We’re All Gonna Die. The Only Question Is When. This Is As Good A Place As Any To Take Your First Steps To Heaven.
Leonard Dillon – Alien 3
Havoc Dawn: – Session 1 – Prologue
Advice to the reader
In order to interpret the structure of my gaming session posts effectively, it is strongly suggested that you peruse A Readers Guide to Play Sessions on The Old Bard, if you haven’t already.
To better grasp what I mean when I bring up Fate questions, you might find it useful to keep the Mythic Fate Chart accessible, potentially in a new window or tab in your browser.
Prologue
In the year 2183, against the vast, relentless expanse of the cosmos, paths diverge and converge on a world driven by survival and haunted by its past. The Havoc Dawn, a Model CM-88H BISON M-Class Commercial Towing Vehicle under the command of Captain Yuliana Petra Danailov, is nearing its destination: Gamma Leporis A3 – Terraform 3, an agricultural planet within the American Arm near the Tartarus Sector. The ship and its crew, coming from the distant AG-4550 System in the Core Systems territory, are on the cusp of concluding their journey through the cosmic darkness.
Terraform 3, famed for producing the galaxy’s best steaks and feeding the Frontier, boasts two thriving colonies, Steer City and One. For Yuliana, Steer City holds a special place in her heart. It is the home of Rick “Ricky” Dennis Seward, a seasoned Colonial Marshal who stands as a father figure to her, a beacon of familiarity amidst the infinite vastness of space. The arrival of Havoc Dawn signifies not only another cargo run but also a heartfelt homecoming.
In Steer City, the colony’s inhabitants prepare to welcome the Havoc Dawn. Among them is Callan Sidney Haight, a tireless roughneck by day and zealous clergyman by night, living a life of paradox oscillating between hard labor and profound faith, embodying the complexities of life on the frontier.
Elsewhere in the unfathomable depths of the cosmos, another tale waits to unfurl. Aboard a lost ship, Carter Cleveland Savege and Bran Sean Tierney lie suspended in cryosleep, oblivious to the passage of time and space. They are survivors of the xenomorph-infested Hadley’s Hope, their existence a grim testament to the horrors that unfolded there in 2179. The moment of their awakening is an impending echo of past nightmares and a harbinger of chaos.
As the Havoc Dawn draws closer to Terraform 3, these threads of existence weave towards an inevitable convergence. A saga of survival, betrayal, and redemption begins to take shape, its players unaware of the roles they’re destined to play. Havoc Dawn is more than just a ship or a story—it’s the dawn of a journey that will intertwine these disparate souls, forever altering the course of their lives. As the ensuing chaos looms, one question lingers: what dawn will this havoc bring? The relentless frontier, as always, holds the answers.
ATGM: I've flipped through the ALIEN core rulebook several times and believe I'm ready to just dive in and start playing. We'll figure out everything we need to know as we progress. That's what all of this is about anyways. Of course, we want to make sure we prepare our Mythic Adventure Journal and Adventure Lists. On my Adventure Journal, I've titled the first scene "Arrival at Steer City", and on the Adventure Lists, I've placed "Arrive at Steer City", "Exchange Cargo" and "Meet with Rick". On the Characters List, I've added "Yuliana" and "Rick", as well as "Havoc Dawn" and "Steer City". I didn't place anyone else yet, as that will come into play as those characters are introduced. Our Chaos Factor is the default of 5 for starting out.
ATGM: So, we've set up our initial Scene, and we're first going to test if this scene carries out in our Expected way. Testing the Expected Scene is located on page 67 of the Mythic Game Master Emulator Second Edition (MGME2E). I roll 1d10 for a result of 4. This is under my Chaos Factor of 5 and is an even number so this is an Interrupt Scene. For this, I need to roll once on the Event Focus and Event Meaning Tables. The Random Event Focus Table is located on page 37 of MGME2E. For this I need to roll 1d100. I roll 1d100 for a result of 20. So, the focus will be a New NPC. The Event Meaning Tables begin on page 47 of MGME2E. I decide to roll first on the first Action table. I roll 1d100 for a result of 85. That word is Strange. I decide to roll on the Characters table on page 49. I roll 1d100 for a result of 91. That word is Threatening. Nothing directly forms in my mind just yet. I decide to roll once more, but on the Locations table on page 49. I roll 1d100 for a result of 51. Lively. So, we have a Strange Threatening New NPC in a lively location. I decide to use a pre-established NPC from the ALIEN core rulebook (page 354). There are 3 pages of NPCs, so I roll 1d4 to determine which page to select from. My result is 4, so I choose the third page of NPCs (page 357). There are 5 NPCs listed there so I roll 1d6 for a result of 6. So, we'll select the 5th NPC listed. This NPC is a Pilot. I'm going to say this is a Pilot that is leaving the colony we are attempting to arrive at.
