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  1
  ‘This place does not exist. The Imperium rules the space 
  between worlds, not the worlds themselves, and so this station 
  does not belong to any world or noble. You have fallen between 
  the cracks. While you are here, you do not exist.
  And because you do not exist, we can do what we want with 
  you.’
  − Interrogator #3, The Gash Imperial Prison Hulk
  The Death of Grandfather is the eighth adventure in the Secrets 
  of the Ancients campaign. If you are a player, stop reading 
  now. If you are a Referee, then you should ﬁ rst read Section 
  0: Secrets of Secrets to get an overview of the campaign. In 
  Section 7: The Death of Grandfather, the characters escaped 
  Grandfather’s pocket dimension after Yaskoydray’s death, 
  leaving SEVEN trapped in a collapsing universe. The last thing 
  they remember is tumbling through the exit portal...
  Adventure Synopsis
  The characters discover they have been captured by Imperial 
  Intelligence and are being held on ‘the Gash’, an orbital prison 
  hulk above Pixie. There, they are interrogated by Arisa of 
  Imperial Intelligence, who they last encountered back on Alell in 
  Section 2: Homecoming. She demands they reveal what they 
  know about the Ancient vessel that destroyed Gand Holcess 
  and the Alahir.
  The characters need to either escape the prison hulk, or 
  convince Arisa to trust them and that the threat to the Imperium 
  is real.
  IMPERIAL INTELLIGENCE
  The Imperium rules the space between worlds, not the worlds 
  themselves. It is a loose association of 11,000 worlds, and 
  while each domain and sector has its own ﬂ eets and military 
  apparatuses, there are few institutions that encompass the 
  whole Imperium.
  One of these empire-spanning organisations is the Imperial 
  Interstellar Scout Service. The IISS maintains the vital X-Boat 
  network linking the furthest fringes of the Imperium to the 
  core worlds, its scouts survey unexplored planets and gather 
  scientiﬁ c data on Imperial worlds, and it deals with client states 
  and species on the border of Imperial space. The Intelligence 
  branch is one small part of the IISS that correlates and analyses 
  the data gathered by thousands of scouts... and one even 
  smaller part of that branch is the Scout’s espionage division.
  Eleven thousand worlds in the Imperium, and only a tiny handful 
  of agents to guard them all. The Epsionage Division are the 
  secret watchers of the Imperium, on guard against threats 
  that might destablise the third great empire of Humaniti. The 
  Scouts, and especially the Espionage Division, see information 
  from across the whole of Charted Space, and they can dimly 
  discern the movement of greater powers. The invisible war of 
  the Ancients, a war fought through proxies, pawns and secret 
  agents, affects the Imperium in a million subtle ways.
  Even within the Espionage Division, few believe in the theories 
  about active Ancient conspiracies. Gand Holcess, who died at 
  Boughene, was convinced that the Ancients continue to exert 
  inﬂ uence over the present great powers of the galaxy, but only a 
  handful of others share this conviction. Other Espionage agents 
  agree there is something else out there, but blame the strange 
  events on Zhodani meddling, on Hiver manipution, on internal 
  treachery or on another unidentiﬁ ed great power... but no-one 
  has ever found solid proof of a conspiracy.
  Until now. 
  Now, they have got the player characters.
  Arisa
  Note to the Referee: The description below assumes that 
  Arisa encountered the player characters on Alell, but failed to 
  inﬁ ltrate the group. If she travelled with the player characters 
  for a time, her attitude to them may have changed. If she died 
  during the adventure, then replace her with another Imperial 
  SECRETS OF THE ANCIENTS
  IN THE EMPEROR’S NAME 
  
   
  2
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  agent named Orcio. In the extremely unlikely event that Arisa 
  inﬁ ltrated the player characters and stayed with them through 
  all their strange adventures in Grandfather’s pocket universe, 
  then she too was captured by Imperial Intelligence when she 
  emerged through the Boughene portal and is held as a prisoner 
  on board the Gash.
  History: Arisa Thalber comes from a tiny, insigniﬁ cant 
  agricultural world in distant Delphi Sector. Bored with a life 
  bounded by a planetary horizon, she volunteered for the scouts 
  and was given a battered, balky scoutship and a mandate to 
  probe the pocket kingdoms of the Hinterworlds and Leonidae. 
  Her excellent reports – and the fact she had survived such a 
  perilous mission – brought her to the attention of the Espionage 
  Branch. She was recruited as an Imperial agent and was seen 
  as a rising star within the organisation.
  Then she fell until the control of Gand Holcess. Thanks to 
  family connections and his own distinguished record of service, 
  Holcess possessed considerable inﬂ uence within the Scouts, 
  but he was obsessed by his theories about the Ancients and 
  was seen as an eccentric, even an unstable inﬂ uence within the 
  organisation. Holcess convinced Arisa that his theories about 
  Ancient meddling in Imperial affairs were valid, and that the 
  Spinward Marches were the epicentre of Ancient activity.
  During her time in the Marches, Arisa came to agree with some 
  of Holcess’s beliefs. She is convinced that the “long-vanished” 
  Ancients are still active in some form, but does not believe they 
  are necessarily interested in Humaniti. Rather, she suspects 
  that the Third Imperium exists in the shadow of vast powers 
  who barely notice Humaniti, unless Holcess who was of the 
  opinion that the Ancients are deliberately meddling in human 
  affairs. (Both are wrong; neither suspected that the remaining 
  Ancients are ﬁ ghting a shadow war across Charted Space.)
  Following the events on Alell, when Holcess and the Alahir 
  set off in pursuit of the player characters on board the Star 
  Hunter, Arisa remained behind on the jungle world to further 
  investigate Vlen Backett’s affairs. She remained in touch 
  with Holcess via X-boat as the Alahir hunted the characters 
  across Regina subsector. The last message she received from 
  him stated that they had pinned the Star Hunter down in the 
  atmosphere of the Boughene gas giant and she should stand 
  by for further instructions.
  Then, silence.
  Taking matters into her own hands, Arisa commandeered a scout 
  ship and travelled to Boughene. She searched the gas giant, 
  and found only more mysteries. There was debris matching the 
  Alahir, but she was unable to identify the energy weapon used 
  to destroy the ship. Holcess’s last transmission to the Boughene 
  Scout base was equally cryptic and was strangely distorted as 
  if jammed – but no known technology allows a meson burst 
  transmitter to be jammed. Searching the upper atmosphere of 
  Boughene, Arisa found a severely damaged ship (either the 
  Star Hunter, or an antique Droyne rocket, depending on how 
  the characters escaped the pocket universe). The crew of the 
  ship (the player characters) were all in temporary comas caused 
  by the rough transit through the portal. Arisa took them prisoner 
  and brought them to the Gash.
  Appearance: She has close-cropped hair and relatively 
  unremarkable features. She can make herself look pretty or 
  striking, but her role as a spy means she usually tries to fade 
  into the background. For this interrogation, she wears a black 
  jumpsuit with the logo of the IISS but no other markings.
  Personality: Arisa is a chameleon. She has learned to alter her 
  demeanour to ﬁ t with any situation; initially, she presents herself 
  as a detached, cold inquisitor. Beneath this facade, she wants 
  to know what happened to Holcess. Over the course of the 
  scenario, depending on the actions of the player character, she 
  becomes either terriﬁ ed of the threat posed by active, malicious 
  Ancients, or convinced that the player characters are lunatics 
  who blundered into an Ancient site and are concealing the truth 
  from the Imperium.
  • 
  She is a highly competent spy, who enjoys the 
  challenging nature of her work. She hates boredom; 
  better to be running from Zhodani border guards and 
  dodging laser blasts than to be trapped behind a desk 
  in some dull ofﬁ ce.
  • 
  Never hesitate, always act. Doing something is always 
  better than doing nothing.
  • 
  Betray as little emotion as possible in your voice – be 
  cold and professional. However, move around, gesture 
  and pace to burn off nervous energy.
  Goals: 
  • 
  Find out what happened to Gand Holcess and the 
  Alatir.
  • 
  Learn what the characters know about the Ancients.
  Arisa
  STR 7 
  DEX 9 END 7 INT 9 
  EDU 11 SOC 8
  Admin 0, Advocate 1, Astrogation 1, Carouse 1, Comms 0, 
  Computers 2, Deception 2, Diplomat 1, Engineer 0, Gunner 
  (turret) 1, Gun Combat (pistol) 2, Investigate 2, Mechanic 1, 
  Medic 0, Navigation 2, Persuade 0, Pilot (starship) 1, Recon 1, 
  Sensors 2, Stealth 1, Survival 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Body Pistol (3D6-3), Concealed Tailored Vacc Suit (8)
  
