Slops of the Round Table

By Sipke de Vries

Colour Designation: Green
Minimum SCL: 9
Training Package Recommended: Business/Death Squad
Consolidated Pay: 200c per Operative
Contact: Mr. Zoan, Corps Diplomatique
Coverage: Station Analysis
Summary: Squad needed to travel to recently discovered medieval class world Kamelot. Squad must be equipped for combat, diplomatic skills could be useful to complete the mission satisfactory. Killing of legendary 'Ogre' required for closing of 3P’s contract.

The story as told to the Operatives

At the edge of the World of Progress, where new systems and worlds are still discovered, a world with a medieval humanoid society has been discovered. The world was dubbed Kamelot, after a fortress in some old story. It is a rich world, with lush forests, living seas and unspoiled polar caps. Research-probes have proven that the ground has lots of mineral resources and fossil fuels. The worlds moons and it’s neighbouring 'dead' planets (6 in total) are being probed, but chances are high that they can be colonized and strip-mined easily. However, before the good people of this planet, which are mainly located in one large province, will sign our 3P’s contract, there is one thing they would like us to do. They are being plagued by a legendary creature, which they call an Ogre. This beast takes men and women from their villages and uses them for food. Even their strongest knights and wiliest hunters cannot kill it. If we kill this plague, they will sign the 3P’s contract.

Simple, isn’t it?

The story as people like the GM and Mr. Slayer know it.

The planet called Kamelot was discovered some three years ago. Scouts discovered that the mainland of the planet held one big kingdom, which consisted of almost all humanoids living on the planet. Researchers tested the earth for traces of minerals, took samples from plants and captured some small animals. A few people on the outskirts of the kingdom were captured and tested sociologically and psychically. They were found to be healthy and intelligent. SLA then introduced some of it’s people into this society, with the task to learn a little more about them. SLA then came forward and offered the king the 3P’s contract, explaining the advantages and riches that would flow from such a union. The king, however, refused. He didn’t see why he should trust people from some other world. SLA politely accepted the refusal. Mr. Slayer could then have ordered his troops to take the planet, which would have been easier than taking candy from a baby. Mr. Slayer, however, is a businessman and decided to play the business game.

From the legends of the culture, the story of a humanoid man-eating monster called an Ogre was taken. Doctor Glenn Lambden from the secret H&H-lab on Artery was contacted and told to produce a Stormer that resembled the Ogre from Kamelot’s folklore. The doctor went to work and began creating the Ogre. Then he overheard the purpose his Stormer would serve. It would be set free on Kamelot, programmed with the desire to eat human flesh and the instincts necessary to survive in nature. According to the design no warrior from the planet, however skilled they were would be able to take it down in combat. When the people were desperate, SLA would return, offering help and in return getting the contract signed.

The doctor, however, had started to care for his Ogre, whom he called Gwendolyn, and didn’t want her to die at the hands of a bunch of money-greedy Ops. He started adding features to the Ogre, enhancing it’s natural weaponry, refining it’s muscle structure and bestowing it with greater regenerative capabilities. He made it parthenogenic, so that it would reproduce without needing a male or female. He also added glands that would be triggered after it first fed of a human, meaning that SLA would not discover its parthenogenic state. The Ogre also came with the ability to produce it’s own strain of Bass. The Ogre climbed fully developed from it’s vat after two years, and was deemed a success. Only with the greatest of imaginations could someone think that it was really a Stormer. It was released on Kamelot and after three months of rampaging through villages eating commoners and butchering and feasting from anything that was sent after it, SLA offered the same proposal again. The king did indeed accept the 3P’s in return for the end of the monster. The Corps Diplomatique issued a BPN and only has to wait for a squad to take the BPN.

On our way

Once the squad has accepted the BPN, they are told to go to Mort Spaceport and take flight on board of the Foldship Sweetness of Heaven. The captain, an Ebon called Vermillion, already knows of the BPN and will take them to Kamelot. The Sweetness of Heaven, a veteran warship bristling with weapons and pockmarked with scars from fights, will leave immediately. The Ops have the option of going into hibernation or staying awake. Ops that wish to stay awake will quickly wish for hibernation, as the only thing to do is watch recorded programs of old vidshows. (The reception in Foldspace is very cruddy) An hour before arrival, the Ops are awakened and hurried to the shuttle that will take them to the surface.

It’s good to be the king

Once the squad arrives on Kamelot, they first have to announce themselves at the court of King Halbren. It might be wise to ensure that non-human Ops keep their helmets on, thus preventing a riot of scared peasants. The king acts friendly to the Ops, even arranging a welcoming banquet for them. The people, once they find out the purpose of the Ops, will treat them as heroes. King Halbren, knowing that his country site had never been plagued by this kind of monster before, suspects that the whole thing is a set up, but he doesn’t have the means to prove it is a set up. His people, who used to love him, are starting to become more and more rebellious, blaming him for all their problems and demanding solutions. The city in which his castle stands is harbouring more refugees every day. He hates what happens, but has no other options then to go with SLA’s demands.

