This is a playthrough of the solo science-fiction RPG Notorious, by Jason Price. An in-depth review of the game will follow at a later date.
This is the tale of the human Nomad known as Cantankrus Ordo. A descendant of his people's greatest hero, Cantankrus was raised among the elite mercenary force of his homeworld, and from an early age he was indoctrinated in their warrior code and traditions.
In the early days of the Intergalactic War, his parents were sent off to fight alongside the forces of the Trade Alliance. Cantankrus was still a child, too young to join them in battle. His mother and father never returned home - they had been slain by a hooded figure from the Mystic Order. No one knows if he has ever shed a tear for them, for he has never removed his helmet in front of another since the day he earned it. Even among his people, Cantankrus is aloof and reserved, preferring to let his weapons do the talking.
* * *
I had been hired by The New Uprising to apprehend Niff Balon, a Murian who was wanted for assassinating the leader of an Uprising resistance cell. Niff was last seen on Veltari, an aquatic planet. The dominant species there are the Kimano, a pale-skinned amphibious race; the Talok, a semi-aquatic reptilian race; and the Valk, a bird-like race. Veltari is controlled by the Mystic Order, and is challenged by a Trade Alliance presence there. The Red Moon criminal syndicate is a minor player behind the scenes.
I set my ship Relentless down on a dimly-lit floating platform. A bobbing pontoon bridge connected the landing pad to the main hub of the floating spaceport. Checking my weapons, I set out in search of my quarry.
Shortly after I set foot on a solid deck, a speeding vehicle appeared out of nowhere. Two humans in angular red masks confronted me, attempting to collect a "landing fee" for setting down in Red Moon territory. "I'm on business," I warned, placing my finger on the trigger of my laser rifle. "There's no reward for killing you... but if you don't get out of my way, I'll do it for free." (Threaten: 6 vs 4.)
"Hey, we were just kidding!" pleaded one of the thugs. "Nomads are always welcome here. Do you think we could be Nomads someday?"
"Unlikely," I grumbled, shouldering my way past them. "The Guild doesn't admit gutless sleemo like the two of you".
Kraketh Spaceport (Trade Alliance): +1 Notoriety (1)
The spaceport was much like any other, except that it was made of several large platforms that floated on the waves. I made my way to a tavern. As I entered, I could hear the rolling of thunder outside and the whistling of rising winds. Lightning flashed and the rain began pouring down in sheets.
"Help us!" cried the barkeep. "It's a monsoon!" Don't Get Attached was a motto of the Guild. We did not deal in good deeds. But maybe it would make the locals more inclined to share some information. I assisted them in battening hatches, gathering younglings, and sheltering them in empty shipping containers. +1 Notoriety (2), -1 Favor (1)
When the storm passed, they told me of a wizened old hermit who lived nearby, suggesting that he might be able to help me. I made my way to his hut and rapped on the hatch. It swung open a hand's width, and I could see only part of his face. Noticing my helmet, his eyes widened and he slammed the hatch, locking me out. "Usen'ye!" he cried repeatedly. "Usen'ye!". Go away, it meant, in the rudest way possible.
As I made my way back to the main port, a speeder whizzed past me. A figure was tossed from the back of the vehicle and landed at my feet. It was a Kimano, and he had been badly injured. He was a scrap vendor named Caper Vrill, and he was being taught a lesson for refusing to pay the Red Moon racketeers who "protected" his junk shop. I told him I would get him some help if he would loan me a vehicle, but he waved me off, wanting nothing to do with me.
Kraketh Spaceport (Trade Alliance): +1 Notoriety (3)
Outside the main terminal, I witnessed a civilian with a spray can, defacing a Trade Alliance holo-board. He was being accosted by two starport security guards. As I came closer, I noticed the vandal had painted a Mystic Order symbol on the sign. He deserves whatever beating he gets, I thought. Kark the Mystic Order, every last one of them.
