CREDITS Creative L ead
Managing Director
Andrew Peregrine
Cameron Dicks
Wr i t e r
Head of Product
Andrew Peregrine
Samantha Webb
Canon Editor
Head of Development
Rachel J. Wilkinson
Sophie Williams
Copy Editor Bryce Johnston
Graphic Design Stephanie Katz-Barnes
Art Direction Daniel Lade, Andrew Peregrine
Cover Artists Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
Au d i o a n d Vi d e o Producer Steve Daldry
Editor
Customer Service and Accounts Manager
Bryce Johnston
Head of Creative Services
Events Manager
Jason Enos
Gregoire Boisbelaud
Developers
Community Manager
Ethan Heywood, Jono Green
April Hill
2d20 Developer
Tr a n s l a t i o n s a n d Publishing Manager
Nathan Dowdell
Matt Timm
Luc Woolfenden
QA Te s t e r s
Distribution and Key Accounts Manager
Logistics and Production Manager
Dominic Westerland, Nathan Perry, Samantha Laydon
Jon Webb
Creative Coordinator Kieran Street
Fi n a n c i a l C o n t r o l l e r
Peter Grochulski
Senior Project Manager
Art Directors
Gavin Dady
Mihail Spil-Haufter, Amir Zand, Imad Awan, Simone Rizzo
Kris Aubin, Rocío Martín Pérez
Project Managers
Bryce Johnston
Project Management Daniel Lade
Brand Management Joe LaFavi For Genuine Entertainment
Te c h n i c a l A d v i c e Brian Herbert, Kimberley Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kevin J. Anderson, The Herberts Properties Team
Modiphius Entertainment
Studio Coordinator Rocío Martín Pérez
Ben Maunder, Chris Shepperson, Daniel Lade, James Barry
Photographer
Assistant Project Managers
Fátima Martín Pérez
Haralampos Tsakiris
Lead 3D Designer
Operations Manager
Jonathan La Trobe-Lewis
John Wilson
Senior 3D Designers
Fa c t o r y M a n a g e r
Colin Grayson, Christopher Peacey, Domingo Díaz Fermín
Martin Jones
3D Designers Ben de Bosdari, Joana Abbott, Sean Bullough
Chief Creative Officer
Lead Graphic Designer
Chris Birch
Michal E. Cross
Chief Operations Officer
Graphic Designers
Rita Birch
Christopher Webb, Leigh Woosey, Mark Whittington, Stephanie Toro Gurumendi
Senior Production Operatives Drew Cox, Warwick Voyzey
Lead Production Operative Anthony Morris
Production Operatives Joshua Froud-Silverstone, Louis Paul Hartle, Jake Pink, Miles Turner, Thomas Bull
Product Number: MUH060197-PDF The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 2020. All 2d20 system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in an historical context. Dune TM & © [2023] Legendary. All Rights Reserved. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an officially sub-licensed property from Gale Force Nine, a Battlefront Group Company. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 2nd Floor, 39 Harwood Rd, London SW6 4QP, United Kingdom
[email protected], www.modiphius.com
V
Lloyd Gyan
Development Coordinator
Interior Artwork Artists
Proofreading
To o l M a k e r s Alex Taylor, Luke Gill, David Hextall
Gary Moore
Marketing Manager Ben O’Brien
Marketing Coordinator Shaun Hocking
Customer Support Representative Chris Dann
We b s t o r e M a n a g e r Apinya Ramakomud
Bookkeeper Valya Mkrtchyan
Wi t h Th a n k s t o John-Paul Brisigotti, Peter Simunovich, For Gale Force Nine Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson And The Herbert Properties Team And Our Wonderful Partners At Legendary And The Extraordinary Filmmakers Without Whom This Game Could Not Have Been Made. And Frank Herbert, Author And Creator Of The Dune Universe, Whose Singular Vision And Imagination Have Inspired Us All.
Contents
Adventure Outline............................................. 2
Act II:
What is Really Going On.................................... 2
Blood On The Canvas........................................ 8
Prelude:............................................................. 3
The Clues........................................................... 8
Artists in Residence............................................ 3
The Painting................................................... 8
Act I: Art For Art’s Sake.............................................. 4 The Great And The Good.................................. 4 Running The Party.............................................. 6 Theft................................................................... 7
The Heist........................................................ 8 Bystanders...................................................... 9 The Gang....................................................... 9 Dead End......................................................... 11 Act III: The Color Of Honor......................................... 12 Deadly Visit...................................................... 13 Unraveling The Strands.................................... 13 Continuing The Adventure.............................. 15
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
VI
VII
D e s e r t Fl o w e r ‘The highest function of ecology is the understanding of consequences.’ -Pardot Kynes, Ecology of Bela Tegeuse, Initial Report to the Imperium
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
1
Adventure Outline
A noted artist of the Imperium is mounting a new exhibition showcasing ‘the beauty of Arrakis’ and the player characters have been given the honor of hosting it. The artist, Talia Narell, is one of the ‘artists in residence’ in the Imperial Court on Kaitain. While there are many such artists around the Imperial court, the exhibition still carries the Imperial seal of approval. Should all go well, there is an opportunity for the player characters’ House to gain significant status. The exhibition is a collection of several fine art paintings showing the harsh beauty of the desert as well as the lives of the people of Arrakeen and Carthag. Unfortunately, after the exhibition, one of the paintings goes missing. The player characters get the blame as the painting was in their custody. They must quickly appease the artist and try to track down the painting before their House’s reputation is tarnished. Following clues from a variety of sources, the player characters manage to discover the identity of the thieves, as there are very few gangs that could carry out such a theft. However, they find all but one of them are dead, and the survivor has fled with the painting. To complicate matters, the killers turn out to be Fremen, who contact the player characters to insist that if it can be recovered, the painting should be given to them. Can the player characters retrieve the painting and discover why it is so important to the Fremen?
AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
The title ‘artist in residence’ is an important one, but not quite as prestigious as it might seem. It is granted to any artist (in any media) whose work impresses the Emperor enough for him to grant them a position at court making art. Such people are paid a decent stipend to work as professional artists (usually on Kaitain) and develop new works to impress the court. As having many such appointments makes the Emperor look like a ‘man of the arts’, he tends to appoint them on a whim and often forgets who they are soon after. Some are quietly removed if they fail to produce enough sufficiently impressive art, or if they don’t produce anything that elevates the Emperor’s self-image as a cultured individual. A few of these artists, however, can make names for themselves, bringing a little more glamor and honor to themselves and the Throne. Those in favor can command great respect as they have the ear (or at least eye) of the Emperor. Even those of little importance are still considered Imperial employees. As such, any insult they suffer is potentially considered an insult to the Throne.
Wh a t i s Really Going On Talia Narell has no idea that her painting has the potential to reveal one of the Fremen’s most carefully kept secrets. The patch of deep desert she chose to paint was actually very close to one of the experimental planting areas in the Fremen’s ecological project to terraform the desert. It was lightly guarded because no one ever comes that far south, so the Fremen didn’t see what was going on until it was too late. Talia left the area with her painting, unaware that the interesting color of flowers that had drawn her to the area was proof a non-native plant was being grown there. The Fremen tracked the artist but, due to her high profile, decided not to kill her outright, which might cause too many questions. Instead, they carefully watched from a distance and sent agents into the exhibition to see if there was anything to worry about. The agents reported that things were as they feared and a painting showing the flowers did exist. To maintain their distance, the Fremen hired a gang to steal the painting on their behalf, so it would appear to be a simple art robbery.
2
Unfortunately, unaware just how dangerous their employers are to cross, the art thieves got greedy and decided not to pass on the painting. They hoped to sell it to one of their contacts off Arrakis. This leads the Fremen to track down and slaughter the gang, both for retribution, and to reduce the amount of people who have seen the painting. But one of the gang manages to escape, and desperately tries to use the painting to barter an escape route off-planet. If the player characters can find them first, they must decide if they can afford to keep the Fremen secrets. However, they may have no alternative if they want to keep their lives.
PRELUDE:
Artist In Residence The following prelude can be used as an optional beginning to the adventure if it suits the player character group. If they prefer to begin with action rather than party planning, the gamemaster can skip straight to Act I with the player characters ordered to attend the exhibition, and later to begin the investigation. An Imperial messenger arrives one day with a message for the player characters’ House’s Ruler. Their House has been chosen to work with renowned Imperial ‘artist in residence’ Talia Narell on a new exhibition. Talia has been on Arrakis for the last year working on a selection of paintings capturing ‘the beauty of Arrakis’. Now she is ready to exhibit the art, and it will debut on Arrakis before being taken to Kaitain for the perusal of the Emperor himself and the Imperial Court. Talia is one of the more respected artists in residence and so this exhibition will have the Imperial eye on it (albeit from a distance) if only as it is funded with a lot of Imperial money. As such, the Ruler of the player characters’ House wants to see everything go off without a hitch. So, they have assigned their best agents (the player characters) to make sure everything goes as planned. What the player characters’ House has done to deserve this honor is up to the gamemaster. If they have recently done something to impress the Emperor or the court, this is their reward. If they are in disfavor, the whole thing is a test and a trap to see if they can embarrass themselves again. So, it could be the result of the player characters’ House diplomacy, or the machinations of
their enemies. But given the vagaries of the Imperial Court, it is quite possible the player characters’ House was just the name someone picked out of a hat. Whatever the reason, once they are chosen, there is no getting out of it without causing severe insult to the Emperor. So, the player characters must do the best they can. Luckily, the task is not a difficult or especially onerous one. Talia is quite pleasant and wants her work to speak for itself. As such, she doesn’t want the exhibition to be especially complex, as this may distract from the art. All the pomp and ceremony can be saved for Kaitain. Talia has painted around twenty scenes of Arrakis, on canvases of various sizes, which depict life on the planet. The paintings cover street scenes, portraits of locals and nobles, and several different panoramas of the desert. How much of the organization the player characters do is up to the gamemaster and the players. If the players enjoy detailing where the exhibition will be and how it will be organized, the gamemaster should indulge them. They can decide what sort of setting each painting will be displayed in, how the guests will be entertained, and how the paintings will be kept secure and protected. Talia will have some ideas on that front and so there is potential for conflict. As Talia doesn’t know the player characters very well, she insists that the paintings are kept in her secure facility until the day before the exhibition. On that day they are to be brought in and hung in the places assigned to them.
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
3
AC T I :
A r t Fo r A r t ’s S a k e
This act begins at the exhibition of Talia’s paintings of Arrakis. It is a one-night affair, as the Emperor is never keen on being the second person to see anything. But, as Talia is well respected at court, she was granted the indulgence of showing the paintings in ‘their native territory’ first, as long as it was a reasonably small gathering (at least, by Imperial standards). Secretly, Talia’s real reason for this exhibition is so the paintings can be seen without all the glitz and glamor of a Kaitain exhibition. Not that she’d ever tell the Emperor that. The player characters are all at the exhibition (likely in full dress uniform) to make sure everything goes well. They should decide which of the following tasks (which also list the most useful skills for that task) each one of them is performing. Any player character can pick any task, but a variety can make the scene more interesting.
@ Security (Battle/Discipline) – As you’d expect, this is
simply keeping guard, but without looking too much like a guard. The player character must keep an eye out for potential trouble, hidden weapons etc. They’ll also need to be ready to step in and defuse any conflicts swiftly before they cause a scene.
@ Hospitality (Communicate/Move) – While there
are servants to bring drinks, the job of the hosts is to manage the servants, make sure everyone has a full glass and is enjoying the party. This involves empathy, as not everyone wants to be nagged into enjoying themselves. It is up to the hosts to keep the party going with small talk and wine.
@ Observation (Understand/Communicate) – In any
gathering of important people, there are unspoken politics and deals to be made. The observers are tasked to stay in the background and take note of who is talking to whom, and who isn’t associating with whom, to see if any secrets may be revealed.
