HELLION'S HOARD by Hans Ranke CARGONAUT PRESSCredits Author .. . Hans Ranke Cover Art and Illustrations . William H. Keith, Jr. Editing and Layout .... . Paul Sanders TABLE OF CONTENTS Hellion’s Hoard .... Referee Briefing ‘Tha Professor Geting There Daneiag Mimersby ‘The Compettion The Voleano The Hideout Unwartes Vistors Trapped! ‘The Final Showdown termath Danelag Word Bret NomPlayer Characters Hellion's Hoard is Copyright © 1999 by Hans Ranke All Rights Reserved Printed inthe United States of America No part ofthis booklet may be reproduced (except for private personal use) in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author. Traveller is Far Future Enterprises registered trademark for its role-playing game of science-fiction adventure set in the far future. ‘The Traveller trademark and selected material contained inthis supplement are used with permission, Published by: 7 CARGONAUT 1316 West 2 ‘Apache Junction, AZ 85220 USA CARGONAUT PRESSHellion’s Hoard REFEREE BRIEFING The PCs, who must be in control of a starship, aro ‘approached by a history professor from the far-off Imperial University of Antares who is studying the Reavers. He has recently found a pocket computer belonging to Helion Murdoch's ‘1st Officer, Harald Birk, and has managed to crack the password. The computer contains the whereabouts of the legendary "Helion's Hideout’. Unfortunately his research grant is almost used up, so he proposes that the PCs provide ‘transportation to the hideout in retum for a share of any Valuables found atthe hideout The trip takes the PCs to sunny Danelag and is ‘complicated by several factors: The professor is actually Harald Birk himself, a ‘wink’ revived ater spencing 720 years in cold sleep aboard the last prize Hellion took before he was destroyed. Furthermore, another of the prize crew sunived; Bik believes that he has Killed him, but he suvved and has teamed up with a criminal organization. Birk knows the locaton of the hideout but not of the hoard itself; the other crewman knows. neither, but oes know which planet itis hidden upon. The PCs thus face danger both from without and within. THE PROFESSOR The adventure can begin at any Class C or better starport coreward and traling of Daneiag. A large, blond man in his midshirtas approaches the captain of the PCs' starship and proposes A partnership in what amounts to a treasure hunt. He gives his name as Erasmus Riske, a history professor from the University of Antares currently on a field trip to study the history of Reavers’ Deep sector. He has recenty ‘came into possession of a pocket computer that used to belong to Harald Birk, frst mate upon the notorious pirate Alison ‘Murdoch’ ship, “Black Widow. “How the computer escaped from the “Black Widow's” destruction is unknown; possibly Bik was ‘ot aboard atthe time, possibly it had been lost or stolen shortly before he embarked on that last trip. What Riske can attest ois, that all his tests incicate thet the computer is genuine, Moreover, he has managed to crack the password and the computer shows, ‘where Helions Hideout is located Unfoitunately Riske's University research grant is amost used up, so he offers a haf share in anything found atthe hideout in retum for transportation tothe location Referee: In one sense the ‘professor’ cares litte for what deal he stikss for the dvision ofthe loct since he intends to kill the entre crew anyway. The so-called professor is in realty none other tan Harald Bik himsait! Birk is a ‘Winkle’ someone who has sunived all his contemporaries through cold sleep or similar methods. Shortly before “Black Widow" was destroyed with all hands by Caledonian ships under Commodore Channing in 393, Hellion had captured a Free Trader, Kiladits crew, and sent of under his trusted henchman Birk fo be sold. The ship misjumped and ‘wound up far into the Great Rift. thas taken the prize-crew over 700 years’ of traveling in cold sleep to get back to civifzation. ‘After such an ordeal the ship is now in poor shape, as is the prize-crew, only two of which have survived the revivfction Procedure. Salvage fees and medical bills forced Birk to sell the ship and cd ‘ot leave much left over. Leaming of Helion's fate and comparing dates, Birk has concluded that Helicn's Hoard may very well stil be intact Since reaching this conclusion, Birk has been making his way towards the hideout. By the time the PCs meet im, his funds are running low and he has decided to find a bunch of suckers with a ship and spin them a tale In order not to arouse suspicions Birk will bargain spirtedy if the PCs ty to beat him down The least amount he will sette for is a ‘uarter share ofthe Hoard, GETTING THERE The hideout is located on Danelag/Eakoi (1136). The professor realizes that the ship cannot go straight thera but must eam a living along the way. He offers to help in whatever cepacity he can on the way, but has no shipboard sil Referee: The ‘professor’ wll not wilingly display any of his ship skis. Ho wil help out as a very inept stoward it needed and wil also help enthusiascaly wth any fights the crew