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  A Solar system Spanning 
  Adventure path for
  
  GREEN RONIN PUBLISHING
  3815 S. Othello St., 
  Suite 100 #311
  Seattle, WA 98118
  Email: custserv@greenronin.com
  Web Site: www.greenronin.com
  The Expanse Created by James S.A. Corey
  Writing and Design: Kate Baker, Steve Kenson, Shoshana Kessok, Ian Lemke, Will Sobel, Nicole Winchester
  Development: Ian Lemke     Editing: Michael Matheson       Proofreading: Josh Vogt
  Art Direction and Graphic Design: Hal Mangold     Cover Art: Conceptopolis     Cartography: John Wilson
  Interior Art: Biagio D’alessandro, Dimitri Bielak, Stanislav Dikolenko, Felipe Gaona, Lukasz Jaskolski,  
  Victor Leza Moreno, Mirco Paganessi, Andis Reinbergs, and Andrey Vasilchenko 
  The Expanse Roleplaying Game designed by Steve Kenson          Adventure Game Engine (AGE) Created by Chris Pramas
  Publisher: Chris Pramas
  Team Ronin: Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Jaym Gates, Kara Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold,  
  Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Marc Schmalz, Malcolm Sheppard, Will Sobel, Owen K.C. Stephens, Dylan Templar, Veronica Templar, and Barry Wilson
  Abzu’s Bounty is ©2019 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted material  
  in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Green Ronin, The Expanse Roleplaying Game,  
  and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. The Expanse is © 2011-2019 Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. 
  A Solar system Spanning 
  Adventure path for
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Table of Contents
  Contents
  INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................3
  The Story .................................................................................3
  The Crew ................................................................................ 4
  Interludes & Levels ............................................................... 4
  1: BREAKING THE SURFACE .....................................................5
  Introduction ........................................................................... 5
  Running This Adventure ...................................................... 6
  Preludes to the Adventure ...................................................7
  Skipping Ahead......................................................................7
  Scene 1: Mutiny on the Bounty ...............................................8
  Scene 2: Boarding Party .........................................................11
  Interlude: Journey to Prometheus ....................................... 14
  Scene 3: The Meeting.............................................................16
  Scene 4: The Fate of the Anne Bonny ...............................19
  Interlude: Mars or Bust ..........................................................22
  Adversaries & Allies ........................................................... 23
  2: SATELLITES AND SECRETS ..............................................26
  Introduction .........................................................................26
  Running This Adventure .................................................... 27
  Order of Scenes ..................................................................28
  Scene 1: Beaten to the Punch ..............................................28
  Scene 2: Relay Satellite .........................................................30
  Interlude: Journey to Callisto ...............................................32
  Scene 3: Showdown at the Pyramid News Network ..... 33
  Interlude: Who can be Trusted? .......................................... 37
  Interlude: The Journeys ........................................................ 37
  Scene 4: The Bug’s Maker....................................................38
  Scene 5: The Informant ......................................................... 41
  Scene 6: The Handoff ............................................................ 44
  The Aftermath .....................................................................45
  The Wrap-Up .......................................................................46
  Adversaries & Allies ...........................................................46
  3: TWO KINDS OF PRAYER ....................................................50
  Introduction .........................................................................50
  Running This Adventure ....................................................52
  Establishing a Connection.................................................52
  Interlude: Long Way Home ...................................................52
  Scene 1: My Brother’s Keeper ..............................................53
  Interlude: My Burden is Light ............................................... 57
  Scene 2: As Gold is Tested ..................................................59
  Scene 3: Now the Serpent ...................................................62
  Scene 4: Taken in an Evil Net ..............................................64
  Interlude: Far from the Light.................................................66
  Scene 5: The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things .........66
  Adversaries & Allies ........................................................... 70
  4: THERE’S OPA AND THERE’S OPA ................................... 73
  Introduction ......................................................................... 73
  Running This Adventure .................................................... 75
  Skipping Ahead................................................................... 75
  Scene 1: Message from Ceres ............................................. 76
  Scene 2: The Rebel Governor ............................................. 78
  Challenge Tests/Interlude: Surveying the Territory ........80
  Scene 3: Meeting the Voltaire Collective .........................82
  Scene 4:  It’s Sabotage! Or Is It? .........................................84
  Scene 5: Countdown .............................................................85
  Scene 6: OPA vs. OPA ...........................................................86
  Scene 7: Revelations ..............................................................86
  Interlude: Leaving Ceres .......................................................88
  Adversaries & Allies ...........................................................89
  5: THE TITAN’S BALL ................................................................91
  Introduction ..........................................................................91
  Running this Adventure .....................................................92
  Scene 1: Welcome to Titan ...................................................93
  Scene 2: Persons of Interest ...................................................7
  Scene 3: Opportunity Knocks ............................................ 102
  Scene 4: Vengeance for the Anne Bonny .......................104
  The End Game ....................................................................107
  Adversaries & Allies ......................................................... 108
  6: SHOOT THE MOON ............................................................112
  Introduction ........................................................................ 112
  Running this Adventure .................................................... 113
  Scene 1: Welcome to the Moon ...........................................113
  Scene 2: Over the Moon .......................................................119
  Scene 3:  Into the Lab ...........................................................122
  Scene 4: Endgame ................................................................126
  Conclusion ......................................................................... 130
  Adversaries & Allies .......................................................... 131
  2
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Introduction
  A
  bzu’s Bounty is a six-part series that spans much of the solar system. The core of the story follows the characters as they 
  chase after a sample of the protomolecule stolen by one of the wealthiest men in the Inner planets. How you decide to 
  use this book is up to you. You can tell the story exactly as written, or you can use parts of it to create your own series. The 
  actions of player characters might derail the story as written and require you to take it in a completely different direction, 
  or at least modify things to better suit new developments. Advice is given here, and throughout the book, for how to keep the 
  story on track, but think of Abzu’s Bounty as a framework for you to tell your series as best suits you and your players. 
  The STory
  Abzu’s Bounty is about one man’s quest to fulfil his deepest desires and childhood dreams, no matter what the cost. Sebas-
  tian Pope, the antagonist from To Sleep, Perchance to Dream in the adventure in The Expanse RPG, is at the center of this 
  story. Pope dreams of traveling to the stars and sees a chance to achieve that dream in the protomolecule. 
  The player characters are unfortunate enough to be present when a new sample of protomolecule is discovered and are 
  quickly drawn into a web of politics, deceit, and treachery as multiple 
  groups throughout the solar system seek to attain the sample. 
  • In Chapter 1: Breaking the Surface, the player characters are on 
  board the ice-hauler Abzu’s Bounty when an unusual silicate is 
  discovered inside some of the harvested ice. Pirates board the ship 
  and take the sample and the player characters with them before 
  destroying the Bounty. The pirates take them to Prometheus where 
  the characters end up at the center of a three-way firefight over the 
  sample. During the firefight, an unknown faction steals the sample, 
  which turns out to be the protomolecule. With all of the pirates dead, 
  the characters are free to take their ship, the Anne Bonny. But not 
  before they are contacted by a mysterious woman who wants to 
  track down the protomolecule, and wants their help to do it. 
  Introduction
  “Posthuman. It was a word that came up in the media every 
  five or six years, and it meant different things every time. 
  Neural regrowth hormone? Posthuman. Sex robots with inbuilt 
  pseudo intelligence? Posthuman. Self-optimizing network 
  routing? Posthuman. It was a word from advertising copy, 
  breathless and empty, and all he’d ever thought it really meant 
  was that the people using it had a limited imagination about 
  what exactly humans were capable of.” 
  — Leviathan Wakes
  3
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Introduction
  • In Chapter 2: Satellites and Secrets, the crew heads to Mars to drop off their mysterious benefactor, Diana. En route, 
  they overhear a pirate radio station, known for espousing conspiracy theories, that knows a suspicious amount about 
  the sample of protomolecule found by the Bounty. Diana insists that the crew track down the radio station. They do so, 
  but are beaten to the punch every time, leading to the discovery that the Anne Bonny has been bugged. After finally 
  finding the pirate radio station, the crew meets a woman who has inside knowledge of the protomolecule. She gives 
  them information that they think might lead to the protomolecule itself, but that leads instead to a stolen suit of Martian 
  powered armor—not a bad haul.
  • In Chapter 3: Two Kinds of Prayer, the crew finally delivers their passenger to Mars and possibly takes time to make 
  repairs and rest. Once there, they attract the attention of the head of a Martian mega-church, who takes a keen interest 
  in them and their ship. It seems the Anne Bonny was originally owned by his brother who took it and vanished after the 
  death of his fiancé. While on Mars the crew become entangled in a years-old murder mystery, and are later attacked by 
  a group of mercenaries hired by Pope to eliminate them. 
  • In Chapter 4: There’s OPA and There’s OPA, the crew are recruited on Ceres by Anderson Dawes to investigate 
  several recent bombings. This is mostly a ploy by Dawes, who is aware of their connection to the protomolecule, to 
  get the crew to Ceres so that he can investigate their ship and learn more about them. The crew find the bomber and 
  discover that she is an Earther surgically altered to appear as a Belter, which hints at a wider conspiracy of Earth trying 
  to destabilize the Belt. 
  • In Chapter 5: The Titan’s Ball, Diana sets a trap for Pope, or at least his cohorts, by putting an item up for bid at the 
  Titan’s Ball that she knows Pope won’t be able to resist. Pope doesn’t show up himself, forcing the crew to figure out 
  who his agents are in the hopes of squeezing them for information about the protomolecule. As the crew closes in 
  on their target(s), the Ball is attacked by the crew of Anne Bonny’s sister ship, the Mary Read—intent on avenging 
  themselves on Pope and his allies. The crew escapes with their target(s) and the information that Pope’s protomolecule 
  is in a secret lab on Luna. 
  • In Chapter 6: Shoot the Moon, the crew of the Anne Bonny arrive at Luna and track down the fixer that Pope uses to 
  smuggle supplies to his secret laboratory. Once they find the fixer, they convince him to help them find the lab and then 
  break into the lab itself. Protomolecule-infected humans are released into the lab and Pope escapes to a luxury liner 
  with the last of the protomolecule sample. With her prize now close at hand, Diana betrays the crew. She makes a grab 
  for it, and aims to eliminate any witnesses. The crew must race to the liner before it breaks orbit from Luna, and deal 
  with Pope’s security forces as well Diana and her mercenaries. 
  The Crew
  The nature of the crew that your players create will have a huge impact on how this story unfolds. Abzu’s Bounty assumes that 
  the crew will be a mixture of Inners and Belters, similar to the crew of the Rocinante, and you may want to encourage them 
  toward that. Abzu’s Bounty explores a wide array of social settings and locations throughout the system, giving characters from 
  almost any background a chance to shine at some point. The series can still work with a crew made up of entirely Earthers or 
  Martians, but in that case you may want to modify certain sections, or even skip certain chapters. For example, if your crew is 
  entirely composed of Earthers you might want to skip Chapter 4: There’s OPA and There’s OPA. During character creation 
  you’ll also want to encourage the players to make characters who are eager to answer “The call to adventure.” If they make risk 
  averse characters they’re not going to get far in this series—caution won’t help players put themselves in danger to pursue a 
  dangerous sample of protomolecule across the solar system. One way to encourage players to take more dramatic chances is 
  to help the players select Drives for their characters that are likely to motivate them to pursue the protomolecule. 
  InTerludeS & levelS
  Most of the stories in Abzu’s Bounty have long periods of downtime between them, offering lots of opportunity for interludes 
  and in some cases possibly even side adventures. The first few adventures offer details on the types of interludes that can 
  be taken, while the later ones offer less detail, leaving things up to the GM and the players to fill in as they see fit. 
  At the beginning of the series, the player characters are presumed to be 2nd level and they should generally advance one 
  level for each story in the series, meaning that they should be at least 7th level (possibly a little higher if you come up with 
  side adventures) by the time they reach Shoot the Moon, the final story in the series. 
  4
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Breaking the Surface
  B
  reaking the Surface is the first adventure of the Abzu’s Bounty series for The Expanse Roleplaying Game. It is designed 
  to set into motion the series of events that launch the players’ crew of characters into an exciting new life of adventure 
  on their own trajectory, involving them in events of great importance to the solar system and the future of humanity.
  The solar system is holding its breath as the cold war between Earth and Mars heats up. The Protogen corporation 
  discovered an alien technology—the protomolecule—and deliberately infected everyone on Eros Station with it. The proto-
  molecule transformed and repurposed the biomass of thousands of people, eventually sending the asteroid station hurtling 
  towards Earth. Only the sacrifice and determination of two people was able to steer Eros to crash into Venus instead. There, 
  the alien-infected biomass disappeared beneath the roiling clouds and...something is happening.
  Ships from both the United Nations of Earth and the Martian Congressional Republic are on high-alert, warily watching 
  each other and whatever might come up out of the atmosphere of Venus. The Belters, represented by the Outer Planets 
  Alliance, are fighting for a seat at the negotiating table before one side or the other upends it to use as a shield in a war that 
  seems inevitable. The system is a volatile mix of fear, anger, ambition, miscommunication, and old grievances, just waiting 
  for the spark that will touch it off.
  Overview
  The ice-hauler Abzu’s Bounty is one of many of its kind working the routes of the Saturn system, collecting masses of water-
  ice from the planet’s rings and transporting them to processing centers where the water is melted, filtered, and refined for 
  distribution across the thirsty outer planets, where it is an essential element of life. Normally, the work on board an ice-hauler 
  is dull and routine, and most of the people who end up crewing these ships have slid down to the bottom of the spacefaring 
  ladder—or have been pushed.
  As Breaking the Surface begins, however, things are anything but routine for the crew of Abzu’s Bounty. Their latest 
  ice haul from the rings of Saturn has turned up something unusual: A chunk of ice containing strange silicates that trigger 
  a reading from the ship’s computer. The find matches information the ship’s parent company, Krystal Kleer, has flagged in 
  their system. The captain orders the ice containing the unusual material gathered and sealed in an onboard safe, and sends 
  an encrypted message back to the home office. Meanwhile, the Bounty’s first officer gets in touch with OPA associates 
  1: Breaking the Surface
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  Breaking the Surface
  and tells them about the discovery. This leads to an encounter with 
  the pirate ship Anne Bonny, which sends a boarding party onto the 
  Bounty. It’s clear what they’ve come to find. What’s more, the leader of 
  the boarding party is someone known to one of the player characters.
  The pirates take the ice sample and the leader of the boarding party 
  decides it would be “useful” to bring along the people who discovered 
  the sample, especially if they’re willing to cooperate in obtaining it from 
  the ship’s safe. The pirates may or may not be able to get the captain 
  and XO of the Bounty to cooperate, and there is the time pressure of 
  another ship approaching.
  The boarding party gets the sample and retreats to their ship, taking 
  the characters (and possibly some NPCs, potential replacement player 
  characters) with them. After burning away from the ice-hauler, the pirate ship fires on the Abzu’s Bounty and then goes 
  into a hard burn away from the area. In the cabin where they’re held, the crew experience both the acceleration and clear 
  evidence the pirate ship has suffered some damage from the blast.
  The voyage to Prometheus is the perfect time for an interlude. When the ship arrives at its destination, the characters are taken 
  by part of the pirate crew to a meeting they’ve arranged on the station with an OPA faction called the Free Fools. The pirates 
  intend to hand over the captives and receive payment for the ice sample, after which they’ll hand over the protomolecule. 
  Things don’t go as planned, as both the pirate and OPA factions at the meet are ambushed by a third faction, well-armed 
  and prepared to take everyone out. The mystery faction kill off most (if not all) the NPCs and either the characters are victo-
  rious, or the attackers withdraw from the area after receiving new orders. The pirate captain lives just long enough to give 
  the crew a hand terminal with command codes to the Anne Bonny. If one or more of the player characters dies during this 
  encounter, it’s possible some of the Bonny crew survives, either here or in Scene 4, to serve as replacement characters.
  The crew return to the Anne Bonny and discover its remaining crew are dead (or missing) and the ice sample is missing 
  as well. Local station security will likely be investigating the ship soon, following up on the violence involving the clandestine 
  meeting, so the characters have to decide on a course of action. As they are doing so, a newcomer asks to come on board 
  to talk with the characters. She tells them her name is Diana, and that she has a proposal for them. She represents someone 
  interested in employing freelancers and can assist the characters in claiming the Anne Bonny, if the characters are willing to 
  consider future employment opportunities. The adventure ends with another interlude as the crew’s ship leaves Prometheus 
  and sets off for Mars and the lead-in to Chapter 2, assuming the PCs follow Diana’s lead.
  running This AdvenTure
  Breaking the Surface is about change and opportunity and the uncertainty that accompanies both. The characters’ lives 
  are about to change dramatically as they become involved in events already set in motion. By the end of this adventure, 
  they have reclaimed control over their own lives—or at least the appearance of it—and have entirely new opportunities that 
  weren’t open to them before.
  This adventure establishes several important things for the course of the Abzu’s Bounty series:
  • It puts a sample of the protomolecule “in play” in the System, held by someone initially unknown to the player characters. 
  This is why it’s important for the protomolecule sample the crew of the Bounty discovers to end up stolen by the end 
  of this adventure.
  • It gives the crew a ship of their own and the freedom they need to take part in the later adventures in this series, which 
  is why the crew should end up in control of the pirate ship Anne Bonny by the end of the adventure.
  • It introduces a patron in the form of Diana, the woman the crew meets in the last scene of the adventure, who can help 
  smooth out a number of potential problems. She also serves as an introduction to later adventures in the series and as 
  a key figure in the overall plot. This is why the crew should at least meet Diana at the end of this adventure, even if they 
  are initially resistant to the idea of working with or for her.
  esTABlishing A COnneCTiOn
  An important element of the early scenes of Breaking the Surface is a connection between the player characters and Claire 
  O’Rourke, the captain of the Anne Bonny. This connection can save the characters’ lives in Scene 2 and is pivotal to the 
  “Anna had walked on a moon of Jupiter. She’d look up 
  through a dome-covered sky at the great red spot, close 
  enough to see the swirls and eddies of a storm larger than her 
  home world. She’d tasted water thawed from ice as old as the 
  solar system itself. And it was that human dissatisfaction, that 
  human audacity that had put her there.” 
  — Abbadon’s Gate
  6
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Breaking the Surface
  events that follow. Work with the players to determine which of their characters might already know O’Rourke, and in what 
  capacity, keeping in mind the elements of her background from the Allies & Adversaries section of this adventure.
  Ideally, the connection between O’Rourke and the player character should be a strong one, perhaps even strong enough 
  to qualify as a Bond (see the Rewards chapter of The Expanse RPG for details). Since this Bond will be short-lived, given 
  the events of the adventure, feel free to award it to the chosen player character as a “bonus” beyond the usual starting 
  Bond. The exact nature of the relationship is up to you and the player: They might have been romantically involved, served 
  together, grew up together, or any number of other possibilities. If any of the characters have connecting backgrounds it’s 
  possible that more than one of them could have a connection to O’Rourke. Talk with the players involved and feel free to 
  modify O’Rourke’s background a bit to suit whatever ideas you come up with.
  Preludes TO The AdvenTure
  The default assumption is that the player characters have reached level 2 by the start of this adventure. You can simply 
  start the crew out at that level, advancing them automatically after character creation, or you may prefer to run some type of 
  prelude adventure to introduce the players to The Expanse and give their characters a bit of experience (and the requisite 
  level) before starting this adventure.
  One possibility is the starting adventure To Sleep, Perchance to Dream from The Expanse RPG core book. It starts the crew 
  out on Tycho Station and sends them looking for a pair of missing scientists. This is a particularly good starter adventure both 
  because of its availability (if you have The Expanse RPG, then you have the adventure) and because the ultimate antagonist 
  behind that adventure, corporate magnate Sebastian Pope, is also the ultimate antagonist in this series. The key element you 
  might want to change from the adventure-as-written is to remove the crew acquiring a ship from it; for example, their own ship 
  is badly damaged and the characters lack the Income to repair it, forcing them to take up work aboard Abzu’s Bounty.
  Another possibility is the adventure The Ganymede Insurance Job, included with The Expanse RPG Game Master’s Kit. 
  It sends the crew after an insurance scammer on Ganymede who is caught in the middle of a gang war. That adventure is 
  also useful in that it does not require the characters to have their own ship, making way for them to take work on the ice-
  hauler—particularly if they need to leave trouble in the Jovian system behind for a while.
  A third option is the adventure Cupbearer from The Expanse RPG Quickstart, a free downloadable product available from 
  greenronin.com. This adventure involves the characters in activities on Ganymede looking for the scion of a wealthy corpo-
  rate family. Cupbearer assumes the crew has a ship to get them to and from Ganymede, but it’s possible that ship could be 
  borrowed, or that they might lose it in the course of the adventure, putting them in a difficult situation and in need of employ-
  ment.
  Apart from simply working on board, other reasons the crew might be aboard the Abzu’s Bounty might include:
  • Inexpensive passage to somewhere along the ice-hauler’s route. The crew might be paying for their passage or working 
  to help pay it off.
  • Since the movements of the crew of an ice-hauler aren’t particularly notable, the characters might be using the ship 
  to travel without attracting too much attention, either because they’re wanted by authorities, or because they’re doing 
  something they’d rather no one noticed.
  • Escorting a non-player character who has taken passage on the ship, possibly for either of the previous reasons.
  • Pursuit or investigation of a member of the Bounty’s crew, such as Mitchell and his criminal connections.
  In general, ice-haulers require that all passengers work for their passage—living space is limited—so everyone on board is 
  considered to be part of the crew. Work with the players to come up with suitable reasons for their characters to be aboard 
  based on their backgrounds, professions, drives, and goals. 
  skiPPing AheAd
  If, for whatever reason, the start of your Expanse series simply doesn’t fit with the crew being on board an ice-hauler, you 
  can always skip the first two scenes of this adventure, having the discovery and theft of the protomolecule sample and the 
  destruction of the Bounty happen “off-stage.” Instead, the crew can start with Scene 3 and the events on Prometheus. They 
  might just happen to be at the small station to resupply or make repairs, in transit to somewhere else, to take up the job of 
  investigating the destruction of the Bounty, to serve as proxies for the OPA during the meeting with the pirates, or O’Rourke 
  might hire them as muscle for the meet. Whatever the reason for their presence, the crew shows up in time for the fateful 
  7
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Breaking the Surface
  meeting and the ensuing ambush. They’ll have the opportunity to follow up and discover the theft of the protomolecule and 
  the deaths of the crew of the Anne Bonny. Then meet Diana as detailed in Scene 4, where she looks to hire them.
  If the crew already has their own ship prior to this adventure, they might want to use that instead of the Anne Bonny. As 
  aspects of later stories rely on the crew having the Anne Bonny, do what you can to make sure they take that ship rather than 
  another. Perhaps the Anne Bonny is a better ship and the crew might choose to “trade up” and take it, with Diana helping 
  smooth out the various details in a hurry so they don’t have to stay and answer a lot of awkward questions on Prometheus.
  sCene 1
  MuTiny On The BOunTy 
  exPlOrATiOn/sOCiAl enCOunTer
  The ice-hauler Abzu’s Bounty makes a fateful discovery in the Saturn system that changes the crew’s lives and may affect 
  the future of humanity. Read or paraphrase the following to the players:
  Life on an ice-hauler is anything but exciting. But then, as people say, if crew members were suited for doing 
  anything other than crewing a hauler, they’d be doing it. Working on the Abzu’s Bounty, a hauler mining the rings of 
  the Saturn system for the Krystal Kleer corporation, is certainly no different. At least, it wasn’t until recently.
  It started with a routine skim of Saturn’s rings to gather a new load of ice. Scans of the ice gathered in the Bounty’s 
  massive catch-bay turned up some unusual readings, some kind of silicate. That discovery tripped a flag in the ship’s 
  computer. In response to a subsequent communique from corporate, Captain Reyes has ordered the crew to isolate 
  the readings coming from a chunk of ice. The captain wants the ice sample tracked down, collected, and put into 
  containment immediately. With her orders given, she personally deletes all records from the ship’s log all information 
  about the communique. 
  Exactly how the player characters are involved in this process depends on their roles aboard the Bounty. Decide with the 
  players what roles their characters occupy, keeping in mind the existing complement under The Bounty Crew section that 
  follows. Rearrange the existing crew assignments as needed to fit the player characters in, keeping the captain and execu-
  tive officer where they are, since they play key roles in the upcoming scene.
  If their duties allow, have the player characters be the ones to put on vac suits and go into the catch-bay to retrieve the 
  ice sample. With some aid from the ship’s sensors and hand-held scanners, they’re able to find it: A piece of dirty ice roughly 
  Filling OuT The Crew COMPleMenT
  For a couple of quick tools to fill out the rest of the Bounty’s crew complement as needed, consider the following:
  RANDOM GENERATION
  First, you can simply roll some dice to come up with a few random characters, giving them names and one or two distinctive char-
  acteristics.
  • 
  Gender: Roll 1d6, the character is: 1-2 = male, 3-5 = female, 6 = gender-fluid or agender.
  • 
  Age: Roll 1d6, the character is: 1-2 = young, 3-5 = mature (older for higher numbers), 6 = old.
  • 
  Features: Roll 1d6, the character’s features are predominantly: 1 = African, 2 = Asian, 3 = Caucasian, 4 = Latin, 5 = Mediterranean 
  or Middle Eastern, 6 = South Asian, keeping in mind that almost all Belters have mixed ethnic heritages.
  • 
  Origin: Roll 1d6, the character is: 1 = an Earther, 2 = a Martian, 3-6 = a Belter.
  If you wish, you can also roll the character’s attitude randomly on the Attitudes table under Social Encounters in The Expanse rule-
  book or choose something suitable based on the situation. Assume these background characters have abilities of 0, 2-3 appropriate 
  ability focuses, and no Fortune score.
  PLAYER DESIGN
  You can also involve the players in filling out the Bounty’s crew by asking them to describe one or two of their crewmates—other 
  than fellow player characters or the existing crew described in this adventure. Ask each player to describe what that character is 
  like and how their character feels about them. In this way the players may be a little more invested in the crew members they have 
  imagined, giving the scenes to follow more impact. You can even encourage players during character creation to have Bonds with 
  members of the crew other than fellow player characters; these Bonds will likely not last long, but can transition to something else 
  or be replaced. Or, since one player gets a free Bond in O’Rourke, you could give the rest of the free Bonds with members of the 
  crew. See Changing Relationships in Chapter 14 of The Expanse rulebook for details.
  8
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Breaking the Surface
  35 centimeters in length and vaguely potato-shaped, with veins or striations of some black material 
  inside it, which registers as an unusual silicate compound. Once the ice is retrieved, the captain orders 
  it placed inside an insulated and cooled containment box from the ship’s med-bay. Then the box is 
  locked in a safe in the captain’s office. If the player characters are involved in retrieving the sample, 
  Captain Reyes gives them strict orders not to discuss the matter with anyone, but also refuses to tell 
  them what it is or the reasons for her caution.
  The BOunTy Crew
  The Abzu’s Bounty has a crew complement of 49, including the player characters. Serving together 
  for months at a time on ice-hauling runs, the crew has gotten to know each other well and some of 
  them have served together on the ship for years. The player characters might be relative newcomers 
  or long-time members of the crew. Either way, they should be acquainted with many of their fellow 
  crew members.
  About half the Bounty’s crew is made up of various specialists and officers, including technicians 
  and those crewing bridge or engineering stations. The rest are workers who handle the ice collection 
  process and operate the mechs and drones, as well as doing routine maintenance and other varied 
  tasks on the ship. The Bounty works in a three-shift rotation of eight-hour shifts, so each primary role 
  on board has three personnel assigned to it. This allows you to assign player characters to key roles 
  like engineer, medic, or pilot on the second or third shift.
  This adventure doesn’t go into every member of the Bounty’s crew. Feel free to make up additional 
  personnel—or encourage the players to do so—to fill out the characters in this scene and in Scene 2. The 
  following are key members of the ice-hauler’s crew:
  Captain Xin Reyes has seventeen years working for Krystal Kleer under her belt, eight of those as captain of the 
  Abzu’s Bounty. She’s on track to be as close as one can get to comfortable retirement out in the Belt in about ten 
  years, and has no desire to do anything to mess that up. Captain Reyes is well known as a “by the book” commanding 
  officer who doesn’t like surprises, so it’s no wonder she seems tense 
  concerning this unusual development on an otherwise routine run. 
  See the Allies & Adversaries section at the end of this adventure for 
  additional information.
  Executive Officer (XO) Bart Mitchell is definitely the heavy on board 
  the Bounty. While Captain Reyes doesn’t like to be bothered with petty 
  disputes or disciplinary matters, Mitchell has no problem being all up 
  in the crew’s business when he needs to be. And sometimes even 
  when he doesn’t. He’s a bit of a bully, but he keeps things running 
  efficiently so the captain overlooks anything that isn’t going to cause 
  trouble for her. Rumor has it Mitchell worked for a security corp until 
  he stepped over the line and got canned. See the Allies & Adver-
  saries section at the end of this adventure for additional information.
  Pilot Raisa Arnova is small-framed, even for an Earther. But she’s a 
  capable pilot, and has an impressive capacity of alcohol for someone 
  her size. Arnova washed out of the UN Navy and is still bitter about it.
  Chief Engineer Saveen Patel is Belter-born, but never lets anyone 
  forget that his family helped settle Mars. Saveen talks about retiring to 
  Mars eventually, even though he’s never actually been there. He and 
  his assistants keep everything running aboard the Bounty and, like 
  many engineers, Patel thinks of her as “his” ship—with the captain and 
  crew just driving. Patel likes to cook when circumstances permit and 
  is actually pretty good at it.
  ABzu’s BOunTy 
  (iCe-hAuler)
  SIZE  Gigantic
  HULL   3d6
  CREW  128
  COMPETANCE  Average
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   0
  WEAPONS
  None
  QUALITIES
  None
  NOTES
  The Bounty is a typical ice-hauler: 
  A former colony ship, patched-up 
  and held together, but some of 
  her still a good century old and 
  always in need of maintenance.
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  Ship’s Medic Kat Kowalski is not a fully-licensed medical doctor, but has sufficient training, certification, and experience 
  to deal with the medical issues aboard ship. Like a lot of Belters, Kat learned a great deal from online instruction and 
  experience in the field. She’s known for her professional discretion and probably knows more about every member of 
  the crew than anyone else aboard, serving as unofficial “confessor” as well as medic.
  Communications Officer Gabriel Olivera is one of those people who is just attractive enough and sufficiently aware 
  of it to have an overdeveloped sense of confidence. He’s a flirt, but enjoys drawing out the chase as much as 
  anything else.
  TrOuBle Brewing
  Once the unusual ice sample is located and secured, things on board the Abzu’s Bounty mostly return to normal, but it 
  should still be clear to anyone paying attention that something is brewing. Captain Reyes spends more time than usual in her 
  office, communicating via tight-beam messaging with the corporation’s home office while rumors run fairly rampant aboard 
  ship. With nothing else to interrupt their routine, members of the crew are free to speculate as to what is going on. Feel free 
  to pass along some of the wilder rumors to the player characters, including:
  • The sample is proof there is some contaminant in the ice from Saturn’s rings that could seriously affect the company’s 
  bottom line, and they’re looking to cover it up.
  • Not all of the communications off-ship have been going to Krystal Kleer corporate, though they have all been tight-beam 
  transmissions, not broadcasts.
  • The captain has made sure the ship’s shuttle is supplied and prepped to depart at a moment’s notice.
  • What they discovered has something to do with what happened recently on Eros, or possibly what is happening now 
  on Venus after Eros crashed there.
  • The sample is proof of extraterrestrial life in the Saturn system, and corporate is either looking to cover it up, or to keep 
  the information to themselves.
  • The sample is proof of a top-secret Martian bio-weapon experiment that took place on Phoebe and was part of the 
  reason why the Martian navy sterilized the moon with nuclear weapons.
  MITCHELL’S SCHEME
  Executive Officer Bart Mitchell makes a point of talking to the player characters about the sample and the rumors, particu-
  larly if the characters were the ones to retrieve the sample from the ship’s hold. Mitchell is more friendly and genial than 
  the characters can ever recall him being, and he pumps the characters for information under the guise of “curiosity” and 
  “just wondering.” If a character presses the matter or asks why the XO is so interested, determine Mitchell’s attitude 
  toward that character (see Impressions and Attitude in the Social Encounters section of Chapter 5 of The Expanse 
  RPG): If Mitchell is Neutral or friendlier, he risks taking the character into his confidence. Read or paraphrase the following 
  to the players:
  “Do you know what that stuff is, why the system flagged it…? It’s what caused everything on Eros, what the Inner 
  governments are trying to figure out more about. It’s why the Martians destroyed Phoebe, but a fragment or some-
  thing must have found its way into the rings. What are the odds, right? Can you imagine what something like that is 
  worth…?”
  Mitchell makes it clear he knows what the protomolecule sample is potentially worth, and that he’s equally sure the corpo-
  ration won’t be sharing their largess from the find with the crew of the Bounty. Unless the characters give the XO additional 
  reasons to trust them, he’s likely to leave it at that, perhaps adding, “It’s a shame that the people who take the risks don’t get 
  to enjoy the rewards,” or words to that effect.
  If the characters can improve Mitchell’s attitude towards them to at least Friendly through interaction, the XO thinks they 
  could be helpful to him. He confides in them that he sent a message to some “friends” of his who are interested in what is 
  in the safe in the captain’s office. Friends who are willing to pay a lot for it, certainly enough to set someone up for life. Of 
  course, that means getting the sample out of the safe and off of the Bounty before the ship makes it back.
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  nexT MOves
  Just what happens at the end of this scene and prior to Scene 2: Boarding Party should be up to the player characters. 
  As should what, if anything, they do about the discovery the Bounty has made and the XO’s plans for it. The end of this 
  scene can range anywhere from a few tense moments before the approaching pirate ship makes contact with the Bounty, 
  to the player characters moving directly against Mitchell before the executive officer can make his move to secure the 
  protomolecule sample and sparking a possible mutiny on the ice-hauler. Leave the next moves up to the players—neither 
  Mitchell nor Reyes is in a hurry and, unless the player characters take action, Captain Reyes doesn’t even suspect any 
  trouble from her crew.
  sCene 2
  BOArding PArTy 
  COMBAT enCOunTer
  In this scene, the pirate ship Anne Bonny intercepts the Abzu’s Bounty and boards her to take the protomolecule sample. As 
  it turns out, the captain of the Anne Bonny knows one or more of the player characters, which creates some complications, 
  particularly because the boarding party is not the one that XO Mitchell is expecting.
  Word of the incoming ship doesn’t come until well into third shift aboard the Bounty. Captain Reyes is pretty pissed 
  that it wasn’t reported sooner, because there’s no way that a ship on full burn can sneak up on anyone out here. But 
  what’s an even bigger concern is that the ship isn’t returning a transponder signal, which can only mean one of two 
  things: Either their transponder is damaged, or it has been illegally modified so it can be turned off. While it’s possible 
  their communications systems are damaged and they’re just looking for help, the worst-case scenario—that they’re 
  pirates—is much more likely. Either way, it’s only a couple of hours until intercept.
  The incoming ship is the Anne Bonny, a modified freighter run by a crew of Belter pirates. Thanks to an intercepted report 
  Captain Reyes provided to Krystal Kleer’s head office, the pirates are on instructions from Sebastian Pope to secure the 
  protomolecule sample and turn it over to his people. The Bonny is on an intercept course with the Abzu’s Bounty and there’s 
  not much the Bounty crew can do about it: The pirate ship is faster and there’s nowhere for the ice-hauler to run. Once the 
  Bonny is in weapons-range the Bounty is a sitting duck, and everyone knows it.
  Still, Captain Reyes isn’t prepared to surrender immediately. She continues attempting to communicate with the incoming 
  ship and remains on course. She tries to advise corporate of the intercept to ask for further instructions, but the incoming 
  ship appears to be jamming the Bounty’s communications. In reality, Mitchell has sabotaged the Bounty’s comms systems, 
  and even if they do get through corporate won’t respond.
  XO Mitchell doesn’t know what is going on either, but he suspects the incoming ship is related to his OPA contacts. After 
  all, who else knows about the sample on board the Bounty? It’s rare for Belter pirates to attack ice-haulers—their cargo is too 
  difficult to loot and not usually worth the effort—so Mitchell (rightly) believes this isn’t a random attack. He just doesn’t know 
  there are other factions interested in the protomolecule.
  Initially, the XO plays it cool. Unless he and his allies have already moved against Captain Reyes, he sees no reason to 
  start trouble until reinforcements arrive. Still, he does whatever he can to ensure that the Bounty doesn’t somehow manage 
  to outpace the incoming ship. In fact, Mitchell’s influence kept the Bounty’s initial sensor reports of the incoming ship quiet, 
  until a shift change rotated in a sensors officer the XO hadn’t brought into his confidence.
  PrePAre TO Be BOArded
  As the incoming ship draws closer, it begins a deceleration burn to match the velocity of the Abzu’s Bounty, and the ice-
  haulers receive a tight-beam communication. Simply: Surrender and prepare to be boarded. Ship’s sensors make it clear the 
  incoming ship has painted the Bounty with weapons-locks and that she has torpedo tubes, meaning they can destroy the 
  ice-hauler at any time. The Bounty isn’t armed, so there is really no choice but to surrender.
  If the player characters are loyal to Captain Reyes or unaware of Mitchell’s scheme, they might try and come up with some 
  wild plan for stopping the pirate ship or helping the Bounty to escape. Let them try, but Mitchell or one of his loyalists may 
  sabotage their efforts as they think the pirates are allies. Mitchell’s interference should confuse matters long enough for the 
  pirates to arrive and dock.
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  Although Captain Reyes is a realist and not suicidal, she also has an inkling of what it is in her office safe and isn’t prepared 
  to give up any possible advantage. She allows the incoming ship to dock with the Bounty, but arranges for an armed contin-
  gent of the crew—including XO Mitchell and the player characters, if they are still in her good graces—to meet their “visitors” 
  at the airlock.
  If Mitchell has already successfully moved against the captain, then he and his allies greet the newcomers at the airlock with 
  the assumption they are allies, which could lead to a tense moment or even a fight once the XO realizes that is not the case.
  The Bounty does have a weapons locker able to outfit the crew with pistols (2d6 + Per damage) so they are armed to face 
  off against the pirates, although it should be fairly clear they are outgunned.
  hellO AgAin
  A contingent of eight pirates from the Anne Bonny, led by Captain Claire O’Rourke, make their way across to the Bounty. The 
  pirates wear vac suits and carry rifles (3d6 + Per damage) along with pistols as side-arms, and they have a sealed container 
  for transporting the ice sample containing the protomolecule.
  O’Rourke makes it clear to the Bounty crew that she prefers to make this transaction as bloodless as possible, but also 
  that she will brook no interference or resistance. The pirates fight, if necessary, but don’t start a fight unless the crew resists. 
  When the player characters hear O’Rourke’s voice and have the opportunity to see her face through the visor of her helmet, 
  the character acquainted with her realizes who she is. Likewise, O’Rourke recognizes the character (or characters) she 
  knows, although she hides her reaction. The player characters can make a TN 12 Perception (Empathy) test to notice the 
  pirate captain’s response before she covers it.
  The pirate captain demands that the crew of the Bounty lower their weapons if they want to avoid a fight. Captain Reyes 
  (or XO Mitchell, if he’s in charge) demands first to know what the pirates want. O’Rourke says she wants the sample the crew 
  found in the ice haul. If asked how she knows about it, she replies, “That hardly matters now. I know, I want it, and you’re 
  going to hand it over.”
  The confrontation is tense, but if Captain Reyes is still in charge, she ultimately surrenders the sample to the pirates rather 
  than risk an all-out firefight and the destruction of her ship. Mitchell, on the other hand, holds out hope of a payoff for handing 
  the sample over to the OPA and may lead the crew in a fight against the pirates if he thinks he stands a chance of winning. If 
  a fight breaks out, the pirates do whatever they can to secure the Bounty and their prize from the captain’s safe, but retreat 
  back to their ship if they lose more than half of their number.
  Either way, Captain O’Rourke tries to keep her player character connection alive and safe if possible. She may choose the 
  character as a “hostage” or request their assistance in retrieving the sample from the captain’s office. Even if dubious, her 
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  crew doesn’t question her orders. If there is an opportunity to speak privately with her connection, O’Rourke quickly tries 
  to communicate: “Trust me if you want to get out of this alive.” Otherwise, she relies on the character picking up that she is 
  trying to keep them safe. If you wish, the player of the character with the connection can make a TN 9 Perception (Empathy) 
  test to understand this.
  THE SAFE
  Once O’Rourke knows where the protomolecule sample is, she focuses on retrieving it. Captain Reyes, if cooperating, can 
  simply open the safe in her office. Otherwise, the pirates have to break into the safe, which takes a bit more time and a TN 
  11 Advanced Intelligence (Engineering or Technology) test (success threshold 10). If any of the player characters have the 
  ability focuses, O’Rourke might call on them to assist her crew.
  COME WITH ME
  Once the sample is secure, the pirates immediately head back to their ship, taking some of the Bounty crew with them, 
  including the player characters. O’Rourke does this primarily to help her connection survive, but also focuses on hostages of 
  potential value. If the player characters were the ones to find and retrieve the ice sample, she uses that as the ideal excuse to 
  take them along. Likewise for those characters who were cooperative or helped retrieve the sample from the captain’s safe.
  The pirates may take along some other non-player characters. This allows you to continue any interesting relationships 
  that might have developed during the start of the adventure and to provide a few “spare” characters for later scenes in this 
  adventure should any of the players need a new character, for example. These other survivors of the Bounty might be lost 
  during Scenes 3 & 4 in this adventure, or could go on to be NPC members of the player characters’s crew, as you prefer. 
  Note, there is opportunity for XO Mitchell to appear in a later adventure, Chapter 4: There’s OPA and There’s OPA, so you 
  may want to consider having him taken along as well. 
  The FATe OF The BOunTy
  Once the pirates have the protomolecule sample, they retreat back to the Anne Bonny with the sample and their hostages 
  in tow, leaving the rest of the crew behind on the Bounty. The prisoners are secured in spare rooms aboard the Bonny 
  (depending on how many of them there are) and told to strap into the available acceleration couches. You can read or para-
  phrase the following to the players:
  It’s not long before you feel the pirate ship detach from the Bounty and the maneuvering thrusters push you away 
  from the ice-hauler, your acceleration couches shifting slightly on their gimbals along the direction of the thrust. Then 
  the force of the ship’s Epstein drive igniting hits you like an elephant sitting on your chest as the ship pulls at least two 
  or three Gs, maybe more? You’re pressed down into the gel of the couch, lungs laboring for each breath.
  Another force rocks the ship! That wasn’t acceleration or a course adjustment, but an impact! That’s when you 
  hear a high-pitched roaring noise that makes your blood run cold even as a powerful wind pulls at your hair and your 
  clothes. Your eyes follow the paths of swirling dust and small debris towards the fist-sized hole in the bulkhead the 
  atmosphere is rushing out!
  PrOTOMOleCule: hAndle wiTh CAre
  What if the absolute worst-case scenario happens, and someone is exposed to the protomolecule on board the Bounty? Well...
  that’s bad, but still salvageable.
  First and foremost, everything in the initial scenes of this adventure is designed to avoid such contact: The protomolecule sample 
  is frozen inside a chunk of ice that’s as hard as granite, and the characters who discover and retrieve it are, by definition, wearing 
  vac suits. It is quickly contained and locked away, where no one in the ice-hauler’s crew can handle it. The pirates who come to take 
  it are well aware that it is a hazardous material they should avoid contact with at all costs, and they only remove it from the safe to 
  put it in an even more secure container and move it to their ship.
  Nevertheless, if a sample of the protomolecule does get loose and come into direct contact with a living person, consult the 
  Threats chapter of The Expanse RPG for details of its effects. Note that any character infected by the protomolecule cannot be 
  saved. Captain O’Rourke has been made well-aware of this and will not allow an infected character to leave the Bounty or come into 
  contact with anyone else. A protomolecule outbreak on board the Bounty makes taking the player characters along on the Bonny 
  and the destruction of the ice-hauler even more imperative to the pirate captain. It also mitigates the destruction of the Bounty, since 
  it becomes absolutely necessary if the ship is infected with the protomolecule.
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  BreACh!
  The Anne Bonny launched torpedoes at the Abzu’s Bounty to destroy 
  it and provide some cover for their escape, but they were perilously 
  close to the ice-hauler when it went up and some debris struck and 
  damaged the pirate ship. That includes a fragment that holed the 
  compartment holding the player characters.
  The characters have to seal the breach, or all of their air evacuates 
  and they suffocate. Fortunately, there is a breach-sealing emergency kit 
  in the compartment—any character who looks for it will find it. Sealing 
  the breach is a TN 12 advanced test (success threshold 10). The test 
  must include an initial Dexterity (Free-fall) test to reach the breach and 
  one or more Intelligence (Engineering) tests to seal it successfully. The 
  crew has time for five tests before the air completely evacuates from 
  the room.
  Beginning on the third round, characters have to make a TN 9 
  Constitution (Stamina) test each round, with the TN increasing by +1 
  per round. Failing the test means a character falls unconscious. On 
  the following round, the character’s condition becomes dying and the 
  character cannot stabilize until they are able to breathe again. A char-
  acter stabilized from dying due to suffocation is exhausted. See the 
  Conditions section of the Expanse RPG rules for details.
  Once the breach is sealed, the room’s atmospheric recyclers begin 
  pumping in more air, restoring conditions to normal. If you want to give 
  the characters a last minute save, one of the NPCs with them can assist 
  with the advanced test to seal the breach, or members of the Bonny’s 
  crew could reach the compartment in time to be of help. Otherwise, the 
  characters are on their own. 
  inTerlude
  JOurney TO PrOMeTheus
  Following the destruction of the Abzu’s Bounty in Scene 2, there is an interlude as the Anne Bonny makes its way to the 
  small outpost on Prometheus in the Saturn system. See the Interludes section of Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG for details 
  on handling interludes. It takes the Anne Bonny about 24 hours to make the trip at a fairly brisk 1G of acceleration and 
  deceleration.
  Generally, interludes are intended to summarize or compress long stretches of time, so it is up to you how much of this 
  interlude to play out in real time and how much to skip over in narrative time. Keep in mind the characters may need some 
  time to rest and recover, making Recovering one of their interlude activities. Other activities depend on the players and their 
  plans and goals. Players being players, there’s a good chance they will want their characters to explore either some means 
  of escaping and trying to take over the pirate ship. They may also seek to negotiate with the pirates for their freedom, or try 
  to lull them into letting the crew go before they make their move.
  esCAPe ATTeMPTs
  The characters from the Bounty are kept locked in rooms aboard the Anne Bonny for the duration of the trip to Prometheus. 
  They are six to a room, so you can either have the player characters all be together, or separated and mixed with other char-
  acters taken from the Bounty. They’re not guarded, but the ship’s computer monitors the status of the locks and the doors 
  and alerts the Bonny’s bridge crew if any  are opened without authorization.
  The pirates feed their “guests” three times a day (simple fare from their galley) and opening the doors to bring them food 
  is the only time they interact with the characters. Two pirates stand outside the door while two others set the trays of food 
  just inside. All four  pirates are armed and don’t hesitate to use force if the characters become aggressive.
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  There are terminals in the characters’ rooms, but they are locked out of everything except the most basic functions. It 
  takes an advanced TN 13 Intelligence (Technology) test (success threshold 10) to override the lock-outs and gain access 
  to the ship’s computer. Failure on any test alerts the Bonny crew. With access, a character may be able to gain some control 
  over ship’s systems: This requires additional advanced Intelligence (Technology) tests, with a TN of 13 or more and a 
  success threshold of 10 to 15, depending on what the character is attempting.
  Overriding the locks on the door takes an advanced TN 13 Intelligence (Engineering or Technology) test (success 
  threshold 10) and allows the characters to manually open the door. They cannot force the door open with brute strength or 
  any of the resources they have in the room without first overriding the mechanism.
  If the characters do make a break for it, feel free to remind them they are outnumbered and outgunned by the pirates, 
  who may have little reason to keep them alive if they prove to be too much trouble. If they persist, the pirates use whatever 
  means at their disposal to deal with the break-out. Captain O’Rourke would prefer not to kill the prisoners (especially the 
  character she is connected with) but will do what’s best for her ship and crew. If the pirates still control the systems of the 
  Bonny, they can shut off life support or even vent the air from parts of the ship; see the systems under Breach! in Scene 2 
  for guidelines if they do this.
  reCOvering
  Characters who spent Fortune or acquired any injury conditions during the prior scene may need to spend part of the 
  interlude recovering. Each eight hours they do so, characters regain 10 + level Fortune. In the total time of the trip to 
  Prometheus, a character can also attempt to recover from an injury: Roll an advanced TN 11 Constitution (Stamina) test 
  (success threshold 5). If the character succeeds with a 5 or more on the Drama Die, they can remove the injured condition. 
  Otherwise, they need further recovery. If a character with the Medicine ability focus treats the injured character, they can also 
  roll an Intelligence (Medicine) test and the character uses the better of the two test results to recover. If asked, the pirates 
  provide the prisoners with basic medical supplies to treat injuries.
  relATing
  Some characters might want to spend time getting to know their fellow prisoners or the members of the Bonny’s crew, either 
  to ingratiate themselves and gain more information or to seek an opportunity for escape. In particular, the player character 
  connected with Captain O’Rourke might try talking to her. There’s no opportunity during this interlude to significantly change or 
  advance the characters’ relationships, but you can treat this as a social interaction as found in Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG. 
  BONNY CREW
  The pirate crew’s attitude towards the characters is Standoffish, imposing a –1 interaction modifier. If the characters can shift 
  attitude to Open (two shifts), they can find out one of the following pieces of information with a successful TN 12 Commu-
  nication test:
  The Bonny is going to Prometheus.
  The captain has a meeting planned there.
  Taking the members of the Bounty crew on board was not originally part of the plan, and it’s unclear what the pirates 
  will do with them. 
  Note that opportunities to interact with the crew during the interlude are limited to a total of four tests.
  CAPTAIN O’ROURKE
  Claire O’Rourke is also Standoffish to most of the player characters (–1 interaction modifier), but she is Friendly towards the 
  character with whom she shares a connection, granting a +2 interaction modifier. If the connection character asks, O’Rourke 
  speaks with them alone. A TN 12 Communication test (effectively TN 10, since the character gets a +2 modifier) can yield all of 
  the information under the Bonny Crew section previously. O’Rourke also tells them she was hired to acquire the ice sample in 
  a fairly last-minute arrangement, but she has an OPA connection on Prometheus she thinks will pay handsomely for it instead. 
  It should be clear to the character that O’Rourke is in over her head and making up her plan as she goes. Lastly, O’Rourke tells 
  her connection that she will do her best to let them go on Prometheus once the deal is done (and maybe even give them a cut).
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  OTher ACTiviTies
  Most other interlude activities are off-limits to the crew while they are prisoners on board the Anne Bonny, but the players 
  might come up with other things they need or want their characters to do during the interlude. Feel free to let them pursue 
  ideas that sound reasonable. Note that the pirates won’t provide the crew with tools or other equipment of any kind except 
  medical aids, as noted above. Although characters might be able to do something like swipe a piece of cutlery to use as a 
  crude tool—this increases the difficulty of any tests using the makeshift tool by +2.
  sCene 3
  The MeeTing 
  COMBAT enCOunTer
  The Anne Bonny arrives at Prometheus Station with the purloined protomolecule sample and the player characters. Once 
  there, the captain sets up a meeting with an OPA faction to sell them the sample, but a third party crashes the meeting.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the players to open and set the scene:
  You’ve been traveling for at least 24 hours and it is clear that, wherever you’re going, you’ve nearly arrived. The 
  ship has definitely executed a deceleration burn that’s now nearly done, shedding most of its momentum and able to 
  go to maneuvering thrusters. Given the amount of time and the fact that you haven’t been accelerating at particularly 
  high-Gs, you can’t have gone that far from the site of the intercept with the Bounty. You know that you’re still some-
  where in the Saturn system. The only questions are where, and what happens when you arrive? 
  ArrivAl AT PrOMeTheus
  The Anne Bonny arrives at Prometheus Station, a relatively obscure destination in the Saturn system. Prometheus is one of 
  the planet’s inner moons, orbiting just inside Saturn’s ring system. An elongated potato-shaped mass of ice and rock some 
  135 kilometers across, Prometheus is the site of a small mining and ice-processing station. It has facilities for docking a small 
  number of ships, but otherwise sees little traffic. The permanent inhabitants on the station are all local workers and their 
  families, and there’s a limited transient population.
  ON THE FLOAT
  Once the Bonny arrives, it maneuvers into Prometheus Station’s docking bay. From that point on, everyone is on the float, in 
  microgravity, since the station doesn’t have spin gravity like some of the larger stations found in the outer planets. It hasn’t 
  been worthwhile for anyone to put the resources or effort into spinning up Prometheus, so the whole station operates under 
  free-fall conditions. See Origin and Native Gravity in Chapter 2 and Gravity in Chapter 13 of The Expanse RPG for details 
  on operating in microgravity. Most of the surfaces of the station work in conjunction with mag-boots, allowing visitors to walk 
  around, if they prefer.
  AWAY MISSION
  About two hours after their arrival at Prometheus, Captain O’Rourke and seven members of her crew come to collect the 
  player characters. The pirates are discreetly armed with concealed sidearms, but not wearing vac suits. O’Rourke tells the 
  player characters they are coming with her and—if they cooperate—they may still survive all of this, but she makes it clear 
  that any attempt to cross the pirates or cause trouble will result in the offender being shot dead on the spot. O’Rourke does 
  not directly threaten the character she is connected to. In fact, she tries to offer reassuring and calming glances without 
  saying anything directly. The connected character can pick up on this automatically if they share a Bond with O’Rourke. 
  Otherwise, a TN 9 Perception (Empathy) test does the trick.
  For the initial escort with the pirates during this scene, feel free to institute the “Dead-to-Rights” option from Chapter 
  12 of The Expanse RPG: Essentially, so long as the pirates have the drop on the player characters, they cannot spend 
  Fortune to mitigate damage until after their first round of actions during a conflict. This means if the pirates shoot or 
  otherwise attack the characters immediately, they have to use Toughness, injuries, and wounds to deal with the damage 
  before being taken out. Inform the players of this if you institute it. It may make the players a bit more cautious about 
  trying anything right away.
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  ON THE RUN
  Nevertheless, it’s possible one or more of the characters might try to make a break for it once clear of the ship and on 
  Prometheus Station proper. Keep in mind the microgravity conditions: Nobody can “run” and any chase through the corridors 
  of the station is more likely to involve Dexterity tests using Acrobatics or Free-fall. The parts of Prometheus the characters 
  traverse range from fairly quiet to all but abandoned. If characters do try to escape from the pirates, run the scene as you 
  see fit, using the Chases section of Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG. If the pirates re-capture the characters, they haul them 
  off to The Meeting (following). If they escape, you can have the security personnel from The Firefight (following) come after 
  them to tie up any loose ends, or simply move on to Scene 4 if the characters return to the docking bay. Otherwise, you 
  may need to improvise, and Diana may have to find them wherever they are hiding in order to make her offer from Scene 4.
  The MeeTing
  The pirates take the characters to a largely unused area of tunnels off Prometheus Station that are part of a played-out 
  mine. There awaits a group of eight members of the Free Fools OPA faction, led by a man named Hector Cruz. Use the 
  Anne Bonny Crew Member stats from Adversaries & Allies for these characters as well. Cruz and his people are here 
  to negotiate for the sale of the sample Captain O’Rourke has acquired. The Free Fools are a local splinter faction of the 
  Voltaire Collective. They are not a particularly large or important group, but they recognize this as a unique opportunity 
  and are prepared to go to almost any lengths to acquire the protomolecule. O’Rourke may ask the player characters to 
  recount the story of how the sample was found, but otherwise she encourages them to stay quiet. Neither side takes 
  kindly to the prisoners asking too many questions or interrupting their negotiations. Unfortunately for both sides, the 
  negotiations get interrupted anyway.
  The meeting between the pirates and the Free Fools is tense, and you can let it play out for as long as it is interesting. In 
  particular, a few of the things the characters might learn during the meeting are:
  • O’Rourke found out about the protomolecule sample from “an inside source,” but she refuses to mention who.
