Paul Von Drake wiped the sweat from his brow, squinting through the dense foliage that surrounded him. He noticed a storm brewing on the horizon, and the air was beginning to thicken with the scent of ozone and wet earth. The planet, an unforgiving world with 1.3 earth gravity and a landscape dominated by jagged rocks and deep valleys, was no place for the average Joe. But Paul wasn’t any average Joe—he was a former Marine and a ship's security officer who had experienced more than his share of dangerous worlds.
Beside him, Lyra Korr scanned the area with her keen eyes. A seasoned scout and survivalist, Lyra had a knack for reading the land and sensing danger before it struck. She was younger than Paul, but her experience in the wilds made her an asset.
“There,” Lyra said, pointing to a narrow path leading into the mountains. “The caves should be just beyond that ridge. If Jung’s associate's- Kilgore Reilly's memoir is accurate, that’s where he hid the idol.”
Paul nodded. The idol of Mattis—a treasure lost for centuries, a timeless and priceless relic stolen by the pirate Sebastian Jung several hundreds of years ago. It was the kind of prize that adventurers dreamed of, and the kind that got people killed. But Paul and Lyra were beyond mere treasure hunters. They were highly trained professionals, one was a cold-blooded killer, the other a great tracker, and they had come prepared.
An hour later, as they made their way up the rocky path, the wind picked up, carrying with it the first droplets of rain. The storm was moving in fast, and they needed to find shelter before it hit.
“Let’s pick up the pace,” Paul said, quickening his steps. “We don’t want to get caught out here when the storm breaks.”
Lyra nodded, her senses on high alert. She could feel the tension in the air, the way the land seemed to pulse with the approaching storm. But she also felt something else—a presence, watching them from the shadows.
“Paul,” she said quietly, “we’re not alone.”
Paul’s hand instinctively went to the weapon holstered at his side. “Whoever it is, they’re keeping their distance. Let’s keep moving.”
They reached the entrance to the caves just as the first bolts of lightning split the sky. The rain was coming down in sheets now, drenching them to the bone. They ducked inside, grateful for the shelter, and turned on the glow lanterns.
The cave was dark and damp, the air thick with the smell of earth and minerals. Paul’s eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light, and that's when he saw the remnants of ancient carvings on the walls—symbols and runes that he recognized from the memoir.
“This is it,” Paul said, his voice echoing in the cavern. “We’re on the right track.”
Lyra moved ahead, her footsteps silent on the stone floor. She reached a fork in the cave and paused, examining the ground. “There’s a trap here,” she said, pointing to a barely visible pressure plate. “Jung was clever. He didn’t want anyone finding this idol.”
Paul knelt beside her, studying the trap. “Can you disarm it?”
Lyra smiled. “Watch me.”
In no time they were back on the hunt for the idol.
The cave had changed to narrow tunnels which twisted and turned, leading them ever deeper into the heart of the mountain. Lyra disarmed each trap they encountered with practiced ease, and Paul deciphered the pirate codes that led them closer to their goal. Hours passed, and although they occasionally heard a clap of thunder echo down to them, they were safe within the labyrinth.
Hours later, exhausted and hungry, they reached a massive stone door, engraved with the same runes they had seen throughout the cave tunnels. Paul placed his hand on the surface, feeling the cold, smooth stone beneath his fingers.
“This must be it,” he said. “The final chamber.”
Examining the door closely they noticed a normal lock set in the rock wall next to the massive door. Deciphering the runes drawn along the wall, Paul explained, “According to what these glyphs indicate a key is somewhere in the wall of this chamber.” Shaking his head in disbelief, Paul admitted that glyphs didn't say where on the wall the key was. They both glanced at the wall before Lyra moved toward the wall.
“Nothing left but to look at the wall carefully. I'll start on this side, and you begin on the other side. Hopefully with two sets of eyes we'll find it.” said Lyra as she began searching her portion of the wall. Several minutes later her fingers brushed against a protruding sharpness. A closer examination revealed a small piece of metal embedded in the stone. Lyra pried it loose—it was a key, tarnished with age but still intact. Perhaps it was the key!