A panic-stricken insectoid approached me, groveling for help. The Lek'tok introduced itself as Pikto Stakk, and begged me to help it find passage off-world. It told me it was being hunted by Red Moon enforcers for defaulting on a predatory loan, and offered me a wedge of credits to transport it to safety. "If you had that kind of money," I told it, "you'd have been able to make your payments on time. Find another sucker." Refuse: +1 Favor (2)
Passing by an alleyway, I noticed a torn satchel on the ground. No one was hiding in wait, so I knelt to examine it. The pack had a Trade Alliance logo, and contained a datapad, a stack of credits, and an ID in the name of "Jarl Videt", a Ssamborn shapeshifter. There was no sign of the owner - perhaps it had been abducted. As it would have no use for them in whatever its current situation might be, I pocketed the creds and moved on. +1 Favor (3)
A Kimano Bargecrawler was moored at a nearby wharf, so I went aboard to see what news they might have. The salvage captain was a Kimano named Quila Ackbo. She said the Old Empire and the New Uprising were irrelevant to her; all she cared for were credits. I used my newly-found cash to purchase passage to the next destination I wanted to explore. I was given a hot meal and a cabin to rest for the night. +1 Motivation (3)
As we sailed along, I noticed that the civil war had left its scars upon this world too. Salvagers hauled pieces wrecked Empire starfighters and troop carriers from the waters, and oily smoke rose from platforms where Uprising bomb attacks had taken place. There were no "good guys" or "bad guys" in this war, only opportunities for Nomads like me to earn money from whomever was paying.
Cargo Ship TA-42 (Trade Alliance)
We moored at a wharf, next to a Trade Alliance cargo ship. I searched for anyone who might have information that would help me to locate Niff Balon. (+1 Favor) Nobody had any information, but I was accosted by an angry patron. With his black eyes and broken nose, he could only be the punk who had been vandalizing the signs at the starport. He was clearly angry that I had chosen not to intervene.
Attack (Ranged): 2+3 vs 3+1. Hostile loses 1 Defense. Round two: 5+3 vs 5+1. Hostile defeated.
It was clear that a beating had not taught him to stay out of trouble. I had no sympathy for those who supported the Mystic Order, and my lesson to him would be a permanent one. Kill: +1 Notoriety (4)
I still had found no sign of my target. I was approached by a hoverbike gang, but they showed no hostile intent. They were merely protecting their turf from Red Moon racketeers. Finding no useful information here, I returned to the spaceport.
Kraketh Spaceport (Trade Alliance): +1 Notoriety (3)
As I approached the facility, I was met by another starport security guard, who demanded that I produce papers authorizing my activities and weapons. I ignored him until he dared to lay a hand on me.
Attack (Melee): 6+2 vs 1+1. Hostile defeated. Spare: +1 Favor (5)
I flipped him over my shoulder and he hit the deck hard. I kicked his stunned body out of my way and carried on with my hunt.
While sitting in a seaside tavern, listening for rumors, I felt a gentle tug at my belt. I seized a groping hand and hauled its owner out from its hiding place. It was a Murian, like my target, and it was holding the puck that held the information about my target. But this Murian was a female, and the color of her fur and her eyes were not the same as Niff's. Not my target. But her other hand was holding a vibro-blade. But I had one, too.
Attack (melee): 3+2 vs 4+1. Fail, Ordo loses 1 Defense. Round two: 1+2 vs 5+2. Fail, Ordo loses 1 Defense. Round 3: 4+2 vs 3+2. Hostile loses 1 Defense. Round four: 6+2 vs 4+2. Hostile defeated.
We had each dealt a couple of good cuts, but in the end I had the upper hand. The Murian leapt up and ran from the tavern. I let her go. Nothing had been lost, just a typical dockside pickpocketing attempt gone wrong. Spare: +1 Favor (6)
* * *
I had been trying to track down Niff all day, and night had fallen once more. It still had not stopped raining. As I made my way across a precarious bridge above a hydroelectric spillway, I saw a reptilian figure coming toward me from the other side. The Talok was wearing the robes of a Mystic Order magistrate. "I can't let you passst," he hissed. "The money wasss too good to passs up." The sluices opened up and water began roaring through the hydro generators. The catwalk became slick and we were splashed with sheets of seawater. "Niff did what had to be done, and ssso will I." He pointed a wicked-looking disruptor at me.
