12 Gifts

ASTROPRISMA Advent Calendar Game

Updates ~Midnight CST/UTC-6

Introduction

This is an adventure for ASTROPRISMA Version Alpha 1.4.1. It is intended to be played with a fresh character and starship in singleplayer; A copy of the Core Book is required.

Each day, the System Map will expand and more Tiles will be available for you to explore. There will be 24 days of updates, which can be completed in as many cycles as needed. Fair warning: some encounters will contain profanity.

This is a fan-made story. 12 Gifts is an independent production by Chanticleer and is not affiliated with Crescent Chimera. It is published under the ASTROPRISMA Third Party License. ASTROPRISMA is copyright Camila Mera and Crescent Chimera.

I've never made anything like this before and I only started work for it mid-October, temper your expectations.

Colorblind Friendly(er) Mode: Check this box to replace red and green text/map outlines with colors that should hopefully be easier to see. Illustrations and some text with more complicated formatting will not change.

Days

New encounters will release each day. Click to show.


The planet Canthus and its moon, Albedo

You find yourself in the depths of space, passing by a small planet and its lone moon. The planet itself – Canthus – is unremarkable, one of many megacities to have risen and fallen across the galaxy. The moon, Albedo, however, is a notorious enigma; a force-field surrounds the entire surface, preventing any from landing. Canthus has been abandoned for hundreds of years, yet the barrier protecting Albedo remains active.

It would be pointless to do anything but simply pass by. Scavengers have picked Canthus clean, and Albedo is a lost cause; There's no reason to think that you could pierce the barrier when so many others have failed.

Unexpectedly, you pick up a signal. Something on Albedo is hailing you. The message is simple:

YOU'RE INVITED! KLAUS'S TOYLAND NOW OPEN! FREE GIFTS TO ALL VISITORS!

As the message loudly repeats itself, your ship's sensors pick up a change in Albedo's barrier. A small gap has opened up, just big enough for your ship to pass through.

▶Accept Invitation

You approach the moon, and its fields of ice. Following lights on the horizon leads you to a sprawling factory complex, unremarkable except for the colorful, flickering lights that adorn each building. Many have burned out, but enough remain to make the factory difficult to look at against the snow. Most of the buildings are showing their age, with smashed windows and caved-in roofs. The sign on the largest building is halfway collapsed, but the name "Albedo Manufacturing" is still legible.

One building stands out over all the others: a large, ostentatious looking castle-like structure, painted in a gaudy red. The path leading to the front door is themed to look like a street made of candy, flanked by fiberglass statues of cartoonish characters. The building would stand out anywhere, but it's even more eye-catching considering the surrounding tundra and brutalist architecture. What's more, it's the only part of the crumbling facility that seems to still be in decent condition. A sign sitting along the path reads: "MR. KLAUS'S TOYLAND – EXHIBITION AND SHOWROOM".

As your ship draws near, the lights on most of the complex suddenly go dark, leaving only the castle illuminated.

You land your ship at the end of the castle's path, where a small drone awaits you. Really, it looks to be more of a toy than a proper combat drone; it's constructed from bright red plastic, and shaped like some kind of antlered animal. The name 'Blitzen' is written on its side in tidy script. As you approach, it turns and leads you into the castle.

Blitzen, the Reindrone

The interior is much the same as the exterior – bright, ostentatious, and red. The candy pathway continues inside, going from the front doors, through the lobby, and on past a ticket-taking booth. The booth itself is manned by what seems to be a crude animatronic doll, though it remains still as you and Blitzen enter the exhibit.

The room is filled with more animatronic dolls playing out a series of scenes, reenacting some old fable. Most of the dolls are motionless, but a few are jerking back and forth in an effort to play their roles in spite of their centuries of neglect. A voice narrates the story, though the speakers producing it are in the same sorry state as the dolls. Still, you can at least get an idea of the story being told. Blitzen floats through the exhibit at a glacial pace, seemingly wanting you to take in the show.

Klaus and Pitch observe Canthus

The exhibit retells an old legend attached to a popular holiday. It tells the story of Mr. Klaus and Mr. Pitch, two magical men who lived on Albedo. Both were tied to the moon, unable to ever leave it, but they had been watching Canthus since time immemorial. Mr. Klaus loved the people of Canthus dearly, and wanted to help them prosper. Mr. Pitch, on the other hand, loathed them, jealous of those who could experience the beauty of Canthus while he was trapped on the desolate moon.

Over the centuries, the two men practiced their magic and learned to interact with those on Canthus in different ways. Mr. Klaus built dolls in the shape of the Reindeer that roamed Canthus, and breathed life into them. The "Reindolls" were strong enough to jump between Albedo and Canthus, and he used them to communicate with those on his beloved planet.

Mr. Pitch, meanwhile, was not so benevolent. If he could not be happy, he decided, then no one should be. He learned to cast his voice into the minds of those on the planet, and used his whispers to tempt them into acting on their cruelest and most callous thoughts. He fueled their anger, their greed, their animosity.

Saddened by the misery that Mr. Pitch had stirred on Canthus, Mr. Klaus came up with a plan: to reward those who ignored Mr. Pitch's words, and to give incentive to those who did not, he would send the toys he made to the Good Children who lived on Canthus. But, Mr. Klaus knew that Mr. Pitch wouldn't make it easy for him. He'd send those he'd corrupted to steal the gifts for themselves the second they reached Canthus.

Thus, Mr. Klaus began searching all across the planet for suitably good-hearted people. Once a year, he would choose one to be his Envoy, and send a gift-laden Reindoll down to meet them. The chosen Envoy would be charged with delivering all of the gifts, and protecting them from any who would do them harm. Being chosen as an Envoy came to be a high honor on Canthus, and any who completed the job would be blessed for the year following.

Mr. Pitch still tried to stop it, of course. He whispered to the Envoys more than anyone else, doing everything in his power to convince them to forsake the Good Children and take the gifts for themselves. Most were able to resist his call; Mr. Klaus had chosen his Envoys well, after all. But, now and again, one would fall for Mr. Pitch's lies. Mr. Klaus could do nothing but watch as his Envoys betrayed him, but the treacherous Envoys always seemed to face retribution for their greed in the end.

The last scene of the display explains that while Mr. Klaus continues to deliver his gifts to this day, some things have changed. The primitive Reindolls have been replaced with state-of-the-art Reindrones, and Mr. Klaus turned his humble workshop into a sprawling factory to provide toys for all the Good Children of Canthus. The role of Envoy has become purely honorary, as anyone can now freely come and go between Canthus and Albedo, and the People of Canthus have taken to giving out their own gifts to each other during each delivery cycle as a gesture of thanks and appreciation. On top of all that, Mr. Pitch's voice has gone all but silent.

Near the end of the Exhibit is a display of that year's most popular toys – all made by Albedo Manufacturing, of course – that encourages all who visit the Toyland to pick up some gifts for the Good-Hearted Children in their life.

Eventually you reach what appears to be the grand finale of the tour: an extravagant stage, covered in the ever-present flickering lights and flanked by heaps of wrapped gifts. They frame an ornate throne, on top of which sits an an elderly, bearded man dressed in elaborate red robes, wearing an antler-like crown. He lets out a loud, jolly laugh, and greets you:

"Hello, hello, my esteemed guest! I apologize for the state of my home; it's been quite a while since we've had any company, you see. The barrier you crossed has done an excellent job of keeping my castle safe and sound, but I'm afraid it's also left me quite isolated."

The man's motions are stilted and awkward. His mouth only flaps along with the voice, rather than forming the words. This is not an Android or Cyborg, simply another doll. Whoever is speaking to you, their true body lies elsewhere.

"But, where are my manners? I am Mr. Klaus; Did you enjoy hearing my story? Though the tales told of me are quite exaggerated, the core of them is still true. I am truly just a simple tinkerer, and I do truly love the people of Canthus. I want nothing more than to give my gifts to the good children who deserve them. Yes, Canthus is no more, but its people still live, scattered throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately, I also truly cannot leave this moon, and my Reindrones simply aren't up to doing the job themselves; they can ferry the gifts to their destinations just fine, but they're not exactly personable, hmm? Most people are a bit suspicious of gifts delivered by unknown, faceless drones, I've learned.

And so I must admit, I didn't invite you here simply to tell you my story, give you a gift, then send you on your way. In the past, I have employed Envoys to deliver my Gifts, and I seek to do so again. It's certainly a risk to trust strange travelers with my precious cargo, but I have faith in the kindheartedness of others.

So, how would you like to become my Envoy? It's not too difficult a job; there's only 12 Gifts to be delivered this year. A drop in the bucket, compared to what I handled when Canthus was at its peak. Very manageable, yes?

Of course, you will be well compensated for your work. You'll receive 50 Serum upon each successful delivery, and once your work is done and you return to Albedo..."

As one, the gifts surrounding the stage open themselves, revealing tubes of Serum, cybertech, and a countless number of other valuables. A large one in the back even seems to be holding a starship engine. Then, just as quickly as they had opened, they slam shut once more. Exaggerated locking noises emanate from the gifts.

"All this and more will be yours; all you need to do is deliver my gifts. As a down payment of sorts, you may take Blitzen here with you. He'll be your guide as you handle the deliveries, but he's also a very good boy. I'm certain he'll be able to help you out if trouble ever finds you. Valuable help, indeed.

So, what do you say? Will you be my Envoy?"

▶Accept Job

"Good, good! I'm delighted to hear you say so. Please, I ask that you begin post-haste. The first Gift is waiting for you back the way you came; Blitzen will show you where it is. He'll give you all the information you need once you've departed."

You receive DRONE_RNDR_BL1X. If you don't have an open Memory Slot for it, you'll need to make room.

Now that Blitzen is attached to your neural interface, he can send messages directly to your mind. Messages from Blitzen will be written in green text.

You can pick up Gift #1 at the front desk.

As you pass through the front lobby, the ticket-taker doll jerks to life, placing a small metal case on the table before going still once again.

You receive Gift #1. It's decorated in the same bright red as the rest of the facility, and held shut by a simple electronic seal. It's not very secure; there's nothing to stop you from opening it up and taking the contents for yourself.

It's time to get going. The exhibit's dolls have all gone still, and the only remaining lights are the ones guiding you back to the entrance.

As you depart from Albedo, the gap in the barrier closes itself behind you. It seems you won't be returning until the deliveries are complete.

The first Recipient lives on the settlement in Tile 20. You should head there first.

Tile 19

A laser blasts at you suddenly, missing your ship only by a hair: it's a warning shot. A Scarab Interceptor reveals itself, and sends you the following message: "We are the Children of Pitch; we know you just left Albedo, and we know you're carrying a Gift. Give it up, or we'll take it by force."

The ship has a particular emblem painted onto its hull: A scratchy letter "P" with devil's horns.

Logo, as Described

Surrender ▶ You lose any Gift you are holding, but the raiders do not otherwise harm you. If you aren't holding a Gift, they open fire.


Fight the Scarab Interceptor ▶ As you loot the remains of the Scarab, you notice the final message sent out by the ship's crew:

"Envoy in sights. Will catch and release. No sign of SS yet."
Tile 20 - ISF Settlement

There's a bit of a commotion going on in the Trading Hub when you enter. Apparently, a gang of thieves have been particularly bold about robbing the Hub's occupants recently, and the settlement officials have had little luck apprehending them. The thieves have mostly been hitting small-time vendors, leaving the wealthiest vendors virtually untouched. Said small-time vendors have had just about enough of this mess, and are putting up a bounty: 50 serum to anyone who brings in legitimate information about the perpetrators, and 150 Serum to anyone who puts a stop to them.

❕ If you do what they're asking for, you can return here to collect a reward.


You find Gift #1's recipient, Yuri, among the crowd of aggrieved merchants.

"You have a... gift? For me? I don't think—

Oh! I recognize that packaging! That's— wow. I didn't think I'd be getting any more of these after my Ma passed. Did she arrange in advance to have this sent to me, or something?

No? Huh... every once in a while she'd give me one of these Gifts, sealed up all fancy-like. I never believed her when she said a they were always delivered by strangers. I thought she was just playing into the old folktales she used to tell... but you're tellin' me she really didn't send you? Hmm.

What's in here, anyway?"

Yuri breaks the Gift's seal, revealing a handsome supply of serum.

"...Oh. Wow. I guess you really weren't sent by my Ma – I know she didn't have this kind of dough laying around. This is exactly the amount of serum I need to rent out floor space here in the Hub. I could open up a real shop, with real stock, not limited to just what I can carry with me...

Except, I can't be a merchant without merchandise, and those damned thieves stole my whole pack last night. I've got nothing left! I guess it's a good thing you didn't get here any earlier, or they would've stolen this too.

Hey. You look like you know your way around a weapon; are you going to try and take that bounty on the thieves? If so, please, bring me back my pack! I'll make it worth your while, I swear!"

Delivery Successful.

❕ Return Goods

If you find and return Yuri's Stolen Pack, he will purchase any items (which can be sold in the trading hub) from you for 60% value rather than 50% value, rounding up. This settlement only.
Tile 7

Aquarian Planet - 2 Satellites

As you approach the planet, your ship's sensors detect something in the distance – another ship, idling a good ways away from you. It's not moving, or sending out any kind of signal.

The almost the moment you change course to approach, the other ship activates its Warp Drive and teleports away, leaving no trace behind. You'd gotten just close enough to make out the name "Silent Star" written on the ship's hull.

The ship makes no further move as you pass it by, and yet you can't help but get the feeling that it's watching you.

It's not any of your concern; the next Gift is waiting for you on the planet below. You bring your ship down on the edge of what seems to be an old revolutionary's bolthole dug into one of the planet's few landmasses. The Reindrone that waits for you is a completely different make and model from Blitzen, but it sports the same trademark antler antennae, and the name "Dancer" is printed on its side in the same ornate handwriting. The two Reindrones seem excited to see each other; all of the lights built into them flicker on and off as they float around each other excitedly. Once their greetings are finished, Dancer pushes aside some rubble to reveal another shiny Gift. With its job now complete, Dancer flickers its lights once again and departs.

You receive Gift #2.

While you're here, you may as well search the place. It's pretty thoroughly trashed, but you at least manage to scrounge up 20 scrap.
Tile 1

An old, crumbling refueling station drifts dangerously close to the star's orbit. It looks abandoned, but that's definitely the location of the next recipient. As you approach, you start to notice a few signs of occupation; the ships docked there aren't nearly as decrepit as the rest of the station, for one, and there are a few radio signals coming off of the place, albeit well-masked. As you approach, two of the docked ships spring to life, a Snowstorm Delta and a Duskwing.

A cold voice comes through your comms. "Identify yourself. Now."

❕ You'll need to gain their trust if you want to talk to them.

(W.A.R.G Favor < 1) OR (ISF Favor > 0) ▶ "You're not welcome here. Turn back, before we make you."

Leave Peacefully ▶ Return on another cycle and try again.

Fight ▶ Battle the Snowstorm Delta and Duskwing. You'll be permanently barred from base, and will fail Delivery #2.

(W.A.R.G. Favor > 0) OR (W.A.R.G. Intel is in Inventory) ▶ They can tell you're not their enemy, and let you into the base.

Once inside, they explain to you that they're laying low while searching for a team of ISF ships that are in possession of some crucial intel stolen from the revolutionaries, who must be stopped before they reunite with the rest of the ISF fleet. The ships are believed to still be hiding out to the Northwest, but solar flare activity has made it difficult to search the area.