Day 1 – Scene 1
As the Havoc Dawn steadily approaches Gamma Leporis A3 – Terraform 3, a blip on the radar abruptly expands, growing ominously close. The serene hum of the ship’s engines is punctuated by a crackling voice over the comms. “This is Max ‘Blaze’ Kincade, folks! Keep your eyes peeled out here—it’s never as quiet as you think!” Yuliana’s eyes widen as a ship bursts from the inky void, darting dangerously close to the Havoc Dawn. With a swift, reckless maneuver, Max’s ship barely misses colliding with them, leaving a trail of star-streaked adrenaline in its wake. The audacious pilot’s laughter echoes through the comms, an eerie reminder of the unpredictable dangers of space travel as they near the colony.
“Watch it, Kincade!” Yuliana shouts back over the comms. “Stunts like that are bound to get your license revoked!”. She switches off the comms and mutters to herself “What an idiot.”
As the adrenaline subsides and Yuliana’s pulse slows, Max’s voice crackles back onto the comms. His tone, once mirthful, has darkened into something more sinister. “Just remember, you’re stepping into my territory, Havoc Dawn,” he sneers, his laughter now replaced with a cold, menacing edge. “Out here, it’s survival of the fittest. And trust me, not everyone’s as lucky as you were today.” The line goes dead, leaving an echoing silence that does nothing to calm the new tension on the Havoc Dawn’s bridge. Max ‘Blaze’ Kincade’s words hang heavy in the air, an ominous prelude to their impending arrival at the colonies.
ATGM: I add Max Kincade - Pilot (Page 357) to my Characters List on my Adventures List sheet. With that event happening, I need to question if anything else comes of this, or do we proceed to landing. I leave that up to Mythic and say this is a Likely result, so I roll 1d100 for a result of 58. Since the Chaos Factor is 5, this is above 50 for that row therefore a No, so we proceed to land at Steer City. An interesting start to our game for sure. Let's say the Havoc Dawn has now landed at Steer City, and Yuliana is of course curious if Rick is there to greet her as they arrive. Let's say that's Likely, so I'm going to roll 1d100 on the Mythic fate chart to determine if Rick is present for the arrival. My result is 64. So, Rick isn't present.
As the Havoc Dawn gently descends onto the colony’s landing platform, Yuliana’s heart thrums with anticipation. A small crowd has gathered, but as the ship’s ramp lowers with a hiss, she is met with unfamiliar faces. No sign of Rick. A pang of worry strikes her, but she pushes it down, turning to her crew.
“Alright, team,” she instructs, her voice steady despite her anxiety. “Begin cargo exchange. I’m going to find Rick.”
Her words are met with nods of understanding, the crew dispersing to carry out their tasks. Clenching her jaw, Yuliana strides off the ship and into the bustling activity of the colony. She navigates through the sea of people, her eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of her old friend. Her mind can’t help but return to Max’s threatening message. She hopes she’s wrong, but she can’t shake off a gnawing feeling that something’s amiss. She arrives at the marshal’s station to look for him.
ATGM: So, we're not sure why Rick wasn't at the landing platform, so let's let Mythic decide if he is even at the marshal's station. I'm going to say the odds are 50/50 so I roll 1d100 for a result of 79. This is a no, but not enough for an Exceptional No.
Having failed to locate Rick at the marshal’s station, Yuliana’s concern grows. Given Rick’s meticulous nature and his close bond with her, his absence is troubling. The station, usually bustling with activity, seems strangely calm. The officers present appear uneasy and unwilling to share any information regarding Rick’s whereabouts.
Yuliana decides to continue her search. She makes her way towards Rick’s residence, hoping to find clues or any indication of where he might be. The marshal’s sudden disappearance isn’t just out of character; it threatens the safety and stability of Steer City. Rick, after all, isn’t just a father figure to Yuliana – he is the colony’s protector, its beacon of order amidst the chaos of the frontier. The mystery of his disappearance begins to cast a foreboding shadow over her long-awaited homecoming.
ATGM: Once again Mythic will decide if Rick is at his residence. Remembering our Chaos Factor of 5, I'm going to go again with 50/50. I roll 1d100 for a result of 20. This is a Yes, so Rick is in fact at his residence. But how does he appear? Let's roll on some Mythic Meaning tables to find out. I decide to use the Character Actions, General table on page 203 of MGME2E. I roll 1d100 for a result of 24. That word is Creepy. I roll again on the same table for a result of 85. Start. I feed the following statement into the ChatGPT session I have for this game: 'She finds Rick at his residence. I have two meaning words that describe Rick. Creepy and Start. Give me a description of her finding RIck with these two words.'
In the dim, wavering light of Rick’s residence, Yuliana steps hesitantly over the threshold. It’s eerily quiet, and a tangible sense of unease permeates the room. Shadows dance in the corners, turning the familiar into the unknowable, the comforting into the creepy.
