PRESENTING HOUSE SARUN
I thought it prudent to flesh out House Sarun more as they will probably feature prominantly in the next few sessions.
House Patriarch Anatoly Sarun (73)
Lady Eira Sarun (67), Anatoly’s wife
Lady Ilona Sarun (45), their daughter
Oskari Virtanen, (45), her husband
Pavel Sarun (now 23), their eldest son and Heir-Apparant
Lumi Sarun (16), their daughter
Aaro Sarun (11), their youngest son
Armas Sarun (41), Ilona’s brother
See below for a brief rundown on each NPC.
INTEL REPORT ON HOUSE SARUN
I created this handout as basic information on House Sarun to be given to Hermes on the next session. I expect that future sessions will flesh out more details as the players have more interactions.
House Sarun intel report.pdf (354.4 KB)
SESSION NINE SUMMARY
At the close of last session the characters had learned that the odd factory craft hidden in a secret facility on a moon of one of the minor plants in the system appeared to have been spice harvesters.
This begged the question whether House Sarun were:
Manufacturing and supplying them to House Harkonnen?
Manufacturiung and supplying them to a smuggler faction?
Engaged in illegal spice harvesting themselves?
Doing something else entirely?
After consultation with the Hoiuse Stewart spymaster, Ludwig, and their own House Patriarch, Nikolai, it was decided that more information needed to be discerned about the matter before going to the Atreides.
Ludwig informed them that since Hermes’ mission (where he just managed to get away after having been detected on his way out) there had been some discernable activity on that moon. Several large transport ships were detected leaving the area on a course towards Caladan - to coincide with a Guild Heighliner departing.
Additionally, another ship was detected arriving in the area from another heading (from further out in the local system). Shortly thereafter a large impact was detected on the surfact of the moon.
Hera and Hermes decide to go with Ludwig to investigate further, but in the meantime Eduard received a perfumed letter from Stasia Fluxspear informing him that she wiill be at the local marketplace the following noon, escorted by her Governess, Imogen Fluxspear, a distant cousin. She says that she could slip away and the two of them have an adventure together…
Letter From Stasia.pdf (102.4 KB)
Eduard responds as requested and he and his sister, Calista, attend the market the following day. Also present are the eyes and ears of Hera, in the form of her agent Zubrette, who is on the upper floor shopping at one of the stalls while keeping an eye on what is happening below. They see the young lady Stasia in the company of a severe older woman and Calista thinks that she should be able to create a small disturbance to distract Imogen allowing Stasia to get away and meet with Eduard.
Calista creates a scene and Stasia makes a successful bold move into Eduard’s Zone, pays 2 momentum to move another zone, and moves Eduard with her as per the successful bold move action.
However, just then I spend 3 threat and introduce a small gang (4) of some rough-looking types. Calista, with her Danger Sense understand focus determines that they are all armed (knives x3, the leader has a small pistol).
We engage in several rounds of skirmish combat (basically so Calista’s player gets a grip on how the system works). Eduard, standing in front of Stasia, is wounded twice but manages to knock down one of the ruffians and then escape with Stasia into the same zone as Calista, who is faced with two of the gang. The leader managed to get a shot into Eduard but also suffered a complication and the pistol jammed for the next round. Due to later complications rolled, he ended up dropping it and then when trying to retrieve it, kicked it under the stalls effectively losing the asset entirely.
Eduard was later able to make another bold move effectively leaving the combat and taking Stasia with him into safety.
Zubrette, who has only ever been a total failure when in play, and is not combat-oriented, managed to swoop in and protect Imogen, then help Calista (who had disabled another two ruffians) by scoring three 1s in another combat roll - which I rules as good enough to trounce the leader - who had already taken a couple of hits.
Calista and Zubrette truss up the leader and drag him, along with a hysterical Imogen, back to the House compound, where Eduard and Stasia were already waiting.
Meanwhile, Hera and Hermes discovered that the secret site on the second moon of Delphi was now a massive crater, some 60m deep. Looks like the impact site of an asteroid of some size.
They returned to Caladan to assist with the questioning of the ruffian leader where Hera finally uses her Voice talent but only buys one success (because they don’t want to give me any threat) and then promptly fails the communcate test. The thug splurts out “Ev…” at the question of who hired them before shutting up and glaring at them.
Between Hera and Hermes taking turns at questioning, they finally learn that this wasn’t, as far as they could tell, a plot by House Sarun after all but the thug finally gave up the name ‘Evander Nohr’ and that this was nothing more than a kidnap for extortion plot.
But who is Evander Nohr?
Well, turns out that Evander, and his mother Vanessa, are a notable mercantile-class family on Caladan, known for their casino and entertainment establishments.
Evander Nohr (30)
Vanessa Nohr (52)
So basically a crime family.
