Casting Shadows

This week’s seed is for A Time of War by Catalyst Game Labs.  Although certainly usable for a set of mechwarrior player characters, it does not assume that occupation as a default.

My Saturday Seeds also reappear on Ancient Scroll on random Saturdays~

The seed

The seed involves the threat of assassination and espionage, but for the good of two worlds, should be handled with the utmost discretion without scrimping on the finality of the decision.

Planting the seed

The seed is envisioned for a group of experienced characters with ties to people in high and low places. This may range from mercenaries of various stripes, to espionage agents, to smugglers, to entertainers, courtiers, or even the media. It will be advantageous but not necessary for these characters to have a network of people feeding them information and rumors. In some way, the talents and connections of these characters will be seen as a means to a quiet end to a problem of interplanetary importance.

The Details

The leading family of the planet on which the characters are currently residing will be getting married within the next few days. Predictably, she is marrying someone who a significant portion of the population despises from a place that their planet has good reason to hate. The reasons for the marriage are obvious and will likely bring both stability and prosperity, but since when has that mattered when opinion can give you more to complain about?

It has come to the attention of a small but loyal group in the government with connections to the characters that an assassination attempt will be made, possibly linked with a small, but devastating attack on a civilian population – most likely those celebrating in the streets. Should this attempt succeed, war will result that either side can ill afford, which in addition to the spilled blood will open them up to attack from more distant, but hungrier forces.

The characters are sought out in secret to handle this threat in whatever way they can – without letting it ever become known that such an attack was ever planned. The reward for successful service is commensurately impressive within a range appropriate to the PCs.

What is going on

There really is a plot going on to give death as a wedding present to the happy couple. That much is true. What is not yet known is that two separate groups, one from each faction which is plotting to rain blood on the parade. Worse, both sides are being funded by more far-seeing plotters from off-world concerns who will be happy to become on-world concerns. It really is a pie with mostly fingers as filling.

Through whatever means are their specialty, the characters will need to meddle in such a way that these disparate plans fail to take shape, or alternately to take their expense money and head for greener pastures. A blood mark here may be preferable to a headstone, after all.

Enjoy~