history

The Xatha are evolved from hunters and gathers who roamed the plains of Lith millions of years ago. While there are two sexes, each is hermaphroditic. The Xatha advanced to TL 8 without incident. Then, several hundred years ago, an asteroid impact sent the planet into another ice age. The Xatha realized that they must journey into space in order to protect themselves from future impacts. This asteroid impact was the impetus for the Xatha clans and the first loosely unified world government. The Xatha discovered that spacebased manufacturing enabled them to create products and materials that helped their civilization prosper. In addition, they could now deal with the glaciated state of their world.

The Xatha are a proud and independent people. Like many carnivores who are equipped with deadly innate weaponry, they have a large range of aggressive displays, but rarely actually fight. Arguments and dispute,,,, often quite loud and violent, are not uncommon, but actual combat tends to be quite rare and lethal. Raids, piracy, and violent crime exist, but organized warfare is rare. Xathas scrape their feet on the ground when they are getting ready to attack.

The Xatha originally lived in clans which were led by temporary leaders chosen for their ability to deal with the current situation and replaced as necessary. The traditional form of Xatha government is a flexible meritocracy based on aptitude and ability. It most closely approximates a combination between a representative democracy and a civil service bureaucracy.

technology

The Xatha excel at genetics and biological technology. They developed the rudiments of genetic engineering shortly before their venture into space. They have refined this knowledge so that it forms the basis of much of their society. The hulls of their spacecraft and their solar cells are formed from extremely durable (as tough as crystaliron) organic materials exuded by coral-like polyps. Their moon and asteroid colonies are covered by transparent, radiation resistant, self-sealing domes which are actually specially engineered living plants. These provide both life support and protection from vacuum. As would be expected, the Xatha's medical technology is similarly advanced and includes both rapid regrowth of limbs and re-animation of the recently dead. Xatha culture values aesthetics as much as function, so everything they make is both beautiful and functional.

However, this specialization in the natural sciences has meant that the Xatha are quite deficient in the physical sciences. Their energy production technology is barely TL 9, and they have no knowledge of jump drive, anti-gravity, or thruster technology. Their computer and communication technology are odd mixtures of biologically produced components and conventional electronics. Both are TL 11.

Running the Adventure

This adventure can be played by any group of characters who own or serve on a small starship. The adventure is designed assuming the characters will be in a Type S scout or a Far Trader, but other possibilities will also work. This adventure is recommended for PCs using a ship of at least Tech level 12. This scenario can be set anytime from Year 0 onward.

The key to successfully running this adventure is to make sure the PCs realize that there are neither villains nor heroes in the trade war they are stumbling into. Both sides have legitimate grievances, and both sides are being equally unreasonable. Let the PCs make whatever choice they feel is right, while making them aware of the consequences.

Misjump

The characters are journeying out to the very edge of the Imperium. It is recommended that part of their cargo include anti-gravity modules or small fusion reactors, but this is not necessary. As soon as the ship makes its first jump, the characters know something is wrong. Almost everyone on board is overcome with a strong feeling of nausea. Experienced pilots immediately recognize this as a symptom of a misjump.

When the pilot and the engineer investigate the problem, the answer is readily apparent. A short in the electronics system has caused a massive power surge into the jump drive. Once diagnosed, the problem is simple to correct, and the jump drive should again function normally. However, these repairs will not fix the current problem.

To diagnose the problem with the jump drive

Routine: Engineering or Electronics, Edu, 1 hour

The default condition is that the problem with the jump drive is a mechanical error. If it would better fit your campaign, feet free to make the problem the result of sabotage or damage from an attack.

After the problem is repaired, the characters are in for a tense, 9 day wait. The length of the jump will let the pilot know that this misjump was a particularly severe one. Let the tension build a bit during this scene, but keep it fairly short.

The ship emerges from jump; once again, many of the crew are overcome with nausea. The ship's computer reports that this star system is not within the known boundaries of the Imperium. By carefully examining the data provided by the sensors and looking for known stars, the navigator can determine the position of the ship.