And while the players were contemplating this turn of events, some distressing news came to them. Viktor had suddenly left the compound as his illegitimate son, Dmitri, had fallen ill and was in a coma. Hera immediately voices her concern that his paramour, Tatjana Zubek, may have arranged this to get Viktor back into her life since he had recently reconciled with his wife, Marika. Particularly since the birth of his son, Giorgos… But would she be so callous and hurt her own child? I reminded the players that Dmitri had always been a sicky child. They talked about perhaps commissioning a Suk doctor.
And at that we ended the session.
SESSION TEN SUMMARY
Due to a bunch of things getting in the way, our regular schedule was disrupted but we now have a new schedule.
After recapping the previous session, I announced that another year had rolled over and it was now 10,173AG and we ran a short House management session. There was a crisis, it seems that one of the spies that Hermes had infiltrate the House Sarun compound had stopped reporting.
The characters received an invitation from the Nohrs to a meeting held at one of their enterprises, the Blue Diamond Casino in Cala City. Thinking it was probably a trap, but intrigued enough, Eduard and Calista accepted. While they first met Evander Nohr who cordially greeted them when they arrived at the casino, it quickly became apparent that his mother, Vanessa, was the true power.
The characters were more interested in trying to get Vanessa to divulge who had ordered the failed attempt on the Fluxspears but she was able to withstand their attempts to extract this information from her in conversation, instead saying that this was a most regrettable course of events and she could guarantee would not happen again.
The characters reluctantly ceased pursuing that line of enquiry further and, in the spirit of goodwill promised to release the mercenary in custody back to Nohr.
Vanessa graciously accepted the offer then, in a goodwill gesture of her own, stated that she had learned of young Dmitri’s lapse into a coma and offered the services of one of her employees; Arjun Bey. Bey was a student in the Suk School but did not finish his studies there due to an… unfortunate misunderstanding.
Eduard agreed to have Bey examine Dmitri but had also already despatched Hera and Hermes to Kaitain to negotiate for the services of a Suk Doctor in treating young Dmitri.
Meanwhile, Hermes had also received some intel from the House Stewart spymaster, Ludwig, that a delegation from House Sarun, led by Oskari Virtanen, would be travelling to Kaitain shortly. Hermes and Hera made their own travel arrangements to coincide with the Sarun delegation. On arrival at Kaitain, Hermes was able to covertly surveil the delegation to a grand hotel, usually frequented by minor nobility who did not have any permanent holdings on planet. There they met with this unknown person, but Hermes was unable to glean any information from the meeting as it was shielded by a cone of silence.
He was able to deduce that the meeting ended with satisfaction evident on both sides. Hermes was also able to follow the mysterious stranger from the hotel to the House Harkonnen compound on Kaitain.
During this time, Hera secured an appointment with the Suk School and later met with Doctor Amara Draven, who had looked over the medical information Hera had brought with her to Kaitain. Dr Draven acknowledged that the prognosis for Dmitri was not good at his current level of medical care, but that she felt confident that she would be able to determine the cause of his illness and effect a cure, given enough time. Hera didn’t even bother trying to negotiate a reduced fee, but accepted the given costs.
Hera and Hermes returned to Caladan with Dr Draven. In that time Eduard and Calista had made sure that Bey had access to Dmitri (with some consternation from the regular medical staff). Bey later informed Eduard that Dmitri’s condition was not natural but that he had been deliberately poisoned. The exact nature of the posion was not yet determined but he was still investigating.
At this news, Eduard and Calista arranged for Dmitri to be taken to the Thana compound and guards stationed at the door to his room with explicit instructions that no-one other than the medical staff, Bey, and the characters could get in to see him. His parents, Viktor and Tatjana were also excluded at this stage.
With Hera and Hermes arriving back on Caladan along with the Suk doctor, the characters were content to leave Dmitri under the care of Draven, and gave Bey’s notes to her fopr further study.
We ended the session at this point.
SESSION ELEVEN SUMMARY
A very quick rundown of the session.
Dr Draven has reported that she has identified the toxin and has started treating young Dmitri with the counter-agent. While he is slated for a full recovery, it will be some time yet.
Eduard wants to strengthen his burgeoning relationship with Stasia Fluxspear so sends an invitation to her and her mother to attend a dinner at the House Thana compound. Naturally the Fluxspears accept and the delegation arrives, which to Eduard’s annoance, includes Imogen.
The dinner goes rather smoothly and Eduard his biding his time for the right moment to broach the subject of possible engagement to Stasia with her mother, Tessa…
Unfortunately, just as Eduard turns towards Tessa and clears his throat I spend a bunch of saved threat and suddenly alarm sirens wail signifying a perimeter breach. House guards rush into the dining hall to take the family and guests to a safe room, while Calista joins the remainder of the guard to hunt down the intruder(s).