“This might be what we need,” she said, holding it up.
Frowning, none too sure, Paul took the key and inserted it into the key slot by the door. It slowly turned, was key twisting and was close to breaking off when the door issued a grinding sound, as the ancient mechanisms within the door began to move. Slowly, the door slid open, revealing a chamber beyond.
The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of an energy shield that encased the idol. The idol itself was a small statue, no more than a foot tall, but it was intricately carved and made of an alloy that shimmered in the light.
Paul approached the shield, examining the technology that protected it. “This is old—very old. But I think I can bypass it.”
Lyra stood guard at the entrance, her senses on high alert. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched, and she didn’t like it.
Paul worked quickly, his fingers deftly manipulating the controls. Finally, with a faint hum, the shield deactivated, and the idol was theirs for the taking.
“Got it,” Paul said, carefully lifting the idol from its pedestal. But as soon as he did, a loud alarm blared throughout the chamber.
“DAMN! Time to go,” Lyra said, her voice tense. “We’ve overstayed our welcome.”
They retraced their steps, moving quickly through the tunnels. Occasionally they thought they heard sounds of something moving behind them. They stopped several times but couldn't be sure, so they kept moving. It wasn't until they neared the cave entrance, that they heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps behind them. And a deep voice tinged with evil.
“Hand over the idol, and I might let you live,” a rough male voice announced insincerely.
“Kell Vorn,” Lyra hissed, recognizing the voice that echoed through the cave.
Kell Vorn, a notorious mercenary, had been hunting treasure for years. He was ruthless, and he wasn’t above taking what he wanted by force. He stepped into the light, flanked by two heavily armed henchmen.
Paul and Lyra exchanged a glance. They weren’t about to give up without a fight.
“Over my dead body,” Paul growled, drawing his weapon.
“Have it your way,” Kell replied, laughing, as he raising his own gun.
The cave erupted into chaos as gunfire echoed off the walls. Paul and Lyra fought with desperation and skill, using the terrain to the utmost advantage. Lyra’s agility allowed her to move from place to place, offering no target for Krell's men, while Paul’s combat experience allowed him to keep his calm as fired his laser pistol time after time.
But Kell was no amateur. He pressed the attack, driving them back toward the entrance. Lyra fired a laser shot that grazed Kell’s shoulder, but he didn’t flinch.
“We need to get out of here,” Lyra shouted, dodging a volley of bullets.
“There’s a crevice here! Come on! This way!” Paul called, leading the way into a narrow passage.
The passage was tight, forcing them to move single file. But it also gave them an advantage—Kell and his men would have to follow in the same formation, making them easier targets. However, as she entered the crevice opening, Lyra managed one more shot and saw Vorn take the hit squarely on his torso, and she swore he went down before she lost sight of him.
They reached a ledge overlooking the wet landscape outside. Even several hours later the rain was still coming down in sheets, and lightning flashed and thundered across the sky.
“We jump,” Paul said, his voice grim.
Lyra didn’t hesitate. She leaped off the ledge, falling 8 meters, landing in a crouch on the rocky ground below. Paul followed, rolling to absorb the impact. Both of them were lucky not sustain any major injuries during the jump.
As they moved off, behind them, they heard Kell shouting, but they didn’t stop. They ran through the storm, the idol safely tucked away in Paul’s pack.
After what felt like hours, they reached their scout ship—a battered but reliable craft hidden in a nearby valley. They scrambled aboard, their hearts pounding from the chase.
As they prepared for takeoff, Paul received a distress signal on the comms. It was from an old acquaintance, a marine from his old unit.
“Paul, it’s me. Quinn. I need your help. They’ve got me cornered—please, I don’t have much time.”
Paul frowned, his instincts screaming that something was wrong.
Upon Lyra questioning Paul about the radio message, he hurriedly explained to Lyra who Quinn was and voiced his concerns.
How did Quinn know he was here on this world? Did Kell kidnap his old squad mate? Sighing, Paul looked at Lyra with a worried expression. “It could be a trap.”
