Dune - Adventures in The Imperium - Kernels of Doubt (OEF) - BhBImi

K E R N E L S OF D OUBT RACHEL J. WILKINSON

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Contents

ADVENTURE OUTLINE.................................... 2 How to Integrate this

ACT THREE: SPRINGING THE TRAP................................... 11

Adventure into Your Story................................. 2

Warmaster Cadra Zerides................................ 12

PRELUDE: A HIDDEN WARNING...................................... 3

Side Adventures, Part Two.............................. 13

Out of the Fray................................................ 12

What’s Going On?............................................. 4

Race to the Exits.............................................. 14

Doctor Aster Jang............................................. 5

ACT FOUR: BEFORE THE COUNCIL.................................. 14

ACT ONE: PIECES ON THE BOARD.................................. 5

Wasting Time................................................... 14

Getting Started.................................................. 6

The Trial........................................................... 14



Architect-Level Play: The Military Option....................................... 6

Lord Cotasar Zerides....................................... 15



Acts of Espionage......................................... 6



Intriguing Ideas............................................. 6

CONCLUSION................................................ 17

House Zerides................................................... 7 ACT TWO: BEHIND ENEMY LINES.................................... 8

Trial By Blade................................................... 16 What About the Sade Family?......................... 17 What About the Enhanced Rheat Seeds?....... 17 What About Awarding Advancement Points?...................................... 17

Boots on the Ground......................................... 8 Side Adventures, Part One................................ 8 In Search of Scientists........................................ 9 Sarita and Bracken Sade.................................. 10 Beakkal............................................................ 10 Down the Rabbit Hole..................................... 11

K E R N E L S O F D O U B T | 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

Kernels of Doubt ‘The fate of the Known Universe hinges upon effective decisions, which can only be made with complete information.’ -Docent Glax Othn of House Taligari, A Child’s Primer on Leadership, Suitable for Adults

K E R N E L S O F D O U B T | 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

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Adventure Outline

An anonymous piece of intelligence alerts the player characters to a secret biological weapon under development. Using a combination of Architect- and Agent-level play, the player characters must sneak into territory held by a rival House, only to discover the situation is a carefully orchestrated trap. In the aftermath, the two Houses go before the Landsraad High Council to defend their actions.

The adventure includes a prelude and four acts. The Spymaster for the House approaches the player characters in the prelude and presents them with a head of enhanced rheat (the colloquial name for a hybrid grain created from rice and wheat) intertwined with shigawire. The wire carries an encoded message, revealing the existence of a biological weapon that threatens the Imperium. In Act One, the player characters use Architect-level play to track the message’s origin, leading them to the agricultural world of Kittiak, held by rival House Zerides. In Act Two, the player characters sneak onto the planet and contact the source of the message—a pair of scientists who discovered the weapon’s existence. The scientists agree to help the player characters capture or destroy the weapon in return for safe passage offworld. After accomplishing their mission, the player characters must exit the lab, now surrounded by House Zerides soldiers. Act Three focuses on the escape from Kittiak. Finally, Act Four brings the player characters to Kaitain, where the Landsraad High Council demands answers from both Houses, resulting in various political maneuvers and a potential duel.

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How to Integrate this Adventure into Yo u r S t o r y

‘Kernels of Doubt’ can take place any time after the Emperor’s Great Spice War, which began and ended in 10,175 A.G. The player characters can be members of their own House or be working under contract for another. If House Zerides does not suit the needs of the gamemaster, replace the antagonist with a different House or edit the Zerides as needed. Success in this adventure gains player characters a powerful ally and potential knowledge related to a genetically enhanced rheat variety. They can sell the knowledge or use it to build a secondary domain within their own House, if it is not already focused on agriculture. This story’s setting could include severe drought or other environmental factors threatening the ‘breadbaskets’ of the player characters’ homeworld or an allied homeworld. A high-yield, hardy crop could feed a starving populace. Again, the gamemaster may redesign the adventure to serve the needs of the players and the larger story. Unlike other adventures from Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, ‘Kernels of Doubt’ relies heavily on Architectlevel play. This requires the player characters have the right forms of assets to reach across the Imperium, whether agents, contacts, blackmail, favors, and other intrigue or espionage assets, depending on their approach. If the player characters do not have access to the right sort of assets at the adventure’s start, the gamemaster should provide an opportunity to acquire them, either as a prelude or during the adventure. This might be facilitated by a supporting character. The gamemaster is not bound to the assets listed in any sourcebook and should feel free to create assets, personal or intangible, to best serve their group’s needs.

PRELUDE:

A H i d d e n Wa r n i n g

A shuttle, newly returned from Kaitain, approaches the landing pad of the player characters’ House. As the servants and staff bustle in preparation for an unexpected guest, the shuttle opens, and the House Spymaster disembarks, accompanied by Doctor Aster Jang of House Talos. After a small but formal dinner, the House’s ruler, the Spymaster, and Dr. Jang retire to the study and summon the player characters to join them. The House’s ruler gestures to the Spymaster to report. “While I was on Kaitain, something very curious occurred. I was conducting business at the Contemplation Tea House when one of my assistants delivered a package. This package was given to them by a stranger and included only one item.” The Spymaster opens a long box and produces the head of a rheat stalk. They gently present it to the characters with both hands. “See anything interesting?” The player characters may do any of the following:

@ Make a daunting (D3) Discipline test to locate a thin length of shigawire hidden in the rheat head tucked into the awns (the bristle-like hairs) and kernels.

@ Make a challenging (D2) Understand test to

recognize Doctor Aster Jang of Minor House Talos.