gats into. Ty to play him as a space-age Indiana Jones. He caries a blaster (which, to keep in character, he will tum over on entering the ship without waiting to be asked), but there's nothing suspicious about that. In Reavers’ Deep even scholars go armed if possible run some small adventures on the way to Danelag with the professor as the loyal NFC henchman. His aim for the moments to gain the trust ofthe crew.DANELAG ‘A wor'd bref for Danelag can be found towards the fend of this adventure scorario. The “Pilots Guide to Eakoi Subsector mentions thet any starship that lands anywhere outside the regional staports on Danelag wil be treated as a hostile raider and wil cause the milla to tum cut. Danelag has no less than 303 starpors, all of them class E and each one marked by a radio beacon, The guide lists the nemes and ‘frequencies of all of them, The professor can pinpoint the hideout exactly. It is located in an axtinet volcano on Vanaheim, the second largest continent, in he Jotun Mountzns, about four huncred Kilometers ‘west of the nearest big city, Mimersby. He suggests 2 cover- story wherein thay pretand tobe a group of companions who are touring the subsector looking for naw and exciting hunting ‘opportunities, After clearing the perfunctory customs inspection, hhe suggests they leave the ship in the starport and proceed by (grav car ino the mountains where the elusive spring-ged Gump oat) can be found. MIMERSBY Tho Mimersby staport is a large conerete-covered field located about two kilometers outside the ciy outskirts with ‘one smal concrete hut containing the landing beacon. A smal, ‘neat wooden shack ike abus shelter stands next to it Insiée the shelter are a few wooden benchas and a telephone mounted. Upon the wall. A sign reads: "Please call the Port Captain upon arrival” in Galengic as well as a halt-dozen clher interstallar languages. The phone wil bo answered by someone speaking ‘good, but heavily aocented, Gaiangic. She will ask the vistors to remain at the starport; and informs them that the Port Captain willbe there inside half an hour. ‘About twenty minutes later a black and white TL 5 car With the word POLITI printed oni in large letters wil amie, I is diven by a man in a black uniform with a small amount of braid Next to him sits @ woman in a similar uniform but with a lot more braid. She gots out an presents herself as Gerda Vinter, Mimersby’s Chief of Pole and who also serves as the Port Captain. She asks them a few questions, mosty medical, ‘explains the local laws and customs, and then inspects their ship to make sure they ate not carying a bunch of armed raiders. ‘She does not wish to lock inside arything that cannot contain @ full-grown man. After the inspection she hands them a pamphlet containing a ruber of useful addresses and telephone rrumbers (laxi services, bars, restaurants, and hotels, doctors ‘who can inoculate them against local diseases, and the bureau of licenses) and wishes them a pleasant stay. ‘Weapons: One law daservas special mantion. Except {or licensed hunting ils, no weapons may be cartied outside ‘one's home, In addon, no weapons of any kind may bo carried Inside the cly limits. Referee: As long as visitors land in 2 designated ‘starport, dont cany weapons while off the ship, and don't molest ‘ryone, the locals don't much care who they are, what they ‘want or where they go. There are no customs tarts or port fees. Ht the party is canying along a grav car and the camping ‘equipment they expect to need, thay only need itanses for their uns before they can take of. if not, they have to buy supplies locally and rent a suitable vehicle. if none of the party can fly @ helicopter and they do not want to hire a plot, they may be able to find a grav cat or van to rent. Soma of the richest farmers import grav vehicles (one ofthe few high-tech items considered supetior to the local equivalent), though more out of ostentation than for practical use Payment will be a problem, however Its a basic tenet among the locals that Outsiders are unreliable. They don't necessarly doubt the Outsiders’ good faith (though many do that too}, but they dont really need or want 0 buy anything from cffword — the planet imports practically nothing, except fr the aforementioned grav vehicles — so forsign currency is of litle interest to them. The PCs will have to sel something to obtein local curency. Here again the locals wil be skeptical of ‘advanced technology, corwinced that most of it will cease Working the moment the Outsiders have been gone for a day. ‘The PCs willbe able to sell communicators (in pairs), electronic binoculars, atc, but not for anything near their tue value. The best results willbe obtained for TL 6 items of obvious usefuinass and evident sturdy construction (Even that tusty standby, luxury food items, is not as valuable as expected: why develop a taste for luxuries you cart be sure of getting a regular supply cf) THE COMPETITION Six hous after the party lands in Mimersby a Safai Ship fied out as a private yacht lands there, It is camying a nobleman who is anxious to