@ Appreciation (Communicate/Understand) – It is not
enough for the player characters’ House to appear hospitable and sociable. To really reap the rewards of their appointment they must be seen to appreciate and understand the art being displayed. This task involves getting into conversations with the other (knowledgeable) guests and impressing them with an understanding of the work.
Th e Gr e at A n d Th e G o o d
The exhibition is due to open in the evening, and unless the gamemaster has any extra surprises they’d like to add, everything begins smoothly. There are around fifty guests in total, most being minor representatives of other Houses, local merchants, and several critics and members of what passes for an artistic set on Arrakis (and perhaps a few wealthy underworld figures). A few of Talia’s fans and peers have even made the journey to Arrakis specially to see the paintings early. However, the really important people (like heads of important Houses) will wait until the Kaitain showing to see the paintings. Most of the guests are no trouble at all. They arrive, look at the paintings, drink wine, and enjoy the evening without much of an agenda. However, the gamemaster can add as many troublemakers as they like to make the evening more difficult for the player characters. Any enemy Houses may also send representatives to see what the player characters’ House is up to and to see if they can stir up any trouble. As this is an Imperial event, open conflict reflects badly only on those who start such uncouth behavior. But there is no reason the player characters’ enemies can’t try and push others towards causing a scene. If the gamemaster is short of problematic non-player characters, they can introduce some or all of the following. None are essential and are designed to provoke conflict during the scene. The gamemaster should use or omit any they feel do not suit their group, or simply to reduce the numbers. This should also be tempered by how much the group enjoys playing out social scenes.
@ Saul Darrian (Critic) – Saul is a well-respected
‘artistic advisor’ to the Imperial Court, but not as important as he likes to think he is. He is part of the lower end of the Imperial entourage and is one of many critics who evaluate new works to avoid the Emperor having to bother with anything but the best. Unfortunately, Saul prefers to tear down the work of others as his caustic remarks entertain his fans, and sometimes the Emperor. The player characters should try and convince him of Talia’s genius, or at least defend her work to anyone Saul might be criticizing it to.
@ Nyran Jarell (Rival) – Nyran is another artist in
residence at the Imperial court who is Talia’s main rival. He is frightened that if Talia’s work is well received, his reputation will fall. Thus, he is keen to find out what people think. If most people like the paintings he’ll want to support them (to stay in with
4
TA LI A NA R EL L – R ENOWNED ARTIST NOTABLE SUPPORTING CHARACTER
Talia has been an artist in residence at the Imperial court for over fifteen years. It took her a while to make her name, and she has never really been the most celebrated artist of her generation. But she has remained a solid and reliable producer of exceptional paintings throughout her career. Her avoidance of being ‘fashionable’ in her art has allowed her to avoid the fall that usually accompanies the loss of the limelight. Talia is in her late forties and dresses stylishly, but conservatively. She considers her gray hair a mark of experience and doesn’t dye it, but she does enjoy wearing it in a variety of styles. While she would rather make art than play politics, she understands a certain amount of courtly socializing is what allows her to keep painting. This recent exhibition has caught the Emperor in a good mood and he is funding the project, including the exhibition and Guild travel. Traits: Artist, Imperial, Respected, Precise TALENTS: @ Dedication: If the gamemaster has no Threat they may roll 1d20 when Talia enters a scene and if the result is equal to or less than her Discipline score (6) they may add 1 Threat.
@ Passive Scrutiny: Upon entering a scene Talia may deduce one aspect of the scene as if she had spent Threat to Obtain Information.
DRIVE
S TAT E M E N T
D U T Y:
5
FA I T H :
7
If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t create.
JU S T I C E:
6
Fairness is truth.
P OW ER :
4
T RU T H :
8
SKILL
Art is truth or it is nothing.
FOCUSES
B AT T LE:
2
C O M M U N I C AT E:
7
Diplomacy, Painting
D I S C I P LI N E:
6
Observe, Precision
M OVE:
5
U N D ER S TA N D :
5
Art Appreciation
Which Paintings? The gamemaster might use some of the art from the Dune Core Rulebook as examples of Talia’s work. Some good examples can be found on pages 98/99, 106/107, 154, 198, 212, 237, 268, 271, 306/307, 311, and 319 (additionally, pages 78, 81, 91, 96, 143 of Sand and Dust).
Assets: Stylish Clothes, Concealed Knife, Artistic and Imperial Contacts
the ‘in crowd’), but if the mood is one of disdain he’ll foster that view with subtle criticism and faint praise.
@ Anna Vesarian (Fan) – Anna is besotted with Talia
and her work and has made the trip to Arrakis at great expense to see the work firsthand. While her enthusiasm is a compliment, it is somewhat overabundant. Talia wants to keep her at arm’s length if at all possible. However, Anna is a scion of a wealthy minor House serving House Corrino (gamemaster’s choice as to which) and so cannot be treated with disrespect.
@ Marcus Tralin and Sara Roshan (Enemies) – These
two representatives of two Houses Major were unaware the other was attending and are not happy about it. They both picked this showing so they could avoid the other. They are not just bitter rivals, their Houses are engaged in a kanly vendetta. If the
gamemaster prefers to use an established rivalry, they might be representatives of the powerful Great Houses Moritani and Ecaz, known to be bitter rivals. Each is looking for any excuse to challenge the other to a duel. Even an honorable fight will certainly reflect very badly on the player characters’ House as the host. The player characters must do all they can to keep the enemies apart or calm the tension.
@ Varis/Varia Toris (Supplicant) – This person hasn’t come for the art, but instead to talk to the player characters or (better yet) their ruler. They approached one or the other with a local issue they want addressed and haven’t had the answer they wanted. Thus, they have come to the exhibition to try and get some time with the player characters or their ruler to sort the problem to their satisfaction. Now is not the time, but they are already out of patience and it may
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
5
be hard to fob them off with platitudes. Their issue might be any of the following (or there may be more than one supplicant):
@ A problem with their cut of the House’s spice operation.
