Chirpers Domain
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Author: Mark T. Geiger
Homepage: http://
System: Traveller RPG
Type: Scenario
Category: Science Fiction
Requirements:

T4 Adventure Three: Chirpers’ Domain

Introduction and Overall Synopsis:

This is an independent and comprehensive adventure for Marc Millers’ Traveller taking place at the vary birth of the Third Imperium. This Adventure, Chirpers’ Domain, is about a group of adventurers being hired by an entrepreneur to investigate mysterious attacks while on a series of hunting expeditions as well as mysterious injuries and deaths among the expedition parties.

It is assumed that this adventure have been thoroughly read and administered by the Referee, both the Players and the Referee should be familiar with the Fourth Edition of Traveller. This adventure involves a party of between 4 to 8 Player-Characters with a Scout or Paramilitary career with a medium starship, a Far Trader or a Free Trader, even a Corsair. This situation requires the main rulebook of Marc Millers’ Traveller, and The Supplement T4: Milieu 0. In some instances, the hardbound campaign book Milieu 0 Campaign would be an excellent resource. No other resource is required for this adventure with the exception of the usual materials: notebook paper, graph paper, pens, pencils, dice, etc.

Standards and Assumptions:

The following standards and assumptions are used in the text of this adventure an can be altered to correspond to any T4 Campaign:

Date: All dates are to correspond to the Imperial Calendar and the date of this adventure is 078-0001. The date is on the 78th day of the second Imperial Year of the Third Imperium. When the adventure begins, time should flow accordingly.

Location: This takes place in the Gid System (2211-B655555-B), which is located in the Core subsector of the Core Sector of the Imperium. It has a Type B Starport that has a good quality installation with refined fuel facilities, available annual maintenance overall and starship and spacecraft construction facilities, and either a Naval or a Scout Base or both are available. It has a 6000 mile diameter size with a thin but breathable atmosphere and halve of the world is covered in water. It has a population of 200, 000 with well over 200 cities that have a population of 500 per city. Its world government is a Feudal Technocracy that is governed by an elite council with no division of authority. Its main Law Level is the prohibition of concealed weapons of any type, and its Technical Level is Above Imperial Standards (B), which has the capacity for an assortment of technical advances, including robotics. This is an agricultural world and is also a Chirper World that contains a few small colonies of an alien race called the Chirpers, which are a distant cousin to the Droyne, a sophisticated race that are scattered throughout the Known Space.

Using This Adventure: The Referee can use this adventure as an ongoing campaign with seasoned characters or as an independent adventure with new and different characters. The Referees Checklist (below) should be used to guide the Referee through the elements in administering this adventure.

1. Assign Characters;
2. Allow equipment purchase
3. State Situation and Patron Encounter;
4. Guide characters through situation based on their actions.

Character Types: This adventure is intended for a band of adventurers with a minimum of four and no more than eight with an assortment of character types. Essentially, this is made for the Scout or any paramilitary character with at least some military training and experience. The skills that is required for this situation is any kind of Weapons Expertise, Wilderness Survival, Ground Vehicle Operations, Forward Observers, Gun Combat, and others that are applicable. If there is a character that is unskilled, then there is a skill level 0, which means that the character is assigned to a skill but has no expertise, as the adventure proceeds, then the character may gain some expertise on that skill.

Starship Type: The characters’ ship should be a medium size (200 to 400 ton) commercial or paramilitary vessel such as a Far Trader, Patrol Cruiser or a Corsair in which it has he capacity to hold an All Terrain Vehicle (Wheeled, Tracked or Gravitic) in its Cargo Hold. The ship should be marginally armed for defense only, such as missiles and single barrel laser turrets.

