Event #2

Dec. 7th, 2022 06:25 pm
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BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!
The dust from the finale of the interstellar racing circuit has barely had time to settle before the search for Fortuna turns to the next clue. Rather than provide any closure, the Privateer's victory leaves no answers and opens more questions. They won't be left solve the puzzle in peace, however. The Privateers will find that they are not alone, far from it, and the company is inviting itself.


1
Glitters is Gold




Thanks to the combination of hard work, cooperation, and a whole lot of cheating, the Möbius Prix trophy is currently in the possession of the Privateer Hermes. Lest it be forgotten among the champagne and confetti, the original question still remains: what made it such a target of interest for SUPERBIA?

It's shiny, very impressive looking, and undoubtedly leaves an impression in any room it's in. But functionally, it appears to be an ordinary trophy, which is to say, it has no functions at all. There are no buttons, secret messages (other than the inscribed names of the current and previous 1000 Möbius Prix winners), nor switches of any kind. But somewhere in it, this trophy contains the next clue to Fortuna.


2
Good Business Is Where You Find It

Word soon gets out about the appearance of the Privateers: seemingly appearing from nowhere, these enigmatic figures are said to be movers, shakers, troublemakers, and generously funded by their sponsor. It is that final detail that catches the attention of a very particular crowd. An influx of new potential paying customers does not go unnoticed; soon countless ships will be swarming the Privateers like parasites to a warm body.

These ships are salesships, piloted by none other than salesmen! These extremely enthusiastic (and, depending on the Privateer's individual character, persuasive) vendors will be shilling nearly any product imaginable, needed or unneeded. The offers are incredibly alluring, in price, quantity, and niftiness, and few could resist.

Those with a more subversive taste in goods may peruse the Black Market for weapons. Whether they be carried on the Privateer's person or outfitted on their ship, nothing is out of the question in these under the table deals.

But buyer beware. While the products on the salesships seem bona fide and will withstand a demonstration or few, the salesmen take no responsibility for their quality after purchase. Only after money has changed hands will the goods inevitably deteriorate, either becoming useless or malfunctioning toward the exact opposite of their purpose. And the Black Market items? Well they have a chance to explode. Hope you're not up to something dangerous when that happens!

3
No Ears No Returns

Those who decide confront the salesmen over their purchases will face a gauntlet of challenges. First, the salesmen are extremely reluctant to disclose their hierarchy, leadership, or origins. They face all accusatory inquiries, even violent threats, with a calm discipline that in itself is suspicious for mere salesmen. Trying to tackle them on the verbal battlefield is just as difficult - they are salesmen, after all. Those who manage to wring answers out of them will find that the salesmen follow a power structure suspiciously similar to the Privateers themselves, a fleet of loosely allied vessels lead by Captain Leemay and his First Mate Twofingers.

The Captain is off on business, as he apparently usually is. In absentia all inquiries are directed toward First Mate Twofingers. Twofingers is appropriately named; his digits outnumber his ears, however. His species communicates in a language not based on sound. Whatever inconveniences this causes to those seeking returns is of no concern to the sales fleet.

EVENT #1

Nov. 12th, 2022 05:45 pm
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SURVIVAL OF THE FASTEST
Dropping a set of coordinates in the logs of every Privateer space ship with no further elaboration or explanation is a way of delivering a lead that only SUPERBIA would do. What awaits at the site of the coordinates is not a civilization, nor an unpopulated rock, but a planet-sized tourist trap: The Dayton Entertainment Platform, the host of the biggest space ship race in the tri-galaxy area, the Mobius Prix.

For a place where everything is happening, none of it seems to matter for a treasure-hunting Privateer. The coordinates may seem like a total non sequitur, or a passive aggressive suggestion from SUPERBIA to take it easy. Until one starts hearing the rumors that the prize for winning the race was carved from a piece of Fortuna itself...


1
Now This Is Podracing




The Möbius Prix is an utterly ruthless affair. Anything goes, with the only rule of the race being no weapons. If a Privateer wants a closer look at that trophy, they can consider entering the race and winning it for themself. Fast space ships have an advantage (advice that could have come from the mouth of Herlock Sholmes.) But speed isn't the only factor that matters here...

Space ships don't worry about terrain per se, but the race track passes through difficult space with a claustrophobic amount of obstructions that require an ace pilot's skills and intuition to traverse. The track also goes through the territory of nasty creatures, including a pack of Triple Helix Hammerjaws during their mating season. Good luck dealing with an aggressive male Hammerjaw that thinks you're what's between him and getting laid. On top of all that, the racers will start to notice some less than natural obstacles. Mines that blow up passing vehicles, tripwires that can catch a speeding space ship, and laser turrets aimed at the track, it seems some racers don't heed the No Weapons rule as long as it isn't on the ship itself.


2
Changing Hands

It's not just the competitors that have a vested interest in the outcome of this race. Intermingled with the spectators are gamblers, sweating while watching the results of their bets. No matter who wins, a lot of money is going to be exchanged in the end. Maybe try to cash out on a bet yourself, if one has a lot of faith in your fellow crewmate.

Just like on the track, people play dirty here as well. In the shadows, one might catch some suspicious looking characters lurking around. Following them will lead to one finding some tough looking guys conspiring together, with race fixing being an especially alarming keyword. Those death traps on the race track are not so inexplicable now.

It's common knowledge (to the point that locals will find you a bit naive for not knowing) that the race is a front for vast transactions of money among the local criminal empires. Investigating a bit deeper will reveal the involvement of a specific organized crime family, The Belladahlias. A lot of snooping around (whether through intelligence or arm-twisting) will disclose that the winner is rigged to be a certain ship, the Polar Star. That last tidbit will come at the cost of attracting the attention of large, suspicious followers dressed in black. Ruh-roh! Let's hope you're as fast on your feet as behind the wheel.

3
Fast Food

Those with less of a need for speed are free to leisurely enjoy the splendors of Dayton. Attractions include rides, entertainers, and plenty of the Largest in the Tri-Galaxy Area and Smallest in the Tri-Galaxy Area of miscellaneous objects.

Dayton is practically half-shopping mall half-race course, with countless sellers attracted to the planet with dreams of extracting money from tourists. Omnipresent is the amount of merchandise centering around the Mobius Prix, each vendor promoting their racer of choice. T-shirts, water bottles, fans, balloons, anything you can slap a face on, it's being sold. When in Rome, why not do as the Romans do, and sell merchandise with a crewmate's face on it? Supportive AND profitable!

If any of the goods catches your eye, however, prepare to have to open your wallet wide. The Rat Race might be as brutal as the space ship tournament. Everything on Dayton is sold with massive price gouging, including the most overpriced hotdog you will ever see. If it's just food SUPERBIA will probably allow you to write it down as a living expense, but it's the principle of the thing.

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Oct. 1st, 2032 07:43 pm
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