  • Cruz is working for someone higher up in the OPA who is interested in the sample, but he likewise doesn’t name names.
  • O’Rourke tries to make the case for either letting the player characters go or, failing that, handing them over to the OPA 
  because their knowledge of how and where the sample was found might be valuable. Cruz would prefer to simply kill 
  them or space them and be done with it, eliminating any loose ends. O’Rourke tries to make letting at least her contact 
  character go a part of the negotiation, somewhat to the surprise of her own crew.
  Once negotiations have slowed down, reached an impasse, or the player characters are about to make a move, start The 
  Firefight.
  The FireFighT
  A group of six attackers wearing flat-black security armor, complete with face masks, ambush the meeting without warning. 
  See the Ambushers stats from the Adversaries & Allies section of the adventure.
  The attack starts off with the ambushers firing a couple of flash-bangs into the midst of the negotiations, then attacking 
  from surprise: Have all of the players immediately roll a TN 13 Constitution (Stamina) test for their characters. Those who fail 
  are blinded and deafened for 1-3 rounds (1d6, divided by 2 and rounded up). Those who succeed are unaffected. Everyone 
  at the meeting is surprised and does not get a turn in the first round of the combat, but the ambushers do (see Surprise in 
  Chapter 12 of The Expanse RPG). The ambushers also have those affected by the flash-bang Dead-to-Rights during the 
  surprise round (see Dead-to-Rights in Chapter 12 of The Expanse RPG).
  Fortunately for the player characters, the ambushers go after the armed pirates and OPA members first, gunning down as 
  many as they can in the initial rounds of combat. A few things to keep in mind as the rest of the firefight unfolds:
  • The meeting area is a fairly large chamber, roughly 10 meters square. There are pieces of old ore containers magnetically 
  sealed to the floor, and other debris usable as full cover (Defense and Cover from Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG).
  • The area is in microgravity, so movement is achieved by pushing off and grabbing onto something to stop or change 
  direction. Dexterity (Free-fall) tests may be required to successfully move into the right position. The ambushers have 
  thruster packs allowing them to move at Speed 15 through the area in any direction, and mag-boots allowing them to 
  walk along the surface at Speed 10.
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  • Because of the microgravity things do not fall to the floor, but ricochet off in whatever direction they are “dropped” or 
  thrown. This includes any weapons belonging to any of the factions. Player characters may have to jump or dive after a 
  dropped weapon in order to grab it—a TN 13 Dexterity (Free-fall) test.
  • Also because of the microgravity, any unanchored character firing a gun is automatically affected by a Skirmish stunt 
  and pushed 2 meters away in the opposite direction of their shot. They continue moving in that direction until they arrest 
  their movement by grabbing a handhold, which may require a Dexterity (Free-fall) test.
  AFTerMATh
  Run the firefight until the player characters are victorious, eliminating half or more of the attackers, or until it is clear the 
  player characters are entirely outmatched. If the ambushers lose half or more of their number, they retreat, leaving any 
  survivors of the meeting. Likewise, once the situation seems hopeless for the player characters, their attackers suddenly 
  stop and depart—having received word that the work is done on the Anne Bonny, they are given orders to withdraw (see 
  Scene 4).
  Ideally, when the firefight ends the crew should find that both their captors from the Anne Bonny as well as the members 
  of the OPA faction are either dead or dying as a result of the attack. They should find Captain O’Rourke still alive, but 
  fatally injured and beyond the characters’ ability to treat in the current situation. Read or paraphrase the following to the 
  players:
  Blood rises in small, floating globules from O’Rourke’s wounds, and her breathing is ragged and liquid-sounding. 
  One hand fumbles, withdrawing a hand terminal from a pocket and thumbing the screen before handing it to [indicate 
  O’Rourke’s connection, if present].
  “Ah … dammit,” she mutters. “I’m sorry. Here … this has the command codes for the Bonny. I’ve unlocked it. Tell … 
  tell my crew I wanted them to help you and show them this. I...” she coughs a spray of crimson that clouds and floats 
  in the air, before she slumps, dead.
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  sCene 4
  The FATe OF The Anne BOnny 
  exPlOrATiOn/sOCiAl enCOunTer
  Following the events in Scene 3, the crew is largely on their own on Prometheus Station to do as they want. However, they’re 
  faced with an unknown enemy and left at the site of a massacre. They also don’t have any way off Prometheus other than 
  returning to the Anne Bonny.
  deTAined
  If the player characters linger overly long at the site of the shoot-out, they run afoul of station security, which responds to 
  the reports of gunfire. A squad of a half-dozen security officers with abilities and equipment like the Ambusher stats from 
  Adversaries & Allies shows up, demanding the immediate surrender of anyone still alive on the scene. If the characters do 
  not comply, the officers don’t hesitate to shoot them, and things can potentially turn into another firefight.
  If the crew surrenders to station security, either at the site of the shoot-out or afterward, they are detained. Prometheus 
  station security is handled by Andersen Security, Ltd., following the dissolution of Protogen. The crew’s treatment depends 
  heavily on the circumstances of their detainment. If there was a fight with station security, then the characters are in for 
  some rough handling and “accidental” injuries in custody sufficient to give at least half of them the injured condition (choose 
  randomly among the characters). If their surrender was fairly peaceful then the security officers treat the characters profes-
  sionally, albeit as suspects in the recent events on the station.
  The simple fact of the matter is, without access to counsel or outside representation, characters who surrender to station 
  security are completely at their mercy and could easily disappear without any questions being asked. At best, the survivors 
  of the Bounty would be remanded to Krystal Kleer, their corporate employers, who certainly have questions about the fate of 
  their ship. At worst, Vector Security or another Pope subsidiary or pawn might pull strings to get the crew interrogated and 
  then fed into the station’s recyclers to tie up loose ends.
  Detainment is an excellent opportunity for Diana to meet and negotiate with the characters. See Diana’s Offer, following. 
  Rather than aboard the Anne Bonny, she comes to where the crew is detained and offers to get them out and put them on 
  the Bonny, free and clear (with new IDs if necessary), in addition to the rest of her offer. It certainly puts Diana in a strong 
  negotiating position, since the characters may not have a lot of other options.
  BACk TO The BAy
  The crew may wisely want to get away from the site of the shoot-out as quickly as possible and take advantage of Captain 
  O’Rourke’s gift to get back aboard the Anne Bonny. That means back-tracking through Prometheus Station to the docking 
  bay and getting back on board the ship without drawing attention from station security or running into any more trouble 
  along the way. You can treat this as a challenge test (see Chapter 1 of The Expanse RPG) with the following parameters:
  CHALLENGE: BOARDING THE SHIP
  DIFFICULTY: TN 13 
  SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15  
  TIME PER TEST: 5 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Deception), Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Security)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The crew draws some unwanted attention, increasing the TN of their further challenge tests by +2 until they 
  make a separate TN 13 Dexterity (Stealth) test to disappear into the crowd again. Success on this test eliminates the 
  TN increase but does not contribute to their success threshold.
  MODERATE
  The crew finds their planned route to the docking bay blocked off by station security. They lose their 
  accumulated success total and have to find a different route.
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  MAJOR
  Station security (twice the number of the characters) spots the crew and tries to apprehend them. The scene 
  transitions to either combat (if the crew attacks) or a chase (if the crew flees). The chase is a TN 12 Dexterity (Free-fall 
  or Running) test (success threshold 12).
  If the crew takes particular steps to conceal themselves and their identities to go unnoticed, you can lower the target 
  number of the challenge test by 1 or even 2 (to 12 or 11). On the other hand, if the crew does anything that makes them stand 
  out, such as walking around in bloodstained-clothing, or carrying obvious and open weapons (particu-
  larly rifles), increase the TN of the challenge test by +2 or more.
  Success on the challenge gets the crew to the docking bay and back aboard the Bonny unnoticed. 
  Go to Aboard the Bonny, following. Failure on the challenge most likely results in the crew being 
  detained by station security. Go to Detained, previously. If the characters simply end up in hiding, 
  having failed to reach the docking bay, they can attempt the challenge test again, but start with the 
  effects of a minor consequence and have to begin accumulating success towards their threshold 
  again from 0.
  ABOArd The BOnny 
  Captain O’Rourke’s hand-terminal gives the characters access to the Anne Bonny in the docking bay. 
  What the characters find on board the ship makes it clear whoever ambushed them at the meeting 
  has also been here: The remaining crew on the ship are all dead, shot with weapons like those used 
  by the ambushers. A few of the Bonny’s crew appear to have surrendered and then been executed. 
  What’s more, there is no sign of the ice sample from the Abzu’s Bounty anywhere aboard the ship. If 
  the crew investigates further, a TN 12 Intelligence (Technology) test shows the ship’s computer has 
  been hacked, and any data involving the past few days, since prior to contact with the Abzu’s Bounty, 
  has been deleted.
  TAKING CONTROL
  With the codes provided to them by O’Rourke, the crew can take control of the Anne Bonny without 
  any difficulty and operate any of the ship’s systems. However, they cannot leave the docking bay 
  without station control withdrawing the docking clamps and providing authorization, which they 
  won’t do until both the necessary docking fees have been paid and station security clears ships to 
  leave. If the crew inquires, station control informs them that all departures have been canceled until 
  further notice due to a security alert, and ask them to stand by and wait for updates.
  Any gear that was taken from the crew, including hand terminals, weapons, etc. is still safely 
  stowed in the ship’s locker. If the crew is in need of replacement player characters, there may be 
  a survivor or two among the characters from the meet or the crew who stayed back on the Anne 
  Bonny (see Scene 4). Circumstances being what they are, survivors from either faction may not be 
  too choosy about who helps them and gets them off of Prometheus Station alive.
  Given the arrival time of the Bonny and the events of the shoot-out, it’s just a matter of time before 
  station security comes to check out the ship. Fortunately for the crew, another possibility presents itself before that 
  happens. Once the characters have had the opportunity to investigate the state of the Bonny and to consider their 
  options, go to Diana’s Offer.
  The nOT-enOugh-ACTiOn OPTiOn
  If the big shoot-out in Scene 3 did not provide enough action to suit your game, you can have the crew return to the Anne Bonny 
  in time to catch either the last of the thieves or a “clean-up crew” in the act of eliminating the remaining pirates on board, giving 
  the player characters a chance for another fight. Keep in mind that the protomolecule sample should already be gone at this point. 
  Whoever the crew catches on the ship is there to ferret out any remaining survivors or witnesses. This allows you the opportunity 
  to stage another fight (or two) on board as the player characters stalk the commandos and vice versa. Use a number of Ambushers 
  from the Adversaries & Allies section equal to the number of player characters, or a few less, to tilt the odds in their favor. This 
  option also allows for Diana to make a dramatic entrance by showing up at the end of a fight to shoot one last enemy commando 
  dead, possibly before they can ambush the crew.
  The Anne BOnny
  SIZE  Large (50 meters long)
  HULL  2d6
  CREW  4 (16)
  COMPETANCE  Capable
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   1
  WEAPONS
  Two Torpedo Tubes  
  (Long Range, 4d6 Damage)
  Point Defense Network  
  (Close Range, 2d6 Damage)
  QUALITIES
  Hidden Compartments,  
  Maneuverable
  FLAWS
  High Maintenance, Wanted 
  (without Diana’s assistance)
  NOTES
  The Anne Bonny started life as 
  a freighter, but was overhauled 
  and converted into a pirate 
  vessel, equipped with weapons 
  and greater maneuverability 
  than a normal ship of its size. 
  She still lacks the armor and 
  some of the features of true 
  military-grade ships, but is 
  more than a match for most 
  of the civilian vessels that she 
  preys on.
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  DIANA’S OFFER
  Once the crew has assessed the situation on board the Anne Bonny—or their situation in lock-up, as the case may be—they 
  get a visitor with an offer of help. If they’re aboard the ship, a visitor calls in from the airlock, asking to come aboard to talk 
  to them. She explains that she is alone, unarmed, and just wants to talk. Security cameras in the airlock confirm the first two 
  statements. If the crew is in security lock-up, then the mystery woman is escorted in to see them by station security, who 
  leave her alone with the characters.
  Once they meet with Diana, read or paraphrase the following to the players:
  The woman is smartly dressed, in modified and tailored business attire. Even her mag-boots are high-quality. It’s 
  clear she’s an inner from her height and build, with a tan skin tone that’s likely natural, but probably not from exposure 
  to the sun. Her dark hair is cut short but styled well, and her dark eyes are accentuated by subtle make-up. Everything 
  about her bespeaks a carefully constructed “effortless” look. If she’s at all nervous or concerned about the current 
  circumstances, she certainly doesn’t show it.
  “Hello,” she says, looking the group of you over. “I’m Diana. I think you can use my help. Fortunately for you, I find 
  myself in need of a group of people like yourselves. Interested?”
  Diana is interested in getting the crew to sign on in order to potentially use them to track down who has taken the proto-
  molecule sample and where. Though she doesn’t tell them that directly. She does what she can to win over the crew’s trust 
  or at least their cooperation, but if they become belligerent, much less violent, she doesn’t hesitate to leave them to their 
  fate, making it clear they’ve only got so long to negotiate before station security comes to search the ship.
  Diana is prepared to offer the characters the following:
  • Full and clear ownership of the Anne Bonny, including updating the ship’s transponder and changing its name and ID to 
  whatever the crew wants. If they have no preference, she just gives the Bonny a clean registry. (The ship is referred to as 
  the Anne Bonny throughout the remaining adventures, so you’ll need to take that into account if the name is changed.)
  • Payment of any docking and resupply fees to Prometheus Station, 
  which will let the ship leave without any problems with a full 
  restock of its supplies.
  • Smoothing things over with Prometheus station security so the 
  Bonny can leave the station, no questions asked.
  • Paying for any repairs the ship currently needs following its most 
  recent misadventure. That can’t happen at Prometheus, but can 
  be arranged following...
  • A freelance job, transporting Diana to Mars, with the potential 
  for future freelance employment opportunities if things go well. 
  Diana’s initial offer to the crew “should more than cover passage” 
  for her on the initial trip.
  Diana isn’t bluffing about any of her offers and has the resources 
  to do exactly as she promises. Naturally, the crew may have ques-
  tions or want to negotiate, which Diana tolerates to a point. Potential 
  questions and answers include:
  WHO ARE YOU? 
  “I make...arrangements, and right now I need to arrange to be 
  somewhere other than this rock. I think we can both agree on 
  that.”
  WHO DO YOU WORK FOR? 
  “I have a variety of business interests, like any good entrepreneur.”
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  WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? 
  “As I said, I find myself in need of a crew, and you are in need of some help if you want to leave Prometheus, so I 
  think it’s in our best interests to help each other.”
  HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT US? 
  “It’s my business to know what’s going on, and to take advantage of opportunities like this one, which you must 
  agree don’t come around often.”
  DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE PROTOMOLECULE? 
  “You mean what happened on Eros?” If the crew directly asks Diana about the protomolecule or the ice sample 
  from the Abzu’s Bounty, she feigns ignorance. At most, she claims to know that the captain and crew of the Anne 
  Bonny were apparently looking to sell some both hot and valuable cargo they had stolen, but she says that she 
  doesn’t know what it was, or what happened to it, other than their deal clearly went sour.
  In short, Diana poses as a professional arranger, who hints at having business on Prometheus Station—possibly a bidding 
  war or trying to muscle-in on whatever the Bonny’s crew was looking to sell. Now, with things on Prometheus too hot for 
  comfort, she’s looking to move on and could use both transportation and the assistance of a reliable crew that owes her. 
  She makes it clear to the characters that she won’t tell them the particulars of her business—or even her full name—and that 
  it’s better for them if they don’t know.
  Of course, much of what Diana tells the crew is a lie: She is actually a rogue agent of the Martian government working with 
  a secret rogue faction, but she won’t reveal that, even under interrogation. Still, her immediate offer to them is genuine, and 
  is by far the crew’s best option for getting out of their current situation.
  inTerlude
  MArs Or BusT
  In the conclusion of Chapter 1 of Abzu’s Bounty, the crew has a long trip to Mars in which to contemplate their new situation 
  and to settle into their new home. It takes about 137 hours (close to six days) to travel from Prometheus to Mars at a steady 
  1G acceleration and deceleration, and Diana isn’t in much more of a hurry than that. During that time, the crew can engage 
  in the usual interlude activities detailed in Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG, including:
  MAINTENANCE
  At least some time will be devoted to maintaining the Bonny’s systems and keeping the ship running efficiently. The crew is 
  almost certainly smaller than the one the pirate ship used to have, so there are comparatively more supplies and room, at 
  least initially.
  The shOOT-OuT exiT
  If, for some reason, the crew refuses Diana’s offer of help, pretty much the only way they’re leaving Prometheus Station on board 
  the Anne Bonny is by shooting their way out of the docking bay. Station security has things locked down and operations are under 
  orders not to allow any ships to leave until they have been investigated in connection with the shoot-out. If station security is 
  allowed on board the Bonny, they impound her as evidence and take the player characters into custody as material witnesses, if 
  not suspects (depending on what they’ve been doing since the shoot-out).
  If the crew chooses to make a violent exit from Prometheus Station, they can achieve it. The Anne Bonny’s point defense 
  cannons and maneuvering thrusters can break it free and clear the docking bay, although the ship suffers an additional loss from 
  minor damage (see Losses in Chapter 6 of The Expanse RPG). Hull or maneuverability losses are the most likely. Thereafter, 
  the ship is listed as wanted by the authorities. The crew won’t be able to put into any legitimate port without immediately being 
  detained and the ship impounded. You may have to improvise some additional scenes and interludes dealing with the crew’s 
  legal problems. Diana (or her replacement) might make another attempt to extend an offer of help to the crew to make their legal 
  troubles go away.
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  RECOVERING
  The characters can recover Fortune and make Constitution (Stamina) tests each day (24 hours) to recover from injury condi-
  tions. The Bonny doesn’t have an auto-doc, but a character with the Medicine ability focus can assist others’ recovery using the 
  supplies in the med-bay.
  RELATING
  The trip is an opportunity for the members of the crew to relate, possibly changing their Relationships. In particular, the char-
  acter who knew Captain O’Rourke might have an opportunity to change or update Relationships. New characters who were not 
  members of the crew of the Abzu’s Bounty can settle in and get to know the other characters and the crew finally gets some 
  down-time since the events of this story began to process everything that has happened.
  Characters might also try relating to Diana on their journey. They find their new patron friendly enough, if cagey and a bit 
  distant. She plays her cards close and doesn’t become too involved with any of the crew, spending a fair amount of time alone 
  in a cabin (she claims one for herself early on in the trip).
  REPAIRING
  The Anne Bonny has suffered some damage, so the crew can devote some of their interlude activities to repairs. This is a TN 11 
  Intelligence (Engineering) advanced test (success threshold 10) to eliminate all of the ship’s losses.
  RESEARCHING
  A character who wants to can spend part of the interlude researching, although access to information not contained in the Anne 
  Bonny’s computers is limited to light-speed communications delays. Looking for information is an Intelligence (Research) test 
  with the TN based on how obscure or well-hidden that information may be. Diana is a complete cypher; the characters cannot 
  dig up any information about her beyond what they already know.
  TRAINING
  The characters should attain 3rd level as a result of the events in Breaking the Surface, so they might spend part of the time during 
  the interlude training or developing their abilities. They each gain a new ability advancement, ability focus, and talent improvement.
  AdversAries & Allies
  The following are profiles of the significant non-player characters in Breaking the Surface, along with their Expanse game 
  stats. For additional stock characters you can use in this adventure, see the 
  Threats chapter of The Expanse RPG.
  AMBusher (veCTOr seCuriTy)
  The attackers who ambush the meeting in Scene 3 of this adventure (and 
  who attack the Anne Bonny at the same time) are professional security 
  operatives working for Vector Security, a security corporation owned by 
  Sebastian Pope. That said, the agents in this adventure are on a “black 
  operation” and carry no identification or indication of their affiliation, and 
  Vector will list them all as absent and missing from their work positions 
  in the event they are traced back to them. The Vector ops have specific 
  orders to obtain the protomolecule sample from the Abzu’s Bounty and to 
  eliminate any witnesses to the operation. 
  Anne BOnny Crew MeMBer
  These stats can represent the typical member of the Anne Bonny’s crew. 
  Most are fairly hard-bitten Belter pirates who have found their way into the 
  life due to circumstance, inclination, or some combination of the two. Unlike 
  AMBusher (veCTOr seCuriTy)
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols, Rifles), Communication 0, 
  Constitution 2 , Dexterity 1 (Free-fall),  
  Fighting 1 (Brawling), Intelligence 0, Perception 1, 
  Strength 2, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  12
  11
  4 (2)
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+1
  Rifle
  +3
  3d6+1
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Adrenaline Rush, Double-Team, Group 
  Tactics
  Talents: Pinpoint Accuracy (Novice), Striking Style (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, light armor, pistol, rifle, thruster 
  pack, vac suit
  Threat: Minor
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  Captain O’Rourke’s soft-spot for a particular player character, the Bonny 
  crew cares nothing about the player characters, and will gladly sell them off 
  or get rid of them once it’s clear it won’t get them in trouble with their captain.
  ABzu’s BOunTy Crew MeMBer
  Use these traits for the typical member of the Bounty’s crew, assigning them 
  any appropriate and necessary ability focuses and talents for their role aboard 
  the ship. See The Bounty Crew section of Scene 1 for a few of the key crew 
  members and feel free to create and detail others as needed to suit the story.
  BArT MiTChell, xO OF The ABzu’s BOunTy
  Bart Mitchell—“Mitchell” or “XO” to nearly 
  everyone on board—is the executive officer of 
  Abzu’s Bounty. Mitchell grew up on Eros, where 
  he went from wayward youth to carrying a badge 
  after he joined Protogen’s security force on the 
  station. Mitchell, however, was less interested in 
  law-and-order and more interested in belonging 
  to what he saw as the toughest gang with the 
  biggest opportunity for collecting bribes.
  Eventually, his reputation for corruption 
  became too much even for Protogen to overlook and Mitchell was let 
  go. With more than his share of enemies on Eros he needed to leave the 
  station behind, and signing on with Krystal Kleer was the best opportunity. 
  Ironically, having to leave Eros spared Mitchell from sharing the fate of the 
  more than a million people on the station when Protogen used it as a test-
  bed for the protomolecule. Along with the rest of the system, he watched 
  his old home transform and then fly off to crash into Venus.
  Long before that, however, Mitchell made himself at home with Krystal 
  Kleer. His security training and his domineering personality made him good 
  at bossing people around and getting things done, so he was promoted, 
  eventually working his way up to XO of the Abzu’s Bounty. Captain Reyes 
  knows full well that Mitchell is a bully, but he also handles a lot of things and, 
  so long as he does, she’s willing to accommodate his “management style.”
  Keenly aware of all of the newscasts and speculation about the proto-
  molecule, and with a few old connections with both Protogen (before it 
  was dismantled and thrown to the wolves) and the black market in the Belt, 
  Mitchell is still looking out for number one. He doesn’t understand much 
  about the protomolecule other than that it’s the most valuable thing in the 
  entire solar system—and his opportunity to cash in.
  ClAire O’rOurke, CAPTAin OF The Anne BOnny
  Claire O’Rourke, the captain of the Anne Bonny, is a 
  bit of mystery. Pick a suitable background that works 
  to connect her with one of the player characters. 
  She’s a free spirit and lives outside of society’s rules 
  while at the same time looking after her ship and her 
  crew. She has found herself in the midst of events 
  far larger than her little corner of the system and has 
  made a fatal miscalculation in looking to capitalize on 
  the opportunity that has fallen into her lap.
  Anne BOnny Crew MeMBer
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0 (Pistols, Rifles), Communication 0, 
  Constitution 2 , Dexterity 1 (Free-fall), Fighting 2, 
  Intelligence 0, Perception 1, Strength 2, Willpower 0
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  12
  11
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Knife
  +2
  1d6+2
  Pistol
  +2
  2d6+1
  Rifle
  +2
  3d6+1
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Adrenaline Rush, Taunt
  Talents: Fringer (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, knife, pistol
  Threat: Minor
  ABzu’s BOunTy Crew MeMBer
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 0, Constitution 0, Dexterity 
  1 (Free-fall), Fighting 0, Intelligence 0, Perception 1, 
  Strength 0, Willpower 0
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  0
  11
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +0
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: None
  Talents: Choose two abilities focuses and one of Improvisation 
  (Novice), Maker (Novice), Medic (Novice), or Pilot (Novice), or 
  add two more ability focuses instead.
  Equipment: hand terminal, possibly a pistol (if the ship is at alert)
  Threat: Moderate
  BArT MiTChell
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols), Communication 0, Constitution 2 
  (Stamina), Dexterity 1 (Free-fall), Fighting 1 (Brawling), 
  Intelligence 0 (Security), Perception 0 (Searching), 
  Strength 2, Willpower 0
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: None
  Talents: Choose two abilities focuses and one of Improvisation 
  (Novice), Maker (Novice), Medic (Novice), or Pilot (Novice), or 
  add two more ability focuses instead.
  Equipment: hand terminal, possibly a pistol (if the ship is at alert)
  Threat: Moderate
  24
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Breaking the Surface
  diAnA, The Crew’s PATrOn
  “Diana” poses as a black-market fixer but she is, 
  in fact, an agent of the Martian Secret Service 
  loyal to a breakaway faction of the Martian 
  Republic. That faction wants the potential repre-
  sented by the protomolecule and will do what-
  ever is needed to acquire it, and to ensure it 
  doesn’t fall into the hands of their rivals. Diana 
  is cultivating the crew as potential assets she 
  can use to ferret out the stolen protomolecule 
  sample. She’s a skilled “handler” and willing to 
  be patient enough to move all of the pieces into place to achieve her goals. 
  While Diana can appear friendly and even-handed, the only thing she cares 
  about is fulfilling her mission. She will gladly sacrifice the crew if it’s neces-
  sary to achieve her goals.
   xin reyes, CAPTAin OF The ABzu’s BOunTy
  Xin Reyes had dreams once, hopes of striking it big with some mining 
  opportunity out in the Belt. Like a lot of rock-hopper pilots, her dreams 
  ended in considerable debt and the loss of her ship when the loan 
  company repossessed it. She also lost touch with her crew, feeling she 
  had failed them.
  Still, her skills made her a useful hire for a company like Krystal Kleer, 
  and for more than a decade and a half Reyes has settled into the routine 
  of working an ice-hauler, eventually working her way up to XO and then to 
  captain of a ship again. Even if it isn’t her ship, per se. These days Reyes 
  is focused on the much smaller dream of keeping her job and her position 
  and eventually earning enough to retire and live out the rest of her life in relative peace, but even 
  that seems unlikely now.
  Xin Reyes is a middle-aged woman of primarily Chinese and Latin heritage. What she lacks in 
  height she makes up for in no-nonsense presence. Aboard the Abzu’s Bounty, she’s known for 
  being all-business and getting the job done. She’s fair, but also isn’t the kind to fraternize with the 
  crew overly much. The bridge crew of the Bounty knows the captain best, but even they don’t 
  know her especially well.
  diAnA
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols), Communication 3 (Bargaining, 
  Deception, Investigation), Constitution 1, Dexterity 
  2, Fighting 2, Intelligence 2 (Current Affairs, 
  Cryptography), Perception 3 (Intuition), Strength 0, 
  Willpower 3 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  20
  12
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+3
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Take Cover, Double-Team, Lightning Attack
  Talents: Agent (Expert), Contacts (Expert), Fringer (Master), 
  Intrigue (Expert), Misdirection (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Major
  xin reyes
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 1 (Leadership), Constitution 
  1, Dexterity 1 (Free-fall, Piloting), Fighting 0, Intelligence 
  1 (Navigation), Perception 0, Strength 0, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  10
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Cards on the Table, And Another Thing
  Talents: Know-It-All (Novice), Pilot (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol (when the ship is on alert)
  Threat: Minor
  ClAire O’rOurke
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy (Pistols) 2, Communication (Bargaining) 2, Constitution  1, 
  Dexterity (Free-fall, Piloting) 1, Fighting 2, Intelligence 1, Perception 1, 
  Strength 1, Willpower  1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+1
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Group Tactics, Cards on the Table
  Talents: Command (Novice), Fringer (Expert), Pistol Style (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Moderate
  25
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  S
  atellites and Secrets is the second adventure of the Abzu’s Bounty series for The Expanse Roleplaying Game. While 
  news of the protomolecule on Venus spreads like wildfire throughout the system, this adventure continues the crew’s 
  search for the protomolecule that was stolen from the Abzu’s Bounty during the first adventure. 
  During Breaking the Surface, the crew of the Abzu’s Bounty discovered a strange silicate structure in the ice they 
  mined. This led to a chain of events that resulted in pirates stealing the sample and eventually with the player characters in 
  control of the pirates’ ship, the Anne Bonny. Unfortunately for the pirates, a far more powerful figure, Sebastian Pope, was 
  eager to get his hands on the protomolecule and the pirates became victims of their own greed. With any luck, by the end of 
  that first adventure, the crew now have a powerful sponsor in the form of the mysterious Diana, and Satellites and Secrets 
  begins with the player characters transporting their patron to Mars aboard the Bonny. The events in Breaking the Surface, 
  specifically the discovery of a new sample of protomolecule, have set into motion a system-wide game of hide-and-seek as 
  Pope tries to keep his sample to himself while other forces, from the OPA to a secret group within the Mars government, try 
  to take it from him. Rumors are rampant, and sometimes clues can be found in the most unlikely of places. 
  Overview
  While en route to Mars, Diana has been paying careful attention to the newsfeeds and keeping an ear out for anything that 
  could help them track down the current location of the protomolecule. It’s Diana who discovers that a pirate radio station known 
  for broadcasting conspiracy theories and bizarre stories has put out several missives related to the protomolecule, all of which 
  seem to be true. What’s even more unusual is that they are beating more conventional news outlets to these scoops.
  Most of the public has written off the pirate radio station, but key individuals, including Diana, have taken notice. The 
  news station is getting its information from a mole in Jules-Pierre Mao’s organization: Alina Vasquez Chang. Vasquez 
  Chang was a childhood friend of Julie Mao, Jules-Pierre Mao’s daughter, and that connection helped her get the job. 
  However, Julie Mao’s defection to the OPA inspired a change of heart in Vasquez Chang as well. She has since learned 
  that Mao is trying to obtain this new sample of protomolecule. His own researchers are running low on the sample they 
  obtained and believe they can create an even more powerful weapon with a second, distinct sample. Further, he doesn’t 
  want Pope to be able to perform his own research: Mao believes Pope is attempting to make a weapon of his own and 
  doesn’t want to lose the advantage. Terrified of the potential of the protomolecule, Vasquez Chang knows how dangerous 
  2: Satellites and Secrets
  2626
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  Mao would be with both samples and is doing her best to stop it 
  him from obtaining it.
  Diana insists that the crew reverse course to look into this 
  potentially minor but still interesting lead. A recent story called out 
  a long-abandoned outpost on Jupiter’s moon Himalia as holding a 
  gravely dangerous item, which Diana believes to be the protomol-
  ecule. The player characters take the Anne Bonny to the outpost, 
  but what they find is far from an abandoned supply stop. Instead, 
  the outpost has been trashed and the door trapped by somebody 
  quite recently. The crew also finds evidence that the protomol-
  ecule was recently housed here.
  With proof that the pirate news station is on to something, 
  Diana looks into the station itself. With help from both the crew 
  and her own MSS resources she locates a satellite relay station 
  that always routes broadcasts from the pirate station. Diana asks 
  the crew to investigate the satellite, and when they arrive they find 
  another ship just leaving, and the satellite disabled. If they engage the ship, it fights back, but it’s not as well equipped as the 
  Anne Bonny. When the crew investigates the actual satellite, they discover the location of the news station.
  The crew heads for the news station, only to find they’ve been beaten here as well. This time, the opposing team has 
  taken the staff of the pirate radio station hostage, demanding to know the identity of the informant. If the player characters 
  can take out the assailants, they can try to get the identity of the informant themselves.
  When the crew return to their ship, there is an odd malfunction with the ship’s computer system. The player characters 
  can trace the source and discover that the Anne Bonny has been bugged. A successful Intelligence test leads the crew to 
  discover the manufacturer
  The crew can locate the manufacturer, who is located in Lovell City on the Moon. By infiltrating the factory, whether 
  through sneaking in, hacking in, posing as customers, or just kicking the door down, the crew can get access to the factory’s 
  records and learn who bought that unit: Sebastian Pope, on behalf of Vector Securities.
  Freed of the tracking equipment, the crew can track down the news station’s informant, Alina Vasquez Chang, who works 
  on Earth. She is currently at one of Jules-Pierre Mao’s facilities as a supply chain manager. If the crew can earn her trust, 
  she tells them that she’s trying to release enough information to stop Mao from obtaining another sample of protomolecule. 
  Vasquez Chang gives the characters specific information about an upcoming ambush: Mao recently hired a team to attack 
  a transport ship hired by Pope which Vasquez Chang believes might be carrying the protomolecule. If they hurry, the crew 
  can intercept the transport ship before Pope’s team does. Unfortunately, the intel is wrong and there is no protomolecule on 
  board. The crew does, however, find a stolen suit of Martian powered armor.
  running ThiS AdvenTure
  This adventure sends the player characters journeying all over the solar system, following clues about a mysterious news 
  operation. With obvious signs that someone is following them and, in fact, preceding them to various locations, the crew 
  should start to feel suspicious or paranoid. If they don’t suspect that their ship itself is bugged right away, they might start to 
  suspect Diana, another of their NPC contacts, or even each other. Pope has access to the movement of the ship as well as 
  external communications, though not recordings of the conversations on board the Anne Bonny. Consider using specifics 
  from the crew’s conversations with external contacts to feed the sense of paranoia.
  There are several important developments that should happen during this adventure:
  • The player characters learn that the Anne Bonny is bugged and may learn that Sebastian Pope is responsible.
  • The player characters find out about an informant within Jules-Pierre Mao’s organization, Alina Vasquez Chang, and can 
  potentially earn her trust.
  • If the characters do begin an arrangement with Vasquez Chang, she can be a source of information as needed 
  throughout the rest of the story. Mao and his cronies have intelligence on all of the factions involved, so she might be 
  able to help them out with information on any of the crew’s adversaries.
  • If the characters earn Vasquez Chang’s trust, she tells them about a planned ambush of a transport ship hired by Pope. 
  If the crew gets there first, they can get the transported cargo themselves: a stolen suit of Martian powered armor.
  Prior to working for Avasarala at the UN, Bobbie had never 
  even heard of Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile, or if she had, she 
  hadn’t noticed. She’d spent her whole life wearing, eating, or 
  sitting on products carted through the solar system by Mao-Kwik 
  freighters without ever realizing it. After she’d gone through the 
  files Avasarala had given her, she’d been astonished at the size 
  and reach of the company. Hundreds of ships, dozens of stations, 
  millions of employees. Jules-Pierre Mao owned significant 
  properties on every habitable planet and moon in the solar system.
  — Caliban’s War
  27
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  Order Of SceneS
  The scenes in this chapter, although presented in linear order, may take place in a different order depending on the actions 
  and decisions of the player characters. A key turning point is when the crew find out about the bug, as Scenes 2 and 3 play 
  out very differently if Pope doesn’t have tracking information on the Anne Bonny. Further, the crew might choose to find 
  the informant before following up on the bug manufacturer and may not even choose to do both. Scene 6 is dependent on 
  Scene 5 happening first.
  The last scene of this chapter could vary between Scenes 4, 5, and 6; so the ending could be learning the identity of who 
  bugged the Anne Bonny, reaching an arrangement with an informant from within Mao’s conspiracy, or intercepting a ship 
  they believe to be carrying Pope’s sample of the protomolecule.
  Scene 1
  BeATen TO The Punch 
  exPlOrATiOn encOunTer
  Diana asks the crew to investigate a site mentioned by a surprisingly accurate pirate news station, but someone beats them 
  to the site. Read or paraphrase the following to the players:
  You are just passing Jupiter’s orbit, heading toward Mars, when Diana asks to meet with all of you in the mess. 
   “Are you familiar with the Pyramid News Network? I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re not; it’s not exactly a reputable 
  source. But I’ve caught something unexpected about their latest stories related to the protomolecule: they have solid 
  intel. Not only that, their reporting is coming out before more reputable news sources. I’m not sure what’s going on, 
  but I think it’s worth looking into. Their latest bulletin says that a stolen protomolecule sample is being held at an aban-
  doned mining outpost on one of Jupiter’s moons: Himalia. We may have lucked out this time. If we change course now, 
  we can be there in just a few days.”
  The characters can ask Diana any questions they have, but there isn’t much more to tell. While Pyramid News has always 
  had conspiracy-laden stories about the protomolecule, it’s only recently that they seem to be accurate, and the most recent 
  stories indirectly reference the theft from Abzu’s Bounty.
  The crew have no reason to be aware that Sebastian Pope has the Anne Bonny bugged, and he quickly notes their course 
  change. Realizing that the crew are now on a course directly for Himalia, it’s not much of a guess for him to figure out that 
  they’re headed for the outpost because of the protomolecule. He immediately sends an urgent message to his employees 
  there to move it off site—and soon after, begins his own search for the Pyramid News Network.
  OuTBOund JOurney
  During the journey to Himalia, the crew can listen to past broadcasts from Pyramid News Network. The stories are, for the 
  most part, completely outlandish:
  • Undersecretary Crisjen Avasarala is under the influence of aliens looking to gain control of Earth’s forces.
  • Earth’s moon is home to a massive stock of nuclear weapons in a secret underground base.
  • An older broadcast states that the protomolecule isn’t real, but is a hoax propagated by the OPA to provoke war 
  between Earth and Mars.
  • In the same broadcast, another story states that the protomolecule is real, but is actually a peaceful entity, and the 
  broadcast claims to interview a survivor of Eros.
  • Major distributors of canned fruits are lacing their products with mind control drugs.
  • Famous singer Johnny Damji has been replaced with an android.
  ABAndOned OuTPOST
  After just shy of a week, the characters reach the outpost at Himalia. The outpost was a supply waystation for early mining 
  operations. Himalia itself is too small to support a colony, so the waystation had to be resupplied frequently from other 
  Jovian colonies. As the mines in the area shut down, the outpost did as well. It’s been officially shuttered for twenty years. 
  28
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  It is immediately obvious that there has been activity far more recently. While there are no ships or personnel currently 
  visible, the landing pad bears recent signs of use, and there is a trail cleared in the dust going back and forth to the outpost’s 
  entrance. Someone else has been here.
  Before leaving the premises, Pope’s employees who were guarding the protomolecule sample at the outpost rigged 
  the airlock to explode. Have the characters attempt a TN 12 Perception (Seeing) test. Success means that the crew 
  notice the telltale signs of tampering with the airlock. If any characters choose to examine the airlock before going in, a 
  TN 9 Intelligence (Demolitions or Engineering) test reveals the same thing. Disarming the explosive requires a TN 12 
  Intelligence (Demolitions or Engineering) advanced test (success threshold 10). Failure triggers the explosive, as does 
  opening the airlock without noticing or attempting to disarm the explosive. The airlock explodes, dealing 2d6 damage to 
  all characters near the airlock, though characters may attempt a TN 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) test to take half damage, 
  rounded down.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the players once the crew have entered the outpost:
  The interior of the outpost is not merely empty, it’s trashed. Computers and electronics have been removed and 
  those built into the structure of the facility have been smashed. The life support system is not only deactivated but 
  ripped apart, requiring hours to repair. Pieces of debris from broken and shattered equipment float freely.
  Whoever was here did not want to be found out.
  After the trapped door, there are no other physical dangers to the characters and they can take their time exploring the 
  site. Any portable computers were removed, but some hard drives were built into the facility’s structure. The hard drives 
  have been wiped, but technical characters might be able to get some information.
  Characters who succeed at a TN 14 Intelligence (Technology) advanced test (success threshold 10) to try to restore the 
  computer can find the last incoming message that the facility received and learn that this encrypted message was received 
  only a couple of days ago. Failure on the test wipes the computer completely and the crew can’t get the message. A char-
  acter who succeeds at a TN 14 Intelligence (Cryptography) test to decrypt the message finds orders to abandon the facility 
  because the location has been compromised.
  29
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  Characters who search the outpost carefully find scrape marks on the ground where a large container was dragged out 
  of the facility. Characters who succeed at a TN 10 Perception (Seeing) test find scraps of a container that bears a shipping 
  label from the Abzu’s Bounty—the same container that was used by Reyes back on the Abzu’s Bounty to secure the proto-
  molecule sample. 
  When the crew reports back to Diana on board the Bonny they should have evidence that the protomolecule was 
  actually held at the site, but that they are long gone—likely they heard the same newsfeed report on PNN and pulled up 
  stakes. Diana isn’t quite sure what to make of the news that Pyramid News Network was on to something real. She says 
  that she’ll investigate and suggests that the player characters should as well, but she sees this as the best possible lead 
  for tracking it down. 
  TrAcing The SignAl
  Diana puts her team at MSS to work trying to find the source of the Pyramid News Network broadcasts. The crew can also 
  attempt to track the source and potentially find out useful information sooner, or can spend the next few days as an interlude. 
  If any characters were injured by the door, they may wish to take time for recovery. 
  If any characters choose to attempt to trace the signal of the broadcast, they can attempt a TN 15 Intelligence (Cryptog-
  raphy or Technology) advanced test (success threshold 15). Each character working on tracking the signal can attempt one 
  check per day. Diana’s team takes four days to locate the relay station. 
  If the characters suspect tracking equipment on board their ship and begin looking for it, proceed to Interlude: Who can 
  be Trusted?
  Once Diana or the characters successfully trace the signal, read or paraphrase the following:
  The Pyramid News Networks broadcasts are relayed through many different locations throughout the Belt to hide 
  their origin. The original source of the signal can’t be determined, but the route of the signal can be traced back to the 
  same relay station for every broadcast. This could be property of the Pyramid News Network and investigating the 
  actual satellite could lead to the source of the original broadcast.
  If the crew report this information to Diana, she congratulates them on tracing the signal so quickly and insists that they 
  proceed immediately to the satellite to see what they can learn.
  If Diana’s team succeeds at tracing the signal first, present the information in the read-aloud section as coming from Diana.
  Of course, Sebastian Pope has his own team working on the same task.
  Scene 2
  relAy SATelliTe 
  ShiP cOmBAT/SOciAl encOunTer
  The Anne Bonny arrives at the location of the relay satellite only to find another small ship, a rockhopper, already there. After 
  dealing with the crew of the other ship they investigate the satellite and learn the true origin of the signal. 
  nOT AlOne
  The crew find the relay satellite exactly as they hope. However, they are not the only ones on the hunt for the satellite—
  and the news station. When the Anne Bonny arrives, the Rockhound is already there. Pope hired a mining scout vessel 
  that was close to the satellite already, allowing them to beat the Anne Bonny to the site. The mining company is owned 
  by Pope through a shell company, and the word came to the Rockhound through their higher-ups so they aren’t aware 
  that Pope is ordering the mission. The company also warned the crew of the 
  Rockhound that pirates are active in the area and gave them a description 
  of the Anne Bonny, so they are paranoid and on high alert when the crew 
  arrives.
  The Rockhound immediately suspects the Anne Bonny of being a pirate 
  ship. They don’t attempt to hail the Bonny, but answer if the Anne Bonny 
  hails them. If the Anne Bonny reaches Close Range without opening 
  communications, the Rockhound attacks. If the crew open communica-
  tions with the Rockhound, they must convince the mining scouts that the 
  mOdificATiOnS
  If the crew traced the signal themselves, beating 
  Diana’s team, they reach the satellite slightly sooner, 
  and the Rockhound is still disconnecting from the 
  satellite. If combat breaks out, the Rockhound cannot 
  make any Piloting maneuvers for the first two rounds 
  of combat as they complete the job. 
  30
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  Anne Bonny is no longer crewed by pirates. This is challenging as the miners are understandably 
  suspicious, and requires a TN 15 Communication (Persuasion) test. If the characters succeed, the 
  Rockhound simply finishes its task and backs off. If the characters ask questions, see the Inter-
  rogation section for responses. Even if the crew succeed at persuading the Rockhound that they 
  aren’t pirates, the Rockhound attacks if the crew try to stop the Rockhound from completing their 
  mission. 
  If combat breaks out, the Rockhound open fire with its PDCs if the Anne Bonny is in Close Range. 
  Otherwise, it tries to navigate away from the more powerful Anne Bonny. If the Rockhound is Taken 
  Out, (see Taken Out in Chapter 6 of The Expanse RPG) proceed to the Interrogation section if the 
  characters wish to board it or question the miners over the ship’s comms. The miners have little desire 
  to respond if the crew can’t convince them of their good intentions. Alternatively, the crew might leave 
  the incapacitated Rockhound be and proceed straight to the Satellite Interface section. However, 
  Pope notifies the MCRN of a potential ship at risk if the Rockhound doesn’t report back, either due to 
  being incapacitated or destroyed. If the player characters take too long to get data from the satellite 
  then the MCRN ship, the Coronet, finds them.
  inTerrOgATiOn
  If the crew Take Out the Rockhound, they have an easy time boarding the small vessel. If the ship is still moving, this requires 
  the Bonny’s pilot to succeed at a TN 12 Dexterity (Piloting) test. The crew have another opportunity, either over the ship’s 
  comms or in person once on board the Rockhound, to attempt a TN 15 Communication (Persuasion) test to convince the 
  mining scouts that they aren’t pirates. If they don’t succeed, the mining scouts fight back once the ship is boarded. There are 
  six crew members who hide around the ship. The captain of the Rockhound is Elsa Njoku, and she takes the lead in talking 
  to the characters. As a civilian ship, the crew are a mix of Lunars, Martians, and Belters.
  If successfully convinced of good intentions or later subdued in combat, the crew of the Rockhound answer the crew’s 
  questions to the best of their abilities. However, they don’t know very much. Potential questions and answers include:
  WHO ARE YOU? 
  “This is a mining scouting vessel. We’re looking for ice and natural resources on the asteroids out here.”
  WHO DO YOU WORK FOR? 
  “Gray Savannah Extractions. It’s Luna-based.” 
  A character who does some research and succeeds at a TN 15 Intelligence (Business) test learns that this is a subsidiary 
  of Sebastian Pope’s, though this test shouldn’t be prompted until the crew knows about Pope’s involvement.
  WHY DID/DO YOU THINK WE’RE PIRATES? 
  “We heard there are a lot of pirates in the area, and your ship matches the description we were given.” If the name 
  of the ship hasn’t changed, she adds, “Plus, come on, it’s called the Anne Bonny!”  
  WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT THIS SATELLITE? 
  “We got word from HQ about a small side job with big bonus pay. Apparently, the owner of the satellite says it’s 
  malfunctioning and asked us to run a bunch of diagnostics and send them back the data. Cheaper than sending their 
  own crew out since we were in the area. We were all pretty happy to make a little extra money.”
  WHAT DID THE DIAGNOSTICS SHOW? 
  “We didn’t look at the results. We didn’t write the programs—we were just supposed to run them and send the 
  results back to HQ to send on to the owners. Saves them a trip out here, you see? They’ll have to send their own repair 
  folks out; that’s definitely more than we could do, but they’ll bring the right people and tools.”
  The rOckhOund
  SIZE  Medium (25 meters long)
  HULL   1d6
  CREW  3 (6)
  COMPETANCE  Capable
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   1
  WEAPONS
  Point Defense Cannon (Close 
  Range, 2d6 Damage)
  QUALITIES
  Hull Plating
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  WHO OWNS THE SATELLITE/HIRED YOU TO CHECK OUT THE SATELLITE?
   “HQ didn’t say and we didn’t much care, as long as the pay was good.”
  If the characters ask to see the diagnostic results, the crew of the Rockhound initially refuses. However, they make no 
  attempt to stop the characters from doing their own analysis of the satellite, and bribery or succeeding at a TN 15 Communi-
  cation (Bargaining) test could convince the Rockhound to let the crew copy their results. Bribing the crew of the Rockhound 
  requires a TN 18 Income test. 
  SATelliTe inTerfAce
  The characters should have an easy time docking with the satellite unless the Anne Bonny was damaged in combat with the 
  Rockhound. In that case, the crew’s pilot must succeed at a TN 12 Dexterity (Piloting) test in order to dock. Each attempt 
  takes ten minutes, and failure increases the TN by 1.
  Once the ship is docked, the crew can attempt their own analysis of the satellite, or, as a last resort, download as much 
  information as possible and send it back to the Bonny to sort out later. The latter option takes six hours but does not require 
  a test to accomplish. The satellite is small and looks like an amateur job, lending credence to the idea 
  that the Pyramid News Network placed it themselves.
  Analyzing the satellite’s software requires a TN 12 Intelligence (Technology) advanced test 
  (success threshold 10). Each attempt represents one hour of work. After three failed attempts, the 
  system shuts down, and takes five hours to come back online. 
  If the characters Took Out the Rockhound, Pope alerts the MCRN, who arrive after ten hours. They 
  send a spaceship, the Coronet, though the crew can see it coming on their sensors. This ship is 
  ordered to find out what happened to the Rockhound, and is much more heavily armored. The crew 
  has been specifically told that the Anne Bonny is a pirate ship and they can’t be dissuaded. They 
  order the Anne Bonny crew to surrender and allow their ship to be boarded. If the characters refuse, 
  then the Coronet attacks. Assuming Diana is on board, she advises against fighting the Coronet, 
  insisting that she will be able to sort things out even if they get arrested. 
  The characters might instead leave as soon as they see the Coronet approaching. If the crew 
  couldn’t analyze the satellite’s software, download the information without analyzing it, or get the 
  information from the Rockhound before leaving, then they’ll have to wait twelve hours for the Coronet 
  to tend to the Rockhound and leave again. 
  If the Anne Bonny manages to Take Out the MCRN Coronet, then the crew have as much time as 
  they need to finish their task with the satellite. Of course, this could lead to serious consequences 
  down the line, since the Coronet will almost certainly have alerted the MCRN fleet and the Anne 
  Bonny will now be one of the most wanted ships in the system.
  If the MCRN Coronet Takes Out the Anne Bonny, the MCRN officers on board arrest the characters 
  and hold them back on Callisto. See the MCRN Prison in the Journey to Callisto interlude for how to proceed from there.
  If the crew succeed at analyzing the data from the satellite, read or paraphrase the following. If the crew don’t succeed 
  but get the information to Diana, this information comes from her:
  While nothing in the satellite’s software calls out the name of the Pyramid News Network, the registry information 
  does have one useful piece of information: an address in Port Hampton on Callisto.
  inTerlude
  JOurney TO cAlliSTO
  Once the crew know the location of the Pyramid News Network station, they can head to Callisto. The trip takes just a few 
  days, so the characters have time to engage in activities like training or ship maintenance.
  If the characters now suspect tracing equipment on board the ship and begin to look for it, proceed to Interlude: Who 
  can be Trusted? 
  mcrn cOrOneT (frigATe)
  SIZE  Large (45 meters long)
  HULL  2d6
  CREW  4 (16)
  COMPETANCE  Capable
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   1
  WEAPONS
  Two Torpedo Tubes (Long Range, 
  4d6 Damage)
  Point Defense Network (six 
  cannons, Close Range, 2d6 
  Damage)
  QUALITIES
  Advanced Sensor Package, 
  Good Juice, Hull Plating, 
  Improved Stores, Medical Expert 
  System.
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  Scene 3
  ShOwdOwn AT The PyrAmid newS neTwOrk 
  cOmBAT encOunTer
  As soon as he gets the diagnostic information from the Rockhound, Sebastian Pope sends a team of Vector Security agents 
  to the Pyramid News Network’s headquarters in Port Hampton on Callisto. They enter guns blazing and take the small team 
  hostage, demanding to know where they’ve been getting their information about the protomolecule. Once again, Pope 
  sends a team that is close to the location and can arrive quickly.
  finding The STATiOn
  Read or paraphrase the following once the crew are in Port Hampton:
  The only city on the moon Callisto in the Jovian system, Port Hampton 
  is built in the walls of a large crater. Enormous supply ships move in and 
  out of the city, bringing critical resources to the shipyards, which is the 
  only location capable of manufacturing huge, 700-meter Donnager-class 
  ships. This particular settlement is under the thumb of Mars, who buy the 
  ships and mined ore that come from this moon. The city itself has a repu-
  tation as a place where both military and miners on shore leave come to 
  blow off steam, and the people of Port Hampton are very good at sepa-
  rating them from their money.
  Once in Port Hampton, Diana sends the crew to find the PNN while she claims 
  to have some other business to attend. The characters quickly discover that the 
  address they have isn’t sufficient to locate the Pyramid News Network station. The 
  address is actually a small complex with all manner of fringe businesses: gambling, 
  mOdificATiOnS
  Pope likely knows the location of the Pyramid 
  News Network’s headquarters because the 
  crew of the Rockhound relays the diagnostic 
  information from the satellite. If the charac-
  ters stopped the Rockhound from sending 
  the information, then he may figure it out from 
  the course the Bonny takes, or through any 
  number of other contacts he has throughout 
  the system. Either way, the Vector Security 
  team not only know that the Anne Bonny is 
  likely coming to the same location, thanks to 
  Pope’s digging they have pictures and short 
  dossiers on each of the characters. If any of 
  the crew had personal conversations over 
  the compromised communications system of 
  the Anne Bonny, Pope knows their personal 
  details and includes such information in the 
  dossiers.
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  illegal augmentations, prostitution, and so on. The crew have to ask around to discover the location of the news station. Most 
  of the passerby are drunken marines and miners on leave looking for fun who aren’t going to know much. It’s tricky to find 
  a local and even trickier to get them to talk. This can be run as a challenge test. A failure requires that the crew find a new 
  person to talk to, which resets the accumulated success.
  CHALLENGE: FIND THE STATION
  DIFFICULTY: TN 11           SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 10           TIME PER TEST: 5 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Deception), Communication (Persuasion), Intelligence (Security)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  People think it’s weird that the crew are asking about the news station and find it suspicious. The characters 
  must succeed at a TN 12 Communication (Etiquette) test to assuage their concerns or a TN 12 Communication 
  (Disguise) test to change appearance enough to avoid suspicion when finding a new person to talk to.
  MODERATE
  A drunk miner finds the crew suspicious or irritating enough to start a brawl. While not a major threat to 
  the characters, fighting draws unwanted attention. The crew can calm the miner down with a TN 14 Communication 
  (Persuasion) test or restrain him with a TN 14 Fighting (Grappling) test. Failure to do either results in a brawl. Use the 
  statistics for a Hooligan from Chapter 13 of The Expanse RPG.
  MAJOR
  Someone alerts the MCRN, and three junior officers arrive to question the crew. Unless the crew can talk their 
  way out of the situation with a TN 14 Communication (Persuasion) test or convincingly argue they aren’t doing anything 
  illegal with a TN 14 Intelligence (Law) test, the MCRN arrests the characters. If the crew choose to fight, use the statis-
  tics for a MCRN officer from the Adversaries & Allies section of the adventure. Further attempts to ask for help have a 
  TN increased by 2. If the characters get arrested, see the MCRN Prison sidebar in the Journey to Callisto interlude.
  If the characters reach a success threshold of 15 they not only learn where the office is, but they also hear that there was 
  some kind of commotion there just a short time ago—if Pope’s team successfully arrived first.
  Once they have located the building, the crew find it squeezed between a tattoo parlor and a refurbished electronics 
  shop. The sign on the door simply says “Ortiz-Kendrick Media.” The door is unlocked, but there are no windows. A character 
  who succeeds at a TN 10 Perception (Seeing) test notices that the hinges on the door are damaged, as though someone 
  had broken through the door, then closed it. If the crew ask either neighboring business what happened, they both report 
  that they heard from passerby that there was some kind of incident, but neither business saw exactly what happened. Either 
  business will confirm if asked that Ortiz-Kendrick Media is the Pyramid News Network. The neighbors can also point out that 
  the studio itself is soundproofed, so it’s hard to hear much going on from outside.
  If the characters choose to look around the building for a back entrance, they must succeed at a TN 12 Intelligence (Engi-
  neering) test to figure out which of the unlabeled fire exits go with the right business. The fire exit is only used in emergen-
  cies and is therefore alarmed, so the crew must succeed at a TN 12 Intelligence (Security or Technology) test to disable 
  mcrn PriSOn
  If the MCRN arrests the crew, then Scene 3 plays out very differently. Diana is released almost immediately but the crew must 
  spend twenty-four hours in prison in Port Hampton before she can work with her contacts within the MCRN to get them released. 