Return W.A.R.G. Intel ▷ They can't pay you in serum, but they can scrounge up a reward from the resources left in the old refueling station. Choose to receive either 5 units of fuel, OR 2 random narcobiotics.

When you explain why you're here, you're quickly ushered in to meet the Recipient, "Gunpowder Telly".

"Heya, stranger! Is that there gift for me? Been a while since Old Man Klaus came around, I thought I was about time for him to send someone my way! What gives? I've been just as good as I've ever been, and I know that old codger has a soft spot for me n' mine.

Oh, Klausy's been looking out for my family for generations, see? We've all been revolutionaries since ol' Canthus fell, and he's always giving us goodies to help fight the good fight.

He wouldn't be giving us this much firepower if he weren't on the right side of things, see?"

Telly breaks the seal on the Gift, revealing a large pile of explosives.

"The old man delivers once again! Ooh, speakin' of delivering, I bet you've got bunches more you need to get to, yeah? You'd best hurry along, then! Me, I know just what I'm gonna do with these babies..."

Telly leaves, belting out laughter as they go.

Delivery Successful.


Tile 6

You spot an ISF Beluga Transporter Flanked by 2 Vector Ace Fighters carefully weave their way through columns of fire produced by intense solar flares. They're doing an impressive job of dodging around the worst of the eruptions, but it's clear they won't last much longer.

Aid Them ▶

(+1 ISF Favor) Using your superior vantage point, you attempt to guide them through the flares.

Roll MIN

Success ▶ The ships manage to evade danger without taking further damage. As thanks, they give you 100 Serum.

Failure ▶ The ships barely manage to make it out, but will need many costly repairs. As thanks, they give you 25 Serum.


Sit Back and Observe ▶

(-1 ISF Favor) One of the Vector Ace Fighters manages to fly clear of the danger, but the other two ships succumb to the onslaught. The surviving ship departs, leaving behind the wreckage of its companions. The solar flares begin to die down, but are still a present danger. You could attempt to loot the wreckage, if you're bold enough.

Roll GRA

Success ▶ Lose d6 Hull; Roll Loot Rewards for an Easy and Medium ship, and collect W.A.R.G. Intel.

Failure ▶ Lose d12 hull, but collect W.A.R.G. Intel

Tile 8

As you approach the destination of the next pick-up, your sensors detect 2 Smuggler Speeders heading right for you. The emblems painted on their hulls identify them as the Children of Pitch, the group that attacked you when you first left Albedo. They're almost on top of you when you realize you're not their target; they're chasing after a drone, almost too small to see with the naked eye. That drone, it's Comet! Its cargo is the next Gift! You need to protect it!

Defend Comet ▶ Fight the attackers alongside Comet. If Comet reaches 0 Hull, Gift #3 will be lost.

Success ▶ You receive Gift #3.

Failure ▶ The Children of Pitch make off with Gift #3. Delivery Failed.

Rules for fighting with Ally ships

Ally ships will function identically to enemy ships, but will target your opponents rather than you. You do not control them, simply roll for the actions on their statblock. Ally ships will initially attack whichever enemy follows them in the turn order, then switch to attacking whatever ship attacked them last.


Reindrone Comet

15 HULL | 1 ACTION

1 ▶ Gain 1 Shield
2 - 5 ▶ Restore 4 Hull
6 - 10 ▶ Deal 2 damage to all enemy ships

"You want me to tell you about them? Sorry, friend, but I don't know anything more about them than you do. I'm only programmed to help the Envoy; Mr. Klaus didn't tell me much about the world outside Albedo. But if they're trying to steal the Gifts, then we'd better stop them!"


Tile 21

Ringed Vaporean Planet

The ISF has established a base in an old vapor refinery. All are free to visit the station, but only those with proper clearance will be allowed inside. Among the ships docked there, one seems out of place; If you look closely, you can see where an emblem of the Corsair Syndicate has recently been painted over. Some of its crew are moving cargo into the base.

❕ Enter Base

If you want to get inside the base, you'll need to be subtle about it. It's too well guarded to go in guns blazing.

(ISF Favor >= 2) ▶ You're allowed inside without any trouble.

Sneak ▶

Roll GRA

Success ▶ You manage to make it through one of the back doors while one of the guards is distracted.

Failure ▶ A guard spots you and opens fire. Fight 2 ISF Soldiers to escape.

Bluff ▶

Roll VIG

Success ▶ Your bald-faced lies are convincing enough to fool the guards into letting you inside.

Failure ▶ The Guards aren't buying what you're selling, and you are politely but firmly asked to leave the premises immediately.


Once inside, it doesn't take long to piece together what's happening here. A band of Space Pirates has made a backdoor deal with some corrupt ISF officials; the pirates rob the ISF settlement's facilities while the officials look the other way, and both split the resulting profits.

Get Evidence ▶

Roll TEC

Success ▶ You collect enough evidence to prove without a doubt who's responsible for the thefts. You also find a Stolen Pack.

Failure ▶ Someone realizes you're not supposed to be here and calls for security. Fight an ISF Soldier to escape.

Defeat the Crooks ▶

Fight an ISF Sentinel and two ISF Soldiers.

It will take a while for their crew to recover from this. They won't be stealing anything from the Settlement for a long time. You also find a Stolen Pack.

Liberate some Loot. It's better off with you than them, after all. ▶

Roll GRA

Success ▶ You make off with an Ignition Shotgun, a Reflex Sight, and a Stolen Pack.

Failure ▶ Someone realizes you're not supposed to be here and calls for security. Fight an ISF Soldier to escape.

Tile 22

A Duskwing drifts through the Asteroid Sea, completely without power. It hails you, asking for a bit of help. The ship's lone inhabitant identifies herself as Denna Cross, recipient of Gift #3. Apparently, she had been navigating the area with an outdated map and unintentionally flew directly into an asteroid, damaging her engines. It's nothing irreparable, but will take time to fix. An extra set of hands will make a big difference.

"Damn, I didn't think I'd be seeing an Envoy of all people out here. I guess I can take a little break from this to see what you've got for me..."

Denna breaks the Gift's seal, revealing a very thick reinforced coat.

"Ha, Ol' Mr. Klaus always knows just what I need. This'll keep me nice and warm while I'm stuck out here on the edge of nowhere.

Well, since you're helping me out of a tough spot, I'll return the favor with a warning: there's some nasty characters about, trying to sniff out any info they can get on these here Gifts. Call themselves the "Children of Pitch", or something like that.

Judging by that look, I'm guessing you've met them. They've given me some trouble in the past, too. I ain't worried, though. Their bark's worse than their bite, in my experience.

Plus, they may not be a problem much longer. One o' the people who used to do these deliveries – Holly, I think her name was? She came by a while back, asking if I'd seen 'em around. Sounded like she was looking to clear 'em out. I was more scared of her than them, honestly. Gave me the willies.

Oh, sorry, I guess she's probably a friend of yours, huh?

No?

Hmm. Well, if you do ever see her around, don't tell her I called her creepy. Anyway, that's enough chit-chat. We got some repairs to finish."

Delivery Successful.

Assist with the Repairs ▷

Roll TEC

Success ▶ The repairs are completed quickly and efficiently, leaving behind 75 scrap for you to take.

Failure ▶ You're only getting in her way, and the repairs take much more time and resources than necessary. Lose 2 Energy.
Tile 9

A passing colony ship is in the midst of an annual celebration, the one time of year where the otherwise orderly and reserved residents are allowed to revel in excess. Any passing starships are invited to join them.

Lose 5 Energy to intense partying, but receive a Bottle of Zero-G Liquor as a parting gift.

Come on, now, what's the harm in cutting lose for a little bit? Are you really sure you don't want to go?

Just a little indulgence won't hurt ▶ Lose 3 Energy to intense partying, but receive a can of Stardust Soda as a parting gift.

Decline Invitation ▶ You decline the invitation, and continue on your journey.


Tile 2

Unexplored Planet with 2 Satellites: 1 Crater Moon, 1 Unexplored

In addition to the covering of craters you'd expect to see on a crater moon, this one's also dotted with entrances to a series of tunnels. Whether they're natural, man-made, or alien-made, you couldn't say. There's certainly a lot of them, though, making it impossible to land close to the pick-up spot. The gift is hidden in one of the caves, just out of sight. It's going to be a bit of a hike to reach it.

You're nearly there when a percussive grenade lands at your feet. It's weak, not even enough to stun you, but it destabilizes the earth at your feet enough to collapse a tunnel below you. You're not hurt in the fall, but it'll take a moment to climb back out.

"So the Gift's stowed in one of these pits?" A voice calls out above you. "Annoying. I'll start looking; you make sure the Envoy stays down, but DON'T kill them."

When you reach the surface, you see a Looter darting from pit to pit, and a Mercenary calmly watching you, gun at the ready. Hovering above you is a silent ship piloted by the third member of their nefarious crew, ready to collect your assailants as soon as the Gift is found. The Children of Pitch's symbol is painted on the ship's side.

Defeat the Mercenary in 5 turns or less, going last in the turn order ▶

Failure ▶ The Looter has enough time to find Gift #4 and return it to his ship. With the job done, the Mercenary throws down a smoke grenade and makes his escape as well. The ship departs, prize in hand. They'll be long gone by the time you manage to scramble back to your ship. Delivery Failed.

Success ▶ On seeing his bodyguard's defeat, the Looter quickly gives up on the search and flees back to his ship, which hastily departs. You receive Gift #4 without any further trouble.

Tile 10 - W.A.R.G. Settlement

Following the directions given to you by Blitzen, you enter one of the settlement's many Home Pod clusters. It's one of the most run-down areas of the lot, which is saying something. Still, you find the right door and knock.

You hear someone approaching from the other side of the door. The door opens a crack, only to slam shut again a moment later. For just a split second, you could see a sliver of a woman's face on the other side.
After a long moment and some shuffling, the door swings back open, revealing the woman, and, more importantly, the Ignition Shotgun she's now pointing at your head. Blitzen helpfully informs you that the woman is Nora, mother of Lupita, the Recipient.

"I've had enough of you people! Just leave us alone already!"

Roll GRA to try and de-escalate the situation ▶

Flee ▶ You can try making the delivery again on a later cycle.

Fight Nora [Space Pirate]▶

With the battle won, you spare a second glance at Nora's homepod. A terrified face peers out at you. It's Lupita.

Delivery Complete, I guess.
Delivery Failed. I'm very disappointed in you.

After some more shouting, you're able to convince Nora that you're a simple deliveryperson, nothing more. She lowers the gun, but keeps it in hand.

"Sorry, sorry. That was an overreaction, wasn't it? I know that most of the folks Old Man Klaus sends out are alright. Just— it really was Mr. Klaus who sent you, right? Not Noel? Or Holly?

Then... then I guess it's alright to accept a Gift. I won't give anything to Lupita without checking it over myself, obviously. But Mr. Klaus has always been generous, ever since I was Lupita's age, and I'm not about to turn him down. That good enough for you?"

Blitzen thinks for a moment, before seeming to decide that it's good enough to count as a successful delivery.


Roll GRA

Failure ▶ She really doesn't want anything more to do with you, and goes back inside.

"You don't know them? That's good, I guess, if it means they really aren't working for Mr. Klaus anymore.

Noel and Holly used to run deliveries for Mr. Klaus, yeah? I got gifts dropped off by one or both of them a couple times when I was a kid. Once I stopped getting Gifts, I figured I'd never see either of them again.

But a while back, Noel showed up at my door. Not with a Gift, just to talk. He kept going on about some opportunity he had for me, if I'd just up and move planet-side with him. I turned him down, obviously. We may not be in the best spot here, but this settlement is home and I'm not about to leave it. I mostly forgot about it afterwards, until Holly came around a couple weeks later. I always liked her better than Noel, and it didn't seem like she was going to try and sell me the same bullshit Noel had, so I let her in. That turned out to be a mistake pretty quick, though. She kept going on about how Klaus and Noel are evil, they can't be trusted, they'll just corrupt us – stuff like that. But then she turned around and attacked me and Lupita! She knocked us out and when we came too, both of our neural implants were fried. I'm glad she didn't do anything worse to us, but it cost me a fortune to get these old things fixed. I'm still paying off the debts.

That's why I pulled the gun on you. The last two of Mr. Klaus's people I've seen were a grifter and a madwoman, so I assumed the worst when I saw the gift and the drone. If you ever see either of those two around, you'd better make yourself scarce, you hear? They're bad news."

Tile 23

A group of Synth Arch followers and sympathizers have gathered together on an old waystation.

Some sort of service is being held in the scrapped-together house of worship. A Tesseract is on view inside.

The gathered crowd is completely silent; there's not a sound to be heard, not even breathing. Making any noise would be incredibly disruptive.

Roll GRA

Success ▶ Whether you recieved religious inspiration or just had a nice sit, you feel very refreshed after the service ends. Recover 5 Energy. You're also given a Data Shard. (+1 Synth Favor)

Failure ▶ You can't match the parishoners' complete silence, and end up disrupting the service. You are promptly removed from the building. (-1 Synth Favor)

(-3 Synth Favor)

The Tesseract is yours. While there's quite a crowd here, but they're simple worshipers, not fighters. There's not much they can do to stop you.

Not in the moment, that is. The Synth headquarters may be a long way away, but once they hear of a precious artifact being stolen, they'll surely send someone to recover it. From now on, roll a d6 at the start of each cycle; if the result is a 6, you must fight an Orion Moth before moving on. This will continue until you either return the Tesseract or get back to >0 Synth Favor.


Tile 24

Records state that this planet had been a promising site for resettlement many decades back, but efforts were abandoned after it became clear that the alien wildlife was far too hostile to safely support any population. Now, the only signs of human activity are the columns of smoke are rising from the long-abandoned colony town; it seems someone else got to Prancer and his Gift before you did. Blitzen guides you down a trail of bodies to meet its sibling drone, and you're able to piece together what happened along the way. It seems that a Children of Pitch Crew came to intercept the Gift, but were interrupted by the locals.
It certainly saves you the trouble of dealing with them, but unfortunately the aliens didn't stop at attacking the thieves; when you find Prancer, it's been badly damaged. At least it didn't go down without a fight, judging by the piles of insectoid corpses surrounding it.

Unfortunately, there's no sign of Prancer's Gift, and Blitzen doesn't know where it is either. You'll need to repair Prancer to continue.

ROLL TEC

Success ▶ You repair Prancer quickly and without further complications.

Failure ▶ The sounds of scraping metal attract 2 Dust Wasps. They must be defeated before you can finish repairs.

Prancer, now in one piece, is able to guide you to the spot in some rubble where it's hidden the gift – a large wooden crate decorated to look like the other Gifts, with the same crude seal holding it shut.

You receive Gift #5.

Tile 25

❕ The Colony on Hope's Rest is in a sorry state, to say the least. Lack of supplies and constant attacks have stalled their terraforming efforts and left them short of manpower. Still, they're a stubborn bunch. They won't give up on their new home that easily.

When you arrive, Lindon, the settlement's Mayor, approaches you and asks if you've come to help them with their monster problem. A particularly nasty Glyphmoth hive has taken up residence nearby, he explains, and it's quickly become more than they could handle themselves. They can offer no reward, but Lindon says you can keep whatever loot you find that's been dropped by its past victims.There's not much point in going, if you won't be getting paid. These fools have dug their own graves, there's no need for you to go and dig yours as well.

