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Today is an important day for Vesper Staxwell, Prime Minister of Studland.




A top-level meeting is scheduled with representatives from the Yellow Partnership.



She goes over the meeting notes one last time. “Highway… series of portals…” she mumbles, “studland for security… menders… SRG for the logistics… right. Okay.”

An unexpected guest walks in.




“Good morning everyone. My name is Tzan, and I represent Octan Corporation as their lawyer. I’ve come to deliver a message to you, Vesper Staxwell, as the Prime Minister of Studland, since you are formally responsible for the Studland Mechanics and Research Taskforce, or SMART.”




“I am.”
"My client has previously informed the S.M.A.R.T. about a transaction that could not be completed due to the non-delivery of a package. The 30-day period since they extended an offer to the S.M.A.R.T. regarding the settlement of this transaction has ended, without any response from your side."
“Oh?”




“Consequently, the contract between Octan Corporation and the S.M.A.R.T. is hereby terminated, without fulfilment or compensation.”
“I… understand.”




“Very well. Good day!”
And just like that, Tzan is gone again, leaving behind an utterly confused Vesper.




“Uhh…”
“Vesper?”




"Excuse me, gentlemen. This is something I need to take care of, right away. Enjoy your coffee and I’ll have my assistant reschedule. Apologies, again.”

Lt. Arkable has been summoned to the office of the Prime Minister immediately. When he arrives, he finds Vesper staring out the window.




“Ah, Benny, I’m glad you made it. Have a seat!” sais Vesper, surprisingly cheerful given the circumstances.




“You’ve been briefed on the way here?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“I trust you like no other, Benny. I need you to find out what’s going on at the S.M.A.R.T., right away. Their Director is not returning my calls.”




“With all due respect, ma’am, but we’re spies, not legal advisors. Why not have an accountant look at the contract with Octan?”




“This is not about the money or the legal implications. It’s about what the S.M.A.R.T. has been doing, or maybe, hasn’t been doing. A lot hinges on the research they were supposed to work on these past months. Without it, the entire Interdimensional Highway Plan will fall apart.”




“And Octan was not involved with this research?“
“Absolutely not. The only parties involved are our colleagues from the Yellow Partnership. Or so I thought.”




“So… Studland scientists, who were supposed to be working on groundbreaking research, blow their money in a secret deal with Octan, and then cease all communication. Sounds like we’ve been dealt some interesting cards here.”




“Lieutenant, I want your very best S.H.I.N.E. operatives on this case, so we can try and salvage the situation before it’s too late.”




“Don’t worry ma’am, we’re all in!”

The same day, Lt. Arkable assembled three of his best operatives to help him look into the case. Roseanne “Rose” de la Tekna, Wyyler Tiles, and Ron “Chewbacca” Wookie. They’ve headed over to the S.M.A.R.T. research facility right away.




“Hey Wyyler, you don’t think the boss would mind if I eat a banana, do you?”
“Shut up, Ron!”
“We got called in so fast, I haven’t had time for second breakfast yet. And you know how I get when…”
“Just eat your banana, Chewie.”




“Good morning. My name is Lt. Arkable. We’re with the Studland Military. And you are?”




“Ed Setra, sir.”




“It’s awfully quiet here, Ed. We were told there was a whole team here researching interdimensional travel. What’s going on?”




“Powering interdimensional travel. Hah. That’s what I signed up for, two months ago. But everyone was fired shortly after we started our research. So now, I just spend my days here in the lab, because I have nothing else to do.”
“Why were you fired?”
“They couldn’t afford us anymore.”




“This research group received significant funding from the Yellow Partnership. What did you spend it on?”
“In the beginning it was just the usual: duck tape, W-d40, lab equipment. Come see for yourself. Things to get our research started, which was to create a new source of energy. But instead of acquiring lots of different materials for us to examine, our Director, Dr. Dreadblok, spent our entire budget in a single purchase.”




“What kind of object did he buy?”
“I don’t know – Dr. Dreadblok acted rather mysterious about it.”
“Were you allowed to research this object?”




“It never even made it here. Octan shipped it to us, aboard a freighter named the Wreckage. As you may remember, that’s the ship that crashed into the Kestrel. As far as I know, Minaglacia still controls the ship and its’ contents, and I doubt they’ll just hand over our package. Not that we could ask them, because we got sacked the next day, and Dr. Dreadblok disappeared.”




“And your director, I assume he hasn’t contacted you since?”
“That’s right. It’s as if he’s gone, completely.”




“A shame. Thank you. That’ll be all – we’ll let you know when we have further questions.”

Intermezzo

S.M.I.L.E. Like a Banana >>>

The team make their way out of the facility.

“What do we do now, boss? Find the Director to ask him what was in the package?”
“I doubt he’ll tell us. Sounds like he’s hiding something.”
“Maybe he was just ashamed because he lost all his funding due to an unfortunate accident.”




“Perhaps. I suggest we find out what Dr. Dreadblok spent his money on, before we confront him.”
“How do we do that? Only Dr. Dreadblok knew what this object was.”
“I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it.”




“Well?”
“We go and talk to Octan.”