Suddenly, a low groan breaks the silence. Heart hammering in her chest, Yuliana rounds a corner to see a hunched figure that makes her blood run cold – Rick. He’s slumped over a table, his form illuminated by the erratic flicker of an old computer screen. The sight of him startles her, an unexpected twist to her homecoming.
His face is gaunt, the usual warmth of his eyes replaced with a haunted, distant look. His clothes are disheveled, and his typically neat hair is unkempt and wild. It’s a far cry from the steadfast, dependable marshal she remembers. Yuliana’s heart sinks as she realizes the truth: something is terribly wrong.
Yuliana approaches Rick cautiously, a knot of worry tightening in her stomach. “Rick?” she calls softly, her voice echoing slightly in the silent room. She lays a gentle hand on his shoulder, startling him. He jerks upright, his eyes wide and weary as he squints at her.
“Yuliana,” he croaks, surprise etching lines deeper into his worn face. He attempts a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I didn’t expect you so soon.”
“Rick,” she begins, concern heavy in her voice. “You look awful. What’s happening? Is everything alright?”
He hesitates, glancing away as he wrestles with his thoughts. A long, tense moment passes before he finally sighs and slumps back into his chair. The facade of strength crumbles, replaced by a vulnerability Yuliana has never seen in him.
“Things have gone south, Yuliana,” Rick admits, his voice barely above a whisper. “There’s something happening here in Steer City, something… not right.” His gaze locks with hers, filled with a desperate urgency. “I could use your help.”
ATGM: Let's once again use Mythic Meaning Tables to see what Rick might need help with. Since it's something to do with Steer City, I roll on the City Descriptors table on page 206 of Mythic. I roll 1d100 for a result of 86. Structures. Another roll on this table results in 49. Leadership.
As Yuliana gently pressed for answers, Rick’s stern face softened, the grizzled marshal sighed heavily, and began to speak.
“Yuliana, it’s the damn leadership. They’ve lost sight of what’s important,” Rick began, his voice laden with frustration. “They’re pushing for rapid expansion, building new structures without due care or process. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. The structural integrity of these hastily-built facilities is questionable at best, and the strain it’s placing on the colony’s infrastructure, well… it’s a ticking time bomb.”
His gaze hardened as he continued, “And it’s not just the physical structures that are suffering, it’s our societal fabric too. They’ve put profit above people, their reckless decisions causing divides among the colony residents. As a marshal, I’m seeing the impact firsthand, and I can tell you, it’s not good.”
He clasped his hands together, leaning forward. “I’ve been trying to make them see reason, but they’re not listening. I need your help, Yuliana. We need to make the leadership realize the danger they’re putting us all in before it’s too late.”
ATGM: Ok, so our first task is going to be to make leadership realize the danger they are causing. I add Speak with Steer City Leadership about dangers on my threads list.
With a resolute nod, Yuliana replied, “Alright, Rick. You’ve got my help. We’ll make them see the bigger picture, even if we have to shout it in their faces.”
Standing up, she extended a hand to Rick, helping him to his feet. As they made their way towards the door, she cast a sidelong glance at him, concern flickering in her eyes.
“And Rick… the pressure, all this… hasn’t it driven you to hit the bottle a bit too much?” she asked gently, indicating the collection of empty bottles that had started to pile up. She knew this was a delicate subject, but the concern for her friend overruled her hesitation. They needed to address all possible complications before they confronted the leadership.
Rick pauses, his eyes tracing down to the littered bottles before meeting Yuliana’s gaze. He gives a soft, rueful laugh, “Yeah, I guess I’ve been having one too many lately. These are stressful times, Yuli. But don’t you worry, I’ve still got my wits about me when it matters. I won’t let a little liquid courage compromise the mission…or our friendship.” His answer, laced with honesty and a bit of embarrassment, hangs in the air as they step out into the cool Steer City evening, ready to confront the city’s leadership.
Bookkeeping
Well, we’re off! We didn’t really use too much of the ALIEN RPG mechanics, but those will come into play in a very short time. I’m going to say that this ends the scene, and well our characters certainly were not in control here so we’re going to bump the Chaos Factor up to 6.
I remove “Arrive at Steer City” and “Meet with Rick” from the Threads List but leave “Exchange Cargo“. We honestly don’t know at this time if that thread is complete.
We’ve already added “Speak with Steer City Leadership about dangers” on the Threads list and we add Steer City Leadership to our Characters List.
In the next session post we’ll set up the new scene with our expectations, which will probably be to speak with the city’s leadership.
Till next time!
Resources Used
- ALIEN – The Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.
- Mythic Game Master Emulator Second Edition (MGME2E)
- ChatGPT for generating a description of various elements as noted.
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