Today’s post is a report on the first part of Tūrelil jē Sekhmet. I expect to write something every few sessions rather than for each session due to format and time constraints.

What is Tūrelil jē Sekhmet?

Someone requested a Psi-Wars game, and I offered to run something. Thus, Tūrelil jē Sekhmet was born. It is a “pulp archaeology” adventure of not yet determined length (it has proven to be longer than a one shot adventure).

An interested reader may find some hidden details (or insight into my amazing naming sense) by translating some of the strange, alien words from their native Kelen or Lithian (but note that the conworkshop site is a nightmare to navigate). Any readers who are not sufficiently motivated to hunt “Easter eggs,” should simply treat the alien words as alien words. My players might find minor spoilers in some of the translations and thus may want to avoid such hunting. (I have no analytics on the number of readers, but I can’t imagine they number more than a few.)

The Characters

Kaglen Voidstalker

Kaglen Voidstalker is a spacer who used to work as a prospector. On one trip, he found a relic, sold it secretly and used the funds to purchase a ship and go independent. He was hooked. He came into contact with a secretive group of black market merchants named the Sub Rosa Alliance and was inducted into the organization. Kaglen has a robot contact name Ernie. He also has an ARC Squire named Harvard as a companion. Kaglen owns a YT-1300fp light freighterRedjack Nomad and has a robot crew.

Harvard

Harvard is an ARC Squire that Kaglen obtained through unconventional means. Harvard originally served someone from House Korenno but now serves Kaglen faithfully and will do anything his new master asks (as long as his programming allows). Harvard is an ARC elitist. Harvard’s main jobs are body guarding Kaglen and dealing with security. Harvard was programmed as a force sword trainer and has a non lethal training blade.

Kayta

Kayta does archaeological work for a Keleni Temple in Samsara and is currently seeking information about the lost world of Anmarwi. She is also a priestess and a fighter pilot. Her ship is a Redjack Wildcat.

Crank

Kayta’s piloting helper bot is Redjack Crankshaft named Crank (at least it is better than Shaft). Crank is currently still with the ship, and has thus far remained in the background.

Outer Space Above Samsara

Before the adventure began, Kaglen and Kayta tracked a notorious criminal named Skeet Skitshaw who was fleeing to Kronos with a satchel full of stolen temple tokens (Keleni temple money has a much poorer weight to value ratio). As they were leaving Samsara’s gravity well, Skeet’s girlfriend, Betty Sage, noticed “a bot” and a “Keleni broad” on the ship: “Skeet you two timer!” One of Skeet’s goons pulled a blaster. They were in a standoff in space.

“W what?! Oh no no no! I am soooooo not with him!” Kayta’s skin glowed with horror at the thought. Skeet demanded surrender and warned that things would not go well when they arrived in Kronos if they didn’t cooperate. They did not surrender, nor did they negotiate. Kaglen activated his shield belt, Harvard activated his “sword,” and Kayta drew her staff. Kaglen’s shield proved quite effective, but his blaster had a difficult time hitting its target. Kayta made fairly quick work Skeet and Georgie, but they had another problem. Skeet’s uncle was calculating hyperspace coordinates. It was only a matter of time before they jumped toward Kronos.

Harvard successfully opened the door (the cockpit was merely separated by a locked door, so there was no need for an EVA to reach it). After some effort, Kaglen managed to prevent a jump. Unfortunately, the ship went out of control. By the time Kaglen regained control of the ship, it was about to crash land on Jahāwlāīñ.

Note: If this seems familiar, know that it is very different. It is in space and has aliens.

Jahāwlāīñ

Kaglen managed to land the ship at the space port of a cliff side city surrounded by ocean. Kaglen, Harvard and Kayta bound their defeated foes and “looted the bodies.” They also investigated the area and found some seeming artifacts from the Monolith culture and even a sarcophagus, but they were disappointed. It was all fake (actually it was holovid props, but that didn’t seem to assuage the charges)!

The landing was an emergency and neither expected nor authorized, so the Carabinieri Imperials were obliged to investigate the newcomers. Kaglen wisely invited the Imperials to investigate the ship and explained the situation. The Imperials demanded proof of their story but feigned ignorance when examining their credentials. Kayta’s Empathy allowed her to recognize the bribe request, and the matter was settled without too much trouble.

