Friday 17 July 2020

Journeying the Living Stars

The Living Stars above Bastionland are starting to take shape, but nothing stays the same up there. They're living in every sense of the word.

Don't get too attached to any one place, any one person. You're not going to find a home out here. Nobody really has one forever anyway.

More than anywhere else it's about the journey. And that isn't some poetic statement, you're literally going to have to keep your mind on travel, routes, rest-stops, ways to pass time on longer stretches, and hopefully you've got an actual destination in mind.

That part can be even more difficult than the others. 


Travel

Supplies
It's pretty tough to actually run out of the essentials here. Crap food is easy to come by, energy can be slowly tapped from the stars themselves, and there's a surprising amount of breathable air floating around. 

The trick is getting hold of the good stuff. Living off cultivated fungus and recycled air is going to leave you Deprived after a while, and travel between the stars is much more bearable when you've got some of the special stuff to juice-up your engine.

Ships
Owning a ship is a real pain. Big up-front payment, high maintenance costs, refuelling is time-consuming, and there's always the risk you'll crash it or somebody will steal it. 

In spite of all the stories, it's basically just not the best way to travel the stars.

Better to make use of those committed to ship-ownership and get a ride with them. Some are making a business of it, some just have more money than sense, others believe it's some sort of service to shuttle people around. 

Landmarks
Contrary to what you might think, space really isn't empty. There's always something out there to look at, keep your bearings, know when to turn. Even the Dark isn't like an endless plain of blackness. You just might not like what you see there.


Danger
It really depends where you are. Of course if you're in The Dark then you're asking for trouble, but in The Light you're probably fine as long as you follow the rules. Oh, that reminds me, you should probably find out what the actual rules are here as quickly as possible once you start to feel that star-glow on you.

Now it's in The Between where things get a bit more complicated. 

Spark Tables for the Between

As always, roll 2d20 and smash the results together. 


Ships

d20
Shape
Style
1
Saucer
Organic
2
Bullet
Rocky
3
Cube
Copper
4
Sphere
Clinical
5
Spike
Ceramic
6
Box
Wood Panels
7
Sleek
Carbon-Fibre
8
Lumpy
Hard-Light
9
Rough
Liquid
10
Chunky
Recycled
11
Spindly
Cheap Plastic
12
Fat
Lead Bunker
13
Tiny
Extravagant
14
Huge
Textiles
15
Teardrop
Industrial
16
Triangle
Homely
17
Diamond
Reclaimed
18
Cylinder
Sacred
19
Torus
Filthy
20
Hourglass
Chitin



Stops

d20
Vibe
Resource
1
Cosy
Comfort Food
2
Reverent
Fuel
3
Dirty
Repairs
4
Scientific
Gourmet
5
Corporate
Library
6
Cheap
Sanctuary
7
Greasy
Luxury
8
Suspicious
Spicy Food
9
Hip
Art 
10
Tourist-Trap
Gambling
11
Declining
R&D
12
Exclusive
Worship
13
Military
Shopping
14
Survivalist
Hard Booze
15
Crowded
Arms
16
Unwelcoming
Theatre
17
Humble
Telescope
18
Oppressive
Craft Drinks
19
Decadent
Music
20
Creepy
Transit



Landmarks

d20
Type
Mood
1
Cloud
Mournful
2
Gas Planet
Beautiful
3
Rock
Hopeful
4
Belt
Illuminating
5
Swirl
Mysterious
6
Current
Calm
7
Cluster
Energetic
8
Dust Pillar
Pitiful
9
Light Stream
Lonely
10
Nano-Star
Uninspiring
11
Wreck
Tragic
12
Fleet
Weird
13
Beacon
Haunting
14
Sculpture
Satisfying
15
Echo
Curious
16
Wormhole
Beckoning
17
Air Pocket
Beguiling
18
Ruin
Eyesore
19
Grav-Well
Distressing
20
Free Ring
Pitiful

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