Hera and Hermes also leave the safe room to check that Dmitri’s room is still secure and that the assigned guards are still on station. They also check in on Dmitri and Herme’s Danger Sense kicks in. Rising from a hidden location in the room is a hunter-seeker! Hermes, displaying quite a level of bravura I wasn’t expecting, deliberately moves in to gain the hunter-seeker’s attention and, spending all the saved momemtum, manages to make a contested roll at +2 difficulty (from the suspensor field) to catch the device and smash its nose against a wall, rendering it inert.
The House Guards eventually report there were no intruders found, it appears to be a false alarm. Eduard and Calista ensure that the Fluxspears are informed that the compound is secure and there is no threat to them. They arrange for the Fluxspear party to be escorted back to their own compound. As she leaves, Tessa pats Eduard’s hand and assures him there will be time later to discuss the future.
Hermes, knowing that the range of the hunter-seeker is somewhat limited, believes that the operator can only be in the compound, so Calista has the House Guard bring everyone, family as well as staff, into the dining hall. There are approximately 40 people present.
Hera and Hermes devise a plan where he will question each person individually, with Hera observing with her BG talents to try to establish deceit or dissembling. It is decided that they will start first with the family members, beginning with Nikolai. Nikolai is less than pleased to be scrutinised thusly, but is persuaded that while he is not considered a suspect, his co-operation will demonstrate the even-handedness of the investigation.
At this point we run through the various members of the Thana extended family. I spend some threat to make contested rolls a little more interesting, and also to create a few red herrings as to who may be responsible. Unfortunately for me, Hera is quite adept at quiet observation and blitzes the roll when Marika is questioned. Marika is unable to hide her guilt and makes a full confession.
This now poses a bit of a conundrum to House Thana, what do they do with Marika? After much deliberation the characters decide that the best course of action is that this information will be kept to themselves and that Viktor will formally acknowledge Dmitri as his son, but that Giorgos is the named heir. This should keep Tatjana in line and ensure that Marika has no further incentive to harm Dmitri in future.
Hera, however, has plans of her own how as to exploit this development.
Your campaign is fascinating for the inter- & intra- house politicking. 
It really captures that feel of the shifting grounds a Noble House in the Dune universe has to navigate.
SESSION TWELVE SUMMARY
A tearful and contrite Marika comes to the players announcing that she intends to return to her family, House Appolinaire (see Power & Pawns), on Meuse for an extended time. She needs time and space to reflect on her failings and feels that the best course for everyone, as well as House Thana, is that she removes herself for a while. She will take her infant, Giorgos, with her but the twins Anette and Arwen will remain on Caladan so as not to interrupt their schooling.
Hera is instantly suspicious and inclined to deny Marika permission to believe, but after some discussion reluctantly agrees. Marika has provided a full account of the poison she used against Dimitri and also agrees that two Thana servants will accompany her to Meuse.
Dr Draven has updated the players on Dmitri’s condition and convalescance. He is expected to make a full recovery in time but nonetheless is a very sick child. He is unlikely to live long past his 30th year unless extensive medical intervention is carried out. She will compile a list of likely surgeries and other possible remedies.
Eduard wishes to follow-up on his interrupted wooing of the Lady Stasia Fluxspear, so pens a love poem to her to reaffirm his affections. He scored 3 successes and Stasia is suitably impressed. Calista, probably out of spite, decides to try her hand at similar and wants to send a similar poem to Pavel Sarun. You may recall that he spurned her overtures, quite callously, during a dance some time ago. She actually enlists Eduard to help her compose it, despite the difficulties (D3) she still manages to succeed. However, at this time she receives no response (I actually don’t know how to deal with this as yet).
Nikolai also calls the characters into a meeting. It seems that House Thana has received a message from the planetary CHOAM representative, Lucuis Stirling, that a delegation from House Grimaldi wishes to meet to propose a joint venture that may lead to a possible further trade agreement. All the characters know of House Grimaldi is that it is a Major House whose primary domains are in mining and refining. The Grimaldi delegate is one Aricor Vaelin, who is their Guild Banking advisor.
Aricor explains that House Grimaldi wishes to look at modernisinig their aging, and in many cases functionally obsolete, mining rigs and that House Thana’s reputation for it’s high quality factory craft might be repurposed for Grimaldi’s operations. To this end, House Grimaldi offers to finance a feasability study and research and development of suitable mining and refining factory craft. In terms of timeframe and expectations, House Grimaldi are prepared to provide most of the required raw and processed materials required. The net result would be a gain of 10 Wealth for House Thana for the initial 6-month period. A further trade pact might generate 20 Wealth per year (by way of comparison, House Thana usually generates 49 Wealth per year, so this is a significant increase).
The players agree in principle and decide to send Calista, Hera and Tatjana Zubek (Viktor’s mistress, who is an engineer) to Oberia, the home planet of House Grimaldi, to take part in an inspection of their current operations and equipment.
