Casting Shadows

This week’s seed is for the 4th Edition of the Mechwarrior RPG, A Time of War. It will work best with players experienced with the Battletech Universe, running experienced characters. This is a small seed meant to spark a growth of independent ideas, not a framework for an encounter or series of them.

The seed
An accident during a routine jump sparks a race to claim prizes worth more than worlds to some~

Planting the seed
Planting the seed is easy if the characters are mercs, merchants, or in position to travel with few restrictions. Mechs are not required, although they, small craft, or aerospace fighters may spice things up. The easiest groups to involve are independent mercenary companies, and salvage companies, but plenty of individuals will set their sights on this prize. Military characters might be ordered to get involved, for a variety of reasons.  Covert operatives may feel it is necessary to spring into action – again, for various reasons.

The Details
An accident during a routine jump took a Merchant class jumpship into an uninhabited system and dangerous proximity with what might be classified as a rogue planetoid. The ship and crew survived, due to luck and excellent engineers who work well in panic conditions, and beat a hasty retreat to well-travelled space lanes. Upon reaching their destination and a long overdue inspection, the crew – ordered to secrecy – of course began babbling drunkenly about what they saw.

The planetoid, at first seemingly devoid of life, showed significant evidence of a past collision with a jumpship… a very, very large jumpship. Sensor readings were not clear due to interference from the damage sustained, and the thick layer of dust and other surface debris covering the downed vessel, but according to the crew, analysis of the data suggests a Leviathan or craft of a similar size. The data further suggests that other anomalous readings scattered uniformly around the crash site may in fact be the dropships the jumpship was transporting. Based on the condition of the crash site, it may have been well more than a century since the accident. The chance of finding survivors approaches 0. The chance of finding decent salvage is another matter entirely…

Rumours spread like wildfire throughout the community, and several missions are planned, some of which may even come to fruition.

What is going on

The truth of what is going on is as devious as it is deadly. Agents of a rival faction (If it were me it would be a cunning Marik plan versus the Lyrans, but that is neither here nor there) have managed to learn of a secret facility at the site of this supposed jumpship accident but cannot get close enough to ascertain what it is. Rather then risk the lives of agents in a likely futile effort and so simultaneously blow any chance of benefitting from their discovery, they have planted false rumours in every ear that might listen hoping to goad an intrepid band of avaricious adventures to blunder into the area looking for salvage, fortune, and glory. Under cover of the ensuing confusion, agents will do what needs to be done…

Enjoy~

• Saturday Seed ~ 91 (Desolation) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)
• Saturday Seed ~ 94 (Shadowrun) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)
• Saturday Seed ~ 98 (A Time of War) (runeslinger.wordpress.com)