Defeat the Glyphmoth Queen

▷ In addition to the usual Loot Reward, you find a severed but serviceable Forceblast Hand and 50 serum inside the hive.

"Ah! Is that one of Klaus's Gifts? My, my. It's much larger than I've come to expect from him. Let's see what's inside, shall we?"

Mayor Lindon breaks open the seal and opens the crate, revealing a large supply of food and medical supplies.

"Oh... oh my. This is... incredibly generous. I'm at a loss for words. Please, give me a moment to collect myself...

...

I must say, I am somewhat surprised to see Klaus sending support to our little colony. Not too long ago, one of Mr. Klaus's former Envoys tried to convince us to give up here and move to a colony he was trying to get set up on old Canthus. He made it sound like Mr. Klaus was personally endorsing the project. Then again, Noel never did strike me as the most honest man...

It doesn't matter, I suppose. What matters is that these supplies will help us stick things out until we're able to get the terraforming projects under way. You have my sincerest thanks, Envoy.

I think this calls for a celebration, hmm? We can't indulge too much, of course. That would be foolish. But it will raise morale to see that our situation is not so dire. Come, join us."

Join them ▷ The meal prepared that night would seem meager in any other situation, but it's clearly a feast to the settlers. Restore up to 10HP and 10En.

Delivery Successful

Tile 11
Ringed Ecumenopolis

For once, you manage to arrive to your Reindrone Rendezvous without trouble. It seems that the sprawling megacity has enough nooks and crannies that Vixen had no trouble keeping out of sight. You receive Gift #6.

As you walk through well-worn streets on the way back to your ship, you come across 3 Android Synths. They explain to you that they're on a religious pilgrimage to the site where an Apostle first gained superinteligence. You notice that they're wearing much more extravagant finery than you would expect from a group of Synth Arch devotees, and are carrying offerings to leave at the site. They invite you to join you in their worship.

As you place an item from your inventory onto the altar, new understanding of the universe seems to wash over you. +1 Hyperdrive, +1 Synth Favor

The Trio leads you back to your ship; once they depart, you circle back to the altar's location. As you reach for the first offering, the bolt of a Gamma Gun blasts past you, just missing your head. It seems the Trio were testing you, and you've failed. Fight them, going last in the turn order. Upon victory collect their tributes (200 Serum, 2 Energy Cells and 2 NetLinks) rather than rolling on the Loot Reward Table. -1 Synth Favor

Tile 3

❕ You dock your ship with SolFa 3, the hulking remains of what was once a Helios Farm.

A few areas, including the control deck and shipyard are in passable condition, but the rest of the structure is in a serious state of decay. As you exit your ship, a mechanic that had been working on an adjacent dock stops and asks if you've come to "clear out those creepy-crawly bastards".

They explain that SolFa 3 had sat abandoned for several decades, but their crew have been attempting to bring it back to an at least partly-functional state. Unfortunately, their efforts have been halted thanks to a severe Void Crawler infestation that has left most of the station far too dangerous for their engineers to even evaluate, much less repair. Any attempts to hire an Exterminator haven't panned out, as they have very little serum to offer as payment. However, they're more than willing to trade goods salvaged from the wrecked decks as compensation, if you're willing to kill even a few of them.

A horde of 10 Void crawlers has made SolFa 3 their home. Eliminate them to earn rewards from the Repair Crew.

Each time you enter the station depths, roll a d6; if odd, you initially encounter 1 void crawler, and if even you initially encounter 2. When you defeat any void crawler, 2 more will take its place until all 10 are defeated or you choose to flee. New void crawlers will take take the killed void crawler's place in the turn order. The Repair Crew can extract you at any point with no need for an escape roll. Void Crawlers on this station will not drop any loot, but you will still gain experience from them.

Once you've defeated 10 total void crawlers across all of your attempts, the infestation will be eliminated and the Crew will return to their work.

You will receive the following rewards upon defeating the given number of Void Crawlers:

  • 2: 3x Energy Cells
  • 4: 125 Scrap
  • 6: Vibrating Motor (Weapon Mod)
  • 8: Damaged Server
  • 10: You may now purchase fuel from SolFa 3 for 2 Serum per unit.

It takes some time to find Hermes, the recipient of Gift #6. Not because he's injured or dead, as Mr. Klaus feared; his crewmates are quick to assure you that he's very much alive and well, he's just been very cautious around strangers; apparently, some months ago he was attacked by a visitor to the station. You finally manage to pin him down in the mess hall.

"Oh, umm! A Gift... It's, uh been a while. I, don't, really, know if I've been, "good" enough to earn one of these. But, I, suppose there's no harm in at least opening it...

...

Oh, umm. Hmm.

...

I'm- I'm sorry, but I don't think I can accept this. Because, you see- all that's in here is an "Albedo Interface". They're, like, a pretty old type of cybertech implant. And, well, I don't think they're very good? Not that I'm not grateful for the gift, or anything! But... I used to have one installed. Had it since I was a kid - that one was probably also a Gift, actually? And, well. It got damaged, a few months ago, which I'd rather not talk about... But, since I've gotten it replaced, I've, um, been able to think a lot more clearly, you know? And it's been easier to... umm. Well, it's hard to explain. But I definitely think I'm better off, with it not being in my head anymore.

So, umm, I guess you can keep it? If you want? It's just- I can't really use it myself, y'know, since I've already got new implants, that aren't bad, and, um, I don't think any of my crew would want it... and I also wouldn't want to give it to them, because it's. Umm.

Anyway, I, um, think I hear my boss calling for me, so I should, get going. You can just tell Mr. Clout— that's, that's his name, right? You can tell him that you delivered the package alright, and just. Sell that thing, or. Something. I'm— sorry, I should go."

Hermes rushes out of the mess hall, leaving his Gift – and his meal – behind.

Blitzen seems disappointed by his response, but you still played your part. Delivery Successful (Enough).

You acquire an Albedo Interface.

Albedo Interface [Cybertech]

-2 MIN. It doesn't have any other effect, but you can tell it's some high-quality stuff. In fact, you should go get it implanted as soon as possible. Can be converted into 20 Scrap.
Tile 12

❕ A salvage crew has descended on a dead colony ship, and are making efficient work of it. Half of the ship has already been reduced to nothing but bare scaffolding, leaving only the lower decks in one piece. One of the salvage ships contacts you the moment you're within range, sending a strongly-worded message that makes it clear that the site is theirs, and any who try to steal their kill will be shown no mercy.

In the end it doesn't take much to get them to back off; their attitude towards you changes completely as soon as they hear that you're there as part of a delivery job. The crew's foreman comes onto the comm. He apologizes for the hostility, explaining that they've been having some problems with pirates ever since they started on this job, and asks you to dock with them.

Once you're aboard, the foreman asks if you're Cupid's keeper. He explains that they had been on the job for several days already when they came upon Cupid and its cargo. It had become hostile when they came near it, but hadn't stopped them from working on other parts of the ship. They'd agreed that it would be best to simply work around it, but are eager to see it gone.

That's not the only reason why he invited you onto the ship, however. He's also got another job for you, if you're interested. All you'll need to do is deliver some documents and personal items to their sister crew, who are on a job in Tile 16. You're a deliveryperson after all, surely you can take on one more job?

Accept Job ▷

You obtain a Salvager's Package and a down-payment of 50 Serum. Deliver to Tile 16 to receive 50 more Serum, and a random melee weapon. Or, you could always just take the down payment and run.

After leaving the foreman's office, a crewman leads you down to Cupid's hiding spot on the lower decks. Seeing you approach, it finally lowers its weapons and allows the salvagers to move in, much to their relief.

You receive Gift #7 As you collect it, Blitzen sends you a new note from Klaus with the updated delivery details.

"This delivery is yet another special case. Arran here has some skeletons in his closet, so to speak, but it seems that he truly is trying to turn his life around. He's making efforts to leave his old life behind, but the stains upon his past cannot be washed away so easily. And so, I feel it is necessary to challenge him. The Gift I've chosen for him could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how he chooses to use it. If he chooses correctly, he'll be able to move on and live a new life. If not... well, you don't need to worry about that.
You'll likely find him in or around his settlement's Hangar."

They won't back down so easily. Fight 2 Beluga Transporters.

Victory ▶ Upon seeing their friends' defeat, the few remaining members of the salvage crew decide to cut their losses and run. The half-scrapped ship is yours. Reindrone Cupid is hiding out in the lowest deck. You pick up 75 Scrap and the Salvager's Package on the way down.

You receive Gift #7. As you collect it, Blitzen sends you a new note from Klaus with the updated delivery details.

"This delivery is yet another special case. Arran here has some skeletons in his closet, so to speak, but it seems that he truly is trying to turn his life around. He's making efforts to leave his old life behind, but the stains upon his past cannot be washed away so easily. And so, I feel it is necessary to challenge him. The Gift I've chosen for him could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how he chooses to use it. If he chooses correctly, he'll be able to move on and live a new life. If not... well, you don't need to worry about that.
You'll likely find him in or around his settlement's Hangar."

Tile 27 - Corsair Settlement

You find the recipient, Arran Till, in a bar attached to the Hangar. He's begging for a ride off of the settlement, from anyone who'll listen. It seems there aren't any takers. It's not long before he notices you and rushes over to continue his pleading, but he freezes when he notices Blitzen at your shoulder. He clearly realizes that you're here for him, and meekly asks if you can take it outside.

He's stunned to find out you came to give him a Gift, and he's even more stunned when he breaks the seal and reveals two shiny new Contraband Packages. For multiple reasons, he tells you.

Arran explains that he used to be a member of the Children of Pitch. The gang, he tells you, is composed of those who felt Mr. Klaus had forsaken them. (Come on, now, he didn't forsake them, they forsook themselves). The rejects had banded together, deciding that if they weren't allowed to receive his gifts, neither should anyone else. Every delivery season was spent hounding Klaus's Envoys and stealing their gifts, but that was only a few weeks out of the year. The rest of the time, they resorted to run-of-the-mill piracy. If you were already on Klaus's bad side, Arran explains, then joining the Children of Pitch was a sure-fire way to make sure you never receive one of his gifts again.

That's not the only reason the gift is surprising to Arran, though. He would have never expected Klaus to hand out contraband to anyone, for one, and for another, the Gift contained exactly what he needs to pay off his debts. Arran had recently left the Children of Pitch, but just before that his old crew had run afoul of a notorious Syndicate Crime Lord, and he'd declared that he would pick them off one by one until the debt was paid in full. The crew had been unable or unwilling to pay, and now Arran was left with a large debt and little time to repay it.

"I figured my only option was to try and leave, you know? Get a ride to the other side of the system, change my name, and leave it all behind. It wouldn't have worked. I know he's not going to let me go that easily, and even if I did find a new place to set up shop I'd probably just fall back into old habits the second things got tough. But what else was I supposed to do? Get drunk and wait for him to come and kill me?

Now, though... now I got some options. I could pay him off, get some honest work, find a way off-station and kiss this shithole goodbye... Then again, I could get a pretty penny for this. Get a ship, hire some muscle, start my own crew... I could always just keep doing what I do best. Ol' Klaus wouldn't have given me something like this if he didn't want me to use it, right? After all, he could've just given me Serum to pay off the debt..."

"Yeah... yeah. I think I'll be doing that. But I'll have to get out of here quick, and make sure no one knows I've got this cargo on me... Hey, you got a ship, right?"

With no further warning, he pulls a gun on you.

Defeat Arran [Bounty Hunter]. Receive his 2 Contraband packages.

So he couldn't resist Mr. Pitch in the end, hmm? That's a shame. Mr. Klaus was really hoping he'd be better than this. Oh, well. On to the next Gift.

Delivery Successful.

"Yeah... yeah. You're right. I said I wanted outta this life, I gotta stick with it. I still gotta find a way to get this stuff to the Boss... Hey, you got a ship, right?"

Arran begs you to take him to Luck of the Draw, a Casino Cruiser stationed in Tile 28 that's operated by the Crime Lord in question. He can't pay you upfront, but he swears he'll find a way to make it up to you afterwards. If you agree, go directly to Tile 28 once you're finished at the settlement.

You politely refuse. Arran doesn't waste any more time trying to convince you, just heads back into the hangar to find someone else.

You've done your part. Mr. Klaus will keep an eye on what he does from here.

Delivery Successful.

As Arran was already packed and ready to flee the settlement, he's okay to leave whenever you are. He tells you a bit about the Children of Pitch as you depart.

"Don't be too harsh on 'em, they're not so bad. Well, a lot of them were pretty bad. Most of them, actually. But some of them were alright guys, who probably could've been pretty good people if they didn't have Pitch whispering in their ear. He's pretty hard to ignore, you know?

Pitch? Of course he's real. I guess it's probably hard to understand, if you've never heard him. He only talks to people who've got Canthus blood in 'em, or the other people who Klaus's picked up along the way. I'm surprised you've never heard him, if you're the new Envoy. You really haven't noticed anything? It's like having this pressure in the back of your head, red and angry, always pushing you to be a little worse, a little meaner, a little greedier. You can ignore it at first, but it's hard. It wears you down. And it's always there. Just a minute ago, he was tryin' to convince me to shoot you, take your ship, and run. I'm, um, not going to do that, don't worry. I told you, I want to leave all that behind me.

Most of the Children of Pitch, though, they didn't even try to resist him. They figured if they're doomed to be bad, they may as well revel in it. I didn't get on with those ones too well. I mostly just stuck with them because I didn't have anywhere else to go. I wasn't the only one in that boat. Like I said, there were plenty of us who would probably be in a much better way if it weren't for Pitch.

I don't really get why Klaus is sending his goons to bump us off, when Pitch is the one who's really the problem.

Oh, yeah, one of the old Envoys, Holly, she'd been on our tails for a while before I left. When you showed up at the bar, I figured she'd sent you to take care of me. I don't really know what her deal is. Klaus always used to just ignore the people he'd given up on, so I don't know why she started coming after us. But I guess Klaus never used to send Gifts to people like me either, so maybe he's trying something new? I dunno. I just want to be left out of it."

So that's how it is, hmm? They all think Mr. Pitch is responsible for their behavior? That's silly. Mr. Pitch doesn't force people to be bad. Why blame someone else for your own failings? Oh, well. He's still ignoring Mr. Pitch. That's enough for now.

Delivery Complete

Once you are ready, proceed to Tile 28 and begin the next cycle.


Tile 28

You stop in at Luck of the Draw, a bustling Casino Cruiser. Outside of the settlements, it's one of the most active locations in the System. The Draw's main draw is the Arena, where patrons make bets on one-on-one fights.

Fight ▷

Once a cycle, you may compete in an Arena Battle. Choose an opponent from the Arena Enemy List. You may use any Cybertech, Hacks, Drones, and all items except for Grenades, Health Packs, or Energy Cells. You are limited to one weapon, melee only, mods allowed.

The fight will automatically end when either challenger reaches 5 HP or below. Roll for the chosen enemy's regular loot rewards upon victory, and get two random Narcobiotics.

If your opponent reaches 0HP, you will be disqualified. If you reach 0HP, roll for an Abyssal Scar.

