distance..."

I suppose that would be an option except that I'm not stupid, I'm not expendable and I'm not going.

Maybe we could hand Bertie over to TI as the killer of their two goons, wired for sound, so we can monitor his questioning....

We need to draw up a plan with the natives.

Vaughan: Come along gents, play nicely! We'll only get off this rockball if we work together. I'm happy to talk to the natives again. If we can assist them in an attack which is to their advantage and provides us a distraction to use to advance our investigations - that's fine with me.

Fenton: Well, Bertie doesn't seem to have any objections to my plan!

The GM: Time to do a SWOT analysis of the situation?

Fenton: Arggh! It's God! I hear God!

Vaughan: No, it's just the empty beer cans rolling around the rest room. Don't be so jumpy.

Having said that, some divinely inspired comments

• Strengths: The combined abilities of the team
• Weaknesses: Inability of team to decide what to do. I still think this shows we need more info to make a proper decision.
• Opportunities: The usual: ancient artifacts, wealth beyond the dreams of Croesus, understanding the bigger picture...
• Threats: TI working out what we're up to/ Us not keeping one step ahead of them.

My conclusion: Priority is to gather info while keeping a low profile.

Fenton: Here's a plan. We know the natives can kill TI heavies, presumably they do so where and whenever they can. Let us further assume they would be capable of capturing one or two. We get them to do so and tor..sorry, question them. If we can question them reasonably quickly maybe we could make it plausible that the goon(s) "escape" and make it back to the TI compound closely pursued by natives 'cept it's two of us, not the goons. Get in in the confusion and act on whatever the heavies have told us. How's that for a slice of fried gold?

Vaughan: Like it! Only problem is that as far as I know none of us are formally trained interrogators. But with a bit of general J-o-a-T aptitude and wits, I'm sure a resourceful chap like you could get someone to talk.

What if we "rescued" some TI guards from an attack we get the locals to set up? That might get us inside or an inside view without any unpleasantness. Get them talking over a few beers - meanwhile or afterwards do the fake escape back to base. I think we can break into their communications band to sell them

a fake picture of what's happening in town or to their men.