The Talos swear fealty to the Great House Alexin, a major producer of rheat and other staple foods. House Talos’ specialty is in research and development.

@ Make a dire (D4) Understand test to denote

that the rheat is exceptionally hardy and likely genetically modified.

If player characters cannot find the shigawire, the Spymaster can point it out and pull it from the rheat head. “On this shigawire is a coded message which warns of the secret development of a biological weapon which, if delivered, could destroy a planet’s rheat crops. Such a weapon could dramatically shift the balance of power within the Landsraad. We do not know who delivered this message or where they are from. Is this a warning? Is this an invitation? Regardless, the rheat itself presents a curiosity. Dr. Jang is a colleague of mine and has agreed to assist us in its examination. Dr. Jang, the floor is yours.” The doctor nods. “The rheat, as you may suspect, is remarkably resilient and likely genetically altered. You see, there are two ways to develop desirable characteristics in plants and animals. The first is

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crossbreeding—mating two different species, variants, or breeds. Anyone can do this if they understand the basics of cross-pollination. “Genetically modified organisms, on the other hand, result from genetic engineering and a well-funded laboratory. The engineers change the genetic material of crop plants to enhance qualities like nutrient composition or pest resistance. It can also mean improved crop yield, faster maturation, or in this case, what I believe is the greater ability to withstand crop disease. “If someone was developing a new crop disease as a biological weapon to target grain crops, think of how valuable this variety would be. I suspect someone has created the rheat and the weapon in tandem. We would ask, as a political favor, that if you happen to locate the seeds and a sample of this unique variety, you acquire them and deliver them to us.” “Who is… us?” asks the Ruler. “House Talos?” “House Alexin, to whom the Talos swear fealty,” answers the doctor. “I have already spoken with Prince Kole Alexin. He is willing to lend what influence he has. In return, he offers a debt, his House to yours. Our focus is on obtaining the seeds and sample for further study.” The Spymaster raises an eyebrow. “Dr. Jang, when you say valuable, what exactly do you mean?” “Think of the benefits of having a crop that can withstand disease, drought, salt, and extreme temperatures. It would be immensely beneficial to the right House.” The Ruler finally nods, turning to look at the player characters. “Very well. Talk with the Spymaster’s assistant. Retrace the steps of this package. Follow it back to its source and ascertain if this is real. And if we are able to acquire seeds and samples for Dr. Jang and House Alexin, and ourselves, so much the better.”

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WHAT IS GOING ON?

Through a series of cutouts across several different worlds, an anonymous informant has passed along an encoded message revealing the existence of a devastating weapon. On the planet Kittiak, held by House Zerides, two scientists are unwitting pawns in a trap meant for the player characters. Reasons for the rivalry could be from a slight at a party decades ago to action the player characters recently took that, overtly or tangentially, adversely affected the Zerides. Such is life in the Imperium, with slights growing over time into vendettas. While the scientists were engineering the rheat for House Zerides, they stumbled across a second, secret project—a genetically modified crop disease. They saw plans intimating that the Zerides intended to use the weapon against the player characters’ House. In response, the scientists have passed along the message in hopes they could stop the attack before it’s too late. However, the scientists do not realize the weapon, though quite real, is a trap. The Zerides intend to lure the player characters to Kittiak, arrest them, and frame them, pinning the development of the pestilence on the player characters and their House.

D O C TO R A S TO R JA NG DRIVE

NOTABLE SUPPORTING CHARACTER

An early childhood virus paralyzed Jang’s body, making her reliant on suspensor belts to move. Science ultimately cured her of the virus, and though she still uses the suspensors, her experience inspired her commitment to science as an avenue to improve people’s lives. After graduating from one of the scientific institutions on Kaitain, she returned to the Kora system to assist House Talos. There she heads one of their research and development labs. Traits: Scientist, Curious

her Understand skill on a single skill test instead of any other skill, and is counted as having a focus for that test.

Assets: Laboratory Access, Maula Pistol, Personal Suspensor

D U T Y:

5

FA I T H :

6

JU S T I C E:

4

P OW ER :

3

T RU T H :

7

SKILL

TALENTS: @ Advisor (Understand): Jang may re-roll a single d20 in the dice pool of an ally she assists.

@ Intense Study: Once per scene, Jang may use

S TAT E M E N T

Patience and understanding are the keys to understanding science.

FOCUSES

B AT T LE:

5

C O M M U N I C AT E:

4

D I S C I P LI N E:

6

M OVE:

3

U N D ER S TA N D :

7

Observe

Biology, Deductive Reasoning

AC T I :

Pieces on the Board

To track the message’s origin, the players must use Architect-level play and deploy long-distance assets. If the player characters don’t have suitable assets, Dr. Jang can supply a list of Houses that owe House Alexin a favor. The player characters may choose two of the following three:

@ House Ecaz – Having defeated House Moritani,

the Ecaz have no shortage of veteran soldiers. They can lend the player characters a platoon of fifty mercenaries, a personnel carrier, a trio of armed ornithopters, and any number of personal military assets.

@ House Vernius – With their monopoly on secrets,

the Ixians have ample espionage assets to contribute to the mission. They are willing to grant the player characters access to one of their prized assassins, political spies, or caches of secret intelligence. They can also procure personal espionage assets such as hunter-seekers, poisons, or drugs.

@ House Verdun – Known for its political acumen,

House Verdun has various intrigue assets to loan the player characters. They include favors from an old friend, valuable manufactured goods, supply contracts, blackmail material, and access to skilled courtesans and politicians.