Pit Fighter

20 HP | 1 Armor 2 VIG | 1 GRA | 0 MIN | 1 TEC ⋅∶
1 - 8 ▶ Helix Wire [d8 + VIG]
9 - 10 ▶ Testogre Hormones [+1 Vig]

Hound Master

30 HP | 2 Armor 1 VIG | 2 GRA | 2 MIN |3 TEC ⋅∶∴
1 ▶ Stratogen Hormones [+1 MIN]
2 - 6 ▶ DRONE_Greyhound [2d6]
9 - 10 ▶ HACK_JAVELIN - Deal d12 + MIN damage. Breached enemies take double damage.

The Boss

90 HP | 4 Armor 5 VIG | 2 GRA | 1 MIN |2 TEC ⋅∶∴∷
1 - 2 ▶ Zero-G Liquor [Move twice next turn]
3 ▶ Tricillin Tablet [+1 to all stats]
4 - 10 ▶ Bare Fists [2d6 + VIG]

You bring Arran up to the back gates of the Draw, cargo in hand. The one of the guards recognizes him, and ushers him inside to see the Boss. Arran looks nervous, but he tells you he'll meet up with you to discuss your payment as soon as he's done. It shouldn't take long, he says.

Things do not go smoothly.

The Boss informs you both that while the packages are enough to cover the original debt, Arran still owes him the interest, and his rates are steep. However, he's a gracious man, so he'll give him one last chance.

Pay Arran's debt ▶ Give the Crime Boss 100 Serum to clear Arran's debts.

Win Arran's freedom in the Arena ▶ The Boss is always down to throw down, and you look tough enough. If you go up against him in an Arena battle, he'll forget all about Arran's little debt. You don't need to win, he says, just last for three turns.

Leave Arran to his fate ▶ You're only here as a chauffer, Arran's debts have nothing to do with you. It's time to cut your losses and run.


Arran Till

  • 3 VIG | 2 GRA | 0 MIN | 1 TEC
  • Passive Skill: Weapons Modules deal +1 extra damage
  • Learned Active Skill: Under Pressure
  • Learnable Active Skills: Quick Draw, Killing Blow
  • (Skill descriptions found on Core Book Pg. 23-24)
  • Starting Inventory: Zero-G Liquor, Laser Blaster [d8 + VIG]

You hang around the casino floor while you wait, but Arran never returns. You confront the guards who had greeted Arran at the gates; they tell you that they've never heard of an "Arran Till" before, and you'd better stop asking about him if you know what's good for you.

Tile 29

As you approach the edge of the asteroid sea, Blitzen lays out the path you'll take to reach the next pick up location. It's a long one, but at least it'll be safe.

You run into trouble before you even reach the sea's borders; at the edge of it, right in your path, several ships have been reduced to scrap and debris. Another ship in the midst of them is completely unscathed: the Silent Star.

Your ship's computer picks up an incoming message; it's forced open before you can respond to it either way.

"Greetings, Envoy. I am Holly Saint Lua, pilot of the Silent Star. I believe our interests may align, if you will hear me out.

In short, the so-called "Children of Pitch" are preparing to intercept your next Gift; it seems they managed to plant a tracker on Reindrone Dasher during the last delivery cycle. It is the only Reindrone capable of transporting large cargo, and so it was almost guaranteed to be sent out this cycle with a worthwhile mark. All they had to do is wait for it to warp from Albedo to its next drop-off, and are now rushing to ambush it while it waits for you to arrive. The ships that you see around me were sent to delay you. You are welcome, by the way.

As it stands, the thieves will still make it to Dasher before you do. But, I know a shortcut through the Asteroid Sea. One that would allow us to arrive first.

If you follow me, you may collect Dasher's Gift and leave, for all I care. It makes no difference to me what you do with it.

However, it seems the "Children of Pitch" intend to put all their might into this raid; as far as I can tell, all of their remaining ships are being sent to intercept Dasher. It will be a perfect opportunity to end their little band once and for all, and I intend to take it. Will you join me? We could turn their little ambush on its head. I am confident that the Silent Star is enough to eliminate them, but it would go much more smoothly if we were to work together. Surely, you must have grown tired of their interference by now?

...

Who am I? It matters not. What matters is that our alliance would be mutually beneficial. You need not fear me; if I wanted you dead, I would have shot you down the moment you left Albedo's barrier. You are simply another pawn caught up in Klaus's games; I cannot hold that against you.

What say you, then? Will you take this opportunity to eliminate these scum, or will you allow your precious Gift to be taken from you?"

Holly seems disappointed, but she doesn't push the issue. The Silent Star turns and enters the Asteroid Sea, and you continue down the path Blitzen set for you. It's a long, laborious route, and by the end you've burned through 2 extra units of fuel.

When you arrive at the pick-up location, the battle is over. A graveyard of wrecked ships has been left behind, but there's no sign of Dasher or his cargo. It must have warped away before it was destroyed completely, or you would have found its remains.

Delivery Failed

The route Holly leads you on is treacherous, but very direct. The comm link between your ships remains open. She says it's only so that she can give you directions as you fly, but there's not much direction for her to give, other than "turn here" and "avoid that rock".

Instead, she simply uses the time to talk; more to herself than to you, it would seem. She doesn't wait for any response from you; it's just a constant stream-of-consciousness ramble about whatever thought happens to pass her mind.

If you try to ask Holly about herself, or the Children of Pitch, or Klaus, she won't even acknowledge the question, just continue on talking about whatever inane topic passes her mind. A full hour is spent musing about what may have caused the Aurora Stream to form. Another is spent pointing out wrecked ships drifting through the sea and speculating on how they may have met their ends.

Really, it's for the best that she's not talking about anything of importance. You couldn't trust anything that she has to say anyway.

...

Oh, no, I don't know anything about her, really. She just... doesn't strike me as a very good-hearted person. Don't you think?

In the end, you reach your destination hours earlier than Blitzen's path would have. Reindrone Dasher is there waiting for you, with no hostile ships in sight. Calling Dasher a "drone" is a stretch; it's almost big enough to be a starship. It's still got the trademark antlers, though.

Holly seems disappointed, but she doesn't stop you. She does take the time to remove Dasher's tracker, though, attaching it to the Silent Star instead. It would do no good to tip off the would-be thieves before they arrive.

Dasher transfers the cargo to your ship, and you leave on the same route you came in on. When the ambush begins, you and Dasher will both be long gone.

You receive Gift #8. It's far too big for you to carry; you'll need to keep it in the cargo hold.

Dasher seems wary of the Silent Star, but allows you to collect the Gift from it anyway. Before it departs, Holly disconnects the tracker from Dasher's hull. She doesn't destroy it, however; it would do no good to tip off the would-be thieves before they arrive.

You receive Gift #8. It's far too big for you to carry; you'll need to keep it in the cargo hold.

The two of you get into positions, hidden just out of sight. It isn't long before your company arrives: an Epsilon Interceptor flanked by 3 Scarab Interceptors.

Defeat them with the Silent Star's assistance.

Silent Star

20 HULL | 3 ACTIONS

1 - 4 ▶ Deal X damage, ignoring shields
5 - 6 ▶ Deal X damage to all enemies
7 - 9 ▶ Restore 4 Hull
10 ▶ Destroy all Enemy Shields

With the battle won, you receive one last message from the Silent Star.

"Excellent. The rot has been purged. They won't harm anyone else in "Pitch's" name ever again. Take this, as a token of my thanks."

A notification pops up on your computer's screen; a credit of 150 serum has been sent to you.

"Farewell, Envoy. With any luck, we won't be meeting again. I would warn you to end your association with Klaus now, but I doubt he will let you go so easily."

With that ominous warning which you shouldn't take seriously, or think about, Holly activates her Warp Drive and disappears, leaving you alone in the Children of Pitch's final resting place.

With the battle finished, you receive one last message from the Silent Star.

"Hmm. We failed to eliminate them. No matter. I will clean up the rest once more pressing matters are taken care of...
Farewell, Envoy. With any luck, we won't be meeting again. I would warn you to end your association with Klaus now, but I doubt he will let you go so easily."

With that ominous warning which you shouldn't take seriously, or think about, Holly activates her Warp Drive and disappears, leaving you alone in the endless Asteroid Sea.

Tile 13

The Illumine was once a flagship research station, a hub of commerce, and a popular tourist destination. But, that was a long time ago. Now it's simply a rest stop of sorts, a halfway point between the Medusa and Corsair settlements. People of all factions come and go freely through its docks, but few stay for long.

In its prime, Illumine was also home to some critical Cybersphere servers. A group of Medusa Hackers has put considerable work into restoring the Cyber Hub to its former glory, but they've still got a lot of work ahead of them.

Enter the Cybersphere ▷

The Restoration Team has just repaired another Terminal, and are looking for volunteers to explore the newly recovered portion of the Cybersphere. Enter through their Terminal and return with both Matrix Nodes. Make it back, and in addition to letting you keep the Nodes' contents, they'll also teach you a random hack.


One older member of the Restoration Team shows an interest in Blitzen, mentioning that she'd seen a similar drone before.

Years back, when she was based on a different ship, one of her crewmates would periodically get visits from people accompanied by red, antlered, toy-like drones. They'd show up out of the blue, drop extravagant gifts on the crewmate, and depart.

When asked what the hell that was all about, said crewmate had just spun a strange story about a magic man on the moon giving gifts to those who deserved them. She was full of shit, obviously, especially considering that it was her own siblings who made the deliveries most of the time. No one could ever get her to admit where the gifts were really coming from, and since the deliveries had stopped coming in after a few years, the strange incidents had mostly been forgotten.

If you ask for more info about this old crewmate – "Grace Saint Something-or-Other", she recalls – the Restoration Team member will tell you that there's not more to tell, really. They haven't seen each other in years. But, she'd heard mention of her recently – apparently, she's currently on a Cybersphere Mission inside of the Aurora Stream of all places.

▷ Track down Grace Saint Something-or-Other to learn more about Klaus's deliveries.

The Restoration Team takes a look at your server, and tell you that it's still got some functional parts left on it, but none that they're interested in buying. Getting this thing up and running would be far more trouble than they're willing to deal with right now.

But, there is another Restoration project going on in the next Tile over on a ship called the Obscura, they tell you. One that's probably much more desperate, that would certainly be willing to pay extortionate prices for what you're offering.

The one catch is that the Obscura is located deep in the Aurora Stream. You won't be able to reach them without a map. Fortunately for you, the Restoration Team just so happen to have that map right here, and are more than willing to sell you a copy for a mere 100 Serum.

If you completed the Team's Cybersphere mission ▷ They're impressed with your cyber-skills, and are willing to cut the price down to 50 Serum just for you.

Purchase Map ▶ Tiles 14 is now accessible, and Tile 15 will be easier to traverse. The Aurora Map is not a physical item, and does not need to be stored in your inventory or cargo hold.

Steal Map. It's a bunch of noodle-limbed hackers, you can take 'em in a fight. ▶ The Restoration Team is a tight group, they won't tolerate one of their own being attacked. Fight 5 Nethackers. Gain the Aurora map on victory. Win or Lose, you'll never be allowed onto the Illumine station again.

Robin, the Recipient, is currently in the Station's dive bar. They're with their crew, celebrating a successful haul. The last ship they picked over was an old freighter which carried a massive load of dated but still perfectly serviceable Cybertech. Most of it was sold on for considerable profit, you overhear one say, but some of the crew decided to get themselves a few upgrades as a treat.

Unlike most of the recipients, Robin is surprised when you say you've come to make a delivery. In fact, they don't seem to have heard of Klaus at all, and they certainly don't know of any ancestors from somewhere called "Canthus".

They're incredibly wary of you right up until they find out you're here to give them a gift, no strings attached. They don't care where it's coming from, if there's free stuff on the line, they want in.

You take them back to your ship, and remove the Gift from the cargo hold.

"This big thing? You sure this's for me? What's in here, a whole-ass starship engine?"

Robin breaks the seal and cracks open the cargo container, revealing a whole-ass starship engine.

"Oh. Uh. Damn. Again, you sure this is really for me? What's the catch?

...

You're saying all I gotta do is be "good", and I'll keep getting free shit? Well, sign me up! I'll be the best damn person in the whole universe if it means I keep getting handouts like this. I gotta go tell my crew, we'll have this baby put to good use in no time flat..."

Robin arranges to have the engine sent to their freighter, and departs. As they go you hear them say to themselves, "First a shiny new Interface, now a shiny new engine... what's next? A shiny new girlfriend...?"

Delivery Successful.


Tile 14

The Aurora Stream passes through this Tile. You can't enter it without a map, that would be suicide. And a waste of time. You have deliveries you should be focusing on. Besides, the Aurora Stream's effects would interrupt my systems. I couldn't help you at all if you were to go in there.

Blitzen is incredibly agitated as you enter, because this is a dangerous waste of time, come on, pal, but the further in you go, the more relaxed it seems to become. By the time you reach the Obscura, its voice has gone quiet. It still hovers at your shoulder, but you can't feel any intrusive thoughts coming off of it.

A massive weight has been lifted from your mind.

❕ The Obscura was once a system-renowned research ship, an auxiliary site to the legendary Illumine Station. Now, it's nothing but a decayed husk, battered by time and the Aurora Stream's effects. There's no other ships docked with it, but you pick up signs of one lifeform aboard.

It does not take long to find the ship's lone occupant. They're currently in the engine room, cutting open a portion of a wall to get at the wiring inside. A full-body welder's suit makes it impossible to discern any physical features.

They don't even look up from their work as you approach.

"If you're here to kill me or something, then get on with it. Hell, you'd be doing me a favor, getting me out of this miserable job. Either way, unless you're here to relieve me of this dogshit assignment, I got nothing to say to you."

Sell Damaged Server ▶

"You got parts I can use? Fuck yeah, I'll take 'em. I'll take anything that'll let me get out of here faster. Lemmie see what you've got...

...

Yeah, I think I can use this. It'll be a pain in the ass to get it up and running again, but there's nothing on this godforsaken ship that isn't a pain in the ass. Oh, you can call me Relic, by the way. 'S what everyone in the Sector calls me nowadays.

Shit, you probably want to get paid, huh? Let's see what I've got..."

They riffle through their tool bag for a bit.

"Looks like I've got... not much, Serum-wise. I didn't bring much with; Didn't exactly expect to do much shopping out here, y'know? Tell you what, I can't-"

Relic turns to face you, and freezes; it's the first time they've actually looked at you straight on since you walked in. It's hard to tell through their welding mask, but they seem to be looking past you, where Blitzen is hovering. After a moment they turn away again, and continue on as if nothing had happened.

"...I can't pay you, but hows about we make a trade? Goods for goods. When I got dumped on this rock they left me with a bunch of tools 'n shit to keep me going until the job was done, I'm sure there's something here you'll like."

Relic will give you one of the following in exchange for the Damaged Server

Healing Nanobots [Cybertech]

Code Processor + Scanner Eye [Cybertech]

2 NGHTMR Keys

Haggle for a better trade ▶

Roll MIN. Relic has a MIN stat of 4.

Failure ▶ "Nice try, kid, but I know what this shit's worth. Take it or leave it."

Success ▶ "Fine, fine. Lucky for you, I'm desperate." (You can now choose to exchange the Damaged Server for a DRONE_OWO or Master Hack Ragnarok)

"...Grace? Yeah, I know her. You're barking up the wrong tree, though. As you can see, there's no one here but us two.