  During that time, Diana is able to get the exact location of the Pyramid News Network studio through a combination of analyzing 
  the crew’s data from the satellite. 
  Once the crew are released Diana sends a message to them at the prison, detailing the network’s address. She is annoyed with 
  the characters for having to break her own cover and does not hide her irritation, though she does not reveal her MSS affiliation to 
  the characters. Because this message does not get to them via the Anne Bonny, Pope does not intercept it, so he is unaware when 
  the crew are released from prison. Because the characters are in prison, the Vector Security Agents have extra time once they enter 
  the Pyramid News Network station and Gregory Carranza may be dead by the time the crew arrive, since the agents have instruc-
  tions to kill him if necessary, to prevent anyone else learning the identity of the informant. However, the crew can still find the name of 
  Gregory’s informant in his computer once they arrive. The agents are still at the site waiting to ambush the characters.
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  the alarm. Failure causes the alarm to go off and the police to arrive in 2d6 minutes. You can use the stats for Police in the 
  Adversaries section of Chapter 13 of The Expanse RPG. The door is unlocked and leads into the Back Offices.
  AmBuSh in The lOBBy
  The front room of the PNN is a small and unassuming lobby, with uncomfortable-looking furniture, an unattended 
  receptionist’s desk, and restrooms off to one side. Two doors, one labeled “Studio” and with a red light on above it, 
  lead out the back.
  If the characters were alerted by the locals, or by noticing the door was broken, or are particularly cautious as they enter, 
  they can attempt a TN 11 Perception (Seeing or Hearing) test to notice that two Vector Securities agents are crouched 
  behind the desk waiting to ambush anyone who enters. The agents are wearing flat black security armor, complete with face 
  masks (notably similar to the ambushers from Breaking the Surface). If the characters simply walk in without caution or fail 
  the test to notice the agents, they are surprised for the first round of combat. If playing with the “Dead-to-Rights” rule (see 
  Dead-to-Rights in Chapter 12 of The Expanse RPG), it would be appropriate for the ambushers to have surprised charac-
  ters Dead-to-Rights for the first round.
  If the characters investigate the hand terminals that the agents are carrying, they can bypass the security with a successful 
  TN 13 Intelligence (Technology) test. The crew then discover pictures and short biographies of themselves, including snip-
  pets of conversations made using the Bonny’s ship’s comms. There are also details based on information gleaned from 
  intercepted communications from the Anne Bonny over external comms. These hand terminals were specific to this mission 
  and contain no information on who the agents are or who they work for.
  BAck OfficeS
  The unlabeled door opens into a cubicle-lined hallway that makes a right-hand turn at an office pod. Bullet holes 
  are scored into one of the walls and steady footsteps come from the offices, along with terrified murmurs.
   Two more agents are holding most of the office staff at gunpoint. The agents have to keep an eye on the Pyramid News 
  Network staff, who are held in the offices at the end of the hallway, and thus can’t watch the door as carefully. If the charac-
  ters can succeed at a TN 14 Deception (Stealth) test, they can potentially ambush these guards. 
  The two guards have sixteen hostages who have their hands bound with zipties. None of the staff of the Pyramid News 
  Network is competent at fighting, even if unbound. The agents focus on attacking the crew and don’t deliberately attack any 
  of the staff during the combat, though they may use them as hostages or human shields. Once the characters kill or subdue 
  the agents, they can release the hostages and find out what happened. 
  These agents carry hand terminals just like those in the lobby.
  Sonya Dang, the manager of the Pyramid News Network, is a middle-aged woman of predominantly Korean descent and 
  answers the characters’ questions. Possible questions and answers follow:
  IS THIS THE PYRAMID NEWS NETWORK? 
  “Yes, it is. We use the Ortiz-Kendrick Media name to keep a low profile. Between people looking to sue us and some 
  overzealous fans who believe everything we print and want to act on it, we’ve learned it’s better to be hard to find. 
  Ortiz and Kendrick were the two founders, but they just run the company from a distance now.”
  DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THE STORIES YOU PUBLISH? 
  “No, not at all. But it’s what we get paid to write. It’s all just entertainment, really.”
  HOW DID YOU FIND OUT THE INFORMATION ON THE PROTOMOLECULE? 
  “Someone got in contact with Greg. He’s been writing all those stories. We didn’t really think it was more truthful 
  than anything else we print, but it’s gotten a lot of attention and increased our listeners. Greg is the only one here who 
  really wanted to be a journalist.”
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  WHAT HAPPENED WITH THESE FOLKS IN BLACK? 
  “They stormed in a couple of hours ago with guns and made everybody get on the floor. They asked about those 
  stories with the protomolecule. Greg eventually admitted he wrote them, and then they took him away and left the 
  rest of us here. We heard the studio door open—maybe he’s in there?”
  DO YOU KNOW WHO HIS INFORMANT WAS? 
  “No idea. Greg kept his sources pretty secret. Plus, we figured it was some crank, anyway. Who would come to us 
  with real information about the protomolecule?”
  Sonya has a key to the studio that she’ll give to the crew if they ask for it.
  The characters might attempt to interrogate the Vector Security agents, but this shouldn’t be fruitful. The Vector agents 
  are specifically trained on how to resist interrogation and know that giving information to the crew would result in deadly 
  consequences from their employer. The agents refuse to give their names or employer at all costs.
  in The STudiO
  The soundproofed door labeled “Studio,” which is locked, goes into the Pyramid News Network sound stage where they film 
  their segments. The red light is on, but the cameras inside are not currently running. They can only be turned on from inside 
  the studio. If the characters rescue the hostages from the back offices before going into the studio, they can get a key from 
  the manager of the Pyramid News Network. If not, they must succeed at a TN 14 Intelligence (Security) test to open the lock. 
  Either way they must succeed at a TN 14 Deception (Stealth) test to open the door quietly enough to ambush the agents 
  inside. A failed attempt to open the lock makes enough noise that the guards cannot be surprised.
  Three agents are interrogating Gregory Carranza, a writer for the Pyramid News Network. Gregory wrote the stories on 
  the protomolecule based on information from an informant. The agents are trying to get Greg to reveal his source.
  Note: Torture should only be in play here if all players are comfort-
  able with its presence in the game. Otherwise, the interrogation 
  should simply be intense questioning of the news writer.
  ThrOwdOwn  
  If the players can surprise the agents, then the agents cannot act in 
  the first round of combat. The crew could even have the agents Dead-
  to-Rights if using that rule in the game. The agents spend the second 
  round firing at the crew. If the characters seem powerful, then during 
  the third round one of the agents shoots Gregory, preferring to see 
  him dead than in the hands of opponents. However, the shot isn’t 
  immediately fatal and it’s possible for a character to stabilize him with 
  a TN 10 Intelligence (Medicine) advanced test (success threshold 
  10), though such ministrations need to be performed immediately. 
  Each check takes fifteen seconds (one round of combat), and if he 
  isn’t stabilized within one minute, he bleeds out.
  whO TOld yOu?
  Once the agents are subdued or killed, if the characters have saved 
  Gregory Carranza (or if he was never shot) they have a chance 
  to try to get him to reveal his informant. If rescued, Gregory he is 
  immensely grateful and immediately opens up. He admits that he 
  was contacted by a woman who claimed to work for Mao-Kwikowski 
  Mercantile as a supply chain manager and that she knew of a hunt 
  for a protomolecule sample on the loose. Gregory has no idea why 
  she would reveal this information, nor was he able to verify if any of it 
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  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  was true. He knows that she works on Earth and says that she seemed honest, and she provided private details about Mao 
  and his businesses that Gregory was able to verify as true.
  If Gregory is killed, the crew can instead investigate his computer—though the staff only give them access if Gregory is 
  dead. Breaking into his computer requires a TN 10 Intelligence (Security) test, or they can get the password from Sonya 
  Dang. Once in his computer, they find emails from a woman named Alina Vasquez Chang with information about the proto-
  molecule that appeared in his news stories. Researching the name eventually finds a match: an employee at Mao-Kwikowski 
  Mercantile working as a supply chain manager.
  check-in
  Diana is waiting for the crew by the time they get back to the ship. If they were able to uncover the name of the informant, 
  Diana is thrilled. She suggests that they to try to meet with Alina and get more information from her. If the characters share 
  that the mysterious agents had dossiers on them, Diana grows extremely concerned but doesn’t comment other than to 
  mutter, “We need to be very careful from here on out.”
  inTerlude
  whO cAn Be TruSTed?
  Eventually, the characters should notice that someone (they may or may not yet know that it is Pope) always seems to know 
  they’re coming. From the message at the outpost, to the description of the ship given to the Rockhound, to the dossiers with 
  the ambushers at the Pyramid News Network station, it should become clear that their opponents aren’t merely working on 
  the same task, but actively tracking the crew and what they are doing. If possible, add other references based on specific 
  conversations that the characters have had over the Bonny’s internal and external comms.
  Bug hunT  
  By now, the crew should believe there is a mole in their midst. or they might suspect that Diana is a double agent. But the 
  Bonny has, in fact, been bugged. If a character suspects that the ship has tracking equipment on board, it requires a TN 
  15 Intelligence (Engineering or Technology) advanced test (success threshold 15) to locate the tracker. Each test repre-
  sents an hour of work. However, even if they don’t begin a search, when the crew leaves Callisto the communications 
  equipment starts to malfunction, which sets off alerts in the ship’s computer system that there is a problem. A character 
  who succeeds at a TN 9 Intelligence (Engineering or Technology) test recognizes that the malfunction is characteristic 
  of equipment that has been bugged. At this point, locating the tracking equipment only requires a TN 12 Intelligence 
  (Engineering or Technology) advanced test (success threshold 10), since there is specific evidence of such equipment. 
  Each check still takes an hour, but the crew should realize by now that they can’t say anything sensitive over the comms 
  system until they find the bug. 
  Once the tracking equipment is found and removed, the communications systems of the Anne Bonny are free from surveil-
  lance, though the characters may perform further investigations to be sure of that, or even start encrypting their transmis-
  sions. 
  Analyzing the tracking equipment once it’s been removed requires a TN 9 Intelligence (Engineering, Security, or Tech-
  nology) test to reveal the manufacturer: Caracara Electronics. The unit is very high-end and quite expensive. The crew can 
  easily look up more information on Caracara Electronics and find that it’s located on Luna.
  If the characters choose to go to the Luna to investigate Caracara Electronics, proceed to Scene 4. This scene is completely 
  optional, and they may be happy with removing the bug and going about their business. 
  inTerlude
  The JOurneyS
  The characters have choices to make about Scenes 4, 5, and 6, and which order to do them in, if they do choose to do all 
  of them. All three locations require some travel, so the crew have the opportunity to train, perform maintenance on the ship, 
  communicate their findings to Diana, or go on side treks related to their backgrounds. Scene 6 has an urgent timeline, but 
  Scenes 4 and 5 do not.
  37
  
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  Satellites and Secrets
  Scene 4
  The Bug’S mAker 
  exPlOrATiOn/SOciAl Or cOmBAT encOunTer
  This scene occurs sometime after the characters locate the tracking equipment on the Anne Bonny and notice the manufac-
  turer, Caracara Electronics, labeled on the equipment. The crew travels to Luna to investigate Caracara Electronics and see 
  if they can discover who purchased the bug.
  recOnnAiSSAnce
  If the crew do initial research into Caracara Electronics on their way to Luna, they can find the following: 
  The company is located on Luna, in Lovell City, and sells high-end surveillance equipment, supplying not only military 
  customers, but also wealthy private citizens.
  Succeeding at a TN 12 Intelligence (Research) or Communication (Investigation) test during their initial investigation also 
  reveals the following:
  The founder of the company, Marjorie Louie, still works every day on site and often meets personally with prospective 
  customers, even though she’s wealthy enough off the company’s success to let subordinates handle client sales.
  The facility has extremely good surveillance, using many of their own products on site.
  If the characters stake out the facility and succeed at a TN 12 Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Security), or Perception 
  (Seeing) test, they learn the following:
  They can spot the locations of some of the security cameras around the premises, and note the usual external guard 
  location.
  They can track what times various employees arrive and leave, including Marjorie Louie, and can recognize some of the 
  relatively well-known customers.
  Sebastian Pope doesn’t own Caracara Electronics, but he has ties with the owner, Marjorie Louie, and invested heavily 
  in the founding of the company. The crew are unlikely to discover this information unless they specifically search to 
  discover if Pope is involved. Even so, this is very difficult information to find out from a public search and requires 
  succeeding at a TN 18 Intelligence (Business) test.
  The crew have several different options for how to approach the facility to find out who purchased the tracking equipment 
  they found. They could attempt to sneak onto the premises, they could pose as potential customers, or they could simply ask 
  for assistance. If all else fails, they can always raid the facility with guns blazing. Choose the challenge test most appropriate 
  to the approach that the characters wish to use. They can attempt another approach after one goes poorly, though it may be 
  appropriate to increase the TN in such a case, depending on how the previous attempt failed.
  SneAking in
  The crew can attempt to sneak into the building, bypassing security systems and avoiding armed guards. This approach 
  requires stealth and technological aptitude. Ultimately, the characters must get to an employee’s work station to try to gain 
  access to their sales records.
  CHALLENGE: SNEAKING IN
  DIFFICULTY: TN 14           SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15           TIME PER TEST: 10 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Security)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
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  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The crew set off motion sensors, flooding their location 
  with light. The characters must succeed at a TN 13 Intelligence 
  (Technology) test to deactivate the motion sensors, or the TN of 
  their future challenges increases by 1.
  MODERATE
  The crew are spotted by a guard during normal 
  rounds. They must scramble away quickly, succeeding at a TN 13 
  Constitution (Running) or Strength (Climbing) test, or the TN of 
  their future challenges increases by 2.
  MAJOR
  A group of security guards, alerted by the single guard 
  who spotted them, catches up to the characters. See the section 
  Call for Security. 
  If the characters did well during reconnaissance, the TN for this 
  approach could be lowered if the crew take advantage of what they 
  learned, such as avoiding the areas known to have cameras, coming 
  at night when there are fewer employees, or avoiding the guards’ 
  known routes. Each precaution taken by the characters can lower 
  the TN by 1, to a minimum of 11.
  If the crew are successful, they sneak in and find a computer 
  terminal in an employee’s office. Proceed to the section Who Did It?
  POSe AS cuSTOmerS
  Another way for the crew to get in is through the front door, posing 
  as customers. This approach requires subterfuge and subtlety. If they can convince an employee that they are serious 
  customers, they can potentially get access to an employee’s office—and their sales records.
  CHALLENGE: POSE AS CUSTOMERS
  DIFFICULTY: TN 14           SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15           TIME PER TEST: 10 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Deception, Disguise, or Etiquette), Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The initial employee the characters speak to doesn’t think the crew can afford the expensive equipment that 
  Caracara Electronics sells and tries to brush them off. The crew must succeed at a TN 13 Communication (Deception) 
  or Income test to come across as actually having the ability to buy such an expensive piece of equipment, or they must 
  start over with a different employee, losing their accumulated success.
  MODERATE
  An employee suspects something is off about the crew’s presence and asks them to leave the building. 
  If the characters can’t succeed at a TN 14 Communication (Deception) test to convince the employee that they are 
  honest, they have to exit the building completely and try again. The TN for future challenges is increased by 2 and they 
  lose their accumulated success.
  MAJOR
  An employee catches the crew trying to hack into an employee computer and calls the guards. See the 
  section Call for Security.
  If the characters did well during their initial investigations and reconnaissance, they might put that information to good 
  use, such as arriving when Marjorie Louie isn’t there and name-dropping her, saying the company was recommended by one 
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  Satellites and Secrets
  of the known customers, or bringing in the tracking equipment they took from the ship and claiming that their existing unit 
  malfunctioned. Each specific detail that the characters exploit can lower the TN by 1, to a minimum of 11.
  If the crew are successful, they can get access to an employee’s office and try to break into the computer while no one is 
  watching. Proceed to section Who Did It?
  ASk fOr ASSiSTAnce
  The crew might just want to be straightforward and ask Caracara Electronics for the name of who was spying on them. The 
  company didn’t reach its status by giving up its clients easily, however, and getting the name of their opponent will take 
  either smooth talking or harsh threats.
  CHALLENGE: ASK FOR ASSISTANCE
  DIFFICULTY: TN 14           SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15           TIME PER TEST: 10 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Bargaining or Persuasion), Intelligence (Law), or Strength (Intimidation)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The employee laughs in the characters’ faces for their audacity in asking for another client’s identity, and they 
  must succeed at a TN 12 Communication (Persuasion) test to even keep the conversation going with the employee. If 
  they fail, they must start over with someone new and they lose their accumulated success.
  MODERATE
  The employee thinks that this is a trap, perhaps from senior management or one of Sebastian Pope’s 
  people there to see if they’ll give up client information. If the crew can’t succeed at a TN 13 Communication (Persua-
  sion) test, the TN of further challenges increases by 2 due to the employee’s increased paranoia.
  MAJOR
  The employee grows furious with the characters and calls for security. Several armed guards show up. See 
  the section Call for Security.
  If the characters did well during their reconnaissance, they may want to use that information to make a stronger case, such 
  as by insisting on speaking to Marjorie Louie when they know she is in, bringing in the unit they took from the ship to prove 
  that they were being spied on, or looking up relevant local laws that might help their case. Each specific supporting detail 
  the crew use can lower the TN by 1 to a minimum of 11. If a character wants to use Communication (Bargaining), they must 
  offer something of value to the company.
  If the characters are successful, the employee gives them the information on who purchased the tracking equipment. See 
  Section Who Did It?, but the characters to not need to break into a computer.
  cAll fOr SecuriTy
  If the characters reached major consequences from any of the approaches, they find themselves facing down a quartet of 
  armed security guards (see Caracara Electronics Security Guards in the Adversaries & Allies section). They could attempt 
  to run away, which would lead to a chase scene; they could go willingly with the guards, who turn them in to the Lunar police, 
  necessitating a call to Diana; or they could try to fight the guards off. If the characters are turned over to the police, Diana can 
  successfully get the characters released from prison, but the lunar authorities insist on the characters leaving Luna immedi-
  ately, which prevents them from being able to try a different method of getting into the facility. If the crew instead fight off or 
  escape the guards, they may be able to try again with a different approach and with a higher TN.
  kick dOwn The dOOr
  It’s possible that the crew won’t want to bother with stealth, subterfuge, or sweet talk, and instead simply raid the building. 
  Alternatively, the crew may have had a non-violent approach fail, and need to kick down the door as a last resort. In either 
  case, the characters must fight off two groups of guards like those described in Call for Security, and another pair of guards 
  shows up every two minutes during the Who Did It? section, making it more difficult to finish the task.
  40
  
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  whO did iT?
  Once the crew have access to a computer terminal, they can attempt to access the sales records. First, logging in to the 
  computer without a password requires a TN 12 Intelligence (Technology) test. If the characters fail three times the computer 
  locks out and the characters must get to another terminal, which might require an ability test as appropriate for the method 
  the characters used to get access. Once logged in, the crew must find the appropriate sales records, requiring a TN 13 
  Intelligence (Business) test. Each attempt takes one minute and failing more than four times might draw the attention of 
  someone, depending on how the crew got to this position.
  The sales records reveal that the serial number of the tracking equipment they found on the Anne Bonny was purchased 
  by Vector Security, and the order was personally placed by Sebastian Pope.
  When the crew report this to Diana, she looks very grim. She explains, if the characters don’t know yet, that Sebastian 
  Pope was behind the theft of the protomolecule. She tells them some of the information that she has on Pope and on Vector 
  Security. You can find detailed information on Pope in the Adversaries & Allies section of Shoot the Moon.
  Scene 5
  The infOrmAnT 
  exPlOrATiOn/SOciAl encOunTer 
  This scene can only occur if the crew were able to find out the name of the informant, 
  Alina Vasquez Chang, from Gregory Carranza at the Pyramid News Network. It might 
  occur before or after Scene 4: The Bug’s Maker, depending on what order the charac-
  ters follow leads in. 
  Diana urges the crew to make contact with Alina. “A mole inside Mao’s organization 
  would be invaluable! Make sure to handle this carefully—you don’t want to spook her.”
  If the characters do further research on Alina Vasquez Chang, they find the following:
  She has been employed with Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile since graduating 
  high school, starting as a personal assistant, but getting training and eventually 
  becoming a supply chain manager.
  She attended an extremely prestigious high school on Earth.
  She has no siblings, and her parents owned a high-end textile company before it 
  went bankrupt. The assets were purchased by Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile.
  If the characters attempt to call or send messages to Alina, she ignores them. If they 
  mention the protomolecule or Gregory Carranza she blocks them, though she does not 
  report the obvious leak to anyone. The only way to speak with her is to show up at her 
  workplace or her home.
  finding AlinA
  Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile is an enormous company with many locations. The branch that Alina works at in New York 
  City spans an entire city block, but still keeps security tight. This information is easy to find and does not require a test.
  The crew could also attempt to contact Alina at her home, though that address is far more difficult to locate, requiring a TN 
  15 Intelligence (Investigation) test. If the crew show up at Alina’s home, she tries to call the police unless they can succeed 
  at a TN 15 Communication (Persuasion) test. 
  If the crew show up at Alina’s workplace, they must first get into the facility. They might approach this in different ways, 
  similarly to Scene 4: The Bug’s Maker. If the characters are not going to do The Bug’s Maker, then an appropriate challenge 
  test from The Bug’s Maker could be used here. Alternatively, a simple ability test is sufficient to avoid redundancy with the 
  previous scene.
  The crew might talk their way into the facility with a TN 14 Communication (Deception or Persuasion) test, break in 
  through a side entrance with a TN 14 Intelligence (Security or Technology) test, pretend to be someone who should be 
  there with a TN 12 Communication (Disguise) test, or find a legitimate reason to be there with a TN 14 Intelligence (Busi-
  ness) test. Failure prevents the characters from entering the facility in that particular way, but they can try another approach 
  under SurveillAnce
  It is expected that the crew find out that 
  the Anne Bonny is bugged before they 
  reveal Alina’s name over the compro-
  mised communication systems. If they 
  do say her name without dealing with 
  the bug, or if the characters deliberately 
  reveal her name in order to draw out 
  their opponents, then rival agents from 
  Vector Security try to locate Alina and kill 
  her. When the characters arrive to talk to 
  Alina, four Vector Security agents also 
  show up to try to kill her. If the characters 
  can save her, she is very grateful, but she 
  must also leave her position since her 
  status as a mole is compromised. She’ll 
  give the characters the information she 
  currently has but won’t be able to help 
  them much in the future.
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  to get in. Excessive failures may draw the attention of security. Use the statistics for guards from Caracara Electronics in the 
  Adversaries & Allies section, if needed.
  Once the crew reach Alina’s office, they must make contact without overly frightening her. They must succeed at a TN 
  10 Communication (Persuasion) test to calm her down or a TN 12 Strength (Intimidation) test to cow her into not calling 
  security before the crew can fully explain the situation. Mentioning the name of Gregory Carranza lowers the TN by 2. 
  The meeTing
  Whether the crew show up to her home or office, Alina wants to meet them at a different location to discuss her involve-
  ment with the Pyramid News Network, and she won’t admit to anything until the later meeting. She suggests meeting at 
  Vista Park that evening. Characters who succeed at a TN 14 Intelligence (Current Affairs) test know that Vista park is 
  in a bad part of town. It’s dangerous, but there is unlikely to be surveil-
  lance, which is likely what Alina is counting on. The crew can propose 
  an alternate location if they have one. Alina refuses to meet with them 
  on the Anne Bonny.
  When the crew arrive at the park, Alina will speak with them and 
  answer questions honestly. Possible questions and answers follow:
  JuleS-Pierre mAO
  While not in the top ten companies operating in the Belt, Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile is solidly in the top fifty—making Jules-Pierre Mao 
  one of the richest men in the solar system. An owner of Mao-Kwik and a major shareholder in Star Helix Security, Mao operates out 
  of his eponymous station in Luna’s orbit with a luxury yacht, the Guanshiyin, at his disposal. Handsome, middle-aged, and dignified 
  with bright blue eyes, Mao has several children with his wife, Ariadne Mao: Clarissa Melpomene, Petyr, twins Michael and Anthea, and 
  Juliette Andromeda—now better known as Julie Mao of the OPA and the Eros Incident.
  Jules-Pierre Mao and Mao-Kwikowski were able to successfully argue their way out of prosecution after the Eros Incident despite 
  their close involvement: they were one of Protogen’s major suppliers, and Mao’s estranged daughter was patient zero in the proto-
  molecule infection on Eros. Mao and his company claimed they didn’t know what their equipment and supplies were used for and 
  were allowed to continue business as usual. However, it’s more likely that Mao escaped consequences because of his friends in 
  high places—in two different governments. Few in the United Nations or the Martian Republic are aware of Mao-Kwikowski’s top-
  secret government-funded experiments with humans and the protomolecule—both before and after Eros.
  For more on Jules-Pierre Mao, Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile, and their work with the protomolecule, see The Expanse RPG.
  WHO ARE YOU? HOW DID YOU GET YOUR JOB?  
  “I grew up in the area. I went to school with Juliette Mao—we 
  were close friends growing up. Her dad, Jules-Pierre Mao got me 
  the original job with the company. I’ve been there ever since.”
  JULIETTE MAO? LIKE FROM THE NEWS? VENUS?  
  “Yes. She left here long ago, though; she really believed in the 
  plight of the Outer Belt. I would never have enough courage to 
  leave like that.”
  HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROTOMOLECULE?  
  “I really wasn’t supposed to. But I heard Mr. Mao talking with some 
  other people, and someone mentioned it before they all got really 
  quiet. And then, well, I did something I shouldn’t have done. I still 
  knew how to get access to some of the executive email accounts 
  from when I was a personal assistant. I found out about this other 
  protomolecule that’s out there somewhere, and Mr. Mao wants to 
  get his hands on it.”
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  WHY DOES MAO WANT THE PROTOMOLECULE IF HE ALREADY HAS SOME?  
  “Apparently, his researchers think they can do something really big with another sample. I don’t know exactly what, 
  but it doesn’t sound good...a super-weapon of some kind. I think he also doesn’t like the idea of anyone else having 
  one. Mao doesn’t like competition.”
  WHY DID YOU GO TO THE PYRAMID NEWS NETWORK WITH YOUR INFORMATION?  
  “I knew I needed to tell somebody. I just kept thinking of all the stuff Juliette used to say, and then the terrible things 
  that happened to her, and I couldn’t just let it happen. I didn’t really want to go all Jim Holden myself, though. I tried 
  to talk to more reputable journalists, but they just didn’t believe me. I know the Pyramid News Network isn’t exactly 
  reliable, but Gregory Carranza was the first person who took me seriously.”
  WHY DO YOU STILL WORK FOR THE COMPANY?  
  “I’m not really sure. I’m still getting information, I guess? I’m not sure what else I would do if I quit.”
  DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE PROTOMOLECULE IS NOW?  
  “No, I don’t. The email accounts I can get into have gotten a lot more careful about revealing information. They’ve 
  noticed the broadcasts from the Pyramid News Network, and are being much more cautious with security. I’ve had 
  to be careful myself, since they suspect a leak in the organization. Though I don’t think that they suspect me. Yet.”
  ARE YOU WILLING TO SUPPLY US WITH INFORMATION?  
  “I guess the whole point of getting information to the press was so someone could stop Mao from getting the proto-
  molecule. Now it seems like that’s you. I can give you the same information I gave Gregory. I just hope you’re able to 
  do something with it.”
  CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT SEBASTIAN POPE?  
  “Yes. He’s the one who has the protomolecule now. I think Mr. Mao has an idea where, but I haven’t been able to 
  find out yet. Oh, there’s one thing that might be useful: Mr. Mao mentioned in an email that Pope almost never shows 
  his face in public, but he attends the Titan’s Ball every time, without fail. It only takes place every three years, but 
  maybe that’s something you can use?” (If anyone asks about the Titan’s Ball, you can find more information about it in 
  the Titan’s Ball section of this book. Alina can tell them all about it since it’s sort of an obsession of hers.)
  The accumulation of people with expensive gear gets the attention of locals, and during or just after the meeting, a 
  gang approaches the meeting to demand money and gear. The characters can attempt to scare off the group with a TN 13 
  Strength (Intimidation) test, but otherwise, the gang attacks. You can use the Vista Park Gang Members stats in the Adver-
  saries & Allies section of this chapter. Alina isn’t any good at hand-to-hand combat, but she is surprisingly good with a pistol 
  she keeps on her. (“My dad insisted I learn how to use one. He wanted me to be prepared.”)
  If the crew insisted on another location, this fight does not happen.
  A finAl clue
  After the fight or simply at the end of the meeting, Alina offers up a final, key piece of intel.
  Alina shifts uncomfortably, clearly unused to the espionage lifestyle. “There’s something that might be of use to you. 
  Pope is apparently about to transport something—something he wants kept quiet. But Mr. Mao has learned about it 
  and hired a team to intercept it. I don’t know for sure it’s the protomolecule, but Mr. Mao seems to think so. Maybe 
  you can beat them to it?
  Alina gives the crew coordinates to where Mao’s mercenaries are supposed to intercept Pope’s team. And then, not 
  knowing what else to do, bids the crew good night. 
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  Scene 6
  The hAndOff 
  ShiP cOmBAT/cOmBAT encOunTer
  This scene can only occur if the characters successfully located 
  and reached an arrangement with Alina Vasquez Chang. Based 
  on her information, the crew knows about an impending ambush 
  of a team transporting stolen goods for Pope by a team hired 
  by Mao. If the characters are successful, they can intercept the 
  mysterious package….
  STOPPed On The dOTTed line
  Diana is thrilled by the intel they received from Alina and urges 
  the crew to take this last step to locate the protomolecule—
  to intercept the Dotted Line and obtain this mystery package 
  being shipped by Pope: 
  “Even if it’s not the protomolecule it’s a chance to give 
  Pope a black eye and show him we mean business. And I 
  certainly don’t want Mao getting his greedy little mitts on 
  whatever it is that Pope is shipping, especially if it is the 
  protomolecule.”
  Now the crew just has to decide how to approach the mission.
  The truth is, Pope hired a supply ship called the Dotted Line 
  to transport a suit of stolen Martian powered armor from Mars 
  to Luna. This time, he opted to use a different team rather than 
  a Vector Security because he’s concerned that Vector might be 
  on the MCRN’s radar and he doesn’t want them caught trans-
  porting stolen MCRN property. Mao found out about the trans-
  port through informants and hired a mercenary ship, the Scrim-
  shaw, to intercept the Dotted Line. The crew of the Bonny can 
  get to the Dotted Line first, but if they don’t deal with the trans-
  port ship quickly, they must tangle with the better equipped 
  Scrimshaw at the same time.
  On The clOck
  From the time the crew reaches the Dotted Line, they have 10 
  minutes until the Scrimshaw arrives. The Dotted Line defends 
  itself to the best of its ability and tries to escape if possible. The 
  Scrimshaw has no hesitation in attacking both the Dotted Line 
  and the Anne Bonny.
  If the characters attempt to board and take prisoners, the 
  crew of both ships fight back. Unfortunately for the Dotted Line, 
  the powered armor is in pieces and in no condition to be used 
  (and they don’t even know what’s in the crate they’re carrying). 
  The crew of the transport ship hired by Pope are capable 
  fighters, but not exceptional ones, and surrender as soon as 
  one member of their crew is killed or goes down. The captain 
  of the Dotted Line is Hugo Hanssen. The mercenaries hired by 
  Mao, on the other hand, are very good fighters and don’t back 
  down easily. They are led by Erin Lee. 
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  inTerrOgATiOn
  If the characters successfully take any prisoners from either ship, they may wish to perform an inter-
  rogation. Neither group knows anything about the protomolecule. Possible questions and answers for 
  the transport crew follow, and Hanssen answers questions on behalf of the crew if he is alive:
  WHO HIRED YOU? WHAT WAS YOUR ASSIGNMENT?  
  “I’m an independent contractor. I was delivering a private shipment to a storage facility on Luna.”
  WHAT’S IN THE CRATES?  
  “I don’t usually ask too many questions about things like that.”
  DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE PROTOMOLECULE IS?  
  “The what? Like on Venus? What does that have to do with anything?”
  Possible questions and answers for the Scrimshaw crew follow, and Lee answers questions on 
  behalf of the mercenaries if she is alive:
  WHO HIRED YOU? WHAT WAS YOUR MISSION?  
  “We were hired by an anonymous employer. Pretty common in our line of work. We were 
  supposed to intercept that transport ship and grab a crate.”
  WHAT’S IN THE CRATE? 
  “You look in there and tell me.”
  DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE PROTOMOLECULE IS?  
  “How would I know where a thing like that is?”
  If the characters succeed at a TN 13 Communication (Investigation) or Strength (Intimidation) 
  test, they can get more honest answers out of the mercenaries.
  WHO HIRED YOU? WHAT WAS YOUR MISSION?  
  dOTTed line
  SIZE  Large (50 meters long)
  HULL   2d6
  CREW  4 (16)
  COMPETANCE  Capable
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   1
  WEAPONS
  Point Defense Cannon (Close 
  Range, 2d6 Damage)
  QUALITIES
  Improved Stores
  QUALITIES
  Fragile
  ScrimShAw
  SIZE  Medium (45 meters long)
  HULL   1d6
  CREW  2 (4)
  COMPETANCE  Capable
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   1
  WEAPONS
  Rail Gun (Medium Range, 3d6 
  Damage)
  Point Defense Cannon (Close 
  Range, 2d6 Damage)
  QUALITIES
  Advanced Sensor Package, Hull 
  Plating
  QUALITIES
  Wanted
  “All right, all right. They didn’t name names, but the up-front payment came through Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile.”
  The AfTermATh
  If the crew successfully gets the crate from the Dotted Line, they find a suit of powered armor. It’s not the prize they were hoping 
  for, but quite a prize, nonetheless. The armor is broken down into component parts, but with a day or two of work, the crew 
  could get it operational. The logos make it clear that it was stolen from the Martian Marine Corps, so it has the Wanted property. 
  If the crew hacks into the mercenary ship’s computers, which requires a TN 13 Intelligence (Computers) test, they find a 
  couple of video messages. Erin Lee is quite fastidious about deleting old messages, knowing that they could be a security 
  leak, but the most recent communications haven’t been wiped yet. The first message is from an unregistered number, but 
  the speaker identifies himself as Cyrus. He tells the Scrimshaw the time and coordinates to meet up with the Dotted Line. 
  He ends the conversation with: “We’ll be in touch with further instructions. We’ll need your best efforts on this one; we think 
  the target is hiding in plain sight.”
  The second message is from Anderson Dawes. “I’m sorry to hear that you’re already booked. I’ve heard great things about 
  your operation. Let me know when you’re available and I’ll probably have more work for you.”
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  AlinA vASQueZ chAng
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communicaton 2 (Deception, 
  Investigation), Constitution 1, Dexterity 1,  
  Fighting 0, Intelligence 3 (Business, Technology), 
  Perception 2 (Empathy), Strength 0,  
  Willpower 2 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  14
  11
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+2
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Called Shot, Rapid Reload
  Talents: Contacts (Expert), Intrigue (Novice), Misdirection (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Minor
  cArAcArA elecTrOnicS SecuriTy guArdS
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communicaton 1 , Constitution 
  2 , Dexterity 1, Fighting 2 (Light Weapons, Grappling), 
  Intelligence 0, Perception 3, Strength 2, Willpower 0
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  11
  12
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+3
  Taser
  +4
  1d6
  Baton
  +4
  1d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Knock Prone, Skirmish
  Talents: Protect (Novice), Tactical Awareness (Novice)
  Equipment: baton, hand terminal, pistol, scanner, taser, uniform 
  Threat: Minor
  The following are the significant non-player characters in Satellites and 
  Secrets, along with their Expanse game stats. For additional stock characters 
  you can use in this adventure, see the Threats chapter of The Expanse RPG.
  AlinA vASQueZ chAng
  Alina Vasquez Chang grew up the only daughter 
  of wealthy parents who co-owned a high-end 
  textiles company. She was childhood friends with 
  Juliette Andromeda Mao. Her parents’ business 
  took a sudden downturn not long after Alina grad-
  uated high school, and they were forced to sell the 
  company for a fraction of its former value. Jules-
  Pierre Mao, out of fondness and sympathy for his 
  daughter’s friend, got her a job as a personal assis-
  tant with his company, Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile. 
  Alina proved to have a sharp head for business and later moved to supply 
  chain management. She works at the New York City branch.
  cArAcArA elecTrOnicS SecuriTy guArdS
  Caracara Electronics needs to not only protect their expensive equip-
  ment, but also their substantial customer database, often including such 
  information as floorplans, spaceship layouts, and personal information 
  like addresses: necessary files for selling security equipment, but quite 
  appealing to thieves. Caracara Electronics maintains a security staff that is 
  well-trained and extremely well-vetted. 
  dOTTed line crew
  The crew of the supply ship were all hired by Hugo Hanssen for this particular 
  assignment. While none of them have any particular loyalty to the captain, 
  they also don’t know anything about their current mission beyond dropping 
  off a crate of cargo on Luna. Some plan to stay on Luna to find their next job 
  while others plan to return to Mars.
  If asked, Alina can confirm that there is an employee at Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile named Cyrus who works closely with 
  Jules-Pierre Mao. She doesn’t know anything specific about Anderson Dawes, but offers to look into him.
  The wrAP-uP
  Jules-Pierre Mao learns quickly that something has gone wrong with his operation, as the Scrimshaw was meant to check 
  in soon after completing its mission. If they don’t, or if they report that the transport ship wasn’t there or that the package 
  was already taken, Mao and his team assume that Pope found out about the ambush. If the characters get sloppy, however, 
  Mao’s agents could show up in a later story. Pope also finds out fairly quickly that something went wrong when Hanssen’s 
  team doesn’t deliver the crate to the storage facility on Luna. 
  The powered armor is extremely difficult to fence—not many people have a lot of use for MMC powered armor. If any of 
  the crew want to keep it, they may do so.
  Diana is disappointed that the package wasn’t the protomolecule, but she is pleased with the crew’s work. But now she’s 
  eager to finally get to Mars. She makes a transfer into the character’s accounts giving them all +2 Income until the next failed 
  test. It may take a little haggling, but she also agrees to pay for any needed repairs to the Anne Bonny, once they get to Mars. 
  She suggests that they take some time for R&R before she has another job for them.
  AdverSArieS & AllieS
  46
  
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  elSA nJOku, cAPTAin Of The rOckhOund
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols), Communicaton 0 (Leadership), 
  Constitution 1 , Dexterity 3 (Piloting), Fighting 2, 
  Intelligence 1 (Earth Sciences, Engineering, Evaluation), 
  Perception 1 (Seeing), Strength 1 , Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  15
  12
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Club
  +2
  1d6+1
  Knife
  +2
  1d6+2
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Skirmish, Whatever’s Handy
  Talents: Improvisation (Novice), Pilot (Expert)
  Equipment: flight coveralls, machine tools, makeshift club, 
  pistol, utility knife
  Threat: Minor
  erin lee
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communicaton 2 (Bargaining, 
  Leadership), Constitution 2 , Dexterity 3 (Piloting), 
  Fighting 3 (Brawling, Light Weapons), Intelligence 1 
  (Evaluation), Perception 1, Strength 2 , Willpower 2
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  13
  15
  13
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Combat Knife
  +5
  1d6+3
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Armor Crush, Vicious Blow
  Talents: Command (Novice), Contacts (Novice), Pilot (Novice)
  Equipment: combat knife, pistol
  Threat: Minor
  hugO hAnSSen, cAPTAin Of The dOTTed line
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communicaton 1 , Constitution 1 , Dexterity 
  3 (Piloting, Free-Fall), Fighting 0, Intelligence 2 
  (Astronomy, Engineering, Technology), Perception 1 
  (Seeing), Strength 1, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  13
  12
  13
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Jury Rig, Speed Demon
  Talents: Pilot (Expert)
  Equipment: pistol, vac suit
  Threat: Minor
  dOTTed line crew
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communicaton 2 (Investigation), Constitution 2 , 
  Dexterity 2 (Piloting), Fighting 2 , Intelligence 0 (Engineering),  
  Perception 1, Strength 1, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  11
  12
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+3
  Taser
  +2
  1d6
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Guardian Angel, Skirmish
  Talents: Pinpoint Accuracy (Novice), Protector (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol, scanner, taser, uniform
  Threat: Minor
  elSA nJOku, cAPTAin Of The rOckhOund
  Elsa Njoku is a Belter, having grown up on Gany-
  mede. She’s a jack of all trades with mechanical 
  skill, some piloting ability, some physical science 
  training, and an easy manner around people. She 
  got hired on by Gray Savannah Extractions to 
  work on scouting ships that look for new mining 
  locations. Her knack for finding promising spots 
  and her ability to outmaneuver pirates quickly 
  earned her a promotion to captain. 
  erin lee
  Erin Lee has made a small name for herself as a 
  reliable mercenary. Dishonorably discharged from 
  Earth’s Navy for brawling with other officers, she 
  put her sharp mind and considerable strength 
  to use as muscle for hire. She eventually earned 
  enough to purchase a small spaceship and hire 
  a crew, letting her accept increasingly dangerous 
  but lucrative missions. She never asks more ques-
  tions than she needs to accomplish a mission, and 
  her discretion is valued among her clients.
  hugO hAnSSen, cAPTAin Of The dOTTed line
  Hugo Hanssen is an Earther, but the first one 
  in his family for generations to get a job. As a 
  kid, he dreamed of flying the large spaceships 
  he saw leaving his large port town. While he 
  wasn’t accepted into the Navy he was able to 
  earn his way into civilian flight school, eventually 
  becoming a merchant pilot. He now contracts 
  with many private companies and has been able 
  to afford his own spaceship. 
  47
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  ScrimShAw crew
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communication 1, Constitution  1,  
  Dexterity 2 (Piloting, Stealth), Fighting 2 (Light Weapons),  
  Intelligence 0 (Engineering), Perception 1 (Seeing),  
  Strength 2 (Intimidation), Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  11
  12
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Club
  +2
  1d6+1
  Knife
  +2
  1d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Hamstring, Vicious Blow
  Talents: Fringer (Novice), Overwhelm Style (Novice)
  Equipment: flight coveralls, machine tools, pistol, utility knife
  Threat: Minor
  mcrn OfficerS
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communicaton 1 (Persuasion), 
  Constitution 1, Dexterity 2 (Driving), Fighting 2 
  (Brawling, Light Weapons), Intelligence 0 (Law), 
  Perception 2 (Seeing), Strength 1, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  11
  14
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Baton 
  +4
  1d6+1
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+2
  Taser
  +2
  1d6-3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Double-Team, Good Cop/Bad Cop
  Talents: Observation (Novice), Protector (Novice)
  Equipment: baton, badge and ID, hand terminal, pistol, 
  restraints, taser, riot shield
  Threat: Minor
  rOckhOund crew
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols), Communicaton 1, Constitution 2 , 
  Dexterity 2 (Acrobatics, Free-Fall, Piloting), Fighting 2 
  (Brawling), Intelligence 1 (Earth Science, Engineering, 
  Evaluation), Perception 1 , Strength 1, Willpower 1 
  (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Club
  +2
  1d6+1
  Knife
  +2
  1d6+2
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+1
  Unarmed
  +4
  1d3+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Knock Out, Take Cover
  Talents: Agility (Novice), Fringer (Novice)
  Equipment: flight coveralls, machine tools, makeshift club, 
  pistol, utility knife
  Threat: Minor
  mArJOrie lOuie
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 3 (Leadership, Etiquette), 
  Constitution 1, Dexterity 2, Fighting 0,  
  Intelligence 2 (Engineering, Technology, Security), 
  Perception 2, Strength 1, Willpower 1 (Faith)
  gregOry cArrAnZA
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 3 (Expression),  
  Constitution 0, Dexterity 2, Fighting 0, Intelligence 3 
  (Business, Current Affairs, Law, Technology),  
  Perception 2 (Searching, Seeing), Strength 0,  
  Willpower 2 (Self-Discipline)
  gregOry cArrAnZA
  Gregory Carranza was born on Ganymede and 
  grew up in Port Hampton—a local boy in a port 
  town known for fun. His parents worked in the 
  shipyards. He dreamed of being a journalist, 
  but the outer planets don’t have a lot of oppor-
  tunities in that respect. He did some freelance 
  writing for Earth and Mars news outlets, but 
  without an actual byline his chances of growing 
  his career were small. Although the Pyramid 
  News Network isn’t known for its journalistic 
  integrity, Gregory genuinely aims for veracity in his stories, trying to make 
  his own name mean something. When Alina contacted him, he saw a 
  chance to actually scoop the large news agencies on a big story. He is 
  keeping Alina’s identity a secret, even from the other staffers.
  mArJOrie lOuie
  Marjorie Louie is a Lunar native. She studied 
  electronics and security, and eventually founded 
  Caracara Electronics, a high-end security elec-
  tronics company. She sells alarms, camera 
  systems, surveillance gear, and other techno-
  logical items. She’s rumored to have government 
  contracts for espionage and surveillance gear, 
  but her legendary discretion doesn’t allow her 
  to confirm or deny it. Many of the largest Lunar 
  companies use Caracara Electronics for their 
  on-site security systems, and many of the Moon’s wealthiest private citizens 
  use their products for home security.
  ScrimShAw crew
  Erin Lee’s crew of mercenaries rotate out with some regularity. She’s smart 
  enough to limit the information that they know about any given job. While loyalty 
  48
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Satellites and Secrets
  SOnyA dAng
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 3 (Etiquette, Expression, 
  Performing), Constitution 1, Dexterity 1 (Sleight of 
  Hand), Fighting 0, Intelligence 2 (Art, Current Affairs), 
  Perception 2 (Intuition, Seeing), Strength 1, Willpower 1
  vecTOr SecuriTieS AgenTS
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols, Rifles), Communicaton 0, Constitution 
  2 , Dexterity 1 (Free-fall), Fighting 1 (Brawling), 
  Intelligence 0, Perception 1, Strength 2, Willpower 2 
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  12
  11
  4 (2)
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+1
  Rifle
  +3
  3d6+1
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Adrenaline Rush, Double-Team, Group Tactics
  Talents: Pinpoint Accuracy (Novice), Striking Style (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, light armor, pistol, rifle, thruster 
  pack, vac suit
  Threat: Minor
  viSTA PArk gAng memBerS
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communicaton 1 , Constitution 1 , Dexterity 
  2, Fighting 2 (Brawling, Light Weapons), Intelligence 0, 
  Perception 0, Strength 2 (Intimidation), Willpower 0 
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  11
  12
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Club
  +4
  1d6+2
  Light Chain
  +4
  1d6+2
  Knuckle Dusters
  +4
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Shock and Awe, Whatever’s Handy
  Talents: Party Animal (Novice), Hurled Weapon Style (Novice)
  Equipment: knuckle dusters, makeshift club, heavy leathers (or 
  equivalent)
  Threat: Minor
  can be limited in the mercenary field of work, Erin’s employees generally trust 
  her not to sell them out and they’ll generally repay the favor.
  mcrn OfficerS 
  The members of the Martian Congressional Republic Navy are split into 
  two organizations: the Home Fleet, stationed on Mars, and the Jupiter fleet, 
  which patrols the Jovian system. The Jupiter fleet watches over Mars’s 
  interests in the Jupiter system, including Port Hampton on Callisto, where 
  shipyards manufacture enormous spaceships for the MCRN. Their police 
  presence in the town is intended to protect against major threats, and the 
  officers are inclined to let the typical debauchery of a “port” town slide. 
  SOnyA dAng
  Sonya was born on Mars to parents in the MCRN. 
  When they were later transferred to the Jupiter 
  fleet, Sonya and her siblings soon found them-
  selves living in the outer planets. An aspiring 
  actress, she eventually settled in Port Hampton, 
  working in the various small theaters throughout 
  the settlement. The Pyramid News Network hired 
  her on as an anchor for their video broadcasts. 
  She liked having a steady gig instead of contract 
  work, and once she was tired of being on screen, 
  she worked her way up the administrative side of the company. Now the 
  general manager, she still doesn’t worry about the sensationalist nature of 
  the network’s stories, generally regarding their product as entertainment 
  instead of news.
  rOckhOund crew
  The crew of the Rockhound have backgrounds spanning the entire solar 
  system. They all have experience in the mining industry, but have earned 
  spots on this scouting vessel—a much nicer gig than working in an actual 
  mine. The whole crew have worked several assignments together and all 
  respect Captain Njoku. 
  vecTOr SecuriTieS AgenTS
  The agents who attack the offices of the Pyramid News Network and 
  ambush the player characters there are similar to those who ambushed 
  them in Chapter 1. Again, they are dressed in black and do not carry any 
  identification. However, if the player characters access the hand terminals 
  carried by the agents, they find brief dossiers on themselves: pictures, biographies, and known associations. There is also 
  extremely detailed information about the Anne Bonny. It should be clear that whoever the agents are with, they are keeping 
  an eye on the characters.
  viSTA PArk gAng memBerS
  The Vista Park gang is just one of many who roam this part of New York City. Known for defending their territory with brutal 
  efficiency, they do sometimes show mercy in exchange for money and valuables. Most locals know to avoid this park at night.
  49
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Two Kinds of Prayer
  T
  wo Kinds of Prayer is the third adventure of the Abzu’s Bounty series for The Expanse Roleplaying Game. Following 
  the events of Satellites and Secrets, it takes the player characters to Mars to finally deliver their passenger and patron, 
  Diana. After demanding passage at Prometheus and detouring the ship to hunt the Belt radio stations broadcasting 
  information about the protomolecule, their relationship and perhaps even their adventures seem at an end.
  But there is little in the Solar System that doesn’t carry history, and that goes for ships as well as people. The Anne Bonny, 
  the crew’s ship, began its life in the Martian dockyards of Londres Nova, and its return digs sharply into long-buried wounds 
  of the Guan family, important figures in the upper echelons of the Martian capital’s political and spiritual scene. Without 
  meaning to, the crew finds themselves the focus of high society, wined and dined and plied to gain access to their ship and 
  any secrets it contains. A sudden and interested buyer in their ill-gotten ship may even seem like a windfall for characters 
  not yet ready to be done with their adventures.
  The crew uncovered Sebastian Pope’s bug aboard their ship in their previous adventures, but that doesn’t mean the para-
  noid elite has lost all interest in their travels. If anything, their activities—destruction of his surveillance devices, appearance 
  at the factory, and engagement with pirate broadcasters who know a suspicious amount of information about the protomol-
  ecule—have all convinced Pope that the crew knows who he is and will come for him. Pope’s longstanding arrangement with 
  the Anne Bonny’s previous captain, Claire O’Rourke, was far from unique. He has employed various criminals and rabble-
  rousers across the Belt to harry competitors over the years, particularly violent factions of the OPA who are always hungry 
  for funding and targets. Now that the crew are on the move and may know too much—lulled into ease by the comforts of 
  wealth—Pope enlists the crew of the smuggler ship Atargatis to hunt them down and silence them.
  Overview
  The player characters have lost little time in making enemies since setting off on their own. At the behest of their enigmatic 
  patron, Diana, they hunted down a suspicious pirate broadcast that seemed far too knowledgeable about the protomolecule 
  they recently uncovered as part of the crew of the Abzu’s Bounty. Now in command of the Anne Bonny and headed to Mars, 
  the crew has already ruffled feathers among the OPA, as well as wandering into the crosshairs of mega-rich entrepreneur 
  Sebastian Pope. The entrepreneur has successfully seized the Abzu’s Bounty sample of the protomolecule, but now worries 
  3: Two Kinds of Prayer
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  Roleplaying Game
  Two Kinds of Prayer
  that the crew’s interest in the Belter pirate station is a sign they suspect 
  what their lost treasure is, and that Pope now holds it. It’s a paranoid 
  assumption on Pope’s part, but one that motivates him to brutal revenge. 
  He surmises that, at the very least, eliminating the Bonny’s crew will wipe 
  away the last evidence of his protomolecule sample’s existence.
  But the PCs’ troubles don’t end with their unseen pursuers. A much 
  bigger problem hides in the ship they command. The Anne Bonny 
  began its service twelve years ago under the name Anne Marie, flown 
  by the Martian merchant Ephrem Guan. Once a wealthy son of a promi-
  nent Martian family, Ephrem left Mars under scandal following the 
  disappearance of his fiancé, Anne Marie Sousa. He had confronted his older brother, Beauregard, over the elder’s infatu-
  ation with his fiancé, and even intended to kill him. Beauregard wrestled the gun away, accidentally shooting Anne in the 
  process. The brothers agreed to take this secret to their graves, paying off a local shady aquaponics farm to dispose of the 
  evidence of their crime and using family connections to stymie the police investigation. Disgusted with himself, Ephrem used 
  his share of their inheritance to buy a ship and name it for Sousa so he would never forget his crime, and set off into the Belt 
  to make a new life for himself as a trader.
  The Belt was not welcoming to a dour Martian from a privileged family, and Ephrem quickly fell into smuggling. His Martian 
  manners and family name helped him sidestep the suspicions normally heaped on Belter pilots in stations run by the Inner 
  Planets. An unfortunate encounter with a UN patrol boat left the Anne Marie limping into port barely able to hold onto its own 
  oxygen, and a few of Ephrem’s contacts introduced him to the OPA—who offered to fund the boat’s repairs if Ephrem flew for 
  them. Bitter and desperate, he agreed, and the OPA added better weapons to the Anne Marie. Ephrem flew her for years, 
  sometimes smuggling, sometimes running rescue missions, sometimes attacking OPA targets. Guan died in a boarding 
  action four years ago, leaving the Anne Marie in the hands of his XO, Claire O’Rourke, who quickly changed the ship’s name 
  and much of the crew compliment in order to focus on piracy.
  Back on Mars, Beauregard grew his family’s wealth and political influence into a massive mega-church—the First Reformed 
  Martian Baptists—making himself a powerful political and spiritual leader in Londes Novo. He heard the rumors of his broth-
  er’s fall from grace and turn to crime, and used his resources to squash those rumors before they could tarnish the family 
  reputation. As far as Mars cared, Ephrem Guan flew off into isolation after the tragic disappearance of his fiancé, never to 
  be heard from again.
  At least, until his ship returned to port.
  Beauregard is frustrated enough that his brother has seemingly returned to Mars and fears a confrontation—at least until he 
  learns that the ship is now in the hands of strangers. But the ship’s return has reignited the old paranoias, and Beauregard fears 
  that his brother may have stashed some proof of their crime aboard the Anne Marie. His suspicions are correct, as Ephrem 
  kept a private partition in the ship’s drive for his personal log—and confessions—which has remained hidden since his death.
  As Two Kinds of Prayer begins, the crew lands at the Martian capital of Londres Nova to deliver their only passenger, 
  Diana, as well as resupply and look for work. As they settle in, the dockmaster, Carmo Vidal, comments on the ship’s 
  history, having helped build the Anne Bonny twelve years earlier for Ephrem Guan. This history unfolds as Beauregard 
  Guan, Ephrem’s brother, soon contacts them for news about his brother’s ship and any news about his estranged brother. 
  While disappointed that the crew has no news about his brother, he offers to let them stay in Ephrem’s old penthouse in the 
  high-end Aterpol neighborhood, enjoying the city’s luxuries on his behalf and making noises about hiring them for future 
  work. Eventually, Beauregard invites the crew out to dinner and makes a generous offer to buy their ship. During the meal 
  he perhaps lets a little too much information on his and Ephrem’s history slip as he grows increasingly nervous about what 
  evidence of their past crimes his brother may have left behind.
  As the crew leaves the dinner with Beauregard Guan, Sebastian Pope’s assassins catch up with them, likely ambushing 
  the crew while unarmed. With the assailants’ origin and purpose unclear, the surviving crew can track the toughs back to an 
  aquaponics farm in the low-rent Martineztown neighborhood. Ashbury Aquaponics has long worked with Mars’ organized 
  crime and elite families—Beauregard Guan among them—to help make problems disappear. So once the crew begins inves-
  tigating, the owner messages Guan about their suspicious activity. Guan, worried the crew are collecting evidence of the 
  murder he and his brother committed, sends his guards to kill them. If the chracters survive and continue their investigation 
  they can stumble across the very evidence Guan worried they already possessed.