The gamemaster can adjust the loaned assets as they see fit. Player characters can use assets from each House (Ecaz, Vernius, or Verdun) twice during the adventure without issue. However, player characters who abuse their use may ultimately sour the relationships with these Houses, resulting in resentments and bruised egos. As a reminder, as listed on page 168 of the Dune Core Rulebook, a player character may create an asset with a test and make it permanent by spending 2 Momentum. They may also create an asset by spending Determination. Both methods require some explanation by the players, describing how they acquired the asset and claimed its ownership or loyalty. The gamemaster has the final say on what players can and cannot create.

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Get ting Started The first step in tracking the message is to speak with the Spymaster’s assistant, Hagan. He explains how while on Kaitain he was running errands for his master when he stopped at a restaurant to eat. A stranger approached him, claiming to be a courier named Doman. The man asked Hagan if he worked for the player characters’ House, and when Hagan answered in the affirmative, Doman delivered the tiny package containing the genetically modified rheat. If desired, the player characters can deploy assets to trace Doman back on Kaitain and discover how he obtained the package. Following are a few examples of how the players can use Architect-level play to achieve their goals. The gamemaster should encourage players to be creative while simultaneously remaining open to unique ideas. Remember that during these sequences, the player characters are driving the action, using their drives and skills through their assets, but they don’t need to be present themselves. When tests fail, the player characters must deploy different assets or attempt a new tack to uncover what they have failed to learn, so they can proceed.

ARCHITECT-LEVEL PLAY: THE MILITARY OPTION Captain Oda is an Ecazi veteran in command of a small platoon of soldiers. Tasked by the player characters, he and his men quietly go to Kaitain. While disguised in civilian clothing, the mercenaries monitor the restaurant, waiting for Doman to return. Eventually, Doman does, and Captain Oda and his men follow him to his warehouse to corner him. With a successful Average (D1) Battle test, Doman confesses to being a smuggler. He explains how a merchant named Foy paid him to deliver the package to a member of the player characters’ House. When Oda asks where to find the merchant, Doman describes Foy’s vessel, The Necessity, currently docked at a Kaitain spaceport. It includes minimal armaments and almost no security. If the test fails, Donan reveals nothing and demands to be released. The Ecazi proceed, reconnoitering the spaceport. They find The Necessity and with a Challenging (D2) Battle test, commandeer the vessel. Inside they capture Foy, her modest crew, and the logbook. Using the log, they learn how Foy delivers grain from the planet Kittiak, under the control of House Zerides, to various worlds throughout Harkonnen space. Failing the Battle test means that they are thwarted by the spaceport guards, or even noticed by the city’s security force. Interrogating Foy is an Average (D1) Communicate test. Failure has her demand to be released, or withstand any normal measures of interrogation. A success breaks her through simple intimidation or veiled threats. Begging

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for her life, Foy explains how she obtained the package on Kittiak from a pair of married biologists named Sarita and Bracken Sade. They instructed Foy to put the package into the hands of someone from the player characters’ House. Foy adds that she had no idea what was in it. After passing along the information to the player characters, Captain Oda educates them on the Zerides military. He is familiar with them and knows they prefer mechanized units to on-the-ground foot soldiers, such as tanks and artillery platforms. He has also heard of their Warmaster, Cadra Zerides. According to rumor, she is a skilled duelist, but was too dishonorable to be trained with the Swordmasters of Ginaz.

ARCHITECT-LEVEL PLAY: ACTS OF ESPIONAGE Originally from Ix, Namaca is a corporate spy, living and working on Kaitain. Though not a Face Dancer, she blends easily into crowds and knows how to access restricted areas. Under the player characters’ instruction, she reviews records on Kaitain and locates Doman’s warehouse. With a Challenging (D2) Movement test, she plants a surveillance device on the location and tracks Doman’s movements. Failure means she loses his trail, or with a complication her spying is discovered. After a few nights, she poisons his food with a paralytic agent. Once Doman is incapacitated, she interrogates him with a Challenging (D2) Communicate test. Doman confesses to being a smuggler and explains how a merchant named Foy gave him the package. With a failed test, the courier gives Namaca misleading information. With an extra success or an Obtain Information Momentum spend, Namaca also gets Doman to reveal how Foy has been skimming supplies from her clients—a fact that might endanger her reputation if exposed. A second records search locates Foy’s temporary housing in Corrinth City. Namaca impersonates a CHOAM auditor and confronts Foy at her home. With a daunting (D3) Discipline test, Namaca threatens to expose that Foy has been stealing from her employers. Failure has Foy remain silent, but with a success, the blackmail works. The merchant immediately confesses, citing how Doctors Sarita and Bracken Sade gave her the parcel on Kittiak, and ordered Foy to get the package to the player characters’ House by any means necessary Foy then explains how the doctors work for House Zerides and are part of their research and development program, swearing not to know any more than that. Further successes or Momentum spent for Obtain Information reveal this to be true.

H O US E ZER IDE S MINOR HOUSE OF HOUSE HARKONNEN Banner and Arms: A lapis blue rabbit House Traits: Stubborn, Resilient Primary Domains: Agriculture (Produce) – Focusing primarily grain production and distribution, House Zerides feeds several worlds within Harkonnen space. Homeworld: Aside from a few scattered mountains and winding rivers, Kittiak is primarily flatland. A pair of binary stars and a single bright moon provide ample illumination throughout the day, resulting in larger than usual crop yields. The royal family rules from Kitt, the capital, which also houses the planet’s only spaceport. Military Power: House Zerides has a small standing army and a standard planetary defense system. However, they prefer mechanized infantry, utilizing armed ornithopters, armored personnel carriers, and suspended artillery platforms. Population and Lifestyle: The citizens of Kittiak work long hours to produce the grain needed to sustain the Harkonnen sphere of influence. Proud of their efforts and extremely hardworking, they do so by operating giant machinery capable of tilling thousands of acres in a single day. More mechanics than actual farmers, the citizens col-

