Session 001

Global Aspects

• Leaving It All Behind
• Whole New World(s)
• Magic In These Stars

General

• April 12th, 1366: The cyn first reach the stars.
• October 22nd, 1832: The algata first reach the stars.
• April 12th, 1961: Humanity first reaches the stars.
• March 21st, 2535: Today's date.
• We'll be taking the Magellanic Skip in the Bifrost system to reach the LMC.
• There are roughly 7k people on the expedition.
• Two of the protagonists are aboard the Argo, a retrofitted military warship donated by the Ares Initiative for the Expedition that can accomodate a crew of up to one-thousand people.
  • The first, Isha Kysilios is a blue perdra with feathers, a trait uncommon with her species but not unheard of.
  • The second, Emmett Barlow, is humanoid but clearly has cyn heritage based on her bull-like horns and unnaturally-large stature.
• The third protagonist is aboard the Randalin; a Valkyrie frigate.
  • Noelle Clairmont, a heavily-augmented 5'2" freckled redhead. She shares a body with Ramiel, a manufactured intelligence.
  • The Valkyries have been hired to protect the expedition. To do so, they've brought a frigate (the Randalin), two corvettes (the Goll and the Oski), as well as a myriad of smaller ships.

• Noelle is presently at a console in one of the Randalin CICs, taking a break from monitoring a fleet of drones.
• Before she can resume, she's interrupted by Katja Rue, another Valkyrie who's even more heavily tattooed than most.
  • She relays an order to Noelle to move to the Argo so she can monitor sensors post-Skip.
  • She'll be accompanied by Annette "Nettle" Lavoie as a security detail; Nettle is a kethrys who Noelle has had an on-and-off intimate relationship with.
  • Katja suggests that Noelle should try to keep Nettle out of trouble, mostly because Nettle got us thrown out of Onaisin Station not that long ago for fighting with some rival mercenaries.
• The expedition also includes some algatan home ships the house the majority of the expedition's population; the Hearth Beckons and I Miss You, My Shadow.
• After Nettle and Noelle arrive on the Argo, they're instructed to move to the secondary bridge; in the back half of the ship past the Arboretum.
  • The Arboretum is a 3-story tall open expanse in the ship, housing natural flora to aid in the psychological fallout of long-term space travel.

• Emmett & Isha are presently in the Arboretum.
  • Emmett's father was a cyn, her mother was a human, hence her hybrid appearance.
  • She's just sitting and enjoying the atmosphere in the moment on the first level.
• A cyn woman interrupts Emmett's thoughts to ask if the horns are real; she introduces herself as Lasani.
  • She works as an interspecies counselor, and is here to collect Isha to watch the Skip from the bridge with the rest of the Perdian delegation.
• Isha is resting on the second level; Lasani calls up to her and she jumps off before unfurling dragon-like wings and gliding down.
  • She can't properly fly without the magical forces present in the LMC.
• Lasani invites Emmett to join her and Isha on the bridge.

• On the bridge, Noelle bristles as representatives from Byzantium-Lotus Corporation enter.
  • She's had persistent conflict with them in the past.
  • 6 months ago, the Valkyries clashed in what was comparable to fleet-battle with BLC in the Lygos Facility, one of BLC's shipyards. It was a distraction while Noelle and another team raided the Semystra Site to rescue Ramiel.
• After we jump, Noelle will be monitoring the fleet sensors.
• Isha and Emmett make very awkward small-talk within earshot of Noelle.
• There's conflict brewing between Captain Pezani and a group of humans led by Iason Lather.
  • Pezani is an algata and a member of the Cartographer's Union, Captain of the Argo. The name roughly translates to "Find the Wind".
  • Iason Lather is a middle-aged Aresian.
• Ramiel aids Noelle in snooping on what they're saying.
  • Iason: "You're awfully confident for someone with no real experience."
  • Pezani: "Oh, and what's yours? Glassing planets? I will not let you bring a fleet in there."
  • Iason mentions that they'll be keeping Aresian warships camped in Bifrost 'in case of emergencies'. Noelle notes that there's a massive amount of firepower staged not terribly far away in the system.
• The Coordinator joins Pezani near the front of the ship.
  • The Coordinator wears a bomber jacket over a jumpsuit.
• Captain Pezani puts her up for a speech which she butchers, then the Captain takes over with a bunch of note cards.
  • The speech is long and winding, but has some key points.
  • It's 160k lightyears from Bifrost to the LMC.
• We make the Skip.
  • Drones read a primarily all-clear; there are a couple freighters docked at Aona Station but otherwise the system is relatively empty.
  • It's a Class-O star instead of a Class-K like Bifrost.
  • There are a few other ships here waiting for us, such as the seya & hualei delegation.
• The perdra on the Bridge almost immediately begin to show off their magic.
• Isha is playing with lightning and Ramiel warns Noelle of the threat, causing Noelle to pull a firearm on Isha.
• Aladrika Viza informs everyone that it's not a threat.
• Noelle stands down, the Captain informs everyone about magic.
• We're dismissed temporarily until we're recalled for another skip to the Tarantula nebula.
• Noelle, Emmett, Isha, and Lasani make introductions.
• Emmett is from Desha (a human/cyn joint planet).
  • It's a beautiful world, lacking in a lot of mountainous regions.
  • Ramiel evaluates Emmett's personnel file: Emmett Barlow. 29. Farmer. Minimal data. Brought on as an ecological and agricultural consultant. High threat but psych profile indicates low propensity for violence.
• Emmett has an adorable little phone, very retro.
• Isha explains perdra racism and their caste system.
• Emmett pulls out a bottle of wildflower seeds and pours some of them in the arboretum.
• Isha flies around as everyone stares in awe.
  • The flight made Ramiel feel some type of way; like she was reaching for limbs that she doesn't have.
• We have a conversation with Viza who just ends up being rather racist. It turns into a mental conflict.
  • Viza Consequence: It's Different, I Swear (Invoked).
  • Viza Consequence: Reality Check (Invoked).
  • Viza Consequence: Think About What You Did (Free Invoke).
  • Viza returns back to her room.
• All-hands called for the second skip.
• A few days pass. Emmett does a lot of maker-space stuff.
• Noelle does racing sims. She wins a few against others. Eventually, no one wants to run against her because she's too good; Ramiel offers and begrudgingly admits that they think it sounds fun.
• Noelle continually beats Ramiel, but they improve.
• Noelle acquiesces to a combat sim. Ramiel spins up the worst possible; riot control.
• Noelle fearfully allows Ramiel to take control.
• Isha meets an urodyla named Beryl while practicing her magic; he convinces her to play a prank on an ambassador.
• After a few days, we arrive at Stellar Waypoint 13 (SW-13).
• Lasani got us assigned to Candidate 28 as a ground mission.
• Lasani requisitioned Expedition Ship S29.
• Annette manages to intercept and join us on the ship.
• Noelle instructs Isha on how to fix a shorted wire in the lights.
• Shift travel displays a warning due to Magellenic Overphase Syndrome. Normal shift travel is a layer of reality slightly below our typical one.
• Still manage to cut down travel time to 6 hours.
• Take the ship fast and quiet, albeit turbulent.
• There's a creature here that's 300-400 lbs with wings and barbs. Almost feline but too many eyes.
• Manticore Aspect: Now You Don't.
• Emmett tugs Lasani into cover.
• The creature hides again.
• Tiger by the Tail.
• Ramiel shot the thing through the head.
• We end with Noelle regaining control and the gun shaking in her hands.