Hope everyone is doing well. Work and real life have derailed any face-to-face gaming for the time being, however, when I get a little quiet time, I continue to have fun with the tools that The Lizard Man Diaries blog has made available. I'm still in a Sci Fi mood after running my recent 5E Campaign, and I'd like to run a Wretched Space face to face game at some point., So, by using the Matrix Spiel Solo rules, with Wretched Space as a framework, I can play around in my own little OSR Sci Fi Sandbox and do some fun campaign development at the same time.
Last session the outlaw Absolom Wroth, in his hubris, had over-estimated his gang's abilities (The Relentless Bastards) and had seen his entire gang wiped out by the remnants of a group of Red Reign Mercenaries. Absolom, fled into the ruins to lick his wounds. I've decided to pick up with the story here, I'm curious to see what happens to Absolom Wroth...will he survive to become a more significant character, or will he meet his end on the ruined world of Charund?
Absolom Wroth
Absolom's Problem List
His gang was wiped out by Red Reign Mercenaries
Absolom is alone in the ruins of a dangerous city on a ruined planet.
He must get to his ship before the Red Reign find it.
Turn 1:
Can Absolom get back to his gang's ship before the Red Reign find it or him?
Results: Failure, Catastrophic negative outcome to attempter.
Absolom learns the hard way that the mercenaries are not to be trifled with! They locate his gang's ship and blow the entire craft to pieces, before departing Charund.
Don't mess around with The Order of the Red Reign
Things just got way worse for our Outlaw! He is potentially stranded on Charund, with no allies or even shelter. He has some weapons and gear but not much...
Turn 2:
Absolom needs to find shelter, resources, night will be falling soon, and the ruins are even more dangerous after dark. Can Absolom avoid danger and find some means to improve his situation?
Result: Success, Desired outcome is just barely, and temporarily, achieved.
Absolom manages to avoid the dangers of the ruins (for now) and he finds something to help his situation. Referring to the Matrix Solo rules, this will generate a new entity and at least one new problem...
Lizard Man Diaries recommends using the
https://scryfall.com/random generator as inspiration. Using this method for random inspiration I got the result of
Isolated Chapel. Playing around with the card text as inspiration and an AI art generator I get this visual result!
(New Entity Created- Isolated Chapel)
The blue glow in the image makes me wonder what is within the ruined chapel?
What is the blue glow? I'll generate another random card and get... Turbulent Dreams... "Laquatus dreams of seizing control." So within the "Chapel" is a dormant A.I.. It calls itself Laquatus X. If it can be "released" it wants to seize control.. I imagine dotted across Charund and in orbit above the planet are a variety of military defense installations, satellites, in various states of disrepair.. Laquatus X if freed of it's current state wants to seize any available assets and take over! Absolom's presence within the building has triggered something that enables Laquatus to start to overcome the mechanisms and programs keeping it dormant!!! Can the Chapel regain control and keep the rogue AI in its slumber state?
Turn 3
Absolom has entered the ruined chapel, drawn to the eerie blue glow
emanating from the structure. Machinery gives off a low hum, he fumbles
around with the consoles hoping to find some means to get a way off of
Charund. Inadvertently he triggers something. Machinery starts
powering up, something is coming online!!
Isolated Chapel Problem List
- Dangerous Dormant AI is starting to "wake up"
- AI "dreams" of taking over
- Defense mechanism keeping AI dormant are old and unstable
Action: Can the Isolated Chapel's apparatus stop the countdown and keep the AI in check?
Result: Failure, An embarrassing minor set back.
Oh no! Laquatus X is starting to wake up! But there is still time!! A countdown begins, Laquatus X is starting to awaken! The A.I. isn't fully active yet, but continued failure in reigning in the A.I. could lead to disaster!
Turn 4
Absolom Problem List
- Alone and trapped on a ruined world
- Can he (or will he) stop the dangerous AI from coming online?
Isolated Chapel Problem List
- Laquatus X is about to wake up and wants to seize control
- Absolom is within the chapel, messing with devices that must not be disturbed
Absolom's Action: Can he figure out the devices and broadcast a signal for help or will he fully awaken Laquatus X and all that entails???
Result: Failure, An immediately dangerous negative outcome.
Laquatus X is now online!! Absolom has no idea what he has just unleashed!
Isolated Chapel Action: One last "Hail Mary" to shut down Laquatus, can the Chapel devices safety protocols muster up enough spark to force Laquatus X back into a dormant state or are the safety protocols too old and broken to be effective??!!
Result: Failure, Catastrophic negative outcome to attempter.
LAQUATUS X IS ONLINE!!!! ....WE ARE LAQUATUS X..............
Absolom's bumbling actions not only awakened the rogue A.I. but enabled it to establish a satellite uplink!
Long dormant military satellites activate in orbit around Charund!
Deep installations begin to come online!
Missile silos come online!
Absolom stands around slack jawed not sure what the hell is going on or what he has done!
Summary: Oh boy! I didn't see that one coming. Charund just became an even more dangerous place! I wonder how much actual control Laquatus X will be able to seize? How much infrastructure is left in place for the A.I. to utilize and control? Could the dangerous A.I. seize control of all of Charund? Could it become a danger beyond the planet's orbit? Interesting questions.. and what will happen to Absolom now? Last session this all was ultimately triggered by Lord Eldrake's quest for the Scrolls of Seraphasma, now as a result, a long dormant dangerous A.I. has activated and is trying to seize control of any remaining military/industrial assets still functioning within the ruins of Charund.
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