VARN

by Phil Hatfield


VARN
"World of Water"

Type: Temperate ocean
Temperature: Temperate
Atmosphere: Type I (breathable)
Hydrosphere: Saturated
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Ocean
Length of Day: 27 standard hours
Length of Year: 314 local days
Sapient Species: Corsumus (N), others
Starport: Limited
Population: 720 million
Planet Function: Homeworld, tourism
Government: Competing States
Tech Level: Space
Major Exports: Low tech
Major Imports: Tourists, high tech

System: Varn
Star: Varast
Orbital Bodies:
Name Type Moons
the Shardsasteroid belt
Varnterrestrial0
Lain's Pearlsasteroid belt
Utenaice ball1


SYSTEM DATAFILE:
Varn, an Inner Rim world whose main business is tourism, can be summed up with one word: water. A full 99.2% of the surface is covered in water, a ratio which makes the home world of the Mon Calamari look like Tatooine. The small amount of land that there is on the planet is found mainly in one concentration, a large island known to all who visit as "Dirtside". Scattered very randomly around the world are a couple of very small islands, some only coming a foot or so above the sea level. Besides Dirtside, the next largest piece of land is smaller than most docking platforms.

Dirtside's annual rainfall is around 690 centimeters. It literally rains every day of the year on Dirtside. Most of Dirtside is rough bare rock, as all of the actual "dirt" on the surface has been washed away. On the coast of Dirtside is the only "dry" landing field on the planet. The rest of the island remains undeveloped and largely unexplored. (The inhabitants of Varn have no desire to live on land, therefore they do not explore the area).

Visitors to Varn are advised to take raingear, as the constant downpour that occurs will soak visitors to the bone in a matter of seconds. The rain is so hard at times that it impacts the rock on Dirtside and splashes upwards, seemingly raining up! Dirtside possesses the only non-underwater landing site on the planet. Vessels that are unable to withstand the pressures of deep sea travel must utilize the landing field on Dirtside.

The facilities at the landing field are limited at best, little more than a fueling station and a passenger terminal. Vessels in need of repair will need to do it themselves. On the far side of the landing field is a primitive tower with a homing beacon and automated voice that instructs vessels to follow the beacon to the landing field. The message also warns against attempting to submerge for vessels that are not qualified for deep sea depth pressure. The field itself is big enough for up to three corvette-size ships and a couple of small craft all landed at once. The chance of ever seeing that many ships landed on Dirtside at the same time, however, is remote. Most visitors to Varn do so by liners that remain in orbit and transport their passengers up and down by shuttle.

The Terminal:

On the opposite side of the landing field is the main building. It is sturdily constructed to withstand the weather; with no land to stop them, Varn's hurricanes can get up to terrifying size and force. A single light shines through the constant rain above the blank metal blast door. Next to the door is an intercom speaker and call button. Those who push the button are asked by a muffled voice (barely audible over the downpour) the name of their ship and the number in their party.

GM Tip: When asking these questions, it's best to place your hand over your mouth to muffle your speaking. This should make it so that your players will have a hard time understanding you. That's the point! Make them think that the speaker is bad or something. In reality, this is how the natives sound when talking through air instead of water. Should the PCs ever hear a Corsumus underwater, their voices will sound normal.

After giving the information, there will be a delay of a few seconds and then the blast door slides open, very slowly. The chamber inside is reminiscent of an airlock, with drains in the floor. Once the outside door closes again, shutting out the wind and rain, the equally massive inner door will open.

Past the second door is the inside of the building proper. The main room is the waiting area and computer center. Sitting (sort of) at the computer console is the only being on duty… a fish. With silvery-grey skin, a long body ending in a bulbous head, flipper-like arms and legs, and glossy black eyes on either side of a wide mouth lined with small teeth, it is less humanoid than a Mon Calamari -- more like a bipedal dolphin or catfish. The console includes a nozzle which sprays a mist over the fish-man at regular intervals, keeping his skin moist.

The technician introduces himself, in the same muffled voice, as Raporanot and welcomes them to his world. This is not his personal name (a mixture of vowels, sputters and internally made belly sounds only a protocol droid could reproduce), nor the name of his species (the Corsumus), but the name of his dome. While the people of Varn live more or less in harmony these days, they still take pride in their ancient city-states and these are the names they use with visitors. So for all intents and purposes, all Corsumus from the same dome have the same name to off-worlders… which confuses the latter, but doesn't seem to bother the fish people.

GM Note: Again, this is where the GM gets to have some fun. Whenever Corsumus talk, muffle your speech with a hand clamped over your mouth. Words should be severely dampened and you may find yourself repeating things a couple of times. Fortunately the Corsumus are a patient species and realize that off-worlders have poor hearing, so they generally repeat themselves two or three times before they get fed up and say "never mind". After a while, your players should get pretty good at understanding what the Corsumus mumble.