  Finally, the three factions—the player characters, Guan, and the Atargatis crew—meet in a final confrontation. A little clev-
  erness from the players can turn their attackers against one another, giving them the opportunity to escape, potentially turn 
  over evidence against Guan, or blackmail him to line their own pockets.
  “Holden had once dated a Buddhist who said that death 
  was merely a different state of being, and people only feared 
  the unknown that lay behind that transition. Death without 
  warning was preferable, as it removed all fear. 
  He felt he now had the counterargument.” 
  — Leviathan Wakes
  51
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Two Kinds of Prayer
  running This AdvenTure
  Two Kinds of Prayer is about guilt and overcorrection creating far more problems than needed. Both of the powerful men 
  targeting the player characters would have little to fear for their old crimes if they didn’t force themselves into the lives of 
  unwitting travelers, and ultimately they both lay the seeds for their own destruction.
  Two Kinds of Prayer establishes several important things for the course of the Abzu’s Bounty series:
  • It gives the crew a renewed and personal reason to pursue the mysterious oligarch, Sebastian Pope. If they followed 
  up on some leads in Satellites and Secrets—after removing the hooks he had in their ship last adventure—they might 
  feel free from his grasp. However, the dispatched crew of the Atargatis suggests he knows who they are and wants to 
  eliminate them.
  • It provides new opportunities to rebuild their Income if they have thoroughly depleted their savings over the course of 
  the previous two adventures.
  • It establishes a history for the crew’s ship, the Anne Bonny, beyond their personal experience with it.
  esTAblishing A COnneCTiOn
  Beauregard Liang Guan serves as minister and CEO of one of Mars’s largest mega-churches, and Martian characters might 
  be aware of him or his old-money family, who include some of the planet’s earliest colonists. 
  One plot element that appears in Two Kinds of Prayer is a hidden partition on the Anne Bonny’s computer, which the 
  player characters should become aware of some time before the adventure’s climax. The crew may discover this hidden 
  partition while sweeping the ship for Pope’s bugs, or may stumble across it during their long flight to Mars—particularly 
  if any player character selects the Maintenance activity for that interlude. The partition predates any of Pope’s bugs by 
  a decade and contains the ship’s original registry—listing its name as the Anne Marie and its owner as Ephrem Xiong 
  Guan—as well as heavily encrypted logs. The crew may discover the 
  partition’s password (“Camellia”) during the adventure, or they may 
  wish to attempt to decrypt the files themselves. Decrypting the files 
  is best handled as a plot device, but you may also run it as a TN 17 
  Intelligence (Decryption) advanced test (success threshold 15) with 
  an increment of one day. 
  It’s possible that the crew have known about the partition for weeks 
  if you use this option, and the plot-twist it contains can spoil parts 
  of the adventure. In this case, you may elect to have the partition 
  be its own small, independent system that doesn’t connect with the 
  rest of the ship’s systems and only activates when the nav computer 
  reads that the ship is approaching Mars. You may instead rule that 
  decrypting the partition requires long-outdated legacy drivers that are 
  hard to find on any public networks and must be recovered from Mars. 
  Ephrem ultimately wanted his confession found, but couldn’t face the 
  consequences of it during his lifetime, so he didn’t make it impossible 
  to find or decrypt, but did tie it to a place to which he swore he’d never 
  return.
  inTerlude
  lOng wAy hOme
  The journey to Mars requires several days, giving the crew an inter-
  lude to recover from the adventures in Satellites and Secrets, develop 
  skills, foster their relationships, or repair damage to their ship. This is an 
  excellent chance to remind players of what they’ve accomplished so far 
  and Diana’s ultimate goal of returning to Mars.
  mArs And weApOns
  While a military-focused society, Mars maintains strict 
  gun control measures for public safety, particularly in any 
  areas where weapon discharge could damage domes or 
  environmental controls. Even law enforcement and secu-
  rity forces generally rely on tasers and stun guns, only 
  falling back on firearms for riot control. Obtaining a private 
  firearms license is expensive and difficult. Firearms are 
  permitted aboard ships, and the port authority generally 
  looks the other way about sidearms, but Londres Nova 
  does not permit open carry of any weapons—lethal or 
  nonlethal—and the PCs will not be able to obtain a license 
  for any firearms during their short stay. Concealing a 
  pistol-sized weapon on their person requires a TN 14 
  Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) test, assumes the PCs are 
  wearing bulky clothing, and requires a Major action to 
  draw in combat. Anything larger than a pistol is impos-
  sible to conceal. 
  Obtaining a license for stun weapons is much easier and 
  many Martians carry defensive, nonlethal weapons, partic-
  ularly in the lower levels. But again the PCs will not be 
  able to obtain a license during their short visit (especially 
  as foreigners). They may attempt to conceal a weapon 
  (see above) or forge a non-lethal carry permit with a TN 
  14 Intelligence (Security) test, but such a forgery will not 
  stand up in any official record searches. The same restric-
  tion and licenses apply to most melee weapons. Even 
  with a license, stun and melee weapons cannot be carried 
  openly and must be worn inside a jacket or carried in a 
  case, purse, or bag.
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  Roleplaying Game
  Two Kinds of Prayer
  sCene 1
  my brOTher’s Keeper 
  explOrATiOn enCOunTer 
  The Anne Bonny arrives on Mars after its trip from Luna, the crew unwittingly arriving at its port of origin.
  The Anne Bonny slides down through Mars’s atmosphere vertically, using its drive for a controlled descent. Her 
  bulkheads groan as she settles into a steady one-third G. She’ll need a booster assist to climb back out of the planet’s 
  gravity well, but Diana has already assured you she is happy to cover those fees. “Small price to pay to avoid the 
  smell of public orbital shuttles,” she mentions while waving away the cost concerns.
  The Opportunity Shipyards sit just outside Londres Nova, capital of the Martian Congressional Republic, and 
  bustle with all the energy of Ceres or Ganymede even before counting the frantic scramble around the adjoining 
  navy ships.
  “It’s been quite the experience,” Diana comments as she begins cycling the airlock. Nothing in her voice or face hint 
  if that experience is good or bad. “I’ll secure a line of credit for you at the dockmaster’s office. It should cover docking 
  fees and your orbital assist, but you’ll need to schedule that yourselves. If you feel like sticking around for the next 
  week or so, I might have another lead for you. But Opportunity’s also the busiest port on Mars, so I’m sure you can 
  dig up work for yourselves if you’d rather. In the meantime, you’re in the shining city on the hill. Hopefully you get a 
  chance to enjoy it.”
  Most any ship with an Epstein drive can climb back out of a gravity well—even one like Earth’s—by generating more than 
  one G of thrust, but firing an Epstein straight down at anything larger than a rock can cause blowback and extensive damage 
  to the drive. Most ships landing planetside depend on shuttles, tugs, or chemical rockets designed for the task to pull them 
  to a minimum safe altitude before firing up their drive and finishing their assisted ascent. On a port as busy as Opportunity, 
  the waits for orbital assist can take days, and the fees for unassisted launches are astronomical (due to the risk of damage 
  to nearby ships and the surface of Mars), and beyond the line of credit provided by Diana.
  53
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Two Kinds of Prayer
  she’s A Fine ship
  If the crew approaches the dockmaster’s office to arrange for an orbital assist, the harried Assistant Dockmaster Carmo 
  Vidal, mechanically recites the schedule and estimates five days as they begin looking over the ship’s registry. After a few 
  moments their eyes brighten up, and in a more personable tone they say, “You flew in on the Anne Marie? Well damn! how’s 
  Ephrem been holding up? Never thought we’d see him again.”
  Vidal remembers Ephrem fondly, having worked with him to originally outfit and modify the Anne Marie. Helping manage 
  the port is monotonous, so Carmo is always happy for a few minutes of friendly chitchat if the crew is curious. Potential ques-
  tions and answers include:
  YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN. WE FLEW IN ON THE ANNE BONNY, NOT THE ANNE MARIE.
  “So Ephrem finally changed the name, eh? I told him naming your ship for an ex was asking for more heartache. But 
  check out that custom nav array. Built that by hand! You don’t forget work like that. Bet the inner port airlock door is 
  still sticky, too. That’s from a frame misalignment.”
  WHAT EX?/WHAT HEARTACHE?
  “Ephrem ordered a ship after his girl left him. Seemed pretty done with Mars. There were some vicious rumors back then 
  that he’d...y’know...and that’s why no one’s heard from her since. But Ephrem just never seemed like the type, y’know?”
  HOW DO YOU KNOW OUR SHIP?
  “I helped build her. Must’ve been a good twelve years ago now. Base design’s a stock freighter, but Ephrem wanted 
  high-end environmental systems, decent kitchen...y’know, a few comforts of home.”
  WHO’S EPHREM?
  “Ephrem Guan? Your captain? Or judging by your confusion…maybe the man you bought her from?”
  WE DON’T KNOW EPHREM.
  “Huh.... Didn’t think he’d ever sell the Anne Marie. I guess time heals all wounds. Hope he’s doing okay, wherever he 
  settled down.”
  Carmo can’t move up the orbital assist, but is more apologetic now that they recognize the ship, and they promise to keep 
  a close eye on her on the crew’s behalf.
  bArren Fields
  If the crew looks around the port for work, they have trouble. The war with the Belt and the recent destruction of Deimos 
  have hit the Martian economy hard and work isn’t as readily available as it was just six months prior. A TN 10 Communication 
  (Bargaining) or Intelligence (Business) finds that the MCR Navy is looking for trawlers to help tow the moon’s remains into 
  a stable ring orbit—slow, dangerous, and poorly-paid work the Anne Bonny isn’t well-suited for—but that most of the other 
  CArmO vidAl
  Generally upbeat, Vidal is a proud third-generation Martian from the Martinez-
  town neighborhood who worked their way up from a mechanic and welder in 
  the shipyards, assisted by a photographic memory they’ve never quite learned 
  to exploit. They’re corruptible, but no more than is necessary to maintain their 
  position—they’ll call the police before calling in any mob legbreakers, but would 
  rather avoid calling either. They speak a spattering of Belter Creole thanks to 
  the volume of Belter traders that roll through the port, and generally look on 
  Belters more favorably than most of their colleagues.
  CArmO vidAl, AssisTAnT dOCKmAsTer
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 1 (Bargaining, Leadership), 
  Constitution 2, Dexterity 1 (Crafting), Fighting 
  1, Intelligence 2 (Engineering, Law), Perception 2, 
  Strength 0, Willpower 3
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  available work goes to ships with a reliable route and schedules. No one seems eager to take a chance on unknowns until 
  the economy turns around.
  If the crew can make some direct contacts with local businesses, they can likely scrounge up new work, but doing so 
  will require visiting Londres Nova proper and meeting local businesses face-to-face rather than just posting to the local gig 
  economy partitions.
  Opportunity Spaceport doesn’t offer housing accommodations unless the crew wants to sleep in their own ship, 
  but does host several cafeterias—offering various flavors of artificial, shaped foodstuffs as well as a small selection of 
  authentic food—alongside a dozen bars and twice as many brothels. If the PCs hope for somewhere to stay besides 
  their ship, they find that most of Londres Nova is more expensive than the Belt—a visitor’s lifestyle counts as one level 
  lower than their Income would suggest (characters with an Income of 4 would have a Basic lifestyle in Londres Nova, for 
  example). The easiest place to find Impoverished and Basic accommodations is Martineztown, the industrial neighbor-
  hood closest to the port.
  ArrAngemenTs TO meeT
  Beauregard Guan has had several worms in the port computers for years to keep track of his brother’s ship and alert him 
  should it come close. He took notice when the Anne Bonny flew to Luna, and was ready for the vessel to return to Mars. He 
  dispatched his bodyguard, Syeda Yoosamran to investigate and bring Ephrem—or whoever is flying his ship—back to Beau-
  regard’s office. For more information on Syeda Yoosamran, see the Adversaries & Allies section at the end of this adventure 
  for more information.
  Once the crew gets tired of exploring the port, Yoosamran approaches them.
  A tall woman, stout enough to be an Earther, approaches you and nods politely. “I am seeking the crew of the Anne 
  Bonny,” she states more than asks. “I represent Mr. Beauregard Guan, a local businessman who is eager to learn what-
  ever he can regarding your travels. If you would see fit to visit his offices in Aterpol, he would be very appreciative.”
  She hands you a stack of transit cards, as well as a business 
  card listing the offices of “The Honorable Beauregard Guan, 
  Minister of the First Reformed Martian Baptists Congregation.”
  A TN 13 Intelligence (Security) test recognizes the gait, posture, 
  and demeanor of a bodyguard in Yoosamran, while a TN 13 Percep-
  tion (Seeing) test spots a stun-gun in a concealed shoulder holster 
  under her coat. She has no interest in taking the crew by force or 
  otherwise threatening them, and is willing to answer questions, but is 
  frank about having other business for the day and only knows so much 
  about Mr. Guan’s interests. Potential questions and answers include:
  WHY DOES MR. GUAN WANT TO SEE US?
  “Mr. Guan’s brother, Ephrem, last left Mars aboard your ship, 
  and has not been heard from in over a decade. He under-
  stands you may not know Ephrem’s whereabouts, but he is 
  sentimental and eager to learn whatever he can about your 
  vessel’s history.”
  WHO IS MR. GUAN?
  “Mr. Guan is the minister of the city’s First Reformed Church of 
  Martian Baptists, and an investor supporting many local busi-
  nesses. He has a number of friends in the Martian economic 
  and political communities.” 
  A TN 11 Intelligence (Business or Current Affairs) test will reveal 
  this same information.
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  The transit cards Yoosamran offered the crew are tied to prime transit accounts, 
  allowing them to not only use the city’s tubes, but also call courier carts if they don’t 
  wish to travel among the masses. A courier cart is private, but also slower and requires 
  a ten-minute wait for pickup.
  The generOsiTy OF mr. guAn
  Beauregard Guan’s offices occupy the top two floors of Guan Tower, a 70-story 
  skyscraper in the Aterpol neighborhood. This wealthy governmental district sits under 
  its own dome—the second-largest in Londres Nova, after the agricultural dome in 
  Salton—and supports comfort and wealth few Martians ever actually experience.
  The building security has been told to expect the crew and so don’t bar them 
  even if they have Belters or Earthers among their number. Syeda 
  Yoosamran meets them in the lobby and asks them to leave 
  any weapons with the front desk, though she isn’t especially 
  concerned—expecting her security crew to be able to handle 
  anything a ragtag band of traders can muster.
  An OFFer They CAn reFuse
  The adventure assumes the crew—without 
  contacts or funding on a strange planet—
  follows up on Beauregard Guan’s offer to 
  meet, but they are by no means required to 
  do so. If they ignore the offer, Guan assigns 
  Yoosamran to follow them for a few days 
  to watch for strange behavior, but assumes 
  they know nothing about his past. The player 
  characters will need to find their own way 
  around Londres Nova, possibly inserting 
  themselves into the middle of other small 
  trials and dramas of human life. The crew of 
  the Atargatis will attack them in a few days’ 
  time (see Scene 3), being unconnected to 
  Guan’s own machinations, which may still 
  lead the crew to the events of Scene 4 to 
  investigate the attack.
  Even if the PCs don’t meet with him, Guan 
  takes the liberty of boarding their ship to 
  search it and their computer for clues his 
  brother may have left behind, leading to 
  less context in Scene 5, but the events there 
  remain a three-way standoff.
  CAN’T WE JUST MESSAGE MR. GUAN? 
  “Mr. Guan prefers discretion in his family dealings. But once he has taken 
  your measure himself, he may be willing to discuss matters remotely.”
  WILL MR. GUAN PAY US FOR OUR TIME?/DOES MR. GUAN HAVE ANY WORK 
  FOR US? 
  “I am not authorized to bargain on Mr. Guan’s behalf, but he has a reputa-
  tion for generosity few in Londres Nova would dispute.”
  The golden-butterscotch sky of Mars shines through the 
  transparent far wall of this palatial office, overlooking Ater-
  pol’s wide streets and parks below. The neighborhood drapes 
  itself in the weight of history, even though its actual tenure is 
  as airy and fragile as the oak trees growing spindly in the light 
  gravity. The building rises up from the subterranean levels and 
  shares airspace inside the dome with only four other structures, 
  providing a gods’-eye view of the slowly-evolving Martian terrain.
  Behind a carved mahogany desk sits an empty high-backed 
  chair of dark brown leather. A clink of glass and ice in another corner 
  heralds a tall man in suit and tie, hiding behind a highball glass 
  and an easy smile. He steps toward you, one hand outstretched. 
  “Mighty glad y’all could do me the pleasure of stopping by! Beaure-
  gard Liang Guan. Pleased to make your acquaintance!”
  While his rich office and disciplined security suggest a serious man, 
  Beauregard Guan works to cultivate an informal, “everyman” person-
  ality that people generally trust. He offers the crew whatever they’d 
  like from his office bar—including several Earth varieties of scotch and 
  tequila and Martian icemelt water, which he proudly boasts, “Ain’t been 
  liquid in fifty million years.” While he comes across as accommodating 
  and friendly, behind the mask Beauregard begins this encounter with a 
  Standoffish attitude; keep track of his attitude as it may shift and affect 
  later scenes. Beauregard’s attitude cannot be shifted more than one 
  step in either direction in this scene, short of actually attacking him.
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  Beauregard tries to put the crew at ease—though Yoosamran remains in the room and five guards stand ready in the 
  next office—and assures the crew up front that he has no interest in reporting anything they tell him to the authorities, or in 
  seizing their ship. “I understand the frontier is a might treacherous, and a decent man’s gotta do what he’s gotta do to get 
  by. God will be your judge, not me.” Instead, he’s curious where the characters obtained the Anne Bonny—the Anne Marie, 
  as he keeps calling it—and if the player characters know anything about his missing brother, Ephrem. He appreciates good 
  manners as “right proper” and calls out rudeness as “balls” with a tone of respect. The crew is free to leave whenever they 
  like, but in the meantime they can learn the following:
  Ephrem has been missing for about twelve years, and that he left after his fiancé, Anne Marie Sousa, disappeared. 
  Beauregard insists Ephrem couldn’t handle the humiliation of his love leaving him and the judging stares of the commu-
  nity, but a TN 15 Perception (Empathy) test recognizes that Beauregard is holding something back. Confronting him 
  about this, or a separate TN 14 Communication (Investigation) test later reveals that rumors suggested Ephrem killed 
  Anne in a lover’s quarrel and fled from his guilt, though no evidence exists.
  Ephrem and Beauregard parted on bad terms, after a falling out shortly after their parents—Liang and Matilda—died in 
  a crash shortly before Anne left.
  Ephrem used his share of the inheritance to purchase and refit the Anne Marie, while Beauregard invested his in the 
  family’s church, helping it grow considerably and eventually becoming minister for what is now one of the biggest 
  mega-churches on Mars.
  In addition, the PCs can coax additional information from Beauregard with a good show of manners and a successful TN 
  12 Communications (Etiquette) test:
  Beauregard has heard rumors of the Anne Bonny being used for illegal activity as part of his efforts to contact Ephrem, 
  but doesn’t believe them. He would appreciate the crew’s discretion on the matter, to protect his brother’s legacy.
  Though Beauregard’s primary business is serving as his church’s minister, he uses his family fortune to invest in small 
  companies owned by congregation members. He has several business contacts who may be interested in working with 
  a flexible ship and crew.
  As the discussion winds down, Beauregard seems to have taken a shine to the crew for one reason or another and makes 
  them a generous offer:
  “Y’all are basically like family, taking care of Ephrem’s baby like you are. Ever since my brother ran off, I been 
  keeping his place just the way he left it in case he came home. You promise to show it proper respect,  y’all’re 
  welcome to stay there free of charge, long as you like. Now I won’t take no for an answer. You go get yourselves 
  settled in and we’ll see if we can’t scare up some work for you. In the meantime, you need anything, you just call 
  Syeda. She’ll take good care of you.”
  Ephrem’s old home is a penthouse seven blocks from the Guan building and overlooking one of the neighborhood’s 
  nicer parks. The spacious apartment features a living room, kitchen, dining room, three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and 
  a terrace garden thick with blooming camellias. The building does not impose water rationing on residents; two of the 
  bathrooms even include large tubs for bathing, and the building includes a bathhouse and pool for residents—unheard of 
  luxuries anywhere but Earth. Syeda also arranges for a respectable line of credit with several nearby food and entertainment 
  vendors, allowing the crew to live a Wealthy lifestyle (though this credit account only extends to lifestyle needs, and does 
  not affect the character’s Income score or actual purchasing power).
  inTerlude
  my burden is lighT
  Living in the lap of luxury, the characters have an interlude they can spend enjoying the finest elements of Martian culture: 
  music, shows, literature, fine liquor, and discrete company. The PCs have at least 24 hours before moving on to Scene 
  2, though you can extend this to two or three days if any member of the crew wants to pursue any particularly lengthy 
  activities.
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  invesTigATing The penThOuse
  The penthouse has obviously seen little use: all its furnishings are a decade out of style, no food can be found in the 
  cupboards, and the basins and fixtures are dry from disuse. Guan pays a cleaning service to tidy once a month so nothing is 
  dusty or falling apart, but nothing about the apartment feels lived-in.
  Three obvious security cameras sit inside small domes mounted in the ceiling in the public areas—common fixtures 
  throughout the building—and can be deactivated with a TN 11 Intelligence (Technology) test, or spoofed into running old 
  video files with a TN 13 test. A more discrete audio bug requires a TN 15 Perception (Searching) test to discover in the 
  master bedroom, though it is an old model, likely as disused as the rest of the apartment (it is left over from Beauregard 
  and Ephrem’s inheritance feud, and is unrelated to any of the bugs the crew may have found on their ship last adventure).
  Beauregard had most of Ephrem’s personal effects placed in storage, though a large family portrait—including a teenage 
  Beauregard and Ephrem as well as their parents—still hangs on the living room wall and a framed photograph of a pretty, 
  dusky-skinned woman wearing an expensive dress and an expensive smile sits on an end table in the living room: Anne 
  Marie Sousa.
  invesTigATing beAuregArd guAn
  Beauregard Guan is a public figure in Londres Nova, and much of his life story is available on the public networks. The Guan 
  family stretches back to the first Martian settlers. They were early investors in the city’s domes, making them a part of the 
  first generation of the Martian “air barons” who sold open space at a premium when the planet began to escape from the 
  cramped, underground tunnels. The Guans were already a family associated with the Martian division of the Baptist church, 
  but Beauregard himself found religion as a young man and eventually became minister of the First Reformed Congrega-
  tion of Martian Baptists—a popular religion among Londres Nova’s upper and middle classes. His mega-church counts over 
  3,000 worshippers who regularly attend the weekly services. He is married, with three children, though sparse information 
  exists about his family.
  A successful TN 13 Intelligence (Law or Research) test can uncover more details, including an overturned conviction for 
  tax fraud seven years ago, several citations for public drunkenness, and an assault charge from his college days. A TN 15 
  Communication (Investigation) test also uncovers rumors from twelve years ago that suggest Beauregard had an affair he 
  paid considerable sums to cover  up, and that it ties to his falling out with Ephrem.
  invesTigATing ephrem guAn And Anne mArie sOusA
  Like his brother, Ephrem was a public figure and much of his life is public record, including a long list of youthful rebellions 
  in his teenage and college years—mostly fighting and drugs. He settled down in his twenties and took on more respon-
  sibility for Guan Financial, the family business, from their mother. He returned to drugs and public confrontation following 
  his parents’ fatal crash on a business flight from Mariner Valley, which seemed to destroy his relationship with his brother 
  and fiancé. Once Anne left, he spent what money he had left on a ship and took off for the Belt. What little remained of 
  Guan Financial was transferred to Beauregard after three years, and was a paltry sum compared to Beauregard’s own 
  net worth.
  Anne Marie Sousa was likewise a child of privilege and spent her youth clubbing, doing drugs, and fighting, before settling 
  down to take over family responsibilities in her twenties. She met Ephrem in college, and they vacillated between friend-
  ship and sex for years before officially becoming a couple at their parents’ urging. She disappeared twelve years ago, a few 
  months after the deaths of the senior Guans. Official police reports still list her as a missing person, though rumors suggest 
  she was either killed by her fiancée or traveled to Earth where she died of disease.
  A TN 13 Intelligence (Research) or Communication (Etiquette) test reveals that Ephrem and Anne had a troubled rela-
  tionship, with Ephrem demanding complete fidelity from her while philandering and maintaining various mistresses. A TN 15 
  Communications (Investigation) test uncovers one mutual friend of the brothers, Simon Patel. If they talk to Patel, Simon 
  confirms seeing the brothers together after their falling out, when Ephrem arrived in a fury while Simonwas visiting Beaure-
  gard. Though Simon slipped out before learning anything juicy.
  invesTigATing The Anne bOnny
  Learning anything else about the Anne Bonny’s history requires hacking into low-security MCR government records. This 
  requires a TN 15 test with both Intelligence (Technology) and Communications (Bargaining or Deception) to secure basic 
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  user credentials. Succeeding at both checks uncovers unremarkable construction records and early trade contracts, as well 
  as UN records of an altercation with a patrol boat nine years ago, though the record is incomplete and does not reference 
  the nature of the incident. After that, the records only list docking times at various Belt stations with suspiciously little detail 
  as though the records were scrubbed. In truth, Beauregard has been paying a contact in the police to expunge records of 
  his brother’s ship of anything remotely suspicious or criminal. Also, Diana had much of the ship’s record scrubbed when they 
  took command of the Bonny.
  sCene 2
  As gOld is TesTed 
  sOCiAl enCOunTer
  After the crew tires of exploring Mars’s capital, they receive a message from Beauregard inviting them to dinner. The restau-
  rant—the Palea—is posh, and reservations are typically booked out a month in advance. The restaurant has a dress code, 
  which Beauregard politely points out in his message, but he arranges for respectable clothing to be delivered to the suite 
  that afternoon. 
  The pAleA
  Nearly a century old, the Palea is a supper club specializing in Martian ingredients—mostly rice, seafood, and local varietals 
  of Earth spices engineered to flourish in the Martian atmosphere. Their specialty is llaeb, a staple of early Martian settlers 
  who combined several Earth cuisines into something new and unique. Slow-cooked, with rice and various ingredients and 
  spices, its closest Earth analogues are Spanish paella, Middle Eastern tagines, or the biryani of India. Poorer versions use 
  spice, soy protein, fungus, and beans, but more sophisticated dishes incorporate Martian seafood and vegetables as well 
  (and cost an order of magnitude more). They also offer a rich variety of vegetable and fruit dishes—rare luxuries on Mars—as 
  well as tuna, salmon, and shellfish.
  The Palea is almost indulgently large, its high ceilings draped with gauzy fabric to diffuse the lights. A water feature 
  dominates the floor, with most of the tables facing it. A small band behind the fountain strums the rich, moody chords 
  of Martian folk revival. The overall atmosphere—between the music, the trickling water, and the scent of rich spices—
  feels comforting and indulgent, and despite its nods to traditional Mars culture, few Martians could afford to even walk 
  through the front doors.
  dinner COnversATiOn
  Beauregard makes polite conversation at first, asking how the crew has found Mars so far and what they’ve been up to 
  around Londres Nova, as well as telling a humorous story about he and a local businessman talking past each other, ulti-
  mately ending with him buying seven crates of clapping monkey toys. After the appetizers and a few drinks, however, his 
  questions become more pointed.
  Beauregard takes the opportunity to grill the characters on what they know, his congenial façade never quite slipping 
  unless irritated. Though his attitude shifts with the flow of the conversation, depending on how the crew handle their own 
  end of the conversation. If the player characters answer in a way Beauregard generally likes, it automatically counts as a 
  success. But how the characters respond is just as important as their actual answer, and characters delivering an answer he 
  doesn’t like but with grace or wit can still earn a success. 
  Each question lists Beauregard’s ideal response as well as two more challenging responses that can be salvaged 
  with a successful skill check of the listed type and TN. Only one character needs to respond to any given question, but 
  everyone can participate in the dinner conversation. Players can choose to ask the GM about their answers before their 
  character responds to Beauregard; on a success at a TN 11 Perception (Empathy or Intuition) test, they learn whether 
  their honest response would be Ideal, Challenging, or Antagonizing; on a failed test, their character blurts out the answer 
  to Beauregard and they must succeed at the appropriate test normally. A character who succeeds at this Perception test 
  may instead attempt a TN 13 Communication (Deception) test to tell Beauregard exactly what he wants to hear, counting 
  as a success.
  For example, when Beauregard asks how the crew likes the meals, they automatically succeed if they respond with, “As 
  good as my mama ever made,” or succeed with a successful Perception (Tasting) test and they respond, “The rice is amazing. 
  Is that coriander and nutmeg?” If the crew isn’t sure about that response, they can ask the GM how they think Beauregard 
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  will react to commenting about the flavors; If they succeed at a Perception (Empathy or Intuition) test, the Game Master tells 
  them their answer is Challenging—not terrible but not perfect, and will require an Ability test—and they can either respond 
  that way or use a Communication (Deception) test to instead tell Beauregard exactly what he wants to hear. If they fail the 
  Perception test, it’s assumed their character simply blurts out the response without knowing how Beauregard will respond, 
  and they must make the Perception (Tasting) test normally.
  Every successful check improves Beauregard’s attitude by one shift, beginning with wherever his attitude was at the end 
  of Scene 1 (Standoffish by default), while every failed response worsens his attitude by one shift.
  “HOW Y’ALL FINDING THE MEAL?”
  • Ideal response: A folksy but generally positive response about the food and/or music.
  • Challenging Response: TN 12 Intelligence (Evaluation) or Perception (Tasting or Smelling) test. Commenting on the 
  distinct qualities of the food and/or wine. Discussing the overall value of the experience.
  • Antagonizing Response: TN 15 Communication (Persuasion) or Willpower (Courage) test.  Expressing discontent with 
  the food. Criticizing the excess of the restaurant.
  “I’VE ENCOUNTERED ALL MANNER OF TROUBLE TRYING TO TRACE THE ANNE’S OWNERSHIP. WHAT CAN Y’ALL 
  TELL ME REGARDING HER PREVIOUS CAPTAIN?”
  • Ideal response: Ironically, telling the truth about Claire O’Rourke and her piracy satisfies Beauregard. However, he asks 
  that the crew be discreet about this fact.
  • Challenging Response:  TN 12 Communication (Bargaining) or Intelligence (Business) test. Telling the truth about O’Rourke’s 
  ownership but spinning it the best possible way, such as describing her as a trader, salvager, or rugged entrepreneur.
  • Antagonizing Response: TN 15 Communication (Deception) or Communication (Expression) test. Making up a new 
  owner or history for the Anne Bonny. Refusing to answer the question.
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  “AND WHAT LINE OF BUSINESS DID Y’ALL SAY YOU WERE IN?”
  • Ideal response: Trading and/or cargo hauling, especially if it’s discreet.
  • Challenging Response: TN 12 Communication (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Business) test. Discussing the violence 
  and/or pirate-hunting they’ve engaged in. Still describing themselves as water haulers.
  • Antagonizing Response: TN 15 Intelligence (Security) or Strength (Intimidation) test. Describing themselves as 
  mercenaries or pirates. Evading the question.
  “NOW I KNOW A POLITE DINNER SHOULDN’T COVER POLITICS OR RELIGION, BUT NO ONE HAS ACCUSED ME OF 
  BEING A POLITE MAN. WHAT SORT OF GOD DO Y’ALL NOD TO?”
  • Ideal response: Expressing faith in any sort of Judeo-Christian, vaguely protestant faith other than Mormonism.
  • Challenging Response: TN 12 Communication (Persuasion) or Willpower (Faith) test. Expressing faith in a non-Judeo-
  Christian faith, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, or Wicca. Expressing general agnosticism. Polite refusal of the question.
  • Antagonizing Response: TN 15 Communication (Etiquette) or Perception (Intuition) test. Expressing atheist beliefs. 
  Rudely refusing the question. Expressing faith in Mormon beliefs.
  “EPHREM WAS ALWAYS A MIGHT PECULIAR. HE LEAVE ANYTHING UNUSUAL IN THAT SHIP OF HIS?”
  • Ideal response: Mentioning the secret computer partition, but admitting they haven’t cracked the encryption.
  • Challenging Response: TN 12 Communication (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Engineering) test. Saying they haven’t 
  found anything. Discussing the excellent kitchen. Talking about engine upgrades. Talking about the hidden compartments.
  • Antagonizing Response: TN 15 Communication (Bargaining or Etiquette) or Intelligence (Technology) test. Talking 
  about the after-market weapons. Mentioning the secret computer partition and implying they know what’s on it.
  ENDLESS INTERRUPTIONS
  In-between his various questions, Beauregard is interrupted by life. If the characters handle these interruptions badly, they 
  lose one accumulated success, but if they are discrete or helpful they can learn more about Beauregard and possibly accu-
  mulate a new success.
  A HARRIED CALL
  Beauregard’s terminal chimes and after a quick glance, he apologizes and says he needs to take an important call. His own 
  responses are very vague—rarely more than a single word—and he ends the conversation with: “I’m sure you’ll be fine, but I 
  am happy to send someone to help you find peace of mind.” If characters are rude about Beauregard taking the call, his atti-
  tude toward them worsens by one shift. The characters may instead attempt a TN 15 Perception (Hearing) test to overhear 
  the other half of the conversation, in which a panicked man starts talking about smugglers trashing ‘the farm’ and asking 
  questions about Beauregard’s guests. He doesn’t mention it, but the caller is Haskel Pereira—proprietor of the Ashbury 
  Aquaponics fish farm—who has just been assaulted and questioned by the crew of the Atargatis (see Scene 3).
  GOD BOTHERED
  Toward the end of the evening, a well-dressed elderly couple approaches Beauregard’s table to make conversation, 
  presenting an unwelcome distraction from the private conversation. How the crew respond to the interruption—from an 
  unwelcome but important member of his congregation—can potentially affect how the minister sees the crew. A TN 12 Intel-
  ligence (Current Events) test recognizes former Martian congresswoman Paatalavati Hunjan and her husband Ademar, a 
  staunch social conservative who lost her seat to a younger candidate more outspoken about Martian superiority. She compli-
  ments Guan on last week’s sermon and begins asking prying questions about his dinner companions. A successful TN 11 
  Perception (Empathy) test recognizes that she is trying to insinuate herself into the rest of the evening and that Beauregard 
  would rather she not. The crew can rudely turn the former congresswoman away with little effort, but doing so worsens 
  Beauregard’s attitude by one shift. Turning Hunjan away politely requires a successful TN 13 Communications (Persuasion) 
  or Willpower (Faith) test and improves Beauregard’s attitude by one shift. If the crew does not get involved, Beauregard 
  listens for a few more minutes before assuring the politician that he will contact her first thing tomorrow, and his attitude 
  toward the crew remains unchanged.
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  brAndy And COnversATiOn
  As dinner turns into drinks, Beauregard’s final attitude helps shape the final outcome of dinner:
  FINAL ATTITUDE
  RESPONSE
  Very Friendly
  Beauregard has taken a genuine shine to the crew and genuinely hopes to work with them in 
  the future. Depending on how characters handle future encounters, he could potentially become 
  a permanent contact (or frenemy). He offers a financial windfall that translates into a permanent 
  +1 increase in Income, or a temporary +2 increase (good until the character fails an Income test). 
  After a few drinks, his ramblings about Ephrem turn into praise of Anne Sousa and her charms, 
  and how Ephrem used to refer to her as his “Camelia.” 
  Friendly, Open
  Beauregard likes the crew well enough to offer praise and minor gifts, translating into a windfall of 
  a temporary +1 increase to each character’s Income (good until the character fails an Income test). 
  As the evening winds down and he reflects on Ephrem’s and Anne’s troubled relationship, he 
  notes that his brother did feel some genuine affection for her, even if he was a flawed man, and 
  often referred to her as his “Camelia.”
  Neutral, Standoffish
  Beauregard is social, but it’s obvious he’s being diplomatic rather than displaying any genuine 
  warmth. His discomfort with the crew’s manners, lifestyle, or general attitude is obvious to anyone 
  looking close.
  Hostile,  
  Very Hostile
  Beauregard politely implies they have overstayed their welcome and asks them to remove their 
  things from the penthouse he has offered them. In this case, he will turn to Martian courts to 
  obtain possession of the PCs’ ship rather than offering to purchase it, though this is mostly a 
  description of a looming threat and a potential lead for future adventures or complications; it does 
  not affect the course of the adventure.
  An inTeresTing OFFer
  So long as the crew maintain Beauregard Guan’s attitude at Standoffish or better, the evening concludes with him making 
  an offer to buy their ship. His exact proposal depends on how much he likes the crew, ranging from a generous offer made 
  with good faith promises if he is Very Friendly, to an offer below market value accompanied by threats of taking the matter to 
  the authorities if he is Standoffish. Whatever his approach, and whatever the crew’s immediate response, he concludes by 
  saying, “Seems to me serious business chatter upsets the digestion, so take the night to think it over. We can work out the 
  details in the morning.” In truth, he realizes he’s had too many drinks to barter effectively and wants to sober up.
  sCene 3
  nOw The serpenT 
  COmbAT enCOunTer
  While the crew has wined and dined, Sebastian Pope’s machinations have slowly pursued them. Pope hired the crew of the 
  Atargatis—a smuggling ship he uses to run blockades and occasionally assault or kidnap rivals’ assets—to eliminate the crew 
  of the Anne Bonny. The Atargatis makes regular runs between Mars and Ceres Station, ostensibly carrying farmed Martian 
  seafood to the Belt. By sheer chance, they frequently work with Haskel Pereira of Ashbury Aquaponics, who knew Beauregard 
  Guan was putting the player characters up and treating them to dinner. The Atargatis crew roughed Pereira up and made some 
  messes at his fish farm to learn what he knew, then set out to ambush their—hopefully unarmed and drunk—targets.
  A few birds—confused by the city lights—chirp cheerfully in the empty nighttime street. Londres Nova is quiet 
  enough to hear the hum of utility lines and the rumble of excavation equipment far below, which is almost drowned 
  out by the susurrus of wind in the trees as you pass a small park. The drum of shoes on pavement is almost deaf-
  ening as six spindly women step into the light, wearing utility overalls and wielding wrenches, chains, and short 
  lengths of pipe.
  “Well,” sneers the woman in the center, “you’ve certainly leaped in over your heads. Hope you can swim.”
  Six members of the Atargatis crew (see the Adversaries & Allies section) have waited at a dark, parkside stretch of road 
  between the Palea and the nearest tube station for over an hour by the time the characters head home. They’ve also disabled 
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  the nearby security cameras. They don’t want to make noise 
  or be detained by hard-nosed Martian authorities, so they’ve 
  left their firearms with the ship and are only wielding various 
  tools and collapsing batons as weapons (1d6 + Dex damage). 
  If they manage to incapacitate the crew, they don’t want 
  to leave bodies lying around for Londres Nova security to 
  stumble across. They’ll haul their quarry back to Ashbury 
  Aquaponics via electric utility truck and dump them into the 
  water tanks—no blood to clean up—over Pereira’s strenuous 
  but ultimately unenforced objections. This provides the crew 
  a chance to recover, either en route or at the fish farm, and 
  either escape or surprise their captors in turn.
  CAughT wiTh Their pAnTs dOwn
  Caught after a fancy dinner, without armor or weapons, and 
  possibly drunk, the crew is at a major disadvantage in this 
  fight. If they stay and fight, they can try to disarm the Atargatis 
  crew, or grab makeshift weapons—there are sandwich boards 
  for local businesses, branches from park trees, and a castoff 
  bicycle lock that can be wielded as makeshift light or thrown 
  weapons (1d6 + Str or Dex damage). Heavier objects—such 
  as a length of utility piping, a heavy park seat, or a charging 
  kiosk—count as heavy weapons (2d6 + Str damage), but 
  require a TN 12 Strength (Might) test to pull free first.
  The crew can try to keep the Atargatis assailants talking 
  while they figure out what to do. This requires a successful 
  TN 12 Communications (Deception or Persuasion) or 
  Strength (Intimidation) test, with the TN increasing by +1 for 
  each round that passes.
  The crew are as likely to flee this encounter as stand and 
  fight, initiating a Chase scene. The first round conditions for 
  a Chase are either Ideal or Rough (depending on whether 
  the crew runs down the street or into the park), but the diffi-
  culty can vary as they hit different parts of the park, streets, back alleys, 
  or late-night clubs. The Atargatis crew have just landed in the past few 
  hours, and are still getting their “land legs,” imposing a -1 penalty to any 
  Constitution (Running) tests. If the player characters gain at least an 8-point 
  advantage, they can attempt to hide or blend into a crowd (and can watch 
  the assailants split up to meet back at Ashbury, giving the crew a chance to 
  interrogate one or follow them back), and if they manage a 10-point advan-
  tage they can escape outright. Following the pursuers requires an opposed 
  Dexterity (Stealth) vs. Perception (Seeing) test.
  FOllOwing up
  If you would like locating Ashbury Aquaponics to be more of an inves-
  tigation, you can have the Atargatis crew wear street clothes instead of 
  their ship jumpsuits. In this case, the crew must examine any captives (or 
  bodies) with a TN 10 Perception (Searching) test. They find the first clue 
  (fish scales) on a successful test and each additional clue by every point by 
  which they exceed the initial test. Each clue also lists an ability test to learn an important detail about it. Analyzing the clues 
  is an advanced test (success threshold 10), with the identity of Ashbury Aquaponics finally revealed by the combination of 
  factors.
  elemenTAry, my deAr...
  If your crew aren’t particularly gifted at investiga-
  tion, you can simplify tracking the attackers by simply 
  having the assailants still wear their ship jumpsuits, 
  listing the name Atargatis. Asking around with a TN 
  13 Communication (Investigation) test or hacking 
  the port records with a TN 13 Intelligence (Business 
  or Technology) test reveals both that the Atargatis 
  recently landed and regularly does business with the 
  Ashbury Aquaponics fish farm in the Martineztown 
  neighborhood. Any captives can likewise point the 
  crew toward Ashbury, where Pereira told them how 
  to find them. None of them know why exactly they’re 
  supposed to kill the crew of the Anne Bonny; Captain 
  St. Croix handles the “weird contracts” for assault and 
  harassment, and they don’t know where she went after 
  landing.
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  Fish scales on their clothing: TN 11 Intelligence (Science) test. The scales come from a combination of bluefin tuna, 
  anchovies, and smelt.
  Transit card: TN 12 Intelligence (Navigation or Research) test. The serial number on the transit card indicates it was 
  purchased in the Martineztown neighborhood.
  Gravel in their boot treads: TN 13 Intelligence (Science) test.  The gravel is aragonite—often used in large aquariums 
  and water tanks—and crushed mussel shells.
  Fresh stains: TN 14 Intelligence (Evaluation) or TN 11 Perception (Tasting) test. The stains are from a distinctive 
  pumpkin-flavored instant noodle bowl only available through a Snaktastic brand vending machine.
  The clues ultimately point to Ashbury Aquaponics, a fish farm that grows bluefin tuna, as well as anchovies and smelt as 
  feeder fish, and uses mussels as a step in their filtration process. The farm is located in the Martineztown neighborhood and 
  is the only fish farm in Martineztown that subscribes to Snaktastic Vending Services.
  sCene 4
  TAKen in An evil neT 
  invesTigATiOn enCOunTer
  Ashbury Aquaponics has changed hands and names several times in its sixty years of operation, with Haskel Pereira 
  owning it for sixteen years now. The farm specializes in raising bluefin tuna for local consumption, which can grow up 
  to 2 meters long and weigh 300 kg in their captive conditions. Because a single bluefin can take a decade to reach 
  maturity, Ashbury also sells smelt and anchovies (raised as feeder fish) and red algae and mussels (used in the filtration 
  process) to the Belt market to help cover expenses. Bluefin are notoriously hard to raise in farms and reviewing the busi-
  ness’s public records with a TN 13 Intelligence (Business) test suggests that the Ashbury barely makes ends meet due 
  to high fish mortality rates, yet Haskel Pereira lives surpris-
  ingly well in the Breach Candy district. Pereira began supple-
  menting his profits years ago by helping Londres Nova’s crime 
  syndicates—and later, wealthy patrons—dispose of unwanted 
  bodies by crushing them in the chum grinder and feeding the 
  evidence to his ravenous tuna.
  The fish farm isn’t kept in good repair—the equipment is 
  functional, but clearly patched and in need of cleaning—and 
  the smell is overwhelming. The facility itself is built entirely 
  underground—using full-spectrum LEDs to support the fish 
  and algal colonies—but is quite large. Access doors are open 
  during daytime hours but are kept locked (TN 15 Intelligence 
  (Security) test) at night. Walkways over the tanks allow access 
  for feeding, cleaning, and extracting fish. The tuna them-
  selves aren’t dangerous or aggressive, but panic if someone 
  falls into the water with them; their thrashing inflicts 1d6+4 
  damage every round and increases the difficulty of Constitu-
  tion (Swimming) checks to escape the tanks or remain afloat 
  to TN 15. The fish are only spooked if someone falls in, and 
  do not thrash if someone enters the water gently (such as to 
  search it for clues).
  Pereira is nursing a broken hand after the Atargatis crew 
  roughed him up, and is more skittish than usual. He retreats 
  if confronted, and attempts to call his most influential patron—
  Beauregard Guan—to send help if he thinks anyone is snooping 
  around. He’s not much of a fighter, but keeps a pistol in his 
  desk; he only fights back if he fears his life is in jeopardy. He 
  begins the encounter with a Hostile attitude.
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  An unFAmiliAr dAnCe
  As the crew begins winding down their initial investigation, Beauregard Guan’s bodyguard, Syeda Yoosamran, arrives with 
  five of Guan’s guards to respond to Pereira’s call for help (see the Adversaries & Allies section for both of these statblocks). 
  Yoosamran had no idea Guan’s new guests were responsible for the break-in, but once she sees them at Ashbury she fears 
  they know his guilt in Anne Marie Sousa’s death and does not hesitate to attack. She doesn’t mince words, ordering her 
  guards to gun the crew down, but she uses her actions the first round of combat to call Guan and apprise him of the situation; 
  PCs can overhear this call with a TN 13 Perception (Hearing) test:
  “Mr Guan, it seems your new guests knew more than they cared to share. We’re dealing with the situation now.... 
  No, no one will ever know what happened here.”
  The ledger And The ring
  If the crew didn’t find Pereira’s ledger in the false vent as part of their investigation, he offers to trade it if they just let him 
  escape, promising no one will see him in Londres Nova ever again. If they already found the ledger, Pereira simply tries to 
  flee during the violence.
  The ledger itself seems mundane, if strange. The address of a small self-storage business—SurSafe—is written inside the 
  front cover, along with a storage unit number and key code. The rest is nothing but lists of dates corresponding with names, 
  weights, and numbers. Beauregard Guan’s name appears once, twelve years ago, along with “62.6 kgs” and “#112.”
  The SurSafe storage unit is only a few blocks away, and the key code opens it without difficulty. Inside is a rough-worn 
  old storage organizer with numbered drawers, each holding minor but easily-traced valuables—all of them taken from 
  Investigating the fish farm requires TN 13 tests, revealing 
  new information depending on the focus used:
  Communication (Investigation): Several of the shipping 
  crates and barrels bound for the Belt have false bottoms or 
  hollows, likely intended for smuggling. 
  Constitution (Swimming): Mixed among the substrate 
  lining the bottom of the tank are several pieces of what can 
  appear to be human bone and teeth. A TN 15 Intelligence 
  (Medicine) test or an autodoc can confirm this. 
  Intelligence (Science): Some of the blood inside the chum 
  grinder is clearly from a mammal. An autodoc or a character 
  with the proper equipment and a TN 9 Intelligence (Medi-
  cine) test can confirm that it is human blood.
  Perception (Searching): A false vent in Pereira’s office 
  holds a handwritten paper ledger containing names, dates, 
  weights, and reference numbers (see The Ledger and the 
  Ring). The fact that paper is rare and expensive anywhere 
  but Earth suggests the ledger must hold some significance.
  Strength (Intimidation): Pereira admits that some criminals 
  occasionally force him to dispose of evidence, though he 
  insists he must do it or they’ll kill him rather than the arrange-
  ment being both willing and profitable.
  By the end of their investigation, the crew will likely have 
  determined that the fish farm serves a grisly second purpose, 
  though its relationship to their attackers seems entirely 
  random.
  Ashbury AquApOniCs
  1. Reception
  2. Front Office
  3. Hallway
  4. Storage
  5. Walkway
  6. Large Fish Tanks
  7. Machine Room
  8. Butchering
  9. Chum Grinding
  10.  Walk-in Freezer
  11. Loading Dock
  1
  2
  3
  4
  6
  6
  5
  6
  9
  8
  10
  11
  7
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  bodies Pereira disposed of over the last fifteen years. The ledger and the storage 
  unit have been his insurance policy, ensuring that he doesn’t go down without 
  indicting some of Londres Nova’s movers and shakers for his, and their, crimes. 
  Drawer #112 contains an antique engagement ring inscribed: “To Anne, with all 
  my love, B.” The distinctive ring can be traced with a TN 13 Intelligence (Evalu-
  ation or Research) test to old photos of Matilda Guan, mother of Beauregard 
  and Ephrem; the crew may even recall it from the Guan family portrait in the 
  penthouse.
  While their armed confrontation with Beauregard’s guards has suddenly made 
  him a dire enemy, the ring and ledger give them extraordinary power over one of 
  Mars’s most important spiritual leaders.
  inTerlude
  FAr FrOm The lighT
  Within two hours of the crew’s actions at Ashbury Aquaponics, rumors on the 
  local partitions start talking about “Belter mercenaries” wanted for questioning in 
  connection with two violent attacks—Ashbury and the street brawl with the Atar-
  gatis crew. Guan changes the access codes to the penthouse before the crew can 
  finish investigating Ashbury, and they won’t even be able to access the building if they try to return. Gaining entry by other 
  means reveals a few uniformed security operatives investigating anything the player characters may have left in the apart-
  ment before visiting the fish farm. Their ship is likewise under a police lockdown, with guards posted and no one allowed in 
  or out for the time being until authorities determine the crew aren’t a flight risk.
  Beauregard Guan has used his influence with the community to spin the characters’ recent activities as dangerous—
  possibly politically-motivated—Belter violence, hoping overzealous Martian security will target the crew as terrorists and 
  shoot on sight, allowing him to make a claim on their ship. Diana’s own influence with local security has allowed her to 
  temporarily downgrade the PCs’ involvement to “persons of interest.”
  If the crew aren’t the types to monitor newsfeeds or social media, eventually a message buzzes on their hand terminals 
  from Diana:
  “I don’t know whose toes you stepped on or why, but someone wants you shot on sight. I’ve convinced the authori-
  ties that you should only be beaten on sight, so for now just try not to be seen while I clear up the rest of it. If nothing 
  else, I can get security lockdowns removed from your ship in the next day or two. Provided you’re interested in picking 
  up a little work to repay the favor.
  -Diana”
  Hiding out on Mars means retreating deep into the poverty-stricken underground levels, far from the weak light of the 
  domes. The Innis Deep and Innis Shallows neighborhoods are especially thick with Belters with no interest in speaking to 
  Martian authorities, but the difference between these neighborhoods and Aterpole is stark. The Innis neighborhoods are 
  carved with machines in mind more than humans; the walls are rough, the streets are poorly lit and dirty, and the air scrub-
  bers chug day and night to clean up the stink of too many humans pressed too close. Crew from the worst slums of Ceres 
  or Eros may feel at home among the dark corridors and brazen criminal activity.
  The crew have an interlude while they wait for news from Diana. This is an especially good time to recover, advance their 
  relationship with any criminal groups, or try to find quiet work, though most academic and professional skills aren’t in high 
  demand in the poorer districts.
  sCene 5
  The heArT is deCeiTFul AbOve All Things 
  COmbAT/sOCiAl enCOunTer
  Both Guan and the Atargatis crew resolve to watch the Anne Bonny, hoping the crew will return. If they don’t, Beauregard 
  opts to simply board the ship and begin searching it, confident the crew has gone to ground and won’t notice. He doesn’t 
  begin any formal legal proceedings to seize the ship, worried that would draw too much attention to his involvement with 
  where did diAnA gO?
  After the crew arrives on Mars, Diana reports 
  back to Commander Duarte and spends the next 
  several days being debriefed and learning more 
  about the current political and military state of 
  affairs. She is generally unavailable as an active 
  resource for the duration of Two Kinds of Prayer, 
  but you may elect to have her move behind the 
  scenes to minimize any problems the crew causes. 
  She can bury any legal proceedings, turn security 
  force’s attention elsewhere long enough for them 
  to get away, arrange for important evidence to 
  be “lost,” or bail them out of prison after a night. 
  Diana isn’t a genie, however, and recruited them 
  because they are active problem solvers them-
  selves. Anything she does takes time, and she 
  can only help so many times before she exhausts 
  her resources or risks being exposed, leaving the 
  crew on their own.
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  the crew. He likely would’ve avoided all notice if the Assistant Dockmaster, Carmo Vidal, didn’t take a personal interest in 
  the Anne Bonny. After being questioned by security about the ship, Vidal is uneasy when he watches people in suits board 
  the ship, but ultimately decides to risk alerting the crew.
  As the scene begins (unless the crew have holed up in their own ship), their hand terminals buzz with a new message.
  “Hey all. It’s Carmo Vidal, back at the dockmaster’s office. Not sure I’m supposed to be doing this, y’know, on 
  account of security asking a lot of questions about you, but there’s someone rifling through your ship right now. Well-
  dressed types, but not cops or military. Never seen ’em around before, but they looked like they were on a mission 
  from God.”
  Beauregard Guan himself is on board the Anne Bonny, leading the search, along with five Guan guards (see the Adver-
  saries & Allies section for these stats) and Syeda Yoosamran if she survived Scene 4. If the crew rush to their ship, Beaure-
  gard doesn’t especially want a fight. He thinks the characters have evidence of his past crimes. He never states his crime 
  directly, but implies the crew knows “What happened to her,” and that he “Won’t let grease-monkey rockhoppers ruin me.” 
  Beauregard holds back his guards because he worries any evidence is hidden; if the player characters didn’t find the ledger 
  and ring in Scene 4, they’ll need to bluff Beauregard into believing they know more than they do. If Beauregard believes 
  they don’t have anything they can use to blackmail him, he immediately orders his guards to attack to clean up loose ends.
  Either midway during the conversation or as Guan orders his guards to attack, five members of the Atargatis crew arrive 
  with their own captain, Imani St. Croix (see the Adversaries & Allies section for these stats) and immediately attack. This time 
  the Atargatis crew is loaded for an all-out assault with rifles. Guan believes these new arrivals are backup recruited by the 
  player characters, and a three-way firefight breaks out. Pair off opponents however seems most fitting, but clever characters 
  might be able to use Communications (Deception) or Intelligence (Tactics) into tricking Guan’s and St. Croix’s goons into 
  attacking each other.
  Not being much of a fighter, Guan relies heavily on cover, hiding behind ship’s panels, bulkheads, and his own guards 
  during the fight. He drops his gun and surrenders if the guards are killed, though if the crew left a positive impression on him 
  during dinner (Open attitude or better), he’ll open fire on the Atargatis crew once it becomes obvious they’re gunning for the 
  player characters—possibly creating an awkward scenario where he saves their lives at the last second.
  blACKmAil is suCh An ugly wOrd
  If Beauregard survives the violence, he begs the heroes to just leave him be.
  “Please. Please just leave me be. I’ve built so much, and I already lost a brother and a lover over this unpleasant-
  ness. None have suffered more than I, and you can’t begrudge a man his fear when he’s seen such evil in the world. 
  Surely you can spare a man of God on his knees.”
  Beauregard’s accounting of his involvement is obviously more than a little skewed—that much should be obvious to the 
  crew if they spent much time investigating Ashbury Aquaponics. If called out, his tone and demeanor changes from humility 
  to professional arrogance, and he begins negotiating.
  “I see then. You are vulgar sorts, wanton in the ways of the devil. That I can work with. Tell me, what does silence 
  cost these days?”