Ships Locker: There are numerous pieces of equipment that maybe required for the course of this adventure. They are usually the standard complement for all ships:

1. Eight Vacuum Suits, with an eight hour oxygen tanks per suit as well as equipped with short range communicator;

2. Four Automatic Combat Rifles, with eight 30-round magazines per rifle;

3. Four Auto-Shotguns, with eight 10-round magazines per shotgun;

4. Eight Body Pistols, with ten 7-round magazines per pistol;

5. Eight Short Swords, with scabbards per sword;

6. One Lock-pick set;

7. Two Engineers Tool Kits;

8. Two Electronics Tool Kits;

9. Two Mechanics Tool Kits;

10. Eight Flak Jackets;

11. Two Long Range Communications Systems;

12. Four Portable Computers;

13. Ten Medical Kits;

14. One Radiation Detector;

15. Four Binoculars;

16. Four Multi-Scanners;

17. Eight Backpacks;

18. Four Survival Tens, connects to the vehicles;

19. Twenty Cases of basic Food Packets (MREs), twelve packets per case;

20. Four Storage Boxes, each with:

a. Electric Torches,

b. Basic Toolset,

c. Four Hand Computers,

d. Survival Still,

Of the available equipment within the Ships locker, the PCs could purchase other pieces of equipment within the Starport Marketplace or is provided by their patron.

Tasks within the Adventure: There are certain tasks that are identified throughout the adventure. The Referee should read through the adventure thoroughly to create tasks by using the Universal Task Profile. For example, one task involves gun combat between the PCs and the Mercenaries as well as a task in searching through the wreckage of a speeder-bike. Chapter Four in the Main Rulebook of Marc Millers Traveller has the complete rules in creating tasks.

Adventure Information and Background:

The Third Imperium gave way to new trade and markets as well as young and independent entrepreneurs that provide a multitude of services for their clients and customers. Some entrepreneurs provide hunting expeditions when they encountered a primitive alien race. With their curiosity, one of then wanted to learn more about these new visitors, and accompanied them to the starport where he was exploited as an object. This little alien shortly became a fad for the populace, as everyone in the city wanted a little alien pet for his or her very own.

One such entrepreneur purchased the little alien and then sold it to a rich landowner, who made it into a slave. This entrepreneur, named Tarrin Coorvish, would go on such hunting expeditions to capture more of these little aliens, or Chirpers, for slavery. These expeditions have been conducted for years and these Chirpers would be used as slave labor on this world as well as being exported to other worlds as products in the slave trade. Since any slave trading is prohibited within the Imperium, the Independent Entrepreneurs would use smugglers to export these chirpers within the Imperium. This operation have been going on for a few years and when Imperial Authorities received news of what have been going on, they needed to investigate. Upon numerous surveys, Imperial Authorities and especially the Bureau of Interstellar Affairs found that there was nothing out of the ordinary. But, the slave trade and smuggling of Chirpers continued, and something needed to be done. Coorvish, however, was making a fortune in Credits in the trading of Chirpers to wealthy families throughout the Core Sector.

Recent events began to occur, and Coorvishs’ business began to have fallout. Every expedition that has been conducted resulted in disastrous endings, such as client and employee injuries and in a few cases, death. Whenever expeditions were to go out to capture any Chirpers, they were attacked and there supplies were taken and their equipment damaged beyond repair. Coorvish needed to find out what has been happening without attracting too much attention, so he placed an ad in the local news service to “Wanted: independent investigators to uncover mysterious occurrences during the course of business.” This shall hopefully find any traveller from off-world who needs a job.

Players’ Information:

While on a layover in the Gid System (Core/Core 2211-B655555-B) for maintenance and resupply, the group hears of a hunting party who goes out on expeditions and safari on the frontiers of Gid to find and capture a little known race called the Chirper. Lately, these expeditions have become more difficult, for each expedition have been under attack and have been causing injuries and some deaths to the expedition individuals. The last expedition showed that two deaths and four severely injured by the latest attack from an unknown enemy. The attack was several hundred kilometers outside of the main city/starport. You notice something strange about these injuries. There are numerous bite marks and claw scratches all over their bodies and the corpses have the same marks and scratches, but had bled to death.

An entrepreneur approaches the group to ire them to help quell these attacks on the ex[editions and to find out why they are attacking. This entrepreneur is Tarrin Coorvish and he is prepared to offer them an incentive for helping him resolve this problem, including compensation for their needs at the Starport. The upcoming journey is armed and is travelling by tracked ATV with a gun mount on the dorsal hull. The trip would be about seven days to try to quell these attacks on their expeditions, and being able to cope with wilderness survival is a must. The group should also bring their own personal weapons and essential survival gear as well as rations for the expedition.

