This is a new series I’m starting using the Ironsworn: Starforged rule set. This is a science fiction take on the Ironsworn rules.
This story will follow Maven Khosla, an agent for the Reliquary, who licenses and controls much of the relic hunting in the cluster known as the Forge. Humanity escaped here over two centuries ago after a series of devastating wars known as the Gene Wars, named for the genetically modified soldiers who fought them. Genetic modification is now illegal, but Maven’s parents secretly had him modified at birth, giving him some unusual attributes.
On a mission some years before he was infected by an alien nanovirus from a long dead civilisation that would have killed a normal human. It is still slowly fighting his body and he has been nicknamed “The Everdying” as he searches for clues for a cure.
Reliquary Report: Agent 437761-Hallow
Arrived in sector successfully. Blightstorm cut off known route back. Will chart new route back post mission. Proceeding to Astra Orbital to engage with contact.
Maven Khosla Personal Log
That was too damn close…
I barely made it there. Bloody blightstorm blew through when I was two anchors out, had to jump into void space and forge a new route ahead of the storm. Last jump caught the edge of a storm front and fried the systems. Thought I was dead. Deep space anchor, nothing around, dead ship, I was a a goner.
Then I saw it.
Orbiting the anchor was another ship, of no design I’d ever seen. Clearly alien. No idea how old. A strange bulbus body with eight long spindly appendages, it looked nothing so much as a giant spider floating dead in space.
I had no other option. I suited up and launched myself over. I was able to get the airlock open and inside. It was empty, pristine. Whoever built it must have been a similar size to humans, everything a little on the large size, but serviceable. No idea what half of it does, and only guessing on the other half, but after a few hours I was able to get the basic systems online. I plotted a course to what I hoped was my destination and fired it up.
I arrived as expected, unbelievably. I’ve named the ship “Voidspider” for lack of any better name.
I’m still a few jumps out from Astra where I’ve to meet my contact, a xeno-archeologist, part of the team investigating the dead civilisation on Lament. They’ve been having some issues with uncertified relic hunters raiding the planet. What’s more, my contact, Christa Kain, previously worked on a site linked with the Serein civilisation. Perhaps she will be able to give me some useful information on the dead data core, or know anything about this damnable nanovirus that eats away at me with every passing cycle.
we all have our roles to play 