  If the heroes want Guan to be held accountable for his crimes, they’ll need to turn over the evidence they have to the 
  authorities and hope for the best (see The Wheels of Justice). If they’d rather Guan buy their silence, he demands any 
  evidence they have. The negotiation is a challenge test. The ledger and the engagement ring from Scene 4 each provide a 
  +1 bonus on tests in the PCs’ negotiations. If the crew found at least three additional clues at Ashbury Aquaponics besides 
  the ledger, they gain an additional +1 bonus. If they have cracked the password on Ephrem’s partition (see The Hidden 
  Confession), or decrypted it, they gain yet another +1 bonus during negotiations.
  As negotiations begin, Assistant Dockmaster Vidal messages the crew to tell them that security forces are on their way, 
  and that they’ll need to settle whatever’s going on in the next five or six minutes. Guan tells them he can call off the police 
  whenever he wants, if they can reach a deal. The following challenge test helps chart the crew’s progress and final results if 
  they commit to negotiating with Beauregard (though you may elect to roleplay this interaction instead).
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  CHALLENGE: POSE AS CUSTOMERS
  DIFFICULTY: TN 15          SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 10          TIME PER TEST: 1 minute; maximum of six minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Bargaining), Intelligence (Evaluation), Strength (Intimidation),  
  Willpower (Faith), Willpower (Self-Discipline)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  Beauregard asserts control over the negotiations and starts running the conversation in circles, increasing 
  the time per test to 2 minutes until they can re-establish control with a Communication (Etiquette or Leadership) test 
  opposed by Guan’s Willpower (Self-Discipline).
  MODERATE
  The crew must give up one piece of collected evidence—likely the ledger or the ring—as a show of good 
  faith, losing the associated +1 bonus.
  MAJOR
  As time begins to tick away, Guan’s confidence in his local influence shakes the crew into trading their 
  remaining evidence away in exchange for him calling off the police.
  If time runs out before the crew reaches the success threshold, Guan negotiates them into a substandard deal: they 
  exchange their evidence for a temporary +2 bonus to Income for a single character, which disappears after the next Income 
  check it is applied to.
  If the crew reach the success threshold of 10 before the six minutes expire, then they agree to hand over all their evidence 
  to Guan—and ostensibly keep quiet about his crimes—and each crew member receives a permanent +1 increase to their 
  Income. If they reach a success threshold of 15 or higher before time runs out, they shake Guan to his core and he digs deep, 
  granting every crew member a permanent +2 increase to their Income.
  If the PCs reach a deal with Guan, the authorities arrive at the break-in, and Beauregard waves them away, explaining to 
  the officers that “friends of my dear brother” have protected him from vicious assailants (the Atargatis crew). He introduces 
  the crew to several of the officers by name, mentioning they are part of his congregation, and explains to the arriving police 
  that the earlier misunderstanding was a result of these “braggadocio Martian heroes” dismantling a local OPA operation. 
  The crew’s safety on Mars is secured, as is Beauregard’s, who will likely never face any consequences for his old crimes.
  geT yOur Ass OFF mArs
  While the crew have likely foiled any attempt to besmirch their good names—and possibly even made a profit in the 
  process—they have still passed out a few black eyes among Martian elites, criminals, and authorities. Leaving the planet 
  A hidden COnFessiOn
  Ephrem’s hidden partition can be unlocked, and his personal logs opened, with his old nickname for Anne Marie Sousa: “Camellia”. 
  Most of his logs are the ramblings of a man growing accustomed to the transient gravity and long silences of space travel, but a 
  highlighted file contains his confession for killing Anne Sousa:
  A man bearing a strong resemblance to a younger Beauregard Guan—with a beard three days older and hair three months shag-
  gier—bobs in zero-G as the camera comes to focus. He licks his lips awkwardly two, then three times before finally finding his words:
  “I need to say this now. I need to say it out loud, somewhere I hope people will eventually hear it.
  “I was.... I was furious when I found out she’d been seeing him behind my back. He was furious when he discovered she wouldn’t 
  leave me for him. We argued and shouted. Anne tried to stop us and he hit her. Then God help me, I pulled daddy’s gun from the 
  desk. Pulled a gun and was prepared before God and heaven to shoot my own brother. He tackled me.
  “I don’t know which of us aimed. I don’t know which of us pulled the trigger.
  “But I know where that bullet ended up. We watched Anne die instead of finding her a doctor. And...and Beau said he’d take care 
  of it. Told me only God could judge us.
  “I tried to play the heartbroken divorcee after that, but couldn’t find my peace. So I packed it all up and came out here, hoping to 
  find God or the devil. Ain’t found either. Ain’t found forgiveness, either.
  “My name is Ephrem Guan. Don’t let me die with anyone thinking that was the name of a good man.”
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  The wheels OF JusTiCe
  The adventure assumes the player characters try to profit off the misery they’ve stumbled through, but should your group lean 
  more “Holden” than “Miller”, the crew can hand their evidence over to the Martian authorities and any reliable media and let the 
  wheels of justice roll over Beauregard Guan. The crew may even retain some of their evidence on Guan (or not yet have discov-
  ered his brother’s confession), and both blackmail him for money and turn over evidence to the authorities, though any given bit 
  of evidence can only be applied to one or the other.
  There are four distinct pieces of evidence the crew can uncover and turn over: Pereira’s ledger (see Scene 4), the engagement 
  ring (see Scene 4), a thorough investigation of Ashbury Aquaponics (locating at least three clues in addition to the ledger; see Scene 
  4), and Ephrem’s video confession in the Anne Bonny’s computer (see the A Hidden Confession sidebar). The more evidence the 
  player characters turn over, the greater the likelihood Guan is held accountable for his crimes.
  EVIDENCE 
  TURNED OVER
  CONSEQUENCES
  0
  Laughable. Without any evidence, security doesn’t even both to file a report; no one takes the word of a few 
  drifters over one of the most respected men on Mars.
  1
  Gossip. The crew’s evidence is enough to reopen the cold case of Anne Sousa—still considered a missing 
  persons case—and reignites old rumors about Ephrem and Beauregard. Beauregard’s congregation shrinks 
  by 10% and he loses some of his most influential flock.
  2
  Embarrassment. The evidence provided confirms that Anne Sousa is dead—easing up many legal battles for 
  her family—but doesn’t indict Beauregard directly. The damage is done, however, and he loses about half his 
  congregation and influence on Mars.
  3
  Financial Woe. Beauregard Guan’s name becomes associated with “Getting away with murder thanks 
  to whoever’s gravity well you fell out of.” Guan is arrested and ultimately defends himself in court, but is 
  humiliated and loses his position as church leader. His fortune dwindles over the next five years to less than a 
  quarter his former net worth.
  4
  Prison. Beauregard is arrested and eventually convicted for Anne Sousa’s murder and his relationship with 
  the Ashbury Aquaponics disposal racket. He serves eight years of his 25-year sentence and retires from the 
  public eye with his much-depleted fortune. One or more characters associated with the investigation gain the 
  Honorific “Giantkiller,” associating them with taking down criminals who rarely suffer consequences thanks to 
  their wealth or associations.
  5
  Death. The evidence against Beauregard is damning enough that a coterie of Ashbury Aquaponics clients—
  organized by the Sousa family—have Guan quietly killed in his cell while awaiting trial, making his death 
  look like a suicide. One or more characters associated with the investigation gain the Honorific “Giantkiller,” 
  associating them with taking down criminals who rarely suffer consequences thanks to their wealth or 
  associations.
  Characters with extraordinary influence, such as Membership in a Martian security corp, an extraordinary Reputation for crime 
  solving or integrity, or Master rank in the Intrigue talent may increase or decrease Guan’s consequences by one step.
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  Two Kinds of Prayer
  is their best choice at this point, and as luck would have it, Carmo Vidal will have an orbital assist ready for them in the 
  next few hours.
  At worst, Diana arranged to help delay the authorities long enough for the crew to escape the local gravity, though this 
  option leaves the crew as fugitives on Mars and may lead to complications with MCRN patrols in the future.
  If the PCs want to follow up on the Atargatis before they leave, breaking the ship’s electronic locks requires a TN 14 Intel-
  ligence (Encryption) or Intelligence (Security) test, and a thorough search uncovers connections to not just the OPA, but to 
  the Voltaire Collective, a violent faction of the Outer Planets Alliance involved in terrorist violence against Inner planets and 
  their sympathizers. Their cargo hold contains several smuggling crates and barrels from Ashbury Aquaponics, with traces 
  of explosives and ammunition inside. The Atargatis has clearly been smuggling weapons from Mars to Ceres—a lead that 
  Diana asks the crew to follow up on if they don’t decide to do so themselves. This could be used as a possible lead-in to the 
  next adventure, There’s OPA and There’s OPA. 
  AdversAries & Allies
  The following are profiles of the significant non-player characters in Satellites and Secrets, along with their Expanse game 
  stats. For additional stock characters you can use in this adventure, see the Threats chapter of The Expanse RPG.
  ATArgATis Crew member
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 1 (Deception),  
  Constitution 1 , Dexterity 2 (Free-Fall),  
  Fighting 1 (Light Weapons), Intelligence 0, Perception 0, 
  Strength 0 (Might), Willpower 3 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  12
  12
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Improvise Weapon
  +3
  1d6+2
  Rifle
  +1
  3d6+1
  Unarmed
  +1
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Lightning Strike
  Talents: Carousing (Novice), Improvisation (Novice)
  Equipment: drugs, illegal rifle, ship’s jumpsuit, toolkit
  Threat: Minor
  beAuregArd liAng guAn
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 4 (Deception, Etiquette, 
  Persuasion), Constitution 1 (Tolerance), Dexterity 1 
  (Initiative), Fighting 1, Intelligence 3 (Business, Current 
  Affairs), Perception 3 (Empathy, Hearing), Strength 0, 
  Willpower 4 (Faith)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  24
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6+3
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Benefit of the Doubt, Cast Out, Group Tactics
  Talents: Contacts (Expert), Inspire (Expert), Intrigue (Expert 
  [Etiquette])
  Equipment: bible, hand terminal, pistol 
  Threat: Moderate
  ATArgATis Crew member
  Smugglers working for the OPA, the Atargatis crew have largely been 
  flying with Imani St. Croix for the last years, running explosives and guns to 
  Ceres and dabbling in piracy and war scavenging. They’re a mix of lowlifes 
  from Mars and the Belt who like easy money and a sense of superiority 
  more than they believe in any given cause.
   beAuregArd liAng guAn
  The Guans helped define Mars, and espe-
  cially Londres Nova. As early “air barons” who 
  funded and then sold back the open tunnel 
  spaces and agricultural domes of the newborn 
  colony, their fortunes have been intertwined 
  with Mars and their dramas and whims have 
  helped several of the planet’s political history. 
  Even after the Epstein drive opened up all of 
  the solar system to humanity, they remained 
  influential and wealthy within their own city. 
  Devout Christians—combining a blend of American-style southern 
  Baptism and the Chinese Three-Self Patriotic Movement—they were one 
  of the founding families of the First Reformed Martian Baptists church, 
  and have persisted for generations as both business figures and reli-
  gious leaders.
  Beauregard was born into a family legacy of righteousness, and conse-
  quently knew all he did was righteous. Using the influence of his church 
  to pressure the Martian Congress was righteous, because Mars should 
  be a city on a hill and held to a higher standard. Helping his congregants 
  conceal their moral failings was righteous, because God alone could judge 
  them. And when he fell in love with his brother’s fiancé, that too was righ-
  teous.
  Somehow.
  Anne Marie Sousa was far from the perfect woman the Guan boys 
  wanted her to be, but both believed she could salvage their souls and 
  confusion. Ephrem Guan thought that no matter how far he strayed, 
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  guAn guArds
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communication 0,  
  Constitution 2, Dexterity 1, Fighting 2 (Grappling), 
  Intelligence 0, Perception 2 (Seeing),  
  Strength 1 (Intimidation), Willpower 2 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  4
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Martian Taser
  +4
  1d6+2
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+2
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Blockade, Hidden Message, Seize the Initiative
  Talents: Observation (Novice [Seeing]), Protector (Novice)
  Equipment: cheap suit, concealed armor vest, hand terminal, 
  impressive sunglasses, pistol, taser
  Threat: Minor
  having Anne’s bright light at home meant he could always find his way 
  back. But Beauregard saw his brother made happy by a beautiful woman, 
  and wondered why his own wife consistently failed to bring him happiness. 
  He fixated on Anne, and Anne’s own passions spun those feelings into an 
  affair—a fling for her, but a sign of her true devotions in Beauregard’s eyes. 
  Beauregard proposed to Anne with his mother’s own wedding ring, prom-
  ising to leave his wife, but Anne rejected the offer and Ephrem stepped 
  in to confront his brother’s betrayal. As they fought over a pistol, an acci-
  dental shot hit Anne.
  Beauregard knew about Haskel Pereira’s body-disposal business at 
  Ashbury Aquaponics as a way to help his rich friends dispose of embar-
  rassing bits of evidence. He told Ephrem to leave Anne to him, and Pereira 
  made sure there was little left of Anne save a catalogue entry and Beaure-
  gard’s rejected ring. Disposing of Anne is the only thing Beauregard truly 
  feels guilty over—not killing her, as he still blames Ephrem for that—and 
  the idea that anyone will find out what he did haunts him enough to track 
  Ephrem’s ship whenever possible. 
  Beauregard is a dangerous man who believes himself right with God. He 
  knows in his heart that he does not deserve to suffer or wilt in some prison, 
  and that God in his infinite wisdom will see fit to forgive his transgressions. 
  In the meantime, he still enjoys the comforts of wealth. He loves rich food, 
  adoring company, and liquor. The only thing he fears, beyond being held 
  accountable for his actions—is that Ephrem died somewhere in the universe 
  without them ever reconciling.
  guAn guArds
  Beauregard Guan hires guards with an eye toward discretion—both he and 
  his closest contacts discuss important business and matters of state, and 
  so security forces who know when not to listen are invaluable. He contracts 
  all his guards directly, not trusting an outside agency to fully respect his 
  need for privacy, and as such most of his guards are former MCRN—friends 
  and contacts of Syeda Yoosamran’s. While most of the Guan guards gener-
  ally rely on tasers and intimidation, they have access to sidearms as well.
  hAsKel pereirA
  hAsKel pereirA
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 2 (Deception, Gambling), 
  Constitution 1 , Dexterity 0, Fighting 0,  
  Intelligence 2 (Business, Science), Perception 1 (Seeing), 
  Strength 0, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  10
  10
  10
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +0
  2d6+1
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: And Another Thing, Duck and Weave
  Talents: Intrigue (Novice [Deception]), Misdirection (Novice)
  Equipment: emergency pistol, keyring 
  Threat: Minor
  Owner of Ashbury Aquaponics, Haskel Pereira makes ends meet by contracting with local orga-
  nized crime and respectable families, using his fish farm to dispose of bodies and other digestible 
  evidence. Little of a human is identifiable after being run through the chum grinder, and even less 
  remains after being fed to ravenous fish, save for bits of bone or teeth that settle in the bottom 
  of the tanks.
  Haskel isn’t an especially vicious man, just a man who grew up in the slums of Innis Deep 
  seeing humans as little more than meat for another system. As far as he cares, if the elite of 
  Londres Nova want to drop money on his operation from the ivory domes after killing each 
  other, he’s all too happy to collect. He also works with several OPA-linked smugglers, as the 
  strong stench from the fish paste and nori he sells to the Belt help conceal chemical odors from 
  customs inspections, and has been helping the Voltaire Collective in particular move decommissioned Martian explosives 
  to Ceres for almost a year.
  Haskel is practical, and has always survived by watching his own back. He’s jumpy and sweats too much even when he 
  isn’t under pressure—both traits that make him a far worse gambler than he’s willing to admit.
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  imAni sT. CrOix
  Imani St. Croix isn’t an idealist any more. She may 
  have been when she was younger, but the war—
  watching Martian brutes put bullet after bullet 
  through her friend’s ship and her friend’s lungs—
  put a stop to that. Now she just wants people to 
  hurt as much as she does, and she’s passionate 
  enough to make others want the same thing. 
  While she once proudly supported the Outer 
  Planets Alliance, she now pays only enough lip 
  service to the cause to collect payment as she 
  runs guns and explosives for the most extremist elements.
  Her willingness to work for a bottom line brought Captain St. Croix and 
  the Atargatis into Sebastian Pope’s employ. Imani doesn’t especially care if 
  the guns she runs end up perforating an Earth corp or a Martian base, and 
  she doesn’t especially care which Inner Planet billionaire suffers where the 
  Atargatis seizes a ship. If one of them wants to pay her to pick targets, and 
  even help with the paperwork, then she’s fine working with them for now.
   syedA yOOsAmrAn
  A former MCRN marine, Syeda Yoosamran liked a 
  simpler chain of command than the one the mili-
  tary offered, and went into private security after 
  her enlistment ended. She eventually settled into 
  fulltime work with the Guan family, and redou-
  bled her dedication to duty when the old money 
  family supported her transition into a woman. The 
  change ended her aggressive insubordination 
  and eventually helped hone her discipline and 
  awareness of the world around her. She became 
  an exceptional guard, and soon graduated to managing Beauregard Guan’s 
  personal security.
  Syeda is privy to all of Beauregard’s indiscretions, large and small, and 
  while she often disagrees with her employer, his morals, his priorities, and 
  his family’s loyalty to her has secured a lifetime of loyalty from her in turn.
  imAni sT. CrOix
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Rifles), Communication 3 (Leadership), 
  Constitution 2 (Stamina), Dexterity 3 (Free-Fall, Piloting, 
  Sleight of Hand), Fighting 2 , Intelligence 1,  
  Perception 0, Strength 0, Willpower 3 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  13
  17
  13
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Rifle
  +3
  3d6
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Double-Team, Taunt
  Talents: Carousing (Expert), Pinpoint Accuracy (Expert)
  Equipment: glasses, hand terminal, illegal rifle, ship’s jumpsuit)
  Threat: Minor
  syedA yOOsAmrAn
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communication 1 (Etiquette), 
  Constitution 3 , Dexterity 3, Fighting 3 (Brawling), 
  Intelligence 0 (Business, Security),  
  Perception 4 (Intuition), Strength 2 (Intimidation), 
  Willpower 2 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  13
  21
  13
  5
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  SMG
  +4
  2d6+4
  Unarmed
  +5
  1d6+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Guardian Angel, Knock Down
  Talents: Observation (Novice), Protector (Expert), Striking Style 
  (Expert)
  Equipment: concealed armor vest, expensive suit, gum, hand 
  terminal, Martian submachinegun (2d6 damage, automatic)
  Threat: Moderate
  Descended from a mix of early Martian colonists, Syeda shares both East and South-Asian features. She is tall enough and 
  broad enough for a Martian woman that most locals assume she was born on Earth, but she has never left her homeworld’s 
  gravity well.
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  T
  here’s OPA and There’s OPA is the fourth adventure of the Abzu’s Bounty series for The Expanse Roleplaying Game. 
  It allows the characters an opportunity to spend time on the iconic station of Ceres in the Belt while experiencing the 
  politics and tensions between the Outer Planets Alliance’s many factions—some of which have their own designs on 
  the dangerous and unpredictable protomolecule.
  If characters are advancing through Abzu’s Bounty in order, they will have already encountered the OPA in their first 
  adventure Breaking the Surface, and the Voltaire Collective in the previous adventure Two Kinds of Prayer. Even the atti-
  tudes and opinions of characters with OPA backgrounds may have been affected or changed by these recent encounters. 
  If the OPA has been a significant part of your crew’s series, it may a good idea to discuss what the characters know of the 
  organization so far and their opinions on the group and some of the leading figures before starting the adventure. 
  Overview
  As the crew prepares to plot a new course coming out of their most recent adventure or interlude, a tightbeam message 
  from Ceres comes in on a secure channel. An OPA contact is reaching out on behalf of Anderson Dawes—recently made 
  governor of the station after the Eros incident. The Anne Bonny’s reputation has preceded them: Dawes would like to speak 
  to them about a contract on Ceres. He offers both compensation for their time on the station and the use of the Ceres repair 
  docks if their ship is in need of maintenance.
  The contract is an odd one for a ship’s crew: Dawes wants an outside party to investigate a rash of bombings targeting 
  Inners. He needs a group that can be viewed as neutral to those that live on the station. The bombings are quite real and 
  a threat to the station’s stability, however they only provide a convenient pretense 
  to bring the Anne Bonny to Ceres. Anderson Dawes is far more interested in 
  the protomolecule and what her crew might know about it. XO Bart Mitchell of 
  the Abzu’s Bounty from Breaking the Surface contacted Dawes when the initial 
  sample was found by the Abzu’s Bounty, and he’s been trying to track both it and 
  4: There’s OPA and 
  There’s OPA
  “Jesus,” he said. “What scares the OPA?” 
  — Leviathan Wakes
  73
  
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  them down ever since. He offers whatever he can to get the 
  crew to come to Ceres.
  When the crew arrives on Ceres, their OPA contact takes 
  them on a tour of the bombing damage in the ‘Inner’ parts of 
  the station before taking them to meet with Anderson Dawes. 
  Dawes gives them the basic information on the bombings, 
  some possible suspects including a cell of the radical Voltaire 
  Collective, and tries to get a sense of what the crew knows 
  about the protomolecule sample. After meeting with Dawes, 
  there is a perfect spot for group and individual interludes. 
  Identified by the Voltaire Collective from their recent run-in 
  with the crew of the Atargatis on Mars in the adventure Two 
  Kinds of Prayer, the characters find themselves in a clandes-
  tine meeting with the Ceres cell, who deny all but one of the 
  bombings and are convinced they’re being framed. Depending 
  on the relationships that the crew develops with the Collective, 
  the meeting could end more or less violently.
  The crew heads back to the Anne Bonny in her berth only 
  to discover a Belter in the process of tossing the ship. After 
  chasing down and subduing the trespasser, they find her hiding 
  a data cube containing the Anne Bonny’s logs and any informa-
  tion they have regarding the Abzu’s Bounty and their activities 
  there. The trespasser reveals little except that there’s a bomb 
  on the station, and this time the target is Katria, head of the 
  Voltaire Collective.
  The characters locate Katria in a popular section of the 
  commons and must find and defuse the bomb, and possibly 
  evacuate the area before it detonates. If they succeed, they 
  have evidence that may possibly exonerate the Collective and 
  find the bomber.
  Along with Katria, the crew brings their evidence to the 
  governor’s office, where it becomes clear there is some serious 
  distrust between factions in the OPA. When the characters sort 
  it out, it turns out the thief on the Anne Bonny has worked for 
  Dawes in the past and is part of the reason the Voltaire Collec-
  tive suspects the governor of framing them for the bombings. 
  It appears there is a third party behind the attacks on Inners.
  Whether the crew hands their prisoner over to Ceres security 
  or not, they are able to discover that she is a former UN soldier 
  supposedly gone missing years ago, genetically and surgically 
  modified to look like a Belter to get revenge for her family’s 
  death at the hands of OPA terrorists. If the characters choose to 
  dig, they can find evidence pointing toward Jules-Pierre Mao…
  and the UN itself.
  Again, the crew can turn in their prisoner or deal with her 
  themselves as they see fit. They can also confront Dawes 
  about the Anne Bonny break in—which he does not deny, 
  further betraying his level of interest in the characters and their 
  actions. The adventure ends with another interlude as the crew 
  prepares to leave Ceres Station and move on to their next job. 
  Diana contacts them with another opportunity for them that will 
  lead into Titan’s Ball.
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  running This AdvenTure
  There’s OPA and There’s OPA is an adventure about the intrigues, infighting, and distrust 
  that distract from the goals of the OPA and indeed any organization. The characters already 
  have some experience with the OPA and their time on Ceres should provide a deeper 
  understanding of some of the difficulties the Alliance has in working together to represent 
  and protect Belters’ best interests. 
  There’s OPA and There’s OPA adds a few important things to the course of the Abzu’s 
  Bounty series:
  • It introduces the crew to Anderson Dawes and Ceres Station, newly in OPA hands. The 
  crew’s visit to Ceres also confirms Dawes’ interest in tracking down the protomolecule 
  sample, which is why the characters should learn Dawes was behind the search of the 
  Anne Bonny, if not the bombings themselves. 
  • It gives the characters a possible positive connection to the Voltaire Collective—a radical 
  OPA faction known for their skill with and use of explosives—who they last encountered 
  on Mars under Sebastian Pope’s influence and direction. The latter why the crew should 
  at least speak to members of the Collective, for better or worse.
  • It further ties the conspiracy around the protomolecule sample to Jules-Pierre Mao, and 
  now to the UN. It also gives the crew a better idea of the scope of the plot of the series, 
  and the lengths Mao-Kwikowski and the UN will go to in order to destabilize the Belt.
  • It provides a glimpse of developing Belter culture on a station that is transforming into the first real home for a people 
  who have been nomads in their own environment for generations.
  COnneCTiOns & repuTATiOn
  One or more characters should have a solid OPA connection for There’s OPA and There’s OPA to work well as an adventure 
  for your crew. If there are no obvious options, some possibilities follow:
  • Any characters with OPA Rank (see the Rewards chapter of The Expanse RPG) will have at least heard of former OPA 
  liaison and new governor Anderson Dawes and know of his reputation. If characters have reached Rank 2 or above, 
  they may have a relationship with Dawes, either from afar via OPA political dealings and debate or more personally. For 
  characters with appropriate backgrounds and stats, it’s also possible to know Katria, the head of the Voltaire Collective 
  from past interactions. Discuss what makes sense for the characters and the story so far, whether a casual acquaintance 
  or an additional Bond.
  • In the first scene of the adventure, the characters are contacted by an OPA associate via secure tightbeam. If your group 
  has played the adventures in order and Bart Mitchell, former XO of the Abzu’s Bounty, survived Breaking the Surface, 
  that connection would be a good one to use here—particularly if one of the characters has a Bond with Mitchell (see the 
  Rewards chapter of The Expanse RPG and the Allies & Adversaries section of Breaking the Surface for details). If Bart 
  Mitchell didn’t survive, assume any references to him in this chapter actually refer to his younger brother, Eric Mitchell. 
  Some sections that are meant to be read aloud to the players may have to be modified to suit this change.
  • Any characters with Reputations in the True OPA vein will make the crew’s time on Ceres much easier (again, see the 
  Rewards chapter of The Expanse RPG for details). As Ceres has gone over to the governorship of the Outer Planets 
  Alliance and Anderson Dawes, the more rebellious and violent factions of the organization have gravitated to the 
  station. While these characters are used to suspicious and derisive looks from Inners elsewhere, they are figures of 
  respect to the large population of Belters on Ceres sympathetic to the cause.
  skipping AheAd
  If your interludes or other adventures in your Expanse series have already taken the crew to Ceres, you can easily modify 
  Scene 1 to have the crew run into their OPA contact while out and about on the station. If there’s no specific contact to use, 
  a message from the governor to a character’s hand terminal works just as well. 
  The OpA: MeMbership 
  hAs iTs privileges
  Even in an organization as dispa-
  rate, disorganized, and disinclined to 
  cooperate as the OPA, it pays to be 
  on the inside. Membership and Ranks 
  in an organization are detailed in the 
  Rewards chapter of The Expanse 
  RPG. 
  Characters 
  likely 
  haven’t 
  advanced beyond Rank 1 at this point 
  in the series, though some particu-
  larly dedicated to the cause may have 
  managed to become Respected in 
  the OPA. Membership at either Rank 
  provides benefits that would not 
  otherwise be provided, at the GM’s 
  discretion: greater cooperation and 
  deference, better quarters, drinks on 
  the house (your-money’s-no-good-
  here-coyo).
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  The adventure can also start out on Ceres for an experienced or 
  brand-new crew. An experienced group of characters could be in port 
  at Ceres for repair or resupply, a bit of R&R on station, or looking for 
  work, while a brand-new crew could be brought together by Dawes 
  specifically for this investigation. If it’s the latter, talk to the players 
  about why they might be chosen for the task—even if it’s because 
  they’d be bad at it. An experienced crew should get the Scene 1 
  message together, but a new group of characters should each get 
  their call to the governor’s office individually so they can react to the 
  meeting request and decide how their character feels before the next 
  Scene begins.
  If your crew doesn’t yet have a ship of their own, Dawes has control 
  of Ceres Station and the might and terror of the OPA to wield at will. 
  A ship will be found and the transponder codes will say whatever he 
  would like them to say.
  sCene 1
  MessAge frOM Ceres explOrATiOn/sOCiAl enCOunTer
  The crew of the Anne Bonny is offered a job on OPA-held Ceres 
  Station—a job both potentially lucrative and dangerous. While looking 
  for the next course to plot, a tightbeam message comes in from Ceres, 
  from an OPA contact close to the crew. The contact is reaching out on 
  behalf of Anderson Dawes, the OPA liaison-made-governor of Ceres 
  Station after the Eros incident. Dawes wants to hire the crew of the 
  Anne Bonny and has sent along a message to tell them just that.
  Read or paraphrase (if Bart Mitchell is dead, that part will need to be 
  changed) the following to your group:
  The screen shows a man who seems to have the lean and long frame of Belters. His face is scarred by acne, and 
  he takes his time, speaking seriously.
  “Crew of the Anne Bonny, my name is Anderson Dawes, governor of Ceres. The station is undergoing some unrest 
  during our transition and I was hoping you might consider helping us out. We’ve had a number of bombings targeting 
  Martians and Earthers over the last few weeks, and—well, I’ve known Bart Mitchell for longer than I’d like to admit, and 
  your reputation precedes you. Security here isn’t appropriately motivated to investigate, and a crew representative 
  of both the Inners and the Belt, or at least from outside of Ceres, could be seen as more…neutral. Despite what some 
  may believe, stability and safety has always been my goal on Ceres.”
  He smiles.
  “Of course, you’ll be fairly compensated for your time and you can have access to Ceres’ facilities during your stay, 
  including our repair docks. I’ll send on the offer details separately. Until we hear otherwise, we’ll keep a berth warm 
  for you, Anne Bonny.”
  dAwes’ Offer 
  Dawes has also sent an exorbitant contract for their time on the station, with lodgings included as well as the aforemen-
  tioned use of the Ceres repair docks—at a discount—if their ship is in need of maintenance or damaged. Dawes must really 
  need their help, or Mitchell (somehow, sometime, somewhere) had some very complimentary things to say. Or Dawes has a 
  hidden reason for why he’s very interested in getting them to Ceres.
  In truth, Dawes is aware of both the Anne Bonny and the protomolecule’s existence because he is the OPA member 
  that Bart Mitchell contacted about the sample while aboard Abzu’s Bounty. Though Dawes has been doing his best 
  to get a hold of a sample for the OPA, he lost track of the protomolecule after the incident at Prometheus and on the 
  Anne Bonny. Given the characters discovered the sample while aboard the Bounty, Dawes believes they are his best 
  source of information on its nature and that they might lead him to its whereabouts. The bombings have provided an 
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  opportunity for Dawes to bring them to Ceres under reasonable pretenses, possibly search the Anne Bonny, and try 
  to find out what they know.
  nexT MOves 
  What happens in the rest of this scene and before Scene 2: The Rebel Governor is up to the players and their characters 
  aside from answering one question: do they accept Dawes’ offer, and if so do they ask for anything else? 
  Given clues and leads from the last adventure, Two Kinds of Prayer, the characters should want to take Dawes up on his 
  offer to get to Ceres, but they may want to discuss how they want to respond to it. Especially if they have further require-
  ments or demands, or any restrictions they wish to impose on providing aid. If they find the offer too good to be true or its 
  timing suspicious, Diana can suggest Dawes may have some knowledge about the protomolecule. She can confirm that 
  conclusion, if necessary, by admitting to monitoring OPA communications. If the crew proves reluctant to go at all, a ship 
  malfunction is a good push in that direction—but it’s also a good idea to ask the players what is stopping them or their char-
  acters from responding to the “call to adventure.” 
  Characters can also look into Dawes, Ceres itself, and the OPA factions they might encounter there via newsfeeds and 
  other readily accessible media with an Intelligence (Research) test with the TN based on how well known or obscure the 
  information might be. 
  Some of the information characters might find:
  Maps, deck plans, and most other publicly available information about Ceres Station. This could include station 
  personnel, registered guests at hotels, leisure facilities, restaurants, and bars. See the sidebar Welcome to Ceres in this 
  adventure, and the Ceres section in The Belt chapter of The Expanse RPG for more about the station. Other information 
  is up to GM discretion.
  Recent newsfeed broadcasts from Ceres, or older ones of Dawes and others on the station. These could include 
  protests, news reports from tragedies or events, interviews, and documentaries. See later scenes and the Adversaries 
  & Allies section of the adventure for information.
  Chatter and gossip about Ceres and the OPA factions that exist there on the message boards throughout the 
  system. See later scenes, the Voltaire Collective section, and the Adversaries & Allies section of the adventure for 
  some information that may be found, as well as the Ceres section in The Belt chapter of The Expanse RPG. Other infor-
  mation is up to GM discretion.
  Other ships currently in dock or in repair on Ceres. If the crew has friends or rivals, this could be a fun way for them to 
  meet up for a side plot or an adventure before or after this one. This is entirely up to GM discretion.
  The crew can also contact Bart Mitchell (or his brother Eric if Bart is dead) to get more information about the job and Dawes 
  himself out of their former XO. If Mitchell’s last attitude toward the characters is Friendly or better (or if there is a Bond, as above 
  in Connections & Reputation), he will be inclined to tell them more about the situation on Ceres, what he knows of Dawes, and 
  how keen Dawes is to meet them all (see Impressions and Attitude in Social Encounters in Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG).
  whAT if YOur Crew is less diverse ThAn The rOCinAnTe’s?
  If your crew complement is less representative of the Inners and the Belt than the Roci’s, Dawes can have other reasons for 
  choosing them for the job. If any of the characters were particularly well liked by Mitchell, Dawes can rely entirely on the former 
  XO’s recommendation whether they’re Belters or Inners—which is more or less what’s happening anyway. In this situation, Mitchell 
  should be fairly present through the adventure, possibly even sitting in on the first meeting with the crew and Dawes.
  With a group from the Inner Planets, Dawes could suggest they may be better able to protect and support their fellows in an hour 
  of great need than Belters. There are a number of Earthers and Martians who have remained on the station, still living and working 
  alongside Belters despite the tensions—Ceres is their home. A ship of MCRN or UN Marines might be particularly susceptible to such 
  an argument, though perhaps not as diplomatic as a less martial crew. Even with a solid OPA contact, Inners continue to be met with 
  distrust from Belters on Ceres—take Fred Johnson as an example, even after decades of dedication to the cause.
  With Belters, Dawes is more likely to imply that they can provide a legitimate (or “legitimate”) outside investigation that ensures the 
  pinche Inners don’t cause any problems with their new station. Ceres is an important step in establishing legitimacy for the OPA and 
  for Belters in general, and though Mars and Earth currently have bigger problems than Ceres, it wouldn’t take much for the station 
  to be surrounded by firepower that the OPA can’t match. It’s to the OPA’s benefit to wrap up the investigation cleanly, even if only to 
  prove they can handle their business.
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  sCene 2
  The rebel gOvernOr 
  sOCiAl enCOunTer
  In this scene, the Anne Bonny docks at Ceres Station, newly owned and operated by the Outer Planets Alliance. The charac-
  ters get an opportunity to take stock of the station and its governor, Anderson Dawes—who seems to be awfully interested 
  in them.
  Landing at Ceres is remarkably easy. They are expecting you, but still—no waiting in queue for other ships yet to 
  dock or for an available port. The station control directs the Anne Bonny to an empty berth, staying on the line to 
  guide you in until the seals are green on the docking tube’s link to the ship’s airlock. As the ship begins to turn along 
  with the station, you feel the gentle weight of its gravity. “Docking complete,” Station Control says cheerily. “Welcome 
  to Ceres.” And whether you’re prepared for another welcome or not, there is one waiting for you once you’ve made 
  your preparations and cycled the airlock door: someone you haven’t seen in a long while.
  fAMiliAr fACes
  The crew’s welcoming committee will be their OPA contact—possibly their former XO, Bart Mitchell. Whoever it is, this should 
  be an opportunity for the crew to “catch up,” and get a sense of how far they’ve come from their initial encounter with this 
  character. Their contact meets them to bring them to Dawes directly, explaining that the governor thought it would make the 
  crew more comfortable to be greeted by someone familiar. Whether this is the case or not is beside the point.
  While they may say “directly,” their contact takes their electric cart on a route that does not end up being anywhere near the 
  direct one to Dawes’ office. Observant characters or those with a knowledge of station topography can make a TN 11 (9 for 
  characters familiar with Ceres) Perception (Intuition) test to catch on to the detour. It does, however, take them past the sites 
  of most of the bombings to date—all on the upper levels, where the lighting and grass replicate the sort of environment most 
  Belters have never even seen; levels where the wealthy Inners used to live, and where those still on Ceres remain. 
  The targets were all public locations: clubs, restaurants, and bars, along with one food stall. Though Martians and Earthers 
  mostly frequented them—according to the crew’s escort—bombing any one of them without harming Belters seems impos-
  sible.
  If the crew wants to ask their contact to give them some details about Anderson Dawes along the way, determine the 
  contact’s attitude toward the character asking (see Impressions and Attitude in Social Encounters, Chapter 5 of The 
  Expanse RPG). If their attitude is Friendly or better, they’re inclined to share their own impressions of Dawes, and also the 
  fact that the governor is very pleased to have them on the station.
  The characters are brought to Dawes’ office but their contact leaves them there, promising to be of assistance if the crew needs 
  anything. 
  sTrAnge TiMes MAke fOr sTrAnge AlliAnCes
  The office is as unassuming as the man in it. 
  Once OPA liaison on Ceres, he became its governor when the OPA seized control in the wake of the Eros incident. Along 
  with Fred Johnson, the UN war hero he personally recruited to the cause, he is the face and voice of the OPA. To many 
  Belters, he is the OPA. And he wanted to meet you all personally.
  “Thank you for coming as soon as you docked,” he says as he stands to greet you. “And welcome. I’m sorry to get 
  right down to it, but I’d rather avoid any further damage than what you’ve already seen. If you’d like to sit?”
  Dawes is very apologetic over offers of coffee or other refreshment, but he really doesn’t waste any time in running down 
  the situation from his perspective. The bombings have been occurring for about a month and have all been on the upper 
  levels, in locations popular with Inners—leading to the assumption that they’re being targeted. There have been no claims 
  of responsibility from any factions within or outside of the OPA. 
  Dawes would prefer not to suspect his comrades in the OPA, but given the decentralized nature of the cells and the deep 
  divides between some factions he can’t say it wouldn’t happen without his knowledge. Dawes is also very aware that his 
  association with Fred Johnson can be more of a liability than an asset in some parts of the OPA. If the characters themselves 
  do not suggest the Voltaire Collective as possible bombers from their run-in with them on Mars, Dawes does so. He notes 
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  that there is a cell of them on Ceres—now in hiding—and that they’re the most obvious suspects in the bombings, and may 
  have gone underground because of their involvement.
  whO is AndersOn dAwes?
  Meanwhile, Dawes take the opportunity to discuss Bart Mitchell and the Abzu’s Bounty to get an idea of how much the crew 
  knows about the protomolecule, what happened to it, and where it might be now. He is very cautious and calculated in his 
  questioning, but the need to secure the protomolecule sample for the good of the Belt may make him less so than usual. 
  Characters can pick up on the direction of his interest with a TN 15 Perception (Empathy) test.
  Dawes’ primary interest in the crew is their knowledge of the protomolecule. Unless they have spent previous adventures 
  making a name for themselves as enemies of the Belt and the OPA, he is fairly neutral toward them otherwise. In this scene, 
  there is a chance for characters to establish a relationship with Dawes and get a sense of what he knows as well. He is more 
  willing to trade information than offer it freely, even in a situation where he is employing the crew. You can find more on 
  Anderson Dawes in the Adversaries & Allies section of the adventure.
  When the meeting comes to an end, Dawes sends directions to their quarters, via their hand terminals, and asks that they 
  report in when they have something new.
  welCOMe TO Ceres
  The largest known asteroid, the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system, and the first asteroid discovered by humanity, Ceres 
  is the most important port in the Belt. With a population of approximately six million permanent residents and a transient popula-
  tion of one million or so passing through the station at any given time, up to a thousand ships are docked every day, swarmed by 
  Belter dockhands and watched by a million eyes. 
  Once governed by the UN and private security, the OPA seized governorship of the station in the aftermath of the Eros Incident, 
  claiming de jure what was already a de facto situation. The split circle OPA symbol, omnipresent on the lower levels between layers of 
  graffiti, has crept up to the upper levels of the station to claim it for the cause. There is a sense of giddy anticipation and pride among 
  the Belter population here: Ceres is the only land the OPA has ever held. Long displaced in their own territory with only ships to call their 
  own, Belters now have a new place to call home. See the Ceres section in The Belt chapter of The Expanse RPG for more.
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  ChAllenge TesTs/inTerlude
  surveYing The TerriTOrY
  Following the meeting with Dawes in Scene 2, there is an opportunity for the crew of the Anne Bonny to spend some time 
  off the ship—possibly for the first time in weeks or months. There’s also an opportunity for them to start sticking their noses 
  where they’re being paid to stick them. Characters can now make one of two challenge tests:
  CHALLENGE: HACK THE CERES NETWORK
  DIFFICULTY: TN 13        SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15        TIME PER TEST: 30 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Intelligence (Technology), Communication (Persuasion), Intelligence (Cryptography)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The Ceres system has custom encryption, increasing the TN Intelligence (Cryptography) tests by +2 until the 
  characters can succeed at an Intelligence (Research) test to track down information on its differences.
  MODERATE
  The OPA user credentials the characters are using are blocked, and they must secure new ones before 
  they can resume their attempts to breach the system.
  MAJOR
  Station security is alerted to a network breach on the station level on which the hack is occurring. With a 
  successful opposed Intelligence (Technology) check, security can track the characters’ exact location on the station. 
  They have ten minutes to clear their space of incriminating evidence and get off the level before a four-person security 
  team sweeps the area for potential hackers.
  If successful, the crew will gain access to all station information, including ship flight plans and security logs. They retain 
  access to the secure network and files for the rest of the adventure. Actually searching the data the characters gain access 
  to will require an Intelligence (Research) test with the TN based on the amount of data the character needs to sift through 
  and how well hidden it may be. This can include searching video logs and other recordings of the bombing locations for 
  suspects or other evidence. A TN 15 Intelligence (Cryptography) test can decrypt any encrypted files or communications. 
  Gaining access to any station systems (docking, security, life support, etc.) would require advanced Intelligence (Tech-
  nology) tests with a TN 15 or more and a success threshold of 10 or more for each system.
  CHALLENGE: INVESTIGATE THE BOMBINGS
  DIFFICULTY: TN 13 (15 if the characters is an Inner)
  SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15 (20 if the characters are all Inners        TIME PER TEST: 1 hour
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Investigation), Communication (Persuasion), Perception (Empathy)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The characters offend a minor figure in the Ceres community. All Communication (Persuasion) tests are 
  increased by +2 until the offense can be corrected or another community leader can be convinced to support them.
  MODERATE
  An employee suspects something is off about the crew’s presence and asks them to leave the building. 
  If the characters can’t succeed at a TN 14 Communication (Deception) test to convince the employee that they are 
  honest, they have to exit the building completely and try again. The TN for future challenges is increased by 2 and 
  they lose their accumulated success.
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  MAJOR
  The character that failed the roll triggering the Major 
  Consequence is denounced by the OPA and has to “lay low” 
  for the remainder of the investigation. They can still be involved 
  in the adventure, but all OPA members on Ceres will have a 
  Hostile attitude toward the character until they are able to 
  change the attitude or leave the station (see Impressions and 
  Attitude in the Social Encounters section of Chapter 5 of The 
  Expanse RPG).
  If successful, characters can learn the information in The Voltaire 
  Collective section and the Katria and the Voltaire Collective 
  Member stats in the Adversaries & Allies section in this adven-
  ture. Also, the crew can arrange the meeting with Katria and the 
  Collective in Scene 3 via intermediaries instead of being taken by 
  surprise in the bar. Characters can also make connections with the 
  current OPA security staff, mostly Loca Gregia members (see OPA 
  Ceres Station Security in the Adversaries & Allies section as well).
  As it will take some time for these challenge tests, characters 
  can also complete some interlude actions during this time. Remind 
  players that their characters may need some time to rest and 
  recover from the last adventure, making Recovering a possible inter-
  lude activity. Other activities will depend on their plans and goals. 
  Before Scene 3, the crew can engage in a few of the usual interlude 
  activities detailed in Chapter 5: Game Play of The Expanse RPG, 
  including:
  MAINTENANCE
  Some time spent on the regular maintenance of the Anne Bonny’s 
  drive and systems is always required, but with the ship in dock these 
  tasks are less onerous than usual. Some systems checks can even 
  be run remotely through the Ceres network via hand terminal. Dawes 
  has offered this work at a significant discount—adjust the percentage depending on how flush (or how broke) your crew is 
  at this point in your series.
  RELATING
  The time on Ceres can be a chance for the crew to relate in the relaxed atmosphere of the station’s bars, casinos, and 
  brothels. This could provide some time to process the events of their most recent adventure, or possibly change Relation-
  ships. If any new characters have joined the crew of the Anne Bonny, this is a good occasion for them to get to know the 
  other characters and establish their place in the group. This could also be an opportunity for characters to catch up with their 
  OPA contacts, particularly if they have a Bond.
  Spending some time with Dawes is also an option if a character wants to, or if the GM would like to emphasize his interest 
  in the protomolecule. If Dawes wants a private conversation, he often appears, as if by magic, at the next stool at a bar 
  or outside someone’s hole or their ship’s airlock as they’re coming home. If the characters seek him out, he is more than 
  accommodating.
  REPAIRING
  If the Anne Bonny has suffered damage, the crew can devote some of their interlude activities to repairs. They will have 
  the aid of the fully equipped and staffed Ceres docks which provide a +2 to all Intelligence (Engineering) tests. Due to the 
  upheaval during the transition to OPA governance, the station is operating at diminished capacity; if the crew returns to 
  Ceres at a later date, the bonus should go up to a +3. Again, Dawes is offering this work at a significant discount while the 
  crew is on contract.
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  RESEARCHING
  Ceres’ network is fast, but secure. Characters that would like to research can do so, but Dawes’ trust does not extend so far 
  as to give the crew access to anything that might pose a security risk…or be personally incriminating. Searching the news-
  feeds and other media is an Intelligence (Research) test with the TN determined by the GM based on the obscurity of the 
  information. 
  UPKEEP
  The crew is in an unusual position. Their spacious quarters and docking fees are being paid and they are on a generous 
  contract. The characters have the opportunity to live a little beyond their means and they may be tempted to do so. You can 
  get pretty much anything you want on Ceres—for the right price.
  OTher ACTiviTies
  The characters are technically Working during this time as well, but if players come up with something else they want to do 
  that sounds reasonable, feel free to go with it. There may be some Golgo players in the crew, and there’s always a game to 
  be found on Ceres!
  sCene 3
  MeeTing The vOlTAire COlleCTive 
  sOCiAl/COMbAT enCOunTer
  When the crew has begun to make the rounds of the station in earnest, it’s time for the Voltaire Collective to identify them 
  from their run in with the Collective cell on Mars. Katria and her Belters force a tense clandestine meeting that could go very 
  well…or very poorly. 
  If the crew has succeeded in the Investigate the Bombings challenge test, they have arranged the meeting below and 
  can prepare for it as they see fit. Adjust the location and other scene setting details as necessary.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the players to open and set the scene:
  You’ve been on Ceres for a few days now and it’s taken about that long to get your bearings even if you’ve been 
  before. The station is ever changing, but there’s also a difference here—deeper than the OPA graffiti that has crept 
  up from the lower levels. Belters stand taller, take up more space, speak louder. The stalls are shifting to different 
  foods: red and white kibble, dhejet and egg curry, cow-style noodle bowls. Belter Creole is more common than any 
  other language. It’s all a sign, in big red letters and symbols: Ceres is ours now. If you don’t like it, there’s the airlock.
  You’re in a bar that you’ve heard is an OPA hangout hoping to overhear some gossip or meet a contact when you 
  notice—maybe while you were talking amongst yourselves or looking at your beer a moment too long—the place 
  has cleared out. There’s no one but your crew left and the door has been closed and locked. There isn’t even time to 
  speak before a group files out from the back, led by a slight, Belter woman with sharp, piercing eyes. She’s grinning, 
  but not pleasantly. “Sa. Heard you ran into some friends of ours on Mars and now you turn up looking for us,” she says. 
  “Willing to hear an explanation, but it better be good.”
  The vOlTAire COlleCTive
  Known as ideological provocateurs and “mad bombers,” the Voltaire Collective is one of the many groups at the radical fringe of 
  the OPA. A militant branch resisting inner-planet control of the Belt from the early days of the insurgent movement, most Belters 
  respect them as fierce fighters. They are also unpredictable, uncontrollable, and violent, which can make more “respectable” 
  branches of the OPA…nervous.
  Their leader (or one of them) is said to be Rosenfeld Guoliang, a thin dark-skinned Belter whose casual demeanor is at odds with 
  both his bright and ready smile and his sense of barely contained violence. He has tattoos of the logo of the Voltaire Collective—a 
  knifelike V—alongside the split circle of the OPA and a number of his comrades have followed suit.
  Members of the Voltaire Collective tend to be the extremists of the OPA and those most comfortable with violence as a response—
  first, last, or only. Most members have some basic skill with improvised explosives—either brought to the Collective or learned once 
  they proved themselves trustworthy. 
  Basic Voltaire Collective Member stats are in the Adversaries & Allies section of the adventure and can be used as a template 
  for Voltaire Collective NPCs in this and other adventures for The Expanse RPG.
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  MeeTing kATriA And The Cell
  This is the Ceres cell of the Voltaire Collective, five members led by the woman who just spoke: Katria. Though they haven’t 
  drawn their weapons, they each carry a pistol (2d6 + Per damage) and Katria usually has one small bomb on her person (3d6 
  damage, 2 meter radius).
  Katria has been sent photos and brief descriptions of the crew from the Mars cell, along with a rundown of events from 
  Two Kinds of Prayer. She is not exactly a charmer and her compatriots are less so, but they are upfront if questioned about 
  the bombings. The first, a surgical strike with quality workmanship and not a Belter harmed, was their doing. “The rest are 
  overkill, sloppy—even if they are using our detonators,” Katria tells them derisively. “Do you think we waste material if we 
  have to?” The Collective isn’t sure who is behind the other three bombings, but they believe they are being set up to take 
  the fall—part of the reason they are a bit paranoid about anyone asking questions. Security has been particularly diligent 
  about policing her people in recent months, and they are known as explosives experts.
  building COnneCTiOns
  Despite the crew’s history with the Voltaire Collective cell on Mars, Katria and the Ceres cell’s attitude toward the crew is 
  Standoffish to Neutral according to GM discretion: they are not interested in creating more problems for themselves (see 
  Impressions and Attitude in the Social Encounters section of Chapter 5: Game Play of The Expanse RPG). The characters 
  can make the shifts required to bring Katria onside through social maneuvers, in a grand gesture, or with the Making an 
  Offer social stunt (see Detailed Social Interactions in the Social Encounters section in Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG). If 
  Katria’s attitude can be shifted to Open or above, she can be convinced to hand over one of the Collective’s detonators to 
  make a comparison to the others.
  fighTing The COlleCTive
  Or things could go less smoothly. Katria and her cell are generally violent—as with most Voltaire Collective cells—but also 
  extremely aggressive towards Inners, especially right here and right now. If there are hotheads in the crew likely to start 
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  trouble, be prepared for a fight. Katria and the Voltaire Collective Member stats are 
  in the Adversaries & Allies section of the adventure. A few things to keep in mind if it 
  comes to violence:
  • Katria and the Voltaire Collective like a good ol’ fashioned fistfight, and will not 
  escalate to guns or knives unless the characters do first. You should make it very 
  clear they’re not drawing their guns even if they’re packing for protection: they’re not 
  trying to kill anyone, just teach the Inners some respect. (They do fight dirty though.)
  • However, as the fight is happening in a bar, a few smashed bottles and thrown 
  barstools as improvised weapons are almost necessary.
  • Presenting as a worthy opponent will earn the Collective’s respect: they 
  appreciate those able to stand up for themselves and their people. Katria and the 
  Collective’s attitude can be shifted to Open.
  sCene 4
  iT’s sAbOTAge! Or is iT? 
  COMbAT/sOCiAl enCOunTer 
  Just as they come out of the meeting with the Voltaire Collective in Scene 3, the crew is immediately alerted to a breach of 
  the Anne Bonny’s data systems. There was no entry alarm or any other indication that someone had broken into the ship, 
  but it seems there’s an intruder onboard regardless.
  unAuThOrized enTrY
  When the characters get to the Anne Bonny’s berth, they find a Belter still tossing their ship. Once she realizes she’s discov-
  ered, she’ll try to make a run for it (see Shira Shortridge in the Adversaries & Allies section). If characters can succeed in a 
  Grapple stunt attack, they can stop her from darting out the airlock and prevent the ensuing chase (see Stunt Attack in the 
  Taking Actions section of Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG).
  If the thief on board the Anne Bonny is able to get away, the 
  chase through the docks and corridors of Ceres is a TN 11 Dexterity 
  (Running) test with a success threshold of 10 (see Chases in the 
  Action Encounters section of Chapter 5: Game Play of The 
  Expanse RPG). Success means that the crew have caught up and 
  cornered her, but she will have acquired the Fatigued condition in 
  the chase (due to her medical modifications) and can no longer put 
  up much of a fight. The crew should be able to either subdue the 
  saboteur or convince her a fight won’t help her condition any.
  inTerrOgATing And invesTigATing
  The crew can bring the saboteur back to the ship for questioning, but 
  they can as easily bring her to their quarters on Ceres…or to station 
  security, if it occurs to them. She seems to be young, in her late twen-
  ties at most, dressed in a nondescript manner with an OPA split circle 
  tattoo on her forearm. If the characters search her, they find a data 
  cube containing all of the Anne Bonny’s logs and any information 
  they have from or on the Abzu’s Bounty and their activities there…
  along with a Voltaire Collective detonator. She can be found in station 
  records as Jen Wong, a Belter born on Tycho and associated with a 
  splinter group of the Voltaire Collective, the Free Fools—last seen by 
  the crew on Prometheus in Breaking the Surface. How did she get 
  on the ship? Who would want that information? Were the Bonny’s logs 
  and files the main purpose of the break in? Did Katria send the thief 
  while she met with the crew in the bar? 
  hAven’T we MeT?
  Observant fans of The Expanse series 
  that have read as far as Persepolis Rising 
  may note that a Voltaire Collective cell 
  leader named Katria becomes instrumental 
  in future events. We’re not necessarily 
  saying this Katria is that Katria Mendez—she 
  doesn’t give the crew her last name, after 
  all—but anything is possible in an Expanse 
  series. If one of your players notices, just 
  say, “That’s an interesting question,” and 
  feel free to award them 1d6 bonus Stunt 
  Points they can use on their next success.
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  Characters with the Doctor talent can make a TN 12 Intelligence (Medicine) or a TN 13 Perception (Seeing) test to notice 
  that certain things about the thief’s facial and bone structure are unusual for a Belter, but it’s not something they’ve ever 
  seen before. Running ship scans and systems checks rules out sabotage, explosives, or any tampering with the airlock. 
  Questioning the thief provides little information until Katria or the Voltaire Collective are mentioned.
  The OPA woman laughs with a high manic edge and spits on the deck at the name. “Live by the sword, die by the 
  sword. Katria will be gone soon enough. They’ll all be gone soon enough. You need a bomb to get rid of roaches.”
  This is where access to the network via the Hack the Ceres Network challenge test comes in particularly handy. With 
  a TN 13 Intelligence (Technology) test (success threshold 10), characters can access the security system to scan for 
  active explosives—or can simply run the scan if they have already gained access to that system. It locates explosives in 
  the commons area of the station. Alternately, a TN 15 Communication (Persuasion) test (success threshold 10) eventu-
  ally convinces the woman to come clean: she’s planted a bomb on the station that will kill Katria—and many, many other 
  people, if she’s done her job right. If characters have made contacts with station security earlier in the adventure, alerting 
  them directly is another possibility.