Meanwhile, Hermes is engaged in trying to determine what has happened to the previously embedded spy in House Sarun. A second agent had been deployed last session, but we hadn’t done anything further. So I decided that Hermes’s agent had 5 actions to undertake infiltration actions to try and determine where the initial agent was or what had happened to them. I created the intrigue map below (although most of the areas were blank except for the starting location at bottom, and the two first infiltration options into either the general household staff or general factory staff).
Hermes’ agent has a Drive 5 and Movement 6 (stealth, infiltration) stats, and I also rule that Hermes can roll 1 die in assistance, since he is directing the operation.
At Difficulty 1, the agent easily moves into the General Household Staff (actually Hermes rolls a complication but spends his determination to reroll that die), however fails an Understand test so is unable to find any evidence of the primary agent. She then is able to infiltrate into the Trusted Servant pool and also gets one success as she makes discreet enquiries. She learns that the other agent had been embedded with the Factor Management staff, so her 5th action is to move across but now has run out of actions and cannot make any further enquiries for now.
On Oberia, Calista and Hera meet with the head of House Grimaldi, the Earl Haldric Grimaldi.
They spend some time on Oberia with House Grimaldi inspecting various facilities and mining sites. They also make some observations about Oberia and how the rank and file populace are treated (they are somewhat free but there is very little social mobility).
It is decided that the terms are acceptable and House Thana enters into a formal agreement with House Grimaldi.
I had not really done anything as yet to create House Grimaldi in greater detail so decided that we might do that as a group. Hermes makes a test to compile an initial intel report and learns that they have a Major House enemy that they are engaged in kanly due to a perceived debt. It is decided that House Thorvald is the enemy Major House. There is another enemy as well but their identity is unknown. More details to come
HOUSE FLUXSPEAR FAMILY TREE
Fleshing out this minor house a bit more since it is likely to feature quite prominantly in the coming sessions. Eduard has his eyes set on the Lady Stasia as his future bride and as a means of strengthening House Thana’s economic and political ambitions. She is, however, not their Heir (I’ve made them a matriarchal dynasty), but the second-eldest sister. Still, Fluxspear is a long-established minor house and in the scheme of things a few rungs up the ladder by way of comparison.
Hi thanks for sharing your adventures!
I though one is contained in his personal transport (frigate or ligther or what not) during a trip in a heighliner and that the guild allows no one to leave their ship. Where did I get this info? Am I correct? I see you didn’t make a rule of this restriction and that your characters more or less used the heighliner as a sort of cruiser. I think that’s cool! Also the trip seems to last for a good while: but folding space travel is instant, so does your heighliner makes stops and like a bus picks and drops people on its way, so that it stays in orbit for a while at each stop?
Since not all Houses, particularly the minor ones, will have their own frigates or whatnot, and that there is also possibly quite small middle/entrepreneurial class not particularly in service to any Noble House and needing to travel within the Imperial worlds, it seems logical that the Guild would also have their own lighters and shuttles where people can book passage. More profit to the Guild coffers!
Yes, I figure that there are regular ‘routes’, with some planets more common destinations than others, and while folding space is instantaneous, there will be stops for embarkation/debarkation which may take some days depending on volume of passengers or trade moving between the planet and Heighliner.
My own thought is that Heighliner travel is usual set to a pretty consistant timetable. Perhaps Caladan is part of a secondary route and only gets 4 stops per month (2 inbound - to Kaitain or other ‘core’ worlds, 2 outbound). Of course there is no real ‘core’ because travel can be to anywhere within the galaxy, a trip between Kaitain and Caladan is just as long as between Caladan and Giedi Prime. However, more important worlds, such as Ix, are likely to have numerous Heighliners making their stops, perhaps even several simultaneously as they ply different routes.
There is a boon venture in Houses of the Landsraad, ‘Heighliner Charter’, that allows you to divert a Heighliner to take a direct route of your choice (40 Wealth), allowing you to avoid those lengthy delays. At quite a hefty price though.
SESSION THIRTEEN SUMMARY
Due to illness and a few other scheduling conflicts, we’ve had to cancel a few sessions but we’re back.
I began the session by recapping the events of last session, and how House Thana had been engaged by House Grimaldi to develop a new line of mining and processing craft to modernise their ageing fleet. The preliminary research and development was progressing nicely and initial results were looking promising. If all continued in this vein, then House Thana should be able to negotiate an ongoing trade deal with Grimaldi for exclusive rights to manufacture their replacement fleet.