   
  3
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Malik haut-Tarvel
  haut-Tarvel is an expert from the Imperial Minstry of Technology; 
  his ﬁ eld of expertise is the Ancients, especially their technology. 
  He is a Homogenous Declinist (see the Library Data in Section 
  1: Bodysnatchers) who believes there was a single Ancient 
  race that slowly collapsed over millennia. He (correctly) 
  surmises that the Droyne and Chirper species who are endemic 
  to Charted Space were originally seeded by the Ancients. His 
  role here is to determine the size of the characters’ ﬁ nd, and to 
  work out if they need to be eliminated to preserve the secrets 
  of the Ancients.
  History: As his title suggests, haut-Tarvel comes of noble stock. 
  His family are unimaginably wealthy, owning whole worlds in the 
  Core Sectors. With the galaxy at his feet, haut-Tarvel chose to 
  dedicate himself to archaeology and the study of the Ancients. 
  He considers himself to be a reﬁ ned, academic archaeologist 
  – why go grubbing around in the mud looking for ruins and 
  relics, when you can just read the accounts and records made 
  by the great archaeologists of yore. The old masters covered 
  the ground much more thoroughly than he could ever hope to 
  – the true science of archaeology is consulting the records, 
  weighing theories against each other, and coming up with new 
  hypotheses based on the established evidence. As far as haut-
  Tarvel is concerned, the question of the Ancients is very close 
  to being settled. There is already plenty of Ancient archaeology 
  to examine, so why bother looking for more? Given a choice, he 
  would prefer to spend his time reading and debating.
  However, even wealthy nobles like haut-Tarvel must do their 
  duty to the Iridium Throne. There may be a wealth of Ancient 
  archaeology to be studied and classiﬁ ed, but the Imperium 
  has an interest in the Ancients beyond the purely scientiﬁ c. 
  Ancient relics like Black Globes are of vital importance to the 
  Imperial Navy. Haut-Tarvel’s aunt Mari is an admiral; she had 
  him assigned to the Ministry of Technology so he could review 
  newly-discovered Ancient relics for their military potential. (haut-
  Tarvel is too self-obsessed to realise, but his aunt Mari had her 
  reasons for planting a reliable family member in the Ministry. 
  Mari has designs on the Imperial Throne, and possessing a 
  unique Ancient weapon could be the leverage she needs to 
  unseat Strephon. Half the great ruling families have similar 
  ambitions.)
  Reluctantly, haut-Tarvel accepted his new posting in the 
  Ministry. As the Spinward Marches are generally believed to be 
  the former seat of the Ancient empire, he travelled on board one 
  of the family’s six luxury cruisers to this ‘barbaric, uncultured 
  frontier’. He normally resides on Regina, where he is a ﬁ xture 
  at University soirees and social functions. He likes to sneer at 
  other archaeologists, and use his family and naval connections 
  to hint at secret knowledge and access to restricted information. 
  Notably, he knows Professor Ujinka and her assistant Juni 
  Volsang. He made a clumsy pass at Volsang two years ago, and 
  considers Ujinka to be a misguided Catastrophist. He met Vlen 
  Backett once, long ago, and found the man to be an uncouth 
  trader who dabbled in archaeology.
  Haut-Tarvel’s role in this scenario is partly as comic relief, and 
  partly as an antagonist for the characters to overcome. He is the 
  least dangerous of the three interrogators, and the characters 
  may be able to use him as a hostage or pawn.
  Appearance: haut-Tarvel is pale with light brown hair ﬂ ecked 
  with gold. He bears a distinct resemblance to Emperor Strephon 
  – he is related to the royal family through his mother’s side – 
  and wears ﬁ ne suits of Vegan transilk and a chestful of medals, 
  noble titles and awards.
  Personality: “Insufferable” more or less sums haut-Tarvel up. 
  He is a spoiled brat who happens to have the backing of his 
  massively inﬂ uential family, the Imperial Navy and the Ministry 
  of Technology. He is convinced of his own innate superiority. 
  haut-Tarvel believes all civilisations go through an inevitable 
  cycle of revolution, expansion, consolidation, stratiﬁ cation, 
  ossiﬁ cation and ﬁ nally decline, and that the Imperium is moving 
  through ossiﬁ cation towards decline. This justiﬁ es his appalling 
  arrogance and spoiled behaviour – he is, he argues, a product 
  of his time. The whole Imperium is about to slide down a long 
  slope into decay and anarchy, just as the Ancients did millennia 
  ago.
  • 
  Be as snooty and effete as possible.
  • 
  Lecture the characters on your eccentric theories; 
  condescend to them if they disagree.
  • 
  Always protect your own reputation.
  • 
  Remember – you are always right. If the evidence 
  contradicts you, then someone is plotting against you 
  and tampering with it.
  
   
  4
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  • 
  Therefore, he believes that the player characters are 
  somewhere on a continuum from 'deranged madmen' 
  to 'idiot buffoons who have no idea about history' to 
  'liars who are trying to discredit his theories'. He cannot 
  even conceive of the concept that they are telling the 
  truth. They must be lying. He will try to divide the 
  player characters, and play them against each other 
  until they admit they are lying to him.
  • 
  Have a wine glass in hand; sip from it and gesture with 
  it.
  Goals:  
  • 
  Analyse the characters' accounts and discoveries to 
  determine their military signiﬁ cance.
  • 
  Make sure your cherished theories about the Ancients' 
  slow decline into extinction are vindicated. Pick holes 
  in any account of living Ancients or a war between 
  different Ancients.
  • 
  Save your own skin.
  haut-Tarvel
  STR 6 
  DEX 7 END 7 INT 7 
  EDU 11 SOC 12
  Admin 2, Advocate 1, Animals 0, Art (pretentious) 2 , Carouse 
  1, Computers 0, Deception 1, Diplomat 2, Drive 0, Gambler 1, 
  Investigate 2, Language 3, Melee (blade) 2, Physical Sciences 
  0, Recon 1, Remote Operations 2, Seafarer 0, Sensors 2, Social 
  Sciences (archaeology) 3, Survival 0, Vacc Suit 0
  Rapier (1d6+4)
  Galen
  The other two interrogators assigned to the player characters’ 
  case are powerful and inﬂ uential people: Arisa is a secret 
  operative of the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service and haut-
  Tarvel is a noble with connections to the navy and the Ministry 
  of Technology. Their word carries great weight; they can draw 
  on the resources of mighty organisations, and hold considerable 
  sway over policy.
  Galen is something else entirely. He does not ofﬁ cially exist – 
  there are no records of his name in the registry of any world. He 
  holds no title or military rank; he is not on any Imperial payroll or 
  in receipt of any ofﬁ cial gift or bequest. In effect, he is a private 
  citizen of the stars, but he holds an Imperial Warrant. Documents 
  such as the one in Galen’s possession are extraordinarily rare, 
  as they permit the bearer to act in the Emperor’s name and 
  to use the Emperor’s authority. With a warrant, the bearer 
  can cut through bureaucracy and make on-the-spot decisions 
  without having to wait for authorisation from the government. 
  Most warrants are limited in scope, granted to expedite matters 
  in cases of disaster or war where the normal machinery of 
  government has collapsed. Galen’s warrant simply states that 
  he acts for the Emperor ‘in matters of state security’. In effect, 
  he is a troubleshooter-at-large for the Imperium; he and the few 
  others like him have the duty of protecting the Imperium against 
  ‘destabilising forces’.
  Galen is also a powerful psion. Although the Imperium suppresses 
  the use of psionics in general and bans the establishments of 
  Psionics Institutes, there are two secret schools where psionics 
  are studied for the good of the state. Galen comes from one of 
  these institutions, on distant Terra, where he learned to probe 
  the minds of criminals and traitors.
  His role here is to ascertain whether or not the characters are 
  telling the truth, and to eliminate the threat of these supposed 
  ‘living Ancients’ if possible. The Imperium has endured for a 
  thousand years, and it is built on the remnants of two even older 
  empires of Humaniti – no alien force can be allowed to threaten 
  human hegemony over the stars.
  Appearance: Galen is a middle-aged man with iron-grey hair 
  and sad eyes. He wears a rumpled business suit and carries a 
  leather satchel slung over one shoulder. He appears friendly in a 
  distracted, distant way; he has the air of a man who is perpetually 
  disappointed with the universe. A close examination of his skin 
  reveals the presence of hundreds of ﬁ ne scars, almost invisible 
  thanks to repeated cell-regeneration therapies. Some of these 
  scars are plainly the result of cybernetic modiﬁ cation or plastic 
  surgery, but others are marks left by blades and weapons ﬁ re.
  Personality: Galen is a committed servant of the Imperium, 
  trained from a young age to preserve the status quo. His 
  personality is akin to that of a honed and polished scalpel – he 
  does what is necessary to deal with the situation at hand. He is 
  a sociopath with psionic empathy, so he can sense the emotions 
  of others without sharing them himself.
  • 
  Pretend to care about the player characters, but have 
  no more regard for them than an entomologist has for 
  the insects pinned in a case.
  
   
  5
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  • 
  Disbelieve nothing; seem to accept the wildest stories 
  and ask the characters for more details. Soak up 
  information like a sponge.
  • 
  Blink slowly and deliberate, as if you have to remind 
  yourself to do so.
  • 
  Cow the player characters by using your superlative 
  unarmed combat skills to humiliate them.
  Galen
  STR 10 DEX 14 END 10 INT 10 EDU 10 SOC 10 PSI 15
  Admin 1, Advocate 2, Athletics (co-ordination) 2, Astrogation 
  1, Awareness 3, Battle Dress 1, Computers 3, Deception 
  1, Diplomat 1, Gun Combat (pistols) 4, Heavy Weapons 2, 
  Investigate 4, Jack of All Trades 3, Leadership 2, Mechanic 1, 
  Medic 1, Melee (blade) 2, Melee (unarmed) 4, Navigation 1, 
  Persuade 2, Pilot (spacecraft) 2, Recon 3, Sensors 1, Stealth 
  3, Streetwise 2, Survival 2, Tactics (ground) 2, Telepathy 4, 
  Telekinesis 3, Vacc Suit 2, Zero-G 2
  Psi-interface Gauss Pistol (3d6), Cloth (5) or Tailored Vacc Suit 
  (8), Enhanced Vision, Neural Comm (TL14), Special Psi-Drugs
  invincible defence against energy weapons, the globes proved 
  difﬁ culty to integrate into human ships. All the Kinunir -class 
  vessels suffered problems that could be attributed to the globes; 
  when coupled with the shoddy workmanship of the General 
  yards, it was a recipe for disaster.
  When the Gaesh proved unﬁ t for service, it was decommissioned 
  in 1098 and placed in a polar orbit above Pixie. She was 
  stripped of her weapons, her drives, her main reactors and her 
  precious Black Globe, and turned into a ﬂ oating prison hulk. The 
  decommissioning process was done hastily and brutally. The 
  Gaesh was unceremoniously gutted, acquiring the nickname of 
  ‘The Gash’ in the process.
  Today, the Gash is an ugly, broken place to be. Most of the 
  corridors were stripped of almost all salvageable material; the 
  ﬂ oor is a metal grille, the walls are covered with exposed piping, 
  wiring and the scars where components were removed, and 
  only one in four lights remains. The gravity still works, but most 
  of the gravity plates were stripped, so the remaining plates must 
  pull triple duty. There is a constant whine just within the range 
  of hearing, and the gravity is ‘lumpy’, varying between 0.8 and 
  1.2g even within the same room. Migraines and nausea are 
  common among crew and prisoners.
  The ship is a wedge-shaped hull with a large dorsal 
  superstructure. She is divided into ﬁ ve decks, designated A 
  through E.
  Security Systems: Security on board the Gash is comparatively 
  light, as there is no easy way off the ship. Unlike a planet-bound 
  prison, where an inmate might jump a fence and run off into 
  the wilderness, this prison is surrounded by the most effective 
  containment system ever – hard vacuum.
  There are security cameras in all corridors, connected to the 
  security station on B Deck. These cameras are monitored at all 
  times, but the guards are not always attentive. Roll 6+ for the 
  guards to notice suspicious activity on a monitor, applying the 
  character’s Stealth or Deception skill as a -DM. If the guards 
  notice, a guard patrol arrives in 1-6 minutes.
  All of the cells are wired with hidden microphones; the guards 
  can eavesdrop on any conversations within the cells that they 
  wish to hear.
  A Deck
  The topmost deck is located beneath the dorsal ﬁ n. On other 
  Kinunir -class vessels, this deck contains the ship’s small craft, 
  like air/rafts, marine orbital drop capsules and a grav-APC 
  shuttle bay, but these vehicles were removed from the Gaesh. 
  Most of this deck is given over to storage now; crates of freeze-
  dried food, water, toiletries and other supplies are stacked in 
  the cavernous wounds that were once hangars. At the stern of 
  The Kinunir
  The prison hulk Gaesh originally appeared in The Kinunir 
  (GDW, 1979). Access to that book is useful, but not vital to 
  running this section of Secrets of the Ancients. The Kinunir 
  supplement goes into greater detail about that class of ship, 
  and presents four adventures on different vessels, including 
  an attempt to break into the Gash.
  Adventure 2: Prison Planet, in either its GDW incarnation 
  or the 2009 retread by Mongoose Publishing can also be 
  useful. The Gash is a much more civil prison than the one 
  described in that product, but the information on guard 
  schedules and escape techniques may be relevant.
  THE GASH
  When it was built back in 1087, the ship was the Imperial 
  Battle Cruiser Gaesh, registry number 95278. She was the 17th 
  ship of the Kinunir class to be built, and the third and last to 
  be completed at the General Shipyards at Regina. All four of 
  the hulls constructed at the General yards suffered signiﬁ cant 
  problems – the fourth ship, the Adda Dubsar, was scrapped 
  before it was ever launched. Gaesh showed problems right out 
  of the gate. Its misaligned jump grid meant it never managed 
  to reach Jump 3, its reactors were unstable and could not 
  produce enough power to run both the manoeuvre drive and 
  the weapons.
  All the Kinunir ships were designed to carry Ancient defensive 
  screens called Black Globes; a cache of such devices was 
  discovered at Knorbes. While these globes offer virtually 
  
