Clone Wars Campaign: Recap # 14

This session covers the end of the player characters' third story arc and their escape from the anomaly. It was an important story arc as it established several of the major themes of the campaign that persist to this day: the mystery of the anomaly, the existence of nine forgotten Sith Lords trapped within it, the strange link that some of the player characters and Jocasta have to it, and the revelation of prophecies from the Oracle that have structured subsequent important story arcs. For this particular session below, the player running Tarn couldn't make it so I had to come up with the solution of him becoming entranced by the Beguiler.

Now's a good a time as any to explain that I give each player a red poker chip once each year (real-time) that they can use to accomplish or avoid pretty much any thing they can think of. The first character to invoke a red chip was Arresta several sessions earlier to save her father from dying in the elevator shaft (an ironic use, given subsequent events). Last session, 8P-MD-4 used a red chip to survive the plunge from the bridge, which meant it wasn't available to help him escape the anomaly in the session you're about to read.

Recently (in real-time) the group has once again encountered the anomaly and four red chips were used during the trip.


Episode 2.3 "Into the Abyss" Session 3

Exploration of the strange Ansion anomaly continues. The Ninth of the Nine Forgotten Sith has fallen, but not without a price: Princess Arresta of Mongui has fled into the darkness beyond, leaving a trail of blood in her wake, while Marpa Zalon, Duros spacer, has fallen and lies on the edge of death, tended to by a lone medical droid. And the explorers' only devotee of the Force has abandoned them to their fate. But the Oracle awaits, and with it, their only hope of escape . . .


Arresta moves forward to find a strange sight: Tarn is sitting and drinking hot caf with a 60ish woman named Tessa in a makeshift living area, complete with salvaged starship seats, working food heaters, and more. Tessa claims to be a survivor of a crash in the anomaly and has settled here because there is supposedly access to power. Tarn is going on and on about all of his adventures for the Republic, holding nothing back. Before long, Jocasta and her crew, along with a slightly recovered Marpa and 8P-MD-4 arrive. Twitch, Kylo-Vas, and Korkoth also promptly sit and start telling their life stories as best they can. After a period of rest, and unable to rouse the others, Jocasta, Arresta, Marpa, and 8P-MD-4 decide to venture forth.

After a period of walking, they encounter an enormous room filled with hundreds and hundreds of the strange transparent tubes, each filled with a body; whether alive or dead isn't clear. Entrance to the room is blocked, but the body of the Gamorrean Warlug is seen being placed within one of the tubes. The corridor proceeds to split into several branches, most of which lead to various "natural" environments that are obviously artificial and poorly duplicate the real thing. In the "jungle" environment, 8P-MD-4 notices that they are being watched; Arresta strips down to a black stealth suit and scouts ahead to find a trio of large, spear wielding humanoids of some kind. She stealthily makes her way back to the others, but later Jocasta senses the group is being followed. She takes off running with Arresta and Marpa, but 8P-MD-4 isn't fast enough and is attacked. Cleverly playing "dead", 8P-MD-4 lives to heal another day.

As Arresta and Marpa proceed down yet another of the omnipresent bland corridors, images start to flicker on the walls and sounds echo throughout. They see Arresta wearing a black body suit sneaking up behind a man with a razor sharp stiletto in her hand and Marpa wearing the clothing of a Separatist and overseeing the production of B-2 battle droids. Those pictures fade and new images arise: Marpa pushing a deactivated 8P-MD-4 over the bridge, and Arresta hiding a spun durasteel garotte in her belt pouch. The last set of images are indistinct, constantly flickering and with details changing instantly: Arresta seated on the throne of Mongui, commanding her guards to turn over a bound and beaten Tarn Tamarand to a figure in full black armor, his mechanically-assisted breathing echoing throughout the throne room; an image of Marpa piloting the Sun Runner, seated next to Jocasta as they escape the Separatist annihilation of the orbital cities of Duros.