To hunt, and kill

Once the Ops have had their heroes’ welcome, they are given directions to the last place the Ogre has been sighted. If they have no transportation of themselves, or failed to request transportation from the Department, they will have to travel by foot, or they can use horses which people with normal armour (Blocker or PP7 equivalent, nothing heavier) can ride. People in heavier armour and Stormers will have to transport their armour or themselves on carts. While they travel, they can see and smell what unspoiled nature really is. Animals roam freely, none of them threatening to humans. Enormous trees stand in the forests and fresh water runs in small rivers and streams. After a few days (or weeks if on foot) of travel, the Ops arrive at the village that was attacked last. After searching the village, they find all of the houses empty, chewed and splintered bones belonging to human beings and one house with an enormous pile of blankets, old clothes and straw in it’s main room. If the Ops search this nest, they will quickly find three naked creatures, roughly humanoid, with closed eyes and a ridge of sharp spines running down their forearms. Right after this discovery, an ear-splitting roar sounds from outside the village.

That’s one mother

A three metres high hulk comes rampaging from the bushes. It is covered in course black hair, and long spines project from it’s forearms. Sharp tusks protrude from her slavering mouth, and it’s fingers sport gleaming claws. It’s the Ogre, come to protect it’s young.

Ogre: Strength: 24, Dexterity: 16, Diagnose: 4, Concentration: 3, Charisma: 1, Physique: 20, Knowledge: 3, Cool: 20, Damage bonus: 8
Weapons: Claws: skill:8, Damage: 4 + damage bonus, Pen: 4, Armour damage: 2
Forearm spines: Range: 12 metres, Skill:4, Damage: 3, Pen: 5, Armour damage: 1. The spines are launched in small clusters of 5, and for each point over 11 the Ogre scores, one character of the GM’s choice is hit, up to a maximum of five.
It can spread the spines over a large area, or group them together to hit one operative. These spines regenerate very quickly, ensuring that the Ogre always has enough 'ammo'.
Hits: The Ogre has PV: 6 over it’s whole body, except for it’s head, which is considered to be PV:4. Total: 44, Head: 15, Torso: 44, Arms: 22, Legs: 22. The Ogre regenerates 2 wounds in every fourth phase, or 2 hits if it has no more wounds left. Also, three phases after getting wounded, the creatures own version of Bass kicks in, bestowing it with a +3 strength, which raises it’s damage bonus to 9. Note that the Ogre is smart enough to realise during the fight which of the operatives do the most damage to her and should thus receive extra attention.

As the dust settles

If the Ogre wins the fight, it will crack open the armour of the squad’s members and devour them together with her young, who will grow strong and deadly very fast. SLA will issue the BPN again, but this time with a higher SCL requirement. If the Ops win, they will have to take proof of killing the Ogre and decide what they do with the young ogres. Keeping them is possible, but as they get older, their craving for human flesh will slowly become intolerable. When the Ops return to the castle, a feast will be given in their honour. The king will be happy that the beast is killed, but he still looks kind of sad. If asked compassionately enough, he just says that he wishes he could have protected his people better. During the feast, an official from SLA will arrive from the foldship bearing the contract, which has to be signed immediately. He will then tell the Ops that he has to leave again to the ship and asks them if they want to come. Otherwise, a shuttle will pick them up the next morning. If they don’t come with him, they will hear the following morning that the king has jumped from his bedroom window, killing himself.

End good, all good.isn’t it?

The trip to Mort is uneventful, and upon reporting back to Corps Diplomatique, the department will consider their BPN successful and they get paid. 200 c per Op, and a SCL increase of 0,4. If the Ops ever return to Kamelot, they will find that a large city has arisen where once was the king’s castle. Although the woods are still there, they start to look sickly, as there are also factories and industrial plants spewing their waste into the atmosphere and rivers. In a few years time, the original population will have wasted away, not being able to cope with the way their world has changed. They will have been replaced by the faceless, vid-addicted masses that are at home in the World of Progress. The planet will have been reduced to an industrial wasteland and now serves as a jumping point for further exploration of the World of Progress’ edge.

Doctor Glenn Lambden will know of the Ops’ success, as the Ogre had been fitted with a personal finance chip. He will make it his personal goal to destroy the Ops and their careers. Maybe he will even make a new Ogre to get back at them. On the other hand, Mr. Slayer may wish to know why the Ogre was able to reproduce. Only the GM can tell if the doctor will be punished or rewarded for his inventiveness.