   
  6
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  the deck is a sealed airlock; on the forward port side is the one 
  functional system on this deck, the ship’s garbage desiccation 
  and disposal system. Inmates are rarely permitted on this deck, 
  except for trusted prisoners who are permitted to work on the 
  garbage disposal or collect cargo from the storage bays.
  Notable features:
  • 
  Garbage Disposal: The garbage disposal system 
  works by exposing waste to vacuum, freeze-drying 
  it and sucking out the air, then compressing it into a 
  cube and launching it into the atmosphere of the planet 
  below so it can burn up. The garbage disposal system 
  can be used as an exit from the ship, but opening the 
  access hatch sounds an alarm on B deck. The would-
  be escapist must also disable the garbage crusher or 
  be squished into a small cube inside the airlock.
  • 
  Storage Bays: There is little useful equipment in the 
  storage bays; the guards are careful to keep tools and 
  weapons well away from the prisoners.
  • 
  Cargo Elevator: The elevator that links the decks still 
  works, but it is very slow and makes a loud grinding 
  noise when in operation. The crew prefer to use the 
  inter-deck ladders and iris hatches when moving 
  from deck to deck; the cargo elevator is only used for 
  moving cargo.
  • 
  Observation Deck: The aft observation deck was 
  once dominated by the huge window that gave a 
  panoramic view of space behind the ship, and was 
  used for ofﬁ cial functions and meetings by the senior 
  crew. In battle, huge armour plates swung into position 
  over the window, protecting this weak spot from attack. 
  When the Gaesh was decommissioned, the armour 
  plates were locked in position, and then both the 
  external plating and the internal window was removed, 
  leaving the locking mechanism and a thin layer of hull 
  plating to contain the ship’s atmosphere. Overriding 
  the locking mechanism would result in a sudden and 
  complete depressurisation of A Deck; the lower decks 
  might also be affected if the ship’s iris hatches do not 
  seal themselves promptly. The characters can use this 
  as a distraction or an escape route.
  • 
  Vehicle Airlocks: These airlocks have been welded 
  shut and cannot be opened.
  • 
  Drop Capsule Tubes: Once, the ship would invert 
  itself and launch marines through these tubes. The 
  capsule tubes are still mostly in working order, but the 
  end of each tube has been sealed with a welded cap.
  • 
  Aft Airlock: The aft airlock still functions, but activating 
  it sounds an alarm on B Deck.
  • 
  Security Control Room: This room has been stripped 
  of furnishings and equipment, but most of the internal 
  wiring is still intact. With the right tools and a Difﬁ cult (-
  2) Engineering (electronics) roll, it is possible to switch 
  off the alarms or override any iris hatch or airlock on A 
  Deck.
  B Deck
  B Deck was once ofﬁ cer country and the ship’s bridge. It is 
  shaped like a horseshoe, wrapped around the fuel tanks. The 
  middle section of the horseshoe formerly contained the bridge, 
  computer room, administration and sensor operations, as well 
  as the ship’s galley and ofﬁ cer’s mess; the two ‘arms’ contained 
  ofﬁ cer quarters.
  The computers and control consoles from the forward section 
  were removed when the ship was decommissioned. The 
  computer room is now used for storage. The administration 
  section and the galley are still in use. The bridge has been 
  reﬁ tted for use as a monitoring section; computer screens 
  display the video feed from the security cameras throughout A, 
  B and C decks.
  
   
  7
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  
   
  8
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  The ofﬁ cer’s quarters are now used as accommodation for the 
  ship’s guards. The Gash has a crew complement of 20 – some 
  fourteen guards and 6 specialist staff (see Crew, below). The 
  ship has plenty of room, so all the guards have their own 
  stateroom. Unlike the rest of the ship, most of the ﬁ ttings on B 
  deck were retained during the decommissioning process, so life 
  on board the Gash is surprisingly comfortable for the crew.
  Notable Features:
  • 
  Observation Room: The former bridge. From here, 
  the crew can watch video feeds and listen to the bugs 
  in the prison cells. In an emergency, all iris hatches 
  and bulkhead doors in the ship can be closed from this 
  room.
  • 
  Communications Room: The ship’s communications 
  hub, used to signal other vessels. While the Gash is 
  a secret facility, many of the ships in the Pixie system 
  know about it. If the Gash does not send an automatic 
  ‘all’s well’ signal to the Pixie naval base every 8 
  hours, a security team is automatically dispatched to 
  investigate.
  • 
  Galley: The ship’s galley prepares food for both crew 
  and prisoners. There is little difference between the 
  meals served for the prisoners and those given to the 
  warden himself.
  • 
  Warden's Quarters: Warden Hauberk’s rooms were 
  formerly the captain’s cabin and the ﬁ rst ofﬁ cer’s cabin 
  – she had an internal door installed to give himself 
  more living space.
  • 
  Storeroom: This room is adjacent to the warden’s 
  quarters, and contains items conﬁ scated from the 
  prisoners, including the player characters’ equipment 
  and the Ancient Suppression device possessed 
  by Gaius Labre (see sidebar). It is locked using an 
  electronic combination lock – only the warden knows 
  the code. Overriding the lock is a Very Difﬁ cult (-4) 
  Intelligence + Engineering (electronics) check.
  • 
  Guest Quarters: Six rooms are allocated as ‘guest 
  quarters’ for special investigators, medical staff, 
  technicians and other irregular visitors. Arisa, haut 
  Tarvel and Galen are all assigned quarters in this 
  section.
  • 
  Guard Ready Room: At least two armed guards are 
  stationed here at any time, ready to respond to any 
  alarms or problems.
  C Deck
  C Deck was the heart of the ship when in use, containing the 
  ship’s main drives, weapon banks and crew quarters. This 
  section was stripped of everything valuable when the ship was 
  gutted, turning it into a maze of twisting narrow corridors that 
  end in empty rooms or dead ends where a sheet of metal has 
  been welded across the passageway to block off a section that 
  has been torn out. The prison cells are in this deck; most of the 
  cells were formerly crew quarters, but troublesome prisoners 
  may be placed in solitary conﬁ nement in the ship’s old brig.
  • 
  Prisoner Quarters: Cells on board the Gash are 
  spartan but not actively tortuous. Most prisoners share 
  a room with another inmate. Each room contains 
  two bunks, a sink and a small foldout table. In some 
  rooms, there is a display screen for watching videos 
  – a heavily restricted library of entertainment programs 
  is available from the ship’s computer.
  • 
  Large Quarters: Some of the cells were originally 
  larger barracks used by the ship’s marine squads. The 
  player characters are placed in one of these shared 
  cells, in the hope they will talk amongst themselves 
  and their conversations can be recorded by the guards. 
  Each of the larger cells contains bunk beds for 12 
  people, a shower and bathroom facilities (concealed 
  behind a plastic screen), a table and chairs, and a 
  display screen.
  • 
  Brig: The ship’s brig was the only room on this whole 
  deck left unchanged in the decommissioning process. 
  The brig consists of three cells and a guard’s post, 
  which is manned at all times if there is a prisoner in 
  solitary conﬁ nement.
  • 
  Sickbay: While several of the guards are treated in 
  basic ﬁ rst aid, the prison lacks a doctor. There is a 
  high-quality autodoc in the sickbay, but if a prisoner 
  Ancient Suppression Device
  This gadget is a small featureless brass rod. However, when 
  closely examined, several warm spots can be found along 
  the rod’s length. Pressing these sections in the correct order 
  activates the rod, causing it to project a cone-shaped ﬁ eld 
  that suppresses electronic devices. The rod’s range and 
  intensity can be adjusted by varying pressure on two of the 
  control sections, but they are inversely related – increasing 
  the range reduces the intensity by a proportional amount, 
  as per the table below. The two values in bold may total at 
  most 5.
  Range Options
  Intensity Options
  1:1 metre cone
  4: Suppresses bioelectric activity; acts 
  like a stunner on human subjects
  2:10 metre cone
  3: Disrupts simple electric devices 
  (lights, heaters, TL6 or less)
  3: 100 metre 
  cone
  2: Disrupts complex electronic devices 
  (computers, microelectronics etc, TL8 
  or less)
  4: 1000 metre 
  cone
  1: Disrupts super-sensitive electronic 
  devices (NAS Detectors, high-tech 
  computers, high-TL devices)
  For example, setting it to a 100 metre cone means it can 
  only suppress complex and supersensitive devices.
  