After a few days of space travel, the team of SHINE operatives arrive at the Magik 8-Ball Poker Club.

"Good afternoon. Where are you from?"
"Studland"
"And what is your name?"




"Benjamin Arkable"
"I'm afraid you're not on the guest list for tonight, sir."
"Why don't you check out my online poker rating?"
"Your... one moment sir... eh... oh. WOW."




"Right this way, sir. Enjoy your evening."
"Thank you."




"Well done, boss. I didn't know you were a poker celebrity."
"Forget about it, Wyyler. Let's focus on the job."




As the crew heads over towards the bar, Roseanne spots someone in the crowd.
"Mr. Green? Is that you?"




"Oh well hey now, my friends from Studland! This is awkwa... I mean... a pleasant surprise!"
"I didn't expect to see you here! I thought you were busy stabilizing the Anno galaxy?"




"You fucking bet I am! So uh, why don't you take this little present that I have for you, Roseanne, and um, you don't tell anyone I was here. Especially not Bert. Okay? Awesome!"




"Take care, queen!"
...
"You know that guy?"
"His name is Quantumsurfer Green. We met at the Annual Aviators Vest Appreciation Day. Anyway, let's check out what Wyyler and the boss are doing."

Meanwhile, over at the bar...




"Oil be damned!"



The notorious Octan Admiral, who's in charge of this entire Octadome industrial settlement, forfeits his game of poker and storms at Lt. Arkable.

"Benny fuckin' Cards. You've got some nerve coming here. No man robs a casino of 2 trillion studs and then walks back in a few years later as if nothing happened. What the hell you want?"




"I didn't rob you, Admiral. I beat you fair and square. But don't worry, I'm not here to play poker. Those days are behind me."




"I'm here on behalve of the Prime Minister of Studland, Vesper Staxwell. I assume you know what this is about?"
"Enlighten me."
"You were involved in a trade with the Studland science institute, the S.M.A.R.T. And that trade never took place."




"Ah yes, the package we shipped for Dr. Dreadblock. How unfortunate for Studland that it went missing. But for Octan, that case is closed. Any formal requests can be submitted to our lawyer, QS Tzan."




"I'm not here to discuss the legal matters - that stuff bores me to death. We would like to know more about the package and the seller."




"Hmm. That kind of information does not come cheap. Luckily for you, there's a little game I like to play, that could earn you your answers."




"Dealers! Prepare the table!"




The staff of the Magik 8-Ball rush to work, quickly setting up a wooden tabletop.

"I hope your skills haven't gone rusty, Cards."
"I hope so too."




"The name of the game is KardWars. We'll play one round, 1v1. If you win, I'll tell you what you want to know. If I win, I've got a little errand you and your crew can run for me. How's that sound?"
"You sure this is a good idea, boss?"
"I don't think we have another choice. Let's play, Admiral."




"Alright then. Let's play."

Decks are shuffled, cards are dealt, rules are explained, and an intense game of KardWars is played. In a little less than 4 turns, the game ends with a disastrous defeat for Lt. Arkable.



You can read the entire report here: https://discord.com/channels/1815922055 ... 0119486524


"Ha! Victory for Octan!"




"Well played, Admiral. Your ruleset is still a little rough, but you beat me fair and square."




"... or did you?"
"Hm?"




"I'm afraid you weren't entirely consistent in ruling critical failure and succes."
"Nonsense."




"We can review the security footage if you don't believe me, Admiral."




"Fine. You're right. I messed up in Turn 2 and I was hoping you hadn't noticed."
"Let's talk outside."

"Admiral, if you tell us what we want to know about the deal with the Studland science institute, we'll be on our way and you can get back to working on your KardWars game."
"Very well."




"Let's start with the object you sold to Dr. Dreadblok. What was it?"




"First of all, Octan was not the selling party in this trade. We only set up the transaction and took care of the shipment. We do this for a lot of clients who wish to secretly trade on the black market.
As for the object itself, I can't tell you much. All I know is that it was advertised as an extremely potent powersource, and that is what Dr. Dreadblok was looking for."
"Who put this object up for sale?"
"Someone called the "Priest of Destruktion". He's an influential figure within the ranks of the Champions of Ignition."




"So what happened to our power source? We were told you shipped it on a piece of junk and now blue gang has it?"




"We secretly shipped it on a cargo freighter that was named the Wreckage. A catastrophic failure caused it to crash into an Octan supply station while a Minaglacian raid was underway. Our forces were overwhelmed, so we abandoned the station and the ship. As for the current whereabouts of the package, I don’t know and I don’t care. We’ve written off all of the ships’ cargo as MISSING and let the legal teams handle it."




"Thank you, Admiral. We'll leave you alone for n..."




"WAAAAGGGHHH!!!"

"BROOTALLZZZ!! *cough cough* I mean, what a brutally long travel this has been. Anyway, are you the Octan Admiral?"




"Yes. And you are?"
"Bill the Brootal Bounty Hunter, ofcourse! You hired me to extract one of your guys out of the hands of pesky Minaglacians. And looky here: your guy Rigbee."




"Hello."




