{"id":787,"date":"2026-04-05T18:18:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T18:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/?p=787"},"modified":"2026-06-01T03:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T03:00:19","slug":"shadows-on-the-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/?p=787","title":{"rendered":"BloodStar Saga"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shadows on the Stars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Part One: Highgate System<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Mission:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Bulwark is a deep space mining and salvage facility in the Hollows Sector. Recently, the Soulbinders received a message that a crew mining a nearby asteroid had broken into some kind of cavity, perhaps a Precursor vault of some kind. But before communications were abruptly and inexplicably terminated, the crew said they “had let something out”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A four-man rescue attempt also disappeared, this time without any final contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the closest Soulbinder to the Hollows, I’ve been tasked to investigate, along with my doggo Ironeye and our ship, TANSTAAFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
System Arrival:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Our first stop is Reverie Station, orbiting the graveworld Highgate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our contact is Ayako Thorn, a reputed mad seeress who nevertheless has information that could be valuable to our mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drop out of transit space at the edge of Highgate System. Do I encounter any surprises?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oracle: No.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I burn an orbit in to Reverie Station. Do I arrive without incident? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oracle: Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I dock at the Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Reverie Station:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This is not my first time on Reverie, so I know the places to go and the questions to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Am I able to get a lead on my contact?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather Information: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day before, Ayako appeared to have some kind of fit or seizure. Then, when she was thought to be recuperating in a med-bay, she commandeered a friend’s planetary skiff, and was last detected descending toward an immense set of Precursor ruins called The Shard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rescue\/retrieval flight was sent down, and the skiff was located, but no sign of Ayako could be found.  Highgate\u2019s toxic and corrosive atmosphere prohibited a more extensive search.  Ayako has been given up for dead, because her suit oxygen would have run out before further action could be taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This much I learn from the warren-runners on-station, but the exact coordinates where the skiff landed are Station Security data, and unknown to the average mook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I approach Security, present my credentials as a Soulbinder, and request the coordinates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather Information: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security turns over the coords, and also tells me, anecdotally, that in the med-bay after her seizure, and before she hijacked the skiff, Ayako was raving: about “Shadows! Shadows in the cavern!”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I return to TANS, and we prepare to go planetside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Ironeye:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Can I locate something that belonged to Ayako, so that Ironeye can get her mind-scent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Ironeye is a genetically hybridized canid with abilities similar to Ellison’s “skirmisher” dogs. Once attuned to a “mind-scent”, he can track even when wearing an environment suit.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather Information: No.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Ironeye attune to her by visiting her quarters?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oracle No.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayako’s quarters are off-limits for now, and I don’t have the time to finesse a way in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Ironeye find and track a generic human mind-scent if we get close on the surface?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oracle No.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could be better, but we play the hand we’re dealt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Suiting Up:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Do I have an environment suit that will withstand Highgate’s atmo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check Your Gear: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have one for Ironeye, too, but its atmo tanks have to be charged first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check Your Gear: Weak Yes. Sacrifice Resources: -1 Supply.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We depart for the planet’s surface, and the ruins called The Shard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undertake an Expedition: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reach the surface, and land where Ayako’s skiff set down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
In the Shard:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Shard towers above us, an inconceivably immense structure; an artificial mountain composed of hundreds, perhaps thousands of intertwining spires or minarets.  Its surface, what I can see of it through the toxic fog of the atmosphere, is honeycombed with chaotically shaped openings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We make for the nearest of these, intending to enter, if we can, the Shard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore Waypoint: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironeye\u2019s eyes are as good as his nose, thanks again to the scientists who created his forebears.  He spots signs of recent passage, and we head further into the Shard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set a Course: Weak Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We find Ayako in a vast, cavernous room in the Shard, but she appears to be dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Rescue:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Ironeye, however, says that, this close, he can now feel her living mind, although it is very weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather Information: Weak Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He suggests she might have put herself into some kind of trance, or used some kind of medication, to slow her metabolism and preserve her air.  But he has no idea how to bring her out of it, nor how much longer she can survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did I think to bring along an extra bottle of air? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check Your Gear: No, I did not.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Ironeye return to TANS, and fetch one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oracle No.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has no way to carry a tank while in his suit. Nor can he really help me to carry Akayo back to the TANS for the same reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(We will need to look at modding Ironeye’s suit so we don’t have these issues in the future.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will have to carry her back to the TANS before time runs out.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iron Check: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TANS is waiting for us, and pops the hatch as soon as we arrive. In the airlock, I crack Ayako\u2019s suit, and start administering to her properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heal: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a tense few minutes, her vitals rise slowly to nominal levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I secure her in a seat, and we depart the surface for Reverie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finish an Expedition: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We arrive safely back at Reverie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Return:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Back on Reverie, Ayako is re-admitted to the infirmary, under watch, this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am obliged to wait until she is recovered enough to converse.  I use the time to top off my resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resupply: Strong Yes.  +2 Supply.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
A Lost Vision:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

When she is able, I speak with Ayako.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather Information: No.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, she does not remember anything from the time of her seizure until she awoke in the med-bay. She can only conjecture that the “shadows” came from some kind of vision or projection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the physical realm, she has recordings, said to be intercepts of transmissions from both the ill fated mining crew and its would-be rescuers. She was not in possession of them for long before her event, so they have not yet been analyzed by anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Off to Mesa System:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Is TANS able to analyze the data?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather Information: Weak Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TANS confirms the final transmission from the original crew, but the supposed transmission from the rescue craft is too corrupt to make any sense out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does TANS think that additional processing time might lead to a better outcome?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oracle: Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that settled, and no further reason to remain on Reverie, we prepare to leave for our next destination, Sagan, the capital city of the planet Mesa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undertake an Expedition: Strong Yes.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shadows on the Stars Part One: Highgate System The Mission: Bulwark is a deep space mining and salvage facility in the Hollows Sector. Recently, the Soulbinders received a message that a crew mining a nearby asteroid had broken into some kind of cavity, perhaps a Precursor vault of some kind. But before communications were abruptly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bloodstar","category-shadows-on-the-stars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=787"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":811,"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787\/revisions\/811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/csnorris.com\/magus\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}