   
  9
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  
   
  10
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  needs medical care beyond the robot’s capacity, a 
  naval doctor is ﬂ own in from the naval base.
  • 
  Gym: The ship has a well-equipped gym with 
  treadmills, weights machines, exercise bikes and even 
  a fencing piste (for imprisoned nobles).
  • 
  Drive Rooms: The ship’s manoeuvre drives and jump 
  drives were formerly housed here. These rooms are 
  now sealed off from the rest of the ship and open to 
  space. The Gaesh’s only remaining drives are eight 
  low-powered attitude thrusters attached to the exterior 
  hull. These thrusters allow the ship to change position 
  and maintain its orbit, but are not powerful enough to 
  move it at speed.
  • 
  Pinnace Dock: The Kinunir -class vessels all carried a 
  pinnace; the one belonging to the Gaesh was sold off 
  when the ship was decommissioned. The pinnace dock 
  is now the main airlock for the prison; new inmates and 
  supplies are brought on board via this large docking 
  bay.
  D Deck
  On an active Kinunir, D deck is the primary weapons deck, 
  containing the ship’s missile and particle beam turrets as well 
  as more crew quarters.  These weapons have obviously been 
  removed from the Gaesh, as have the ship’s landing legs – the 
  Gaesh is no longer rated for atmospheric re-entry, so the whole 
  leg armature was removed along with the particle beams. The 
  original intent was for the crew quarters to be converted to 
  more prison cells, but the prison population never rose to its 
  anticipated levels, so D Deck remains uninhabited and largely 
  unused.
  The one time it is used is for interrogations. The former Day 
  Room, once the main crew lounge, has been converted into an 
  interview room for interrogation of the player characters. This 
  lounge has been stripped of all furnishings other than a table, 
  some chairs, and a large chair that is connected to a lie detector 
  and other sensor equipment.
  E Deck
  This deck once contained the ship’s cargo bays, magazines, fuel 
  tanks and machine shops. The whole deck has been sealed off, 
  the lift and iris hatches no longer function, and parts of the deck 
  are open to vacuum. Even in the areas that still have pressure 
  and oxygen, the temperature is well below freezing.
  Cell Security
  Each prison cell has a range of security measures:
  • 
  Obvious Security Camera: There is a large 
  security camera mounted in or outside each cell. 
  This camera is a big, chunky, low-TL holocamera. 
  The camera monitors the central area of each cell, 
  so the characters can avoid the camera’s gaze by 
  clustering in the corners or hiding behind bunks. The 
  cameras were deliberately placed to encourage this 
  – it herds the characters into the area monitored by 
  the concealed cameras and microphones.
  • 
  Concealed Security Camera: Each cell includes at 
  least two hidden cameras. These are high-tech spying 
  devices, virtually invisible to the naked eye. These 
  cameras are concealed in display screens, light 
  ﬁ ttings, wall screws and so on. Finding a concealed 
  camera requires a Very Difﬁ cult (-4) Intelligence + 
  Investigate roll. Again, these cameras are monitored 
  from B Deck; roll 6+ to see if suspicious activity is 
  noticed by the guards, applying the character’s 
  lowest Deception or Stealth as a -DM.
  • 
  Microphone: Each cell includes at least three voice-
  activated microphones. These microphones are 
  extremely hard to detect (Formidable (-6) Intelligence 
  + Investigate to ﬁ nd). Any conversations in the 
  cell not masked by other noise are detected and 
  recorded. The computer algorithms that analyse the 
  recordings are smart enough to strip out repetitive 
  noise, so classic tricks like running a shower will not 
  prevent the characters from being spied on. The only 
  way to defeat the microphones is to use unexpected 
  noises like shouting, which will attract the attention 
  of the guards anyway. The microphones are capable 
  of detecting keywords and alerting the guards. 
  The keyword  list is customised for each prisoner 
  – initially, for the characters, the keywords include 
  ‘Ancients, Alahir, Holcess, Zhodani, Ine Givar, Vlen 
  Backett, Ven Yasha’.
  • 
  Cell Walls & Ventilation Ducts: The walls are made 
  of metal and all access panels are welded shut, as 
  are the entrances to the vent ducts. There is no easy 
  way to creep out of the cell.
  • 
  Cell Door: The cell doors are magnetically locked. 
  To open a cell, a guard must call the observation 
  post on B Deck and request that the door be opened. 
  Forcing the door requires a Strength + Athletics roll 
  at a -8DM.
  
   
  11
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  
   
  12
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  
   
  13
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  CREW OF THE GAESH
  There are twenty permanent personnel on the Gash – six senior 
  staff and 14 guards.
  The guards are naval staff, recruited from the nearby base. They 
  are under orders not to interact with the prisoners in any way 
  outside of normal operations. All the guards wear helmets and 
  black armoured suits when on duty on C Deck. They never beat 
  or mistreat the prisoners; the Gash has been host to nobles, 
  dignitaries, scientists and other political prisoners in the past, 
  so all inmates are treated with respect.
  The guards are armed with stunners, body pistols and 
  cutlasses. Their armour contains a short-term oxygen supply 
  and automatic vacuum seals, so they function as void suits in 
  emergencies. At any time, there are at least one or two guards 
  on station in the observation room on B Deck, two in the ready 
  room on B Deck, one in the Brig control room on C Deck, and 
  another 1d6-2 throughout the rest of the ship. There will also be 
  1d6-2 awake but off duty, and the rest are sleeping.
  Generic Guard Stats
  STR 8 
  DEX 5 END 8 
  INT 7 
  EDU 7 SOC 6 
  Admin 0, Advocate 0, Comms 0, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 
  2, Gun Combat (energy pistol) 1, Investigate 0, Mechanic 1, 
  Medic 0, Melee (blade) 1, Melee (unarmed) 1, Pilot 0, Sensors 
  0, Space Sciences 0, Steward 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Body Pistol (3D6-3), Cutlass (2d6+4), Stunner (3d6), Vacc Suit 
  (6)
  Warden Hawberk
  Being head warden of a political prison requires a delicate 
  balancing act. Today’s disgraced noble might be tomorrow’s 
  planetary count, as political fortunes wax and wane. Hawberk 
  carefully maintains his distance from the prisoners. She keeps 
  them healthy, safe and contained. She has managed to tread 
  the line so far. She is a nervous, cautious woman who avoids 
  confrontation whenever possible. She secretly harbours political 
  ambitions of her own, and has been squirreling away useful 
  nuggets of information picked up by the hidden microphones.
  • 
  Hawberk may help the Player Characters if she 
  believes it is in her best interest.
  • 
  She has access to the prison computer, so she is 
  the ﬁ rst person to be alerted if the microphones pick 
  up interesting conversations between the player 
  characters.
  Playing Hawberk:
  • 
  Play Hawberk as a fat, nervous spider. Her fear is 
  delicately balanced against her ambition. She wrings 
  her hands, hunches her shoulders and looks around 
  before speaking. She is always absurdly polite and 
  respectful, even when dealing with prisoners.
  STR 7 
  DEX 6 END 5 INT 8 
  EDU 8 SOC 8 
  Admin 2, Advocate 1, Astrogation 2, Broker 0, Carouse 0, 
  Comms 0, Computers 0, Diplomat 2, Leadership 1, Sensors 2, 
  Steward 2, Streetwise 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Chief Guard Falkrik
  Falkrik is an ex-naval ofﬁ cer. A skirmish with Aslan ihatei left 
  him crippled and half-dead. His crew managed to jam him into 
  a low berth and freeze him in time, which kept him alive as the 
  ship limped home to Pax Rulin. Falkrik’s injuries were extensive 
  enough that not even the best naval doctors could restore him 
  to full health, and while he could return to duty, he would never 
  get a front-line position again. He was assigned to the Gaesh as 
  it was seen as an easy position.
  Falkrik has the disconcerting habit of treating the prison hulk 
  as though it is still a functional ship of the line. He berates the 
  guards for leaving hatches open, for failing to run maintenance 
  checks on disabled systems like the fuel lines, and for any other 
  breach of naval discipline. No-one is quite sure if Falkrik still 
  hopes to convince the admiralty he is ﬁ t for service on board a 
  starship, or if his injuries have unbalanced his mind, or if he’s 
  just a stickler for discipline who takes his frustration out on the 
  guards.
  • 
  Falkrik despises civilians, especially nobles who do 
  not 'pull their weight' in service to the Imperium.
  • 
  He gets on well with other naval personnel, especially 
  those who have had their careers cut short.
  • 
  His cybernetic limbs and skull implants make him look 
  like a lurching cyborg monster, and the synthetic ﬂ esh 
  that covers his scorched bones is slightly too pink and 
  plasticky to look normal. His cybernetic servos whir 
  slightly as he moves.
  • 
  If the characters try to escape the station by force, 
  then Falkrik will be their main opposition. If they try 
  to talk their way off, they may be able to convince the 
  naval ofﬁ cer he is helping avert a threat to the whole 
  Imperium.
  Playing Falkrik: 
  • 
  Move with a limp. Bark orders. Be irritated with 
  everything.
  STR 4 
  DEX 6 END 6 INT 9 
  EDU 6 SOC 6 
  Advocate 1, Astrogation 2, Battle Dress 1, Comms 1, Computers 
  0, Engineer (power) 2, Engineer (M-Drive) 2, Flyer 0, Gambler 
  0, Gunner (turret) 2, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, Investigate 1, 
  Jack of All Trades 1, Leadership 2, Mechanic 2, Medic 0, Melee 
  (blade) 2, Pilot (spacecraft) 1, Space Sciences 0, Steward 1, 
  Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 2
  Cybernetic arm, cybernetic legs
  