  Still, there’s a bomb on Ceres that could go off at any minute. And the crew might be the only people that know about it.
  sCene 5
  COunTdOwn 
  explOrATiOn enCOunTer
  If the crew hasn’t located the bomb or Katria through the Ceres system, they can locate her via OPA or security contacts 
  established in the Investigate the Bombings challenge test or with a TN 13 Communication (Persuasion) test (success 
  threshold 10).
  Katria only has one spot she’s known to frequent at any time: a table in the commons near a shaved ice cart she likes. 
  Unfortunately, it’s a good location to both get rid of the cell and cause maximum damage.
  The characters must manage a few different tasks as quickly and calmly as possible:
  Find and warn Katria and the Voltaire Collective that someone—possibly one of their recruits—is trying to kill them.
  Find the bomb in the area around the food cart, requiring a TN 13 Perception (Searching) test, success threshold 10. 
  Defuse the bomb. This will require an advanced TN 13 Intelligence (Technology) test, success threshold 12. 
  The characters have time for 10 tests to find and diffuse the bomb before it explodes. If the characters are too ill equipped (or 
  nervous) to defuse the bomb themselves, Katria offers her help—if only to get evidence to track down the people framing her.
  If the crew are concerned with failing to defuse the bomb or would like to avoid casualties, evacuate the area. A TN 11 
  Communication (Leadership or Persuasion) test will get people out of the blast radius in a calm and efficient manner. Funny 
  how mentioning explosives can clear a room.
  AfTerMATh And evidenCe
  The characters succeed in defusing the bomb...or succeed in getting Katria to help them in defusing the bomb if things come 
  down to the wire. Not only have they saved a number of lives on Ceres, but they now also have evidence of an attempt to 
  harm and frame the members of the Voltaire Collective, and a bomb that may match the chemical makeup of the last three. 
  There’s only one way to find out—ask station security, under Anderson Dawes.
  whAT if sOMeOne sTAYs OnbOArd?
  If any characters remain on the Anne Bonny while the others meet with the Voltaire Collective, ask them where they are on the ship 
  to find out where they can intercept the thief. She has entry codes to the airlock from Ceres, so raises no alarm when boarding—and 
  unless she’s spotted on the way to the bridge, she only raises the alarm when accessing the system. If a character is in a position 
  to spot her before she can access the system or intercept her while she’s downloading the ship’s logs, you can cut to the chase. 
  Literally. Characters can attempt to stop her and/or give chase as in Scene 4 on their own, though any interrogation should wait for 
  the rest of the crew.
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  sCene 6
  OpA vs. OpA 
  sOCiAl enCOunTer
  Right after saving his station from another bombing, it’s time for the crew and Katria to visit Anderson Dawes. Since they saved 
  her life, the Voltaire Collective cell leader confides in the crew that she is suspicious of Dawes and believes he is the one who 
  is attempting to frame them and get them off his station. “Dead or alive,” she points out sourly. Katria says Dawes has been 
  working with an OPA freelancer new to Ceres who is good with explosives—and though it might not make sense to bomb his 
  own station, she wouldn’t put much past Anderson Dawes or his friend, Fred Johnson, “The Butcher of Anderson Station.”
  visiTing dAwes
  Dawes is more than pleased to hear that disaster has been averted, even if the crew has involved Katria and brought her to 
  his office. The characters are able to relay most of the story to Dawes and get him to agree to send the bomb off for testing 
  against the others, but Katria is unable to stay quiet. She accuses Dawes of having someone steal the Voltaire Collective’s 
  detonators and of working with the freelance OPA bomber she mentioned to the crew. Dawes denies everything—but 
  Katria’s description of the bomber matches that of the woman on the Anne Bonny exactly. A woman who had one of the 
  Collective’s detonators and a data cube full of information from the crew’s ship.
  If the characters show a photo or video of their prisoner to Katria and Dawes or otherwise describe her, Katria identifies the 
  woman as the freelancer in question. Dawes hides his initial reaction: characters can make a TN 12 Perception (Empathy) 
  test to notice that he both recognizes the woman and is annoyed to see her outed before he can cover it up. He reluctantly 
  admits to hiring her for “A few odd jobs,” but swears he was not aware of any part she had in the bombings.
  “Frankly, Katria, if I wanted to have you killed there are cleaner ways to do it that don’t involve destroying my station 
  and terrorizing the populace. There are airlocks,” Dawes says dryly. “And they are always available. If I wanted you 
  dead I would have done it long before now.”
  This is the sort of logic that goes straight to the soul of a woman like Katria; she can see immediately that it is 
  genuine, from one ruthless extremist to another. “Dui. Fair enough.”
  They do not trust each other. But each would know if the other truly wanted them dead. 
  The prisoner on the Anne Bonny is an OPA bomber and spy that worked for Dawes and wants Katria and the Voltaire 
  Collective dead. Does this mean Dawes is behind the search of the Anne Bonny? And who is this woman and why is she 
  bombing people on Ceres?
  sCene 7
   revelATiOns 
  explOrATiOn/sOCiAl enCOunTer
  The crew is left with only one thing to do—go back to the Anne Bonny to get some answers from their prisoner. The ones 
  they get will be far more surprising than they may expect.
  The prisOner’s seCreT
  If the characters turned their prisoner over to station security, getting access to her again will be difficult at best—even if 
  they’re working for Dawes. Depending on what the OPA thinks the characters are more likely to believe—or buy—they claim 
  either access is limited by top secret organizational clearance, or simply that the prisoner died by suicide. Dawes may seem 
  like an obvious suspect in hiding or murdering the prisoner, but further research can turn up other culprits. However, if the 
  characters have kept the spy reasonably secure during their time off the ship, she’s right where they left her. 
  Whether they’ve turned her over or not, they can still look for her records. Searching photo and medical databases for 
  the woman requires a TN 14 Intelligence (Research) test (success threshold 10) but when they do find her the results are 
  quite telling: their OPA bomber is not a Belter. Though she has a full false identity as a Belter born on Tycho and a member 
  of the OPA, and has been surgically and genetically modified to look like a Belter, she is most definitely from Earth. The 
  woman’s photo and DNA can be matched in several databases to that of Shira Shortridge, a former UN officer supposedly 
  gone missing just over six years ago. A TN 15 Intelligence (Technology) test (success threshold 12) is enough to get into 
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  her accounts and find that her payments from the UN never stopped. In fact, they increased after her disappearance and 
  over the ensuing years.
  COnfessiOn
  If Shira is still on the ship, she finally talks when confronted with what the characters have found. If there are Inners on the 
  crew, she appeals to their sympathies in particular.
  Adjust and paraphrase the following based on your crew complement:
  “Do you know what it’s like to have spent years living out here, as one of them? Like…parasites on a host, crawling all 
  over these stations, out in the vacuum. It’s unnatural, makes them wrong. They bombed a transport of families moving back 
  from the Belt—my folks didn’t even want to be out here anymore. But why does that matter to them? So when they gave 
  me the chance to hurt the people who had killed my parents…of course I said I would. Wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t anyone?” 
  Who exactly they are, she won’t say. But she only worked for Dawes to maintain her cover, and was working for him when 
  she raided the Anne Bonny—he gave her the override code to get onto the ship. But she has no idea what he wanted from 
  the data, only that her UN contacts asked for it as well when they learned she had it. The Voltaire Collective detonators? She 
  smirks and points out that she was in the OPA and the Free Fools for years, fake Belter or not. “It wasn’t difficult.” 
  If the characters are interested in how she came to look so much like a Belter, she says she remembers very little of the transfor-
  mation, but another TN 14 Intelligence (Research) test can turn up bone growth and drug technology patented by Mao-Kwikowski 
  Mercantile that could have very likely been used for these purposes. This suggests Jules-Pierre Mao (and possibly someone at the 
  UN) has been interfering with the stability of the Belt since long before the protomolecule appeared on the scene.
  The prisOner’s fATe
  The decision to bring the prisoner to Dawes or not is up to the crew. Technically, her crimes happened on Ceres so she 
  should go into the custody of station security, but there’s an old Earther saying: finder’s keepers. They could bring her to 
  Katria, or dispense their own justice by airlock or otherwise, but it must be said—Holden would turn her in. 
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  The crew can also confront Dawes about searching the Anne Bonny before they leave Ceres. He won’t deny it—he admits 
  that his curiosity simply got the better of him given all the interesting situations they’ve been in and people they’ve associ-
  ated with. He apologizes, but he doesn’t sound as sincere as before. 
  Whether they confront him or not, Dawes lets the crew know that the lab testing proved that the chemical makeup of the 
  last bomb was the same as the three bombs not accounted for by the Voltaire Collective. When the Anne Bonny’s flight plan 
  is filed for their next destination, Dawes sends their payment in full and a gracious note with thanks for their help. He signs 
  off: “Good hunting, Anne Bonny.”
  inTerlude
  leAving Ceres
  As Chapter 4 of Abzu’s Bounty concludes, the crew has some time on Ceres to wrap up any loose ends before Diana 
  contacts them to attend the titular Titan’s Ball in Chapter 5. Before she does, the crew can devote some time to interlude 
  activities (see Chapter 5: Game Play of The Expanse RPG) including:
  ADVANCEMENT
  Ceres is now home of the OPA, a place where information and reputations spread from the station out to the Belt. Any OPA 
  members that have done well for themselves and the organization in this adventure can be advanced a level. 
  RECOVERING
  If characters have any injuries, they can still take advantage of the Ceres facilities. They can recover Fortune and make 
  Constitution (Stamina) tests every 24 hours to recover from injury conditions.
  RELATING
  The crew can spend some time relating in the wake of the adventure, or may want to change their Relationships with Dawes, 
  Katria, or their OPA contact. It’s possible these relationships have advanced to the point of a Bond—if you think so, feel free 
  to award one to the appropriate characters (see the Rewards chapter of The Expanse RPG for details).
  REPUTATION
  The crew helped stop the terrorist bombings on Ceres Station and save lives. There may already be video of them out 
  there—evacuating the commons or attempting to defuse the bomb. Given their current mission, the characters may want 
  to find ways to downplay their exploits or otherwise keep a low profile. It could lead to some entertaining scenes or an 
  interesting side adventure in which the crew finds ways to convince the Ceres media to keep recent events quiet—or even 
  make someone else the hero. However, if the characters do want to try to spin the media to their advantage, it wouldn’t be 
  the worst time to try.
  TRAINING
  Characters that have attained a new level due to the events of There’s OPA and There’s OPA can spend part of the interlude 
  training or developing their abilities.
  WORKING
  There is no lack of work on Ceres, should the Anne Bonny’s crew want to add to their accounts. Katria and her cell may have 
  a job for the ship—transport off Ceres. Even if the Voltaire Collective and Dawes have come to an understanding, it doesn’t 
  mean they necessarily want to live on a station under his rule. Another possible job is transporting or escorting guests to the 
  Titan’s Ball, the location of Chapter 5’s adventure.
  OTher ACTiviTies
  If the trip to the Titan’s Ball in Chapter 5 has time for any other interlude activities, they can be permitted at the GM’s discre-
  tion.
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  AdversAries & Allies
  The following are profiles of the significant non-player characters in There’s OPA and There’s OPA, along with their Expanse 
  game stats. For additional characters you can use in this adventure, see the Chapter 13: Threats chapter of The Expanse 
  RPG and previous chapters of this book.
  AndersOn dAwes
  Anderson Dawes was born and raised in the Belt, named after the company that his parents 
  worked for: Anderson-Hyosung Cooperative Industries Group. His name was an attempt to gain 
  their bosses’ favor, and as futile as most such attempts by Belters. When he was fifteen, his sister 
  died during a mission on an asteroid outside Eros because he’d failed to check the seals on her 
  suit properly. He didn’t know anything was wrong until she twisted sideways to pull up a rock spur: 
  there was a pop on the comm link and she was gone. He didn’t make the same mistake again 
  with his other three sisters, but he still had to check the seals and send them out into the vacuum. 
  Hoping he did it right each and every time.
  For better or worse, Dawes is the man who recruited Fred Johnson to the 
  Belt’s cause and backed the Earther’s rise to the de facto position of spokes-
  person for the OPA. Along with Johnson, Dawes has banded together 
  several OPA cells with the common goal of an independent Belt, hoping a 
  unified front will lead to a legitimate government. Dawes’ vision for the OPA 
  is to see it become a faction at parity with the UN and the Martian Republic, 
  with equal decision-making power—and he is perfectly comfortable with the 
  use of force to reach his goals. If Earth and Mars can have their navies, 
  surely the Belt is entitled to some form of defense.
  When the UN withdrew from Ceres, Dawes took on its governorship. It is a 
  position for which he is better suited than even he expected, given the OPA’s 
  prominence on the station for decades. While he is taking some time to settle 
  into the new role, even this small victory has sparked Dawes’ ambitions for 
  the Belt. Acquiring a protomolecule sample would change the power balance 
  in the solar system drastically, and even as Dawes still coordinates with Fred 
  Johnson on their political options, he is—as always—quickly preparing a Plan B.
  kATriA, heAd Of The vOlTAire COlleCTive Ceres Cell
  Katria is the leader of the Ceres cell of the Voltaire 
  Collective and like most of her faction she is a 
  bomb maker and counts herself as among the 
  more violent and radical elements of the OPA. 
  She is not an easy woman to get to know, but 
  like many Belters she is fiercely proud of the Belt 
  and of the Belter’s home on Ceres, suspicious of 
  Inners, and cannot abide wastefulness. Katria is 
  what Martians call a “straight shooter”—despite 
  assumptions made about her OPA affiliation, she 
  is honest about what and who she is, and to whom she is loyal. 
  Again, this may or may not be the Katria Mendez of future adventures in 
  The Expanse novel series. She never gives a last name.
  OpA Ceres sTATiOn seCuriTY
  Responsibility for OPA security shifts between cells and factions, depending 
  on who’s in charge and who’s in favor with the current leadership. Right now, 
  AndersOn dAwes
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 3 (Deception, Persuasion), 
  Constitution 1, Dexterity 1 (Stealth), Fighting 0, 
  Intelligence 3 (Law, Tactics), Perception 4 (Empathy, 
  Intuition), Strength 0 , Willpower 3 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  27
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: When A Plan Comes Together, Just a 
  Shadow, Hidden Message, Let’s Make a Deal
  Talents: Command (Novice), Contacts (Novice), Intrigue 
  (Expert), Improvisation (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Moderate
  kATriA
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols), Communication 0, Constitution 2 
  (Running), Dexterity 2 (Free-fall), Fighting 1 (Brawling), 
  Intelligence 2 (Demolitions, Security), Perception 0 , 
  Strength 1 (Intimidation), -Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  15
  12
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Whatever’s Handy, Frugal
  Talents: Fringer (Novice), Improvisation (Novice), Maker 
  (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol, small explosive
  Threat: Moderate
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  There's OPA, & There's OPA
  that’s the Loca Greigia. Use the traits above for station security, assigning 
  them any appropriate ability focuses and talents if they should take on any 
  specific role. See Chapter 7: Future History of The Expanse RPG for 
  more on the OPA.
  shirA shOrTridge, fAke OpA sAbOTeur
  Shira Shortridge was born and raised in the 
  Gatineau-Montreal-Saint-Laurent 
  Communal 
  Interest Zone, an area with strong ties to United 
  Nations service. Her family—her fathers, brother, 
  and sister—had its problems like any other, but 
  they were still loving and close-knit. While her 
  brother and sister went on become a doctor and 
  a biologist, when Shira graduated she surprised 
  everyone by deciding to enlist in the UN’s officer 
  training program.
  While Shira was in officer training, one of her dads accepted a management 
  job on Tycho Station—since all the children had “left the nest.” They saw it as 
  something of an adventure and an opportunity for lifelong Earthers to see what 
  it was really like to live in the Belt. Both her parents had sympathies for the situa-
  tion of Belters if not the OPA; her other dad, a history professor, often said sadly 
  that the Belt’s tale had been told many times in humanity’s existence.
  Shira had a rather different opinion, but it wasn’t one she liked to share 
  with her dads. But as she progressed through her training and went on her 
  first missions, it was confirmed: any sympathy for the OPA, maybe even the 
  Belters themselves, was misplaced. No matter what they tried to do, how 
  decent they tried to be, the Belters hated the UN soldiers. They were seen 
  as invaders, “squats,” lower than dirt, when they were just trying to keep 
  people safe. They thought all Earthers were lazy junkies living on Basic, too 
  ignorant and wasteful to live. Why were they even trying? When her father’s 
  contract came up on Tycho and he sent a message to say they were going 
  back down the well, Shira barely suppressed the urge to say “I told you so.” 
  Her brother and sister were going to finally visit the station just to help pack 
  up, but then they’d all go home together. She tried to get leave to join them, 
  but the threat level had been increased and all leave had been restricted. 
  She was furious with both the UN and herself when she got the alert, as if 
  she could have stopped it by being there. The transport her family took from 
  Tycho to Earth was bombed by the OPA. At least, whoever bombed it claimed 
  responsibility for the OPA. There were no survivors.
  Shira was put on bereavement leave and sent to military counseling. One 
  day when she was supposed to meet her therapist, she instead found a well-
  dressed older man who looked like a politician sitting in his chair. The man 
  asked her if she would like to hurt the people who killed her family and Shira 
  said that she would like that very much. And not very long after that, Shira 
  died, and a Belter was born.
  vOlTAire COlleCTive MeMber
  Use the traits above for the members of the Voltaire Collective, assigning 
  them any appropriate ability focuses and talents if they should take on any 
  specific role in the cell or with the crew. See Scene 3 for more on Katria’s cell 
  and feel free to adapt and create any members of the Collective as needed 
  to suit the adventure.
  sCriMshAw Crew
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 1, Constitution 0,  
  Dexterity 0 (Free-fall), Fighting 1 (Brawling), Intelligence 0, 
  Perception 0, Strength 0 (Intimidation), Willpower 0
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  0
  11
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +0
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: None
  Talents: Pick two ability focuses and two of the following: 
  Fringer (Novice), Striking Style (Brawling, Novice), Contacts 
  (Novice), or Fighting (Brawling, Novice).
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Minor
  shirA shOrTridge
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Throwing), Communication 1 (Deception), 
  Constitution 1 (Running) , Dexterity 2 (Stealth, Free-fall), 
  Fighting 0, Intelligence 2 (Demolitions, Engineering, 
  Technology), Perception 2, Strength 0,  
  Willpower 1 (Courage, Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Collateral Damage, Cover Your Tracks, It 
  Wasn’t Me
  Talents: Contacts (Novice), Fringer (Expert), Intrigue (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, explosives, toolkit, light body armor
  Threat: Moderate
  vOlTAire COlleCTive
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 0, Constitution 0,  
  Dexterity 1 (Free-fall), Fighting 0,  
  Intelligence 0 (Demolitions), Perception 0, Strength 1, 
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  0
  11
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +0
  2d6
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: None
  Talents: Pick two ability focuses and two of the following: 
  Fringer (Novice), Improvisation (Novice), Maker (Novice), or 
  Fighting (Brawling, Novice).
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Minor
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  The Titan's Ball
  T
  he Titan’s Ball is the penultimate adventure for the Abzu’s Bounty campaign series for The Expanse Roleplaying Game. 
  The crew learned way back in Secrets and Satellites that Pope makes one of his rare personal appearances at the 
  Titan’s Ball every year. With all other leads to locate the protomolecule having run dry, this seems like the best hope. 
  This adventure is a social-based heist that points the player characters toward the explosive conclusion of the series, 
  Shoot the Moon. It should be entirely possible for the characters to completely avoid combat if they bribe, schmooze, and 
  steal well enough. By the end of this adventure, players should have enough information to lead them to Pope’s hidden 
  location, and to the protomolecule.
  Overview
  The Titan’s Ball takes place on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Titan is home to some of the wealthiest resort domes in the 
  galaxy and is a hot spot for the upper crust of the upper class to mingle as they watch the beautiful methane rains. The Delos 
  Dome Resort and Spa is one of the largest on Titan and specializes in having grand ballrooms and space for invitation-only 
  shows and conventions. Every three years many elites from around the solar system gather for an elaborate party with the 
  highlight being an exclusive auction where curios, collectibles and fantastic works of art (some of it illicitly acquired) are sold 
  to the highest bidder—no questions asked. Many executive-types and other movers and shakers use the Ball as an oppor-
  tunity to make private deals and share information. 
  These events are hosted by a mysterious board of directors who invite fewer 
  than a hundred of the system’s most powerful and influential people. Several 
  people of the highest tier, such as Sebastian Pope and Jules-Pierre Mao, have 
  standing invitations—others come and go as their fame and fortune rises and 
  falls. Diana believes that the Ball is the perfect opportunity to set a trap to 
  corner or capture Pope and finally learn where he is hiding the protomolecule. 
  She secures enough invitations for the crew to attend, posing as contractors 
  for the MCRN (and their assistants). Unfortunately, at the last minute Diana and 
  the crew learn that Pope won’t be attending for the first time in over 15 years. 
  5: The Titan’s Ball
  “The ship name. It’s unusual. I swear, if I board 
  one more ship named after someone’s kid or the 
  girl they left behind after that magical weekend on 
  Titan, I’m going to start fining people for general 
  lack of creativity.” 
  — Leviathan Wakes
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  The Titan's Ball
  Thinking fast, Diana comes up with a new trap. She arranges for an item, irresistible to Pope, to be put up for auction: 
  Opportunity, one of the first Mars Exploration rovers. She’s certain that he will not be able to resist this lure and will at 
  least send a trusted agent to bid for him. All the crew has to do is figure out who has the most interest in the Rover, and 
  that person is almost certainly their target. With any luck, that agent will know something that that can lead them to Pope’s 
  protomolecule sample. 
  Everything goes according to plan until the auction takes place, at which point the Titan’s Ball is crashed by a group of 
  pirates—the crew of the Mary Read, the sister ship of Anne Bonny seeking revenge on Sebastian Pope for the murder of 
  their cohorts back on Prometheus. All hell breaks loose, and the player characters must not only kidnap their quarry, but 
  keep them alive before the pirates kill them. 
  running This AdvenTure
  The Titan’s Ball offers an inside look at the wealth disparity in the solar system as well as exploring themes of revenge 
  and resentment through the lens of the Mary Read’s crew—hell-bent on vengeance, both on those responsible for their 
  crewmates’ deaths and on the ultra-rich responsible for the wider suffering that indirectly led ot those deaths, and so many 
  others. With any luck, this adventure also leads the player characters one step closer to the quarry, Alexander Pope and his 
  protomolecule, and by the end they should know where to find him.
  This adventure is designed to lead to the finale of the Abzu’s Bounty series, and by its close a few things should be 
  accomplished: 
  • Foremost, the crew learns that Sebastian Pope has taken the protomolecule to a secret location on Luna where he is 
  conducting experiments with it. They may also learn more about Pope and gain some insight into why he obtained the 
  protomolecule. 
   TiTAn
  Titan is home to more than three dozen dome resorts just like Delos that offer pampering and exclusive vacations. Each dome is 
  a large resort that occupies a significant amount of space, and due to the environment are all connected by skyways and tunnels. 
  These resorts are filled with multi-room suites, business centers, conference rooms, and exhibit halls that make businesses, trade 
  shows, and conventions feel at home, but with an added level of opulence. 
  The domes on Titan deal almost exclusively with the rich and powerful, though in recent years some domes have attempted to make 
  options available to the more budget-minded to bring in a wider range of clientele. Unfortunately, the enormous cost of travel still makes 
  it wildly prohibitive to everyone but the upper echelon. On Titan, those not of the rarified classes are often looked down upon, shunned, 
  and are even barred from certain parts of the domes by exclusive membership requirements.
  Companies and executives who perform independent operations, under the table deals, or engage in espionage often meet at 
  some of these more private and exclusive places under the guise of personal vacations. Charon’s Retreat, Dome of Divinity, and the 
  illustrious Pallas Park all have penthouse suites meant exactly for these purposes.
  Some of the domes are built tall, and due to Titan’s atmosphere they can be much taller than skyscrapers back on Earth. Other 
  domes are built into the ground, although they tend to avoid the ethane and methane lakes, which can be hazardous and unstable.
  Outside of the domes, Titan is dangerous and uninhabitable—surrounded by an orange haze composed mostly of nitrogen with a 
  small amount of methane that falls from the sky like rain. Titan has three major sea-sized bodies of liquid ethane and methane that are 
  named after mythical creatures—Kraken Mare, Ligeia Mare, and Punga Mare—and numerous smaller bays and lakes.
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  • The crew also has a chance to meet and interact with some of the movers and shakers in the system, people they might 
  never have had such an opportunity to meet. These contacts could lead to employment or future adventures beyond 
  Abzu’s Bounty. 
  COmpliCATiOns
  Successfully completing The Titan’s Ball requires that the player characters, at least some of them, have good social skills 
  and some ability to put on a mask and pretend to be wealthy elites. This might not work for some groups, especially if they 
  are more combat oriented. If this is the case, there are a few options:
  • Have Diana join them and take the lead, allowing the player characters to pose as her assistants or bodyguards. You 
  lose a lot of the social aspect of the story, but at least the crew can be a part of it from beginning to end. 
  • Rather than going in undercover, perhaps the crew of the Mary Read makes contact with the crew, or the Bonny’s crew 
  learn about the assault and join them, but with the intention of getting information or capturing Pope instead of just 
  killing him. The social aspect of the adventure is gone, but it could be a fun fight as the crew battle their way into the 
  auction and hopefully escape with their prize. 
  • Finally, you could skip this chapter entirely and Alina Vasquez, or another contact they have made (maybe even 
  Anderson Dawes), could contact them and let them know about the secret lab on Luna. 
  COnneCTiOns & ATTiTudes
  Because The Titan’s Ball takes place in such an upscale setting, with high-income clients, the social relationships between 
  the player characters and the NPCs is very important. Almost all of these relationships start with a Neutral Attitude unless 
  otherwise noted and can be improved or lowered by a number of different factors. Certain characters have special triggers 
  that raise or lower their Attitudes with the crew—but it’s also possible for various Communication and even Intelligence 
  checks to raise of lower an attitude (see Impressions and Attitude in the Social Encounters section of Chapter 5 of The 
  Expanse RPG). Also see the Adversaries & Allies section at the end of this chapter for a more in-depth look at the secrets 
  and lives of the attendees, as well as details on actions that might affect their attitude. Because there are so many NPCs to 
  keep track of, and their attitudes can be important to the success (or failure) of the adventure, a chart is provided so that you 
  can track the current attitude of each.
  sCene 1
  welCOme TO TiTAn 
  explOrATiOn/sOCiAl enCOunTer
  Diana has arranged for the crew to attend the Titan’s Ball, one of the most exclusive social events in the solar system, in the 
  hopes of abducting Sebastian Pope and learning the location of his protomolecule. When you’re ready to begin the adven-
  ture read or paraphrase the following:
  Titan is home to the exclusive Titan’s Ball, where the richest of the rich come to play and socialize. Diana believes 
  this to be the perfect opportunity to finally corner Sebastian Pope, maybe even abduct him, and learn the location of 
  his stolen sample of protomolecule. Over the past few months, she has been laying plans and making arrangements 
  so all of you can attend the event undercover. Unfortunately, at the last minute, she has learned that Pope declined 
  his invitation this year. Not to be deterred, Diana comes up with a new trap. Pope is known to be an avid collector of 
  space exploration relics and several years ago he lost out on a bid to acquire one of the first Mars rovers: Opportunity. 
  Rumor has it Pope was furious at the loss, and Diana has arranged for Opportunity to be put up for bid during the 
  exclusive auction held during the Titan’s Ball. She believes this guarantees that even if Pope doesn’t attend person-
  ally, he’ll send a representative to bid on the rover. All you have to do is figure out who that agent is….
  The plan is for the crew to go in undercover, possibly even using disguises, and locate Pope’s representative and see if 
  they can learn anything about the protomolecule from them. Diana believes that acquiring Opportunity is important enough 
  that he’ll use someone from his inner circle—hopefully, someone close enough to know where they can find the protomol-
  ecule. 
  Diana stresses to the crew the importance of maintaining the cover and provides them with IDs and invitations of several 
  high-level MCRN contractors. Work with the players to establish the details of these covers. Depending on their comfort level 
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  for maintaining a cover as a powerful executive, some of the crew might be given covers as attachés or assistants. While it’s 
  unusual for guests to the Titan’s Ball to bring employees, it’s also not entirely unheard of. Some execs can’t live without their 
  personal assistants and the excursion is sometimes used as a reward for particularly valuable employees. Diana supplies 
  them with just about any gear they request, as well as appropriate clothing and even disguise kits. She also pays to have 
  the exterior of the crew’s ship modified (including changing transponder codes) to look more like something that would be 
  transporting important businesspeople from Mars. 
  Finally, she supplies dossiers on the four people she suspects as the most likely proxies for Pope, and recommends that 
  the crew focus their investigation on those four: 
  The first is Anton Olivia, the inheritor of a large fortune with ties to Krystal Kleer. Anton is in his late 30s, bald, and has 
  an iconic gold watch with sapphire hands.
  Caralynn Boully is an heiress to her family’s manufacturing fortune and the CEO of a hot new media corporation, The 
  Boully Network. The company grew quickly and quietly, but has already had an impact. She is always wearing a neck-
  lace with her company’s logo.
  Randall Khan, known for always wearing a pinstripe suit and walking with a cane, is a notorious playboy and freelancer 
  who trades in secrets. He’s also known as something of a fixer in corporate circles. 
  Finally, General Avery Agimat is an arms purchaser for the UNN. Avery has a large scar on the palm of their hand that 
  runs up to the wrist.
  Diana notes that while it’s possible one or more of these might express some interest in the rover, she expects Pope’s 
  agent will go to the wall to acquire it. 
  The OrgAnizers Of The TiTAn’s BAll
  These organizers of the Titan’s Ball are part of a board of directors who plan, fund, and execute the Ball. The organizers 
  meet regularly during which action items and policies are voted on, requiring a majority vote to pass. This includes replacing 
  members who retire or pass away. Everything about the board and its decisions are kept secret, including their identities, 
  but members have been known to leak information, or let slip that they are a board member when it suits their interests. All 
  of them, except Hale, can be found mingling in the Ball. 
  Alexander Dewford is the newest member of the board of directors and has helped the board run several of the events 
  in the past. Dewford is the President of Delos Dome Reswort and Spa, but keeps this information classified so his 
  appearance as auctioneer is not seen as a conflict of interest.
  Khai Avanico is the founder of Vault Bank, a Mars-run investment firm. She is retired from the day-to-day work of the 
  bank and now focuses on private entertainment investments and the Titan’s Ball. 
  Anton Oliva
  General Avery Agimat
  Randall Khan
  Caralynn Boully
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  Geoffery Pearce is a multi-Gold-Medal-winning athlete across several 
  different competitions. Now that he has aged out of these contests, Geof-
  fery has used the connections he made from his fame to secure some 
  lucrative investments. His wealth and connections are what led him to be 
  selected as a board member for the Titan’s Ball.
  Dinah Kanigher backs numerous small gangs and even funds several 
  OPA factions all over the system, although she maintains a more legiti-
  mate front as a securities investor. 
  Hale is an incredibly secretive UNN Agent that has invested in dozens of 
  corporations involved in the Titan’s Ball, including some of Pope’s, but maintains an alias and only communicates on 
  scattered channels and never in person.
  ArrivAl AT The BAll
  The host is a tall, broad man with long blond hair, wearing a tight black tuxedo. He introduces himself to you with 
  gusto: “Welcome to the Titan’s Ball. Most of the guests have already arrived but I’ll lead you to the Atrium where 
  you’ll find your friends and colleagues mingling. My name is Vernon and I’ll be curating your experience at the Delos 
  Dome Resort & Spa. If you have want for anything, just let me know.” Vernon leads you through a side door which 
  bypasses the usual security protocols. The guard stations at the door nod silently to Vernon as he steps past. Beyond 
  the hangar the lights are bright and beautiful, and the walls of the corridors display oil paintings with old oak framing 
  and ornate gold trim. The distant whisper of live music fills the otherwise empty corridor. 
  Vernon stops in front of a set of dual wooden doors, and the sounds of conversation and music drifts from the 
  other side. With little effort, he pulls one of the doors open with a single hand, then gestures for you to enter with 
  the other hand. Inside is a wide room with a podium immediately to your left, and a bar spanning the entirety of the 
  wall beyond, and a piano at the far end. The rest of the room is littered with small, circular tables with two or three 
  high-backed chairs at each. Dozens of people clad in tuxedos, extravagant dresses, and all manner of fashion talk 
  in hushed voices. Opposite the bar is an alcove with a small set of doors secured by a muscular woman in a black 
  pantsuit whose eyes slowly scan the crowd.
  Vernon reminds the crew to just ask if they need anything, and then leaves the crew to their own devices in the Atrium. 
  Vernon is Diana’s contact on Titan, although he does not reveal this unless pressed or needed. The crew can now begin 
  their mission in earnest. 
  At this point, the players can choose their approach:  they can engage one or more of their targets right away, or they 
  can mingle and socialize to get the lay of the land. If the players engage one of the four targets, proceed to the appropriate 
  Social Encounter in Scene 2. This part may bounce back and forth between Scenes 1 and 2 depending on how they want to 
  engage the targets, socialize with others, or explore the room. If players want to forgo socializing and just identify the four 
  targets, they must succeed at a TN 13 Perception (Searching) test if they just wander the crowd, or TN 15 Communication 
  (Investigation) test if they choose to ask around. Additional tests can be made but each test takes 10 minutes. They have 
  approximately 2 hours before the auction begins. 
  servAnTs Of The BAll
  The staff of the Delos Dome Resort and Spa give the guests of the Titan’s Ball their full attention. Two dozen servers and just 
  under a hundred guests all mingle in the room serving various delicacies or drinks on silver platters with towels draped over 
  their arms. There are a handful of other named characters that can help the crew, provide information, or may return later. It 
  should be noted that the servants expect guests to maintain proper protocol and breaking protocols is a good way to arouse 
  suspicion. For example, servants as this type of exclusive resort are not permitted to accept tips. If a character is about to 
  commit a faux pas you can allow them to make a TN Communication (Etiquette) or Intelligence (Current Affairs) test. 
  SYLVIA SUPITAYAPORN
  Sylvia Supitayaporn is the most experienced bartender in the resort and expertly mixes drinks for the guests who belly up to 
  the bar. She is assertive, focused, and has a quick wit for anyone who spends time chatting with her. She keeps up-to-date 
  geTTing weApOns inTO The BAll
  Weapons are not permitted at the Titan’s Ball, or 
  anywhere else on Delos Dome Resort & Spa for that 
  matter. Diana informs the crew that she has arranged 
  for them to bypass the traditional security scanners 
  (a few people on Titan owe her favors) and that they 
  can pack small arms, but they’re well advised to 
  keep them out of sight. 
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  on all the popular media as well as other subjects such as art and contem-
  porary and classical music.  She can provide a great deal of detailed infor-
  mation about the other servants and servers in the dome (use the infor-
  mation on the NPCs from the Adversaries & Allies section at the end of 
  this chapter) and even a few tidbits about many of the guests. She’ll give 
  up information on one of the targets (and point them out, negating the 
  required test) with TN 13 Communication (Investigation) test. Provide the 
  following information when the crew ask Sylvia about their targets:
  ANTON OLIVIA: “He’s already more than a little tipsy, having visited 
  the bar three times. He seems to be in a nostalgic mood. Keeps 
  mentioning his dead father.” 
  CARALYNN BOULLY: “She’s a social butterfly and is clearly trying to 
  make as many connections as she can. She currently has half a dozen 
  people vying for her attention.” 
  RANDALL KHAN: “He presents himself as a family man—keeps 
  talking about his wife and kids—but there’s clearly more to him than 
  that. He’s been nursing a single drink for over an hour.” 
  GENERAL AVERY AGIMAT: “All business and no pleasure. It’s clear 
  he doesn’t really want to be here, but looks like he feels he has to. 
  He doesn’t have any love for Martians, I can tell you that. And he isn’t 
  drinking at all, unless you count the decaf coffee—he’s currently on 
  his second cup. I’m guessing he gave up caffeine pretty recently.” 
  Sylvia begins with an Open attitude. It increases by one level if 
  a character expresses interest or knowledge of mixology or orders 
  a particularly interesting drink. It automatically lowers one level if 
  a character doesn’t specify a drink and asks for her “specialty” or 
  tries to hit on her. She happily divulges information about one of the 
  four targets, but if asked about more than one, she automatically 
  moves down one attitude level and the character must make a TN 15 
  Communication (Deception) test to avoid her becoming suspicious 
  (see the Getting Caught sidebar). 
  BARRY MICHAELS
  Barry Michaels wanders around the edge of the room keeping a 
  grumpy eye on the guests. Barry has been the resort’s Chief of Secu-
  rity for the last fourteen years and has overseen the last four Titan’s 
  Balls as well as countless other smaller events. Barry is gruff and 
  non-committal in conversation, so when the player characters first 
  encounter him he has a Neutral attitude. 
  In order to get his attention a character must make a successful 
  TN 11 Communication (Etiquette) test. If they fail, Barry drops an 
  attitude. If he becomes Hostile, he ignores the character’s overtures 
  and keeps a sharp eye on them. 
  Barry used to work for General Avery Agimat and can point them 
  out to the crew with a TN 13 Communication (Persuasion) test. If a 
  character gets a degree of success of 5 or better, Barry gives them 
  a personal introduction to the General. He can also provide some 
  details from the General’s background (see General Avery Agimat in 
  the Adversaries & Allies section for pertinent information). 
  geTTing CAughT
  This adventure is grounded in deception and modeled 
  after heist stories. If any security or servers have reason 
  to suspect the characters aren’t who they say they are, 
  have one of them attempt a TN15 Communication 
  (Deception) test. The Difficulty goes up by 1 each time 
  this test is made with the same NPC. This can be substi-
  tuted for Disguise, Etiquette, Persuasion or something 
  else if the crew gets creative with their lies (such as 
  using Intelligence (Engineering) if the players are trying 
  to sound like they know what they’re talking about as 
  ship manufacturers). If this is successful, the NPC’s 
  suspicions are assuaged.
  The first time this test is failed, all staff become suspi-
  cious of the crew (the attitudes of all staff are reduced 
  by one level) and they keep a close watch on the crew-
  members. Extra security may even be assigned specifi-
  cally to keep an eye on them. If a second test is failed, 
  the crew are detained: they are politely asked to return 
  to their ship and remain there for the rest of the Ball. 
  Two security guards keep watch outside the hangar 
  for the remainder of the event. Of course, if the crew 
  hasn’t come up with a means to escape on their own, 
  the arrival of the pirates from the Mary Read should give 
  them ample opportunity. If necessary, Vernon may be 
  able to get them back into the dome, although they’ll 
  have to remain extremely low-key and may need to 
  resort to new disguises. 
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  NGAI SHAOQI
  Ngai Shaoqi is a security guard standing between the lobby and 
  the auction hall. When someone approaches, she’s quick to intro-
  duce herself, shake hands, and point guests into the hall. When no 
  one is around, her eyes scan the crowd for trouble or commotion. 
  She begins with a Friendly attitude toward the crew, but any failed 
  Communication test around or with her results in a drop in attitude. 
  Ngai is happy to point out both Caralynn Boulley or Randall Khan 
  to the crew if they ask with a TN 11 Communication (Investiga-
  tion) test. If the crew ask her about the auction, she also introduces 
  them to the Auctioneer, Alexander Dewford.
  ALEXANDER DEWFORD
  Alexander Dewford is the Auctioneer and the person in charge of 
  the Titan’s Ball. Dewford wears a three-piece tuxedo and carries a 
  small violin case with him. Alexander begins with a Standoffish atti-
  tude and is hesitant about the crew since he doesn’t know them, 
  and is rather private by nature. However, unless he has reason to 
  become suspicious of them, he remains a gracious and profes-
  sional host. 
  Dewford’s attitude can immediately be increased one level by 
  expressing interest in the auction or the process of auctioneering, 
  and can be increased another level by expressing knowledge of 
  early classical music or requesting he play. It automatically reduces 
  by one if anyone refers to him as “Alex.” 
  If Dewford’s attitude is increased to Friendly or greater he happily 
  talks about the auction and the items to be bid on. If the Opportunity 
  rover is brought up, he divulges that there has not been as much interest as he expected, but three of the target guests 
  have inquired about it: 
  ANTON OLIVIA: He seems to have a sincere love of early space travel, but Dewford doubts he has the funds to compete.
  CARALYNN BOULLY: She thinks it could be useful as some sort of promotion for her social media platform. She could 
  probably afford it, but it’s probably just a flight of fancy for her.
  GENERAL AGIMAT: The General is curious for its historical implications. Pushing or asking for too much detail requires 
  a TN 15 Communication (Deception) test to avoid Dewford becoming suspicious. 
  sCene 2
  persOns Of inTeresT 
  sOCiAl enCOunTer
  In this scene, the player characters investigate the four different targets Diana has given them. 
  The TArgeTs
  This scene is broken into four different parts—one for each target, and not necessarily the order in which they are approached. 
  How the crew decides to approach their targets is entirely up to the player characters. They may split up, approach them 
  together one at a time, or any possible combination. As the GM, you need to be prepared to be flexible and to bounce back 
  and forth between scenes to give all of the players equal time. 
  You’ll find information on how to introduce and deal with each of the targets individually, their starting attitude, and notes 
  on their personality to help guide the conversations. Given that there are two agents, the player characters should be able 
  to pick up on at least one of them working for Pope—and if they’re lucky, both.
  OTher guesTs Of The TiTAn’s BAll
  The guests of the ball all have upper class backgrounds. Here 
  are a handful of sample guests you might want to integrate 
  into your adventure as the crew encounters various socialites 
  who aren’t the targets. Each of these guests should start with 
  an Open attitude. Some could even become red herrings if the 
  crew seems to be narrowing in on their target too quickly. 
  • Silas Strange Jr. is an Earth judge with significant connec-
  tions to the corporate world, especially for someone so 
  young. (Silas is in his mid-30s.) Lots of others guests gather 
  around Silas—who prefers to go by Junior—in an attempt to 
  win his good graces in case they need something from him 
  in future.
  • Harry Mann, Director of the Martian Private Library System, 
  is particularly eager to meet people of his caliber. This is 
  Harry’s first invitation to Titan after building the Private 
  Library System from the ground up, and he’s very proud of 
  what he’s accomplished.
  • Veronica Archer is, at 22, likely the youngest person at the 
  ball. She represents her parents’ company, Archer Indus-
  tries, a Luna-based construction company usually filling 
  public contracts.
  • Nora Donato, system-famous author, writes military crime 
  thrillers and has ties to plenty of corporate and military lead-
  ership. Her invitation is a status icon for many of the other 
  guests enamored with Nora’s stories. She’s especially eager 
  to meet General Agimat. 
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  ANTON OLIVIA
  Anton is a hotshot young philanthropist who travels to major social 
  gatherings as a means of distracting himself from his personal prob-
  lems (especially those with his family). When the players have identi-
  fied and want to engage with Anton, read or paraphrase the following:
  Light music fills the otherwise barren corner of the large 
  room behind the bar. Notes echo from a grand piano where 
  a woman in a white sequined dress lazily runs her fingers 
  across the keys, seemingly effortlessly bringing forth ethereal 
  music. Anton Olivia sits in a chair with his eyes locked on the 
  pianist, his hand wrapped around a small glass containing an 
  amber liquid. He’s wearing a white, button-down shirt with onyx 
  cuff links underneath an expensive gray sports coat. As you 
  approach, his eyes flick to you and he smiles. “Welcome!” He 
  throws his hands up and waves you over to the table. “This is 
  my friend Julie Graham. Isn’t she amazing?” He takes a final 
  gulp of his drink, finishing it off. 
  Anton Olivia is tipsy and happy to socialize and talk about his past—
  but is foremost enamored with the pianist, Julie Graham. Anton’s atti-
  tude begins at Neutral and he wants to keep the conversation light 
  and breezy. If the characters complement Julie’s playing or order him 
  another drink his attitude immediately increases to Open. If they keep 
  the conversation light and avoid anything serious a TN 15 Commu-
  nication (Persuasion) test increases it another step to Friendly. If the 
  conversation becomes serious, intense, or about work in any way 
  before he becomes Friendly, Anton goes from Neutral to Standoffish, 
  and Anton makes excuses and moves on to other converse with 
  another guest.
  Once Olivia is Friendly, he happily answers anything about his 
  personal life and even goes out of his way to tell the characters about 
  his father’s death and how it has impacted his family (details on Oliv-
  ia’s background can be found in the Adversaries & Allies section). A 
  successful TN 13 Communication (Persuasion) test can get him to 
  share any of the following pieces of information:
   The company his father worked for is CarbonCorp. A successful TN 13 Intelligence (Business) test allows a character 
  to know that CarbonCorp is a Pope subsidiary. 
  Olivia first met Pope when he was in middle school, shortly after his father’s accident. Pope visited his family to offer his 
  personal condolences. He’s sad that Pope didn’t make the Ball this year because he enjoys sharing a drink with him. 
  The two share a common interest in interstellar travel and Pope always has suggestions for new articles to read. 
   Pope mostly sticks to himself when he attends these events, but Oliver has also seen him in the company of Caralynn 
  Boully and Randall Khan. 
  CARALYNN BOULLY
  Caralynn is the founder and CEO of the Boully Network, a new social media network that has taken the solar system by 
  storm. When the characters identify Boully and want to approach her read the following:
  Caralynn Boully is surrounded by half a dozen people and engaging with each of them individually. In one hand 
  she nurses a small glass half-filled with a clear liquid and a lone ice cube. She’s wearing a stunning sheer red dress 
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  and around her neck is a short silver chain sporting a medallion 
  imprinted with a stylized version of her company logo. Although 
  petite in stature, she easily commands the crowd around her. 
  When she sees you approach, she locks eyes with each of you 
  and shares a wide smile. The rest of the people slowly scatter 
  and filter away from her as she directs her entire attention on 
  you. She extends a hand. “Good evening, my name is Caralynn 
  Boully, founder of the Boully Network. Who are you here with?”
  Caralynn starts with a Neutral attitude toward the players charac-
  ters, but she is incredibly friendly and social—networking is her busi-
  ness. She graciously takes the time to talk to the crew, but also has 
  business to conduct. She built her company from the ground up with 
  her own blood, sweat, and tears, and that includes all the socializing, 
  networking, and favor-calling-in that she had to do. That’s something 
  she’s very proud of so if the crew don’t seem to have anything to 
  offer, she won’t spend a lot of time on them.
  Expressing interest in or in-depth knowledge of the Boully Network 
  automatically increases her attitude by one step, and convincing 
  her that they might be of use in increasing her Network’s reach or 
  influence increases it another step, but the latter requires a TN 15 
  Communication (Deception) test. She plays her cards extremely 
  close to her chest, but if the crew can get her attitude to Friendly, 
  they can get her to reveal any of the following with a successful TN 
  13 Communication (Persuasion) test: 
  She’ll admit that Pope has been her sponsor and an important 
  figure in the founding of the Boully Network.  
  This is her third Ball and it’s always a great way to network, but 
  she has some important business this year. If her attitude is 
  Very Friendly a character can attempt a TN 15 Communication 
  (Persuasion) test to get her to reveal that Pope has asked her to 
  do something. She won’t admit that she’s supposed to win the 
  Opportunity auction though.  
   She knows that Khan conducts a lot of business with Pope and is something of a “problem solver.” When Pope or other 
  rich and powerful people have a problem, they come to him. She hints that he may, or may not, have helped her out in 
  the past. (He did in fact help her with a smear campaign against a competitor in her early days of founding the Boully 
  Network, but she won’t admit that except under duress.)
  While engaged in conversation with the crew, Caralynn receives a message on her hand terminal. A successful TN 15 
  Perception (Seeing) or Dexterity (Stealth) test allows a character to catch a glimpse of the message. It reads, “Funds have 
  been transferred to your account. Additional funds can be transferred as necessary. Instructions for transfer are attached. 
  Good bidding!”
  A character wishing to steal her hand terminal must make an opposed Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) test. Her hand terminal 
  is very well secured against hacking and requires an advanced TN 13 Intelligence (Cryptography or Technology) test 
  (success threshold 10). Each test requires 1 hour, so it is unlikely they can finish hacking it before the auction begins. Most 
  of the data on her hand terminal is useless although it confirms that Pope has requested that she win the Opportunity rover 
  auction—at all costs. The file attached to the last message she received has instructions for Opportunity to be shipped to 
  Luna with specific markings on the crate so his fixer there can identify it. There is no information about the identity of the fixer. 
  Boully does know that Pope has been spending a lot of time on Luna, working on some pet project of his, but she won’t 
  reveal this information except under duress. Additional information about Caralynn Boully can be found in the Adversaries 
  & Allies section. 
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  RANDALL KHAN
  Randall is a secret trader, a fixer, a jack-of-all-trades in the corporate world that 
  everyone either knows, or knows someone who knows him. He is renowned 
  for his connections, relationships, and know-how among business insiders. If 
  the characters have asked around about him at all, he has already heard, and 
  avoids the crew until the auction is about to begin. When the crew is ready 
  (and/or able) to engage with Randall, he spots them and approaches first. 
  Read or paraphrase the following:
  Many of the men and women mingling have migrated into the 
  auction hall, thinning out the population considerably. The wide 
  room is much quieter as a result, with those who remain talking in 
  hushed voices. A tall, handsome man with a slight limp approaches 
  you, leaning on a black cane crowned with a fist-sized diamond. He 
  bows his head and with a deep, calming voice says, “Hello, my name 
  is Randall—I heard you were asking around for me.” He extends his 
  free hand. “I’ve dealt with some of the superiors at the MCRN before, 
  probably not anyone you’ve dealt with anyway—” he looks over his 
  shoulder “—but don’t tell anyone. Who’s your contact over there now? 
  Your liaison? Still Alain? I think the last name was Racine? Ranice? 
  Something like that.” He gives a coy smile then chuckles. “I don’t think 
  I’ve heard about him from anyone in a while.” His voice is soothing, 
  calming, and he makes direct eye contact with each of you.
  Randall Khan has been employed by Pope to ferret out any possible 
  traps or enemies at the Ball. Pope was suspicious the moment the Oppor-
  tunity rover went up for bid, but he wants it too badly to risk losing it again. 
  As a precaution he hired Khan to look more deeply into the matter. Fortu-
  nately for the crew, Khan has not been given any specific information of 
  them, but he is on high alert and looking for anyone asking around about 
  Pope. Khan’s attitude begins as Standoffish—he’s suspicious of everyone. 
  If any of the crew have asked about him, he already knows it. This doesn’t 
  necessarily affect is attitude since a lot of people ask about him. However, 
  if any of the staff have become suspicious, or if the crew has been asking 
  around openly about Pope, reduce Khan’s attitude by one. If the crew have 
  ingratiated themselves with the staff (increased two or more of them to Friendly attitude) and otherwise maintained a solid 
  cover, increase his attitude by one. Finally, when meeting Khan the crew must be extremely careful. There is no Alain Racine 
  involved with the MCRN, at least not at any upper echelons. A character with MCRN background who makes a TN 17 Intel-
  ligence (Business) test knows this, or a character can make an opposed Perception (Empathy) test to know that Khan’s 
  lying. Calling him on the bluff increases his attitude by one level or they can attempt a TN 15 Communication (Empathy) test 
  to bluff their way through. Success maintains the status quo, while failure reduces his attitude by one. 
  If Randall’s attitude is Open or better he is easy to talk to, and tells the characters about his travels, his children who are 
  both in school, and anything about his personal life (see the Adversaries & Allies section). Khan will only answer ques-
  tions about his professional life if his attitude is Friendly or better, in which case they can attempt a TN 15 Communication 
  (Persuasion) test to get him to divulge any of the following:
  He’s been friends and sometimes business partners with Sebastian Pope for over a decade.
  He’ll admit to having helped Caralynn in the early stages of the Boully Network, although he won’t provide any details. 
  Randall is attending on behalf of Sebastian Pope specifically to trade some secrets and to root out any opposition and 
  discover if the Opportunity rover being auctioned is a trap. He doesn’t know that Caralynn is working for Pope as well, but 
  he has his suspicions. He does know that that Pope uses a fixer named Kazi Anand on Luna to get items though customs 
  without question. He also knows that Pope has recently started a major research operation on Luna. Pope hasn’t told 
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  him anything specific about the operation, although he suspects it has something to do with life extension or interstellar 
  travel, or both. Of course, he won’t divulge any of this information except under duress. All this information can be found 
  on his hand terminal if the player characters think to steal it from him. He can be seen consulting his terminal from time to 
  time although he is far too careful to allow anyone to catch a glimpse of what he is looking at, and even if they do they’ll 
  see nothing of consequence. Lifting the terminal from him requires an opposed Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) test. Hacking 
  into the terminal is an advanced TN 15 Intelligence (Cryptography or Technology) test (success threshold 15). Each test 
  requires one hour. 
  GENERAL AVERY AGIMAT
  Avery doesn’t care about the connections, the networking, or any of the people around him—this is a job that the General 
  views as a necessary evil. While Avery doesn’t mind chatting with people he doesn’t approach them, they come to him—
  the UNN is powerful and Avery flaunts that. When the characters are ready to engage with Avery, read or paraphrase the 
  following:
  General Avery Agimat sits alone in a corner away from both noise and people, a scowl on his face. As he lifts 
  a mug of coffee you see a deep white scar running from his forearm to palm. The General makes no indication of 
  noticing you as you approach, but when you settle up to the table Avery looks up at you with solemn, analytical 
  eyes. “MCRN, huh?” The words aren’t spiteful or hateful, just cautious. For a brief moment, you’re not entirely sure if 
  the General is going to draw a hidden weapon. The General smirks then, and taps the open seats around the table, 
  welcoming you to sit. “Don’t worry, we’re just talkin’, right? The food here sucks and the wine tastes like Belter piss.” 
  Avery sips his coffee and then offers, “Us dogs gotta stick together in the middle of all this schmoozing and bribing 
  and business, right? Smart they sent so many of you, that way you’ll never get bored of all the corporate hotshots.”
  General Agimat is a stone-cold military man and UNN Acquisitions 
  Officer. Different enterprises and corporations come up to the General to 
  talk, schmooze, and offer bribes in exchange for various UNN contracts, 
  promises, and businesses—the General is tough, but fair. However, Avery 
  doesn’t care one way or the other about what the UNN supports or makes 
  an appearance to support. The end goal is whatever is best and cheapest 
  for the galaxy’s largest fleet. 
  Assuming the crew are using the MCRN contractor covers the Gener-
  al’s attitude begins at Standoffish. Depending on your timeline it is 
  possible that Mars and Earth are currently in a shooting war, in which 
  case his attitude begins at Hostile, although he remains civil unless the 
  crew give him cause to be otherwise. If they are using a different cover, 
  his attitude is Neutral. If the player characters keep the conversation to 
  discussions of the military they can attempt a TN 13 Communication 
  (Deception or Persuasion) test to increase his attitude. If they show 
  dislike for either Boully or Khan his attitude automatically improves one 
  step as he doesn’t care for either of them.
  If the General’s attitude is raised to Open or better they can learn any 
  of the following just by asking:
  General Agimat conducts business with Pope both through 
  purchasing ice from Krystal Kleer and some private security work 
  from Vector Security. He doesn’t care for the man but he’s never had 
  a reason to distrust him. 
  He doesn’t like Khan at all and knows or at least suspects Khan’s 
  involvement in criminal activities. 
  He has nothing but disdain for Boully and believes her to be preten-
  tious and arrogant. 
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  sCene 3
  OppOrTuniTy KnOCKs 
  sOCiAl enCOunTer
  In this scene the characters are ushered into the auction hall and 
  witness the auction for the lure Diana planted as a trap for Pope’s 
  agent. This is an opportunity for the player characters to confirm any 
  suspicions from  the previous scene. 
  prepArATiOns
  Before the auction begins, the players can take a beat to collect 
  themselves. Characters can go look at the auction lots along with a 
  handful of NPCs, engage with any of the other guests, or scout the 
  area. Preparation should only last a short period—don’t let this pause 
  draw on too long as Alexander only lets the guests view the certifi-
  cate and verification briefly. Once the characters have completed 
  interacting with three of the four possible targets, read or paraphrase 
  the following to set the scene:
  The number of guests in the welcome hall has dwindled 
  down to less than a dozen. Vernon, the man who greeted you 
  on your arrival, makes his way through the hall toward you with 
  a grin and a wink, then says: “You may want to make your way 
  to the Auction Hall. The real fun’s about to begin.” He hands 
  you bidding paddles and leads you inside. 