"Ah, yes, I remember now. You are Officer Rigbee, former crewmember of the Wreckage? Glad to have you back, kid. Take a week off and report back to the shipyards on monday. And Bill, thank you for your services - I'll have my assistant transfer you the bounty."




"But sir, don't you want to know about what happened on the Wreckage? What we saw before the crash? And about the Minaglacians that now have this... thing? You should really assemble a strikeforce to get it back. It's all because of this evil artifakt that we..."




"Let me stop you right there, Rigbee. I just told our friends from Studland - we don't care about the cargo aboard the Wreckage anymore. The only reason we paid good money to rescue you from Minaglacian hands is to prevent political drama. We just can't have Octan employees in hostile captivity, you see?"




"But..."
"Silence! We're done here. In fact, I'm done here with all of you. Studlanders, Bill, Rigbee - be on your way, and leave me alone. "




...

As the Studlanders head back towards their ship, they are stopped by Rigbee.

"Excuse me. Excuse me!"




"You look like brave people. I need your help! My name is Rigbee and I was a cargo operator for Octan aboard the Wreckage."
"So we heard."




"Sir, I've seen terrible things on that ship. Distrust, lies, betrayal, death..."



"... and a mysterious artifakt that can turn a normal minifigure into something pure evil."




"I've adressed this to my superior here at Octan, but he refuses to look into the situation, so I really don't feel too safe anymore."
"Sorry kid, we're way too busy to be looking into a mystery like this."




"But how about this. We're headed for Ignition City. Why don't you tag along for the ride? We'll keep you company and drop you off somewhere nice. Think of it as a small roadtrip to relax a little and get your head straight."
"Uhh... okay then."




"Great. And in the meantime, you can tell us a bit more about the Wreckage. It just so happens that we're tracking down some equipment that was on your ship as well."
"Oh?"
"Nothing special, it's just a powersource. It probably has nothing to do with the crash at all. But the more information we have, the easier it will be to find."

The crew have arrived in Ignition City. Underway, Rigbee has talked some more about his catastrophic journey with the Wreckage, his time in Minaglacian captivity, and his rescue by Brootal Bounty Hunter Bill. He's decided to accompany the Studlanders for a little while longer.




The Studlanders are in luck, as they find the Priest of Destruktion exactly where you would expect him - meditating at the Exploshrine near the edge of the city.




"Greetings! Are you the one they call the priest of destruktion?"
"... hummm... break and burnnnn... to chaos returnnnn... hummm.... by the wrath of destruction, let all be undone. Amen."




"Huh? Oh? Visitors at my shrine? Would you like me to blow you up?"
"We would like to ask you some questions. We're from Studland."
"I only know a single Studlander. The madlad Doctor Dreadblok. Is he with you?"
"No, not yet. We were wondering if you could tell us something about the object you sold him?"
"The pisslight."
"The... what?"




"Pisslight. That's what we called it. Well. Not right away. This object was a gift from our deity, the OT God of Explosions. We were hoping it was like an artifakt that would lead us to swift victory, but we just couldn't get this stupid thing to work. It drove us crazy!"




"Then what happened?"
"We considered tossing it in the bin, but one of the guys suggested we sold it off to some poor schmuck. Now this pisslight, it gave off a strange, yellow hue. So we said, we'll market it as a lamp. Right? "Handheld light with unlimited power." Catchy ad, huh? And your doctor Dreadblok bought it."




"Dr. Dreadblok was doing very important research. He needed an immensely potent powersource. It sounds like you ripped him off."
"Ripped him off? I don't know about that, missy. We sure did think he was crazy for offering that amount of money, but I mean..."




"I think what Rose is trying to ask is - did you inform Dr. Dreadblok about the origins of this object?"
"Not directly. We told that girl from the ship, what's her name, Christi, about the pisslight. But she didn't seem to care about anything other than money."




"One last question, sir. What did this... uh... pisslight look like, exactly?"




"You see this lantern over here? Exactly like that, just transparent yellow."




"Are you fucking kidding me!?!?"

"Rigbee! What?"
"This yellow lantern, this pisslight, is what caused the crash of the Wreckage. THAT is what turned my buddy Jeff into a murdering psycho."




"Yup. That sounds about right. Did Jeff turn his head 180 degrees?"




"EXCUSE ME? You knew about this???"




"What? Ofcourse I knew. Didn't I just fucking tell you? I literally said, 'the pisslight drove us crazy'!"




"Fuck!"
"What do we do now, boss? Do we still try and find Dr. Dreadblok?"
There's no time for that, I'm afraid. We must find this artifakt as soon as possible, before it falls into the wrong hands. Wyyler, plot a course for the remains of the Wreckage. We're going in."
"On it!"

Before the crew are able to leave the Exploshrine, an Champions of Ignition grunt storms in.

"Priest! Yo, Priest! The city is under attack and they've already breached the walls. Priestess Isla leads the defence, near the old market. Also, your prisoner is trying to escape."




"Well, dear Studlanders, good luck getting out of the city now. It's every man and women for himself."




"EXPLOOSSIOOOONNSSS!"

bertinator wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 14, 2024 2:14 pm

"EXPLOOSSIOOOONNSSS!"

This is a rulebook worthy photo and caption