@ A problem with their water rations. @ A problem with the local Fremen raiding their holdings.
@ A local dispute between neighbors in the player character House’s territory.
@ An issue from a previous adventure that remains unresolved. Additionally, the player character House’s Ruler is in attendance with their consort and entourage. This means they will see firsthand any problems that arise. While they can help the player characters if they need any assistance, they will not be happy about it. Note that populating the party is not the sole responsibility of the gamemaster. Players should be encouraged to add supporting characters of their own, as potential allies or enemies, as they prefer. If a player asks “Who do I see here that my character knows?” the gamemaster can answer “You tell me.” Any interaction might then allow such characters to become allies, contacts, or even assets of the player characters. This is especially useful after this scene, as the player characters may need new contacts for their investigation. Any of these may be represented with sample archetypes from pages 271–295 of the Dune Core Rulebook, particularly the Arrakeen Native, Courtier, Envoy, Merchant, Noble, Noble (Veteran), or Servant.
Ru n n i n g T h e Pa r t y The gamemaster should run the party in whatever way suits their group, although the following offers a useful structure they might follow. This might also be used as a template for similar scenes in other adventures. Note that the gamemaster should consider carefully how much sub-plot to introduce in this scene. Players sometimes can seize on even the most minor or superficial detail as a vital part of the adventure, which might lead to huge diversions and potential dead ends. However, some groups enjoy lots of extra detail to explore. The gamemaster should cater to their group’s tastes in this regard. As the evening begins, the gamemaster should allow the player characters an Easy (D0) Communicate test as they take a measure of the arriving guests and the mood of the party. Only one player character can make the test but any of them can assist. This should allow the player characters to build up some Momentum for the
6
start of the scene, representing the preparations they have made. After that, the player characters can make other tests to perform the various tasks they have been given. The gamemaster should ask each player what their character is doing and offer them a skill test (with the Difficulty being between 1–3, depending on the severity of the situation). Success keeps things under control, but failure will escalate any situation. At this point, the player characters may have to get help from each other to manage things.
@ Battle – Should be the least-used skill unless things get really bad. But it might be used to interpose between people who are arguing, or eject anyone from the gathering who is misbehaving.
@ Communicate – Possibly the most useful skill,
allowing the player character to maintain interesting small talk and keep people engaged and entertained. Communicate can also be used to see the connections between the guests and possibly notice who might be plotting or take issue with whom.
@ Discipline – If any characters are being provoked
by their enemies, Discipline checks might be called for so they can remain in control and not cause a scene. Anyone trying to remain on the edge of the party to observe or guard might also need to make a Discipline test to keep their focus for such a long time.
@ Move – While the exhibition isn’t huge, it is large and
crowded. Move tests allow the player characters to spread out effectively and cover the whole area. They also allow them to get to any situation to try and calm things down before it escalates.
@ Understand – If the player characters are trying to interpret or comment on the art (or art in general) they should use Understand.
How long the exhibition lasts and what happens depends largely on how the player characters interact with the gathering. To build the scene, the gamemaster should encourage them to be proactive rather than reactive. Instead of the player asking the gamemaster what they can see, the gamemaster should ask the player what their character has spotted and what they are going to do about it. As noted above, players should be able to create new guest non-player characters themselves that they can interact with, and potentially gain for later use as assets and contacts. While this scene can be very player-driven, some players need a few events to get them started. The gamemaster should use any of the following as a prompt for conflict, or to keep the action moving and hook the players to get more involved in the scene.
@ Talia Narell notices something with the exhibition is wrong or just not to her liking. It might be that two paintings should be in different places or a backing or floral display isn’t the right color. It might even be that these are last-minute requests she made herself and forgot or changed her mind about. The player characters either need to appease her and convince her it is alright or make the changes without causing a disruption to the party.
@ A drink gets spilled on one of the guests. It might be their own fault or that of a clumsy servant, but nevertheless the servant is getting the blame. The player characters must defuse the scene. How much they stand up for their own House servants is up to them. Blaming the servant is the easy way to mollify the guest, but it also makes the House look bad for employing poor servants, and may affect the morale of the other servants and House employees.
@ The player characters may notice that Saul Darrian is collecting a small group around him and is about to launch into what will likely be a scathing deconstruction of Talia’s work. The player characters may want to break up the gathering or try and defend the work against his potential criticism.
@ Anna Vesarian is overcome at how incredible the work is and becomes exceptionally (and rather over dramatically) emotional about it. The player characters must either calm her or hide her to avoid a scene, unless they can turn her enthusiasm to their advantage.
@ Marcus and Sara have (thankfully, quietly) decided to have a duel. They come to the player characters to ask them to organize a good place to do so and possibly officiate. While they are both calm and measured, the honor of their Houses is at stake and so they both expect the duel to be fought right at that very moment.
@ An old lover of Talia’s is present, and the paintings have rekindled the feelings they used to have. They choose this moment to profess their love to Talia and passionately try to convince her to rebuild their relationship. Note that the gamemaster can create zone maps if the player characters want to create intrigues of their own during the party. For such conflicts each non-player character in the intrigue will be a zone.
Th e f t However well or badly the exhibition goes, at the end of the evening the player characters can retire to their homes. Any fallout from whatever problems they faced should wait until the morning. A small security force keeps the paintings safe while a group of professional movers is coming in to pack and remove the paintings.