Now, back on Caladan, the members of House Thana were considering Viktor. As you may recall, his wife Marika had left Caladan to return home to her family on Meuse after is was discovered that she was behind the attempts to kill her husband’s illegitimate son, Dmitri. While she made a full confession, and gave details on the poison used (alowing for Dmitri’s treatment). However, in the last few months Viktor has been finding solace not just in the bottle, but has been racking up debt gambling and the like. In fact, the Nohr Family have indicated that they wish House Thana to settle the bill. However, they offer an alternate arrangement, they have also recently had an important shipment diverted to another player, a rival enterprise. If House Thana could arrange for the shipment be returned, well, consider the debt repaid.
After some discussion, it was decided that House Thana would rather just pay out the monies owed and not involve themselves in the squabbles of two fighting underworld groups.
Calista also suggested that Viktor was an ongoing liability to the family and suggested - rather boldy - that they just kill him (the player comes from a D&D gaming background so every problem is a nail that needs killing). Eduard was tending to agree but wanted to speak with Viktor first. Viktor is a mess, emotionally and physically, but has some sense of self-awareness and tearfully acknowledges he is embarrassing the family and needs help to make changes for the better since he can’t seem to do it himself. A nice touching moment with Eduard hugging his dear old uncle, although weighing up whether or not an accident should be arranged.
Hera, however, has some plans of her own and makes arrangements for Viktor to travel to Wallach IX to spend some time with the Sisterhood for treatment. Perhaps some hypo-ligature to curb his excesses. He is to leave that very night. Calista is a bit peeved at this wrinkle in her plans but there isn’t anything she can really do about it.
Hermes has another bit of a session with his agent in place in House Sarun, barely makes a few rolls towards an extended task looking for traces of the previous agent. Still a work in progress there.
Hera also receives a communication from the Sister School. It informs her that Jessica has been ordered to bear the Duke a baby girl in order to bring their plans closer to an end. Hera is commanded to make herself available to assist the Sisterhood if and when required.
We than ran a quick house management session as the year ticked over to 10,174 AG. Notable events:
The research and development program for House Grimaldi has concluded, successfully, and a trade agreement is pending
Gurney Halleck has joined with House Atreides
Jessica is reportedly pregnant
And the other major event is that Wilhemina Fluxpear, heir-apparant to House Fluxspear, is engaged to marry into a Major House and Eduard is invited (as the +1 for Stasia Fluxspear). Calista thinks she should invite Pavel Sarun as her escort. Hmmm.
And we left the session there. Next session should be the wedding.
Trouble both within and without the House.
Players suggesting bumping off inconvenient allies is a fairly common theme in Dune. I know over 2 campaigns I’ve run I’ve had players suggest it. Looks like it is not just my groups. 
It is interesting how you are winding in the events of the Novel & prequels into what is happening. I’ve always run away from the canon plots to allow me to sandbox my game.
Are you planning to run up to 10,191 when the Novel itself begins?
Yep, kind of. Years and years back when I was first thinking of running a game in a Dune setting I had the idea that I wanted the players to feel they were part of the main storyline, although peripheral to the larger events as they played out.
However, that being said, nothing is set in stone. Canonical events may or may not unfold as written. While I intend to run the game through to 10,191 AG (and possibly longer), the players may decide to remain on Caladan instead of following House Atreides to Arrakis. And who knows what may happen up until then? The players aree largely in control of the narrative although I don’t think they quite realise this.
SESSION FOURTEEN SUMMARY - THE WEDDING
Following the previous session, the wedding between Wilhelmina (Mina) Fluxspear and Luc Garamond is scheduled to take place on a small resort island several hours’ ornithopter flight from Cala City. Eduard is travelling separately as is officially accompanying the young Lady Stasia Fluxspear, and will be with the Wedding Party.
So, introducing the Groom, the dashing Chevalier Luc Garamond
House Garamond is a Major House whose primary domain is in agricultural research and development, hence the marriage being a good strategic fit for House Fluxspear.
Also present are members of all the other Noble Houses: Atreides, Fluxspear and Garamond, Berreth, Stewart, Sarun, and Thana. In addition to the assorted nobility, high ranking members of the merchant classes are also in attendance, as befitting this major social event.
Security is discrete but still visible, with guards in both Houses Fluxspear and Atreides liveries checking guests as they arrive and also patrolling the grounds.
Prior to the ceremony, there is a little time for social interactions as etiquette demands. House Thana make the rounds of obligatory greetings, particularly to the Duke Leto and Lady Jessica. Also present with them is a new employee of House Atriedes, Gurney Halleck. Hera makes her Understand test, with her talent in hyperawareness assisting, and deduces that the Lady Jessica is indeed pregnant.
The Bride, Lady Mina, is radiant and naturally the centre of attention.
Once the obligatory welcomes are complete, the wedding ceremony begins with the young couple standing at a small space on a promontory at the cliffside, with the breathtaking views of the ocean behind them. The guests are standing in a natural amphitheatre which gives them all an unobstructed view of the proceedings.