   
  14
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Admin Clerk Poad
  Poad could have turned up at the Gash as a prisoner, or as 
  staff. He was a clerk over at the Pixie naval base, but there were 
  certain irregularities about purchasing orders that went through 
  his desk. Nothing was ever proved, but many suspected that 
  Poad was skimming money off the top. The navy transferred 
  him to the Gash.
  Poad ﬁ nds the prison intensely boring. He knows that the navy 
  does not trust him, and that he will never be given another 
  assignment or allowed to leave – at least, not without having 
  his memories chemically scrubbed. He has tried to curry favour 
  with Warden Hawberk by suggesting they use the information 
  from prisoners to advance the warden’s political ambitions, 
  but so far, Hawberk has resisted. Poad entertains himself by 
  sneaking down to C deck and talking to prisoners in the hopes 
  of picking up some useful gossip. 
  • 
  Poad is an ambitious little toad. He has given up on his 
  naval career; if the characters bribe him with promises 
  of vast wealth or Ancient technology, he may help 
  them escape.
  • 
  He is terriﬁ ed of Galen; he is the only person on the 
  Gash who can even guess who Galen is and what he 
  represents.
  Playing Poad:
  • 
  When playing Poad, lick your lips and be slightly 
  smarmy and odious.
  STR 7 
  DEX 9 END 7 INT 9 
  EDU 11 SOC 8 
  Admin 2, Advocate 1, Broker 1, Carouse 1, Comms 3, Computers 
  2, Deception 1,  Engineer (electronics) 1, Persuade 2, Pilot 0, 
  Sensors 1, Vacc Suit 0, Zero-G 0
  Commo Clerk Sampson
  The prison’s communications clerk is a deep cover Zhodani 
  agent; her real name is Zenj. Her entire surface personality is 
  a psionic construct. Her memories, her thoughts, her entire self 
  was engineered to pass Imperial scrutiny, while the real Zenj 
  lurks beneath the surface, manifesting only in dreams or when 
  triggered by circumstances. She is a sleeper agent, created by 
  the Consulate at a young age and smuggled into the Imperium. 
  She has been a spy since she was ﬁ ve years old.
  Zenj’s sleeper personality may be triggered if she learns the 
  characters know about the Ancients. The Zhodani Consulate 
  have much greater interest in the Ancients than the Imperium. 
  While the Third Imperium primarily views the Ancients as 
  a historical curiosity or a source of useful technology to 
  be salvaged, the Zhodani consider the Ancients to be the 
  architects of their civilisation and have launched long-range 
  core expeditions based on recovered Ancient data. 
  • 
  Zenj's surface personality, Kaila Sampson, is that of 
  a blandly professional and unremarkable naval ofﬁ cer 
  with a talent for communications operations. She is 
  competent enough to get promoted, but not so skilled 
  as to get noticed. She is best described as 'reliable'.
  • 
  Zenj herself is a fervent Zhodani believer, who 
  considers the whole Imperium to be a realm of sick, 
  violent children.
  • 
  Zenj is prepared to help the characters if she learns 
  they had dealings with the Ancients.
  Playing Sampson:
  • 
  Be polite and efﬁ cient.
  • 
  Keep your head down, avoid making eye contact.
  Playing Zenj:
  • 
  Speak and move quickly, as if you are trying to cram 
  as much activity as you can into the shortest time.
  • 
  Put on a Zhodani accent (Russian will do as an 80s-
  evil-empire analogue).
  Sampson
  STR 8 
  DEX 9 END 8 INT 6 
  EDU 7 SOC 7 
  Admin 1, Comms 2, Computers 1, Engineer 0, Remote 
  Operations 1, Sensors 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Zenj
  STR 8 
  DEX 9 END 8 INT 10 EDU 10 SOC 2
  Admin 1, Astrogation 2, Comms 2, Computers 3, Deception 
  2, Drive 0, Engineer (j-drive) 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, 
  Investigate 2, Jack of All Trades 2, Mechanic 0, Medic 0, Melee 
  (unarmed) 2, Pilot 0, Recon 2, Remote Operations 1, Sensors 
  2, Stealth 2, Streetwise 2, Survival 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Guard Chaon
  Chaon is the one of the two guards assigned to watch over 
  the characters. He is a young, fresh-faced naval recruit; this is 
  his ﬁ rst tour of duty. He is impressionable and eager to please. 
  Warden Hawberk has instructed all the guards to ensure the 
  prisoners are kept happy and comfortable, and Chaon has 
  taken these instructions overly literally – he can be convinced 
  to bend the rules of the prison for the characters.
  Playing Chaon:
  • 
  Salute everyone.
  • 
  Bounce on the soles of your feet with enthusiasm. 
  Snap out responses like a cadet responding to a drill 
  sergeant.
  STR 10 DEX 7 END 8 INT 5 
  EDU 5 SOC 4
  Admin 0, Advocate 0, Astrogation 1, Comms 1, Computers 0, 
  Engineer 0, Gun Combat 0, Investigate 0, Mechanic 1, Medic 
  0, Melee (blade) 1, Pilot 1, Space Sciences 0, Steward 1,Vacc 
  Suit 0, Zero-G 0
  
   
  15
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Body Pistol (3D6-3), Cutlass (2d6+4), Stunner (3d6), Vacc Suit 
  (6)
  Guard Shairu
  Shairu’s a veteran marine, on temporary attachment to the 
  Gaesh while she waits for her real assignment, a heavy cruiser, 
  to return to Pixie after a long patrol of the Zhodani border. She 
  just wants to get through this assignment without any trouble, 
  and as far as she is concerned, ‘trouble’ involves escape 
  attempts. She instantly spots the player characters as potential 
  troublemakers and resolves to keep a close eye on them.
  Normally, she and Chief Guard Falkrik would be close allies, 
  but he is consumed by jealousy of her career, and the two have 
  clashed in the past. They argue frequently over petty matters 
  – she considers him to a washed-up martinet, he thinks she is 
  sloppy and undisciplined.
  Playing Shairu: 
  • 
  Be suspicious of everything. Never trust the player 
  characters.
  • 
  Keep your stunner ready at all times. 
  • 
  Watch the player characters for tricks.
  STR  6 DEX 7 
  END 8 INT 9 
  EDU 6 SOC 7 
  Athletics 0, Battle Dress 2, Carouse 0, Comms 1, Computers 
  0, Drive 0, Engineer 0, Explosives 1, Gambler 1, Gunner 0, 
  Gun Combat (energy pistol) 2, Heavy Weapons (support) 
  1, Investigate 0, Leadership 0, Mechanic 0, Medic 0, Melee 
  (blade) 2, Navigation 1, Pilot 0, Recon 1, Stealth 1, Steward 1, 
  Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 2
  Body Pistol (3D6-3), Cutlass (2d6+4), Stunner (3d6), Vacc Suit 
  (6)
  OTHER PRISONERS
  The prisoner population on the Gaesh varies considerably. Few 
  of the prisoners are here for long – they are either transferred 
  to a conventional prison facility, or released. However, two 
  prisoners are serving life sentences on the Gaesh, and are 
  ofﬁ cially ‘detained at the Emperor’s pleasure’.
  The guards permit prisoners to communicate with each other, 
  for the beneﬁ t of the hidden microphones.
  Baronet Vulis
  The former ruler of a district of Violante, a world in Aramis 
  subsector, Vulis was an infamous tyrant who was hated by 
  his subjects. He was overthrown by a revolution and begged 
  the Imperium for shelter under the terms of the ancient treaty 
  signed by his ancestor when his world joined the Imperium. His 
  request was granted – the seal of the Imperium is sacrosanct 
  – but as punishment for his crimes, he was sent to the Gash to 
  live out the rest of his life. His prison is kept secret for his own 
  protection, as there are thousands of people on Violante who 
  still want Vulis dead. 
  Vulis has come to accept that he will never leave the Gash 
  alive, so he spends his time reading and composing poetry. It is 
  uniformly dreadful. He is an excellent guide to the prison hulk, 
  as he knows all the regular staff and the basic layout of the 
  ship; if the characters befriend him, he can give them a capsule 
  description of their new home.
  He shares a cell with Ruatair.
  Playing Vulis:
  • 
  Vulis has nothing left but his pride and his art. Quote 
  terrible poetry at the players.
  • 
  Be unexpectedly paranoid – these strangers could be 
  assassins from Violante.
  • 
  Demand that they address you by your proper title.
  STR 4 
  DEX 7 END 5 INT 7 
  EDU 9 SOC 10 
  Admin 2, Advocate 1, Animals 0, Art 0, Carouse 3, Comms 1, 
  Computers 0, Deception 2, Diplomat 1, Flyer 1, Gambler 2, 
  Persuade 0, Streetwise 2,  Zero-G 0
  Captain Ruatair
  A former captain in the planetary navy of Denoam, Ruatair turned 
  pirate and attacked merchant shipping within the independent 
  state of the Federation of Arden. The Imperium hunted him down 
  and arrested him, but allies in the planetary naval managed to 
  arrange for a stay of execution. Ruatair will be held in the Gash 
  until his fate is decided. He knows that an appointment with the 
  gallows – or the ﬁ ring squad, or the airlock, depending on which 
  of his many accusers ﬁ nally gets custody of him – awaits, and 
  he is desperate to escape. 
  He has sympathisers within the navy at the Pixie Naval Base, 
  who pass messages via a bribed guard to let him know about 
  supply runs and prisoner transfers. If the characters befriend 
  him and agree to help him escape, he can let them know when 
  ships are arriving at the Pinnace Dock on C Deck. 
  He shares a cell with Baronet Vulis. 
  Playing Rutair:
  • 
  Pepper your dialogue with naval terminology and 
  phrases.
  • 
  Pace like a trapped beast; rant about how you were 
  betrayed and mislead, and how you thought you had 
  a Letter of Marque permitting your attacks, how it is 
  politics, all politics, that has lead to your downfall.
  STR 7 
  DEX 9 END 7 INT 9 
  EDU 11 SOC 8
  Admin 1, Astrogation 2, Battle Dress 0, Comms 1, Computers 
  1, Diplomat 2, Engineer (jump) 2, Engineer (power) 2, Flyer 
  
