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A Royal Pain

From FuturePath

STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION - NOT YET FINISHED - OUTLINE ONLY

SPOILER WARNINGS THIS IS FOR GAME MASTERS ONLY All Artwork is temparory AI Generated Art using Gemini. This will be replaced by paid-for human artwork.

Scavenger One-Shot: A Royal Pain

This is a mystery and social encounter focused one-shot adventure for a crew of Level 2 or 3 characters. It is designed to showcase social skills, investigative mechanics, and the resolution of a political conspiracy in the d20 FuturePath setting.

Adventure Premise

Your station is under threat! The Aconians have raised a small navy to come to your small sector of space and enforce martial law. Why? They claim that a person of the old dynasty's royal bloodline has gone missing and was reported to be last seen entering your station. They blame your people for this!

You are just a small independent mining colony. A station called Comet's Home can barely hold 10,000 citizens, and its main source of income comes from gas mining comets or 'hard' mining asteroids. Most of the system's population, over 30k if you exclude the station, live in the inner or outer belt and come to the station to refine and sell, as well as a little R&R, of course!

You have no idea what an imperial royal from a great and ancient empire would even be doing here! Your government's response is to just keel over. But you know this isn't gonna end good for you and yours unless by the time that fleet arrives a missing royal can be produced. Time to take matters into your own hands!

Key Characters

  1. Lady Kaelen: A headstrong Aconian royal who has openly protested her upcoming arranged political marriage.
  2. Prince Jarek: Her intended fiancé—a rigid, traditional Aconian noble whom Kaelen openly dislikes.
  3. Valen: Kaelen's true love, a merchant's son of lower status. Devoted but easily manipulated.
  4. Archon Vandar: The orchestrator of the crisis. He secretly contacted Valen under the guise of a sympathetic ally, giving him this idea and providing him with resources to smuggle Kaelen to this independent mining station.

The Plot

With Kaelen safely "missing," Vandar frames the disappearance as a hostile kidnapping by station-dwellers, giving him the perfect excuse to annex the sector's gas and ore infrastructure. Only Vandar knows the true cause, and he uses it to justify launching a fleet to annex the Station. Meanwhile, on the Station, Valen and Kaelen immediately find themselves in hot water. And quickly figure out that they have been double-crossed. They try to hide and find a safe way to exit the station but are eventually ambushed by Vandar's private hitmen. Vandar's goal is to kill Valen and 'rescue' Kaelen. He gets to be the hero who saves the day and the right to annex the system.

Adventure Map & Key Points of Interest

{{#mermaid:graph TD 

   Arrival[Customs & Arrival Port] --> Casino[Gilded Comet Casino];
   Arrival --> Den[Smuggler's Den];
   Arrival -.-> Silo["Silo 12 (Red Herring)"];
   
   Casino --> Slums[Beltway Refhab 42];
   Casino --> Clinic[Medical Clinic];
   Casino -.-> Consulate["Consulate Office (Red Herring)"];
   
   Den --> Slums;
   Den --> Refinery[Refinery Control Room];
   Den -.-> Hangar["Hangar B (Red Herring)"];
   
   Clinic --> Slums;
   Clinic --> Refinery;
   
   Slums --> Cargo[Sector 9 Cargo Docks Climax];
   Refinery --> Cargo;

   style Silo fill:#f77,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
   style Consulate fill:#f77,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
   style Hangar fill:#f77,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;

| 

config.theme = dark

}}

{{#mermaid:graph TD 

   Depot["The Drifter's Depot"]
   Munitions["Void-Forge Munitions"]
   Noodles["Heng's Cometary Noodles"]
   Dome["The Oasis Bio-Dome"]

   style Depot fill:#9cf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;
   style Munitions fill:#9cf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;
   style Noodles fill:#9cf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;
   style Dome fill:#9cf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;

}}

Points of Interest in Detail

  • Customs & Arrival Port (The Docking Bay):
  • The Situation: The entry point where Kaelen and Valen first boarded the station under forged credentials.
  • Investigation:
  • A DC 14 Computer Use check to access the docking logs reveals they arrived via an unregistered smuggler shuttle (leads to the Smuggler's Den).
  • A DC 13 Perception or Diplomacy check with a harbor official reveals they used high-end, luxury-grade forged transponders (leads to the Gilded Comet Casino).
  • A DC 12 sensors sweep detects a strange residue of volatile gas-ore on the landing pads (leads to the red herring Silo 12).
  • Gilded Comet Casino (Upper Promenade):
  • The Situation: A high-end casino where Kaelen was seen in public under a disguise.
  • Investigation:
  • A DC 14 Sleight_of_Hand or Diplomacy check with the card dealer reveals Valen paid with rare Aconian military bullion, which only high-ranking nobles like Archon Vandar possess.
  • A DC 13 Computer Use check to hack the security room shows a suspicious figure trailing the couple toward the habitation deck (leads to Beltway Refhab 42).
  • A DC 12 Sense_Motive check on a cocktail waitress reveals she saw the couple buying specialized mid-deck medication (leads to the Medical Clinic).
  • If players ask about Aconian nobles in general, a concierge mentions the royal consulate suite has been occupied (leads to the red herring Consulate Office).
  • The Smuggler's Den (The Underbelly):
  • The Situation: A crowded, smoky dive bar frequented by asteroid miners and smugglers.
  • Investigation:
  • A DC 13 Sense_Motive or Intimidate check locates the pilot who smuggled them in. Terrified of royal reprisal, he admits he dropped them off near the slums (leads to Beltway Refhab 42).
  • A DC 14 Perception check to eavesdrop on off-duty guards reveals that Archon Vandar's mercenaries were recently looking for camera feeds at the refinery controls (leads to the Refinery Control Room).
  • A smuggler brags about a royal vessel docked nearby (leads to the red herring Hangar B).
  • Medical Clinic (Mid-Deck):
  • The Situation: A crowded clinic where Kaelen was treated for mild radiation sickness.
  • Investigation:
  • Branch A (Hacking): A DC 14 Computer Use check on the patient registry database reveals Valen used an employee badge registered to a technician living in Beltway Refhab 42.
  • Branch B (Social): A DC 13 Diplomacy or Sense_Motive check with the resident doctor reveals that Aconian agents were asking about the couple. He heard them mention hacking the security grid from the Refinery Control Room.
  • Refinery Control Room (Industrial Level):
  • The Situation: The central station grid where Vandar's agents are actively hacking security to track Kaelen.
  • Investigation:
  • A DC 14 Computer Use or Disable Device check to intercept the terminal reveals the agents have traced Kaelen's royal signet ring beacon and are moving her to the cargo bay (leads to Sector 9 Cargo Docks).
  • Beltway Refhab 42 (Lower Habitation):
  • The Situation: The safe house where Kaelen was hiding, now trashed.
  • Investigation:
  • A DC 13 Survival or Perception check to investigate the room reveals signs of a struggle and a dropped Aconian tracer signal pointing directly to Sector 9 Cargo Docks.