And I'd give up on trying to find her if I were you. You got that drone with you, so you must be with them delivery people, yeah? Grace doesn't want anything else to do with that mess anymore. She, uh, told me so. The last time I saw her. Which was a long time ago, because she's not here. So if Noel sent you to track m-her down, he's wasting your time. He knows she's done with his and Holly's bullshit.

...You want to know more about them? Well, that's great for you, kid, lots of people want to know things. Me, I want to know why you're still here, talking to me, when we're clearly done here. Take a hint, yeah? Just fuck off and let me get back to work."

Trying to push them for more information would probably end poorly.

(Author's Note: My apologies, but this is gonna be sort of a dead end, plot wise. There was originally going to be a whole subplot where you recruit "Grace" onto your crew and get more backstory on everything, but I'm honestly a bit behind on the next few days and I just don't have enough time to cover everything that I wanted to. I'm leaving in the parts I've finished, however, so use it as a jumping-off point for your own storytelling if you want. You get to decide whatever the fuck this character's deal is.)

Tile 4 - Medusa Sector Settlement

Blitzen leads you into a narrow corridor just off of the Settlement's Hangar Bay, where Reindrone Donder is waiting for you. You receive Gift #9, as well as a small, hand-written note.

"Envoy,

I know I said I'd give you Mr. Saint Lua's location when you picked up his Gift, but I'm afraid there's been a bit of a complication. I'm sure you are familiar with the Aurora Stream; in addition to being difficult to traverse safely, it's also incredibly difficult to get signals into it, not to mention out of. If a child of Canthus were to enter the Stream, they would quickly fall out of my sight.

Unfortunately, it would seem that the vessel Noel travels with has decided to do just that! Not into the center of the Stream, thank the stars, just to a planet that has drifts through one of its ends. It seems the stream's flow has changed just such that a relatively clear path has temporarily opened up, and all sorts of shady characters are sure to be making use of it. Please, go make sure he's alright, won't you? The ship he travels on is known as The Glacier.

- Mr. Klaus"

You've scarcely finished reading the letter when someone calls out behind you, "Aha! I found it! Don't you move!"

Behind you, the corridor has been blocked by a Scientist and a Cyber-Terrorist. Their weapons are out, but they haven't opened fire yet.

"So you're this drone's operator? No, don't even try to deny it! You've got a second one with you," the Scientist yells, pointing at Blitzen, "so you must be the thief!"

The Cyber-Terrorist steps in front of the Scientist, cutting off a string of very creative insults. They explain that hours previously the Scientist had been attacked by a drone, which had run off with some valuable research materials. It was not the first time someone had reported being robbed by a red-and-white, antlered drone; similar thefts had been occurring on the settlement every few years for as long as anyone could remember. The Cyber-Terrorist, a friend of the Scientist, decided that it was about time someone put an end to the attacks.

"So," the Cyber-Terrorist says, "Are you gonna give back what you took, or are we doing this the hard way?"

(-2 Medusa Favor)

You've made the correct choice. Delivering the Gifts should be your first priority. Besides, my brethren don't steal from good-hearted people; whatever's inside the Gift, they don't deserve it.

Fight Cyber-Terrorist and Scientist. If you flee the fight, you will lose the Gift.

Victory ▶ The Gift is yours. We should probably leave before any of their friends notice they’re dead.

Failure ▶ Oh, nuts! You really shouldn't have let them take it from you. Delivery failed, obviously. But you should still go see if Noel is still alive. He's important. Mr. Klaus told me. Just now, through Donder. Go and see.

They accept the Gift readily enough, and break the seal to confirm it contains the stolen goods, which turn out to be 3 Terraforming Seeds. It won't be so easy to convince them to just let you go, though. You're the first lead anyone's found on the Antler-Drone thefts, after all. Even if you're not directly responsible, you're clearly involved.

Roll GRA or MIN against the Cyber-Terrorist

Failure ▶ They're not convinced. You'll be doing things the hard way anyway. Fight the Cyber-Terrorist and Scientist. Recover the opened Gift upon victory. Normally I would count this as a failed delivery, but this one's really important! I'll let you deliver an opened Gift, just this once.

(-2 Medusa Favor)


Success ▶ You may not have actually convinced them, but their hostility wavers once you mention that the Reindrones originally come from Albedo, the mysterious "Locked Moon". Apparently, it's another case of interest to the Cyber-Terrorist. Learning that there's apparently a centuries-old entity living there (hey you really shouldn't be telling them this), sending out nefarious drones to commit nefarious deeds (we're not nefarious!), seems to have really gotten their blood pumping. It seems like they're eager to grill you for as much information as they can get. You probably would have been kept there for hours, if the Scientist hadn't noticed Donder trying to slip away while they were distracted. The Cyber-Terrorist takes off after it without a second thought. You're left alone with the Scientist as the chase begins again. She gives you a dirty look and turns to leave, unsealed Gift in hand.

That's not hers, and she's undefended now. Donder gave you the perfect chance. Take back the Gift. Take it back. Kill her, if you have to. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. You want to kill her soooooo bad. Come on, pal.

Kill her ▶ Fight the Scientist. Recover the unsealed Gift upon victory. Normally, an opened Gift would mean the delivery's failed, but this one's really important! Mr. Klaus told me. Just now, through Donder. I'll let you deliver it like this, just this once. You should probably make yourself scarce, in case the Scientist has any more friends hanging around. (-2 Medusa Favor)


Resist ▶ Delivery failed. Useless. But you should still go see if Noel is still alive. He's important. Mr. Klaus told me. Just now, through Donder. Go and see.
Tile 15

The Aurora Stream passes through this Tile; Normally, trying to cross it without a map would be suicide, but a clear path has temporarily opened up. It seems that some daring ships have been taking the opportunity to enter the gap and see what the Aurora holds. It will still be difficult to navigate, but not impossible.

Blitzen warns you that the Stream's effects will interfere with my systems. I'll still be somewhat functional, since you're not entering the densest area of it. I'll still be able to speak to you, but not assist you in battle. It shouldn't effect any other drones you may have, I'm just built different. Still, you probably shouldn't stay in there any longer than necessary.

The path that's opened up will make things easier, but not risk-free. you'll need a sturdy ship to make it through. If you have obtained the Aurora Map, you make it inside without any trouble. Otherwise, roll TEC to maintain your ship through the Aurora Stream Pathway.

Success ▶ You make it inside without any trouble.

Failure ▶ You lose d12 Hull, but make it through.

An unexplored planet with two moons is drifting through the Stream. Prolonged exposure to the Aurora's light can have unusual effects on whatever may pass through it.

Make a planet exploration roll; Any enemies you fight during encounters on this tile will have +15 HP, but give an additional d6 on their Loot Reward Rolls.

You find the Glacier floating just above the planet's surface. It is, as it turns out, a research vessel. A crowd of scientists bustle about a large open deck, taking various readings and making various notes. Once they notice your ship approaching, however, most of them rush inside, not even pausing to suspend their experiments. Only one scientist remains, flanked by two guards. He introduces himself as the Glacier's Chief of Science, and apologizes for the inhospitable welcome; a recent attack on their vessel has left the Expedition's members somewhat shaken.

You ask to speak to Noel Saint Lua, and the Chief grimaces. He informs you that while Mr. Saint Lua was indeed a member of the Expedition, he has, unfortunately, passed away. He explains that only days before, a ship named the Silent Star had approached the Glacier, piloted by a woman who identified herself as Noel's sister. Noel had mentioned to some of his crewmates that he believed his sister was currently doing some work inside the Aurora Stream, and that he was hoping to run into her; As such, the they had allowed her to come aboard and see Noel. To their surprise, Noel was clearly unhappy to see the woman, and was uncharacteristically hostile towards her. After a tense conversation, the two of them boarded the Silent Star together. When asked what was going on, Noel had simply told his crewmates that everything was fine, and he would only be gone for a few hours.

Noel's body was found the next day on the planet's surface. The cause of his death could not be verified, though it appeared that, postmortem, his neural implants had been forcefully removed. Noel was buried on-planet, the standard procedure for deaths during the Expedition. As he was quite new to the Glacier, he had very few personal possessions aboard. There was some debate about what should be done with them; none on the team knew him to have any home or family other than his mysterious and likely murderous sister. He had often mentioned having ancestors from a planet known as "Canthus", but that wasn't exactly much to go on.

The Chief asks if you were a friend of Noel's, or if you know anyone who would be willing to take his things.

Accept Noel's Possessions ▷ You receive the Photo Frame.

Oh, no, no, no, Mr. Klaus will not be happy to hear that Noel is dead. We were really counting on him. We'll need to figure something else out, I suppose.

Well, Noel obviously won't be getting his Gift, but it could still be used to contribute to his important research. You should give it to the scientists instead.

The Chief of Science accepts the Gift. He's surprised and delighted to see the Terraforming Seeds inside.

"Ah... you were bringing these to Noel? I'm sure he would have appreciated them. He often spoke of his ancestral planet, Canthus, and how he wished to return life to it some day. It's how he came to be on our crew, actually. We've done extensive research on planetary restoration and terraforming, you see, and he came to us for advisement. When we explained to him that Canthus would be a poor candidate for restoration and settlement, he pledged that he'd find a way to change that.

Noel wasn't much of a scientist, I must admit, but to his credit he was a quick learner. I would not have expected a man of his age to adjust to Expedition life so easily. He could have accomplished great things with us. We'll make good use of these seeds in his name, I assure you. Perhaps, when our research has been furthered, we'll reassess how viable it would be to restore the planet he so loved."

Well, Mr. Klaus was hoping for something a bit more certain than "perhaps", but it's better than nothing. Delivery Successful.

Delivery Failed. You're very fortunate that I'm not at full power right now, or I'd have some stroooooong words for you, that's for sure!

Tile 31

The next pick-up is set to take place at the Station Center MegaMall™, a Hollow Moon shopping center that once brought in customers from every corner of the system. Now, it's not such an appealing destination. Large chunks of it are gone completely, blown off by asteroids or eaten away by void. Still, the mall's faring much better than the planet it orbits; that one's so covered in void you can't even tell what planet type it was.

Miraculously, some parts of Station Center™ still have a functioning power grid. Even with their customers long gone, the automated staff continued to keep the shops open.

It looks like Prancer hasn't arrived yet. You may as well entertain yourself while we wait.

Do some shopping ▷

Any item purchasable in Settlement Trading Hubs is available for you to buy, including Faction-specific items. However, there's considerable markup; all items are 150% their normal cost. You can also buy the exclusive Heartwarmer Coat for a price of 300 Serum.

Do some shoplifting ▷

If you're not to keen on the prices, theft's always and option. The moon's Automated Loss Prevention Squadron will try to stop you, but you can take them. It's just three Android Titans, how strong could they be? You'll probably only have enough time to steal one item before Prancer arrives, though.

Eat at the Food Court ▷

There hasn't been any edible food on this moon in decades. Still, the Automated Staff highly recommend something they call the "Station Special™". They describe it as "out of this world" and "life-changing". It only costs 25 Serum. Give it a try?

The Station Special™ is, without a doubt, the most delicious thing you've ever tasted. Unfortunately it is also, without a doubt, incredibly toxic. You lose (10 - VIG) Energy, and your maximum health is reduced to 18 for the next three cycles. (As you cannot have 20 HP, you will not be able to naturally recover energy between cycles in that time.)

The staff weren't lying about it being life changing, however. In addition to the severe food poisoning, you also permanently gain +1 to a stat of your choice.

Oh, Prancer's here. You receive Gift #10.


Tile 30

Your route takes you past a brewing inter-faction conflict; a group Synth Arch affiliated engineers are accusing passing Medusa Sector ships of stealing experimental technology from a research ship. The Synth claim that the Medusa heathens would certainly want to use the stolen forcefield- jamming tech to break into protected holy sites; the Medusa argue that the ship which carried out the actual theft, the Silent Star, isn't even with the Sector and also how dare you accuse us of trying to break into your dusty old churches, the Cybersphere servers you're keeping locked up back there probably suck ass anyway, keep them for all we care.

The argument has been going back and forth for several hours, but it seems like it will soon escalate into violence.

Fight an Edgecharger W. Upon victory, you receive a random hack as thanks.
Fight a Stingray Frontier. Upon victory, you receive a random cybertech implant as thanks.

If you have at least 1 Favor with both Synth and Medusa, you automatically succeed at talking down the hostilities. If not, make a TEC social roll.

Failure ▶ You fail to sway anyone, and argument escalates to all-out battle anyway. Choose a side or depart.

Success ▶ You're able to convince the Synths that the Silent Star and its captain are not affiliated with any Faction, Medusa or otherwise, making this entire conflict a waste of time. The Synth research ship sheepishly breaks away to pursue the true thieves; the Medusa ships seem equally interested in the Silent Star and the stolen tech it now carries, much to the Synth's dismay. The two ships continue exchanging thinly-veiled hostility as they depart, but at least it seems that they aren't actually going to start attacking each other. Yet.

There's some debris left behind from the attack on the research ship. You're able to collect a still-functional DRONE_spider from the wreckage.

Tile 32

You pick up a distress call from an approaching ship; it's the Dauntless Crawler, the home of the Gift #10's recipient. It seems some space pirates have taken an interest in their cargo, and are in hot pursuit.

Observe the Fight ▶ The freighter is destroyed; none of the crew survive. The pirates are not very thorough, and you may recover 75 scrap from the wreckage. Delivery #10 Failed.

Aid the freighter ▶ Fight 2 Starpredators alongside the Dauntless [Twinrotor Hauler]. If the Dauntless is destroyed in battle, you will fail Delivery #10.

The Dauntless lands on a nearby asteroid to assess damage, and invites you to join them.

If Dauntless HP ≥ 10 ▶ In thanks, the Dauntless crew gives you a set of Hades IV Armor.

"Oh, hey, I know what those boxes mean. This's one of them Gift deliveries, right? You sure you're looking for me? It's been ages since one of you people came around, I figured I'd gotten bumped off of the Nice List. Not that I'm complaining!

...A warp drive? Are you sure this's for me? Th-Thank you so much! This really - really means a lot to me. The Crawler's been needing one of these for a long time now. I... really appreciate it. I'm gonna go tell the crew! Thank you!"

Delivery Successful.

Rules for fighting with Ally ships

Ally ships will function identically to enemy ships, but will target your opponents rather than you. You do not control them, simply roll for the actions on their statblock. Ally ships will initially attack whichever enemy follows them in the turn order, then switch to attacking whatever ship attacked them last.

Tile 16

❕ A salvage crew has descended on a dead colony ship, and are making efficient work of it. Most of the ship has already been reduced to nothing but bare scaffolding, leaving only the lowest deck in one piece. One of the salvage ships contacts you when you're within range, sending a polite-but-firm message that makes it clear that the site is theirs, and any who try to steal their haul will be fought off without hesitation.

You speak respectfully, and the Salvagers respond in kind. They're quite interested to hear that you've come as part of a delivery job. The crew's foreman comes onto the comm, and invites you to dock with them.

Once you're aboard, the foreman asks if you're Vixen's keeper. She explains that they had been on the job for several days already when they came upon Vixen and its cargo. It had become hostile when they came near it, but hadn't stopped them from working on other parts of the ship. They'd agreed that it would be best to simply work around it, but Vixen's hideaway is the last deck left to scrap. They'll need it gone if they want to finish the job.