   
  16
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  0, Gambler 1, Gunner (turret) 2, Gun Combat (slug riﬂ e) 2, 
  Leadership 2, Mechanic 1, Pilot 0, Sensors 2, Space Sciences 
  0, Tactics (naval) 2, Vacc Suit 2, Zero-G 2
  Thoic Abshur
  Thoic is a journalist and a writer for newsfeeds and journals 
  on Regina. She specialises in military analysis and new 
  technologies. Ironically, it was her series of reports on the 
  lacklustre performance of the Kinunir class that dragged that 
  debacle into the public eye and led to the cancellation of the 
  four ﬁ nal vessels in the original production run of 24 ships. She 
  also correctly speculated that the Kinunir was being used as a 
  testbed for a new defence system, the Ancient-derived Black 
  Globes, although she was unable to discover the nature or 
  provenance of this new technology.
  Six months ago, Abshur wrote a speculative essay on the old 
  Longbow (Long Baseline Observation Window) project, an 
  experiment in the 800s that linked a network of sensor platforms 
  to replicate a sensor dish some 42,000,000,000 metres across, 
  which permitted the Imperium to observe objects up to 1,500 
  parsecs away. The original Longbow was used to observe 
  Zhodani trafﬁ c in the galactic core; Abshur speculated that a 
  second Longbow array could use the newer jump-6 couriers 
  and cutting-edge computing to create an even more powerful 
  telescope. Unwittingly, Abshur had stumbled upon one of the 
  Imperium’s most closely-guarded secrets – there is indeed a 
  Longbow-2 project underway. 
  The Imperial authorities assumed someone must have leaked 
  this ultra-secure military secret to the journalist, so Abshur was 
  arrested and detained until she revealed her source. The article 
  was suppressed and will never see publication. While Abshur 
  claims she has no insider knowledge of Longbow-2, the security 
  services are unconvinced of her innocence, so she is being 
  detained ‘at the Emperor’s pleasure’ – without trial and without 
  any limits on the length of her incarceration.
  As an expert in the intelligence community, Abshur can ﬁ ll the 
  characters in on the relationship between the IISS, the Ministry 
  of Technology, the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial throne; 
  she can tell them about the military signiﬁ cance of the Ancient 
  technology and their likely fate.
  Abshur has a cell to herself.
  Playing Thoic Abshur:
  • 
  Abshur hopes that the Imperium will eventually see 
  sense and agree she was just immensely, horribly 
  unlucky and release her. Until then, she is careful to 
  keep out of trouble.
  • 
  At the same time, she is cursed with curiosity. If the 
  characters hint they know something about the 
  Ancients, she will be unable to resist ﬁ nding out more.
  • 
  Play her as a cynical journalist; she is dying for a 
  cigarette, but such items are banned on board the 
  Gaesh. 
  STR 4 
  DEX 5 END 4 INT 9 
  EDU 7 SOC 7 
  Admin 0, Advocate 2, Art (writing) 3, Broker 1, Carouse 2, 
  Comms 2, Computers 1, Deception 2, Diplomat 1, Drive 0, Flyer 
  0, Gambler 0, Investigate 3, Persuade 2, Recon 0, Sensors 2, 
  Social Sciences 0, Space Sciences 0, Streetwise 2
  Evan haut-Uishir
  haut-Uishir is the fourth son of the Count of Bellion; he is also 
  the serial killer called the Laughing Man, responsible for the 
  deaths of sixteen women and the maiming of six others. When 
  the police ﬁ nally identiﬁ ed the eccentric young noble as the 
  killer, the Count arranged for his son to be taken off world and 
  incarcerated in the Gash. As far as the population of New Rome 
  know, popular young Evan is off on the Grand Tour of the core 
  worlds.
  Unlike the rest of the prisoners, who are not deemed dangerous 
  and are permitted to use the gym and other facilities on the 
  prison hulk, Evan is kept locked up in solitary conﬁ nement. 
  Furthermore, he has been ﬁ tted with a shock collar that 
  incapacitates him if he steps outside his cell without a guard 
  present to override the collar with a special control wand. 
  Disabling the collar requires a Very Difﬁ cult (-4) Intelligence + 
  Mechanic check.
  Evan is charming and charismatic. He is an adept liar, who claims 
  he had a double made to protect him against assassins, but the 
  jealous double had him imprisoned here and took his place. If 
  the characters can help him escape, he can reclaim his true 
  identity and reward them greatly. If the characters do release 
  Evan, he goes on a rampage through the prison. The young 
  noble has considerable cybernetic and genetic augmentation, 
  making him more than a match for most of the guards.
  Unsurprisingly, Evan has a cell to himself.
  Playing Evan: 
  • 
  Smile all the time.
  • 
  Use elements from the player characters' personalities 
  and backstories to make Evan seem more sympathetic 
  and convincing – if one of the characters has a grudge 
  against the Imperium, then Evan changes his story 
  so that his double conspired with corrupt Imperial 
  ofﬁ cials.
  STR 10 DEX 10 END 10 INT 8 
  EDU 9 SOC 12 
  Admin 1, Advocate 2, Animals 0, Athletics (strength) 2, Art 0,  
  Carouse 2, Comms 0, Deception 2, Diplomat 0, Drive 0, Gun 
  Combat 0, Melee (knife) 3, Persuade 2, Recon 1, Stealth 3, 
  Steward 1, Streetwise 2, Zero-G 2
  
   
  17
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Taek, Yalin & Osvok
  These three are smugglers and drug-dealers, captured by the 
  Imperial navy and temporarily held on the Gash until sentencing. 
  They have no idea about Imperial politics, the Ancients, spies or 
  anything else – they are just thugs who got caught.
  Their role in the scenario is as comic relief and muscle – if the 
  characters go for the escape attempt option, then recruiting 
  Taek, Yalin and Osvok gives them extra cannon fodder.
  Playing the Smugglers:
  • 
  Taek fancies himself as the smart one; rub your goatee 
  and come up with 'clever' plans.
  • 
  Yalin's the fat one; he's always stufﬁ ng his face.
  • 
  Osvok's the tough guy; growl at everyone and speak in 
  a throaty, gruff voice.
  STR 8 
  DEX 5 END 6 INT 4 
  EDU 4 SOC 3
  Broker 0, Carouse 1, Drive 0, Engineer, Explosives 0, Gun 
  Combat (slug pistols) 1, Melee (brawling) 1, Stealth 0
  Gaius Labre
  The characters have met Gaius Labre before – all the way 
  back on Regina, in Section 1: Bodysnatchers.  He is one of Ven 
  Yosha’s men, and was assigned to the mission of assassinating 
  Professor Ujinka. He was captured by Imperial Intelligence on 
  Regina, and brought to the Gash for questioning. The Ancient 
  artefact he used to shut down Ujinka’s security system was 
  conﬁ scated, and is now being held in the storeroom on B Deck 
  (see page XX).
  Labre was a two-credit thug and assassin, who has no idea about 
  Ancients, Imperial Intelligence or pan-galactic conspiracies. His 
  eccentric criminal boss sent him to bump off some wrinkled 
  old academic, the job went wrong, and suddenly Labre’s on a 
  prison hulk with no trial and no hope of release. For months, 
  he has turned the events over and over in his mind, and come 
  to the conclusion that the player characters are to blame. He 
  thinks the characters were Zhodani agents or Ine Givar or some 
  other big bad enemies of the state, and that Imperial Intelligence 
  mistook Labre for the characters. The player characters ruined 
  his life, and he has dreamed of revenge for months.
  Playing Labre:
  • 
  Go into a frenzied paroxysm of rage when you see the 
  player characters for the ﬁ rst time.
  • 
  Do whatever you can to get to the player characters. If 
  you cannot reach them physically, get under their skin 
  emotionally and make their lives hell.
  • 
  Snarl and growl like a trapped beast.
  Gaius Labre
  STR 9 
  DEX 6 END 9 INT 5 
  EDU 6 SOC 3 
  Gun Combat (handgun) 2, Melee (Brawl) 1, Recon 2, Stealth 
  1, Streetwise 1
  Physical Characteristic Augmentation (Strength +1, Endurance 
  +1)
  Prison Routine
  Life on board the Gash follows a strict routine. Each day, the 
  prisoners are served breakfast in their cells by a guard. They 
  are then given a two-hour session in the gym, followed by 
  a four hour period of rest and reading during which lunch is 
  served. In the afternoon, there is another session in the gym 
  before dinner. Trusted prisoners are permitted to perform other 
  light duties, like collecting supplies from A Deck or performing 
  basic maintenance under the supervision of a guard. The ratio 
  of guards to prisoners means that the characters are under 
  virtually constant supervision.
  Traffic
  A supply shuttle visits the prison every three days, bringing fresh 
  water and food. These supplies are unloaded at the pinnace 
  dock and must be carried up to the storerooms on A Deck by 
  hand, using a mix of guard and prisoner labour.
  Prisoner transfers happen more rarely; when a prisoner shuttle 
  arrives, all current inmates are ordered to return to their cells.
  There is a scout training base at Pixie; scout ships from that 
  base often dock at the prison hulk during exercises and training 
  missions. For example, when one scout is skimming from the 
  gas giant below, another scout might adopt a high guard position 
  over the gravity well.
  The Pixie System
  The Gaesh is in a geostationary orbit over the north pole of the 
  Pixie system gas giant. This region is under a trafﬁ c exclusion 
  order – vessels coming within 10,000 kilometres of the prison 
  hulk are automatically photographed and warned to change 
  course.
  The mainworld, Pixie (A100103-D) is a small vacuum world 
  inhabited by miners. The major settlement surrounds the huge, 
  busy starport and naval base. The base is defended by another 
  Kinunir-class cruiser as well as small scout ships.
  Referee Advice
  This adventure is designed to be a low-key breathing space 
  between the weird chase and bizarre alien environments within 
  Grandfather’s pocket universe, and the ﬁ nal battle with SEVEN 
  to come in the next two adventures. There are three main 
  plotlines that can be explored.
  
   
  18
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Firstly, the characters can try to convince Arisa to trust and help 
  them. This is primarily a matter for roleplaying.
  Alternatively, the characters can break out of the prison hulk. 
  This requires learning more about the Gash, ﬁ nding a way off 
  the prison, and either stealing a ship or reclaiming their own 
  vessel.
  The third plot progresses in parallel to the other two – the psionic 
  copy of Grandfather grows in strength throughout the game. 
  Over the course of this section, the players need to learn that
  • 
  One of the party has become host to a copy of 
  Grandfather.
  • 
  SEVEN is still trapped within the collapsing pocket 
  dimension.
  • 
  SEVEN will be resurrected by his Family Archive if 
  he dies within the pocket dimension – the only way to 
  defeat the renegade Ancient is to destroy the Family 
  Archive before it escapes.
  • 
  Grandfather managed to extract the location of the 
  Family Archive from SEVEN's mind before Grandfather 
  was killed.
  Grandfather’s Host
  During this adventure, the psionic copy of Grandfather 
  becomes more active. There are three handouts at the end of 
  this scenario – give these to the player at appropriate intervals. 
  Each handout gives the character added skills and abilities. 
  These are temporary powers, which will leave the character at 
  the end of Secrets of the Ancients.
  While the player is reading each handout, the host player 
  character becomes a temporary NPC. The Referee should 
  use this opportunity for Grandfather to ‘explore’ his new form. 
  The character behaves in a bizarre manner during these 
  periods – disassembling equipment, obsessively examining his 
  extremities, trying to ﬂ y, babbling in Droyne, casually answering 
  impossible questions and so on.
  If Grandfather’s Host is in extreme danger, or if you need a deus 
  ex machina to get the characters out of a ﬁ x, Grandfather can 
  exert himself. The psionic copy has an effective Intelligence and 
  Education of 15 each (+3DM), a Psionic Strength of 12 (+2), 
  and all relevant skills at 6.
  1. WELCOME BACK
  You are still alive.
  It comes as a shock. The last thing you remember with any 
  clarity was falling through the second portal above the Droyne 
  world. After that, there’s a confusing, blurred set of memories 
  – marines in battle dress, an oxygen mask being pressed into 
  your face, the smell of antiseptic, mufﬂ ed voices, and then, over 
  and over, the sickening lurch of jump!
  You come back to full consciousness on board a cramped 
  shuttle. Your legs and arms are manacled to the chair. There 
  is an external viewport, through which you can see a huge gas 
  giant turning slowly beneath you. Armed guards walk up and 
  down the narrow aisle, checking on each of you. 
  The shuttle approach a battered, broken ship that must be a 
  wreck or a prison hulk. As the shuttle manoeuvres to line itself 
  up with an aft docking port, you catch a glimpse of the Imperial 
  Sunburst emblazoned on the ship’s hull.
  The shuttle docks and an airlock hisses open. The guards 
  unclip your manacles and lead you off the shuttle. The prison 
  hulk smells of sweat and recycled air. ‘Welcome to the Gash’ 
  grunts one of the guards. ‘You don’t exist here.’
  You Don’t Exist Here
  Arisa meets the characters as they leave the shuttle. (Obviously, 
  if Arisa died earlier in the campaign, replace her with Orcio.) 
  She explains their situation:
  • 
  The characters are being detained at the pleasure of 
  the Emperor. They will remain here on the Gaesh until 
  future notice.
  • 
  They will be questioned on their activities since the 
  death of Vlen Backett on Regina. Attempts to deceive 
  or conceal information from the interrogators will not 
  be tolerated.
  • 
  If the characters co-operate with her, there is every 
  chance they will be granted a pardon and walk free 
  from the Gash.
  • 
  Assuming 
  the 
  characters 
  are 
  not 
  violent 
  or 
  argumentative, they will be permitted to share a large 
  cell and given basic liberties while incarcerated. If they 
  are... difﬁ cult, then their time on board the Gaesh will 
  not be so pleasant. 
  This is an excellent time to give the ﬁ rst of the three handouts 
  to Grandfather’s Host. While Grandfather is in control of the 
  character’s body, he looks around in surprise and confusion, 
  and mutters under his breath in Oynprith.
  Arisa escorts the characters to their communal cell.
  Equipment, Ships & Other Matters
  The characters have been stripped of all equipment, and have 
  nothing except clothing and footwear.  Bags, each containing 
  a towel and other toiletries, are left on the bunks for the new 
  prisoners. Any equipment that the characters brought out of 
  the pocket universe is now being stored in the storeroom on 
  B deck.
  If the characters left the pocket universe on the Droyne rocket, 
  then it was abandoned and burned up in the atmosphere of 
  Boughene. However, if they escaped on the Star Hunter, then it 
  is now in orbit ﬁ ve kilometres away from the Gaesh.
  