Unfortunately, the moving team has been infiltrated by thieves and they steal one of the paintings overnight. It is a very smooth operation where just one painting is quietly placed in a different container and smuggled out. As the security force is not expecting just a single painting to go missing (or, to be honest, any of them,) the theft isn’t noticed until the next morning. It is possible the player characters insist on overseeing security. But they should be reminded that the people they have in place are professionals and while the paintings are valuable, they are not especially valuable. Additionally, the Ruler wants to gather the player characters together after the exhibition for a debrief, especially if anyone managed to cause a scene or embarrass the House. News of the theft can come to the player characters in one of two ways. The most likely is that one of the House stewards (who was acting as a liaison for Talia Narell) comes to them in the morning. They tell the player characters that Talia’s people have noticed a painting is missing from the storage facility. The paintings are due to be transported to Kaitain in a matter of days and the collection cannot go incomplete. If the player characters have been more security conscious, they may discover the theft a little earlier. If they check the paintings into the storage facility personally, with a Challenging (D2) Discipline test they might notice one of the crates is empty. If so, they might be able to take steps to keep the theft secret from Talia… at least for a few hours. While Talia is both nervous and angry at the theft, her reaction depends on how well the player characters behaved at the exhibition. After all, it is the only measure she has of their general competence to get things done. Luckily for the player characters, the theft does not reflect well on Talia either. She’ll have to be the one to explain that the collection is incomplete to the Emperor. So, she is as invested as the player characters are in keeping the theft from becoming widely known. Essentially, the theft is an embarrassment to Talia, the player characters, and their House and Ruler, so none of them wants word to get out. However, Talia is likely preparing a story that blames the House and the player characters specifically if the painting cannot be recovered. If the player characters want to convince Talia they are not to blame (as the organizers) it takes a Daunting (D3) Communicate test. Success gets them off the hook for now, but they are still expected to do everything they can to find the painting before the collection is due to leave.
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
7
AC T I I :
B l o o d O n T h e C a n va s
The player characters are tasked with finding the painting, although there are very few clues to go on. They must visit some of their contacts to see if anyone knows anything. Who they know and what they might be able to share depends on their assets and contacts.
If the group has played the adventure ‘Desertfall’ (available online at www.modiphius.net) they may have a relationship with the underworld figure Dulan Tass who runs a gambling establishment in Arrakeen. Another potential underworld contact is Miran Rocha, who they might have met in ‘The Water Must Flow’ (see Sand and Dust). The player characters may have also created or interacted with other contacts during the exhibition party who might be able to help. Where the player characters get the clues from isn’t as important as what they can find out. They simply need to find the right avenue to discover the clues. It is up to the gamemaster if the person they talk to might know anything. Successful tests to interact with their chosen contacts reveal what those contacts know.
Th e C l u e s The following offer some of the avenues the player characters might explore. It is up to the gamemaster to decide what tests might be appropriate. However, they should avoid reaching the point where the player characters are missing a vital clue for no better reason than they failed a dice roll. In general, Communicate tests convince people to talk to them. Discipline is used when interrogating people (especially subordinates). Understand can be used to investigate a scene for clues. Move can be used to follow suspects and Battle can be a last resort, to either beat the information out of someone or to duel for it! The Difficulty should be either 1 or 2 but generally depends on how well-disposed to the player characters the subject is.
THE PAINTING
The first thing the player characters should want to know is what the painting looks like. As all paintings are named and coded it is a simple matter to discover it is called ‘Desert Panorama 4’. Talia tends to be direct in her names and this is one of several desert scenes. If they ask Talia which one it was, she tells them that it was a view over the sands somewhere in the deep desert. She remembers that what drew her to that particular scene was a small splash of color on the crest of a rise in the distance. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a copy, and no one was allowed to take any recordings at the exhibition.
8
If a Mentat character was able to look at the paintings in the exhibition, they may be able to revisit the memory in their mind and describe the painting. Additionally, despite the ban on recordings, Talia’s fan Anna Vesarian did secretly make some recordings. She won’t want to admit this in case they are taken from her, or if it gets her banned from further exhibitions of Talia’s work. Note that if she does have a copy and the Fremen find out, they will want her dead and the copy destroyed too. If the player characters can get a detailed description of the painting, they see it is a night time desert scene, with an ocean of sand painted in layers of color lit by reflected light of the twin moons rising over the wilderness. On the right, a rise has a layer of striking flowers that counterpoint the colors of the desert. A Daunting (D3) Understand test for a character with botanical knowledge will allow them to realize such a color of the flowers is rare to non-existent on Arrakis. There are many potential reasons for this discrepancy. Firstly, Talia may have painted them that way to improve the painting. While she remembers there were flowers when she made the painting, she can’t precisely remember what color they were. Secondly, they could be a non-native plant that has oddly managed to flourish on Arrakis. It is rare, but not impossible a new breed of something might turn out to be hardier than expected and grow unchecked in the deep desert where no one really goes. Lastly, and most concerningly, an environmental effect might have changed the color of some native plants. Something their roots are drawing up might have provoked a color change. If so, this might be a sign of pollution or environmental damage. While this might be localized, if it is something widespread, it might endanger spice production or the purity of the spice. Note that Talia can take the player characters out to the area she painted the picture. It is a long ornithopter journey though. Upon arrival, there is no sign of any flowers (the Fremen have removed them). In any other environment there might be signs of the planting, but the desert winds have changed the landscape so much it is hard to even be sure the player characters are in the right place.
THE HEIST
An investigation of the storage facility and the process of removing the painting shows how the painting was stolen. It seems that it was boxed and crated at the venue, exactly as it should have been. Then, en route, the crate with the painting was swapped for an almost
identical one, so the facility staff counted in the correct number. After all, each crate was packed and sealed at the exhibition venue, so a quick count at the storage facility is all that should have been required. The theft was only discovered when the storage staff scanned and checked the collection so it could be readied for transport to Kaitain.
Eyewitnesses can be found who were in the area late the previous night and saw the theft. They note that once the unloading seemed complete a group of workers got back into the transport and drove it off into the city. These witnesses can describe the transport and a few of the people who were in it. About six of the workers seemed to be part of the heist.
It seems the gang preloaded an empty crate into the transport used to collect the paintings and then ensured the empty crate got unloaded instead of the correct one. What the player characters do about this lapse in security depends on their House. While the security has not been as tight as it could be, no one actually made a mistake or helped the thieves. Any punishments are up to the discretion of the player characters, although the Imperium is not an especially forgiving place.