The Fluxspear family spiritual advisor, an old Orange Catholic priest, leads the ceremony and the couple exchange vows and then their rings. They kiss and are declared Man and Wife.
The Wedding Party and assembled guests then retire to the main pavilion where a feast is being laid out. Tables are largely set according to House, with non-nobility seated together further away. Poison snoopers at every table.
Calista decides to continue to try and woo the scion of the family enemy, Pavel Sarun, and approaches their table. Pavel introduces her to his mother, Ilona, who clearly disapproves and makes some polite but condescending small talk.
Eduard takes Stasia and the two of them leave the pavillion to explore the grounds. They are discretely followed by a House Thana guard. They find a secluded copse of trees a short distance away. Stasia is flushed with excitement, anticipation, and perhaps a few glasses of bubbles - and leans into Eduard for a kiss…
And I spend a bunch of threat.
And there are a series of small explosions at the rear of the pavilion.
Suddenly the sound of warning alarms from the poison snoopers wail and the closest guests to the explosions have collapsed to the ground and are writhing whilst vomiting copiously. Hera quickly, and quite correctly, deduces this is a distraction…
And then three of the servants who are spread out throughout the pavilion are suddenly wearing gasmasks, the one standing behind Luc Garamond is holding a small blade.
I spend some threat and declare I have initiative.
I spend some threat and buy some additional dice and get 5 successes and describe the sudden flash of his arm as he drives the blade into the back of Luc, crying out aloud “For the glory of House Vortaris!”
Luc Garamond coughs blood over the front of his new wife and then drops like a stone. Mina stands there screaming.
Combat scene follows.
Hermes, as it turns out, is closest to the man who just knifed Luc and moves in to engage. Calista is close to one other assassin, the third is further away and moving.
Hera intends to move closer to the Atreides, to cover Jessica.
Eduard decides to stay in the copse and protect Stasia.
Hera and Calista need to make a difficulty 2 discipline test as an unseen gas rolls through their positions. Both can feel their gorges violently rise in response but are able to quell the feeling. Other guests are not so fortunate, including Ilona Sarun and her husband, Oskari Virtanen.
Calista engages with the closest assassin and after a brief struggle has dispatched the woman without taking any injury. She removes the assassin’s gasmask and places it over Ilona Sarun’s face, allowing her to breathe easier and recover.
The male assassin has managed to get to the cliff-face with Hermes in pursuit. Unfortunately, he rolls better on his move test, and Hermes can only watch as he jumps over the edge. However, the second female assassin has closed the distance and is engaging Hermes. He takes a wound but manages to knock her out.
Combat scene ends.
Guards rush in and secure the area, a medical team attends to Luc Garamond but it is too late, he is quite dead. The blade was poisoned with a lethal agent.
The surviving assassin is bundled away by the Atreides. Duke Leto and Lady Jessica are quickly escorted to an ornithopter under guard and depart. As she leaves, Jessica nods her thanks to Hera.
Eduard returns Stasia to her family, who are recovering from the physical effects of the gas. Mina has been administered a sedative but is in shock. She is still covered in the blood of her husband. The Fluxspears, and Eduard, leave the island to return to the Fluxspear compound in Cala City.
The remaining players decide that they too will return to the city in their ornithopter. Cala City is currently in lockdown, with an immediate curfew announced. In the ensuing aftermath Atreides security look for the assassin who leapt off the cliff, but no body is found…
And we ended the session there. Next session to find out what the hell is happening?!?
Really enjoying this thread. Hoping you’ll be posting about the next session soon.
Cheers! Next session was delayed a few times for various reasons but scheduled for Friday as it’s a public holiday here. Looking forward to see how the players respond to a spanner in the works I have planned for them…
SESSION FIFTEEN SUMMARY - AFTER THE WEDDING
Finally schedules coincided, one player was sick but we had an in-game reason for her non-attendance.
Eduard is with the Fluxspears after their return to their compound. Mina has been sedated by their doctor as is inconsolable and will be unable to be questioned for some time. Hera and Hermes have returned to the House Thana compound, Calista has become sick because of exposure to the unknown gas back at the wedding and needs time to recuperate from the effects.
It’s now in the early hours, Cala CIty is locked down, ornithopters are patrolling the skies. Duke Leto has summoned the characters to Castle Caladan. They are shown into a conference hall where Leto, Thufir Hawat, and Anton Berreth are in the midst of a discussion. Leto is still wearing the same clothes as earlier that day, he looks tired and stressed.
After the initial welcomes, Leto gets straight to the point. House Garamond have sent a complaint to Kaitain and Leto estimates that he has around 3 days before an Imperial Envoy will arrive on Caladan. In that time he needs to have this matter investigated throughly so as to be able to present a case to the Envoy on his arrival. House Garamond have been quite vocal, demanding swift action from House Atreides in this matter.