ARCHITECT-LEVEL PLAY: INTRIGUING IDEAS

Ruben Mott is a professional lobbyist. He does not care who he represents, as long as the special interests pay his substantial fees or provide an order from House Verdun. Mott begins his investigation by frequenting the restaurant where Hagan and Doman met. When Doman returns, Mott uses a Challenging (D2) Communicate test to bribe Doman into revealing who gave him the package. The smuggler identifies Foy and describes the brothel in Corrinth City where she spends her free time. Failure provides Mott with misleading information, and a complication has him exposed to an extent that his cover is revealed. Mott pays off the madame and hires a courtesan to seduce Foy with an Average (D1) Communicate test. If the test fails, Foy resists the seduction and reveals

lect the vast crop quantities, storing them in enormous silos before shipping them offworld. While on the planet, it’s not unusual to see people with artificial limbs. Many of the folk of Kittiak have either lost family or limbs in farming accidents. Noblis Familia: Lord Cotasar Zerides (Ruler) – An old and cruel individual who clings both to his world, and his life. He takes extraordinary steps to prolong his longevity and has sired several dozen children from different wives. Cadra Zerides (Warmaster) – Dismissed from the Swordmaster school on Ginaz, she now serves as head of security. Ruthless and without honor, she does anything she must to achieve victory. History: Generations ago, a severe drought threatened several worlds throughout the Imperium. When this occurred, House Zerides, with the assistance of the Harkonnens, rose to the occasion and delivered food and relief to the starving worlds. For their efforts, the Emperor formally acknowledged the Zerides and helped elevate them to a Minor House. Of course, the Harkonnens took their share of the credit, and House Zerides remains sworn in allegiance to them.

nothing. If successful, a drunk and pliable Foy unwittingly reveals the package came from Sarita and Bracken Sade, doctors who work in agricultural research and development for House Zerides on the planet Kittiak. The pair gave Foy the package and asked that she get it into the player characters’ hands. The Verdun lobbyist relays his findings to the player characters. In addition, Mott describes Lord Cotasar, Ruler of House Zerides, as an old and cruel individual. Cotasar studied on Giedi Prime, and after returning home to Kittiak, made sure his older brothers would not have the opportunity to succeed their father. After his father died in a farming accident, Cotasar ascended and has ruled House Zerides for the past 50 years. Rumors suggest he is obsessed with eternal youth, even beyond the longevity provided by the geriatric spice melange.

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AC T I I :

Behind Enemy Lines

With the source of the secret message identified, the House Ruler orders the player characters to travel to Kittiak, locate Sarita and Bracken, learn their secret, and stop the threat. Unfortunately, this may prove challenging with House Zerides as an enemy to the player characters’ House. Landing on their planet attracts unwanted attention, so the player characters must find a way onto the planet while avoiding discovery. Perhaps Foy smuggles them onto the planet in her merchant vessel, or maybe they employ espionage assets to find a different way. Regardless, Act Two shifts the adventure from Architect play to Agent play, granting the players more direct control over their characters’ actions. If the gamemaster feels player characters may need a bit of backup, Dr. Jang can volunteer to accompany them.

SIDE ADVENTURES, PART ONE

If the gamemaster wants to present additional complications or side adventures, the beginning of Act Two provides the opportunity to insert them. Listed below are several side plots the gamemaster can implement. These side plots may even offer benefits or hazards during Scene Three. The gamemaster can also randomize this list by rolling a single d20. 1–5 Light Touch: Moving through the streets of Kitt, the player characters stumble on a merchant selling personal suspensors, demonstrating how users can climb the mountain between districts. As the merchant involves a player character in the demonstration, a thief picks a different player character’s pocket. The player characters must attempt a Challenging (D2) Discipline test. If they succeed, they catch the thief. Failure means that some personal asset is stolen from them (gamemaster’s choice). A Daunting (D3) Communicate test also confirms the merchant is in on it. The player characters can decide what to do with the pair, either letting them go, handing them over to the authorities, or claiming the suspensors as payment for their trouble. 6–10 Outsiders: While in Kitt, drunken farmers start a fight with the player characters. It could be a bar fight, a street fight, or during a suspensor

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Boots on the Ground

Kittiak is a remote planet deep inside the Harkonnen sphere of influence. The agricultural planet is primarily flat with rheat fields for as far as the eye can see. Under a pair of suns, massive combine harvesters reap, thresh, and winnow the rheat. The heads’ rotating wheels and cutter bars chew through the fields while streams of grain spew out a side pipe into the backs of trailers. Customized ornithopters collect crops from the trailers and deliver them to massive silos for storage. In the distance, dug into the world’s largest mountain range, is the capital city of Kitt. The city is stratified vertically, both physically and culturally, with nobles living at the top, merchants in the middle, and the poorest residents sprawling out at the foot of the mountain. A dozen suspensor platforms connect each of the three districts, traveling 3,000 meters from floor to summit.

platform ride. They recognize the player characters as outsiders and, fueled by suspicion and xenophobia, harass them. The player characters can deescalate the situation with a Daunting (D3) Communicate test, or they can settle the matter violently with a Challenging (D2) Battle test. 11–15 Highway Robbery: The player characters pass an alley and witness a robbery underway. Armed with maula pistols and short blades, two thieves pin a father to a wall while the father’s two children huddle in fear. The father glances down the alley at the player characters as they pass. He has a pleading look on his face. The player characters are free to continue along their way, or they can interfere. Some options include threatening the criminals with a challenging (D2) Communicate test or beating them outright with an average (D1) Battle test. 16–20 Wounds: Kitt’s lower district floods with the wounded victims of a terrible farming accident. An emergency doctor calls out to the player characters, ordering them to help triage the patients and get them to the hospital. If the player characters agree, the Suk Doctor thanks them for their efforts. If the player characters lend medical aid to the injured, the Suk Doctor gives them a medkit in return as additional thanks. Ignoring the call has no consequences.