THE GANG
BYSTANDERS
The storage facility is situated in an industrial district of Arrakeen. If the player characters take a look around, they find a few locals hanging around on the streets nearby. A fair few took an interest in the exhibition. While none were on the guest list and few even know what it is about, it was clearly an important gathering and garnered some local attention.
If the player characters ask for the names of all the storage workers and check up on who was present that night they find that six are missing. These were all additional laborers brought in due to the high-profile nature of the exhibition. Instead of replacing real people the thieves have simply created false names and credentials. Because of this, it is easy to discover which identities are false as their trail leads nowhere. If the player characters investigate the criminal underworld, they discover that there are few criminals with the skills to pull off this kind of theft. Few people in Arrakeen would know how to pack a painting for interstellar transport, let alone steal one. So, with a limited suspect list, any description the player characters have makes it easy to discover the identity of the six thieves.
T I M E B E C O M E S A N A R ROW D O O R | D U N E : A DV E N T U R E S I N T H E I M P E R I U M
9
FACE DANCERS
If the gamemaster wants to really make things complicated, the gang might be a group of Face Dancers (Dune Core Rulebook, page 61). They have been embedded on Arrakis by the Tleilaxu to build connections in the criminal underworld and maintain an information network. While the Tleilaxu aren’t connected to the theft (the gang still took the job for the same reasons, and the Fremen didn’t know their true nature) the suggestion they might be involved should make the whole affair seem a lot more complex and dangerous. Sample Tleilaxu are provided on pages 278 and 294 of the Dune Core Rulebook.
Unfortunately, it is one thing to know who these people are, and another to find them. They don’t share where they live with many people and move around to avoid the attention of people like the player characters. The player characters must make some impressive threats or call in some big favors to get their contacts to provide any details. If they can’t force or cajole the information out of their contacts, they might still be able to find the gang. The thieves have friends in Arrakeen, and those friends may warn them that someone as powerful as the player characters is looking for them, and getting closer. All the player characters need to do is wait for one of these friends to try and make contact with the thieves and then follow them. Finding such a person is tricky, but not impossible if the player characters think ahead. In any encounter with one of their contacts, anyone not involved in the negotiation can observe the room or street they are in. On a successful Discipline test such a player character will notice someone nearby looking far more interested than most in the negotiation. The Difficulty of the test depends on the circumstances of the meeting. An underworld criminal’s ‘court’ with several people in attendance is Average (D1). A secret street meeting with few bystanders is Daunting (D3). Once they have a suspect, the player characters can try to track down and watch that person and follow them to the thieves, with an Average (D1) Discipline test. If the player characters don’t think of this, then their investigation still gets the attention of one of the thieves’ friends. They start following the player characters to see what they are up to. If the player characters notice this, they can try and follow the contact or ambush them and interrogate them for the location of the thieves.
10
If the player characters are stalled in the investigation, they might be approached by a friend of the gang. This person might be concerned the gang is in more trouble than they can handle and wants to broker a deal. They might be a member of the gang hoping to sell out their friends for clemency, or a rival gang member looking to use the player characters to get rid of their competition.
Dead End Eventually, the player characters should be able to interrogate or follow someone to reveal the location of the gang of thieves. It is in one of the poor districts of Arrakeen, hidden away in one of the many back alleys. Just getting there may present some problems for the player characters who will stand out in such a district. The gamemaster might have them ambushed by allied thieves or even enemy assassins once they are deep in these side streets, away from the safety of their own district. Use the Criminal writeup (Dune Core Rulebook, page 275) if desired. When the player characters arrive at the address, they find a simple stone building set in a row of identical homes. It has no security (the door is even ajar) but the player characters are free to be as cautious as they like. Unfortunately, inside is a scene of brutal destruction. Five dead bodies can be found in the two-room building, which has also been ransacked. If the player characters make Average (D1) Understand tests, they can use Obtain Information to gain any of the following clues:
@ The five people match the descriptions of the gang, and by this time the player characters should know there are meant to be six gang members.
@ Each member of the gang was killed with the same type of weapon, a fighting knife of some form. Each person was killed very efficiently and instantly, with a single stab wound.
@ The attack happened recently, probably within the last twenty minutes, without an apparent trail to follow.
@ The attack was probably a complete surprise, as many of the gang appeared to be in the middle of things like reading, sleeping, or eating, etc.
@ The place was ransacked after the attack, not before. There are a few valuables left, suggesting the killers were looking for something specific. It is impossible to determine whether the killers found what they were looking for. If the player characters claim any of the bodies for further analysis a medic (anyone with an appropriate trait) can do a forensic examination of the wounds. On a Daunting (D3) Understand test they discover there is no trace of the weapon in the wound. This is a little odd as a metal knife would have left minute particles. There are small particles of sand in the wound though. While this is not unusual on a desert planet, they are driven in further than they should be, implying they were on the knife. If the player characters are aware that crysknives dissolve when not kept near a living body this may all lead them to suspect this was the work of Fremen.
What makes that strange is that the Fremen didn’t claim the bodies for their water. However, in this case they didn’t have time or the resources to take the bodies to a deathstill. They also didn’t want to put the water of those who had betrayed them into their tribe’s supply in case it corrupted it. Any Fremen knows leaving the bodies is a sign of utter disdain by the Fremen, saved only for those they deem utterly unworthy.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
The thieves were meant to meet the Fremen to hand over the painting and get the arranged compensation in spice. But the thieves got greedy and decided not to make the meeting. Having discovered more about the reputation of Talia Narell, the thieves decided they might make more money selling the painting off-planet. The leader of the gang set off to see if any of their usual buyers were interested, in case she could get a good price without leaving Arrakis. Unsurprisingly, the Fremen were not impressed by this behavior. They considered offering more spice but decided the thieves could not be trusted in any way. No new deal would be honored and the thieves would possibly even sell the secret of the painting if they figured it out. So they sent a small unit to reclaim the painting and kill the thieves. Unfortunately, the Fremen assassins were young and inexperienced and assumed the painting would be in the house. They prioritized killing the thieves for the sake of justice, but were then surprised they couldn’t find the painting in the house after tearing it apart. It was at this point one of their lookouts saw the player characters approaching, so they left quickly, before their involvement could be discovered. This saved the life of the sixth thief, who was returning from running an errand. She arrived just before the player characters but took one look at the scene inside and ran. If the player characters interview some of the locals on the street they can learn this information on an Average (D1) Communicate test.