  As you enter the Auction Hall, the first auctions are just 
  beginning.
  On the platform at the front of the room, Alexander Dewford 
  stands behind a podium and places his violin case underneath. 
  “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. Please try to 
  keep talking to a minimum during the auction—and no hand 
  terminals please. 
  STALKING THE TARGETS
  During the auction, the players may want to keep a particularly close eye on some of the targets. If they want to keep out of 
  sight they may need to perform a TN 13 Dexterity (Stealth) test to find a place to sit where they can see their target unob-
  served. Alternatively, the characters may want to approach the targets, sit with them, and further engage. Trying to peek 
  at other guests can be suspicious and is a good way to lead to staff questioning the player characters or compromising 
  them—especially if the crew fails a Stealth test.
  The characters may also want to split up and pursue a number of these options individually for different targets based 
  on their assumptions and education from the previous scene, especially if players have determined that both Caralynn 
  and Randall are Pope’s agents. But note that the location of each crewmember becomes extremely important at the 
  beginning of Scene 4.
  Use the following outlines for interacting with the different targets during this time:
  CARALYNN
  Caralynn is always the center of attention and she doesn’t hide it. She is quickly surrounded by a group of admirers, although 
  if her attitude is friendly with one of the characters she makes room for at least one of them to sit by her.  If the characters 
  don’t have the appropriate attitude, she simply gives a brief acknowledgement to them and watches the stage. 
  Regardless, if the players are watching carefully during the auction, they’ll notice Caralynn bids aggressively on Opportunity, 
  frequently checking her hand terminal. (If her hand terminal has been stolen, they notice her frantically looking for it, especially 
  as the bidding goes above the original amount transferred to her account.) A closer look with a TN 15 Perception (Seeing) test 
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  (if the character is in the proper position) shows that Caralynn is sending a 
  message requesting an increase in funds.
  RANDALL
  Randall stands against the back wall of the auction hall watching the 
  guests and the auction like a hawk. Occasionally he nods, smiles, and 
  greets anyone who passes by. Hiding from Randall is tricky and the diffi-
  culty of Stealth tests to avoid his gaze is increased to TN 17. 
  If the characters interacting with Randall are Very Friendly, he invites 
  them to stay in the area. Otherwise, he insists they find a seat in the 
  theater to watch the proceedings. During the auction, Randall slowly 
  makes his way up and down the aisles of the theater seating slowly taking 
  in all the guests and comparing them to images on his hand terminal. 
  With a successful TN 17 Perception (Seeing) test the crew can sneak a 
  peek at the image of Diana. Succeed or fail, Randall notices the character 
  snooping and shifts one attitude toward Hostile.
  GENERAL AGIMAT
  In the front row, right near the stage, General Agimat sits attentively, his 
  back straight. It’s possible to watch the General from a distance and he won’t 
  notice, even if the Stealth test is failed. Instead, if the characters want to engage with the General in some way, Avery nods 
  and acknowledges them, but shushes them if anyone attempts to speak.
  ANTON
  The auction hall contains a mini-bar against the back wall, and Anton can be found leaning against it talking to a young, hand-
  some bartender. If the characters engage, pass by, or fail a Stealth test to observe him, read or paraphrase the following:
  The smell of alcohol pours off Anton like a distillery. His tie and button-down shirt are both looser than they were 
  before, and as he looks up and sees you a smile spreads across his face. He clutches a glass of whiskey with a single 
  ice cube in his hand as he leans unsteadily against the bar.
  Anton only engages with the characters if they buy him a drink or succeed at a TN 11 Perception (Empathy) test. If they 
  succeed, Anton buys them a drink and vents about his father’s estate—completely ignoring the auction and consuming the 
  time and attention of one of the characters. 
  The AuCTiOn
  The crew must sit through a number of other auctions before Opportunity comes up. If the characters want to bid on items 
  they can make a TN 15 Communication (Gambling) test to win and auction. If they win they must make an Income test 
  ThAT’s QuiTe A lOT…
  It’s possible that the crew wants to spend some time 
  looking at the other lots or spend some time scoping 
  out the Auction Hall itself. Given the nature of the Titan’s 
  Ball, feel free to improvise other lots up for auction 
  beyond the Opportunity rover. This could include 
  classic art, signed memorabilia, or services from a 
  highly recognized member of their industry. But what-
  ever else you add, here are the visible lots displayed 
  around the room:
  • A first generation antique hover vehicle.
  • Authentic fragments of the hull of the Wild Sparrow, a 
  famous pirate ship, destroyed in a famous battle with 
  an MCRN gunship.
  • Hand-drawn designs of the original Epstein drive.
  • A two-hour business consultation with executives 
  from Selena Logistics.
  • And, of course, the Opportunity rover.
  The Bidding Begins
  Of the targets, both General Agimat and Caralynn Boully bid aggressively on the rover—Anton makes an early bid but quickly 
  drops out. Caralynn checks instructions on her hand terminal as she bids, and keeps an eye on her bank account. She is not 
  communicating directly with Pope—the light delay is too far for her to communicate directly with him—but rather a proxy who is 
  handling the finances. If her hand terminal is missing by the time the auction starts, she panics when the bidding exceeds her 
  credit limit and she realizes her terminal’s gone. Inventive player characters could use this as an opportunity to get closer to her 
  by offering the additional funds needed (this requires an Income test of 20).
  Serena Chaplan, an investor from Earth, also bids on the rover, and if Caralynn is not able to secure additional funds, Serena wins. 
  If Caralynn loses the bid, she collapses. The player characters can use this as an opportunity to get close to her, rushing to her aid. 
  However, they only have a few moments before the events of Scene 4 change things. 
  If Caralynn wins, she smiles happily (if a player character helped her, she thanks them, maybe even hugging them). She heads 
  immediately toward the host to make arrangements for shipping. However, the events of Scene 4 intercede before she gets there. 
  No matter how the bidding on Opportunity turns out, shortly after the last bid is made, proceed to Scene 4.
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  based on the value of the item (see the sidebar That’s Quite a Lot… or come up with a TN of your own). Smaller items can 
  be taken possession of right away, or shipping can be arranged for larger items. If the Gambling test is failed, the player 
  can roll again but both the difficulty of the TN and the Income test are increased by one. This can be done as many times 
  as the player wishes. 
  Finally, Opportunity comes up for bid! During the auction, various NPCs bid on the lot. Some are genuinely interested 
  in such a work of art. Mostly, this action takes place between several of the targets and the crew (if they want to get 
  involved). 
  It’s important to note that the goal of the party is not to win the auction. Diana has planted Opportunity as a lure for 
  Pope’s agent, and the player characters know that. The goal is for the crew to watch who else is bidding, particularly the 
  targets, and make an educated guess on who Pope’s agent is. Because of this, if the players feel it’s not necessary to bid, 
  feel free to streamline this section and focus only on the characters as they watch the targets.
  sCene 4
  vengeAnCe fOr The Anne BOnny 
  COmBAT enCOunTer
  During this scene the pirate crew of the Anne Bonny’s sister ship, the Mary Read, attack the Titan’s Ball, seeking vengeance 
  for the death of the crew of the Bonny and at the same time hoping to make off with a big haul. 
  Moments after the lot closes, there’s a commotion in the Atrium that begins as a low grumble. A handful of guests 
  turn around in their seats before a loud bang sets people screaming from beyond the Auction Hall. Barry Michaels 
  and Ngai Shaoqi back into the room, followed by two armed guards wearing tactical gear. 
  A woman steps forward and announces: “Hello guests of Titan. My name is Gwenda, and we’re the crew of the 
  Mary Read. We’re here for Sebastian Pope.” Tension fills the room. “And anyone involved in the destruction of the 
  Anne Bonny.” As if in emphasis Gwenda lifts her rifle, looks down the scope, and aims at one of the waitstaff standing 
  frozen in fear, then pulls the trigger. The staffer falls to floor with a hollow thud as Gwenda steps forward.  “I know 
  you’re here, friends.” She spits the last word with enough venom to kill.
  Without missing a beat, Vernon pulls a sleek black pistol from the back of his trousers and aims it at one of the crew 
  of the Mary Read. “You’re not welcome here.” In response, four more security guards appear as if from nowhere, their 
  firearms trained on the crew of the Mary Read. 
  In the blink of an eye, the theater erupts into chaos: a smoke grenade, tossed by one of the pirates goes off before 
  guns roar to life and people start running and screaming. 
  ChAOs On TiTAn
  It’s completely possible for the characters to avoid this fight since they are being ignored. The players should have the 
  first round all to themselves to decide what to do. If they want to capture Caralynn or Randall (or both) now is the time. 
  Both are fleeing to their ships and will be gone by the time the fight is over. The following are a few actions the characters 
  might want to take:
  • LOCATE ONE OF THE TARGETS: The room is in chaos, making it difficult to see, but a successful TN 15 Perception 
  (Searching or Seeing) test by a character allows them to locate one of the targets (see Locating the Targets). 
  • NEGOTIATION: Trying to talk down the crew of the Mary Read is fruitless. They’re dead set on their mission and don’t 
  relent. Calling out to them only makes the crew targets for their violence. 
  • RUN: The attackers aren’t particularly interested in most of the guests (including the player characters), so they’re free 
  to run unimpeded during their turn. They can run out either of the side stage doors, the door at the back of the stage, or 
  the servants’ entrance by the bar at the back of the room. The main door to the Atrium is filled by the Mary Read crew 
  and they’re likely to perceive anyone running at them as an attacker. 
  • HIDE: The seats aren’t that bulky and so provide little cover. If a character wants to hide, a TN 13 Dexterity (Stealth) test 
  grants them partial cover crouching behind chairs.
  There are many other possible actions that they could choose. As the GM you’ll need to be creative and react to the 
  player characters’ choices. If the characters have raised Barry Michaels or Ngai Shaoqi’s attitude to Friendly, they may be 
  able to get some aid as well. 
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  THE MARY READ
  The crew of the Mary Read (see Adversaries & Allies for details) aren’t here to fight blindly. They’re aware of Randall, 
  Caralynn, and Anton’s connections to Pope. If the player characters make their presence known, they’ll also recognize them 
  (they’ve seen video feeds of the firefight). If the characters didn’t attack any of the pirates back in Breaking the Surface, the 
  Mary Read’s crew avoids shooting at them. 
  There are fifteen pirates in the dome (you can increase the number up to twenty if it suits your story), but only six storm the 
  Auction Hall. Each of them is looking for Randall, Caralynn, and Anton. The six in the Hall exchange fire with security, while 
  the rest are spread out through the dome, wreaking havoc, and dealing with other security guards. 
  SECURITY STAFF
  Two of the security guards in the Hall are gunned down by the pirates in the first round. That leaves Barry, Ngai, and two 
  guards in the room. Barry and Ngai are well trained but underequipped, while the two nameless guards are undertrained 
  and overequipped—having been trained to protect the guests at the Ball, not for lethal firefights.
  The first thing the security guards do is try and pin down the attackers—it’s pretty rare that they’ll move unless a wounded 
  guest is nearby—in which case they’ll move to protect them.
  Ngai is a bit more reckless than her colleagues and actively moves between nearby guests and the attackers to safeguard 
  them. This is likely to get her shot, but her priority is the safety of those she’s here to protect. After the guests are safe, she 
  moves to kill the attackers.
  Barry is more aggressive. Each turn, Barry closes the distance toward the crew of the Mary Read. He stops in cover and 
  shoots to kill. Barry never stops to protect or defend a guest unless a player character he has a Friendly attitude toward 
  intervenes. 
  LOCATING THE TARGETS
  Anton Olivia is drunk out of his mind and terrified for his life. He cowers on the floor, having soiled himself. As he is near the 
  bar at the back of the room (and not far from the entrance to the Atrium) the pirates locate and kill him on the second round 
  of combat. 
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  General Agimat moves toward the attackers, barreling through the other guests and grabs a rifle from one of the fallen 
  guards. The General is personally affronted by this assault and out for blood. Once he has the rifle, he tries to take cover and 
  exchanges fire with the pirates. Unless the crew get involved he is taken out on the fourth round of combat, but not before 
  taking out one of the pirates. 
  Randall Khan has decided to run and hide. He immediately bolts for the side door next to the bar. On the way out he grabs 
  a chair and uses it to jam the door shut. 
  Caralynn makes her way up onto the stage and bolts behind the curtains. It takes her the first round of combat to do it. 
  The following round she is out the door behind the stage. 
  AND EVERYONE ELSE…
  The guests and servants panic and most drop to the ground, covering their heads. Some try to flee out the various doors. 
  Alexander takes cover behind the podium, draws a pistol from his violin case, and opens fire on the intruders. 
  Vernon stands in the open with his pistol drawn.
  The ChAse
  Assuming they want to catch either Caralynn or Randall, the player characters have to chase after them, convince or coerce 
  them to go with them, and then get their target(s) off Titan without being killed by pirates. To make matters more difficult, 
  the Mary Read pirates have already taken control of the dome’s security station (although much of the equipment was 
  damaged in the attempt) and parts of the station are malfunctioning. Both pirates and dome security roam the halls, along 
  with panicked guests and staff. The pirates are looking for Caralynn and Randall, and shoot at anyone with them as well. 
  Security is likely to shoot at anyone carrying a weapon. The characters must choose which target to pursue, or split up and 
  go after both, in which case, go back and forth between groups to keep the action flowing for all of the players. 
  CHASING CARALYNN
  Behind the stage is a curtain drawn to cover a door that leads to a dimly lit and narrow service hallway. Caralynn runs and 
  doesn’t look back from the gunshots and bloodbath as the crew of the Mary Read comes for her. If the characters act quickly, 
  they can catch her struggling to open the door. If not, they’ll have to catch 
  her as she flees down the twisting corridors. This is a Chase as described 
  in Chapter 5 of The Expanse RPG. Catching her is a TN 13 Constitution 
  (Running) test (success threshold 10). The success threshold increases 
  by 3 every round that the characters delay. If they wait more than three 
  rounds before beginning pursuit, Caralynn is gone and escapes on her 
  ship. Alternately, the characters could make for her ship, if they know 
  where it is, and confront her there. 
  If the characters catch up to Caralynn and her attitude toward them is 
  Open or better, she readily agrees to go with them. If they threaten her she 
  also goes with them, but the Difficulty is increased by 1 under Getting Out. 
  CHASING RANDALL
  Randall bolted through the side door by the bar and jammed it shut 
  with a chair from the other side. A crowd of servants and guests push 
  desperately at the door, trying to flee. The crew must push their way 
  through the panicked crowd and make a TN 15 Strength (Might) test 
  in order to open the door. Catching up to him is also a Chase with 
  a TN 13 Constitution (Running) test (success threshold 13). The TN 
  increases by 3 for each round that the characters delay (or are delayed 
  by the jammed door). If more than three rounds pass before they begin 
  pursuing Randall he is caught and killed by the pirates. 
  If the characters catch up to Randall and his attitude toward them 
  is Open or better, he readily agrees to go with them. If they threaten 
  him, he also goes with them, but the Difficulty is increased by 1 under 
  Getting Out.
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  GETTING OUT
  Once the characters have caught up to Caralynn or Randall (or both) they have to make it back to their ship in the midst of 
  the pandemonium caused by the pirate attack. They may decide that they want to just hole up and wait out the attack. But if 
  they do so, remind them that the pirates are dead set on finding and killing them and that even if the pirates don’t find them, 
  by the time things settle down the ships are likely to be locked down and not able to leave the dock. Their covers will likely 
  be blown, and they may even be detained, especially if they brandished weapons during the attack. 
  The crew has 30 minutes to get to their ship before security regains control and the dome is locked down. You can treat 
  the escape as a challenge test (see Chapter 1 of The Expanse RPG) with the following parameters:
  CHALLENGE: GET OUT
  DIFFICULTY: TN 15           SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 15           TIME PER TEST: 5 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Deception), Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Security or Technology)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The crew draws some unwanted attention, increasing the TN of further challenge tests by +2 until they make 
  a separate TN 15 Dexterity (Stealth) test to disappear into the crowd again. Success on this test eliminates the TN 
  increase but does not contribute to their success threshold.
  MODERATE
  The crew finds their planned route to the docking bay blocked off by a security door. The door does not 
  open until dome security lifts the alarm. They lose their accumulated success total and have to find a different route. (If 
  the target accompanying them has been coerced, they take this opportunity to try to escape.)
  MAJOR
  A group of pirates (equal to the number of the crew) spots them and tries to kill the target accompanying 
  them. The scene transitions to either a combat (if the crew attacks) or a chase (if the crew flees). The chase is a TN 13 
  Constitution (Running) test (success threshold 12).
  finAl QuesTiOns
  Assuming the crew get one or both of their targets to the safety of the Anne Bonny, they can take whatever time necessary 
  to question their “guests.” Neither take much convincing to spill everything they know about Pope and his operation on 
  Luna—which is to say not much, but enough to point the crew in the right direction. 
  Caralynn knows that Pope has a secret operation on Luna and that he uses a fixer to get items smuggled in quietly. She 
  doesn’t know the name of the fixer, but she knows that containers are supposed to have a special mark (she knows the mark) 
  so they can identify the goods. She also knows that the Opportunity rover is supposed to be shipped to Luna via private 
  courier and that the crate is supposed to bear this mark. It shouldn’t take much for the crew to realize they can use this to 
  identify the fixer. If the players don’t think of this, Diana does. 
  Randall is happy to be alive and is willing to trade what he knows for safe passage. “Normally, there’s a fee involved, but 
  let’s call this one on the house so we can all remain happy with our…current…situation. Does that sound good to everyone?” 
  He knows that Pope has a secret operation on Luna and that the fixer’s name is Kazi Anand. He doesn’t know exactly 
  what Pope is doing there (he’s tried to find out) but believes it to be something to do with life extension (some kind of new 
  anagathics).
  The end gAme
  Assuming the crew successfully complete their mission, Diana is extremely happy with them and requests they proceed 
  immediately to Luna. If they fail, you’ll have to come up with an alternative means for them to acquire the information, or 
  maybe Diana manages to come up with something though other sources. The trip from Titan to Luna is a long one, and the 
  crew should have plenty of time for an interlude—to heal, train or do any necessary research. 
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  AlexAnder dewfOrd, pATrOn Of The BAll
  Alexander is a traveling auctioneer who has 
  spent a considerable amount of time on Titan 
  and particularly at the Delos Dome Resort & 
  Spa—and has hosted the Titan’s Ball for the last 
  30 years. With so much experience auction-
  eering, Alexander is treated like a celebrity in 
  the social circles of the upper classes. But Alex-
  ander also understands the darker sides of the 
  business that happen at such meetings, which 
  is why he always carries a rifle with him, tucked 
  into a violin case. His experience with firearms has always been a hobby 
  and passion, but has come in handy several times in his career.
  AnTOn OliviA
  Anton Olivia is a trust fund child and has always 
  had a padded wallet since his late father, 
  Simone Olivia, was killed during a work acci-
  dent. When Anton was young, his father was an 
  architect for various corporations and worked 
  for CarbonCorp. Anton doesn’t know exactly 
  how his father died, and has very little interest 
  in the details of his father’s professional life, but 
  the family received an enormous settlement 
  after Simone’s death. This has led to no end of 
  disputes among his family and Anton has done his best to hold everyone 
  together, but his nerves are wearing thin. 
  Anton tells people that family is the most important thing to him and that 
  he spends his time taking care of his widowed mother, but the truth is he 
  rarely stays in the family home these days. He spends most of his time at 
  bars and clubs, staying in hotels and traveling while burning through his 
  inheritance.
  AlexAnder dewfOrd
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Rifle), Communication 4 (Bargaining, 
  Investigation, Persuasion), Constitution 2, Dexterity 1, 
  Fighting 1 (Brawling), Intelligence 2 (Current Affairs, 
  Law), Perception 2 (Intuition, Searching), Strength 1, 
  Willpower 2 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+2
  Gavel
  +1
  1d6+1
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d3+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Taunt
  Talents: Command (Master), Contacts (Novice), Linguistics 
  (Novice), Pistol Style (Expert)
  Equipment: pistol, gavel, paperwork
  Threat: Minor
  AnTOn OliviA
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 , Communication 2 (Gambling), Constitution 
  3 (Stamina, Tolerance, Seduction), Dexterity 2, Fighting 
  0, Intelligence 2, Perception 1 (Intuition), Strength 1, 
  Willpower 1 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  15
  12
  3
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Thrown Glass
  +1
  1d3+1
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Take Cover
  Talents: Contacts (Expert), Improvisation (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, whiskey glass
  Threat: Minor
  AdversAries & Allies
  The following are profiles of the significant non-player characters in The Titan’s Ball, along with their Expanse game stats. 
  For additional stock characters you can use in this adventure, see the Threats chapter of The Expanse RPG.
  OliviA TrusTfund
  Years ago, Simone Olivia was a contract architect for CarbonCorp and some other smaller companies that Pope ran, and created 
  blueprints for their buildings and expansions. On the worksite, one of Pope’s many corporate rivals sabotaged equipment, resulting 
  in Simone’s death. Afraid of bad press, Pope buried the story and paid out a generous settlement to the victims—including the 
  Olivias, which afforded them a high-class lifestyle. Anton was in middle school, and didn’t recognize the bump in lifestyle, but has 
  always been pampered and spoiled by his wealthy family.
  Anton only barely knows Pope but is friends with several of Pope’s inner circle. On occasion those people will ask Anton to perform 
  a seemingly mundane task, or he gets invited to a social event. Pope manipulates Anton from a distance using him as a proxy for 
  non-crucial jobs like escorting visiting clients or parading a known socialite at a new club. It was in fact Pope who arranged for Anton 
  to attend the Titan’s Ball. Knowing that it was likely that someone might come looking for him there, he figured Anton would serve as 
  a good red herring. 
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  Roleplaying Game
  The Titan's Ball
  BArry miChAels, Chief Of seCuriTy
  Barry Michaels is a well-trained veteran who 
  has spent time all over the system with various 
  employers, but he started out in the UNN. He 
  has respect for the military, but that life wasn’t cut 
  out for him. Barry settled on Titan and became a 
  security guard, then quickly moved up the ranks at 
  Delos Dome Resort & Spa to become the Chief of 
  Security within five years. He always hopes for the 
  best, but prepares for the worst.
  CArAlynn BOully
  Caralynn Boully is here on business, and that 
  business for her is networking, socializing, and 
  meeting new people. She prides herself on the 
  ability to put two people together to make things 
  happen—whether that’s networking or roman-
  tically—and that’s what led her to creating the 
  Boully Network. Caralynn is sharp, observant, and 
  quick to make her feelings and thoughts known 
  fiercely. If the characters do any research into her 
  company or program before encountering her, 
  they can indulge Caralynn about her accomplishments. If any character uses 
  the program, or has an account, she looks them up and this brings her atti-
  tude one step closer to Friendly—and she makes a point of mentioning how 
  pleased she is.
  The Boully Network was built on the back of Pope’s influences and 
  connections and he won’t let Caralynn forget it. She is the face and the 
  brains, but without Pope it never would’ve become as popular or wide-
  spread as it is—but making that public would compromise her integrity and 
  the business he has a stake in. That means from time to time Pope calls on 
  Caralynn for a favor.
  The Titan’s Ball is the perfect job for her, since no one would question why 
  she’s there. Pope has given her specific instructions to keep close eyes on 
  the Opportunity rover and make sure that she wins the bidding. 
  delOs dOme seCuriTy guArds
  BArry miChAels
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 3 (Bows, Pistols, Rifles), Communication 1 
  (Bargaining, Deception, Investigation), Constitution 1, 
  Dexterity 1, Fighting 2 (Light Weapon), Intelligence 1 
  (Security, Tactics), Perception 1 (Intuition), Strength 2, 
  Willpower 1 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  20
  12
  3
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+1
  Club
  +4
  1d6+2
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Guardian Angel, Group Tactics
  Talents: Dual Weapon Style (Master), Medic (Novice), Pistol 
  Style (Novice), Quick Reflexes (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol ×2, small club, light armor
  Threat: ??
  CArAlynn BOully
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistols), Communication 3 (Bargaining, 
  Etiquette, Expression, Negotiation), Constitution 2, 
  Dexterity 1 (Running), Fighting 1, Intelligence 2 (Business, 
  Current Affairs, Evaluation, Science), Perception 3 
  (Intuition), Strength 1, Willpower 2 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6+3
  Unarmed
  +1
  1d3+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Take Cover
  Talents: Agent (Novice), Contacts (Expert), Intrigue (Expert), 
  Misdirection (Novice), Oratory (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal
  Threat: Moderate
  The BOully neTwOrK
  The Boully Network is an evolution of a third-rate social media app 
  that connects people based on location and geography and allows 
  people to connect and talk about local businesses, schedule events, 
  and even meet people. It’s still fairly new but has become incredibly 
  popular in incredibly short time due to its ease of use and versatility. 
  The Boully Network survives mostly on advertising and this is one 
  of the reasons Caralynn is so keen on schmoozing and networking. 
  The more corporations she gets friendly with, the more money they 
  end up spending on ads—and Krystal Kleer is no exception, creating 
  recruitment material Caralynn peddles. She’s happy to talk about her 
  sponsors and partners and is keen to talk about how friendly she is 
  with Pope and his marketing team. In fact it was Pope who funded her 
  original start-up that eventually became the Boully Network, some-
  thing she is eternally grateful for. 
  The security guards at Delos Dome Resort & Spa are just a 
  step above mall cops in terms of skill. But Titan doesn’t hold 
  back when it comes to training and equipment. Barry takes 
  a particular shine to those in his employ, and even attempts 
  to give them the training necessary to fulfill the needs of 
  his employer, but given how infrequently the security guards 
  are actually needed they fall out of practice fairly quickly.
  generAl Avery AgimAT
  General Avery Agimat is in charge of the UNN’s contracts 
  and partnerships with industry professionals. The General’s 
  quick wit and sharp tongue help make those deals happen. 
  The Titan’s Ball is a work event for the General, and he 
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  Roleplaying Game
  The Titan's Ball
  generAl Avery AgimAT
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 3 (Pistols, Rifles), Communication 1 
  (Negotiation), Constitution 2 (Stamina), Dexterity 
  2 (Initiative), Fighting 3 (Light Weapons, Grappling), 
  Intelligence 1 (Security, Tactics), Perception 2 (Tracking), 
  Strength 1, Willpower 1 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  20
  12
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+2
  Knife
  +3
  1d6+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Adrenaline Rush, Group Tactics
  Talents: Commando (Master), Fringer (Novice), Pilot (Novice), 
  Pinpoint Accuracy (Master), Pistol Style (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal
  Threat: Moderate
  gwendA
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Gunnery, Rifle), Communication 2 
  (Leadership), Constitution 2, Dexterity 3 (Initiative, 
  Piloting), Fighting 3 , Intelligence 1 (Law), Perception 2, 
  Strength 2, Willpower 1 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  20
  13
  6
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Rifle
  +4
  3d6+2
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Take Cover, Vicious Blow
  Talents: Command (Expert), Fringer (Master), Hacking (Novice), 
  Rifle Style (Master)
  Equipment: hand terminal, rifle, medium armor
  Threat: Major
  delOs dOme seCuriTy guArds
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Rifle), Communication 0, Constitution 2, Dexterity 1 
  (Driving), Fighting 2 (Brawling), Intelligence 1 (Demolitions), Perception 2 
  (Demolitions, Engineering), Strength 0, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  10
  15
  13
  4
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+2
  Rifle
  +3
  3d6+2
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Group Tactics
  Talents: Overwhelming Style (Novice), Protector (Master), Self-Defense Style 
  (Expert), Tactical Awareness (Novice)
  Equipment: pistol, light armor, riot shield
  Threat: Moderate
  is always decked out in his formal UNN Naval 
  uniform complete with decorations and medals 
  from his 40-year career. The General has given 
  plenty of business to Pope’s various corpora-
  tions in the past and is aware of his involvement 
  in different companies—which Agimat sees as a 
  convenience. Pope gives the UNN good deals 
  and quality services, and the UNN continues to 
  give Pope major contracts and turn a blind eye 
  to things they might find questionable.
  That being said, the General’s attendance at the Titan’s Ball has nothing to 
  do with Pope or any of his companies.
  gwendA, CApTAin Of The mAry reAd
  Gwenda leads the Mary Read running jobs and 
  tasks for anyone willing to pay, including running 
  contraband between planets. The crew of the 
  Anne Bonny and the crew of the Mary Read were 
  incredibly close and worked together. Gwenda 
  and Claire O’Rourke were lovers and Gwenda was 
  devastated when she heard about the death of 
  the Bonny’s crew.  She devoted all her significant 
  saved up resources to find out who was behind 
  the death of her lover and to get vengeance for 
  her lost friends. 
  mAry reAd Crew
  The crew of the Mary Read are all on a mission of vengeance to right the 
  wrong done to their friends. While Gwenda is particularly motivated for this 
  mission, the rest of the crew is upset—but more importantly they are fiercely 
  loyal to Gwenda, who has been their wise leader for years. These crew 
  members are well adjusted to the pirate life that surrounds odd jobs and 
  aren’t afraid to draw some blood and sweat to make Gwenda happy.
  mAry reAd Crew
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols), Communication 1, Constitution 
  1, Dexterity 2 (Initiative), Fighting 2 (Grappling), 
  Intelligence 1 (Tactics), Perception 2 (Searching), 
  Strength 0, Willpower 2 (Faith)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  15
  12
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+2
  Rifle
  +4
  3d6+2
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Whatever’s Handy, Double-Team
  Talents: Burglary (Expert), Fringer (Experienced), Scouting (Expert)
  Equipment: pistol, rifle, padding
  Threat: Moderate
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  Roleplaying Game
  The Titan's Ball
  ngAi shAOQi, seCuriTy speCiAlisT
  The best two words to describe Ngai Shaoqi are 
  fierce and friendly. As a former UNN Marine she 
  gets along quite well with Barry and is the go-to 
  specialist for security situations at Delos Dome 
  Resort & Spa. Her military training makes her a 
  match for most normal “problems” that come up 
  in the running of the facility. In many cases she’s 
  Barry’s right hand, and she has made her desire 
  to supersede Barry extremely clear.
  rAndAll KhAn, friend TO All
  Randall is always ready for someone or some-
  thing new. He likes to do things for people so 
  they can owe him later, and he never forgets who 
  owes him. Randall’s reputation is built on secrecy 
  and follow-through, and he uses his reliability to 
  strengthen his relationships. 
  Randall has done contract jobs for Pope and 
  his dozens of businesses for over a decade—
  Pope has hired him to do everything from making 
  someone disappear to connecting two people 
  together to manipulate a third. There’s not a thing that Randall won’t do for 
  the right amount of money, and Pope appreciates that level of opportunism 
  and shares Randall’s loyalty to price. Most important to Pope is that Randall 
  doesn’t ask too many questions. Long term jobs are hard to come by, but 
  Randall likes to live it up—taking expenses for travel and lodging as well as 
  payment. When Pope offered such a sizeable amount of money for a quick 
  turnaround and a long voyage, Randall was eager to learn more.
  Randall’s instructions were straightforward: keep an eye on Opportunity 
  and on Caralynn. He would act as the failsafe if Caralynn couldn’t complete 
  the task of winning the rover and bringing it to Kazi. His main task, though, is 
  to keep an eye open for anyone asking around about Pope. Pope believes 
  the rover may be a trap and he’s hired Randall to take care of problems in 
  case that turns out to be the case. 
  vernOn, delOs dOme spA & resOrT hOsT
  Vernon is one of the hosts on Titan for the Ball 
  and works at Delos Dome Resort & Spa as one 
  of the event specialists. He is smooth-faced and 
  tall, and lives for the work he does. It’s his job to 
  make sure all the guests of special events are 
  well taken care of. This makes him well-liked by 
  the guests and he goes out of his way to take care 
  of them the best he can. Before the Ball, he was 
  contacted by Diana (whom he owes a few favors) 
  to keep a special eye on the crew, and though 
  he doesn’t quite understand what he’s gotten into with this agreement he 
  makes sure to hold up his end of the deal. You can use Vernon to bail out 
  the crew if they get in over their heads during the course of the adventure, 
  although he tries his best to not reveal any connection to Diana. 
  ngAi shAOQi
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols, Throwing),  
  Communication 2 (Leadership), Constitution 1 (Stamina), 
  Dexterity 2 (Initiative), Fighting 2 (Heavy Weapons),  
  Intelligence 1 (Demolitions, Tactics),  
  Perception 3 (Intuition), Strength 1, Willpower 2
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  20
  12
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+3
  Grenade
  +4
  3d6
  Unarmed
  +2
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Guardian Angel, Lightning Attack
  Talents: Inspire (Expert), Observation (Master), Pistol Style (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol, grenade
  Threat: Moderate
  rAndAll KhAn
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 3 (Deception, Etiquette, 
  Persuasion, Negotiation), Constitution 2,  
  Dexterity 1 (Sleight of Hand), Fighting 1 (Light Weapons), 
  Intelligence 2 (Art, Business, Current Affairs, Research), 
  Perception 3 (Intuition, Tracking), Strength 1,  
  Willpower 2 (Self-Discipline)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  2
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Knife
  +3
  1d6+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Disarm, Take Cover
  Talents: Command (Expert), Contacts (Expert), Intrigue 
  (Novice), Misdirection (Expert), Socialite (Novice)
  Equipment: hand terminal, knife
  Threat: Moderate
  vernOn
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication 2 (Etiquette, Investigation), 
  Constitution 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 1, Intelligence 2, 
  Perception 2 (Empathy, Intuition), Strength 0,  
  Willpower 2 (Faith)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  15
  11
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6+2
  Unarmed
  +1
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Take Cover, Taunt
  Talents: Attractive (Novice), Oratory (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Minor
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  Roleplaying Game
  Shoot the Moon
  S
  hoot the Moon is the sixth and final adventure of the Abzu’s Bounty series for The Expanse Roleplaying Game. It takes 
  the player characters to Luna for their final confrontation with Sebastian Pope in a final gambit to wrest the protomolecule 
  away from him. Adversaries from the first story—Breaking the Surface—make an appearance and Diana, the crew’s long-
  time patron, turns on them to try to get the protomolecule for herself and her employer and ally—Winston Duarte. 
  Assuming they succeed in attaining the sample, the crew must then make a difficult decision—what do they do with the 
  protomolecule?
  Overview
  By the end of The Titan’s Ball, the crew should have uncovered a new link to Sebastian Pope and a possible secret labora-
  tory on Luna. They even have a name—Kazi Anand—a fixer known to smuggle anything onto or off the moon. The adventure 
  begins with the crew arriving at Luna and setting up a meeting with Kazi. 
  Arranging the meeting isn’t hard. Getting Anand to snitch on one of his wealthiest and most powerful customers is. One 
  way or another the crew learns that Pope’s secret laboratory is located in an abandoned aluminum processing plant a few 
  kilometers outside of Lovell City. The crew has to figure out how to get to and enter the underground complex. The most 
  obvious choices are the long, abandoned transit tunnels or a trek across 
  the surface of the moon. The tunnels haven’t been used in decades and 
  contain many hazards, including explosives and sensors set by Vector 
  Security to keep out unwanted visitors. To approach from the surface, 
  the crew must figure out how to get into the facility once they get there. 
  They also face the added hazard of an OPA faction, the Free Fools, 
  that’s gotten wind of the protomolecule sample on the moon. The Free 
  Fools try to stop the crew by ambushing them on the surface. 
  Once at Pope’s secret lab, the crew face neurologically-altered scien-
  tists and elite Vector Security agents. At this point Diana shows up with 
  some of her mercenaries. She helps the crew, at least at first. And the 
  6: Shoot the Moon
  “Too many people with too many agendas, and everyone 
  was worried that the other guy would shoot them in the 
  back. Of all the ways to go and meet the God-like alien 
  whatever-they-were that built the protomolecule, this was 
  the stupidest, the most dangerous, and—for Bull’s money—
  the most human.” 
  — Abbadon’s Gate
  112112
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Shoot the Moon
  OPA fanatics put in an appearance if they weren’t dealt with previously. Mayhem breaks loose when protomolecule-infected 
  test subjects are released as a distraction for Pope to escape with the last protomolecule sample. 
  The crew must then pursue Pope to the luxury passenger liner, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. Diana and her cohorts arrive 
  and turn on the crew in an attempt to eliminate any witnesses, before the bridge is destroyed by Diana’s mercenaries, 
  leaving the ship on a collision course for the moon—with the protomolecule on board. It’s up to the crew to stop the luxury 
  liner from crashing into the moon and capture or kill Pope, finally recovering the protomolecule sample.
  running thiS Adventure
  By now, the player characters should be aware of Sebastian Pope and possibly even his reasons for obtaining a sample 
  of the protomolecule. This being the final chapter of Abzu’s Bounty, the stakes are high and the danger extreme. The GM 
  shouldn’t fear allowing a character or two to die or become seriously injured during the course of the story. If a character 
  dies early on, consider allowing that player to take on the role of another character, possibly an NPC friend or ally of the 
  player characters. Perhaps they run into someone they met in a previous adventure or maybe someone on Luna joins the 
  group? Even Kazi might join in if he learns exactly what it was he smuggled onto the moon. It shouldn’t be too hard to come 
  up with someone who can join the group. Even if they are in Pope’s laboratory when the death occurs one of the adminis-
  trators could have a moment of conscience and assist the crew in destroying the protomolecule. Or any number of former 
  acquaintances could be on board the passenger liner. 
  Adventure gOAlS
  By the time they reach the end of this adventure, the player characters should have experienced and accomplished a 
  number of things:
  • First and foremost, Sebastian Pope should be dead or in custody and the last sample of the protomolecule should be 
  in their hands. Of course, what they choose to do with it at that point is up to them and could lead to an entirely new 
  series of adventures. 
  • Diana should have betrayed the characters in her bid to get hold of the protomolecule and eliminate any witnesses. 
  Details about her connections to Winston Duarte and a conspiracy within the MCRN may or may not come to light. 
  •  Earth and Luna should be safe from the threat of the protomolecule…for now. 
  getting FrOm there tO here
  Presumably, the crew will have obtained information at the end of Titan’s Ball that leads them to Luna in search of the fixer, 
  Kazi Anand. If they failed to come up with that lead, the Game Master must come up with another means of getting it to them. 
  Either way, it’s a long trip from Titan to Luna, providing the GM with ample opportunity to introduce new stories or to dole 
  out any additional information needed to set up this adventure. This is also the perfect time for an Interlude, (See Chapter 
  5: Gameplay in The Expanse RPG) to give the crew a chance to make repairs, undertake ship maintenance, do some addi-
  tional research on Pope (or other items of interest), or do some training. The characters should be about 7th or 8th level by 
  the time they get to Shoot the Moon. If they aren’t quite that level yet, you may want to run a couple adventures on the way 
  to Luna to get them there or adjust the difficulties of the tests and strength of the NPCs as necessary: see the Beefing Up 
  Adversaries section of Chapter 13 of The Expanse RPG.
  SCene 1
  welCOme tO the mOOn 
  explOrAtiOn/SOCiAl enCOunter
  Ships arriving at Luna can choose to use the Lovell City spaceport. The spaceport is prohibitively expensive, requiring a TN 
  20 Income test for most independent merchants and traders, but since these docks have retractable seals that allow them 
  to be pressurized they are popular with those who can afford them. The pressurized docks allow crews to make external 
  repairs without the dangers of working in a vacuum. (More information on Luna can be found in Chapter 8: Earth, of The 
  Expanse RPG.) The other, cheaper, option is to dock at one of the many commercial orbital platforms where ship crews then 
  arrange for cargo and personnel to go down to the moon’s surface via shuttle. 
  113
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Shoot the Moon
  Finding KAzi
  The first thing the crew are likely to want to do is to track down Kazi Anand. This turns out to be an easy task since he knows 
  or is known by an incredible number of people. Pretty much anyone with any degree of power on Luna knows that if you 
  want something, legal or otherwise, Kazi is the one to talk to. If he doesn’t have access to it, he can probably find it. Charac-
  ters wishing to learn more about Kazi before arriving at the moon (or perhaps even wishing to make contact with him) can 
  make a TN 11 Intelligence (Research) test. A successful research test uncovers the following:
  Kazi was born and raised on the moon. There is no record of him having ever left. 
  He is employed as a foreman for the spacedock at Lovell City spaceport on Luna, where he oversees the 3rd shift.
  He has some minor criminal infractions (petty theft, possession of illegal substances), but all of them from over 10 years 
  ago when Kazi was in his late teens to early 20s. His record has been clear for the past decade.
  Depending upon the source of the information, the Game Master can provide additional information from Kazi’s biography. 
  Kazi’s home address on Luna, hand terminal number, or other more personal information can be obtained with a successful 
  TN 16 Intelligence (Research) test. Once on Luna (or sooner if they happen to have contacts on Luna) the player characters 
  can begin asking around about Kazi and can learn the following with a successful TN 14 Communication (Investigation) 
  test:
  Kazi is the person you want if you need to smuggle something onto or off Luna. He works for all types of people, but 
  most of his clientele tend to be among the upscale and affluent residents of Luna.
  Kazi requires an introduction from someone he knows before he’ll do business with a new client. Convincing one of his 
  existing clients to arrange an introduction requires a TN 16 Communication (Persuasion) test. Some player characters 
  might use a different approach and the GM could allow them to use Communication (Seduction) or Strength (Inter-
  rogation). Lower this difficulty if the client is a contact of one of the player characters or if offered some other incentive, 
  such as a bribe. 
  Kazi has a personal relationship with the mayor of Lovell City which is a great help in his smuggling activities. They 
  dated briefly when they were in their early twenties (something the mayor has gone to great lengths to obscure) and 
  have remained on friendly terms ever since. He has been arrested several times but has been set free with no charges 
  on each occasion.
  The most likely places to find Kazi are at the shipping docks where he works, his apartment, or his favorite watering 
  hole. 
  GETTING AN INTRODUCTION
  The best way to talk to a fixer is to have an introduction. Anyone who deals with anything marginally illegal on Luna has 
  probably done business with Kazi and could offer an introduction. This could be a Contact of one of the PCs or maybe 
  they made some connections while they were on the moon during Secrets & Satellites. If all else fails, the crew can 
  spend some time asking around to see if they can find someone willing to make introductions. The GM could decide to 
  make this an entire side adventure in and of itself wherein the crew tries to establish a rep on the moon. Alternately, the 
  GM can have them make a TN 11 Communication (Investigation) test to find the appropriate person, followed by a TN 
  15 Persuasion or Etiquette test. Success on both tests means that the character has located someone who is willing to 
  vouch for them. 
  MEETING THE FIXER
  Finding Kazi isn’t the hard part—the hard part is getting him to talk. The options for how the crew can go about this are 
  fairly open-ended, so the GM needs to be flexible and ready to react to whatever approach the crew decides on. Showing 
  up at his home or at the docks are probably the best ways to get on his bad side. Kazi won’t open the door of his apart-
  ment for anyone he doesn’t know, and even if they bring someone along for introductions he’s not going to be happy 
  about having his personal space invaded, and suggests a later meeting at the Crater Saloon. The same applies if he is 
  approached anywhere near his workplace. In either case, unless they have a proper introduction, Kazi’s initial attitude 
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  toward the player characters is Standoffish (Neutral if proper intro-
  ductions are made) and one of them must make a successful TN 
  14 Communication (Persuasion) test to convince Kazi to meet with 
  them. If Kazi refuses a meet, they’ll need to seek out a different 
  approach. 
  Assuming the crew meets with or looks for Kazi at the Crater 
  Saloon, read or paraphrase the following:
  The Crater Saloon is much the same as any of thousands 
  of bars and pubs throughout the solar system where working-
  class folks gather for a quick drink (or twelve) after work. The 
  heavy beat of Belter-synth nearly overwhelms the sound 
  of people talking and laughing, and the long, narrow bar 
  is packed with local workers, most of them Belters or Luna 
  natives. Past the bar is a small room crammed with tables 
  and chairs where small groups gather to share drinks and 
  tell tall tales. 
  Kazi is likely near the far end of the bar chatting up the bartender. 
  If more than one or two characters approach him at a time, worsen 
  his attitude by one level as large groups of strangers make him 
  nervous. Assuming the crew can convince him they aren’t cops, he’ll 
  talk to the bartender briefly and then lead them to a private room in 
  the back. This room looks like it’s used as a combination meeting 
  room and storage locker. A small table and three chairs are pushed 
  against one wall while the rest of the room contains shelves filled 
  with a wide variety of cheap liquor, packaged snacks, and cleaning 
  products. There’s also a bucket with a mop and a broom shoved into 
  one corner. 
  Kazi is a business man and treats this meeting as such. He’s not 
  the type to divulge information about his other clients. How the 
  crew goes about this is up to them but any Communication (Intimi-
  dation or Persuasion) tests without any additional inducements should be TN 19 (modified by his current attitude). At the 
  very least Kazi is going to want significant financial compensation but the easiest way to get him to agree is help him out 
  with a small favor. 
  It should be noted that Kazi is very much an independent freelancer and isn’t a part of one of the gangs—he doesn’t 
  even consider himself to be a Belter. That said, if a fight breaks out in the bar he does have a lot of friends and a few 
  of them are likely to come to his aid, especially if a group of player characters decides to get rough with him. However, 
  if things turn deadly and guns come out, most of these “friends” disappear just as fast as they came to his aid. You can 
  decide how many bar patrons join in based on how exciting you want things to get, although 2-3 would be a good number 
  (use the Hooligan in Chapter 13: Threats of The Expanse RPG). 
   OpA intruSiOn
  At some point during their conversation with Kazi, the OPA faction the Free Fools, which the crew encountered in Breaking 
  the Surface, shows up at the meeting to kidnap Kazi. They are following the same trail as the crew to locate the protomol-
  ecule. Have this attack occur at the most dramatically appropriate moment. If the crew try to speak to Kazi at his home they 
  could attack just as the crew are leaving, or they could strike as the crew are meeting with Kazi in the back room of the Crater 
  Saloon. There should be as many OPA members as there are player characters, plus one. Saving Kazi from the kidnapping 
  attempt immediately increases his attitude by one. 
  If the Free Fools attack doesn’t seem warranted, allow the crew to make TN 14 Perception (Seeing) tests. If successful, 
  they notice the OPA members lurking around. Any Belter automatically knows that the Free Fools rarely venture out of 
  their territory and seeing them on the moon is highly unusual. Anyone else can make a successful TN 13 Intelligence 
  (Current Affairs) test to know this information. If any of the crew corner the Free Fools or speak to them, they try to slip 
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  away. This can be resolved with an opposed Perception (Seeing) test against the OPA member’s Dexterity (Stealth) 
  or played out as a full chase scene (see Chases in Chapter: 5 Gameplay of The Expanse RPG.) if the crew decide to 
  pursue them.
  If any of the OPA members are cornered or captured, they claim to be on Luna for legitimate business. A successful TN 14 
  Perception (Empathy) test reveals they are lying. Of course, if they are captured while kidnapping Kazi they can’t use this 
  excuse and just clam up. These OPA members are fanatics, willing to give their lives for the cause. It takes a successful TN 
  19 Strength (Intimidation) test, or something similar, to get them to admit they are after the protomolecule. If pressed, they 
  might also reveal that there are at least a half dozen more Free Fools on Luna, although they don’t know where they all are 
  at the moment. 
  If the crew rescue Kazi, or even drive off the Free Fools, no more negotiation tests are necessary and this is enough to 
  get Kazi to trust them (immediately raising his attitude to Friendly). Having been rescued from fanatical OPA kidnappers, 
  Kazi makes the offer described in the next section, A Small Favor. If the crew has really impressed Kazi (or you just want 
  to move directly into the core story) you can skip ahead to What Kazi Knows and have him give them the information 
  they want to know about Pope’s operations on Luna. This is an especially excellent course of action if Kazi hears the Free 
  Fools talk about the protomolecule. But ultimately, you can use this as a reward for good roleplaying or good dice rolls. 
  A SmAll FAvOr
  The easiest way to get Kazi to talk is to help him out with a little problem. A package he was supposed to intercept (and 
  hand over to a very important client) slipped by and was delivered before he managed to arrange a diversion. The package 
  was delivered to Yabai Imports, a specialty foods company that caters to the wealthy elite on the moon. As far as he knows, 
  the package is currently sitting in the company’s warehouse and is going to be delivered to Ming’s, an upscale Cantonese 
  restaurant, tomorrow afternoon. Kazi is a fixer and doesn’t like to get his hands dirty with things like break-ins or robberies, 
  so the arrival of the PCs seems like the perfect opportunity for him to set things right with his client while still keeping his 
  hands clean. Assuming they take on the job, the crew have two options: they can break into the warehouse and recover the 
  package, or they can intercept it while it’s in transit the following day. The package itself is hidden inside a crate full of spices 
  and measures about 30cm x 60cm x 15cm. Kazi can provide a description of the shipping crate as well as its packaging 
  number for easy identification. The package contains cigars, which are contraband on the moon, as are most ignitable or 
  combustible materials. 
  The Yabai Imports facility isn’t the best protected warehouse on the moon and the couriers who make the delivery to 
  Ming’s aren’t a high-level security detail. The only way the crew are likely to have a problem retrieving the package is if they 
  botch some part of the job and alert Luna security. Since helping out Kazi is only an aside to the main story the GM is encour-
  aged to conduct this caper as a challenge test. 
  BREAK-IN
  This challenge is designed for use if the crew opts to break into the Yabai Imports warehouse to recover the package. 
  Communication (Investigation) is used for doing the legwork to learn the best means and time for the break-in. Dexterity 
  (Stealth) allows the crew to perform the break-in without being detected. Finally, Intelligence (Technology) and (Security) 
  are used for bypassing the security on the warehouse.
  CHALLENGE: BREAK-IN
  DIFFICULTY: TN 12          SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 10          TIME PER TEST: 3 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Security), Intelligence (Electronics), Communication (Investigation) 
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The crew draws some unwanted attention, increasing the TN of their further challenge tests by +2 until they 
  make a separate TN 15 Dexterity (Stealth) or Communication (Deception) test to throw off suspicion. Success on this 
  test eliminates the TN increase but does not contribute to their success threshold.
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  MODERATE
  An employee suspects something is off about the crew’s presence and asks them to leave the building. 
  If the characters can’t succeed at a TN 14 Communication (Deception) test to convince the employee that they are 
  honest, they have to exit the building completely and try again. The TN for future challenges is increased by 2 and they 
  lose their accumulated success.
  MAJOR
  A confrontation with Star Helix security. The crew must overcome several Star Helix officers equal to the 
  number of the crew, although if things go bad they can call in reinforcements. (Use Police Officer in Chapter 13: 
  Threats in The Expanse Roleplaying Game, but increase Perception and one other ability to 3, Fortune and Defense to 
  15, and give them medium armor, providing a +4 Toughness bonus.)
  INTERCEPTION
  Use this challenge test if the crew decides to intercept the cargo crate when it is being transported from the Yabai Imports 
  warehouse to Ming’s. Intelligence (Tactics) allows the crew to pinpoint the best location for an ambush or distraction outside 
  the prying eyes of security cameras and other observers. Dexterity (Stealth) is used for setting up the ambush and Strength 
  (Intimidation) or Communication (Deception) for getting away with the goods. Of course, these tests can be changed if 
  desired, and the scene played out in its entirety if the crew have a specific plan in mind. 
  CHALLENGE: POSE AS CUSTOMERS
  DIFFICULTY: TN 12          SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 12          TIME PER TEST: 10 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Intelligence (Tactics), Dexterity (Stealth), Strength (Intimidation)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The crew draws some unwanted attention, increasing the TN of their further challenge tests by +2 until they 
  make a separate TN 15 Dexterity (Stealth) test to blend in again. Success on this test eliminates the TN increase but 
  does not contribute to their success threshold.
  MODERATE
  The crew is questioned by Star Helix security and must succeed at a TN 13 Communication (Deception) 
  test or be taken in for questioning. 
  MAJOR
  Confrontation with either Star Helix security or the courier company. There are 2-3 security guards that the 
  crew must overcome. (Use Security Guards in Chapter 13 of The Expanse RPG, but increase Perception and one other 
  Stat to 3, Fortune and Defense to 15, and give them Medium Armor providing a +4 Armor Bonus.)
  With the package safely in hand, the crew can return to Kazi to get the information they need. The box itself is metallic, 
  sealed and locked with anti-tampering measures. If they go to the trouble of opening it, requiring a TN 15 Intelligence (Secu-
  rity) test, they discover that it does indeed contain cigars. Of course, Kazi won’t be happy if he discovers the box has been 
  tampered with. Completing this task for him automatically raises his attitude to Very Friendly. 
  whAt KAzi KnOwS
  To get Kazi to spill his guts about Pope requires the PCs to raise his attitude to Very Friendly. Saving him from the Free 
  Fools’s abduction attempt and recovering his missing package does this automatically. However, if they somehow screw 
  up one or both of those options, they may need to come up with a different approach. His attitude begins at Standoffish 
  (or Neutral if they had a proper introduction). If they haven’t made him happy the crew may have to engage in some social 
  maneuvering to get what they want. This could be an opposed Communication (Etiquette, Persuasion, or Seduction) test 
  or something else entirely, depending on what the players come up with. Alternately, the characters could take a different 
  tack and use a more forceful approach. They can also open up to Kazi and tell him all about the protomolecule. A successful 
  TN 16 Communication (Persuasion) test convinces him that they are telling the truth and increases his attitude by one level, 
  otherwise he thinks they’re full of moon dust (a Lunar colloquialism for “full of crap”) and lets them know as much. 
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  The following section details what information Kazi is willing to reveal based on his current attitude. 
  STANDOFFISH OR NEUTRAL
  WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SEBASTIAN POPE?
  “Who? I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
  YOU DELIVERED A PACKAGE TO HIM, DIDN’T YOU? 
  “Huh? I told you I don’t know that guy.”
  YOU’RE A FIXER, RIGHT? YOU SMUGGLE STUFF ON AND OFF THE MOON. 
  “Slow down now…I don’t know you that well. Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for and maybe I can point 
  you in the right direction?”
  OPEN OR FRIENDLY
  WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SEBASTIAN POPE?
  “What do you want to know? Anyone who’s anyone knows who he is? Stupid rich guy…owns like a billion companies…
  everything from mining to high-tech. Why would you expect a guy like me would know much about someone like him?”
  YOU DELIVERED A PACKAGE TO HIM, DIDN’T YOU? 
  “You’re gonna have to buy me a few more drinks before we talk about anything like that.” 
  YOU’RE A FIXER, RIGHT? YOU SMUGGLE STUFF ON AND OFF THE MOON. 
  “I might be able to help. Tell me a little more about what you need.”
  WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT POPE IS DOING ON LUNA AND WHERE YOU DELIVER SMUGGLED GOODS TO HIM. 
  “Sorry, I’m not in the business of burning clients, especially clients in Pope’s league…that’s assuming he even is a 
  client. You want to know things like that, we’re going to have to get to know each other better.” (He eventually brings 
  up the possibility of doing him A Small Favor.)
  VERY FRIENDLY
  SO, TELL US EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT POPE.
  “I’m sure you already know the big stuff…gazillionaire business magnate, tycoon.... Pope has his fingers in just about 
  every business imaginable but specializes in high-tech medical research. He keeps a residence here on Luna but he 
  rarely uses it. Mostly, he lets friends and acquaintances stay there or he uses it for meetings. What you’re looking for 
  is his off-site operation. About a year ago Pope bought up an old aluminum refinery from the early days. The thing’s 
  been out of commission for over a century. It was shut down after some kind of accident, but he’s clearly running 
  some kind of illegal biotech operation out there. Mostly medical stuff, based on the equipment I smuggled in for him.”
  At this point Kazi fills them in on any information he has. If they have successfully convinced him that Pope is experi-
  menting with the protomolecule Kazi goes out of his way to help in any way he can. Innovative PCs might want to use 
  the fixer’s connections to Pope to set up a false delivery or something similar. Unfortunately, Kazi’s contact with Pope 
  has always been one way: Pope, or more often one of his flunkies, contacts Kazi to set up a drop. He does know that the 
  old transport tunnels lead out to the old factory, but warns it is probably quite dangerous since they haven’t been used 
  for decades. He also might be able to facilitate bribing the Lunar Surface Guides to look the other way during a surface 
  excursion (see Overland in Scene 2).