Red Herring Locations

  • Silo 12 (Gas Silos - Red Herring):
  • The Lead: Unregistered refinery shuttle residue at the docks.
  • The Reality: An illegal gas-ore smuggling ring run by desperate local miners. Players must negotiate a stand-off (DC 14 Diplomacy or Intimidate).
  • The Payoff: The miners bribe the players with 2,000 ISC to look the other way and mention their buyer operates out of the Smuggler's Den.
  • Consulate Office (Upper Promenade - Red Herring):
  • The Lead: The official royal suite where an Aconian VIP might reside.
  • The Reality: The suite is empty of royals, occupied only by a panicked diplomat who lost his exotic pet star-ferret.
  • The Payoff: Capturing the ferret (DC 12 Acrobatics or Survival) earns the diplomat's gratitude. He rewards the players with a Tech Level 2 item and mentions seeing Valen at the Gilded Comet Casino.
  • Hangar B (Herald's Vessel - Red Herring):
  • The Lead: An official Aconian vessel parked in the private docks.
  • The Reality: The ship of Prince Jarek’s personal Herald, who is here to deliver the formal martial law declaration.
  • The Payoff: Hacking the ship's comms logs (DC 13 Computer Use) reveals the fleet's arrival schedule (granting the players 1 extra hour of in-game investigation time) and links the Herald's guards to the Refinery Control Room.

Utility & Flavor Locations

  • The Drifter's Depot (General Store - Utility):
  • The Situation: A cluttered warehouse shop run by Jax, a grumpy but fair retired Belter miner. It sells survival gear, tools, and technical supplies.
  • Function: Players can restock or purchase equipment from the General Equipment list using their Credit Score or ISC (Wealth & Money).
  • Clue/Rumor: Jax complains about a nervous young man (Valen) who came in earlier and bought a high-grade radiation hazard suit and water filtration packs, which are far too clean for a local Belter to need.
  • Void-Forge Munitions (Weapons & Armor - Utility):
  • The Situation: A heavily fortified storefront smelling of gun oil, ozone, and metal shavings. Run by Vera, a no-nonsense cyborg veteran.
  • Function: Players can buy firearms, ammunition, and various armor grades (Weapons / Armor).
  • Clue/Rumor: Vera mentions that a group of Aconians tried to buy heavy weapons under the table, but she kicked them out because they lacked local licenses and had "shifty mercenary eyes."
  • Heng's Cometary Noodles (Flavor):
  • The Situation: A tiny, neon-lit noodle stall serving synthetic kelp noodles and steaming hot broth, run by the talkative Uncle Heng. It is the social hub of the lower decks.
  • Flavor: Spending 5 ISC on a bowl of noodles and talking to the patrons grants the crew a temporary +1 bonus to their next stamina or morale check and reveals station rumors about Aconian agents lurking near the docks.
  • The Oasis Bio-Dome (Flavor):
  • The Situation: A small, pressurized dome containing real soil, genetically engineered pine trees, and recycled natural air. It is the only green space on the station, reserved for citizens needing "psychological decompression."
  • Flavor: A peaceful, quiet sanctuary where the players can rest, discuss their findings, and escape the noisy industrial hum of the mining station.

The Climax: Sector 9 Cargo Docks

  • The Situation: Vandar's mercenaries have captured Kaelen and pinned down Valen. They plan to execute Valen and frame the station for Kaelen's "murder" to justify the immediate Aconian invasion.
  • The Encounter: A tense standoff. Players can use stealth, hacking, or social pressure to resolve the situation, with combat as a high-stakes backup.
  • The Resolution:
  • Option A: Yield to the Empire. Turn Kaelen over to the approaching fleet. The station is saved from martial law, but Kaelen is forced to marry Prince Jarek, and Valen is executed for treason.
  • Option B: Expose the Archon. Use the station's main broadcast tower to stream Valen's testimony and Vandar's transaction records to the incoming fleet. Prince Jarek halts the invasion to arrest Vandar, but Kaelen and Valen must flee into exile.
  • Option C: Cover Up and Run. Help the lovers escape using the smuggler shuttle. The station faces temporary Aconian occupation, but the lovers escape to the outer rim.
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