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
11
AC T I I I :
Th e C o l o r O f Ho n o r
With the trail leading to a gang of dead thieves, there is clearly something else going on. If the player characters have discovered Fremen are involved they may be somewhat nervous of crossing them. The next step is clearly to try and track down the last gang member, who must be the only person who knows where the painting is. This person is Ella Carren, who has concluded that she needs to get off-planet as soon as possible, and that the painting may be both a death sentence and her only life insurance. In the same way as when they were investigating the painting’s disappearance, the next steps of the investigation depend on how the player characters use their contacts and what assets they have available. To get a lead on Ella they must focus on contacts in the Spacing Guild or local smuggler communities. If they do, they discover that there is a young woman looking to get offplanet very quickly, and who is offering over the usual asking price. While Ella intends to trade the painting (as it is reasonably valuable) she is trying not to mention it, in case it leads the Fremen assassins right to her.
If the player characters can’t track Ella down, their best bet is to set a trap for her. They can use their contacts to
offer their services as smugglers or Guild operatives who have a way off-planet – no questions asked. This will leave Ella to make contact, where they can negotiate a fee to leave Arrakis. Ella doesn’t care where she goes as long as it isn’t here, and the player characters are leaving as soon as possible. How any meeting with Ella turns out depends on the approach the player characters take and what contacts they use to make a connection. While Ella needs to be trusting to a certain extent, she isn’t a fool. Thus, she is on her guard and wary of betrayal or treachery on the player characters’ part. Making contact and putting her at ease requires Communicate tests with a Difficulty dependent on how suspiciously the player characters are behaving. The whole process of contacting Ella and getting her to trust the player characters might be played out as an Intrigue conflict, if desired. In this case, Ella and the player characters are considered as zones. Assets used in the conflict are the player character’s contact and their ship (real or imagined). Ella uses her own suspicions as an asset, and a successful attack on her part discovers the player characters’ true intentions.
E LL A CA R R A N– A RT THIEF NOTABLE SUPPORTING CHARACTER
Ella has lived on Arrakis all her life, the daughter of immigrant spice workers who both lost their lives harvesting spice before she got to her twenties. She swiftly turned to crime, as she had no desire to follow her parents into a life that might be cut so short. Luckily, she was clever, and that cleverness led her to assemble a good crew. They specialized in high-end theft and worked both for themselves and any local crime lord who needed their services. They made a point of stealing very valuable items so they could lay low and let the heat die down a little before doing another job. Remaining members of her gang still alive, if any, can use the Criminal archetype (Dune Core Rulebook, page 275). Traits: Thief, Orphaned, Careful TALENTS: @ Cautious (Move): When Ella makes a Move test and buys extra d20s using Threat, she may re-roll one of those d20s. Assets: Concealed Knife, Underworld Contacts
12
DRIVE
S TAT E M E N T
D U T Y:
4
FA I T H :
5
JU S T I C E:
6
You make your own justice.
P OW ER :
8
You only keep what you take.
T RU T H :
7
Suffering is the only truth.
SKILL
FOCUSES
B AT T L E:
2
C O M M U N I C AT E:
5
D I S C I P L I N E:
6
Infiltration
M OVE:
6
Escaping
U N D ER S TA N D :
5
Art Appreciation, Danger Sense
D e a d l y Vi s i t Meanwhile, the Fremen have not been idle. There are a few options they can take, but secrecy is their primary concern and they have already left too many bodies in their wake. They are aware the player characters are also looking for the painting by this point, but what they decide to do next depends on the player characters’ reputation. If the Fremen don’t know who the player characters are, they follow them and let them lead them to Ella. One of the reasons Ella is having trouble getting off planet is that the Fremen have put out the word that they will be ‘upset’ with anyone who helps Ella leave Arrakis. As most spice smugglers avoid crossing the Fremen whenever possible, Ella’s usual contacts are refusing to help. This is something the player characters can discover if they use any contacts in the smuggler community. If the player characters appear honorable or have a connection to the Fremen (such as a player character Fremen) the Fremen try and make contact, to see if they can enlist the player characters’ aid. A group of Fremen comes to visit the player characters and insists the painting should be given to them, as well as the remaining thief, if the player characters can find them. If the player characters aren’t interested, the Fremen promise deadly retribution. They make it clear that they aren’t asking for the painting: they are demanding it. Only their leader identifies himself, giving his name as Wafiq. If necessary, all the group are relatively young Fremen Warriors (Dune Core Rulebook, page 280). If they are captured or meet significant resistance, more Fremen arrive within a day or two to support them, led by a much deadlier Fremen Elder named Akil (Dune Core Rulebook, page 279). If the player characters seem honorable enough to them, the Fremen make contact when the player characters manage to contact Ella. They take the same tack as above, warning the player characters not to cross them. While the Fremen are exceptionally dangerous, the more complex the situation gets, the more their hands are tied. They had hoped that the theft of the painting would just be seen as simple art theft. A few people might have seen it, but no one would notice what was special about it. But the more they must do, the more attention the whole affair draws, more and more people will get interested in what the painting actually looks like. So, while some Fremen are tempted by a killing spree, this inevitably ensures more people will investigate even more fervently. For this reason, Talia is reasonably safe, as the Fremen recognize that she does not know the true nature of her subject matter. But the possibility remains that Talia may try to recreate the work if it is lost. Therefore, the Fremen focus on trying
to get rid of the painting first, calming the situation, and then they will determine whether they need to kill Talia before she leaves Arrakis.