Coorvish will, however, bring his own mercenary hiring’s to act as his own personal bodyguards during this expedition. They will have their own vehicle on this caravan and their true intent is possibly hostile as well as having a close niche with Coorvish. These hiring’s look suspicious and assume not trustworthy. The group should keep an eye on them for their own safety.

Referees’ Information:

The trip begins at dawn as a small caravan of Tracked All-Terrain Vehicles that left the outskirts of the main city. They spent the first day trekking through the forest terrain to make camp at dusk. The first camp seemed peaceful as two of the mercenaries went out to find and hunt for fresh meat. An hour later, one of them returns with scratches all over his body and tells the rest of the group that an unknown attacker had killed his partner. Most of the group went out to find the body of the mercenary, but had found only tracks and signs of a struggle. Being on alert, the expedition had a guard while the rest bed down for the night.

The next morning, they set out to the forest and found a disserted camp that had been savagely attacked by animals or savages. The camp was torn to pieces and there is blood everywhere. A unique feature about this camp is that there were no bodies. The shelters have been shredded, the equipment trashed and there are signs of an attack and a struggle, but there are no bodies of the campers. Upon further and in-depth investigation, there are a multitude of bird-like tracks heading into one direction. As they began to follow these tracks, they are attacked by a small number (1D) of Chirpers from above. The groups’ first objective is to stun their Chirper Attackers, in order to find their camp. The mercenaries and Coorvish had other ideas, such as killing or capturing the attacking Chirpers.

After the skirmish, the surviving Chirpers are isolated from Coorvish and his band of mercenaries upon questioning, the Chirpers, however, made claims that Coorvish and his organization have been capturing several members of their race for profit. It had been rumored that Coorvish is currently involved with the slave trade and the Chirpers are the main product to the Slave Market. When a member of the group confronts Coorvish, weapons are drawn on the group. The mercenaries have laser carbines while Coorvish himself has a pistol, and they are all aimed at the group on the intent on taking the Chirper with them as well as others of its kind.

Other members of the group enter the scene, causing a distraction and a firefight begins. The skirmish would be long, but Coorvish and his mercenaries would be defeated, some of them would be killed, but others would escape the skirmish. Coorvish would be nowhere insight, as well as one of the vehicles. Upon further investigation, Coorvish’s ATV had a speeder-bike hidden within it because of his ATV’s rear doors were open and evidence that a small craft was inside. There are two options for the group:

Option One: Take the Chirper back to his people. The group mounted up on their ATV with all their gear and trek for several kilometers in the forest to find a large clearing with numerous small huts, and a thriving colony of Chirpers. The village is one of many colonies that had been threatened by independent merchants and slavers of the Slave Trade. The captured chirper is set free and shall do their best to make peace with them, and then they part ways.

Option Two: Pursue and capture Coorvish. With the ATV open and one of the PC’s noticing a dust trail in the distance. Upon observation, it is Coorvish making a run for it to hide within the city and wait for the situation calms down. The group packed up their gear into the ATV with the intent on tracking down and catching Coovish. Grav Vehicles are hard to track and find, especially with the speed of the ATV. It will take a Forward Observer skill to give the group an advantage in getting Coorvish. One hour later, the group found Coorvish’s speeder-bike, but it is a wreck and there is blood everywhere. It is believed that Coorvish is missing and presumed dead, but the group makes an immediate search of the immediate vicinity and found a trail of blood into the forest and bird-like footprints everywhere. Further search would not be necessary as they realize the fate of Coorvish. They then turned around and head for the Chirper village to set their Chirper friend free. The village is one of many thriving colonies of Chirpers that is threatened by Slavers, since their reaction to any outsider who enter. After a time, the PC leaves the village to return to the Starport.

Epilogue:

At the Starport, the PC’s reported their findings to Imperial Authorities and an investigation has started on Coorvish and his organization. Upon return to their ship, they find a package in the common area that’s filled with credits. Upon count, they have 75,000 credits’ and a note from Coovish saying “ for your troubles”. Astonished and perplexed, they took their money and placed it in their bank. The Imperial Official cleared them for take off, and the PC’s have done so.