The player characters land at the spaceport at the foot of the mountain and secure an apartment or other temporary housing. Their general ease of access depends on what steps they took before landing. If they are operating under a diplomatic or humanitarian pretense, then their movements are somewhat unhindered. On the other hand, if they smuggled themselves onto the planet, they might only be safe operating under cover of darkness.

In Search of Scientists The uppermost district of Kitt includes the royal palace, homes for nobles, and the Zerides Center for Research that employs Sarita and Bracken Sade. The player characters must find a way to contact the pair of scientists, whether at the facility or at their home in the merchant district. They can remain hidden with a challenging (D2) Move test focusing on stealth, or they can make a challenging (D2) Discipline test focusing on espionage. Failure, obviously, brings the risk of exposure. In either case, the scientists eventually leave the Center and return home, where their two children, Jono and Rayleigh, are waiting for them. For reference, Jono is 14 years of age, and Rayleigh is ten. The family poses no threat, and when contacted, express their relief. “It’s you! You came!” As Sarita looks at her husband, her shoulders collapse in relief. “I still can’t believe it worked! “My husband and I lead research and development at the Zerides Center. Several months ago,

Lord Cotasar assigned us the task of developing a disease-resistant variety of rheat. One that might also thrive in extreme environments. We made excellent progress and passed our findings to Lord Cotasar, but he demanded we exhaust all avenues of additional insight, pushing us much harder than usual. Even if there is enormous profit in our work, it seemed very strange. That was until we realized why.” Bracken leans in. “In a separate part of the lab, unbeknownst to us, the Zerides were using our work to genetically engineer a disease that no other variety of wheat could withstand. And they intend to use it against you. That’s why we had to warn you.” “So, we asked a colleague of ours, a merchant named Foy, to pass along our message to your House,” says Sarita picking up where Bracken left off. “Given your reputation, it seemed the wisest choice. And now that you are here, it looks like we were right. “We can get you inside the lab so you can destroy the weapon. All we ask for in return is a way to get off Kittiak and far from the clutches of House Zerides. All of us. My husband and I, and our two children. If you grant us asylum, our knowledge is yours.” Unbeknownst to the Sade family, the plague is a wellorchestrated trap, and they are under surveillance. However, the player characters have an opportunity to recognize it. If the player characters succeed in a daunting (D3) Understand test, they find electronic spyeyes in the main living space of the Sade home. If they are successful, the gamemaster should grant them 2 Momentum to offset the ambush planned for Act Three. Failure means they notice nothing.

SA R I TA A ND B R AC KEN SADE NOTABLE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

With expertise in biology and agronomy, Sarita and Bracken Sade are, arguably, some of the most scientifically skilled people on Kittiak. Their lifes’ work has been in helping feed the masses. While they see the development of high-yield and hardy crops as a way to end hunger, the Zerides are less charitable. For House Zerides, a starving population is one of the fastest ways to destabilize their rule. That said, the Sades are not ignorant of House Zerides’ motivations. But, as long as their goals aligned, it was easy to ignore or even forgive the Zerides’ political agenda. However, knowing their work may result in the starvation of millions, this is a bridge too far. While they have managed to carve out a comfortable balance between work and the needs of their two children (Jono and Rayleigh), knowing their discoveries may result in harming others is unacceptable. Now they want to leave Kittiak with their children, but the Zerides have disallowed it. The Sades know too much, and their research is too valuable. Traits: Scientist, Ethical

DRIVE

S TAT E M E N T

D U T Y:

3

FA I T H :

5

JU S T I C E:

6

P OW ER :

4

T RU T H :

6

SKILL

A difficult truth is always better than a comfortable lie.

FOCUSES

B AT T LE:

3

C O M M U N I C AT E:

5

D I S C I P L I N E:

6

M OVE:

4

U N D ER S TA N D :

7

Observe

Reasearch, Biology

TALENTS: @ Collaboration (Understand): Sarita or Bracken may spend 2 Threat to allow an ally to use their Understand skill as their own.

@ Intense Study: Once per scene, Sarita or Bracken may use their Understand skill on a single skill test instead of any other skill, and they are counted as having a focus for that test.

Assets: Shigawire Reels, Laboratory, Secret Data

BEAKKAL

During the Great Spice War of 10,175 A.G., Emperor Shaddam IV blockaded the planet Beakkal. Then, in an act of cruelty, he allowed the starving world to ‘capture’ two food supply ships carrying a deadly biological agent. After the ships landed on Beakkal, distributing the food among the people also spread the agent. Crops withered, forests turned into skeletons, and the planetary ecosystem nearly collapsed.

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It is possible House Zerides may have had a hand in developing the deadly agent used against Beakkal. The current biological weapon could be a refinement of the original. However, as noted by Archduke Armand Ecaz, “Because of the horrors inflicted upon us by thinking machines during the Butlerian Jyhad, the Great Convention forbids all biological weaponry, just as it restricts the use of atomic weapons.” This fact is known to every citizen of the Empire, including the player characters.