The Imperials escorted the party to the town who looked for a place to rest and make a call to their ships back in Samsara. They managed to locate an inn named Anmōra (way less generic than something like the Gilded Goblet) that also had a restaurant. Kaglen expected seafood (which was an obvious guess considering the location). The owner, Kēλaren (see, I told you it was different), greeted them, and they ordered space pasta with space seafood.

As they began eating dinner, a young Keleni woman burst into the restaurant sobbing to Kēλaren in Kelen: “Kēλaren, they have take my father! I don’t know what to do.” Kaglen and Kayta offered to help. Luñere Ñēna (also different) into a private area where Ñēna explained the story of how her father, Þēra, was kidnapped by a large Slaver and multiple Krokuta. She recalled that her father said: “the Lavitna found me just as they did Mr. Curle!”

The party learned that Þēra was a professor of theology at the university in Kronos but moved back to Jahāwlāīñ when he retired. Ñēna believed that her father was still held at home and that the Slaver appeared to be looking for something. Kēλaren took everyone into a private location for additional discussion. Ñēna mentioned information about relics as a reward for rescuing her father.

Kēλaren too frightened to provide direct assistance, but he did explain that that the Lavitna (this is completely different) was a mercenary group lead by a Slaver named Gorum the Great.

Off to Rescue Þēra

The house was blocked by Imperials. It was supposedly dangerous due to vague reasons such as “seismic instability” and jīrēla (an animal similar to a mountain lion). The Kaglen and Kayta decided to take the back path and risk jīrēla to avoid confrontation with the Imperials.

The trip was mostly uneventful except for a pair of hungry, large, space cats that nearly had an easy meal due to telepathic predators. Kayta (who’s player remembered a mind shield this time) and Harvard managed to notice them, and Kaglen Gizmo’d a couple steaks to provide a distraction. They were able to escape successfully.

When they arrived, they noticed a Krokuta patrolling the area. In typical PC fashion, they decided to talk to the Lavit who said something unintelligible and pointed a blaster at them, pulled out a syringe and fired some “warning shots” (firearm safety tip: Don’t fire warning shots. They could hit unintended targets.). Seeing the syringe, Kayta attacked. The Krokuta dodged and injected himself with unknown drugs. A second Krokuta heard the sound and came running, and the PCs heard a heavily accented “Unlock it faster! Else I think you are intentionally stalling me, gelga!” from inside the house.

The fight was somewhat eventful with Kaglen deciding to “retreat” while dodging a plasma blaster instead of activating his belt. He dodged the first shot and took an indirect hit with the second which nearly ablated his armor. This was also intended as an easy fight, so they prevailed and entered the house.

Inside the House

As they entered the house, they heard the voice again: “Now, you will pull the crystal I’ve asked for, professor…” It came from downstairs. They attempted to sneak down the stairs, but Gorum heard and warned: “I don’t know who you are, but don’t move or the frog gets it!” Gorum attempted to use Þēra as a bargaining chip, but Kaglen decided to shoot the hostage (non lethally, but still…). Kayta glowed in shock: “Ancestors?! Kaglen shoot the Japila not Thera!!!”. After reading Kaglen’s mind, she realized what happened and continued the act: “Welp. In that case you don’t have a hostage. So defend yourself Japila slime.”

Not only was Kayta very rude the the esteemed Gorum the Great (japīla is an offensive way to address a Slaver), but she didn’t consider her actions very carefully. Defending against a large, charging Slaver wearing heavy, spiked armor while wielding only a staff is not a good idea. Kayta managed to avoid the overrun but not the grab. We used the Fantastic Dungeon Grappling rules, but it made little difference in this particular case. Kayta was unable to break free and got spined and poisoned by the armor.

Gorum attempted to use the unconscious and poisoned Kayta as a hostage, but Kaglen was stubborn. Gorum would not have killed Kayta. Killing “valuable merchandise” is bad for business. With negotiations going nowhere, Gorum threw Kayta at Kaglen. Kaglen did the heroic thing and dodged. Gorum set a fire as a distraction and managed to escape in traditional “Saturday morning cartoon” style: “You haven’t seen the last of Gorum the Great.”

Kaglen called Ñēna and let her know the situation. Harvard performed first-aid on Kayta, but Kayta remains unconscious to this day.

Thoughts

This is the first text only game I have run. It is different. It is also the first game I have run for “internet people” rather than “real people.”

I will need some more “Saturday morning cartoon” type villains.

I found it fun that GURPS has rules for using characters as thrown weapons. The thrown objects rules are quite versatile.