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Main Quest: Diplomatic Relations

Available after completing Main Quest: Lost in the Bayou

Add 2 Action Points per Player Character to the GM’s pool when the quest begins.

This quest expects players to be at Level 2. If they are not, the GM should adjust the difficulty of encounters accordingly.

Summary

  • Player hears rumors of the Spaceport Survivors' alliance with the Lone Star Republic and their interest in pre-war technology at the Spaceport.
  • Player witnesses a standoff at the Spaceport between the Lone Star Republic and Galveston Pirates, with the choice to intervene or observe.
  • Player's choice influences their favor with either faction.
  • Regardless of the choice, the player gains insights into the Spaceport Survivors and their value to the factions.
  • This quest sets the stage for deeper faction involvement and provides experience points and reputation changes based on the player's decisions.

Setting

(Possibly) Scarsdale

Spaceport District

Plot

Whispered Rumors

Although this quest is written to start in Scarsdale, which is a settlement near the Spaceport, it can be adapted to start in any settlement near the Spaceport. The key is that the player hears rumors of the Spaceport Survivors and their alliance with the Lone Star Republic.

Scarsdale is at a key location where most routes from the Bayou Outpost to the Spaceport converge, so it is a natural place for the players to pass through. If they take a different route, you can adapt the quest to start in a different settlement, such as:

  • The players, while visiting a settlement near the Spaceport (Scarsdale), overhear hushed conversations about the Spaceport Survivors and their recent alliance with the Lone Star Republic.
  • Rumors suggest that the Spaceport holds secrets and technology from before the Great War, and the Lone Star Republic's interest in it has piqued the curiosity of other factions, including the Galveston Pirates.

As the players navigate the Scarsdale marketplace, you should set the scene with vivid descriptions of the marketplace's layout, the various stalls, and traders haggling over goods. The market is a bustling place, and NPCs are engaged in conversations, bartering, and going about their business. The Pipes Bar and Grill is in particular a popular spot, with many patrons enjoying a drink and a meal both in the tables outside and inside the bar. The player can interact with various NPCs, including traders, mercenaries, and other visitors.

The players overhear snippets of conversation, indicating that something significant has happened recently. Some key phrases include "Spaceport Survivors," "Lone Star Republic," and "hidden treasures." One trader, discussing the Lone Star Republic, mentions that their alliance with the Spaceport Survivors has raised curiosity among various factions, including the Galveston Pirates.

If players approach any of the merchants, the merchants should only give vague rumors, but recommend they go speak with Councilor Jenna Redwood.

When players go inside Pipes Bar and Grill, the restaurant should be bustling with activity. Players can acquire more details about the spaceport from:

  • The owner Lena "Pipes" Santos, who is waiting tables and serving drinks. She can provide more details about the Spaceport Survivors and their alliance with the Lone Star Republic.
  • The friendly neighborhood Rumormonger Wilkins, who is sitting at the end of the bar. For the price of a drink, he can provide more information about the Spaceport Survivors and their alliance with the Lone Star Republic. For a higher price, he can provide additional details about the Galveston Pirates' interest in the Spaceport. If the players can entice him, he will even reveal that the Pirates have been sending scouts to the Spaceport to investigate for some time.
  • Councilor Jenna Redwood, who is seated at a large corner booth with two other councilors and several town guards. If the players can prove their usefulness in scouting, she will tell the players that a squad of Pirate mercenaries had been spotted earlier that day near the Spaceport. She will also tell the players that the Lone Star Republic has been sending patrols to the Spaceport to protect it from the Pirates. She is concerned that the Pirates may attempt a raid on nearby towns, such as Scarsdale. She will also answer many questions about the recent emergence of the Spaceport Survivors from Vault 117, and their annexation into the Lone Star Republic, but she is not privy to any sensitive information. She will also answer some questions about the Galveston Pirates and their recent behavior, but she is also not privy to any internal knowledge of the Pirates.

A Tense Standoff

  • The player, determined to investigate the Spaceport, heads towards its perimeter, surrounded by the remnants of pre-war technology and guarded by Lone Star Republic patrols.
  • At the Spaceport's entrance, they witness a heated standoff between a Lone Star Republic patrol and a group of Galveston Pirates. The Pirates seem interested in the Spaceport's secrets.
  • The player has a choice: intervene and assist the Lone Star Republic or observe and make a decision based on the unfolding situation. Their choice will affect their standing with the factions and future interactions.

As the party makes their way toward the outskirts of Scarsdale, the landscape shifts. The broken pavement gives way to cracked earth, and rusted debris becomes more common. The twisted remnants of pre-war technology, including cars, planes, and the occasional rocket dot the landscape, an eerie testament to humanity's past glory.

Approaching the Spaceport's perimeter, you notice the looming chain-link fence topped with razor wire that separates the wasteland from the secrets held within. The fence is surrounded by makeshift guard towers, each manned by heavily armed Lone Star Republic soldiers. The tension in the air is palpable as you draw closer.

At the Spaceport's entrance, the scene comes into focus. A group of Galveston Pirates, their attire a motley mix of scavenged armor and leather, is engaged in a heated standoff with a Lone Star Republic patrol. The pirates, bearing crude weapons and a few salvaged firearms, shout demands and threats while the Republic soldiers maintain a defensive formation, weapons trained on their adversaries.

As you observe from a distance, the conversation between the two groups escalates. The Pirates seem interested in gaining access to the Spaceport and its rumored pre-war secrets. The Lone Star Republic patrol, meanwhile, stands resolute, determined to protect the valuable assets within.

Player's Decision

  • If the player intervenes on the side of the Lone Star Republic, they help repel the Galveston Pirates' advance. This action earns them favor with the Lone Star Republic, who view the player as an ally in protecting the Spaceport.
  • If the player chooses to observe and not interfere, the Galveston Pirates seize an opportunity and secure a limited presence in the Spaceport. This choice garners them favor with the Pirates, who see the player as sympathetic to their cause.
  • Regardless of their choice, the player learns more about the Spaceport Survivors and the value of the Spaceport itself, as both factions share information about their interests.

Insights into the Spaceport Survivors

  • In the aftermath of the standoff, the Lone Star Republic or Galveston Pirates provide the player with additional details about the Spaceport Survivors.
  • The Lone Star Republic emphasizes the importance of the Spaceport for the region's future and the alliance with the Spaceport Survivors.
  • The Galveston Pirates express their belief that the Spaceport contains valuable resources they aim to seize, which could bolster their influence.
  • The player leaves the Spaceport perimeter with a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics and mysteries surrounding the Gulf Coast Wasteland.

Quest Rewards

  • Experience points for completing quest objectives.
  • Reputation changes based on the player's choice (increased favor with the Lone Star Republic or the Galveston Pirates).
  • Access to additional faction-related quests for the faction the player supported.
  • New information and clues related to the Spaceport Survivors and their objectives.

Purpose

This quest introduces the Spaceport Survivors, hints at the Galveston Pirates' interest in the Spaceport, and allows the player to make their first faction-related decision. This quest builds upon the player's curiosity about the Spaceport Survivors and introduces the Galveston Pirates as a significant faction in the region. It allows the player to make a crucial decision that will influence their relationships with these factions and sets the stage for deeper faction involvement.