Down the Rabbit Hole The Zerides Center for Research is a three-story complex embedded in the face of the mountain. The facility entrance includes a high stone wall, surveillance devices, and a handful of guards. Typically, attempts to infiltrate the facility would require a Dire (D4) Discipline test. However, with Sarita and Bracken’s direct assistance, player characters can sneak into the building with an Average (D1) Discipline test. In so doing, they avoid the spy-eyes and general patrols. The scientists can also, if requested, stop by their lab to obtain the rheat seeds and sample, which they hand over without complaint. Failure either means they must proceed along a different tack, or are discovered while attempting to break in. If undiscovered, Sarita and Bracken lead the player characters down a flight of subterranean stairs to the secret lab. The lab is located in the basement and includes several workstations, a dry room for experimentation, a decontamination chamber, an incinerator, and a sealed vault housing the weapon.

From here, the player characters can:

@ Review the research notes on the biological weapon

with an Average (D1) Understand test. Success reveals the weapon is a genetically modified fungal disease. Once a plant is contaminated, it releases spores the wind carries to other plants. It does not affect animals or non-organic materials. Failure means they do not understand the science behind it.

@ Review tactical plans of the weapon’s use with an

Average (D1) Discipline test. Reports suggest the Zerides are planning on using the weapon against the player characters’ homeworld. This is the same evidence found initially by Sarita and Bracken.

@ Extract a sample and place it inside a small mobile

case with a Dire (D4) Understand test. If Sarita and Bracken are present, this lowers the extraction to a Challenging (D2) Understand test. Failure means inadvertent exposure to the infection. And if the player characters become exposed, they can wash away the infection by stepping into the decontamination chamber.

@ Place all samples inside the incinerator and safely

destroy it with a Challenging (D2) Understand test. If Sarita and Bracken are present, this lowers the roll to an Average (D1) Understand test.

AC T I I I :

S p r i n g i n g t h e Tr a p

With their mission complete, the player characters exit the lab, return to the surface, and exit the facility—only to walk straight into a trap! A small cadre of Zerides soldiers surrounds the player characters, led by Warmaster Cadra Zerides. “Hold fast!” proclaims the leader of the soldiers, speaking almost as if she has rehearsed her words prior. “I am Cadra Zerides. In violation of the Great Convention, you have brought a terrible plague to Kittiak! No doubt you intended to release it after your departure, but we have caught you in the act. You are now in our custody, and will be delivered to the High Council for judgment.”

“But that’s not true!” cries Bracken. “We saw the lab. We saw the weapon!” Cadra grins. “You saw what we wanted you to see, Dr. Sade. And by the time we stand before the High Council, there will be nothing for them to see at all. Nothing save the evidence we present to them.” The Warmaster turns to her people. “Kill the scientists. Take the rest into custody.”

The number of Zerides soldiers present should be twice the number of participating player characters. The soldiers carry maula pistols and long blades, but no shields. Furthermore, every time the player characters defeat one of the soldiers, the remaining soldiers should make a Challenging (D2) Discipline test. If they fail, they flee the scene. If over half the soldiers fall or flee, Warmaster Cadra withdraws as well. The gamemaster can customize the soldiers or use the House Guards from page 283 of the Dune Core Rulebook. But even with Sarita and Bracken to assist, options are somewhat limited. With simple skill tests the player characters can:

@ Battle (Daunting, D3) the soldiers until they fall or flee the area.

@ Attempt to bribe the soldiers with a Dire (D4) Communicate test.

@ Intimidate the soldiers with a Dire (D4) Discipline test, pushing them to exit the scene.

@ Move (Challenging, D2) past the soldiers and escape the scene.

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WA R M AS TER C A DR A ZERIDE S NOTABLE SUPPORTING CHARACTER

One of Lord Cotasar’s many daughters, Cadra, serves as House Zerides’ Warmaster. Cadra is a ruthless warrior who revels in the agony of others. She spent time on Ginaz, and while she had the skill to become a true Swordmaster, she never had the discipline nor the sense of honor required to graduate. The Ginaz expelled Cadra before she could complete her training, which she wears as a badge of pride. In her eyes, honor is sentimentality that will only get you killed. After returning home, Lord Cotasar placed Cadra in charge of House Zerides’ internal security. Taking her duties seriously, Cadra leads an elite team of soldiers, conducting random internal investigations, perimeter sweeps, and evening assaults on the criminal organizations operating on Kittiak. A sadist, she takes immense joy in her work, always preferring the more violent and bloody option in any engagement. Traits: Warmaster, Ruthless TALENTS:

DRIVE

S TAT E M E N T

D U T Y:

5

FA I T H :

4

JU S T I C E:

3

P OW ER :

6

T RU T H :

4

SKILL

Honor is a weakness. Do anything to win.

FOCUSES

B AT T LE:

7

Long Blades

C O M M U N I C AT E:

5

Intimidation

D I S C I P L I N E:

4

M OVE:

6

U N D ER S TA N D :

3

Swift

@ Bold (Battle): Cadra may re-roll a d20 gained from spending Threat on a Battle skill test.

@ Make Haste: Cadra may choose to suffer one

additional complication in a Move test to gain one automatic success. During any conflict, she may spend 1 Threat to take the first action, regardless of who would otherwise act first.

Assets: Long Blade, Shield Belt, Poison

Alternatively, the gamemaster can use round-by-round combat to determine the outcome. During the battle, the gamemaster may utilize a single zone or make things more dynamic with multiple zones. One suggestion is to separate the area into three zones. The first zone is the main exit to the facility. A few scattered trees or statues provide the trait ‘Covered.’ The second zone is the wall surrounding the facility entrance, where the soldiers have positioned themselves. They gain the trait ‘Elevated.’ Finally, the third zone represents the building where the player characters just exited. If the player characters can retreat into the facility, Sarita and Bracken guide them toward escape through a different, discrete exit.