FREMEN PLAYER CHARACTERS
Fremen player characters may find themselves in a difficult position during this adventure, depending on what they know and how much they trust their House. The gamemaster should determine which tribe the Fremen nonplayer characters are from and if it is the same as the player character’s. If the tribe involved in the theft is not their own, they won’t know what is going on. Also, not every Fremen even knows about the ecological experiments in the deep south. So, it is possible the Fremen player character doesn’t know any more than the other player characters. However, if they do know more (or it is their tribe that is involved) they are given a counter-mission by their Naib. It will be up to them to mislead the other player characters and obfuscate what’s really going on. They won’t be asked to work against their House’s interests, just to keep them in the dark about the significance of the painting. If so, they might be the one to deliver the Fremens’ ultimatum when they reveal themselves. Having said that, the player character Fremen’s reaction should depend on how much they trust the other player characters and the House they all serve. Ideally, the gamemaster should avoid pitting any of the player characters directly against each other to a degree that might come to bloodshed or broken alliances, unless they want a very messy end to this adventure.
Un r av e l i n g Th e S t r a n d s By this point the player characters have a lot of decisions to make. There are no really good options here, so their choices depend on who they are willing to upset and who they want to make allies of. If they help Ella get off-planet, she tells them where the painting is hidden. It is in a small warehouse in Arrakeen, hidden among many similar boxes. The painting is well-packed and in perfect condition. While she will hand over the painting as promised, if the player characters have little honor, she also reveals this information under interrogation/torture. If the player characters hand her over to the Fremen (or give them her
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
13
hand her over to the Fremen (or give them her location) the desert folk ensure she reveals the location of the painting before killing her and ensuring her body is never found. If the Fremen get the painting, they are extremely grateful to the player characters; although not so grateful that they explain why it was important. Such trust is a long way away, but a possibility one day in the future. If the player characters have figured it out (and are foolish enough to tell the Fremen) the Fremen will warn them to keep the secret, or they will be killed. The gamemaster should emphasize that the only reason the Fremen don’t try to kill them now is that they have proved themselves friends (for now at least) and more bodies will raise more questions. Unfortunately, if the Fremen get the painting, it won’t be returned to the collection. The player characters will have failed their mission and be blamed for its loss. This earns them a black mark with not only Talia Narell but also the Imperial Court. It isn’t enough of a loss to cause a huge problem, but the House gains the trait ‘Imperial Disfavor’ for as long as the gamemaster feels is reasonable. However, if the player characters return the painting to Narell, they earn the ire of the Fremen. The Fremen make one last attempt to destroy the painting (or the whole collection, if need be). But once the collection is aboard a frigate and on the way to a heighliner, their cause is lost. While they may be tempted to kill the player characters in revenge, they think better of it. More bodies will just underline how important the painting was to them. All they can do now is hope no one notices.
14
Fortunately, the secret should be safe. No one at court is likely to recognize the color of the flowers as being special. If someone does, Kynes the Imperial planetologist can make the trip to the Imperial Court to quietly quash the rumor and claim it is just artistic style not a real plant. As the leading expert on Arrakeen flora their word will be considered the final one. However, Kynes will not relish a trip to the Imperial court and any such visit will be an act of desperation to protect the Fremen. There is one way the player characters can please everyone, but they must be clever, have the right contacts, and be very convincing. If they can get hold of the painting and repaint the color of the flowers to something less noteworthy, the Fremen will be appeased, and Narell can have her painting back. Unfortunately, Narell may take some convincing to make any adjustment herself. As far as she is concerned, the painting is done, and any critical feedback is unfounded. Any death threats from the Fremen lose their sting once she leaves the planet. So, it must be made clear to her (politely) that this is the only way she gets the painting back. If there is no way the player characters can convince Narell (or don’t think it worth trying) they might try engaging a forger to make the changes. Finding one depends on their contacts. Should one of the player characters want to make the adjustments it takes a Dire (D4) Discipline test, and the gamemaster may insist the character has an artistic trait of some form to even attempt the test. No one can assist, only a single attempt can be made, and failure ruins the painting. However, if the player characters can pull off that compromise, they can please both parties well enough to maintain their House’s reputation and make allies of the Fremen. Returning the painting (in any way) earns their House the trait ‘Imperial Favor’ for a little while, and the thanks of Talia Narell, who is a useful contact at court.
Continuing Th e A dv e n t u r e
There are a few loose ends that the player characters might want to follow up in further adventures:
@ If Talia Narell isn’t sure how her work will be received, especially with a missing painting, she might insist the player characters come with her to Kaitain. There, they must back her up and try to cover up any problems in front of the Emperor and the Imperial Court! While the Emperor is usually more interested in looking like a patron of the arts than actually looking at the paintings, his court is full of art aficionados who may be eager to cause problems for the player characters’ House.
@ If she survived, Ella is looking to get a new team together to carry on the only career she knows. If the player characters are willing to help her, she might make sure a few heists are against their enemies. A theft of a valuable item from an enemy House can make Ella wealthy and embarrass an enemy of the player characters. She might also want to do something for the Fremen to undo her wrong and wants the player characters to broker a deal to use her skills on their behalf. If the player characters made an enemy of her and left her alive, Ella might become a thorn in the player character House’s side.
@ The Emperor is so pleased with Talia Narell’s exhibition he decides there should be another one. The player characters’ House is ordered to put together an exhibition of native Arrakeen art and crafts to bring to Kaitain. They need to search high and low to find even a few items that can impress the Imperial Court, unless they have an especially clever idea about how to present it. Either way, they’ve barely got any time, as the Emperor doesn’t like to be kept waiting.
@ The question of why the Fremen were so keen to keep a secret may also interest the player characters. However, the great ecology project they are carrying out in the deep desert is one of their most well-kept secrets. But it mainly stays secret as no one goes that far south. Player characters following up on this should be reminded directly or indirectly that the Fremen are prepared to kill to keep their secrets.
D U N E : D E S E RT F L OW E R
15