Every two hours a submarine arrives to drop off and pick up tourists. This "shuttle" (a new word the locals have proudly applied to their own craft) runs to the most visited city dome on Varn, a place commonly known as Grand City (the native name sounds like a bad case of indigestion). Grand City is nearly 200 kilometers from Dirtside, but the man... er, fish on duty won't tell visitors that; only that the shuttle ride is very short, and that only if they ask. After greeting them, he goes back to watching his console and mostly ignores them until the shuttle arrives. He's here to monitor the fuel station, the weather reports, and to make sure visitors don't get into any mischief in the terminal.

A pair of transparisteel doors on the other side of the waiting area lead to the pool room, where the shuttle comes to the surface and docks. The pool is fairly large, about 50 feet across and 100 feet long, and rows of bright lights illuminate the water near the surface. A short walkway extends out to the sub's boarding hatch.

The state-of-the-art submarine seats 120, in 30 rows with two seats on either side of the aisle. There is a sealed cockpit where three Corsumus pilot the craft. Typically there are two Corsumus stewardesses that help the passengers. They are, of course, very polite and instruct visitors to remain seated and buckled in through the entire trip. Once the submarine dives, the passengers will see why: the top speed of the shuttle is near 730 kilometers an hour. The acceleration is rapid and will fling unseated people around like rag dolls.


Grand City:

Located on the ocean floor far below the surface, Grand City is home to over a million sentients and is covered by a single huge dome which illuminates the water all around it with a flickering blue-green glow. Corsumus can be seen swimming singly or in groups around the city; while they appear clumsy and slow out of water, they are as fast and agile as dolphins in their element.

Airlocks ring the base of the dome, but they are technically "water-locks," connecting small pools to the ocean outside. The Corsumus simply swim in and out. For the convenience of air-breathing visitors, a smaller dome has been built next to the main one, connected by a short tunnel; this is where the shuttle docks. As tourists disembark, they hear a series of welcomes and warnings. It is stressed that the discharge of weapons inside Grand City is strictly prohibited (and there are scanners inside the shuttle dock, along with lockers where weapons can be stored for the duration of one's visit). It is also illegal to tamper with or to damage, in any way, the dome that covers the city. Even should someone be so inclined, this is no easy task; the dome is several meters thick, to withstand the pressures of the deep, and very hard.

Once visitors enter the dome proper, they will realize why it is called Grand City. The main avenues are paved entirely with polished greenish-blue stones. The lights of the city dance beautifully on the shiny surface. The buildings range from one or two story bubbles, constructed of the same glass-like material as the dome, all the way up to 30-story spires. The designers of these buildings had visual appeal foremost in their minds, and nearly every surface is polished and/or brightly colored. Some are mostly filled with air, others (residences and other buildings not related to the tourist industry) with water. There are lavish hotels with casinos, ballrooms, and live theaters. There are incredible shopping malls with extravagant goods on sale and restaurants with cuisine from all corners of the galaxy. The streets are filled with a nearly 50/50 mix of Corsumus and other races.

Persons looking for weapons will soon discover that no stores sell anything more deadly than cutlery. There is a black-market among the shadier off-worlders for dangerous toys that have been smuggled in, but making contact will take several days and probably be an adventure in itself.

One of the useful spots in the city is the public communications center, a lens-shaped bubble two stories tall that contains computer terminal booths, arranged in circles of about 10 terminals. While there is some privacy while accessing the terminals, it is possible for someone to look over the shoulder of an operator and see what they are doing. Assistants (all of them are Corsumus) are available in case any customer needs help. Additionally, the company that offers the computer and communication service routinely runs checks to make sure no illegal activity is being perpetrated.

Most of Grand City's natives are quite friendly to outsiders, though there are some that tire of the visitors' tendency to be "hard of hearing". Order is kept by Corsumus who carry the local equivalent of a stun-stick, a staff tipped with spines from a creature much like a sea urchin. The venom from these spines has a numbing effect on those who are struck; in heavy doses, it can result in paralysis and eventually death without medical attention. If a situation arises that requires greater force, the Corsumus police bring out their trained animals… giant crabs. These crabs stand nearly 6 and a half feet tall and have impressive strength. When you add in their claws, they can inflict serious damage on doors, vehicles, and stubborn criminals.

Guided submarine tours leave regularly from Grand City, taking tourists to see the cheeb farms and other underwater sights of Varn.


Corsumus

Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY 1D/2D+2
KNOWLEDGE 2D/4D
MECHANICAL 1D+2/4D+1
PERCEPTION 2D/3D+2
STRENGTH 1D+2/3D
TECHNICAL 2D+1/4D+2

Special Abilities:
Natural Swimmers: Out of the water, the Corsumus are rather slow and awkward. Once in the water, however, they become naturally more dexterous. All Corsumus gain +2D to their dexterity and related skills while submerged in the water. Additionally, they are capable of swimming at very fast speeds.
Story Factors:
Underwater Language: Due to the way the Corsumus acquired their speaking language, when they speak out of water, they are difficult to understand for off-worlders. Once underwater, everyone can understand their speaking without problem.
Move: 4/6 (land) 22/25 (water)
Size: 1.2 to 1.7 meters


Spike Stick
Skill: Melee Combat
Scale: Character
Damage: 4D damage (poison) per spike
Special: Usually the damage from the poison is treated as "stun" damage. If more than one spike ends up striking a target (10 or greater above the required number necessary to hit), the damage is doubled to 8D damage and the "stun" effect is ignored. This could result in the death of the target due to respiratory paralysis, etc.
Description: The Spike Stick is a lengthened pole, about 4 feet long, with thin black spikes protruding from the last quarter length of the pole. These spikes are the natural spines of a creature similar to a sea urchin, yet are nearly 8 inches long.


