It is kind of weird to say but I’m a bit out of practice with the whole solo RPG thing. I think that was the longest sustained time I have had off from the hobby since I started getting really into it over 2023-2024, and the first time since I really got into my own playstyle that I had a break. Back in the Ick & Humb days it was perfectly easy to snap back into place after a week or two off because pretty much every session was me flinging vibes into the wind.
That being said I figured a nice little “easy” step on would be to simply ask a few questions and give a few expectations and desires.
- QUESTION 1: IS THE TARTAN CORP DIRECTLY WORKING WITH THE TRITONS? {2+} → [3], 4,6 → Yes, but…
Now that I have found out that the Tartan Corp has been integrating Triton tech into their sponsored battles at least as far back as the Corp War, and that there was some definite activity between the Tritons and the TC Execs (not necessarily friendly) it made sense that it was more than an accident. However, TC are greedy bastards and Tritons are in it for galactic domination so they are both trying to use each other.
- QUESTION 2: IS DE WITTESPIN WORKING AGAINST THIS ALLIANCE? {3+} → [5], 2, 5 → Yes.
Simple as, the driving robots — likely with some Tritonite tech inside — to go haywire, the so-called “White Spider” is actually trying to bring attention to the TC activities. I like that.
- QUESTION 3: ARE THE TRITONITE-TECH TC ROBOTS A DANGER? {4+} → [6], 2, 1 → No.
They might give TC a leg-up on other tech-firms, but they are safe. Not part of a long term invasion plan. The fact that they can be hacked to be dangerous is a problem, but TC isn’t planning a secret invasion and the Tritons didn’t have enough control.
- QUESTION 4: ARE THE KIONITES DESCENDED FROM TRITONITES? {4+} → [4], 2, 2 → No, but…
I’ve had some oddly conflicting answers to variations of this question but in this case I’m going to read the final answer as this: the current Kionites are bio-mechanical beings which evolved from a sister species to the Tritons. Two dominate creatures sharing a planet and some basic DNA structure but the Kionites have given up most of their true-flesh.
The “Pilgrimage” is simply a way to keep an ancient enemy down. And some of the tension between the Kionites and the Tartan Corp is because the TC has learned of the Kionites opposition. Hence the terrorist attacks on the Kionite community while blaming the Children of Tartan group.
- QUESTION 5: WOULD THE TRITONS HAVE ESCAPED EVEN WITHOUT NATUM VIJF AND WILLEM HAVIK’S INTERFERENCE? {3+} → [6], 1, 3 → No.
Even though the Tritons have woken up enough to start controlling the worms to try and damage the ruins/prison, it was Natum opening and entering the ruins/prison that actively allowed them to escape.
In Summary
Around a century (or two) ago, Triton ruins were found on the moon and an economic group now known as the Tartan Corp worked to terraform the planet to try and harvest the moon (now called “Tartan”). Along the way they found that the species behind the tech were sealed inside a special prison using the heat on the surface and extreme conditions to stop the Tritons from functioning.
Their rocky/mineral biology needs relatively cool temperatures. Even human-preferred ranges are a bit hot for them but better than the non-terraformed surface.
A side effect of the Tartan Corp’s terraforming is region over the ruins is now getting cool enough that the Tritons were starting to stir and interact more with the outside, making a treacherous alliance with the Tartan Corp.
Acting on the Triton’s request, the Tartan Corp has been carrying out attacks on the Kionites who are, in part, trying to get the humans to leave.
Someone going by the sign of a white spider has been hacking into Tartan Corp robots to cause them to go crazy. An act which has brought in the attention of the government who sent the Havikmannen.
Unfortunately, Willem Havik and Natum Vijf accidentally let the Tritons out who are now trying to kill off the humans and take control of the terraforming center. If Willem and his crew take out the terraforming, the Tritons will be driven back into hibernation but the humans on the planet will die. If the Tritons aren’t stopped, though, they will return to their galactic conquest.
Wishlist
I think the first thing I need to do is figure out how to get Willem back with either Roos or Nate. He’s supposed to be the focus character and he’s been trapped out of the story for too long.
I also want to try and get more details about the old wars and the factory because those will help inform other campaigns in the Slice.