Lyra nodded. “Yeah, but what if it’s not? Can you just leave him?”
She carefully studied Paul's face and when she saw his face soften and his eyes swivel to her, she nodded. “Lets go see Quinn.”
Nodding reluctantly, Paul lifted, and minutes later cautiously approached the coordinates Quinn had sent. The location was an abandoned outpost. The domed hut, made of plasi-steel with tritanuim ribbing, was specially designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions, such as the present storm.
Through the ships photon sensors Drake could see Quinn sitting behind a small field desk, the kind employed by the military or mercs while on a mission. He didn't seem to be in distress. But one never knew. Making the decision to land, he still couldn't shake off the ill feeling concerning Quinn.
As they landed, Paul kept the engines running, while he remained at the service door. Lyra slid past Paul and disembarked, her weapon at the ready. Walking toward the dome, she found Quinn quickly, but something was off—he was too calm, too collected.
“Something is off here. He's just...sitting there. No one else is around him.” explained Lyra.
“Quinn, what’s going on?” Paul shouted, suspicion in his voice.
Before Quinn could answer, a group of armed men emerged from the shadows, weapons drawn. Lyra reacted instantly, taking cover behind a crate.
“It’s a setup!” Paul shouted, drawing his weapon as he ran to cover Lyra.
Quinn looked pained, but his eyes betrayed him. “I’m sorry, Paul. They gave me no choice.”
The ensuing firefight was brutal, with both sides taking heavy fire. Paul and Lyra fought back fiercely, refusing to give up the treasure they had worked so hard to retrieve. Lyra took out two of the attackers with well-placed shots, while Paul covered their retreat to the ship.
“We’re getting out of here,” Paul said, pulling Lyra back toward the ship as the last of the attackers fell.
A quick glance back at his former mate, showed Paul all he needed to know. A stray beam or perhaps Lyra aimed a shot at Quinn, but whatever it was had burned away Quinn's face. It was a good thing too, as he would have hated to do the same thing to his former teammate, and he would have without a second thought. Afterall, Quinn had turned on them.
They barely made it aboard before Paul punched the thrusters, lifting off into the raging storm. As they sped away, Lyra checked the idol—still secure, still glowing faintly.
The storm fell away as they left the atmosphere, but their troubles weren’t over. On their radar, they saw another ship approaching fast—it was Kell Vorn, refusing to let them go without one last fight.
Paul tightened his harness as he configured the controls for battle. “He’s not giving up.”
Lyra strapped in, preparing for combat. “Neither are we!”
Kell’s ship fired on them, and Paul dodged the incoming blasts, maneuvering through the debris field surrounding the planet. Lyra took the weapons console, returning fire with abnormal aim. Every shot hitting some part of the enemy ship.
The battle was quick and intense, with both ships taking damage. But Paul and Lyra were determined, using every trick they knew to outfly and outfight Kell.
In a daring move, Paul flew straight into a nearby asteroid field, weaving through the massive rocks with impressive skill. Kell followed, but his ship wasn’t as agile. A sudden turn sent him crashing into an asteroid, his ship exploding in a fiery blaze.
Paul and Lyra emerged from the field, battered but alive. They set a course for the nearest Mattistia outpost, ready to finally deliver the idol.
Several days later, after a largely uneventful trip, they arrived at Mattis and approached the station, Paul glanced at Lyra. “Finally! Do you think this is really over?”
Lyra smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “For now. But something tells me we’ve just made a lot of new enemies.”
They docked at the station, where Mattistia officials awaited them as they stepped off their ship. The idol was carefully handed over, and in return, they received their reward—a staggering 100 million credits.
But as they left the station, richer but wary, they couldn’t shake the feeling that danger now lurked around the corner. They'd been lucky this time, but next time.... Next time it might be wholly different.
~N~
The following is a narrative account of the game we played earlier this month, which marked the first beta test of the Far Reaches rules. The session lasted six hours, during which I took on the dual roles of Game Master and player character. My volunteer from the sci-fi group, Rick, joined me for the test. We played at his house, as it was convenient for both of us and his spacious game room provided an ideal setting.