"What was, what is, and what may yet come to pass" says a male voice in the distance. In a small chamber, with the transparent, hologram-like outlines of a magnificent castle around him, a figure sits in a meditative pose with black sword laying across his knees and a gold bracelet around his wrist. His muscular upper body is bare and covered with ornate tattoos. The figure speaks again, about how the Eighth of the Nine said she had halted the newcomers' progress but was obviously lying. He claims to control the Oracle but will allow Arresta and Marpa to speak to her.

Beyond lies a huge, circular shaft filled with the color of light seen upon the initial approach to the anomaly. At the very edge of the shaft a pillar made out of the same material as the bridge stands, and chained to it is an impossibly aged woman, speaking softly to Jocasta. Before long, 8P-MD-4 arrives. The Oracle whispers cryptic words: "The corsair wears a false face" and "Those you trusted to protect you will turn on your true guardians and bring them to the edge of extinction". Marpa tries to shatter the chain binding the Oracle, but is interrupted by the arrival of the Seventh of the Forgotten Sith.

The Seventh's role as the Seducer seems misplaced as his eyes fill with rage as his most prized possession is taken away when Marpa persuades Jocasta to use the obsidian kris to cut the Oracle's bonds. The Seventh rushes forward and impales Jocasta with his sword, forcing her to stumble back to the edge of the shaft. The Oracle uses her last breaths to thank the injured Marpa and tell him both a prophecy ("You and those who follow will return, once in the city under the sands and once at the end of days, when all you hold dear has crumbled into dust.") and a warning ("One of the four prophecied must remain behind; the first three will pass the threshold but the forth will be barred"). Her words, although whispered, carry throughout the chamber. Arresta dashes for the far end of the shaft, while Jocasta clutches her stomach and stumbles back towards the entrance. The Seventh cradles the body of the Oracle and leaps into the shaft, intoning the ominous words: "This is but the beginning . . ."

After reaching the far side of the shaft and realizing there is no exit, Arresta returns and begins to chase after Jocasta as Marpa and 8P-MD-4 follow slowly behind. Arresta reaches the Beguiler's lair and sees a partially-healed Jocasta attempting to rouse her crew by shaking and slapping them vigorously. She succeeds just seconds before Arresta manages to awaken Tarn, and the race is on. But such a small lead is enough for Jocasta, and she leaps through the threshold and into the hanger bay along with her crew. Arresta and a still-dazed Tarn decide to follow, leaving Marpa and 8P-MD-4 with a difficult choice: who should go and who should remain behind? They decide on a desperate gamble--by removing the living parasite from 8P-MD-4's body, perhaps the droid's inanimate and completely non-sentient self will pass through the threshold. But destiny cannot be denied, and 8P-MD-4 is thrown out of Marpa's hands as the Duros passes through, leaving the droid on the far side of the barrier.

Delia's Ultimatum is waiting for Arresta, Marpa, and Tarn; Quaddie reports that hardly any time has passed since they first went inside. As they decide what to do about 8P-MD-4, the crew of the Sun Runner succeeds in a running battle against the giant spider crabs and reaches their ship and safety, also having lost a member in the anomaly. Aboard Delia's, sensors report the anomaly is preparing to jump into hyperspace, and a reluctant decision is made to escape while it's still an option.

As the anomaly disappears behind them, the sublight trip back to Ansion is tense. Suddenly, sensors pick up the Broken Diamond approaching at attack speed, its deflector shields raised and weapon systems on-line. Delia's receives a hail: "Tarn Tamarand and his associates are hereby under arrest pursuant to Order 22 for Crimes Against the Republic; stand down and prepare to be boarded". Marpa stealthily stands up from his co-pilot chair and draws a blaster. He fires a stun bolt at Quaddie, but the Clone Commando ducks by instinct and he draws down on Marpa. Arresta brings an end to the standoff and persuades Marpa to holster his weapon. Having just survived the greatest trial of their time together, Marpa, Arresta, and Tarn now face a trial of a whole different nature.

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