WttSS session 57: 'How to Proceed'

Session report - Whispers to the Star Singer campaign

Written by Doctor Weather

General Summary

Many problems

Standing on the ledge behind the waterfall, the PCs decided that though they really wanted to tackle the Portal Builder science there they weren’t comfortable leaving the Legion free to work its mischief behind their backs. Further, they weren't that comfortable tackling the Legion knowing that one of Nasralleh's agents was still loitering at the back of Zarzur's mind, ready to interfere whenever Zarzur lost consciousness: the chain of problems needing resolved thus began with tackling the AI stashed in Zarzur's headpiece.
Working from the knowledge that the headpiece was in some way based on Second Horizon technology and the fact that the AI exhibited some form of self-awareness in conversation with Kerman - whom it now refers to as 'father' - Masruq used his exorcism power to get the AI out of the headpiece. As it left, it fell to the rest of the party to persuade it that leaving Zarzur and going into a tabula was a good thing, a conversation that threw Kerman some curve balls to negotiate. In the end they succeeded, leaving Zarzur with a tabula containing an entity she thinks of as 'Evil Zarzur'.

• The AI asked Kerman if she would be safe where she was being sent, as so many people just wanted to use her as a weapon for their own advantage
• She also asked if her father was going to help her get one of the mercurium bodies that he spoke about on the ship that time before
• Kerman swore on the Traveller that not only was it safe for the AI to go into the tabula but that it was only a temporary move, that he would help her get into the mercurium body - on the Traveller mind...
• With this the AI agreed to travel out of the headpiece and through a receiver into one of Khalil's tabulas, after which Murad slowly and carefully disconnected the receiver, effectively catching the 'djinn' with a 'bottle'
• Kerman had some successes to spend on his rolls to convince the AI and Masruq spent one on creating a defensive, spiritual lock on the tabula such that only allow the party was able to get in - block
• With the AI removed Zarzur gained full control of the headpiece
• She now gets a d10 equipment bonus to rolls using the headpiece
• If she ever uses the headpiece in a way that matches its function then she gets the second d10: to hack kharatuk and Portal Builder systems and send the information back to Nasralleh
• During this time the Nasralleh had the Legion on hold waiting for the response to another of his angles, trying once again to activate the AI by broadcasting the coded signals across the valley
• Khalil sent back some false data as if the headpiece had responded, giving the Legion analysts a puzzle to work through
• Kerman was originally going to keep the tabula and keep in constant communication with his 'daughter' using a wired earpiece but Zarzur was too afraid of even that being uses to let the AI loose
• Zarzur got Kerman to agree to hand over the tabula on the promise to make sure to keep in communication with the AI, if only so it wouldn't go mad through loneliness
• Zarzur's cold responses to the AI made it wonder if the tabula hadn't become a prison after all, especially when Zarzur refused its request to be with father

JUMP TO CONTENTS

Yochanan summoned by the Seekers

Nasralleh had his Seeker prisoners continue to summon Yochanan throughout the affair with the AI. Forming two circles, they completed the first part of a ritual to make Yochanan materialise and approach. He came forth from a place in the forest that seemed to shine for a moment like metal in the sun, appearing as a dark shape not so much the full colour of all pigments combined into black but rather the opposite, formed of nothing, showing through to the void that lies behind the world, his image outlined by the boiling air that was immediately desecrated upon touching his corrupted form.
JUMP TO CONTENTS

35th day of the Deckhand
Campaign: Contract: Whispers to the Star Singer
Characters: PC group: Whispers to the Star Singer
Timeline: Campaign timeline: Whispers to the Star Singer

Campaign

Whispers to the Star Singer (concluded)

Protagonists

Report Date

23 Oct 2022

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Contents

• General Summary
• Many problems
• Yochanan summoned by the Seekers