Starforged Solo: Session 1
A sudden and significant storm on the planet Demeter. An undercover berry farmer and the Covenant’s push in the sector.
From the Journal of Zaramirra Wolfe
As always, I go where the storms appear. Just my luck, I wasn’t far when the big one caught fire on Demeter. My contact, Nassar Murad — a pompous man who runs his own compound in what he deems paradise — in the settlement Hearth, has informed me about a recent discovery of ancient technology in the northern tundra near the site of the devastating storm. Nassar is an archaeologist on the planet, but runs a berry farming operation as a cover for his true pursuits/intersts, since he operates outside of Covenant jurisdiction. The number of Keepers in the region continues to rise. Nassar deals in alien or derelict technology, and he has been my number one contact since I came to the Onyx Channel about a month ago in order to gather samples. He has also informed me about the sudden flare up of seismic activity on the tundra. He warns me to keep my wits. I’ve had my eye on the phenomenon of Balefire for some time now and I’m not going to let a little earthquake hold me back from getting close to the epicenter of the storm. My data-stores from previous missions are nothing but incongruous findings. Ria, my survey bot, also can’t make sense of any of it.
These unexplained energy storms threaten to engulf the newly discovered tech, much of which remains buried in the fragile terra of Demeter. The Keepers have been discharged into the area hoping to keep the phenomena a secret while they get a handle on it. They no doubt will orchestrate one of their famous cover ups once it’s found. I know how to play nice with these Outland authority types, having encountered a few already — but fear they might indict me on charges of alien tech conspiracy if found alone with knowledge of the hidden machines. From a few first and secondhand reports on nearby deepspace stations, I know that the Balefires have the power to consume and destroy whole settlements unexpectedly. If I can get there and obtain a sample of the storm, I might be able to prevent any damages to Hearth, and the precious samples promised me by Nassar. I can’t have another incident like what I witnessed on Apagia a year ago, so much lost so quickly and without reason. Of course that was so much different from the current situation. There is so much more riding on these findings now that I’m on my own.
*I clutch my star pendant and make the vow to gather the samples in the Demeterian Tundra.