Lead (Gollo R'aand). Attack (Ranged): 5+3 vs 3+1. Gollo loses 1 Defense. Round two: 6+3 vs 3+1. Gollo loses 1 Defense. Round three: 2+3 vs 4+1. Ordo loses 1 Defense. Round four: 2+3 vs 2+1. Gollo loses 1 Defense. Round five: 3+3 vs 5+1. Ordo loses 1 Defense. Round six: 4+3 vs 3+1. Gollo defeated.
It had been a vicious battle. Only my heavy armor had saved me, though it had earned a couple of large new dents. Gollo's thick hide had nearly saved him, but in the end my skill prevailed. He lay on the catwalk, bleeding and coughing, but still trying to crawl toward the disruptor he dropped. I kicked it into the torrent below, and then did the same to him. Kill: +1 Notoriety (6)
I returned to my berth on the bargecrawler and paid for another night's lodging and food. The ship was heading for a nearby volcanic island where Niff might have gone to ground. While I slept, I dreamt of a mystic temple. Strange symbols adorned the walls and voices whispered in unknown tongues. I knew this was not just a dream, it was a portent. I knew that some force was drawing me to this place, but I had no idea what I would find there.
* * *
As the dim sun rose over the horizon, the bargecrawler made landfall. As if by fate, I could see the temple from my dream, far away at the foot of the volcanic slope. It took a couple of hours over rough terrain, but soon I stood before the vast, mysterious structure,
A large, hairy individual blocked my way. It was a Cherrin male, a powerful ursine humanoid. He was clad only in a bandolier, which held ammo for the tribal firearm he carried. I heard and felt a rumble, as if the ancient dormant volcano chose this moment to awaken. Soon, I was able to distinguish the sound as hundreds of distinct hoofbeats. A massive herd of ungulates were swarming down from the caldera, descending upon the temple. There would not be much time for conversation.
"Him didn't want to do it," the beast rumbled in his native language. "Him told Khurrsabuck that him was forced to. Him was going to be exposed. Him asked Khurrsabuck for help."
"That's not what I've been told," I replied. "Word is that Niff Balon was a zealot, and would do anything for the cause. I think he was looking for a patsy. You've been duped."
The beast called Khurrsabuck rose to his full height, pointed his weapon at me and roared nearly loud enough to drown out the sound of the oncoming stampede. I dove for cover and readied my own rifle.
Lead (Khurrsabuck). Attack (Ranged): 5+3 vs 4+2. Lead loses 1 Defense. Round two: 4+3 vs 6+2. Ordo loses 1 Defense. Round Three: 6+3 vs 1+2. Khurrsabuck defeated.
Khurrsabuck fell to his knees, wounded. His relic weapon was damaged and no longer functional. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head in defeat. He knew that I was right. He had been used.
"I guess everybody's got a job to do," I said, as I turned and hurried away from the temple, before the stampede could arrive. Spare: Favor at maximum already.
* * *
Kimano Bargecrawler
I had returned to the bargecrawler, hoping that the information I had learned from Gollo and Khurrsabuck might help me to find out more from the locals. I still could not figure out how the Mystic Order figured into the situation, or why they would want to assassinate a leader of the Uprising.
I spoke with a Talok local named Khaan V'uush. She seemed to be looking for an argument. Speak: 5+3 vs 5. Success. She told me she hated the war and was dreaming for its end. I reassured her that I was only here for the money, not the politics. +1 Motivation (6)
I learned that there were caverns along the rocky coastline of the volcanic island. Perhaps Niff had taken refuge in one of them, As I slowly crept through one of the darkened caves, I could see glowing eyes following my every move. I spun, raising my rifle, as an enormous cave spider emerged from a tunnel ahead of me. Then I noticed the bones strewn across the cavern floor. Some had belonged to humanoids; others appeared to belong to some creature even larger than the one that was rushing toward me.
Attack (Ranged): 4+4 vs 1+2. Monster loses 1 Defense. Round two: 6+4 vs 4.2. Monster defeated.
I held my ground and kept my calm, carefully aiming for its large, glowing, multifaceted eyes. I fired an overcharged burst into each of them, and the spider slumped to the ground, dead.
Emerging from a tunnel at the other end of the cavern, I found myself standing on a ledge below a steep, rocky cliff. Below me, waves smashed against the rocky shore. The only way ahead was to climb.