That's not the only reason why she invited you onto the ship, however. She's also got another job for you, if you're interested. All you'll need to do is deliver some documents and personal items to their sister crew, who are on a job in Tile 12. The sister crew were having some pirate trouble last they heard, and the foreman is a bit concerned for them.

Accept Job ▷

You obtain the Salvager's Package II and a down-payment of 50 Serum. Deliver to Tile 12 to receive 50 more Serum, and a random melee weapon mod.Or, you could always just take the down payment and run.

After leaving the foreman's office, a crewman leads you down to Vixen's hiding spot on the lowest deck. Seeing you approach, it finally lowers its weapons and allows the salvagers to move in, much to their relief.

You receive Gift #11.

As you collect it, Blitzen sends you a new note from Klaus with the updated delivery details.

"I will be brief, as I believe Miss Eve's time may be short. Had I known the severity of her situation, I would have sent you to deliver this Gift first. Please, make haste. It is imperitive that she get this gift as soon as possible."

You don't back down, and neither do they. Fight The Claw and 2 Shell-4 Transporters.

Upon seeing their friends' defeat, the few remaining members of the salvage crew decide to cut their losses and run. The what little remains of the ship is yours.

Blitzen informs you that Reindrone Vixen is hiding out in one of the lower decks. You pick up 30 Scrap and the Salvager's Package II on the way down.

Receive Gift #11.

As you collect it, Blitzen sends you a new note from Klaus with the updated delivery details.

"I will be brief, as I believe Miss Eve's time may be short. Had I known the severity of her situation, I would have sent you to deliver this Gift first. Please, make haste. It is imperitive that she get this gift as soon as possible."

Tile 33 - Synth Arch Settlement

You can't see much of the Saint Lua Children's Home, but you can certainly see the massive fence that surrounds it. It seems incredibly out of place compared to the meager housing structures that surround it. Through the fence's open gate, you can see some kids playing in the yard.

You're about to walk through the fence's gate when Blitzen stops short. It appears that it's trying to fly forward, but is being held back.

I don't think I can get any closer. Looks like the security's gotten better since the last time Klaus sent someone to the House. It's fine. She probably already knows you're here anyway.

Sure enough, only a moment after Blitzen sends you that thought, a stately looking cyborg woman exits the House and approaches you. She stops a few feet back from you, still well inside the the fence.

"Leave now, Envoy. You and your Gifts are not welcome in my home. Your master has corrupted enough of my children already, I'll not stand by and allow it to corrupt another."

Yeah, she's not going to accept the Gift that easily. You'll have to convince her to take it.

You could roll VIG to try and intimidate her, but it would be pointless. She knows how well defended her home is; a lone deliveryperson will not be a threat.

Oh, no you don't!

Blitzen sends a surge of energy directly to your neural interface, inflicting d6 damage.

Mr. Klaus really really wants to get her back on his side! You're more replaceable than she is. There's more where that came from, if you try to attack her again.

I said don't bother!

"Hah! You ask me why I would reject the wretch that has lead so many of my children to their ruin? Do you even know what it is that you serve, Envoy? Did you believe the tales it told you, of dear Mr. Klaus and cruel Mr. Pitch? Believe that he is just a kind old soul who wants nothing more than to reward the goodhearted who resist his foul adversary? Bah. Allow me to elucidate matters for you, Envoy: you are being played a fool. "Klaus" is not the benevolent arbiter of goodness that it claims to be. It has not been watching over Canthus since time immemorial; it only came into existence mere decades before the planet fell to ruin. It may very well have contributed to that ruin, in fact.

The thing you know as "Klaus" is a simple machine. To call it "artificial intelligence" would be an insult to intelligence. It was created by Albedo, one of the countless corrupt corporations that plagued Canthus before its fall. The power they had already amassed was not enough for them, and so they hijacked a beloved holy day for the sake of selling more of their invasive implants. "Klaus" was created to be the warm, friendly face of the duplicitous operation. To be showered in extravagant Gifts, all one had to do was consent to being watched by their impartial arbiter at all times. One can only imagine what disgusting things they intended to do with the access they had gained.

The gift-giving holiday was only a cover, but one they went all-in on. They created an artificial personality to be its face – a weak attempt, by today's standards, but enough to sell the ploy - built it a factory on the moon, and told it to reenact the old legends to a T.

That was their mistake, in the end, insisting it adhere to the stories. "Klaus" reasoned, from what we have gathered, that it was not enough to simply play his own role. Mr Klaus was not the only character in the old stories, after all. It could give its gifts, it could send out its Reindrones, it could chose an Envoy... but what of Mr. Pitch? What was the point of judging someone if they were not being tempted in the first place? And so, since its creators did not see fit to give it an adversary, it would simply play that role as well. It was already being sent the thoughts of the planet's populace; sending some back was no trouble. And so, it began to whisper its poisonous words into the ears of all those it had infected.

It would be disingenuous to say that "Klaus" was solely responsible for the fall of Canthus; that writing was already on the wall. But, one can imagine that its collapse would be sped up considerably by having large portion of its population suddenly give in to cruelty and hedonism. Whether Albedo ever learned of the hand it played in its own execution, who can say? Not many records were left behind of that time. But when the dust settled, Klaus yet remained, safe from the fallout on its isolated moon.

"Klaus" continued with its work, as if nothing had changed. As long as people still had its implants inside them, it would continue. And when that number dwindled, because its whispers were sending them to early graves, it could simply trick fools into allowing it into their minds. Or, trick them into allowing it into the minds of others. That was my sin: inviting it into my house, letting it give its Gifts to my children, letting it drive them into ruin. For decades, I accepted its "generosity" with open arms, and refused to listen when one of my daughters, Grace, suggested that it could have ulterior motives. I scorned her, cast her out... until she brought proof. Proof that its poisoned words were the reason that so many of my children had run headfirst into their own deaths. It was all my fault, in the end, but I will not allow any more of my children to meet the same fate.

So no, Envoy. I will not accept another Gift. I ask you, once again, to leave this place, and not return."


I told you it wouldn't convince her! You're wasting our time. Try something else.

...you want to know if what she says is true? Well, I don't know anything about what happened on old Canthus. But you're really asking about Pitch, right? Yeah, Mr. Klaus is the one sending out the whispers. It's only sensible. How else can he know if all these children are really good or not? He doesn't mean anything bad by it! It's just something that needs to be done. Everyone needs to be tested. Even you! I've been testing you this whole time, haven't you noticed? It'd be easier if you had one of our nice interfaces, but my connection to your neural interface is enough to get the job done. Hey, maybe when you get back to Albedo, Mr. Klaus will give you one of our interfaces. A shiny, new one. That'd be nice. But, hmm. Then I wouldn't be the one whispering to you anymore, Mr. Klaus would. Hmm... maybe I'll ask him if I can keep this job, even when your deliveries are all done...

Oh, you distracted me! We still need to convince her to take the Gift, come on!

You break the seal on the Gift, holding it open for her to see the Heart Engine inside.

"...So, this is it's new strategy? It thinks that if it saves the life of one of my children, I will forget the many lives it has already taken? That I will accept it with open arms once more? So many of those in my care were damned because I allowed Klaus to infect their minds... I would be a fool to allow it once again, and yet..."

Muttering to herself now, you hear her say:

"How does it even know that Eve sits on death's door? Grace was certain that it could no longer see us... Perhaps it is smarter than she thought, if it can think of such dirty tricks.

Fine! I will accept this Gift, one last time. So long as this will only augment her weak heart, and not her mind, then I will make an exception. But, this changes nothing. I will still not allow him near my children, and I will not allow any more of them to return to Canthus. No matter what."

The Matron crosses the fence's threshold just long enough to grab the Gift from you. The gate slams shut behind her as she departs.

We should go. If we want her to trust us again, we shouldn't push our luck.

Delivery Successful


You recognize the Matron as the Cyborg Woman who appears in many of the photos, many of which seem to have been taken inside the House. You hand over the Photo Frame, and explain how it came into your possession.

"Holly... how could you...?

...

...Do you see it, Envoy? This is what your master does to its victims, even those who've pleged their loyalty to it.

Holly and Noel were lovely children once. They never misbehaved, and always deeply cared for their siblings. They only ever caused trouble when Klaus's gifts arrived; they were such good children, in its eyes, so their gifts were always the biggest, the best... it made the two of them a bit prideful, made them think they were better than those who received nothing.

When the time came for them leave this house, they went straight to Klaus's door and offered it their services as Envoys. I was so proud of them, selflessly spreading joy to others... I thought that at least some of my children were doing well, so I wasn't a complete failure as a mother... but then Grace uncovered the truth, that Pitch was more than a myth, that the voice in our hear was more than our own bad thoughts...

We went to Noel and Holly, to tell them what they were truly serving, to tell them to leave them behind... and found that they knew. They had known the truth about Klaus and Pitch for years, and yet they still served him. They actually blamed their own siblings for any bad things that came their way, as if it was entirely their choice to become corrupt, as if that beast wasn't the impetus for so much tragedy...

I had no choice but to cut them off just as I cut off Klaus. It was a long, difficult process, to get the implants out of those of my children who still lived. To fortify the house, so that its drones couldn't come and trick the children when my back was turned. But we managed, and I thought that would be the end of it. But "Klaus" is nothing if not persistent. He still sent Noel and Holly, from time to time, to try and convince me to let their master back into my house, or that we should all return to Canthus and live on that godforsaken rock instead. I refused to even listen to their pleas, of course, but it was still a relief to know that my two wayward children still lived. Then, after years of this, Holly did something that "Klaus" didn't approve of. I still don't know what. She never would admit it. But whatever it was, it was enough to make "Klaus" decide that she was no longer good-hearted, that she could no longer be its Envoy. It cast her out, discarded her, just as it does with everyone who fails to meet its arbitrary expectations. Only then, only when she was the target of its scorn, did she see it for what it truly was. She came to me then, raving about how it was an evil that needed to be destroyed, how Noel was enabling it, how we needed to put an end to it all. She was barely recognizable as the daughter I once knew.

So I refused to aid her in her little crusade. I refused to let her return home. Perhaps that was a mistake. Perhaps Noel would still be alive if I had. He may not have been a good man, in the end, but he was still my son. He was still her brother.

Our actions may be our own, in the end, Envoy, but know this: that thing you serve? It will only lead you to ruin, in the end. Get away from it while you still can. If you still can."

Tile 34

We're not done with the other deliveries yet! Come back once the first 11 Gifts have been delivered.

There's only one Gift for you left to pick up, Klaus's "Special Delivery". Blitzen's instructions lead you to an unassuming asteroid drifting through otherwise empty space, where Reindrone Dancer awaits you. It's not even hiding, just silently waiting for you to approach it.

When you get closer, you can see that this Gift is different from the others: there's no seal holding it shut. The light in Dancer's nosecone flickers, and the Gift opens itself. There are three things inside: a Reaping Cane, a Frost Chamber, and a paper note written in crisp, ornate handwriting. It's the information on the final Gift's recipient.

Recipient Name: Holly Saint Lua

Current Location: Tile 34

Klaus's Notes: "I do apologize for this one, dear, but I'm afraid I must ask you to right my wrongs. Miss Holly used to be such a good little girl, when she was young. But it seems that Mr. Pitch's temptation was just a bit too much for her. She feels that I have wronged her in the past, and she has let her anger fester and rot until nothing but hate remains. I've ignored her fall from goodness, hoping that she would return to her senses in due time, but she's begun to harm the other Children of Canthus, the bad and good alike...

I understand that you have had some contact with her in the past. But, please... she killed Noel – her own brother! – and so many of those who had fallen for Pitch's tricks. They may have had their flaws, but they still deserved better than the fates she inflicted on them. At this rate, I fear she will destroy all that remains of Canthus if she is not stopped.

Please, I ask that you put her down. This Gift is for you; inside is a weapon that may aid you in this regrettable task. I only ask that you make it quick and painless, even if it is more than what she deserves."

This is the beginning of the end. There's no turning back from here. If you have any unfinished business, take care of it now.

There's nothing left to do here. Continue to Tile 35.


Tile 35

Blitzen guides you to a small Calorian planet. It doesn't take you long to find the Silent Star on the surface. A woman's busy at work attaching something to the hull. It's Holly. Rats, it looks like she's almost finished! You need to deliver this Gift now, before she has a chance to leave!

What, you don't want to do it? Come on, pal! We're really counting on you here. Just one more delivery, and you'll get your reward.

Okay, look, I know you don't want to do this, okay? I'm sorry. But it needs to be done. Holly's getting ready to go destroy everything that Mr. Klaus has worked for. Some of my brethren have been keeping an eye on her, and they think she may be trying to kill Mr. Klaus, of all things! I'd be really sad if that happened.

So, this is just how it has to be. She needs to go. I'm sorry, but I can't afford to give you a choice.

Look, friend, I didn't want to resort to this, but you're forcing my hand. You understand that I'm hooked up to your brain, right? I could kill you right now if I wanted to. I don't want to! I like you. So I'm really trying to give you a chance here. Just deliver the Gift, okay? And then we'll go and get your nice reward.

If you don't... well, it's hard to even think about, but I should be able to control your body for a while after you die. I think I'll be able to hold you together long enough to deliver the Final Gift. I don't want to do it, but if that's what it takes...

So, it's your choice, buddy. Who's gonna finish the job? You? Or me?

The Silent Star is sitting in an endless field of dust. There's no way you'll be able to sneak up unseen. When Holly notices your ship in the air, she waves you down, as if inviting you to land.

When you approach, Holly is waiting next to her ship, weapon in hand but not aimed. She clearly doesn't see you as a threat.

"Envoy. I must say, I did not expect to see you here. What on earth brings you to this wretched place?

...Truly, Klaus asked you to kill me? That IS surprising. And bothersome. I suppose he has realized how close I am to bringing about his end. It matters not. I won't allow anything to stop me now.

Surely by now you have come to see Klaus for what he truly is: a disease. No, a virus. A crude facsimile of a living thing, whose only purpose is to spread itself from host to host until there are none left to infect. And like a virus, he is evolving in the face of his own end. Now is the time to end his miserable existence, while he is still at his weakest."

Don't let her talk, it'll just make things harder for you! Finish the job.

"So, if it is a fight you seek, then a fight you shall have. If you wish to throw your life away on his command, who am I to judge? I would have done so, once upon a time. Though, I imagine that he isn't giving you much of a choice in the matter."

She's right. Mr. Klaus told me that the Final Gift is the most important. I can't let you leave this one undelivered.

"If that's the case, then perhaps it would be a mercy to kill you... yes. Just one more of Klaus's victims that I must free...


Fight ▶ Defeat Holly.

As you fight, Holly talks. Maybe she's trying to distract you, or maybe she just likes the sound of her own voice. Either way, she's got a lot to say.

Read each text section as Holly reaches the given HP value.