The adventure took place on an unnamed planet, where we embarked on a mission to recover a revered cultural artifact belonging to the Mattis, an alien race. Mattis males are typically about 1.6 meters (5 feet, 3 inches) tall and weigh slightly over 80 kilograms (180 pounds). Their bodies are covered in short fur, except for their faces, palms, and soles. Their flat faces resemble the features of a Saki monkey, and they walk upright on two legs. The Mattis wear clothing primarily for its practical benefits. To the human ear their language consists of a series of beeps and squeaks, however in reality the Mattis use infra-sound in emphasizing a specific thing or object, or more often a description and sometimes decrees. The Mattis race, in general, are a literal race and have little patience for antics and other humor.
On landing the two adventurers located a cave system and followed its booby-trapped tunnels to a large interior chamber where they discover a huge stone door. Initially the door was going to be unlocked but both players had rolled very well against the several traps they had encountered virtually breezing through them, disabling the traps as they went. So, I changed the scene a little bit, having it locked instead with the key hidden somewhere in the chamber. Rick rolled unusually well and thus was successful at every challenge.
Kell Vorn was a character from another game system but fit the arch villain profile very well. Rolling for Kell I didn't do anywhere near as well as Rick on my roll results and so Kell Vorm met an early demise. Instead of ending the game at that point, I threw in one more challenge. I'm ashamed to say I was feeling very frustrated at this point as Rick had rolled so well that the game hardly seemed like an adventure. So yeah, I used my game master magic and created one more obstacle.
So five weapon carrying NPC appeared, not including Quinn. Of course, we didn't have to accept the challenge, but Rick decided to anyway. So off we went to “rescue” Quinn. And again, Rick rolled exceptionally well and dispatched the five goons with relative ease. I rolled to see if Quinn, who was actually tied to a chair behind the desk, had received and damage. Sure, enough he took a critical hit. So, goodbye Irene.
I resurrected Vorn for one final battle. However, my dice rolling sucked once more and Kell died rather quickly. The rest of the scenario was anticlimactic but ended with both PCs having accolades heaped upon them by the Mattis and of course, receiving the huge reward.
As we played Far Reaches, we discovered a few points where the game could be improved so I made notes as we went along. All in all it was a pleasant experience and Rick thought the game has its hidden jewels. Of course, to actually have a beta test we'll need more people involved, which shouldn't be a problem. On that particular Saturday, I was feeling better than I had been and Rick had some free time and so we gave it a go.
We both tried to play to the weaknesses and strengths of the characters.
Below are the stats of the characters we used.
PLAYER CHARACTERS
Name: Lyra Korr
Species: Human
Allegiance: Independent
Age: 29 Standard Years
Specialty: Scout/Survivalist
Education: 52 (High School + Military Training)
Experience: 68
Character Stats:
Physiology
Strength: 74
Dexterity: 95
Constitution: 82
Endurance: 79
Agility: 90
Defense: 85
Cognizance
Intelligence: 48
Wisdom: 84
Technicity: 40
Science: 30
Engineering: 42
Tactics: 68
Psyche
Charisma: 60
Willpower: 90
Sanity: 85
Negotiate: 72
Courage: 88
Intuition: 92
Special Abilities:
PSI Potential: 65
PSI: 0
Initiative: 78
Action Points: 9
Average Character Rating: 73
_________________________________________________________________
Name: Paul Von Drake
Species: Human
Allegiance: Empire of Man (Old Terran Federation)
Age: 47 Stanard Years
Speciality: Ship's Security
Education: 67 (2 years college, Marines)
Experience: 73
Character Stats:
Physiology
Strength: 83
Dexterity: 91
Constitution: 89
Endurance: 82
Agility: 87
Defense: 88
Cognizance
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 89
Technicity: 26
Science: 46
Engineering: 26
Tactics: 57
Psyche
Charisma: 82
Willpower: 84
Sanity: 91
Negotiate: 87
Courage: 80
Intuition: 80
Special Abilities:
PSI Potential: 83
PSI: 0
Initiative: 56
Action Points: 8
Average Character Rating: 72