Session 140 Prep

The Setting and Scene

Title: Syringe and Cipher
Location: Level I: Officer and Crew Quarters of the Phasnosh Vessel

Recapping the Tale

Previous Session

Session 139 The Metal Peak's Embrace

Scene Overview

The session opens with Durmen recovering from the mysterious injection while the android stands inert. The party must quickly determine their next move, as a scouting party of Vegepygmies and their dog-like creatures have been alerted to the battle and are advancing down the west corridor, expected to engage the party within 2–3 turns.

Setting Details

A maze of metallic corridors and small, mostly empty rooms. The air is stale but breathable. All doors are heavy, seamless metal, secured by black opal readers and key slots. Skeletons and alien remnants litter the area, emphasizing the centuries-old disaster.

Notable Personages

Key NPCs

Durmen (Status: Fully healed by Phasnosh medical agent, but confused/disoriented by the sudden cure) The Android (Status: Repaired and inert; no longer hostile, but will not respond to commands yet. Holds the key to the next access card.) Lexanna Brightshore (Pursued NPC, trail leads deeper into the ship)

The Player's Path

Player Goals

Stabilize and assess Durmen's condition. Prepare for the imminent combat encounter (Vegepygmies). Secure an Access Card to open the major locked doors and push the pursuit of Lexanna to the next level.

The Adventure Unfolds

Adventure Hooks

The Repaired Android: The construct’s silence is unnerving; a perception or investigation check may reveal a key card (like a Brown Card) slotted inside its torso compartment. Durmen's Healing: Durmen feels inexplicably better than before the fight—healed of exhaustion, old wounds, and even possibly a status effect. The Sound: A successful perception check should pick up a rustling, scratching sound or the scent of damp moss/fungus coming from the west hall.

Key Events

The Diagnosis: The party's attempt to use magic/medicine to diagnose Durmen's condition (will reveal the high-level cure, but not its origin). The Vegepygmy Ambush: A surprise attack from the Vegepygmies and their Thornie allies. The Android's Secret: Discovery of the access card hidden on the now-inert android.

Planned Events

The initial focus is on Durmen's status. The combat will force the party to use the android's chamber defensively. The loot from the Vegepygmies will include a clue about their commander or territory.

Perils and Rewards

Challenges

Imminent Combat: The Vegepygmies are hostile and fast, forcing an immediate tactical decision. Technological Ignorance: The party still needs to figure out how the Phasnosh key card system works to progress.

Clues and Info

Durmen's Status: The injection was a massive curative, healing all non-magical afflictions. The Access Card: A Brown Access Card is discovered on the android, which will unlock some of the ship's doors. Vegepygmy Loot: Vegepygmies often carry low-charge Phasnosh weapons (like the Needler) which they use clumsily.

Treasure and Rewards

A Brown Access Card (enabling access to crew-level areas). One or two low-charge high-tech weapons from the Vegepygmy horde. A supply of strange-tasting Phasnosh nutrient paste.

Interludes and Shadows

Interludes

A brief, frantic moment as the party scrambles to determine the source of the rustling sound before the Vegepygmies appear.

Potential Conflicts

A surprise attack by a Police Robot if the Vegepygmy fighting alerts the wrong sector. Internal debate over the moral implications of looting the inert android.

DM's Guidance

Notes and Reminders

The Vegepygmies are coming from the west. Use the countdown (2–3 turns) to heighten the initial tension. The Brown Card only opens brown-coded doors and the large foyer door if the code has been changed.

Random Encounters

A malfunctioning Worker Robot rolls past the combat, carrying a strange piece of machinery and completely ignoring the fighting.

The Larger World

Story Arcs and Themes

Man vs. Machine; The Corruption of Technology and Nature; The Cost of the Pursuit (Durmen's strange recovery).

Mythic Elements

The diamond's powerful, continuous glow and strange tingle suggest it is more than a gem. The android’s self-repair and healing injection reinforce the technological threat posed by the Phasnosh Empire.

The Next Chapter

Cliffhanger

After defeating the Vegepygmies and using the Brown Card to open a major door, the party finds that Lexanna’s trail leads to a massive, descending vertical tube.