As House Thana is not a vassal, although still only a House Minor, Leto hopes that they will accept the commission of acting as independent investigators. Leto is aware that there is a relationship between House Thana and House Fluxspear and asks if that they are able to carry out the duties with a degree of impartiality?
Eduard acknowledges that while he has been courting Stasia Fluxspear, he will not let their relationship affect his duty here.
Leto offers Eduard the full support of House Atreides. Thufir Hawat is at his disposal, and Anton Berreth will supply legal guidance where necessary.
I inform the players that they have three ‘phases’ per day to make their enquiries, with the Envoy arriving by Day 3.
Eduard and Hera want to start with the body and Hermes will investigate the murder scene.
The body of the slain assassin is held in storage at an Atreides base. Eduard and Hera are accompanied by Thufir Hawat and are met by a harried-looking field surgeon to a makeshift morgue. The body has not yet been examined and is as was brought in. I allow Hera to make an Understand test as difficulty 1. She scores three successes and one complication. I allow her 4 questions about the body, but one of my answers might be a falsehood. In response to Hera’s questioning, she determines the following:
None of the information gained was false. This was me just trying to plant a seed of doubt…
Meanwhile Hermes has flown to the resort island. He can see that there are a number of boats still searching the sea at the base of the cliff where the assassin had leapt. Portable lights have been set up around the crime scene to provide better illumination (it is the middle of the night, after all). Hermes makes a fairly good roll on his Understand test and manages to take samples of grass that had been affected by the gas from the explosive devices, as well as recover enough of the devices to determine that these were specifically designed to go off at a predetermined time, and that the explosive charges they contained were only sufficient for gas dispersal and not intended to cause shrapnel damage. Lastly, he secured one of the poison snoopers as clearly the agent is a known poison - having been detected. Hermes believes he should be able to access the snooper’s records to determine what set it off (interesting as I hadn’t considered that angle).
Next, Hera and Eduard travel to where the members of House Garamond are sequestered. The atmosphere is tangibly hostile. They try to deduce some information from Marguerite Garamond, Luc’s mother. Unfortunately, the line of questioning they pursue doesn’t ingratiate themselves any further and they leave none the wiser, and possibly held in less esteem.
The players also want to speak with Wilhelmina Fluxspear but she is still sedated and not in any position to be questioned. Instead they all meet at the Fluxpsear compound and speak with the Lady Tessa. They learn that she had only met Luc twice before the wedding, and the wider family just the once. Wilhelmina had been sent to Kaitain several years previously and there she had met Luc Garamond and their romance blossomed and indeed flourished. The Fluxspears certainly had no reasons to doubt the sincerity of House Garamond when the nuptials were announced.
After a short rest, the characters decide they really need to interrogate the surviving assassin. They travel to Castle Caladan where the prisoner has been kept in isolation. I give the players a choice, they can choose to question normally, or use enhanced methods. If they choose the latter, the difficulty will be reduced but also any complication will be correspondingly more serious. They chose the former.
In the first questioning session, Hera uses her Subtle Words talent to give the subject the ‘talkative’ trait, and while the assassin does make a number of successes to resist the questioning, I give Hermes a bonus for the trait. Unfortunately, they don’t get very far in the first session other than establishing that the assassin is a member of House Vortaris and that they were following the rules of kanly (yet there is no declared War of Assassins between Houses Garamond and Vortaris as far as is known).
I rule that subsequent sessions each are at -1 difficulty allowing for wearing the subject out with repeated questioning. They enquire about escape plans and learn that the assassins had set up a dead drop signal and then meet at a particular cafe near the docks. Anyone who made it out would leave a signal and then they would meet at the cafe at an appointed time.
With the details for the dead drop and rendezvouz the players decide the Eduard will wait in the cafe along with one of the House Guards. Additionally other Atreides personnel are in wait, disguised, around the area awaiting a comand to spring into action. The players use Thufir Hawat to devise the plan and organise the troop placement. They then mark out the signal and wait.
While Thufir has managed quite a decent roll, it turns out that the assassin has done better. He has twigged that something is not quite right, and trusting his instincts, he’s turned away from the cafe and back into the anonymity of the crowd. Eduard has actually managed to spot this and decides to stealthily give chase. Rolls are made and Eduard manages to follow the assassin back to a nondescript boarding house.
Thufir sends in the troops, more rolls made for both sides, and the House Atreides guards haul out a secured assassin. (I decide against doing a full combat scene with this for sake of gameplay).
At this very point I spend a whole bunch of threat and describe the sudden appearance of a Heighliner above Cala City, a single craft swiftly descending from it and heading directly to Castle Caladan.
It is the Imperial Envoy and they have arrived a day earlier than expected!
We ended the session there.
That sounds like an excellent session.