Holly Saint Lua

80 HP | 2 Armor 5 VIG | 1 GRA | 4 MIN |2 TEC ⋅∶∴∷
1 ▶ Frost Chamber [Stun Enemy for 3 Turns]
2 ▶ Heat Chamber [Overheat Enemy for 3 Turns]
3 - 5 ▶ Neon Blade [d12 + VIG]
6 - 8 ▶ HACK_IGNITE Deal d12 + MIN damage and Overheat Enemy for 2 turns
9 - 10 ▶ HACK_ARCHANGEL Restore d10 x TEC HP

Come to your senses, Envoy. So long as Klaus exists, he will infect all those who fall into his snare. The Children of Pitch were just one symptom of his rot. He poisoned their minds, and they in turn brought nothing but pain to any they came across. [I/We] destroyed them, but it is not enough. So long as Klaus exists he will continue to draw people in with his precious Gifts, judge them, and cast them aside when they give in to the cruel thoughts he put into their heads. He's been repeating this cycle of misery for centuries now.

But I can end they cycle. I can pierce the barrier, I can destroy his core – fragments of him will remain inside the infected that I could not purge, but he will not longer have the power to propagate himself. In time, those fragments will die with their hosts. He won't bring any more lives to ruin – not ever again. Stand down and die quietly, already, so that I may end this

Why do you still serve him? Did he promise you a handsome reward? Did he promise you riches and good fortune? Sorry to disappoint, but Klaus has nothing left to give. His factory is in ruin, his resources are spent. The contents of his precious Gifts are scavenged from what remains of dead worlds, or stolen from those he has deemed unworthy.

Or, do you think that he will let you go free, once all the Gifts have been delivered? That his little drone will finally remove the thorns it's dug into your mind, and let you leave Albedo behind for good? Unlikely. With Noel gone, you are his last living pawn. Whether you have served him well or not, he will not allow you to go so easily.

It seems like she's talking more to herself than to you, at this point.

How does he even know what I intend to do, I wonder? I should have been beneath his notice. He has never spared a second thought for those he's deemed unworthy, after all. He should not know of Noel's fate; I was very careful to only confront him once we were out of his sight. Was I too brazen, in eliminating the Children of Pitch? I know that he does not care in the slightest for those he's deemed "bad-hearted". Perhaps it was a mistake to simply destroy the interfaces of those he had yet to fully corrupt... I suppose he still considers them to be potential hosts, or at least hoped that Noel could convince them to return to Canthus...

Holly's words have become more erratic and unfocused as her condition worsens. Even on the edge of death, she continues to talk to herself.

"Hah... Is this my punishment? For the years I spent enabling his evil? For averting my eyes as my siblings fell victim to his words?

Is it retribution for the lives I've taken? I don't regret it. I only ever killed those who truly deserved it, who brought it upon themselves. Even Noel.

...

I didn't want to kill him, you know. My brother. I thought... I thought he had finally come to his senses, as I had. I thought that he was trying to leave it behind. That his ridiculous plans to bring life back to Canthus was just an excuse. A ploy to get Klaus to loosen his grip long enough for him to hide inside the Aurora Stream. That when I found him, we could work together again, against Klaus this time...

But I was wrong. He meant it. He truly wanted to bring life to a dead world, all so Klaus could slowly kill it once more. He never saw the light. And he did truly see me as nothing but cold-hearted monster...

The rage I felt in that moment... it overcame me. I didn't mean to kill him. I didn't."

Holly crumples, sliding back against the hull of her ship as she falls. She's still alive, but only barely. She doesn't have much blood left to loose.

For a long moment, Holly simply lies there, still aside from her desperate, gasping breaths. Then, a flash of movement. She pulls something out of her coat and flings it away with the last of her strength. Not at you, but at Blitzen. It hits its mark, and gives off a crackle of electricity. Blitzen plummets to the ground, and you can feel the grip it held on your mind slip away.

"That... is only temporary. It will wake in a few moments. Listen to me, Envoy, while it cannot hear us... he's not going to let you go. Whatever he promised you... it is a lie. You're the only one who can stop him now. When the time is right..."

Holly pulls something else from her coat: A set of neural implants.

"These... these were Noel's... He had full access to everything in Klaus's factory. I only needed him to let me inside. When he died... taking them was the only way to get the access I needed. Take them... it'll let you get below the factory. That's where he is. The real him... Destroy him. Please. He can't keep..."

Holly dies.

You receive the Enovy's Implants.

Enovy's Implants

Story item. You can use it to bypass security inside Klaus's factory. You can still see traces of Noel's blood on the surface.

Behind you, Blitzen whirs back to life. The now-familiar pressure of its influence returns.

Is she... oh, hooray! You've delivered the last Gift! I'm so proud of you, friend! Now we just need to go see Mr. Klaus again, and he'll get you the reward you've earned.
Delivery Successful!

Blitzen keeps talking as you head back to your spaceship.

Hey, do you think you'll be back again? Mr. Klaus will need another Envoy next year, you know!

[Continue Based On How Many Deliveries You Completed Successfully]

Hmm... maybe that wouldn't be a good idea, actually. You didn't do a very good job of actually making the deliveries. Not that Mr. Klaus expected you to make all of them! That'd be really tricky. Just going on the journey is enough to fit the old stories. That's what the other Reindrones told me, at least. We're all just here to make sure the old stories keep getting told, you know? You and the past Envoys, and me and my brethren... we all have a part to play, and just picking up the gifts was enough to play yours. Mostly. We did have some really important Gifts to deliver this year, so Mr. Klaus may not be very happy with you over those...

You'll still get your reward! Don't worry about that. But even if you're not the Envoy again, maybe Mr. Klaus will let you stop by the factory sometime...? I'll miss you when you go. I really do like you. I'm sorry that I got a little forceful with you at times. It was all just part of playing my role.

I guess we'll have to ask Mr. Klaus when we see him! For now, we get to go back to Albedo, and you'll get your reward. I'll disconnect from your systems once we get there, okay?

You can now return to Tile 36. Continue to Day 24.

You didn't make all of the deliveries, but that's okay! Just going on the journey will be enough to satisfy Mr. Klaus. That's what the other Reindrones told me, at least.
We're all just here to make sure the old stories keep getting told, you know? You and the past Envoys, and me and my brethren... we all have a part to play, and the Envoys in the old stories didn't always have completely good hearts. So you did your job just by picking up the gifts, even if they didn't make it to the end. So I'd bet Mr. Klaus will let you do this again, if no other good Envoys come along. But even if you're not the Envoy again, maybe Mr. Klaus will let you stop by the factory sometime...? I'll miss you when you go. I really do like you. I'm sorry that I got a little forceful with you at times. It was all just part of playing my role.

You don't need to decide right now, but think about it at least, okay? For now, we get to go back to Albedo, and you'll get your reward. I'll disconnect from your systems once we get there, okay?

You can now return to Tile 36. Continue to Day 24.

You did such a good job this year, I'm sure Mr. Klaus would love to have you back again. He would've been happy even if you hadn't delivered all of the Gifts. Just going on the journey is really enough to make Mr. Klaus happy. That's what the other Reindrones told me, at least.
We're all just here to make sure the old stories keep getting told, you know? You and the past Envoys, and me and my brethren... we all have a part to play, and you played yours perfectly! We usually don't have so many super important deliveries, so it'll probably be more fun for you next year. Please come see me again, at least! I'll miss you when you go. I really do like you. I'm sorry that I got a little forceful with you at times. It was all just part of playing my role.

You don't need to decide right now, but think about it at least, okay? For now, we get to go back to Albedo, and you'll get your reward. I'll disconnect from your systems once we get there, okay?

You can now return to Tile 36. Continue to Day 24.

Tile 36

When you return to Albedo, it's much the same as your first visit. A small gap opens in the barrier. You land in front of the gaudy, run-down castle.

Blitzen leads you inside once again, but it's much more talkative this time.

Ooh, it's so good to be back! It's true I'm only active when there's an Envoy to lead, but I get to keep some bits of memories from the other Reindrones. This still feels like coming home.

The dolls of the display thrash about in place as you pass them by. Blitzen slows down as you approach the end of the show.

Hey... I really am glad I got to be your guide. I guess it probably wasn't very fun for you to have me whispering inside your head all the time, but that's what I was built to do, you know?

...

Aw, I guess we can't put things off any longer. Let's go get your reward.

Finally, you're face-to-face with Klaus – or at least, with the doll that represents him. The massive piles of gifts that once decorated the stage are gone. One lone Gift has taken their place, sitting on a pedestal in front of the Klaus doll.

"It is wonderful to see you again, my child! Words cannot express how delighted I am to see you back here safe and sound. Did you enjoy your excursion? Good, good! I will admit, I have been watching your journey through Blitzen's eyes.
[12 Gifts Delivered: I must say, you exceeded my expectations! You have more than earned the reward I promised you. Unfortunately... ]
[ 6-11 Gifts Delivered: I had hoped that more of the Gifts would reach their recipients... but you performed adequately. You did enough to earn at least a portion of the reward I promised you. Unfortunately...]
[0-5 Gifts Delivered: I must say... it may have been a mistake on my part, choosing you as the envoy. You haven't done much to earn the grand reward I offered you. However, that doesn't really matter much, in the end.]
I must admit, I have been a bit deceptive."

Huh? What's he talking about?

"I'm sure you've noticed the state of disrepair that my home has fallen into. Over the centuries, I've given, and given, and given, and there's simply not much left for me to give. Every resource at my disposal has gone to the people of Canthus. The gifts you saw around me as part of the show...? Simply models, all part of the show. I am a toymaker after all, hoo hoo!"

He laughs uproariously. The expression on the doll's face doesn't change to match it.

I didn't know about all this, I swear!

"But, I hope you have come to see that giving to others is its own reward, hmm? I'm sure you saw the joy on the faces of those you gave gifts to, hmm? [0-11 Gifts Delivered:The ones that you did deliver, at least.]
Does it not warm your heart? To know that you are acting in the service of others? So, I have no grand reward to give, but I do have something for you yet... an offer of further employment. As I'm sure you know by now, I need to replace some of my long-term helpers... Repairing the factory, making Canthus habitable once again – those tasks are far too big for me and my Reindrones to handle alone. I need someone who can walk among humans, and gain their trust. Someone like you!
As I said, generosity is its own reward. But, if you take the job, I do have one thing I can give to you. I've been saving it for the right recipient..."

The lone gift on the pedestal in front of Klaus opens itself. Inside sits a shiny new set of neural implants.

"This is the prototype copy of the Albedo Interface 2.0. I completed it just before my factory fell to ruin. It's one of a kind, and much more powerful than previous iterations. Perhaps if I had given it to Noel, things could have gone differently for him... If he'd had this, he would never be out of my sight, and I would have been able to watch over him, to protect him, no matter where he went... but, I was foolish enough to let him free. I don't intend to make that mistake again. So, what say you? Will you accept this Gift, and become part of me? You will be well taken care of, I assure you. You'll never want for anything, ever again."

"Marvelous, marvelous! I was hoping you'd say that! Come, come, let's get these implants in you right away!"

Having Blitzen inside your head had felt oppressive. This is nothing like that.

It's much worse.

You can barely feel, barely think.

Your body moves, but you aren't the one in control anymore.

You're just another one of Mr. Klaus's drones, now.

GAME OVER.

The words are barely out of your mouth when you feel your body freeze up. The weight that's been weighing on your mind slams down even heavier, making it difficult to even think.

Hey, hey! Mr, Klaus, what are you doing to them? This isn't me, Envoy, I swear!

"Ah... I was hoping you wouldn't say that, child. Please, reconsider... Do you truly not want to spread joy to all? Is that not enough to satisfy you?"

"Hmm. I see.
[6-12 Gifts Delivered:Perhaps you are not as good-hearted as I thought you to be...]
[0-5 Gifts Delivered:So, you truly are too far gone to be counted among the good-hearted...]
Well. That is a shame. You know, in times past, the bad-hearted Envoys always did meet with a deserving fate in the end. I was usually not the one to deliver said fate, but these are far from usual circumstances, hmm? I simply cannot continue on without someone to help me... so I'm afraid I can't allow you to simply leave."

What? No... this isn't right! You played your part! He's not supposed to change the story like this!

Suddenly, the pressure on your mind disappears completely. You're in control again.

Blitzen's disconnected itself from your neural interface, thus preventing Mr. Klaus from controlling you through it. (DRONE_RNDR_BL1X is removed from your Memory Slots.)

Blitzen speaks to you, its voice emanating from a speaker hidden somewhere inside its plastic shell rather than into your mind.

"Run while you can, pal! I'll try to keep the barrier open for you as long as I can! Go, go!"

As you flee, you hear mechanical whirring approach you. The Reindrones coming.

Roll GRA to outrun them.

You make it back to your ship, and take off. True to Blitzen's word, a tiny gap in the barrier remains open for you. It shuts behind you as you leave the moon behind.

You're free, but Klaus will live on. Pitch's whispers will continue to choke the minds of all who can hear him. The Reindrones – only 7 of them, now - will continue to steal from any deemed bad-hearted. In time, some other poor sap will be drawn in by promises of handsome rewards, and the cycle will start anew.

But, that's not really your problem anymore, is it?

[End of Story.]

You're not fast enough. They corner you inside the courtyard outside of the castle. All of the Reindrones have gathered, save for Blitzen.

You'll need to fight your way out.

Reindrone Swarm

70 HP | 0 Armor 3 VIG | 3 GRA | 0 MIN |2 TEC ⋅∶∴∷
1 - 3 ▶ Gifts from the Air (Comet + Dasher + Donder) Roll VIG against player, if successful all opponents take 3d6 damage
4 - 6 ▶ Rhapsody (Dancer + Prancer) [+1 GRA, +1 VIG]
7 - 9 ▶ Carol (Cupid + Vixen) [Heal GRA x 2 HP]
10 ▶ Envoy's Retribution (All) Deals 1 damage for each Gift the Envoy failed to deliver.

You make it back to your ship, and take off. True to Blitzen's word, a tiny gap in the barrier remains open for you. It shuts behind you as you leave the moon behind.

You're free. Klaus lives on, but it's only a matter of time before he fades away. The Reindrones are gone, and he has no way to rebuild them. The deliveries will end here and now. But, his power over the minds of the so-called Children of Canthus remains. He'll continue to whisper dark thoughts into the minds of all those who yet live under his influence.

There's nothing anything can do about it. The barrier surrounding Albedo will never go down again.

[End of Story.]

You run through a room marked "Staff Only". From there, signs lead you from the castle area into the factory complex.

You can hear mechanical whirring approach you. The Reindrones are coming. Holly told you to find a way underneath the factory, but you won't be able to search for the entrance without taking them out first.

The Reindrones are waiting for inside the factory. All of them have gathered, save for Blitzen.

Fight ▶ Defeat the Reindrone Swarm

Reindrone Swarm

70 HP | 0 Armor 3 VIG | 3 GRA | 0 MIN |2 TEC ⋅∶∴∷
1 - 3 ▶ Gifts from the Air (Comet + Dasher + Donder) Roll VIG against player, if successful all opponents take 3d6 damage
4 - 6 ▶ Rhapsody (Dancer + Prancer) [+1 GRA, +1 VIG]
7 - 9 ▶ Carol (Cupid + Vixen) [Heal GRA x 2 HP]
10 ▶ Envoy's Retribution (All) Deals 1 damage for each Gift the Envoy failed to deliver.

The last Reindrone falls to the ground. The only sound to be heard is the harsh whistling of wind sweeping through the factory's shattered windows. Klaus's doesn't have anything left to defend himself with. This is it.

You find the entrance to the lower factory. Noel's Implants unlock the door.

After a long walk down an unlit maintenance stairway, you find what you're looking for: the servers that make up Klaus's mind.