acd jump goet to fis colecion of hunting tephies.Referee: Besides Birk only ona member of the prize- crew, a man named lan Feth, survived the revivifcation and ‘subsequent complications. Concluding that Feth knew too much ‘bout him and that the money he had was insufficient for wo, Birk kiled him one dark night and dumped his body. Atleast, that is what Birk believes. n realty Fath survived and went to a local criminal erganizaion with his tala. Ha managed to convince the leader who assigned a group of his best men to find the Hoard. ‘They folowed Birks tral until he joined the PCs’ ship, at which Pint they went directy to Danelag and hd out on the surface of the inner moon, waiting for the PCs’ ship to anv in-systom. ‘The rival pary is roughly the same size as that of the PCs. tis led by a ‘noble’ — in realy a clever, ruthless gangster called "Bg Mac”. The rest ofthe men are ordinary thugs from his ‘gang, except for lan Feth whois tagging along inthe guise ofthe nobleman's secretary, heavily disguised with skin dye and a wig to prevent Birk from recognizing him. Ifthe PCs have already gone into the mountains, Big Mac will attempt to track them, otherwise he will wait until they do depart and attempt to follow them. THE VOLCANO Hellon’s Hideout is located in the crater of an extinct volcano, Its a smal fertie spot deep inthe inhospitable Jotun ‘mountain range with lush vegetation and a crysla-cleer lake in the midds. It appears to be inaccessible except from the air. ‘There is one other way in, but itis wel hidden, AS a child Harald Birk found a natural tunnel through the voleano wall and kept ita secret. Later he told Murdoch about it and helped him build a hideout there. The tunnel was concealed at both ends to provide ‘an emergency exit The Volcano craters about 15 km across. From the ait itresembles a buls-eye target. In the center isa lake about 3 km across. The crater floor is covered with vegetation and rises, gently until about 1 km from the rim where it rises in @ 30-45, degree angle for 50-100 maters unt it reaches a fay fat ledge next to the rim. From there the volcano wall ses up almost Vetically for about 300 meters. Although roughly concentic the target ‘ings’ are somewhat ieguiar. To the north a 50 meter notch inthe wall ha lft a ridge below t stratching down ino the crater. ‘An altemate way out is through the underground river that drains the crater lake. Bik has actually been through it once \wearing diving gear and several sets were Kept in the hideout These are unikely to be useable after 7 centuries, so Birk has bought a set with him and keeps it hidden in the bottom of his ‘munk, ‘THE HIDEOUT The hideout ise is hidden under a rocky outcropping ‘on the inside crater wal and cannot be seen from above. Next to the building is a flat spaca large enough to accommodate @ starship of up to 1000 Torso. ‘The building. is large and luxurious, It was built by ‘sklled slave labor especially kidnapped by Murdoch (Their skeletons can be found in a small ravine not fet away). Its in one plane, roughly circular, with about two thirds buriad insida the cratar wal It is ivided into three sections. To the front ara the ‘public’ rooms with a large banguet hall, a dorritory for the crew and indvidual rooms for the offers. To the back are Murdoch's private suite the armory, anda private supply o! food, all of which are sealed off fem the rest ofthe building. The third section is the servants’ quartars with dormitories, Kitchen, and Panty. This part could be locked from the outside, imprisoning the servants. Murdoch kept a dozen beautiful women prisoner bere to serve Fim and his crew when he visited. The pantry was stocked with enough food to last them for the many months between tis visits. Ther ptful remains lia inside showing that they survived for several years before they starved to death when the food ran out UNWANTED VISITORS After the PCs have had time to explore the voleano and the hidsout fora short while, Big Mac, who had temporarily lost track of them, wil spot the volcano and decide to check it cut, They wil st up camp ina suitable spot on the rim some 10 km ftom the hideout and sta looking around. Referee: If they meet any ofthe PCs they will keep up the charade of being a hunting pary. Presumably, the PCs wil do the same. Iti a thin story, since there ara no large animals in the crater’ smal, isolated ecosystem, but itis better than nthing, TRAPPED! Harald Bik was on the verge of geting rd of hs ales ‘when the other hunting party arived. He quicky rearranges his, Prcritias and decides to eliminate the newcomers first. His first ‘stop isto snesk into the other camp at night end sabotage theit ‘grav van. That same night someons from the other group sneaks up to the hideout (I is pratly easy to spot once someone is ‘actually down in the crater) and sabotages the PCs own vehicle, This leaves both sides trapped inside the voleano. Caling fer help is impossible. The volcano walls block racio transmissions ‘and their are no communication satlites around Danelag, ‘Subsequent events depend on just how our