The cliff was treacherous. At times, my handholds and footholds crumbled, leaving me hanging from an outcropping or pressed against the cliff face as rocks from above fell past me, smashing into the unforgiving surf below.
Doon'la, Smuggler's Rest (Red Moon Outpost)
Reaching the top of the cliff, I found myself upon a plateau. A ramshackle outpost stood there, with a clear view to the nearby starport and floating city. I entered the building. It was a rough-and-tumble gang hideout, but nothing I hadn't seen before, Most of the occupants wore the angular crimson masks of the Red Moon. I could tell I was unwelcome here. Some became verbally aggressive, but no one had reached for a weapon yet. I could feel the tension building, and scanned the room for any potential threats.
No one approached or made threatening moves, but I noticed one short, masked figure slip out a back entrance. I shouldered my way through the angry crowd and hurried to catch the escaping gangster. The being was running across a precarious catwalk, connecting this plateau to a nearby outcropping, upon which a landing pad stood. A ship sat upon the pad, clearly the destination of the fleeing individual.
Halfway across the bridge, the figure turned and removed its mask. Niff Balon stood before me. I realized this was the same Murian who had tried to steal my puck. He had changed his fur color and disguised himself to evade capture, and had been so bold as to confront me pre-emptively.
"I don't regret what I did," Niff squeaked. "The Order didn't need the Uprising meddling around here. The Order wants to eliminate the Trade Alliance, and bringing the Intergalactic War here was bad for business. The Empire has no love for the Trade Alliance either, and without resistance, they'll eventually establish a garrison here. Now, it's only a matter of time before the Trade Alliance is gone from Veltari for good, but the Order won't last here, either. Even if you take me in, the damage is already done."
The bridge swayed as the waves crashed below us. In the skies above, Empire fighters clashed with Trade Alliance drone ships. Debris fell from the skies, some chunks passing perilously close. Stray laser fire smashed into the ground on the plateau behind us. Niff knew he could not make it to his ship before I gunned him down, and neither of us could retreat to the smuggler's outpost. The cunning little Murian drew his vibroblade and moved toward me.
Target (Niff Balon). Attack (Melee): 5+2 vs 4+2. Niff loses 1 Defense. Round two: 4+2 vs 4+2. Ordo loses 1 Defense. Round three: 5+2 vs 1+2. Niff loses 1 Defense. Round four: 6+2 vs 3+2. Niff defeated.
The close-quarters knife fight was brief and brutal. We were both bleeding from gashes dealt by the other's blade. Niff knelt before me, clutching the nasty leg wound I had dealt. It was time to bring him in.
"You're worth more alive than dead," I told him. Clearly, he was hoping for a chance to escape before I could turn him in. "But this time, it's worth the difference to rid the Galaxy of an Order lackey like you." I shot him and he collapsed on the catwalk, unmoving. "You're still worth a lot to me dead," I said, dragging his carcass toward his ship.
EPILOGUE
I needed to get back to my ship, and going back the way I came was kind of out of the question. But Niff's ship sat on the pad at the end of the catwalk, and he wasn't going to be needing it anymore. The cockpit was a bit cramped for a Human, but we weren't going far,
I landed on the pad next to Relentless and brought the crate containing Niff's body into my cargo hold. Then I paid a visit to Caper Vrill, the scrap vendor. He was doing better than when we'd first met a few days ago. Selling Niff's ship to him helped to offset what I'd be losing by bringing my target in cold. During a lull in the battle above, I slipped away to make my delivery.
It wasn't long before word of my deeds spread throughout the sector. As with any tale, it grew in the telling. According to various accounts, I'd either single-handedly driven the Trade Alliance from Veltari (they were still there), brought the Red Moon to heel under my control (we weren't exactly on the best of terms), and any of a number of other deeds. All I really did was to shoot a Rat that needed killing.
My reputation with the New Uprising did increase, of course. I even received a personal holo-message of thanks from a certain Senator who was alleged to be a member of the Uprising. But gratitude doesn't pay the bills, unless it makes it easier to get the next job.
Cantankrus will start his next mission with 1 Favor, 2 Notoriety, and 1 Motivation.