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O u t o f t h e Fr ay Once player characters are out of immediate danger, they have some quick thinking to do. Their primary concern is to reach the spaceport and get offworld. However, Sarita and Bracken won’t leave without their children, which requires a detour back to their home in the merchant district. The player characters must decide if they will risk helping the Sade family. They may escort Sarita and Bracken back to their home to collect the children before finding a way off the planet, but this increases the risk of capture. Leaving the family behind is an option but has consequences in the conclusion.

House Zerides is on full alert as Cadra dispatches soldiers to hunt down the player characters. With their original plan to capture the player characters failing, they intend to kill them, along with Sarita and Bracken. Quiet corpses, after all, are easy to accuse.

SIDE ADVENTURES, PART TWO

Decisions the player characters make during Scene Two can influence Scene Three. See page 8 for the earlier stages of these encounters.

@ Light Touch: If the player characters manage to

purchase or seize the personal suspensors from the merchant, they can use them to climb down the mountain easily. Difficulty rolls to evade detection decrease by 1 and now only require an Average (D1) Move test.

@ Outsiders: As they make their way through

the city, the player characters bump into the drunken farmers they dealt with earlier. If they handled the situation non-violently before, the farmers give the player characters a wide berth and say nothing. If they beat the farmers in the fight, the farmers sound the alarm.

Eventually, the player characters must reach the spaceport at the bottom of the mountain. They can do this by activating one of the suspensor platforms, hijacking an ornithopter or other flying machine, or traveling down one of the many flights of stairs. Evading detection requires a Challenging (D2) Move test.

@ Highway Robbery: As the player characters

race to the spaceport, they accidentally bump into the family from earlier. If the player characters abandoned the family to the robbers, then the family screams for help. On the other hand, if the player characters protected his family, the father offers to fly them to the spaceport on his ornithopter.

@ Wounds: Hiding behind a building to avoid

detection, the player characters wait for a patrol to pass. Suddenly a door opens, and the doctor from the earlier triage exits the building and recognizes the player characters. If the player characters refused to help the physician earlier, the doctor quietly departs the scene and contacts the authorities. Conversely, if the player characters lent any assistance, the doctor offers to hide the player characters from the Zerides guards until it’s safe.

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Race to the Exits The player characters can use assets (personal or otherwise) to fight their way to the spaceport, bribe customs officials, or smuggle themselves into orbit. Some examples include:

@ A platoon of soldiers representing military assets temporarily seize the spaceport with a Challenging (D2) Battle test. They provide cover for the player characters to board their shuttle and escape Kittiak.

@ A corporate spy, reflecting espionage assets, sets off a series of explosions throughout the capital with a Challenging (D2) Discipline test. The detonations distract House Zerides long enough for the player characters to escape offworld.

@ A politician, denoting intrigue assets, contacts someone at the spaceport and bribes several officials with a Challenging (D2) Communicate test. The politician pays the officials to look the other way as the player characters make their escape.

A C T I V:

Before the Council

Once offworld, the player characters’ shuttle docks with a Guild heighliner. In their possession is evidence of the Zerides weapon, either in the form of Sarita and Bracken, records obtained from the lab, or the biological sample. If they contact their House Ruler, the player characters are reminded that the Zerides have violated the Great Convention by manufacturing the pestilence. They then advise the player characters to travel to Kaitain to present their evidence to the Landsraad High Council. After a brief voyage through fold space, the player characters arrive at Kaitain, the center of the Known Universe. As they descend on Corrinth City, the banners of each Great House lining the Landsraad Hall of Oratory flap in the wind. Moving into the Hall of Oratory, the player characters’ heavy boots echo across the polished stone, and the entourage passes statues and painted

vistas from across the Imperium. The artistic creations are gifts from the Great Houses to the Emperor, with each Ruler attempting to surpass their fellows in terms of grandeur. Eventually, the player characters reach a raised platform, behind which sits Terrel Akinn, a secretary for the Landsraad. As the player characters declare their intent, the secretary frowns. Charges against a House for violations of the Great Convention are rare and require an enormous amount of bureaucracy, including a considerable amount of administrative labor. After complying with dozens of regulatoryrequirements and handing over any dangerous weapons (including the plague canisters), the secretary informs the player characters that it will take three days to assemble a hearing. The player characters can use those three days as they see fit.

Th e Tr i a l WASTING TIME

Three days might seem a long time, but Kaitain and Corrinth City have all manner of features to entertain and corrupt those who come to visit. The gamemaster can just skip ahead three days and ask the players what sort of thing their character might have got up to, or play through some incidental adventures in the city. Note that having set a trial in motion, three days may be hard to survive. The player character’s accusations have made Lord Cotasar Zerides livid with rage. The plan was for the player characters to die on Kittiack and take the blame. Now they are ready to make accusations before the Landsraad. But if they don’t live long enough to see the trial, their accusation will die with them.

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On the day of the hearing, the player characters ascend a spiral staircase and enter an ornate audience hall. Tall pillars hold up the vaulted ceiling from which hangs a series of flags, the most prominent in gold and scarlet color and belonging to House Corrino. The chamber houses two long and ornate wooden tables, one for the player characters and House Zerides. The aging Lord Cotasar sits in a plush black-andmaroon chair, accompanied by Warmaster Cadra and their entourage. Behind the player characters, in the audience, sits their own Spymaster and Dr. Jang, who nod in tacit support. Before the tables, atop a curved platform in the shape of a half-moon, sit seven members of the High Council—seven rulers from seven different Houses, both Major and Minor. Functioning as magistrates, they will ultimately evaluate the charges and rule on the fate of the guilty party, whether the player characters’ own House or House Zerides.