Referees’ Resources and Materials:

There are a few important resources that are needed to conduct this adventure.

1. Chirpers: (Extracted from CT SUPP-8, MT-ENCYC) Semi-intelligent minor race native to Vanejen (Rhylanor/Spinward Marches 3119), descended from omnivore/gatherers. Chirpers stand about 1 meter high and weighs about 25 kgs. They are intelligent up to a point, and have been known to speak. Their intelligence is more rudimentary cunning, devoted to steal shiny objects or intriguing gadgets. Since these are usually keys, shiny coins, or other small valuable items, the humans on this and other worlds have never reacted well to the Chirpers. They are considered to be a subclass to the Droyne, but they are without a caste system and are considered to be primitive to Droyne Society. Chirper Society consists of small groups living together with limited social organization. They follow age-old patterns of gathering fruits and berries in the wild. Previously wide-ranging, they have been systematically reduced to a few scattered groups in marginal territories. Finally, Chirpers are swift, much more so than their size or build would indicate. They can dash and dart about virtually unseen, if they care to; if someone tries to catch one, it usually can get away. It is nearly impossible to catch a Chirper. Chirpers are named for the sharp bird-like chirp, which characterizes their speech. Role-Playing Characteristics: STRENGTH: 1D+2, DEXTERITY: 2D+2, ENDURANCE: 2D+2, INT: 1D-1, SENSE: 1D+3, INSTINCT: 2D+3; Weight: 25 kgs, Hits 8/8, Armor: none, Wounds: 5/10, Weapons: Claws/Teeth, Characteristics: A5, F6, S3.

2. Chirper Worlds: a fraction of the worlds throughout the current Charted Space are inhabited by Chirpers, who live in remote areas of colonized worlds in the small communities. They do at times interact with other inhabitants in villages and cities unlike their cousins, the Droyne. Though, their homeworld is in the Spinward Marches, they are scattered throughout the Known and Unknown Space.

3. Tarrin Coorvish: This gentleman was part of a small and unknown merchant company that was renown throughout the Core Sector until it went out of business. Coovish served in its merchant fleet for a few terms when it went bankrupt after the owner was sought for embezzlement of its invested funds, and its fleet was sold to pay for its debts. Coorvish became an entrepreneur and created an import/export business on the planet Gid, where he found a small alien race that lived in small and secluded villages in the forests. He then found smugglers in their tramp freighters that could and would work to his advantage. He family members are either involved with numerous shady characters on Sylea or other high technical level worlds, or have other means of employment throughout the 3rd Imperium. Tarin Coovish is a Vilani, but he prefers to hide is linage from the general public for fear of any racial bias towards himself and to his family. He is intelligent, cunning, and can manipulate any situation to his will. Role-Playing Characteristics: Ex-Merchant Fourth Officer: 665A78; Age: 34 years; 4 Terms; Cr 23,000; Skills: Jack of all Trades-2, Electronic-1, Navigation-2, Medic-1.

4. Coorvish’s Thugs: they are the mercenaries that Coovish hired to accompany him on the expedition along with the PC’s. They are usually ex-troopers that are equipped with rifles, carbines, or pistols:

a. Trooper 1: C9A98A; Age: 26; 2 terms; SMG

b. Trooper 2: 784588; Age 34; 4 terms; SMG

c. Trooper 3: 554686; Age 34; 4 terms; Carbine

d. Trooper 4: 5645C8; Age 34; 4 terms; Pistol

e. Trooper 5: 776427; Age 30; 3 terms; Pistol

f. Trooper 6: 447B75; Age 34; 4 terms; Shotgun

g. Trooper 7: 6983AA; Age 26; 2 terms; Carbine

h. Trooper 8: 64B656; Age 26; 2 terms; Carbine

i. Trooper 9: 848A37; Age 26; 2 terms; Shotgun

5. Playing Aids: The Referee can and shall create playing aids, such as world maps and road maps to aid the players in the course of this adventure.