   
  19
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Life in Prison
  The characters have several hours to discuss their predicament, 
  meet the other prisoners in the gym or recreation area, and 
  explore C Deck under the watchful eye of the guards. Remember, 
  their conversations are being eavesdropped on by the hidden 
  microphones; the guards want the characters to talk and give 
  away their secrets. The interrogations start the next morning.
  2. INTERROGATION
  In these scenes, the three interrogators – Arisa, haut Tarvel and 
  Galen – attempt to learn what the characters know about the 
  Ancients. These scenes are critical to the character’s chances 
  of convincing Arisa to aid them – see 4: Convincing Arisa for 
  more details.
  There are three phases to the interrogation. Firstly, Arisa and 
  haut Tarvel interrogate the characters as a group. Secondly, 
  the characters are split up and interrogated individually. Thirdly, 
  if the interrogators are still not satisﬁ ed, Galen telepathically 
  probes each of the characters.
  For each interrogation session, the characters are marched 
  down to the interrogation room on D Deck. There are two guards 
  present during each interrogation, as well as the interrogators. 
  Unless otherwise noted, the interrogations are watched through 
  the cameras and monitored via microphone.
  Review of Events
  In this interrogation, Arisa and haut Tarvel meet with all the 
  characters. Haut-Tarvel does most of the talking; he demands 
  that the characters describe everything that happened since 
  they received the message about Vlen Backett’s death.
  Speciﬁ c questions asked by the interrogators might be:
  • 
  How do the characters know Vlen Backett?
  • 
  Have they had any contact with the Zhodani?
  • 
  What happened at Professor Ujinka's house on 
  Regina?
  • 
  How did they ﬁ nd the Ancient vessel at Boughene?
  • 
  What happened on Boughene?
  • 
  What happened in the pocket universe?
  • 
  What do the Ancients want?
  • 
  How active are the Ancients in the modern universe?
  • 
  What was Vlen Backett?
  Throw in other questions as needed – Arisia is mostly interested 
  in the relationship between the Ancients and Humaniti, while 
  haut Tarvel's questions concentrate on the Ancients themselves 
  and their civilisation. At this stage, though, just focus on the 
  facts. Use the interrogators to remind the players of elements 
  they may have forgotten from earlier adventures.
  If the characters ask why they are being detained, haut Tarvel 
  sniffs and informs them that they are being held at the Emperor's 
  pleasure until their loyalty to the Imperium is conﬁ rmed, and a 
  full account of the events at Regina, Alell, Boughene and the 
  pocket universe has been determined. They may be freed if the 
  interrogators are 'satisﬁ ed with their answers'.
  Once you have run through all of the characters' experience 
  to date in this adventure, the interview ends. Move onto the 
  ﬁ rst few Events in the Prison (page XX), then run Divide and 
  Conquer as appropriate.
  Divide & Conquer
  In this series of interrogations, the characters are split up. Each 
  player character is brought down alone to the interrogation 
  room, where they meet one of the three interrogators. Each of 
  the interrogators has their own agenda in the interrogations. 
  Pick the player characters who will have the most interesting 
  interactions with the various NPCs – a character who always 
  argues with authority ﬁ gures should be paired with haut Tarvel, 
  a character who is willing to betray the others might work well 
  with Galen and so on.
  Arisa: The scout’s sole aim is ﬁ nding out the truth. She asks 
  the characters about their interactions with Vlen Backett, Gand 
  Holcess, and the Ancients. She wants to know if the Ancients 
  are a threat to the Imperium, and if so, do the characters have 
  a way to deal with the threat? Keep an eye on Convincing Arisa 
  during these scenes, as this is the best opportunity for the 
  characters to gain her trust.
  haut Tarvel: The arrogant noble’s goal is to prove his pet 
  theories about the Ancients to be correct, and to expose the 
  player characters as liars. He tries to pick holes in their account 
  of their adventures and demands they agree that the Ancients 
  are composed of multiple different species and that ﬁ gures like 
  ‘Grandfather’ or ‘Seven’ are just myths.
  Galen: The sinister interrogator wants to divide the players and 
  expose weaknesses within the group. His ultimate goal is to 
  ﬁ nd the truth, and he believes the best way to do this is to sow 
  dissent. He will use his telepathic powers on any non-psionic 
  characters to pick up secrets from the characters’ minds, and 
  use these secrets against them. Play on existing tensions within 
  the group – if two player characters do not trust each other, then 
  have Galen question each of them and hint that if one of them 
  turns on the rest of the group, Galen will intercede to protect his 
  informant. 
  He also tries to identify which of the characters is host to 
  Grandfather.
  Mind-Probe!
  If the characters are still imprisoned by the time you have 
  questioned all of them individually, then Galen moves to more 
  direct methods. There are two ways to proceed with this.
  
   
  20
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  If any of the player characters has expressed doubt or fear 
  about Grandfather’s host, then Galen picks the character who 
  has shown the most concern about the Ancients. He brings that 
  character down to the interrogation room and offers to make a 
  deal. His interrogation and mind-probes of the player characters 
  have convinced him that both SEVEN and Grandfather are a 
  threat to the Imperium. Grandfather seems bent on defeating 
  SEVEN – but what happens when SEVEN is dealt with? The 
  Imperium cannot tolerate the existence of a living Ancient. The 
  Third Imperium of Humanity is like a delicately balanced star 
  system, with the various power groups – the ﬂ eets, the dukes, 
  the megacorporations – orbiting around the Iridium Throne. 
  Grandfather would perturb the social order like a black hole 
  plunging through the system.
  Galen wants to use Grandfather. He instructs the player 
  character to help Grandfather put his plan to defeat SEVEN into 
  action. Galen will arrange for the player characters to be allowed 
  ‘escape’ from the prison, and the player character should then 
  stick close to Grandfather and help the Ancient – until SEVEN 
  is ﬁ nally dealt with. At that moment of triumph, Grandfather will 
  be distracted and vulnerable. The player character should take 
  that chance to kill Grandfather.
  If the player character manages to assassinate the last of the 
  Ancients, if the player character kills Grandfather, then Galen 
  promises he will be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. 
  The player character must make the decision on the spot. If 
  he agrees to kill Grandfather when the opportunity arises (in 
  Section 10: Grandfather lies), then Galen has him escorted 
  back to the cell – see Escaping the Prison, below. If he refuses, 
  then Galen has the character placed in solitary conﬁ nement and 
  moves onto the second option.
  The second option is killing Grandfather here and now. Galen 
  orders Grandfather’s host brought downstairs to the Interrogation 
  Room on D Deck, where Galen awaits. Sitting on the table in 
  front of the inquisitor is a gauss pistol.
  Unless the player acts immediately, Galen shoots the host 
  through the brain with a gauss needle, killing both the player 
  character and Grandfather. To survive, the player needs to do 
  something – either letting Grandfather’s personality come to the 
  fore and wielding his psionic powers or ﬁ ghting back against 
  Galen. If Grandfather dies here, the campaign is at an end 
  – the other player characters will be executed or transferred to 
  another Imperial prison from which there is no escape.
  The most likely turn of events, if the characters come to this 
  scene, is that Grandfather blows Galen through a bulkhead with 
  a telekinetic punch, and the game turns into an escape attempt, 
  with or without Arisa’s aid.
  3. Events on the Prison
  Run these events as circumstances demand in roughly the 
  order below. Assume that one event happens every 6d6 hours 
  on board the prison hulk.
  Brownout: The Gaesh has had problems since it was launched, 
  especially in its power distribution subsystem. These problems 
  reoccur periodically, in the form of brownouts. During a brownout, 
  roll 1d6 on the table below to determine which subsystem fails.
  Prison Brawl
  All prisoners are allowed some time in the ship’s gym each day. 
  Gaius Labre takes advantage of this time to start a brawl with 
  the characters. While working out with some weights, he ﬂ ings 
  one of the dumbbells at Guard Chaon, stunning him. Labre then 
  goes after the characters with murderous intent.
  Processing
  One of the characters is brought up to B Deck by the guards. 
  There is a minor irregularity in one of the character’s personal 
  records that has be resolved. This is a minor bureaucratic 
  problem, easily resolved, but it gives the character a chance to 
  see B Deck and encounter Warden Hawberk and Commo Clerk 
  Sampson, who reviews the case.
  BROWNOUT TABLE
  Roll
  Effects
  1
  All the lights on the deck go out, apart from a few emergency lights. 
  2
  Gravity on the deck fails. The characters are now in freefall.
  3
  Sensor grid fails. The microphones and cameras no longer function. Guards are scrambled from B Deck; they 
  arrive in 1d6 minutes to restore order.
  4
  Magnetic door locks fail. The cell doors are still locked, but can be overpowered with a Very Difﬁ cult (-4) 
  Strength test.
  5
  System blowout. The power ﬂ uctuations cause a relay to overload and explode. Anyone standing near the relay 
  suffers 2d6 damage; the smoke and fumes mean that any prisoners in nearby cells must be evacuated to another 
  section of the deck.
  6
  Roll again twice and apply both results.
  