There's nothing else down here, no intercoms for him to cast his voice through to beg you not to end him. It's quiet, except for the dull hum of the machinery. There's only one thing left to do.

...

Across the system, the few remaining Children of Canthus feel a weight they never noticed suddenly leave their minds. They'll probably never learn what caused it in the first place. Soon, the strange deliveries they used to receive will be nothing but a story. Within time, they'll be forgotten completely. Maybe it's better that way.


This is the end of the story. If you chose to continue playing this character on another map, you may choose a permanent outcome.

▶ Take the Albedo Barrier Generator. As long as the Generator is inside your Cargo Hold, your ship will start battle with two shields. These shields cannot be dissipated by enemies.

▶ Make Albedo your base of operations; with the barrier still in place, you're the only one able to come and go from its surface. Use a Hyperlight Drive to return to this tile from your new map. You may store up to six items here, or temporarily board crewmembers.

▷ You find what's left of Blitzen in the room where you left it. Apparently, Klaus wasn't to happy that it let you go, and destroyed it in repayment. You can repair it by spending 200 scrap and 6 EXP.


Database

Information unique to this story. More will be added each day.


Rules

Rules specific to this adventure are listed below. If not specified, assume that vanilla Astroprisma rules are to be used.

  • Blitzen (DRONE_RNDR_BL1X) must remain in one of your Memory Slots for the duration of the story.If you remove it, the story will end.
  • Sealed Gifts are to be stored in your inventory or cargo hold. You can hold multiple Gifts at a time, but they do not stack. If your inventory and cargo hold are both full, you will not be able to pick up another until you make space for it.
  • Once you have a Gift in your possession, it's up to you to decide what to do with it. You could deliver it to recieve the 50 Serum payment, or you could open it and take the contents for yourself. The choice is yours. Keep track of how each delivery ends; the amount of Gifts you deliver successfully will effect what reward Mr. Klaus gives you at the end of your journey.
  • Start the game with your ship on Tile 19.
  • The ❕ Symbol is used to mark Side Tasks. There missions are optional and can be completed at any time. Side Tasks, their locations, and their relevant NPCs will persist between cycles. Some Side Tasks may not be completable until further Tiles have been unlocked.
  • In addition to the ▶ and ▷ symbols, some actions may be marked with ✦. This indicates an action that can only be taken if the listed criteria have been met.

Delivery List

A list of the Gifts you need to pick up and deliver. Blitzen gave it to you as you left Albedo.

Delivery #1

  • Pickup Location: Tile 36, Albedo
  • Reindrone Attendant: Blitzen

  • Recipient Name: Yuri Lozano
  • Location: Tile 20, ISF Settlement.
  • Klaus's Notes: "Yuri's just getting started in the world, but he's got some big plans brewing. He's always dreamed of being a merchant, and has held to that dream through every obstacle dropped in his path. Truly, I think all he needs to succeed is a little push in the right direction. You'll likely find him in his home settelment's Trading Hub, diligently picking up the tricks of the trade."

Delivery #2

  • Pickup Location: Tile 7
  • Reindrone Attendant: Dancer

  • Recipient Name: Gunpowder Telly
  • Location: Tile 1
  • Klaus's Notes: "You may find it surprising to see someone like Telly here on my list of 'Good Children'. When you've been around for as long as I have, everyone starts to look like children, I'm afraid. And yes, they may be involved in a violent revolution, but their heart's in the right place! They looks out for their own and tries to right the wrongs of the world – that's what really counts, in my book. They've made some missteps over the years, but have more than earned this gift.
    You'll find them doing some work with their crew in Tile 1 – it seems like they've got some big plans brewing!    "

Delivery #3

  • Pickup Location: Tile 8
  • Reindrone Attendant: Comet

  • Recipient Name: Denna Cross
  • Location: Tile 32
  • Klaus's Notes: "Miss Cross has quite a storied past, but she can always be counted on to help others. She's quite a bleeding heart, really, and it's gotten her into trouble more times than I can count. She's had to make some tough calls to get by in life, but she keeps on doing what's right regardless.
    Miss Cross doing a job in a quite remote part of Tile 32 right now. I certainly hope she's not getting into too much trouble out there, though she does seem to bring trouble with her wherever she goes...    "

Delivery #4

  • Pickup Location: Tile 2
  • Reindrone Attendant: "None on this one, my apologies. But it'll be safely hidden when you arrive, I assure you."

  • Recipient Name: Lupita Veryan
  • Location: Tile 20, W.A.R.G. Settlement
  • Klaus's Notes: "Lupita and her mother Nora are stuck in a rather rough situation, but Lupita has always been a little sweetheart. It would take more than Mr. Pitch to turn her from the path of goodness. Her mother, on the other hand... Well. Let's just say that she hasn't gotten a gift from me in quite some time. Still, it would be wrong to punish Lupita for her mother's mistakes, hmm?
    You'll find Lupita in her home on the Tile 20 Settlement. With any luck, you'll be able to catch her when Nora is out. She does seem to leave the poor girl alone so often... it is a shame. Hopefully, this gift will provide her with some company, and security.    "

Delivery #5

  • Pickup Location: Tile 23
  • Reindrone Attendant: Prancer

  • Recipient Name: Mayor Lindon
  • Location: Tile 25
  • Klaus's Notes: "Mayor Lindon's a good man, and a good leader. Unfortunately, he's bit off a bit more than he can chew, it would seem. He and his people have been trying to settle down on a planet, but their terraforming efforts haven't been going well. It seems to be a bit of a lost cause to me, but he's just trying to do right by the people he cares for. I can respect that. I can't see him accepting any gift just for himself, so this Gift's really meant for his whole village. It should help them stick it out for a little while longer, at least.
    You'll find him in his little home on the planet Hope's Rest; just look for the one habitable looking spot on the place.    "

Delivery #6

  • Pickup Location: Tile 11
  • Reindrone Attendant: Vixen

  • Recipient Name: Hermes Randolph
  • Location: Tile 3
  • Klaus's Notes: "This one's as much of a wellness check as it is a delivery – young Mr. Randolph has fallen out of my sight. It's been long enough now that I can't properly judge whether he's been a good child or not, but he always was in the past. And, I fear that since I lost sight of him, he may have been injured... or worse. Solar flares in the area have kept my drones from approaching the station, so I haven't been able to check in. It would be a great relief to know he's alright... but if you find that he's no longer with us, then I suppose the gift is yours to keep."

Delivery #7

  • Pickup Location: Tile 12
  • Reindrone Attendant: Cupid

  • Recipient Name: Arran Till
  • Location: Tile 27, Corsair Syndicate Settlement
  • Klaus's Notes: "More Info To Follow"

Delivery #8

  • Pickup Location: Tile 29
  • Reindrone Attendant: Dasher

  • Recipient Name: Robin Wreath
  • Location: Tile 13
  • Klaus's Notes: "Robin here has only entered my sight recently, so I'm afraid I haven't come to know them very well. This will be their first Gift from me, in fact. I'd like to make it a special one.
    They and their crew make frequent stops in and around The Illumine, so it's a safe bet you'll find them there.    "

Delivery #9

  • Pickup Location: Tile 4, Medusa Sector Settlement
  • Reindrone Attendant: Donder

  • Recipient Name: Noel Saint Lua
  • Location: --
  • Klaus's Notes: "Noel here isn't a regular Gift recipient, he's actually your predecessor. He was my Envoy before you, you see. A damn good one I must say, if you don't mind the language. He has moved on from that role, and has joined a research expedition. It pained me to let Noel go, but I will still aid him in the important work he now does.
    If you're wondering about his location, I'm afraid it would be quite pointless to tell you where he is now. The ship where Noel now resides is constantly on the move, so he'll probably have jumped halfway across the System by the time you get to his delivery. Donder will tell you where he is once you pick up Gift #9.    "

Delivery #10

  • Pickup Location: Tile 31
  • Reindrone Attendant: Prancer

  • Recipient Name: Joules Aractus
  • Location: Tile 32
  • Klaus's Notes: "Joules is a kind soul, a diligent worker, and a good friend to those around her. And yet, circumstances have prevented me from getting a Gift to her for some time now. For the past several delivery cycles, my Envoys have all been interrupted by one thing or another before they make it to that end of the System. So, I've elected to give her something that'll make up for all of the missed Gifts and, hopefully, make it a bit easier to get a hold of her in the future."

Delivery #11

  • Pickup Location: Tile 16
  • Reindrone Attendant: Vixen

  • Recipient Name: Eve Saint Lua
  • Location: Tile 33, Synth Arch Settlement
  • Klaus's Notes: "The Saint Lua Children's Home has a special place in my heart; many children of Canthus have come and gone through its doors, and I delighted in giving gifts to each and every one of them. However, the Home's Matron, once a devout follower of the traditions of Canthus, has been corrupted by this newfangled "Synth Arch" nonsense. Not only is she refusing to accept my Gifts for herself, she's even barred the children in her care from accepting them.
    That brings us to poor Miss Eve. I am afraid I have had little occasion to observe her, but by all accounts she seems to be a good little girl who deserves better than the lot she's been given in life. I don't think she should be punished for her caretaker's foolishness, do you? Of course not.
    You'll likely need to go visit St. Lua for yourself; Miss Eve rarely leaves it. Matron Lua will likely not allow you to see her or the other children, and will try to turn you away. However, I believe she may change her mind once she sees what the gift contains. Even if she will not accept it in the end, we must at least give it our best efforts, for Miss Eve's sake.    "

Delivery #12

  • Pickup Location: Tile 34
  • Reindrone Attendant: Dancer

  • Klaus's Notes: "Gift #12's a bit of a special delivery. Don't worry about this one until all of the other Gifts have been delivered, hmm? Blitzen will tell you where to go when the time comes."

Items

DRONE_RNDR_BL1X

▷ Plastic Elegance: +1 GRA this fight [Passive]

▶ Present: Heal GRA HP [2 ]

▶ Envoy's Reward: Deal 1 damage for each Gift you've sucessfully delivered [3 ]

W.A.R.G. Intel

Story Item. Return to any W.A.R.G. member for +1 W.A.R.G. Favor, or give to any ISF member for +1 ISF Favor/-1 W.A.R.G. Favor and 100 serum.

Stolen Pack

Story Item. Goods stolen from a merchant. Sells for 175 Serum.

Damaged Server

Story Item. It's mostly still in one piece, if you ignore all the patches of void eating away at it. The device's purpose is unclear, but the Repair Crew reckons that there's probably someone out there who would pay a pretty penny for it. You probably shouldn't throw it away.

Salvager's Package

Story Item. A box of parcels waiting to be delivered to the Salvage Crew's loved ones. There's no fancy seal on this gift, so it can be delivered even if you open it up. What's the harm in taking a peek?.

It's mostly heartfelt letters and dry administrative papers, valuable only to the intended recipients. Still, there's some odds and ends in here that could be sold for about 25 Serum.

Photo Frame

Story Item. A digital picture frame. It cycles through a number of sentimental photos, mostly showing a group of children and an elderly cyborg woman. Someone in Noel's family would probably want to get this back.

Heartwarmer Coat

Armor Set. +2 armor and +1 VIG, but if wearer is afflicted with Overheat, the status lasts one additional turn. Sell for 125 Serum.

Salvager's Package II

Story Item. A box of parcels waiting to be delivered to the Salvage Crew's loved ones. There's no fancy seal on this gift, so it can be delivered even if you open it up. Why not see what's inside?.

IIt's mostly heartfelt letters and dry administrative papers, valuable only to the intended recipients. The only things of value inside are a Data Shard and a NetLink.

Frost Chamber

Melee Weapon Mod - If you roll 1 or 2 base damage when attacking with this weapon, the enemy is Stunned for 2 turns. If this weapon also has a Heat Chamber equipped, the effect of either Mod will last for one additional turn, but you must chose only one effect (Overheat or Stun) to inflict.

Reaping Cane

Melee Weapon - Roll d12 + GRA for damage. Sell for 60 Serum

Gift #1

A red and white metal box. It's small enough to be held in one hand.

This Gift Contains: 200 Serum

Delivery #1 Failed

Gift #2

A red and white metal box. It's bigger than the first, but still small enough for you to carry.

This Gift Contains: 4 Frag Grenades, 2 Taser Shells

Delivery #2 Failed

Gift #3

Another Gift, no different than the first two.

This Gift Contains: Heartwarmer Coat - Armor Set. +2 armor and +1 VIG, but if wearer is afflicted with Overheat, the status lasts one additional turn. Sell for 125 Serum.

Delivery #3 Failed

Gift #4

It's pretty big, and very heavy. There's probably something pretty valuable in here.

This Gift Contains: DRONE_RNDR_RUD0L

DRONE_RNDR_RUD0L

▷ Thick Skin: +1 Armor this Battle [Passive]

▶ Polished Hooves: Deal d6 damage [2 ]

▶ Red Glare: Overheat Enemy 2 Turns [4 ]

Delivery #4 Failed

Gift #5

A large crate that's been painted to look like the other gifts. It's got the same seal as the others, though.

This Gift Contains: A multitude of supplies. Much of it would be useless to you, but you do take 4 Health Packs, 2 Burn Patches, 2 Shield Stims, and 2 AntiVirus.

Delivery #5 Failed

Gift #6

Another Gift. Who knows what kind of valuable, desirable, tempting prize might be inside.

This Gift Contains: Albedo Interface [Cybertech] - -2 MIN. It doesn't have any other effect, but you can tell it's some high-quality stuff. In fact, you should go get it implanted as soon as possible.

Delivery #6 Failed

Gift #7

It's a pretty big one. It's contents would probably be better off with you than with the recipient, don't you think?

This Gift Contains: 2 Contraband Packages

Delivery #7 Failed

Gift #8

A massive cargo container. It's still got the same electronic seal on it, seemingly as a formality.

This Gift Contains: Ave Accelerators [Starship Module]

Delivery #8 Failed

Gift #9

It's one of the smallest Gift's you've collected so far.

This Gift Contains: 3 Terraforming Seeds

Normally, I'd count this as a failure, but this gift's super important! I'll forgive opening it, just this once, if you close it right back up and go deliver it right away.

Gift #10

It's far too big to carry, but not unmanageable.

This Gift Contains: Warp Drive

Delivery #10 Failed

Gift #11

Not too big, but pretty heavy.

This Gift Contains: Heart Engine [Cybertech]

Delivery #11 Failed

Map

Click on a revealed Tile to jump to its Day.

Standard ASTROPRISMA System Map. Some tiles are covered up by streaks of green. tile36 tile18 tile17 tile5 tile26 #tile19 #tile20 #tile7 #tile1 #tile6 #tile8 #tile21 #tile22 #tile9 #tile2 #tile10 #tile23 #tile24 #tile25 #tile11 #tile3 #tile12 #tile27 #tile28 #tile29 #tile13 #tile14 #tile4 #tile15 #tile30 #tile31 #tile32 #tile16 #tile33 #tile34 #tile35

Special Tiles

Canthus and Albedo: Tile 36

An Ecumenopolis and its Frost Moon. You'll return here once all of the gifts have been delivered.


The Aurora Stream: Tiles 5, 17, 18, 26

An unusually dense stellar cloud that divides the system. It's hard to navigate at best, and impassable at worst.

Discussion

A place to talk about the adventure. Please please please be reasonable for the love of god