Trained Giant Crabs
Scale: Creature
DEXTERITY 2D
STRENGTH 5D
  brawling 6D
PERCEPTION 2D+1
  search 4D

Armor: Due to the natural shell of this creature, it gains a +2D to resist physical damage and +1D to energy damage. This armor protects nearly everywhere on the creature except the eyes, mouth and joints.
Pincer Claws: This creature has two enormous crab claws that it uses with surprising skill and dexterity. These claws can be used to grasp things but cannot weild weapons. When used in combat, these claws inflict STR+2D damage.
Training: Normally these animals are wild, though if they are captured at a young age, they can be trained using subsonic vibrations to keep them in line. Whenever these animals are about, there will be one Corsumus police officer with a subsonic transmitter that emits vibrations that are imperceptible to anyone save for shelled creatures. This vibration in the shells is specific and causes the crabs to stop moving and become timid and docile for a bit.
Move: 11/14


VARN'S DARK SECRET:

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of Varn, the Empire has begun to facilitate the planet as a secret research station. Due to the Corsumus' lack of exploration on the surface, and their rather rudimentary scanning devices underwater, the Empire has been able to successfully build a hidden prefab facility on the surface. This facility is used as a waypoint between the space-going vessels and the underwater research lab. The buildings are guarded by only half a dozen stormtroopers, and there are about eighteen technicians working in three shifts.

The facility on Dirtside, located only a few kilometers from the landing station on the other side of some mountains, is made up of three structures. One is the power building, which provides generator power for communications, sensors, heat, light and a minimal shield. The second building is a storage facility, containing supplies for the underwater lab. Usually there isn't much stuff in storage, unless a supply ship has just called. Typical supplies range from foodstuffs to replacement parts to raw materials for experiments. These goods are mostly stored in plain crates with only an ID code on one side to indicate the contents. The doors to this building are electronically sealed, with several alarms that would alert the stormtroopers in the main building.

The main structure is a three-story building, with the electronics and control stations on the third floor. The second floor consists of the living quarters and recreation facilities. The first floor has the machinery that helps run the facility, and also has a small vehicle bay. Most of the time there isn't a vehicle in the bay, but if the sub-transport that the Imperials use is on the surface, it is always stored in here.

Supply ships enter the atmosphere on the far side of the planet and land at the facility under cover of night (as well as the ever-present rain). The technicians are here to receive these shipments and to handle communications with Imperial command. Even if the personnel here were inclined to wander out into the weather, they have orders not to give away their position.

Underwater Lab:

The Empire operates a remote underwater lab that is researching natural materials on this planet that may be used to creating durable alloys. Additionally, construction has been started on an enormous facility to construct and test new underwater combat vehicles. The current facility is an standard underwater garrison, slightly modified to include research and fabrication facilities. The garrison has its full contingent of stormtroopers in Seatrooper gear, as well as 4 fully operational AT-AT swimmers. The troops in this garrison perform routine patrols around their area, sometimes making sorties to investigate probable new areas for resource development.

The alertness level of the garrison/lab is moderate; however the main thing they watch for is any "curious" Corsumus. There have been been a few incidents where natives have accidentally stumbled upon the base; however, none have ever survived to get word back to anyone else. Secrecy from the inhabitants of the planet is desired by the Imperials. They do not currently want to dedicate the force necessary to subjugate Varn, so they take steps to keep the operation secret.


ADVENTURE IDEAS:
While having the planet just a place for meetings of all varieties would be enough idea for adventures, there are a couple things that could be expanded upon. For one, the proximity of the Imperial base could lead to the players catching a lucky glimpse of it on their landing approach. Additionally, on occasion, the inhabitants of the underwater cities will catch glimpses of a seatrooper or an AT-AT swimmer from a far distance. These "mystery" sightings usually draw large crowds who offer all sorts of suggestions as to what the strange things are. None suspect the Empire - yet.

A possible reason to bring the players to Grand City is to have them pick up some important information or to meet someone wanting to defect to the Rebellion. Since weapons are restricted, if anyone starts a firefight in the city, it could draw a lot of unwanted attention from the local authorities or other parties. The Empire does have some agents within the populace of Grand City, as well as a couple other cities, that keep their ears out for any sign of Rebel activity.

A Rebel agent has gone missing, and the last known location of this agent was Grand City. Considering the size of the city, finding a person who may not want to be found will be a challenge. As a further complication, perhaps the reason for his dropping out of sight was a run-in with a crime-lord; now there are bounty hunters on his trail. If the PCs try to stay within the law of the city, they'll have to refrain from using weapons. The bounty hunters are not likely to have the same compunctions. And there's always the chance that a careless use of explosives may damage the great dome...



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