To discover the current location of the ship

Difficult: Astrogation, Edu, 15 minutes

The ship is 20 (or more if this suits your campaign) parsecs outside the borders of the Imperium. It is currently around 700,000 km from a medium-sized, habitable world which appears to be in the midst of a mild ice age. There is a large asteroid belt and three gas giants in the system, but no other habitable planets. The nearest star to this system is 3 parsecs away - assuming the ship is capable of jump 2. The nearest star should be at least one parsec greater than the ship can jump without external sources of fuel.

Make sure to emphasize to the players that while their current situation is fine, the distance to the nearest star means that they cannot leave this system without either converting their cargo bay into an subsidiary fuel tank, or using drop- tanks. If they ask, let them know that if they manage to reach the nearest star, the rest of the journey involves only jumps which their ship can make without assistance.

The planet beneath them is clearly inhabited, as shown by both the lights of cities and the radio traffic.

To determine a basic UPP for the planet below

Routine: Survey or Sensors, Edu, 15 minutes

The planet's actual UPP is B765875-B, but if the above task is successful only reveal the Size, Atmosphere, and Hydrographics of the planet, as well as the fact that it is clearly inhabited by at least several million sentients.

Continued observation reveals that there seem to be radio signals coming from locations beyond the planet. There appear to be bases on the planet's small moon as well as in the nearby asteroid belt. Drive flares from spacecraft are visible, but they seem quite weak. Neutrino sensors reveal the existence of a small number of fusion plants in the system. Densiometer readings (if the PCs' ship has a densiometer) reveal a total lack of artificial gravity fields in the system.

To recognize the type of drives being used

Difficult: Engineering, or History or Research, 30 sec

On a success, inform the player that there are two types of ships. The ships near the planet are using advanced chemical rockets, while the ships in the asteroid belt are using ion drives. Both types of propulsion are vastly inferior to the reactionless thrusters used on the PCs' ship.

Contact

About an hour after the PCs jump into the system, they are hailed by multiple radio messages. These messages are coming from the planet below, the moon base, and the asteroid belt. As expected, the messages are in an unknown language.

If the PCs transmit any reply the radio traffic will increase and gradually the messages will switch over to simple numerical codes and digital images, designed to help establish communication between the PCs and the aliens. If the PCs go along with these efforts, have them roll the following task.

To learn the alien language well enough to achieve basic communication:

Difficult: Linguistics or Computer, Int, 1 hour

The characters can pool their skills and insights in this task, and the ship's computer will be invaluable in learning the new language. If this task is successful, the computer has enough information to begin rudimentary translation. As the process continues, the quality of this translation will continue to improve.

The aliens will be learning Galanglic at the same time that the PCs are learning the alien language. During the process of learning the aliens' language, the PCs will notice that the radio traffic is reduced to two separate signals, one from the moon base, one from the planet. Both messages are attempts to learn the language, and it is clear that the aliens on the planet and the aliens on the moon base are not sharing their knowledge. However, the aliens on the planet and the ones on the moon-base both speak the same language.

The PCs learn that the aliens are known as the Xatha. The rest of this episode will depend on how the PCs present themselves to the aliens. If they present themselves as lost travelers in need of assistance, they will find it eagerly offered by both groups of Xatha (the ones on the planet, and the ones on the moon-base). If the PCs decide to bluff and present themselves as representatives of the Imperium, the Xatha will be even more interested in meeting with them.

Shortly after communication is achieved, both groups launch spacecraft to rendezvous with the PCs' ship. A single stage rocket plane will take off from the planet; at about the same time, a solar-powered ion drive craft will leave from the moon. Both craft are quite sleek and elegant, looking like living creatures.

If the PCs' have been using their sensors to look around the system, they will discover that almost all of the Xatha's technology has the same sleek, organic look. Unless the PCs specifically request that the ships turn back, they will both rendezvous with the PCs' ship in around two days.

To carefully examine either ship with sensors:

Variable (depends on sensors and range): Sensors, Edu, 1 minute

Success reveals that both ships are lightly armed. In addition, both ships appear to be constructed from an attractive, brightly- colored plastic-like substance which is as durable as crystaliron. The solar cells on the ion-drive ship also seem to be made of an unknown plastic-like material. Anyone in the party with a Trader skill of 2 or more may realize that these products could sell well in the Imperium.

Far From Home Sci-Fi Traveller Adventure

Introduction
Referee's Guide to the Xatha
The Awe Factor
The Conflict
Rescues and Solutions
NPCs