heroes decide to tackle the situation. The professor, displaying a hitherto unsuspected ruthlessness, will suggest taking the other party outwith a preemptive stike, citing the sabotage as proof oftheir evil intentions. Scouting will reveal that Big Mac and his people have smuggled in some superior firepower, though nothing major. The hideout on the other hand is extremely defensible and as long as the PCs stay inside it, the station is pretty much a standoff, butthe PCs cant stay in ther forever, Murdoch's armory contains some powerful weepons of its own, but they ae in poor shape aftar 700 years. However, a skilled armorer or a clever jeck-of-alltrades might be able to repair one or two weapons. Any explosives wil be very hazardous to use unis the referee decides that the amory ‘contains some of the really sophisticated (and expensive) TL 12 explosives that have a halkife measured in centuries, Even then, much oft willbe useless. THE FINAL SHOWDOWN It the PCs taka any prisoners they have a chance of finding out about the professor's true nature, provided thay interogete them and ask the ight questions. Otherwise they are in fora nasty surprise when Bik finally makes his move once the other group is defeated Birk will igure out some almost foaiproof plan fr kiting ‘everybody wit the least amount of risk to himself and will cary it ‘out with ruthloss efficiency. The referes should arrange for some accident to give the players a last minute waming, Soma ‘scavenger eating the poisoned staw, for example, of someone waking up at night to catch him rigging a booby-rap. For maximum effect is should be clear that but for this accident, ‘everyone would have ced. Bir is a realist. Once odds tum against him he will ry to escape. If he succeeds he may have anther try late, if he can find a suitable place for an ambush. He may attempt to recruit local thugs to back him up. Otherwise Birk will ie low unt he can escape from Daneleg, and he can be used again as a recurring villain, AFTERMATH There remains the problem of getting out of the volcano. Either of the vehicles may be repaired; one of the hidden escape routes may be found (the diving gear in Birk’s luggage may provide a clue, or the secret door to the tunnel may tum up during the seereh for the hoard). It may be possible to cmb cut ofthe notch in tha rorth side of the volcano, if climbing goat can be improvised. Fnaly, the Mimersby police wil avenge a search after a few weeks and wil find them provided the PCs have made dstress signs thal can be seen from the air. Itis upto the Referee to decide just how much wealth Is hidden in Halion's Hideout. Helion’s Hoard consists of the choicest valuables om a Kfetime of locing, so it could be worth anything om tens o hundred of rilions of ereits, Certainly the ‘amount is enough to upset a normal Free Trader campaign (Where the constant stuggle to meet the next bank payment is @ Tecurring theme). However, tthe referea is planning to change the foous ofthe carmpeign such riches may be appropriate. If not, there is no reason why the whole hoard should be atthe hideout Birk is convinced that itis, but Murdoch might have been footing im, keeping only @ small part there and the rest stashed somewhere als, ‘The Referes can use the content of the hoard 28 2 starting point fora new adventure. if rly a smal partis stashed in the hideout, then perhaps there is a clue to where the rest couldbe. Here are a fow suggestions for special specific items that could be inthe hoarct ‘The content of the principal Shrine of Heroes of an ‘Aslan clan, captured by Murdoch and held for ransom. The loss broke the spr of the clan andit became vassal to anothar clan, Regaining the content might be just the spark they need to by to regain their independence, A crystal key that may or may not fit certain locks on DoonCaledon. (See Library Daa).A fichly omemented eakhyasear (Asian hunting rifle) made by a legendary gunsmith. It belonged to a famous Aslan hero who was traveling on a ship captured by Murdoch, If retumed to his clan twill eam the PCs the friendship ofthe cian, ‘Ateratvely, they could sell t to an antique collector fore six- figure erount Of course, there is always that trusty old standby, the mysterious Ancients artfact. Leeming what it does and how to actvata it coud recuire tracking down old records and scholars while simultaneously fending off acquisitive arifect collectors and Droyne anxious to recover an old hsiroom. In action tothe hoard the voleano itself may prove to be worth money. If the PCs can acquire title to it, they could probably sell it easily. It would make a nice country estate for Some reclusive milionaire, Final nota: Much of the adventure depends on both patties leaving their spaceship behind and going to the hideout by grav vehicle, Nevertheless, itis possible to sneak a spaceship down into the volcano, It is risky, because there is always the canoe that some lone forest renger or mountain man wil spot the ship and sound the alan, but itis possible, After all, that was what Helion Murdoch did 700 hundred years earlier when