I love how you are handling the complications (fake outs on the information and using it to demonstrate the consequences of taking risks in the interrogation)
Your players sound like they are in tune with the game and that really makes things pop.
Really enjoying these posts.
SESSION SIXTEEN SUMMARY - AFTER THE WEDDING II
Note that I have only just realised, while writing this summary, a glaring plot hole that my players missed
Noting that the Imperial Envoy has arrived earlier than anticipated, the characters decide to rush to Castle Caladan to apprise the Duke of their findings thus far. Unfortunately, they arrive too late, the Imperial Envoy already stands beside Duke Leto as they enter and is none other than the renowned Count Hasimir Fenring, the Emperor’s very own right-hand.
The characters are very aware of the implication and significance of Fenring’s presence. Hera also has a flash of intuition when she first sees him - there is an aura of immense, but stymied, potential about him. Potential never to be realised. (Fenring is, of course, a failed Kwisatz Haderach).
Fenring addresses the characters directly while the Duke watches on. They outline their findings thus far (they didn’t want to tell him everything without first having had a chance to speak to the Duke, but they also don’t want to jeapordise their own position by dissembling or appearing to be holding anything back).
Fenring asks them if they have reached a conclusion yet regarding their investigation into the assassination? They reply that they have not, as yet, and ask for more time to complete their enquiries. Fenring grants them an additional day, after which he will make his own ruling - on behalf of the Emperor.
As they leave Eduard catches an imploring look from the Duke and realises that the Leto is under extreme pressure as the assassination happened under his watch.
The characters have a discussion as to next steps. Eduard is mindful that while they are on very good terms with House Atreides, they also want to remain neutral as far as they can possibly manage and that they need to avoid any implications of collusion or otherwise steering the investigation to absolve House Atreides.
Eduard decides that they really need to speak with the captured assassin and they are taken to his cell. Like the other prisoner, this assassin reiterates that the killing followed all the protocols of kanly and demands to be released.
While this is happening, a Guild representative makes himself known to House Thana and wishes to speak with the characters on an urgent matter. He is no Guild underling but is Maradon Straxus, the Head of Guild operations on Caladan. Whatever this is must be serious.
Straxus informs Hermes that he has some information that is vital to their investigation of the assassination of Luc Garamond. A delegation from House Vortaris had been scheduled to travel from Kaitain to Mnemosyne IV, the Garamond homeworld - arriving just prior to the wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, the Heighliner suffered ‘technical difficulties’ and misjumped, causing some damage to ship systems and also injuring the navigator. By the time the navigator was able to resume duties and safely plot the route to Memosyne IV, the assassination had already occurred. The Vortaris delegation were actually bearing the Articles of Kanly, duly registered on Kaitain, to House Garamond.
It appears that the assassination was carried out in good faith that House Garamond were informed of the escalation to a War of Assassins.
The characters decide that they need to consult someone who has a better grasp of the legal intricacies involved so they speak with Anton Berreth and divulge what they have just learned. Anton ponders over this information for a while and says that this is largely outside of his legal experience but he believes that the forms have, largely, been obeyed and the failure of the delivery of the Notice to House Garamond was not the fault of House Vortaris, but an unfortunate accident. However, that being said, House Vortaris did not sufficiently ensure that the Notice was delivered but their plan relied on surprise - some blame might therefore fall upon them for this oversight and rashness to action.
The players then decide to inform Count Fenring of this development and leave the judgment in his hands. They are summoned into a meeting room at Castle Caladan where Count Fenring is seated at the head of the table, Duke Leto to one side. It is clear where the power rests in this room.
After the explanation is delivered, Fenring muses silently for a while before speaking. He first asks Eduard if he is satisfied with the information received from the Guild or whether there are other matters he needed to clear up first? Eduard assures Fenring that their enquiries are complete.
Count Fenring then calls for the members of Houses Garamond and Fluxspear to enter. Once all are assembled he proclaims his ruling that the assassination of Luc Garamond was in accordance with the Articles of Kanly and that it was only due to an ‘Act of God’ that the required Notice had not been delivered. However, due to the negligence of House Vortaris, they would pay an amount to be set in reparations to House Garamond. House Atreides were shown to be blameless in the matter and would not be censured
With this the members of House Garamond quickly depart, clearly unhappy with the judgment. They mutter darkly as they pass Eduard and if looks could kill…
Tessa Fluxspear takes a moment to reassure Eduard that she knows he did his duty regarding the investigation and that she doesn’t think anything less of him, nor does Stasia.
I then informed the players that this was the major event of the year for House Thana and that we would have another year-end session to wrap up. I asked them to think about what direction they intended to take House Thana in the coming year(s) and we will start with this next session.
Year-end event: It is now the year 10,175 AG and to the Lady Jessica is born a boy-child. She names him Paul in honour of his grandfather.
THIS ENDS THE FIRST ACT OF THE CAMPAIGN