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  SCene 2
  Over the mOOn 
  COmbAt/SOCiAl enCOunter
  Once they know the location of Pope’s secret lab the crew needs 
  to figure out how to get there. The lab is only 10 kilometers from 
  Lovell City, but that’s 10 kilometers of hard vacuum since the trans-
  port tube there has been long closed. There is no information to 
  be found about how people and supplies are transferred to and 
  from Pope’s lunar base. Although the PCs have no way to learn this, 
  Pope recently had a landing bay constructed just outside the labo-
  ratory complex, allowing shuttlecraft to dock. (The dock was only 
  just completed, after Kazi helped him smuggle a number of things, 
  including the protomolecule, out to the laboratory, so he doesn’t 
  know about it.) Pope keeps two small shuttles there at all times. The 
  authorities have been bribed so Luna flight control never logs the 
  take-off or landing of these shuttles. 
  Kazi can obtain blueprints for the plant (only parts of which are 
  still accurate), but more importantly he knows that the underground 
  Lunar Transport System (LTS) used to connect to the plant. The 
  access tunnels have been shut off, but they are still accessible via 
  the existing tubes. 
  tunnelS
  The Lunar Transport System (LTS) connect all of the habitations on 
  the moon. You can catch a transport tube that takes you within a 
  few minutes’ walk of almost anywhere you might want to go. Unfor-
  tunately, after the accident at the aluminum processing plant the 
  transport tubes there were sealed. If the crew played through To 
  Sleep, Perchance to Dream, they’ll likely know that Vector Security 
  is fond of using explosives to protect old tunnels and the same is certainly true here. A TN 11 Intelligence (Computers) or 
  (Research) test allows the crew to locate the entrance to the abandoned tube under Lovell City. The entrance on the Lovell 
  City end has been welded shut and requires a TN 13 Dexterity (Sabotage) or Intelligence (Engineering) test to bypass. The 
  crew might also have to avoid maintenance workers and possibly even security in the service tunnels, depending on how 
  hard the GM wants to make this section. 
  The tunnels themselves are quite a hazard and involve climbing over fallen debris or even up or down areas where 
  the tube moves vertically, and then of course there are the explosives set by Vector Security to ensure no one uses this 
  entrance. Getting through the tunnels can be treated as a challenge with the following parameters:
  CHALLENGE: POSE AS CUSTOMERS
  DIFFICULTY: TN 15          SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 20          TIME PER TEST: 5 minutes
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Communication (Deception, Disguise, or Etiquette), Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)
  The first failure on the challenge test begins at minor. The next increases the consequence level by one to moderate. 
  Each time a moderate consequence is dealt with, roll 1d6. If the roll is less than or equal to the total number of failures 
  proceed to the major consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The crew encounters debris, a vertical tunnel, or some other minor hazard that must be traversed or avoided. 
  This requires a TN 11 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Climbing) test from each character to avoid taking 2d6 
  damage. Alternately, one character might make a TN 13 Intelligence (Engineering) test to figure out a safe way around 
  the hazard. If this fails, increase the difficulty for the other tests. 
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  MODERATE
  The crew comes to an area mined or monitored by Vector Security. You can choose or randomly deter-
  mine which of the following they encounter (roll 1d6):
  D6
  ENCOUNTER
  1-3
  Pressure Plate Activated Explosive: A pressure plate triggers an explosive device. Characters can notice 
  the pressure plate with a successful TN 15 Perception (Searching or Seeing) test. The trigger can be 
  deactivated by a character with a TN 16 Intelligence (Demolitions or Security) test or every character making 
  a successful TN 11 Dexterity (Acrobatics) test. Setting off the trap inflicts 3d6 damage to all characters within 
  5 meters of the pressure plate. 
  4-6
  Laser Tripwire Activated Explosive or Alarm: A laser tripwire triggers an explosive device or alarm. 
  Characters can notice the tripwire with a successful TN 17 Perception (Searching or Seeing) test. The laser 
  trigger can be deactivated by one character making a TN 15 Intelligence (Demolitions or Security) test 
  or every character making a successful TN 11 Dexterity (Acrobatics) test. Setting off the trap inflicts 3d6 
  Damage to all characters within 5 meters of the trigger point. If it is an alarm, Vector Security becomes aware 
  that the tunnels have been infiltrated and reacts appropriately. If Vector Security is alerted to intruders, they 
  set up an ambush in in the terminal area that connects to the lab. There are a number of Vector Security equal 
  to the number of characters and they set themselves up in a well-defensible position, using all available cover. 
  They try to capture the crew alive (which can allow for a potential escape scene later). If the alarm is sounded, 
  this also gives Pope ample time to get away—see Protomolecule on the Loose. 
  MAJOR
  An explosion further down the tunnel causes a significant portion of the tunnel to collapse. This should be 
  treated as a Murderous Hazard. Everyone in the tunnel takes 6d6 damage from falling debris. The PCs must make a TN 
  13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) test. If successful, they take half damage, but if the test fails they are trapped under the debris. 
  An additional TN 15 Intelligence (Engineering) test followed by Strength (Might) test is required to free the character. 
  Failure on either test results in another minor cave-in for 3d6 damage. 
  OverlAnd
  Getting to the Lunar surface from Lovell City is harder than one might imagine. PCs who decide they want to walk or drive 
  across the surface of the moon to Pope’s laboratory are going to have to find the means (legitimate or otherwise) of getting 
  out of the city. All moon walks and transportation are strictly controlled by the Lunar Surface Guides (or LSG). Politicians 
  on the moon don’t like to see stories about people dying on the surface because they didn’t properly secure their suit or 
  take enough air for their return journey. There are also a number of places of important historical significance, including 
  the Apollo 11 landing site, that the ministers of Luna don’t want destroyed by wandering civilians. The LSG was formed in 
  the early days of Lunar settlement and they keep a solid hold on all surface exploration. Vac suits and moon rovers can 
  be rented or purchased, but anyone leaving the city must either be in the company of a LSG member or be certified them-
  selves—a process that involves hefty fees and months of training and testing.
  The crew may decide to simply land their ship near the laboratory, but ship traffic in the vicinity of the moon is strictly moni-
  tored and landing without good reason and authorization is prohibited. There are any number of operations that take place on 
  the moon’s surface, from mining to military training exercises, which could be endangered by ships too close to the surface. 
  Since the facility owned by Pope is only about 10 kilometers from Lovell City it would be impossible to 
  land there without anyone noticing. 
  To get outside the city on their own the player characters must bribe a high-ranking member of the 
  LSG, bypass security and sneak out, or steal a lunar rover. Bribing a member of the LSG to get access 
  to suits or a rover is costly, requiring a TN 20 Income test and a successful TN 15 Communication 
  (Bargaining or Persuasion) test. Of course, seduction or intimidation are other options. If the PCs 
  decide to steal or otherwise illegally obtain the necessary equipment, improvise based on the crew’s 
  actions. 
  Getting outside the city and onto the surface of the moon without being noticed or setting off an 
  alarm requires successful TN 11 Dexterity (Stealth) tests by all of the crew (this difficulty is increased 
  to TN 15 and must be made by all drivers if they take moon rovers) and a TN 13 Intelligence (Secu-
  rity) test. If either fails, the crew may find themselves pursued by several armed members of the LSG 
  mOOn rOver
  HANDLING  -1   
  CAPACITY   4
  VELOCITY   25 km per hour
  RAM
   2d6
  HULL
   0
  INCOME TN
    16
  NOTES
  Advanced Sensor Package, 
  Good Juice, Hull Plating, 
  Improved Stores, Medical 
  Expert System.
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  who insist they return to the city at once. Once back, they are likely arrested and then fined (each 
  character must make a TN 16 Income test) before being released. 
  bitter rivAlS
  The Free Fools faction of the OPA have been searching for the protomolecule since first learning 
  about its existence during Breaking the Surface. They have followed the trail just as the player char-
  acters have, though by a different route, and have come to the same conclusion that the protomol-
  ecule must be at this base. Having noticed the crew in Scene 1, unless the they have taken extreme 
  measures to keep their activities unnoticed (in which case some opposed roles might be in order) they 
  have kept tabs on the crew ever since. Fearing the crew might beat them to the protomolecule, they 
  ambush them on the surface of the moon using hijacked mining rovers.
  There is one OPA member for each player character and they have two mining rovers; one rides 
  inside each mining rover while any remaining OPA members hang onto the outside of the rovers 
  and use guns.
  unexpeCted help
  If the player characters are about to be overrun and defeated in combat, Diana and a team of her elite mercenaries can 
  arrive just in time to save the day. Optionally, you can have Diana arrive before a combat scene and offer her assistance. 
  (Just before breaching the Pope laboratory is a possibility.) Depending upon the scene and how much combat remains until 
  the final chapter, most or all the mercenaries should be killed off. Even if the player characters don’t need assistance, Diana 
  and her mercenaries should show up at some point during their raid. How has she been tracking them and how did she 
  know they’re here? Leave that a mystery. She won’t answer and ultimately there are any number of ways she could know 
  where they are. Having a specific ship tracked isn’t very hard if you have the resources to devote to it (which she certainly 
  does), and if the crew trusts her they may have even told her where they were going. After all, she insisted they update her 
  on any news about Pope. 
  mining rOver
  HANDLING  -2   
  CAPACITY   1
  VELOCITY   20 km per hour
  RAM
   3d6
  HULL
   2
  INCOME TN
    20
  WEAPONS
  Grinders 5d6
  NOTES
  These are larger, heavier duty 
  versions of the moon rovers 
  that are used for surface mining. 
  Huge grinders tear into the 
  lunar surface and the suck up 
  the material into hoppers on the 
  back of the rover.
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  SCene 3
   intO the lAb 
  SOCiAl/COmbAt enCOunter
  Pope’s research lab on Luna is an old aluminum refinery abandoned for decades after an act of industrial sabotage rendered 
  it inoperable. This being one of Pope’s most secret research labs, great care was taking in obtaining the location and making 
  it all but impossible to trace its ownership and operation back to Pope or Pope Enterprises. The only real link is that members 
  of Vector Security are occasionally assigned here, but they are all carefully vetted, and aren’t even told the location of their 
  assignment. 
  The research station is home to approximately 60 people at any given time: 30 scientists, 18 administrators, and 12 secu-
  rity. They all operate in shifts meaning that at any given time, one-third are working, one-third are engaging in leisure activi-
  ties, and one-third are sleeping. The altered nature of the scientists (see the Altered Scientists under Adversaries & Allies) 
  means that, despite this routine, half or more of them can be found actively working at any given time.
  THE LABORATORY
  The main lab is built in and around what had formerly been the main smelting and processing center for the refinery. Huge 
  tanks that once held molten aluminum dominate the room, but vast amounts of high-tech equipment has been built in and 
  around them. A new grated floor has been installed over the previous floor, covered in aluminum from where one of the 
  tanks breached. This new flooring is cluttered with tables and countertops overflowing with computers and all kinds of scien-
  tific equipment and medical devices. Several medical cots, covered in monitoring devices, line one wall of the room. Three 
  of the cots are currently occupied. Two sealed, coffin-like chambers are located in the center of the room. These sealed 
  chambers are made of a transparent material, allowing for easy viewing of the occupants; both are adult males, apparently 
  in their late fifties, currently unconscious or asleep. Both have a faint blue glow emitting from their skin, and one appears to 
  have a crystalline substance emitting a faint glow from where it’s growing over his left eye.
  There are 10-15 (9 + 1d6) scientists in the lab at any given time. They are all unarmed and tend to ignore the arrival of any 
  newcomers unless someone interferes with their work.
  When the PCs enter the laboratory, but before they are noticed, 
  read or paraphrase the following:
  The room is abuzz with noise and activity and reeks of sulfur 
  and other less pleasant odors. Several people in white lab 
  coats bustle about, leaning over electro-microscopes, poring 
  over streams of data on terminals, and excitedly discussing 
  their findings or debating theories with one another. As they 
  move about, their feet clang on the grated metallic floor 
  covering what appears to be hardened, molten aluminum. 
  Tables and countertops are jammed to overflowing with all 
  sorts of electronic and medical equipment. There are several 
  medical cots—some of which are occupied—scattered about, 
  and two sealed chambers that resemble glass coffins covered 
  in a myriad of blinking lights rest in the center of the room. 
  Around the perimeter of the chamber are four massive tanks 
  that were probably once used for smelting aluminum, but now 
  sit unused.
  LUNAR ACCESS DOME
  The access dome is new construction and not part of the original 
  facility. Domes are not usually used for living structures on the 
  surface of the moon due to dangers from radiation and meteorites. 
  However, in this case, the dome was constructed simply as a loca-
  tion to house rovers (providing some protection against meteorite 
  strikes) and as a docking facility for landing shuttles. 
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  123
  the reSeArCh 
  lAbOrAtOry
  1. Corridor to Launch 
  Domes
  2. Pope’s Quarters
  3. Security
  4. Observation Room
  5. Dormitories
  6. Elevator
  7. Train Tunnels
  8. Train Platform
  9. Laboratory
  10.  Machine Shop
  11. Holding Cells
  upper 
  level
  lOwer 
  level
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
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  DORMITORIES
  The scientists and administrators share communal quarters in one of two former storage facilities. Bunk beds line the walls 
  and fill the center of each room. Each bunk has two cargo trunks for clothing and storage of personal belongings. The trunks 
  belonging to the scientists contain little more than spare jumpsuits and personal hygiene items. Those belonging to admin-
  istrators often contain a few personal items: different styles of clothing, jewelry, printed photographs, or other memorabilia 
  from their previous lives. Despite sharing the same living quarters, the administrators have made some effort to claim a 
  part of the room for their own. Some of the area has been separated with flimsy pre-fab walls and even sheets hanging in 
  doorways. A few of the administrators have made a minimal attempt to decorate and a few pieces of art or photos of family 
  members hang on the walls in this area. 
  The second dormitory is a smaller converted storage facility where the security officers sleep. 
  POPE’S QUARTERS
  Pope’s quarters are a set of rooms just past the security room, formerly used for factory personnel who had to stay on-site 
  for multiple days. The once spartan rooms are now luxuriously appointed and make up a small suite: office, bedroom, and 
  meeting room. Pope maintains these quarters for his occasional visits when he wants to personally check up on progress. 
  He also uses it as a private meeting place while on the moon. 
  OBSERVATION ROOM
  The entire wall on one side of this room is a large window looking out over the Laboratory. There are several desks and 
  computers scattered about, the majority of them located near the observation window. Most of the administrators conduct 
  their business here while being able to oversee the experiments going on below without interrupting the scientists. 
  HOLDING CELLS
  These holding cells were constructed from pre-fab materials and installed inside what were formerly storage areas. There 
  are a total of twelve cells, six of which are currently holding people in various stages of infection from the protomolecule. 
  If the security chief or Pope has already released the infected, they are likely elsewhere, roaming the station. If any player 
  characters are captured, they are imprisoned in one of the remaining holding cells. 
  The cells can be unlocked using passcodes keyed to hand terminals belonging to Pope, the Security Chief, Head of 
  Admin, and the Lead Scientist. Anyone possessing (and having access to) one of these hand terminals can easily open the 
  cells. Otherwise, a TN 16 Intelligence (Technology or Security) test is required to open the cells. 
  The room is continuously monitored by security cams displayed in both Security and in the Laboratory, and each of the 
  chambers is equipped with a “failsafe” acid spray to dissolve any biological matter inside. It can be triggered from a control 
  panel just inside the door of the holding cell area, or from the hand terminals used by Pope or the Security Chief. Anyone 
  inside a cell when its failsafe is activated takes 2d6 damage per round. If the door is still open, a character in the cell can roll 
  a TN 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) test to take half damage. 
  SECURITY
  The door to this room is locked and can only be opened using a passcode and thumb scan from a member of Vector Secu-
  rity. Alternately, a character can attempt to bypass the lock with a TN 16 Intelligence (Technology or Security) test. 
  There are always two guards on duty here, monitoring the security cameras. 
  prOtOmOleCule On the lOOSe
  Sometimes the best way to keep a secret is in plain sight. Pope hasn’t survived as long and gotten as far as he has in the 
  cutthroat world of business without always having a back-up plan. In this case, Pope knew multiple groups were trying to 
  find his protomolecule sample, so he was prepared to evacuate in case things went wrong. Either he, or one of his assistants 
  escapes in the emergency shuttle and docks with the passenger liner, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise, owned by a subsidiary 
  of Pope Enterprises. 
  Diana’s mercenaries are tracking the whole situation and dispatch a ship after Pope. They make a forced breach near the 
  Victoria Luise’s bridge in an attempt to take control of the luxury liner, but things don’t go according to plan. The bridge crew 
  is killed and the bridge destroyed in the process, with the ship sent spinning into a collision course with the moon!
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  The following is a likely timeline of events:
  1
  As soon as an alarm sounds on the station, Pope begins 
  making his way toward the shuttlecraft. (You can assume 
  he already has the sample aboard the shuttle, so if he is 
  killed or captured on the way, one of his assistants gets 
  away with the sample.)
  2
  The shuttle proceeds to the Prinzessin Victoria Luise.
  3
  When Diana learns a sample of the protomolecule has 
  been taken to the Prinzessin Victoria Luise she contacts 
  other agents to have them intercept it. 
  4
  Diana’s mercenaries manage to board the ship before it 
  departs, leading to a firefight on the bridge. 
  5
  Damage to the ship’s bridge causes the liner to careen 
  out of control, heading for a collision with Luna. 
  “meeting” SebAStiAn pOpe
  If circumstances warrant it, at some point during their incur-
  sion into Pope’s lab he attempts to negotiate with the crew. 
  He likely waits until he is safely on board an escape shuttle or 
  at least nearby. Pope uses his hand terminal to interface with 
  the lab’s communications system so his voice can be heard 
  almost anywhere the characters may be. Comm terminals are 
  located on the walls of most of the rooms (usually just inside 
  the door) and at all of the lab work stations, so the crew can 
  communicate with him through those. Have him make this 
  announcement at a dramatically appropriate moment once 
  the crew’s presence has been discovered. This could be 
  while they’re sneaking down a corridor to create a sense of 
  being watched, or even during a firefight.
  Read or paraphrase the following to the players:
  The speakers of every comm station in your vicinity 
  crackle to life and a voice speaks loudly. 
  “This is Sebastian Pope speaking. Of course, if you’re 
  who I think you are, then you already know that. You’ve 
  been pursuing me and my protomolecule from one end 
  of the solar system to the other and what has it gotten 
  you? Strife, injury, even death? Why not choose another 
  path? Let’s end this conflict once and for all. Let’s talk…. 
  You might find it profitable.” 
  Of course, Pope has no interest in honoring any arrange-
  ment and is only buying time to escape. He keeps the characters 
  talking for as long as possible and if they agree to discuss the situation, he has one of his chief scientists approach to 
  talk while the elite Vector Security agents on the station move into position to take them out. Pope uses every second to 
  get closer to his escape on board the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. This is likely the first time the crew actually gets to speak 
  to Pope and he should come off as haughty and arrogant, but also reasonable and willing to negotiate. He’s a master 
  communicator and uses every trick in the book to keep the characters talking while he makes his escape. 
  COntingenCieS
  It’s possible that the player characters do something so drastic 
  (or so effective) that Pope would never have a reasonable chance 
  to get off the moon. Perhaps they decide to suffer the repercus-
  sions and nuke the site of the laboratory from orbit. Or maybe they 
  are just so stealthy Pope never has a chance to realize they are 
  in the base before they take control of everything. At this point, 
  you have two choices: let the adventure conclude here or fudge 
  things a little to allow Pope or at least the protomolecule sample to 
  escape to the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. If Pope is captured before 
  he can evacuate, assume the protomolecule was already loaded 
  onto one of the shuttles and that one of Pope’s assistants takes it 
  to the liner, with similar results.
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  AllieS turned enemy
  At some point during the story Diana and her mercenaries turn on the player characters. Remember, it is Diana’s ultimate 
  goal to secure a sample of the protomolecule for her superior, Winston Duarte. Once that is accomplished, or she feels it’s 
  within reach, she needs to eliminate any witnesses. The mostly likely time for this is when the characters learn that a sample 
  of the protomolecule has been taken to the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. She may already be with the crew at the lab, in which 
  case she and her mercs accompany them until the time is ripe. It’s also possible only Diana joins the characters at the lab, 
  keeping the mercenaries in reserve. No matter what, she won’t try to take the crew on by herself and instead contacts her 
  mercenaries before making a move.
  SCene 4
  endgAme 
  SOCiAl/COmbAt enCOunter
  Once they realize Pope, or an assistant, has taken the protomolecule sample to the Prinzessin Victoria 
  Luise the crew will almost certainly want to set out in pursuit. By the time the characters learn the fate 
  of the protomolecule, the Prinzessin Victoria Luise is breaking orbit to begin its long trek to Tycho 
  Station. The crew have to figure out how to get to the luxury liner and then how to board the ship. 
  They probably have two choices readily available to them: they can take one of the shuttlecraft from 
  the lunar base or they can use their own ship. If they have captured Pope, they can force him to spill 
  his guts on everything he knows about the protomolecule, including the fact that there is a sample on 
  board the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. 
  Time things so the mercenary ship under Diana’s command finishes transferring the mercenaries to 
  the Prinzessin Victoria Luise and undocks just as the crew’s transport approaches. The mercenary ship 
  does everything within its power to stop the crew’s ship (or shuttle) from docking with the liner, which 
  likely means a fight between ships. If the PCs choose to take one of the shuttles, they may find them-
  selves in a tight spot, although they may be able to slip by the mercenary ship through stealth—this 
  requires the pilot to make a series of TN 17 Dexterity (Piloting) tests to get lost among the ship traffic 
  around Luna. Or, they could bluff their way on board by pretending to be a legitimate shuttle from Luna 
  with late-arriving passengers, requiring at least a TN 17 Communication (Deception) test. The GM must 
  be ready to improvise depending on what kind of hare-brained scheme the characters come up with.   
  merCenAry Ship
  SIZE  Large
  HULL   2d6
  CREW  4 (16)
  COMPETANCE  Capable
  DRIVE  Epstein, Thrusters
  SENSORS   1
  WEAPONS
  Point Defense Network (Close 
  Range, 2d6 Damage)
  QUALITIES
  Hidden Compartments, Maneu-
  verable
  FLAWS
  High Maintenance
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  The PCs should arrive at the Victoria Luise just after the firefight on the bridge between Diana’s mercenaries and the 
  bridge crew. The ship does not respond to hails and moments after the PCs board it begins moving erratically and makes 
  a sharp turn, causing the ship to hurl directly toward the moon. The crew can still dock with the massive ship but this 
  requires a successful TN 15 Dexterity (Piloting) test. Failure means their ship scrapes against the larger vessel while 
  docking causing 2d6 damage to their ship. Once docked, they’ll need to make a TN 11 Intelligence (Technology or Secu-
  rity) test to remotely open the liner’s airlock. 
  On bOArd the viCtOriA luiSe
  The player characters must decide the best course of action to keep the Prinzessin Victoria Luise from crashing into 
  the moon, and maybe rescue as many of the passengers as they can. Probably the best thing they can do is to head to 
  the engineering section and try to take control of the ship. Of course, they’re also going to want to get to Pope and the 
  protomolecule as quickly as possible, meaning the group is likely to split to try to solve both problems at once. If the Up 
  the Ante option (see page 128) is used then they’ll only need to worry about keeping the liner from crashing—it being too 
  late for the passengers—unless they just want to exact vengeance on Pope.
  You may want to adjust this based on exactly where on the luxury liner they choose to board, but when the PCs first 
  board the Victoria Luise read or paraphrase the following (adjust as necessary if using the Up the Ante option):
  As soon as you step onto the ship you are engulfed in chaos: klaxons are sounding, alarms are flashing, and 
  passengers and crew alike are running about in a state of panic. Terrified passengers try to push past you to get 
  onto your ship and suddenly the gravity lurches as the ship’s rotation shifts causing people and objects to go flying 
  into the far wall. The screams and cries as people slam into the wall and each other are deafening. 
  The sudden lurch isn’t enough to dislodge anyone wearing magnetic boots, but anyone not wearing them must make 
  a TN 16 Dexterity (Acrobatics or Free Fall) test or take 2d6 damage from slamming into a wall. Characters who go to the 
  ship’s bridge find all of the crew and instrumentation equally dead. It looks like a grenade (or two) went off on the bridge. 
  A character can make a TN 11 Intelligence (Technology or Computers) test to get a terminal active enough to realize the 
  ship is careening toward the moon. Of course, they probably already knew this before they boarded. They can only hope, 
  if they want to stop the catastrophic descent, that the engineering section is intact and the ship can be controlled from 
  there. A character can access the Victoria Luise’s main computer from just about any terminal on board to try to discover 
  Pope’s location. A successful TN 15 Intelligence (Computers) test reveals Pope has a permanent stateroom on board and 
  the system indicates he is currently in residence. 
  Assuming the crew splits into two groups, one to get to engineering and the other to get to Pope, you can use the same 
  challenge test for each group. From the time the characters board the Victoria Luise they have 30 minutes until the ship 
  crashes into the moon. 
  CHALLENGE: MOVING AROUND THE SHIP
  DIFFICULTY: TN 15 (increase to 17 if using Up the Ante)          TIME PER TEST: 1 minute
  SUCCESS THRESHOLD: 30 (to get to engineering from the bridge) 20 (to get to Pope’s quarters from the bridge) 
  ABILITY FOCUSES: Dexterity (Stealth), Intelligence (Engineering), Intelligence (Security)
  This is a challenge test. Each failure on the challenge test increases the consequence level by one, starting from minor. 
  If the crew eliminates the minor consequence before increasing the level again, then the next consequence is minor as 
  well. Otherwise, another failure elevates it to a moderate consequence.
  CONSEQUENCES
  MINOR
  The PCs attract the attention of the ship’s security. They can confront them directly or make a separate TN 15 
  Dexterity (Stealth) test (or come up with some other means of escape) to lose them. Or the PCs come to a dangerously 
  damaged part of the ship (exposed power cables or even escaping air due to a hull breach) and must deal with the 
  hazard or suffer a +2 difficulty to future tests. This could be a separate TN 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Intelligence 
  (Engineering) test. Success on this test eliminates the TN increase but does not contribute to their success threshold. 
  If the Up the Ante option is being used the PCs encounter an area of the ship taken over by the protomolecule. The 
  same tests can be used (at a +2 difficulty) to avoid direct contact with the protomolecule. 
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  MODERATE
  The crew finds their planned route blocked by a large crowd of passengers (the escape pods in this part 
  of the ship are malfunctioning and they are panicking as they try to escape) or security doors have slammed shut and 
  locked. They lose their accumulated success total and have to find a different route. If the Up the Ante option is being 
  used use the same as described above but there are also protomolecule-infected passengers or that area of the ship is 
  too badly damaged to make it through.
  MAJOR
   A group of Vector Security (or mercenaries if Diana has already turned on them) spots the crew and attacks 
  them. The scene transitions to either a combat (if the crew attacks) or a chase (if the crew flees). The chase is a TN 12 
  Dexterity (Free-fall or Running) test (success threshold 15). If the Up the Ante option is being used, replace this with 
  protomolecule infected passengers (or mercenaries). 
  OptiOnAl: upping the Ante
  GMs who want to make this encounter especially memorable can decide that in a last bid for immortality Pope releases the 
  protomolecule on board the Prinzessin Victoria Luise. This increases the pandemonium on board the ship exponentially 
  as the modified protomolecule infects the passengers and crew. Not only does the crew have to deal with the panicking 
  passengers, but they may also have to fight off protomolecule-infected passengers or pass through areas infested with the 
  protomolecule. 
  The PCs must wear vac suits (or environment suits of some kind) to have any chance of surviving a direct encounter with 
  the protomolecule. The protomolecule that is loose on the Victoria Luise has become extremely efficient in assimilating 
  organic hosts and spreads quickly throughout the ship. If a player asks if there is any apparent reason behind the movement 
  of the protomolecule have them make a TN 17 Intelligence (Physics or Engineering) test. If they are successful, they note 
  that it appears to be moving toward the aft of the ship. If they succeed at both tests, they realize it is moving toward the 
  ship’s reactor. 
  Emergency vac suits can be found throughout the Victoria Luise and (assuming they didn’t bring their own) the GM is 
  advised to allow the crew to suit-up before they encounter the protomolecule. Note that the protomolecule can infect a 
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  character who has even the smallest tear in their suit. Damage overcome by Fortune does not necessarily mean that the suit 
  has been breached. However, if a character suffers an injured or wounded condition, you can assume their suit has been 
  breached. Most suits come with quick patch repair kits which can patch most rips and tears with a Major Action. 
  If the protomolecule has been released, one of the ranking crew members has enacted a contagion protocol which 
  disables all of the ship’s escape pods, making it impossible for passengers and crew to escape. However, since the proto-
  molecule is spreading aft, the forward third of the ship is safe and free from infection, for the time being. 
  COnFrOnting pOpe
  Ideally, this should occur at Pope’s quarters. He maintains a permanent suite on this liner for himself and other high-ranking 
  members of his company. If Diana hasn’t shown up yet, and is still alive, she should arrive just about now, likely leading to a 
  three-way shootout. Even if Diana has already been killed her mercenaries show up and attempt to acquire the protomolecule. 
  The exterior door to Pope’s quarters has additional security and structural reinforcement requiring a successful TN 
  17 Intelligence (Technology or Security) test to bypass the lock or a TN 19 Dexterity (Sabotage) or Intelligence (Engi-
  neering) test to destroy the door. Once inside, there are two Elite Vector Security agents waiting for them (or more if the 
  GM wishes to create a challenge). There is also a motion-activated taser turret that targets anyone not wearing the proper 
  RFID tag. 
  The suite consists of a large living/entertaining area, dining area, has a full bar, and there is an attached kitchen stocked 
  with a wide variety of exotic foods. Two bedrooms are attached to the living area, each with its own bathroom, complete with 
  shower and soaking tub (an incredible luxury on a ship). Every room is luxuriously appointed with gold filigree furniture (some 
  of it even made of real wood), overstuffed (real) leather couches and chairs, thick carpets, antique lamps, and other curios 
  from Earth (all carefully secured). One wall is almost entirely covered with an immense display screen creating the illusion of 
  a window out to space and usable for entertainment purposes as well. 
  TASER TURRET
  The turret is motion-activated, has six shots, and will not target anyone wearing a special RFID tag—which both Pope and 
  Vector Security officers wear. Pope activates the turret as soon as he gets to the suite. The turret makes a ranged attack with 
  a +4 bonus, doing 2d6-2 penetrating damage if it hits. It is a small object (TN 13 to attack) with Toughness 5. If any damage 
  gets past its Toughness, it stops working. 
  Pope is hiding in the master bedroom of the suite, clutching the canister containing the protomolecule. He tries to nego-
  tiate with any PCs who make it into the bedroom, offering them pretty much anything they desire to let him go—even giving 
  them the protomolecule. He knows this is the end game and he doesn’t have any moves left. Besides, there are certainly 
  other samples of the protomolecule out there. At this point he just wants to get out of this alive. Pope has his fingers on 
  the release mechanism for the canister so shooting him outright isn’t really an option, unless the characters want to risk 
  releasing the protomolecule onto the ship. Ultimately, how the players choose to deal with this is up to them and the options 
  are almost limitless. Here are a few possibilities. 
  ACCEPT OFFER
   It’s possible the crew decides to accept Pope’s offer of untold wealth and a life of luxury to let him go. In this case, you’re 
  well within your rights to have Diana (or one of her agents) show up (or wake up) and shoot Pope in the head. In this case, 
  go to Just Shoot Him. 
  NEGOTIATE
  The PCs can come to some kind of arrangement with Pope. He is reluctant to release the protomolecule canister unless he 
  is allowed certain assurances (possibly summoning more security to escort him to safety). Convincing Pope to believe them, 
  or more likely bluffing him, should require some very difficult opposed social tests. 
  JUST SHOOT HIM
  Pope is overconfident and believes the characters won’t shoot him while he holds the canister, making him an easy 
  target. The canister is only about half a meter long and 10 centimeters in diameter, so it doesn’t offer anything in the way 
  of cover. A character can make a TN 13 Accuracy (Weapon Type) test to shoot Pope at this range and you can consider 
  him “Dead-to-Rights,” meaning he cannot spend Fortune to reduce the damage (see the Dead-to-Rights sidebar in 
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  Chapter 12 of The Expanse RPG). The PCs can also rush him and 
  try to wrest the canister from him. This requires an opposed test 
  using Fighting (Grapple). If Pope is shot (or a grab fails) the canister 
  drops from his hands and the characters have one chance to grab 
  it before the protomolecule is released. Successfully catching and 
  resealing the canister requires a successful TN 15 Dexterity (Acro-
  batics) test. Failure means the protomolecule is released, so you 
  may wish to remind the players they can spend Fortune on this 
  test! Information on the effects of the protomolecule on characters 
  can be found under Protomolecule Effects in Chapter 13 of The 
  Expanse RPG, but it basically means an inglorious end for the crew.
  SAving the viCtOriA luiSe
  The engineering section has been abandoned by crew members 
  trying to escape the ship before it’s destroyed. The chief engineer 
  stayed behind, but fried herself when trying to bypass systems to 
  override the bridge controls and the ship made a high-G maneuver. 
  The ship’s engineering computers do not allow just anyone to make 
  alterations to their systems. Getting control of the ship to keep it from 
  crashing into the moon requires two parts:
  First the characters must gain access to the ship’s computer. This 
  is a TN 15 Intelligence (Computers) advanced test with a success 
  threshold of 12 and a time increment of 3 minutes. Second, they must 
  repair the systems that were damaged by the chief engineer. This 
  requires another TN 13 Intelligence (Engineering) advanced test 
  with a success threshold of 15 and a time increment of 1 minute. Both 
  of these tests can be performed concurrently, or characters can help 
  one another to complete the tasks consecutively. Once the crew has 
  repaired and gained control of the ship’s systems, the ship’s course 
  can be altered by making a successful TN 13 Dexterity (Pilot) test. 
  Each attempt takes one minute and increases the difficulty by one, not to mention bringing the ship closer to its destruc-
  tion. This test would normally be easier, but piloting the ship from engineering is more difficult and the liner has sustained 
  considerable damage. 
  SCUTTLE THE SHIP
  If you are using the Up the Ante option, the PCs may decide that the best option is to scuttle the ship and set the reactor 
  to self-destruct. To set the reactor to self-destruct requires a TN 13 Intelligence (Computers or Engineering) advanced test 
  with a success threshold of 7 and a time increment of 1 minute. Once complete, the crew can set the self-destruct sequence 
  for whatever time they want (hopefully before the ship hits the moon) but with enough time to get off the ship. 
  COnCluSiOn
  There are many possible outcomes for the conclusion of this adventure. The best possible outcome is the characters 
  successfully get the protomolecule from Pope and he is arrested or killed. Of course, even if they are successful in obtaining 
  the protomolecule and saving the Victoria Luise they are going to have to deal with UN Marines who storm the luxury liner 
  shortly after the crew gets things under control. They almost certainly broke a lot of laws getting to this point—some of which 
  they may have to answer for. Though saving the Victoria Luise, Luna, and probably Earth itself may mean they get some 
  leniency. Unless they pull off a miraculous escape from the Victoria Luise and remain undetected, the crew are likely to find 
  themselves as the star guests at a closed-door UN Hearing and may even meet the likes of Deputy Undersecretary Chrisjen 
  Avasarala herself! (See Avasarala’s write-up in Chapter 7 of The Expanse RPG for details.) 
  Where the story goes from here is entirely up to you and your players. What the crew decides to do with the protomol-
  ecule is probably the most important factor here. You and your players may need to decide how closely you want to follow 
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  canon because if the protomolecule falls into the hands of the UN, this 
  drastically alters the course of the story as told in The Expanse novels. 
  However, it’s your game and your universe, whatever happens.
  There are many threads to pick up the story from here and carry on. Over 
  the course of Abzu’s Bounty the crew has made many friends and enemies. 
  They are also squarely in the sights of Winston Duarte and he’s prob-
  ably none too happy with them. On the other hand, Duarte might also be 
  impressed with the abilities the crew has demonstrated and look to recruit 
  them, falling back on eliminating them as a security risk if they refuse.
  AdverSArieS & AllieS
  The following are profiles of the significant non-player characters in Shoot 
  the Moon, along with their Expanse game stats. For additional stock char-
  acters, see the Threats chapter of The Expanse RPG.
  Altered SCientiStS
  The scientists at Pope’s Lunar station have all undergone the same medical 
  procedure as those in To Sleep, Perchance to Dream. This procedure has 
  altered structural elements of the brain, creating a deep sociopathy amongst 
  the researchers, granting them extreme abilities to focus on results-oriented 
  research while freeing them of any moral or ethical constraints. This also 
  makes all of the scientists prone to violent outbursts if they are disturbed 
  while working. The GM can feel free to play this out however they wish, 
  but none of them are interested in leaving, and get agitated, angry, or even 
  violent if anyone interrupts their work. If Pope or any of the security staff 
  order them to attack, they grab medical implements and do so as a frothing, 
  angry mob. 
  diAnA’S merCenArieS
  These mercenaries work for Diana and, through her, Winston Duarte. They 
  are almost uniformly Martian and have mostly been recruited from the Mars 
  Secret Service (MSS) and the Martian Marine Corps (MMC). Some of them 
  know that they work for a separatist faction within the Martian government 
  and are fanatically loyal to Duarte. Others don’t care who they work for as 
  long as they get paid. While Duarte does have agents within the Martian 
  military and secret service, all of those the characters encounter have left 
  the service. They are all experts in their field (feel free to adjust stats for 
  various types of specialists) and always maintain a professional demeanor. 
  They usually wear plain clothes or paramilitary gear. 
  KAzi AnAnd
  Kazi is a man of the moon. He was born on Luna and has never travelled 
  anywhere else. He is a descendant of one of the original engineers who 
  laid the foundations for the first habitats on the moon and is part of a long 
  line of engineers and mechanics. Despite his lineage, he lacks any tech-
  nical skills—instead he has learned how to manipulate and build networks 
  of people. 
  Unlike many of those born and raised on Luna he has never had the 
  desire to go down the well to mother Earth. His parents arranged for him 
  to take bone-strengthening meds as a youth, but he stopped taking them 
  diAnA’S merCenArieS
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 3 (Pistols, Rifles), Communication 1, 
  Constitution 3 (Stamina), Dexterity 2, Fighting 2 
  (Brawling), Intelligence 1, Perception 1 (Hearing), 
  Strength 2, Willpower 2 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  23
  12
  5
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Knife
  +2
  1d6+2
  Pistol
  +5
  2d6+1
  Rifle
  +5
  3d6+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Covering Fire, Group Tactics, Skirmish, Short 
  Burst, Strafe, Take Cover
  Talents: Command (Novice), Rifle or Pistol Style (Expert), 
  Tactical Awareness (Expert)
  Equipment: light body armor, pistol, rifle, knife
  Threat: Minor
  Altered SCientiStS
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1, Communication -2, Constitution 2,  
  Dexterity 2 (Crafting), Fighting 0,  
  Intelligence 4 (Choose three: Engineering, Tinkering, 
  Biology, Medicine, Technology), Perception 1,  
  Strength 0, Willpower 4 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  5
  10
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Knife
  +0
  1d6
  Makeshift Weapon
  +0
  1d6-1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Talents: Expertise (Choose one Intelligence focus, Expert)
  Equipment: weak makeshift weapon (random medical imple-
  ment), some have knives
  Threat: Minor
  KAzi AnAnd
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 1 (Pistol), Communication 4, Constitution 0, 
  Dexterity 2, Fighting 1, Intelligence 3, Perception 1, 
  Strength 0, Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  5
  10
  0
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +1
  2d6+1
  Unarmed
  +1
  1d3
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Cover Your Tracks, It wasn’t Me, Take Cover
  Talents: Carousing (Master), Improvisation (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, pistol
  Threat: Moderate
  131
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Shoot the Moon
  when he turned 18, knowing in his heart that he 
  would never have any desire to visit Earth. 
  The moon, Lovell City in particular, is filled with 
  people of great wealth who tend to think the rules 
  don’t apply to them. Security in Lovell City space-
  port is alert for illegal items being smuggled in, 
  but Kazi has the knowledge and connections to 
  make sure the right items find their way to the 
  right people for the right price. 
  Kazi maintains a “day job” as a dock worker, 
  loading and unloading cargo, an occupation that puts him in the perfect 
  position to smuggle goods on and off the station. He also maintains a wide 
  network of well-bribed station personnel: low-level security guards, customs 
  officials, and others who can turn a blind eye when he needs a package to 
  make it through without being inspected too closely. 
  OpA (the Free FOOlS)
  The Free Fools are a group of the Voltaire Collective who believe in getting 
  things done, no matter the cost. “We must tend our garden,” is their credo 
  and they stick to this in their words and actions. They do not intend to stand 
  around and wait for politicians to make life better for the Belters, they are 
  going to do it themselves. This particular group got wind of a sample of 
  the protomolecule on the loose during Breaking the Surface and they 
  have popped up time and time again as a foil to the PCs. This is their last 
  desperate bid to get hold of the protomolecule. 
  prOtOmOleCule inFeCted
  Fortunately for the PCs these are not the monstrous Project Caliban Hybrids 
  created by Jules-Pierre Mao, but rather humans infected with the protomol-
  ecule as test subjects for Pope’s hibernation and life-extension experiments. 
  They are more controlled than randomly-infected “vomit zombies,” but less 
  dangerous than hybrids designed as living weapons. Most of the infected 
  have been kept in stasis and have just been released by Vector Securities 
  as a last-ditch effort to kill the player characters. They are still recognizable 
  as human beings—it’s even possible to ID the person they were before 
  infection—but their eyes glow with a sickly blue light, and pulses of light are 
  sometimes visible beneath their skin, especially when active. They no longer 
  maintain any sense of self and seek to take out their pain and anger on any 
  living thing around them. 
  OpA (the Free FOOlS)
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 2 (Pistols, Throwing), Communication 2, 
  Constitution 1, Dexterity 2 (Free-fall, Sabotage), 
  Fighting 2 (Brawling, Light Weapons), Intelligence 0, 
  Perception 1, Strength 2 (Intimidation), Willpower 1
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  15
  12
  3
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Pistol
  +3
  2d6+1
  Unarmed
  +3
  1d3+2
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Adrenaline Rush, Double-Team, Whatever’s 
  Handy
  Talents: Contacts (Novice), Finger (Expert)
  Equipment: hand terminal, light armor, pistol
  Threat: Moderate
  prOtOmOleCule inFeCted
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, -Communication 2, Constitution 5, 
  Dexterity -2, Fighting 1, Intelligence -2, Perception -1 
  (Searching), Strength 4, Willpower 2
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  11
  20
  11
  6
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Bite
  +3
  1d6+3
  Unarmed Strike
  +3
  1d6+8
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Grapple, Skirmish
  Burst of Speed: When an infected takes a Run action it moves 
  five times its Speed, rather than double. 
  Regeneration: The infected recovers quickly from any damage 
  that bypasses Toughness. At the start of each of its turns, roll 
  a die for SP for a special stunt: the infected can remove an 
  injured condition (3 SP), remove a wounded condition (4 SP), or 
  recover Fortune Points for every 2 SP spent in any combination. 
  The infected cannot regenerate on the round immediately after 
  taking burning damage, such as from acid or fire. 
  Talents: Grappling Style (Novice), Overwhelm Style (Novice) 
  Equipment: None
  Threat: Moderate
  SebAStiAn pOpe
  Sebastian Pope was born fifty years ago to a family of means on Earth in the city of London where he attended the best 
  schools. After graduating from university, he took over his ailing father’s business, Pope Investments. Pope was a financial 
  genius and in under a decade he multiplied the wealth of his father’s small investment firm many times over, using the 
  money to invest in new companies. Within ten years he was one of the most powerful business magnates in the solar 
  system. 
  Despite being consumed with his businesses and growing his wealth and power, Sebastian Pope was a dreamer. From the 
  time he was a young boy his greatest pleasure was staring up at the stars and daydreaming of visiting another world. He was 
  an avid reader of science fiction and speculative science manuals, especially anything dealing with alien worlds. This dream 
  stayed with him throughout his life, and having attained an incredible fortune he set his sights on attaining his dream—before 
  he died, he would walk on a distant world in another solar system. 
  132
  
  Roleplaying Game
  Shoot the Moon
  For the past few years, Pope has diverted 
  vast portions of his enormous wealth and power 
  toward devising a means of attaining his dream. 
  With the only possible means of travel between 
  the stars being generation ships such as the 
  Navoo, he decided his best bet was to come 
  up with a viable means of suspended anima-
  tion or cryo-sleep. This would allow his body 
  to lie in stasis while he traveled the immense 
  distance between the stars, ultimately allowing 
  him to wake under a distant sun. Pope’s most recent endeavor was illegally 
  using human test subjects to try and come up with a successful means 
  of suspended animation, as detailed in To Sleep, Perchance to Dream in 
  The Expanse Roleplaying Game core rulebook. The Eros incident occurred 
  shortly before the destruction of his illegal laboratory on Herculina, and 
  Pope diverted his attention to learning about the protomolecule—and 
  trying to get hold of a sample. He suspected, correctly, there had to be 
  more of the protomolecule out there somewhere, and after learning about 
  its effects on the human body he desperately hoped to find another. He 
  sent out feelers, filtered research data, and monitored whatever commu-
  nications he could…just in case. Abzu’s Bounty begins with Pope learning 
  about a recent find of a strange mineral that he suspects is the protomol-
  ecule and his subsequent actions to obtain it. 
  Sebastian Pope owns numerous holdings, most through his umbrella 
  company: Pope Enterprises. These include Vector Security and Pope-
  Sanchez Shipping. He has devoted massive quantities of his wealth and 
  resources to his secret project, so much so that he has had to leverage 
  quite a bit of his business interests. In short, he is running out of time. If he 
  doesn’t have a breakthrough soon, someone is going to notice many of 
  his companies have been gutted for their resources and all hell is going to 
  break loose. He’s getting desperate, and desperate men make mistakes. 
  Pope spends most of his time at his family estates on Earth. He isn’t 
  exactly hands-on in his business dealings, but checks in regularly with his 
  leading CEOs and scientists. He is currently single. Although he has been 
  married twice, neither of his partners could deal with Pope’s obsession. 
  These days, most of his focus is on medical research concerning the proto-
  molecule. His scientists have informed him that not only might it be possible to modify the protomolecule to induce a form 
  of hibernation, but it might in fact lead to a breakthrough in human immortality.
  veCtOr SeCurity, elite
  These are the elite members of Vector Security. They are the best-of-the-best and just a little stronger, faster, and more 
  skilled than their counterparts the crew have encountered in previous adventures. A single elite can probably hold their own 
  against any but the most combat-focused player character. 
  SebAStiAn pOpe
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 0, Communication 4 (Bargaining, Etiquette, 
  Leadership), Constitution 1, Dexterity 0, -Fighting 1, 
  Intelligence 4 (Business, Current Affairs, Evaluation, 
  Law), Perception 1 (Empathy), -Strength 1, Willpower 3
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  10
  20
  10
  1
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Unarmed
  +0
  1d3–1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Take Cover
  Talents: Contacts (Master), Executive (Master), Expertise: Busi-
  ness (Master), Intrigue (Master), 
  Equipment: hand terminal
  Threat: Major
  veCtOr SeCurity, elite
  ABILITIES (FOCUSES)
  Accuracy 3 (Pistols, Rifles), Communication 2 
  (Investigation), Constitution 2, Dexterity 1 (Stealth)
  Fighting 3 (Brawl, Grapple, Weapon), Intelligence 0, 
  Perception 1 (Searching), Strength 2,  
  Willpower 2 (Courage)
  SPEED
  FORTUNE
  DEFENSE
  AR + TOU
  12
  22
  12
  5
  WEAPON
  ATTACK ROLL
  DAMAGE
  Club
  +2
  1d6+1
  Knife
  +2
  1d6+2
  Pistol
  +4
  2d6+1
  SPECIAL FEATURES
  Favored Stunts: Guardian Angel, Short Burst, Skirmish
  Talents: Fringer (Novice), Quick Reflexes (Novice)
  Equipment: club, knife, pistol, light body armor
  Threat: Moderate
  133
  
  Leap into exciting adventure in any era from the Indus-
  trial Revolution to the modern day and beyond. The 
  Modern AGE roleplaying game allows you to shape the 
  setting to suit your style—whether it’s gritty action or 
  high adventure, urban fantasy or a dystopian future. 
  With a new, classless character-building system, twenty 
  levels of advancement, and optional rules for psychic 
  and magic powers, you can create the heroes your 
  world needs. Along with an innovative stunt system, rules for 
  thrilling chases, and an introductory adventure, you’ll find all the action you’re 
  after inside the Modern AGE Basic Rulebook. 
  Available Now! 
  Modern AGE Basic Rulebook is © 2018 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.  
  AGE, Green Ronin, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC.
  These Days, 
  the World 
  is Filled 
  with Danger
  These Days, 
  the World 
  is Filled 
  with Danger
  
  Infinite Realms
  Three Powers
  Infinite Realms
  Three Powers
  Infinite Realms
  Three Powers
  Infinite Realms
  Three Powers
  The world we know 
  is one of many planes of existence. Some are alternate 
  worlds, where history took strange, even apocalyptic 
  paths. Some are Otherworlds: weird realms where magic leaves its blazing mark through cities built on the back of 
  monsters, and the floating warships of demigods. Finally, demon princes with wills of iron rule the Netherworlds, 
  planes with twisted natural laws and legions of tormented souls. In ornate archways or simple alley doors, gates 
  connect the myriad planes. You know where to find them. You’ve been initiated into the truth.
  You might belong to the Sodality, an organization that protects the innocent and explores the planes, or you 
  might be an agent of Aethon: a transhuman operative who protects Earth from strange forces, and manipulates 
  the histories of alternate worlds for your AI masters. Battle gods and cyborgs, navigate the cold war between 
  transplanar empires, and uncover the mysteries at the heart of Threefold.
  The first original setting for the Modern AGE roleplaying game, Threefold presents a vast Metacosm able to support 
  virtually any character concept—even any genre—within it. Threefold includes characters with extraordinary 
  powers, and provides additional rules and powers for soul talents, magic, psychic disciplines, occult rituals, and 
  technological enhancements. Threefold unleashes the full potential of Modern AGE, and requires the Modern AGE 
  Basic Rulebook to use.
  Available Now! 
  A Campaign 
  SeTTing for
  The world we know 
  is one of many planes of existence. Some are alternate 
  worlds, where history took strange, even apocalyptic 
  paths. Some are Otherworlds: weird realms where magic leaves its blazing mark through cities built on the back of 
  monsters, and the floating warships of demigods. Finally, demon princes with wills of iron rule the Netherworlds, 
  planes with twisted natural laws and legions of tormented souls. In ornate archways or simple alley doors, gates 
  connect the myriad planes. You know where to find them. You’ve been initiated into the truth.
  You might belong to the Sodality, an organization that protects the innocent and explores the planes, or you 
  might be an agent of Aethon: a transhuman operative who protects Earth from strange forces, and manipulates 
  the histories of alternate worlds for your AI masters. Battle gods and cyborgs, navigate the cold war between 
  transplanar empires, and uncover the mysteries at the heart of Threefold.
  The first original setting for the Modern AGE roleplaying game, Threefold presents a vast Metacosm able to support 
  virtually any character concept—even any genre—within it. Threefold includes characters with extraordinary 
  powers, and provides additional rules and powers for soul talents, magic, psychic disciplines, occult rituals, and 
  technological enhancements. Threefold unleashes the full potential of Modern AGE, and requires the Modern AGE 
  Basic Rulebook to use.
  The world we know 
  is one of many planes of existence. Some are alternate 
  worlds, where history took strange, even apocalyptic 
  paths. Some are Otherworlds: weird realms where magic leaves its blazing mark through cities built on the back of 
  monsters, and the floating warships of demigods. Finally, demon princes with wills of iron rule the Netherworlds, 
  planes with twisted natural laws and legions of tormented souls. In ornate archways or simple alley doors, gates 
  connect the myriad planes. You know where to find them. You’ve been initiated into the truth.
  You might belong to the Sodality, an organization that protects the innocent and explores the planes, or you 
  might be an agent of Aethon: a transhuman operative who protects Earth from strange forces, and manipulates 
  the histories of alternate worlds for your AI masters. Battle gods and cyborgs, navigate the cold war between 
  transplanar empires, and uncover the mysteries at the heart of Threefold.
  The first original setting for the Modern AGE roleplaying game, Threefold presents a vast Metacosm able to support 
  virtually any character concept—even any genre—within it. Threefold includes characters with extraordinary 
  powers, and provides additional rules and powers for soul talents, magic, psychic disciplines, occult rituals, and 
  technological enhancements. Threefold unleashes the full potential of Modern AGE, and requires the Modern AGE 
  Basic Rulebook to use.
  The world we know 
  is one of many planes of existence. Some are alternate 
  worlds, where history took strange, even apocalyptic 
  paths. Some are Otherworlds: weird realms where magic leaves its blazing mark through cities built on the back of 
  monsters, and the floating warships of demigods. Finally, demon princes with wills of iron rule the Netherworlds, 
  planes with twisted natural laws and legions of tormented souls. In ornate archways or simple alley doors, gates 
  connect the myriad planes. You know where to find them. You’ve been initiated into the truth.
  You might belong to the Sodality, an organization that protects the innocent and explores the planes, or you 
  might be an agent of Aethon: a transhuman operative who protects Earth from strange forces, and manipulates 
  the histories of alternate worlds for your AI masters. Battle gods and cyborgs, navigate the cold war between 
  transplanar empires, and uncover the mysteries at the heart of Threefold.
  The first original setting for the Modern AGE roleplaying game, Threefold presents a vast Metacosm able to support 
  virtually any character concept—even any genre—within it. Threefold includes characters with extraordinary 
  powers, and provides additional rules and powers for soul talents, magic, psychic disciplines, occult rituals, and 
  technological enhancements. Threefold unleashes the full potential of Modern AGE, and requires the Modern AGE 
  Basic Rulebook to use.
  ADVENTURE ACROSS countless Worlds!
  ADVENTURE ACROSS countless Worlds!
  ADVENTURE ACROSS countless Worlds!
  ADVENTURE ACROSS countless Worlds!
  
  I
  n a bleak, not-so-distant future, control of the world has been 
  seized by sixteen Families who now rule vast regional empires 
  as lords of a neo-feudal society. Beneath them, those fortunate 
  enough to become Serfs live to serve and fight for their masters. 
  Everyone else, known as Waste, struggles for mere survival. 
  As a player in World of Lazarus, you get to choose your lot in 
  life. Play as a privileged member of a Family, maneuvering for 
  power and security for your legacy. Become a loyal Serf, fighting 
  to maintain order, safety, and your Family’s interests. Or join the 
  Waste, carving out your place in the smoldering 
  ruins of the old world. 
  Based on Image Comic’s critically 
  acclaimed Lazarus series by Greg Rucka 
  and Michael Lark, World of Lazarus is 
  the first campaign setting designed 
  for the Modern AGE roleplaying game. 
  World of Lazarus requires the Modern 
  AGE Basic Rulebook for use.
  Family 
  Above
  All
  Available now!
  
  NOTHING
  Can Stop
  the Work
  Launch into The Expanse with this all-new 
  campaign for the for the roleplaying game based 
  on the critically-acclaimed science fiction series. 
  Now it’s your turn to make your mark! 
  Abzu’s Bounty presents six full-length scenarios 
  designed for a new crew of characters in The 
  Expanse Roleplaying Game. It also contains a 
  wealth of setting information that can be used 
  in your own stories. Abzu’s Bounty is the perfect 
  way to kick off a new campaign. The characters 
  embark on a series of adventures, from a fateful 
  discovery in the rings of Saturn, to acquiring their 
  own ship, to a deadly confrontation that could 
  change the course of history for the entire solar 
  system! 
  Green Ronin Publishing
  3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100, #311
  Seattle, WA 98118
  www.greenronin.com
  GRR6603 
  Abzu’s Bounty is ©2019 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. 
  Green Ronin, The Expanse Roleplaying Game, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. The Expanse is © 2011-2019 Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
  
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