   
  21
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  Galen arrives
  A Jump-6 courier arrives in system and heads straight for the 
  Gash. A passenger transfers to the station by shuttle, while the 
  courier skims hydrogen from the gas giant below and jumps out 
  again. The lone passenger is met at the C Deck dock by the 
  Warden and the guards, but instead of heading up to B Deck, 
  Galen insists on ﬁ rst seeing the player characters. He stands 
  outside their cell, not saying anything, but just watches them for 
  a few moments in complete silence, as if weighing them up.
  Supply Run
  The regular supply shuttle from the Pixie naval base arrives at 
  the hulk. The cargo from the shuttle must be unloaded, and it is 
  customary for some of the better-behaved prisoners to help with 
  this. Pick two or three player characters who have not made a 
  nuisance of themselves; they are made to carry heavy loads up 
  to A Deck, but get a better idea of the layout of the prison hulk 
  as they do so.
  Sick Guard
  Guard Chaon (page XX) falls sick while on duty outside the 
  characters’ cell. A successful Medic roll suggests that he is 
  suffering from ‘Pixie dust’, a bacterial infection of the lining of 
  the lungs endemic to the recycled air on Pixie. The guard sways 
  back and forth, has trouble breathing, and ﬁ nally collapses. 
  There is a brief interval between Chaon’s black-out and the 
  other guards arriving that the characters can take advantage 
  of.
  Arresting Sampson
  Using his telepathic abilities, Galen is able to identify Sampson 
  as a Zhodani spy. He arrests her and has her thrown into a 
  prison cell. Questioning Zenj (Sampson’s Zhodani sleeper-self) 
  gets the characters more information about the prison. Zenj 
  may even accompany the characters once they escape the 
  prison, offering them sanctuary in the Consulate once they deal 
  with Grandfather.
  4. CONVINCING ARISA 
  If the characters can convince Arisa of their good intentions, she 
  can help them escape the prison hulk. Bringing Arisa around 
  requires more than just a few Persuade checks, although you 
  should call for rolls every so often as the characters talk with 
  her. It also takes roleplaying and making the right arguments. 
  Below is a checklist of items the player characters need to bring 
  up during their interrogations. If the players mention an item, 
  check it off the list.
  The characters...
  • 
  Are not insane  
   
   
   
  [  ]
  • 
  Are not plotting against the Imperium  
  [  ]
  • 
  Are not working for the Ancients  
   
  [  ]
  • 
  Are innocent victims of circumstances 
  [  ]
  • 
  Are competent and capable individuals 
  [  ]
  Gand Holcess...
  • 
  Followed the characters to Boughene 
  [  ]
  • 
  Was killed by SEVEN 
   
   
  [  ]
  SEVEN
  • 
  Is responsible for billions of deaths   
  [  ]
  • 
  Such as the extinction of life on Beck's World 
  [  ]
  • 
  Is trapped in the pocket universe 
   
  [  ]
  • 
  But will soon escape 
   
   
  [  ]
  • 
  The characters have a means of dealing with SEVEN 
  [  ] 
  The Prison
  • 
  The characters will be executed or indeﬁ nitely 
  imprisoned  
   
   
   
  [ 
   
  ]
  • 
  haut Tarvel is an idiot who is only interested in 
  his own theories, and is not really listening to the 
  evidence 
   
   
   
  [ 
   
  ]
  • 
  Galen is a dangerous psion 
   
  [  ]
  • 
  Arisa is their only hope of survival  
  [  ]
  If the characters make the majority of the listed arguments, 
  then Arisa agrees to aid them by covering for their escape. See 
  Escape, below. 
  Imperial Backing!
  If the characters are able to convince both Arisa and Galen 
  to aid them, then there is no need for an escape attempt. 
  Instead, the characters are ofﬁ cially freed and given a scout 
  ship. All their equipment is returned to them, and Galen 
  gives the characters his Imperial Warrant to speed them on 
  their way.
  5. ESCAPING THE GASH
  The easiest way to escape the Gash is to have inside help. If 
  Arisa or Galen or another NPC is helping the characters, they 
  can provide assistance like:
  • 
  Disabling security cameras or cell magnetic locks.
  • 
  Sneaking 
  weapons 
  to 
  the 
  characters 
  during 
  interrogation sessions.
  • 
  Sneaking the Ancient technology damper used by 
  Gaius Labre down to the characters.
  • 
  Letting the characters know about visits by other 
  ships.
  • 
  Arranging for a scout ship to visit the prison hulk at just 
  the right time.
  • 
  Ordering guards to stand down or directing guards to 
  the wrong place on board.
  • 
  Sabotaging security systems.
  
   
  22
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  If the characters do have help, their escape attempt should go 
  much more smoothly.
  Escaping the Gash is a difﬁ cult prospect. The characters need 
  to break out of their prison cells, deal with the guards and then 
  ﬁ nd a jump-capable ship.
  Breaking Out
  The optimum time to break out is when the characters are 
  already outside their cells, such as during a gym break, when 
  helping move cargo or when coming back from an interrogation. 
  Remember, there are guards present at all times, so the 
  characters need to either arrange a distraction or be able to 
  overpower at least two armed guards without being shot. The 
  guards use their stunners ﬁ rst in any ﬁ ght before switching to 
  lethal force.
  As soon as the alarm is raised, more guards arrive from B 
  Deck within 1-6 minutes for a minor incident (brawl between 
  one prisoner and a guard) or 1-3 minutes for a more serious 
  incident.
  Another possibility is for Grandfather to use his psionic or 
  technological skills to help the characters escape. If possible, 
  dissuade the players from relying on Grandfather too much 
  – he is not omnipotent, nor is he wholly in control of his host. 
  Any intercession by Grandfather should be mirrored by weird 
  behaviour or injuries to the host. The human brain is not 
  designed to carry the telepathic mind-imprint of a mutant super-
  Droyne; the more Grandfather does through his host, the more 
  damage he does to the host’s brain.
  Stealing a Ship
  If the Star Hunter survived the pocket universe, then it is ﬂ oating 
  in orbit some ﬁ ve kilometres away from the prison hulk. The 
  characters can cross this distance by jumping off the prison 
  hulk and ﬂ oating across to the scout ship, using telekinesis or 
  manoeuvring jets to adjust their course.
  If the characters do not have their own ship, they need to steal 
  one. Scout ships call to the prison hulk during training missions; 
  alternatively, if the characters manage to seize the bridge, they 
  can send out a distress call. The prisoner and supply shuttles 
  are not jump-capable, but could be used to get the characters 
  to the Pixie base where they can steal a ship from the orbital 
  yards there.
  Once the characters have a jump-capable ship, they can set off 
  in pursuit of SEVEN and Section 9: The Dark Gate.
  
   
  23
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  6. GRANDFATHER’S DREAMS
  DREAM 1
  Your head blazes with pain, and you lose all feeling in your limbs. You feel like your body is too big, too watery. Your back 
  itches... and then your vision dims and you lose consciousness.
  You ﬁ nd yourself looking at a complex equation, and you understand it. It describes a universe, a space pinched off by science 
  – and it is both impossibly advanced and childlike in its simplicity. The universe contains three stars. Trapped in the centre 
  of this universe, thrashing like a ﬂ y in a spider’s web, is a familiar but horriﬁ c shape. The robot body of the Ancient SEVEN is 
  trapped in the pocket universe you ﬂ ed... you made... your head burns.
  The universe is shrinking. Rate of collapse uneven; estimated time to singlarity is less than three months. You dream of SEVEN 
  being annihilated as the walls of reality crush it to nothingness...
  Increase your Intelligence by 1, and gain any three Science or Engineering skills.
  DREAM 2
  The strange pain overtakes you again, and you black out.
  This time, it is like the telepathic ﬂ ashbacks you experienced in Grandfather’s realm. You feel like images are spooling out into 
  your brain.
  You saw SEVEN die in the pocket universe. You saw the ancient cybernetic monstrosity be completely and utterly destroyed... 
  and yet you know that somewhere, machines are resurrecting it. A Family Archive, that is what it is called. The instant SEVEN 
  was destroyed... will be destroyed... a telepathic signal activates the Archive. SEVEN’s machine body is rebuilt, its personality 
  reactivated from backups.
  And then the nightmare begins.
  SEVEN’s wrath is no longer counterbalanced by the threat of other Ancients. The galaxy belongs to the monster machine. 
  You see bizarre ships in the skies over Regina, over Rhylanor, over Capitol. The alien ships rain down destruction like the 
  thunderbolts of a jealous and judgemental god. Humaniti is wiped out by the child of its benefactor...
  If SEVEN is destroyed in Grandfather’s pocket universe, a new version of SEVEN will be built by its Family Archive...
  … and if SEVEN lives, the galaxy dies.
  Increase your Intelligence by 1, and gain any three Science or Engineering skills.
  If you already have a Psionic Strength, increase it by 4 and gain any three Psionic disciplines. If you do not have a 
  Psionic Strength, roll 2d6+4 to determine your Psionic Strength and gain any three Psionic disciplines.
  
   
  24
  THE SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  DREAM 3
  In this vision, you are back in the pocket universe, on Grandfather’s space station.
  SEVEN looms above you, terrible and invincible. The space station ﬁ res a beam of shimmering nameless energy, but there is 
  no effect on the dark metal star-god...
  … or is there? In the vision, you travel along the beam, your consciousness encoded in a pattern of erupting anti-mesons. You are 
  suddenly inside SEVEN, inside the machine mind. It is a nightmare place, a hallucinatory realm of cold hatred, of overwhelming 
  loathing for all other life. SEVEN dreams of a universe where all other living beings are subservient to it, to never-ending 
  conquest. It dreams of a galaxy of self-replicating warships, all enslaved to its mind. A host of warships, quadrillions strong, 
  hurl themselves across the void to conquer other galaxies, tear holes in reality and slip sideways to parallel universes... always 
  conquering, always growing, immortal, invincible, divine... an inﬁ nite of universes where there is nothing but subservience to 
  the one true god, SEVEN...
  You ﬂ it through the machine’s fever-dreams in search of your prize. As SEVEN’s weapons incinerate Grandfather cell by cell, 
  the machine god roars with pleasure, and it ripples through this psychic landscape like a red tsunami of bloody joy. A memory, 
  a single closely-guarded memory exposed only in SEVEN’s moment of triumph over Grandfather. You dart in and steal it.
  A world. A garden world, Earth-like, shimmering oceans, green forests. Atmosphere composition includes an unusually high 
  amount of neon. Gas giant, three moons, one of which is a captured iceball. Vargr, enslaving a minor race of amphibious sea-
  slugs. Uthe sector, only a short distance. Deep beneath the crust, a hidden fortress. SEVEN’s base. SEVEN’s family archive.
  Find that world. Find it before SEVEN escapes the pocket universe.
  Increase your Intelligence by 1, and gain Astrogation, Engineering (jump) and Pilot (Spacecraft).
  Reduce your Endurance by 2.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/08 - Mongoose Traveller/Third Party Materials/Campaigns & Settings/Secrets of the Ancients Campaign/sota8trav.pdf