he needed to lis low fora wila, and Oanelag has not changed ‘much sines then. Should the players dacide to run the risk of lending drecty atthe Voleano, the whole adventure isin danger of being derailed The best way to get the adventure back on track isto let the rival gang do the seme and then instigate a duel between aach starship that wil leave both ships crippled DANELAG WORLD DATA Below isa world brief for Danelag (Reavers Deep 1138) E686889-5, Danelag was setled curing the Rule of Man by a Racial Purity Group from Scandinavia (tall, blue-eyed, blonde humans only). Since the Rule of Man cid not parmit member planets to contol immigration it was necessary to move outside its borders. During the Long Night the planet was plagued by Reaver allacks due toa technology high enough to be tempting and too low to alow an effective defense, Eventually the planet switched to less portable (and thus less attractive) energy ‘sources, especialy wind end water driven electic turbines. Overall technology also destined and stabilized around TL 5. ‘ter this they were lft alone, except for occasional slave raids, Unt invaded by Asian ofthe Eakol Corporation arcund -900. The ‘Aslen left the humans pretty much alone, but their high-tech industy inevitably reduced the humans to a much-esented second-class status. During the Eakoi Trade Corfict, the Soloman Hegemony overran the Aslan on Danelag and ‘estabished an advance base there with the enthusiastic support ofthe local humans, For over a hundred years Soloman poured tilions of credits into tha world. ‘Then, when the Eekoi Corporation withcrew from Eakoi, the overextended Soloman Hegemony pulled out of Danelag and as a resuit caused a massive recession. Since then the population of Danelag has been very insular, thoroughly convinced that Outsiders (they spellit wth a capital O) are nothing but trouble, This atitude is not helped by the fact that Danelag is sii, even today, the occasional victm of slave raids, although seldom twice by the same slavers. Neal all cites, villages, and individual farmsteads are connected to deep tunnels fled with Various traps and, while no one except the palice and hunters carry weapons outside their homes, every household has one of more heavy weapons hidden away. These weapons can include anything from crunch guns to rocket launchers, and each high- tech heifoom is lovingly preserved and maintzined, as is anything that can give an armored raider a hard time. Raiding Danelag is seldom cost-tfectve, After an attempted raid the planet is usualy left alone for a decade or two unti the rumors ‘are forgotten and the lesson has to be taught to a new generation of slaves. DDanelag has @ popuéation of 400 milion organized in 308 regions of roughly 1 to 1.5 millon inhabitants centered on Citas of 100-150,000 inhabitants, The largest region is Valhalla, ‘on Asgard with 3,000,000 inhabitents centered on the city ofthe same nama with 800,000 inhabitants. Most poltical and administrative activites take place on the regional level. What qualifies Danelag for a class 8 government rating is the number of suprevegional organizations that blanket the planet. Such organizations include the Legal Standards Commies, wich ensures compatiilty between the various regional legal systems, the Interegional Police Coordineting Agency, the Trade Balance Board, which compiles trade statistics and offs, advice to the difering regions about what future crops will be ‘most profitable, the Uniform Weights & Measures Commission, the Cultural Exchange Committee, a5 well as others not listed.NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS Harald Bik aka, Professor Erasmus Riske Pirate Lieutenant ABSA8S Age 755 4 terms Cr 50,000 Brawiing-2, Gun Cbt-3, Enginesring-1, Navigaion-2, Pllot-2 Harald Bik is alarge, cheerful man with blue eyes and flaxen hat, handsome, chaning extrovert who ges along well with everybody. He is also a ruthiess, cold blooded killer who wall go to any lengths to achieve his goals. ‘The greatast weakness wih his cisguise as a tistory professor is his lack of academic background and his Lnfamilaty wth high stellar technology. He is well aware of this, and tries hard to avoid situaions that would force him to expose his ignorance. At least his knowledge of the 4th Century is, impressive. Macabeus "Big Mec’ McGinley Gangster 885844 Age 38 Stems Cr 100,000 Gun Cbt.2, Leader-2, Steetaise-3 Big Mac is a tall, powerful man, in many ways a dark- haired counterpart to Harald Birk, Hes a prominent member of a criminal organization on Khekhan (Reavers’ Deep 3220}, the ‘world where Birk decided to citch lan Feth, He was sent by his bass to treck down Helion's Hoard and he does not intend to let anything standin his way. lan Oscar Feth Pirate 44884 Age751_ Stems Cr Brawiing-1, Computer-1, Gun Cot, Plott lan is a small weasel of a men with shifty eyes and a nervous twitch, Hei fom between hated of his erstwhile offcer ‘and distust of his new associates. If caught by the PCs he will ‘ty to make a deal with them only to betray them in tum if a good ‘portunity occurs.