LO R D C OTA SA R ZER IDE S NOTABLE SUPPORTING CHARACTER

As a young noble, during House Zeridies’ ascension, Cotasar traveled abroad and studied on Giedi Prime. The third of four sons, it was unlikely Cotasar would ever have the chance to succeed his father. So, he used the opportunity to learn how to convince his father that he was the one who should lead. Educated in politics and production by the Harkonnen, he returned to Kittiak and employed his newfound knowledge, increasing crop collection using equal measures of ingenuity and severity. His work attracted the attention of his father, who named him as his successor. And when Cotasar’s older brothers objected, they quickly found themselves exiled offworld or placed under arrest. After his father died in an ‘unfortunate’ farming accident, Cotasar assumed power. Since then, he has maintained a steady and robust level of production of grain for the Harkonnens. As a show of his vigor and virility, he has sired dozens of children and has taken significant steps to prolong his life. Now at 70, he seeks to end his enemies and create a dynasty. Traits: Noble, Ruthless

DRIVE

S TAT E M E N T

D U T Y:

4

FA I T H :

5

JU S T I C E:

5

P OW ER :

6

T RU T H :

3

SKILL

Possession is nine-tenths of the law.

FOCUSES

B AT T LE:

3

C O M M U N I C AT E:

7

D I S C I P L I N E:

5

M OVE:

4

U N D ER S TA N D :

6

Deceit, Persuasion

House Politics

TALENTS: @ Bold (Communicate): Cotasar may re-roll a d20 gained from spending Threat on a Communicate skill test.

@ Subtle Words: Lord Cotasar can create a new trait whenever he spends Threat for extra dice on a Communicate test.

Assets: Bodyguards, Kindjal, Shield Belt

Nobles from this group might include Lord Bain O’Garee of House Hagal, Archduke Armand Ecaz, Countess Ilbana Richese, Earl Memnon Thorvald, Viscountess Behati of House Soot, Count Takoda Mascaro, and Count Anton Miche. However, the gamemaster is free to choose any seven House Rulers to fulfill these roles. Several options for other House rulers can be found in The Great Game: Houses of the Landsraad sourcebook. As the two sides settle into their seats, the head magistrate bangs a gavel. A soft hum reverberates throughout the chamber, quieting any ongoing conversation and replacing the entire room with silence. The head magistrate then speaks. “Today, we hear from two Houses, each accusing the other of violating the Great Convention. The Landsraad High Council, represented by we seven, will rule on this matter with a simple majority vote. Now, per numerous statutes, we will not permit any Bene Gesserit Truthsayer testimony. Rather, we shall

rely on oral arguments, direct testimony, and corroborating evidence from either side of this affair. We will weigh the truth of the matter and judge accordingly.” They pause for effect. “How do you answer for yourself?” Lord Cotasar is the first to speak and describes the player characters as violators of House Zerides. He paints Sarita and Bracken Sade as traitors looking to profit off a lie, and he denies the existence of a biological weapon, declaring any evidence to the contrary an utter fiction, or worse, a fabrication created by the player characters’ House. The player characters have a chance to explain their actions using an Average (D1) Communicate test, and the gamemaster should encourage them to roleplay their defense. The number of successes dictates the outcome. Alternatively, the debate could be played out as an intrigue duel, using evidence as assets to attack and defend until one side is defeated.

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@ Two successes are enough to persuade the magistrates of the righteousness of the player characters’ actions. However, they cannot prevent House Zerides from calling for a kanly duel to settle the dispute.

@ Five successes persuade the magistrates of the righteousness of their actions, and they counter House Zerides’ attempt to settle the matter via a duel. Failing this test has drastic consequences and puts the player characters’ House into the status of having violated the Great Convention. Exile or disenfranchising a House—the standard punishments for such an offense— must be settled by the Emperor himself, and dealing with such a state requires all resources and collateral the House has to avoid being declared ‘renegade’ and hunted down by its enemies, as is legally allowed. Should this outcome occur, the gamemaster should evaluate options to prevent this fate, such as Imperial intervention at the last minute… at considerable cost. If the player characters’ argument is successful and the Council moves against Cotasar, the Lord rises to his feet. He states that if the Council does not rectify this through the matter of law, then it must be settled through a point of honor. Unless the player characters passed the test with five successes, the magistrates approve and

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agree. If the player characters did manage to achieve five successes, they are able to refuse the challenge legally, without any loss of standing. But, if they too want a chance to draw blood they can still accept. The head magistrate bangs the gavel once again, and with little ceremony, the Council calls for a formal duel. Each House chooses a champion who must fight to the death before the entire Landsraad. In the aftermath, the High Council names the victor righteous and faultless in the eyes of the law, and officially sanctions the loser, stripping them of their standing.

Tr i a l b y B l a d e Much of Imperial life is a spectacle, and a duel is no exception. The player characters must choose a single champion to represent them while House Zerides places their hopes on the vicious Cadra. Before the event begins, an officer within the Imperial Sardaukar meets with both combatants to ensure all duel conditions are agreed upon beforehand. The player characters can choose offensive or defensive.

@ If the player characters choose offensive, then they get to decide what weapons are available to both combatants. Short blades, long blades, and maula pistols are available, or not at all, or all three. However, lasguns are strictly forbidden, given their

combustibility with shields. If the player characters choose offensive, Cadra chooses defensive and allows both parties to use personal shields.

@ If the player characters choose defensive, then they get to permit personal shields or not. If the player characters choose defensive, Cadra chooses offensive, allowing for short and long blades but no pistols. An hour later, both warriors are brought to a large domed hall constructed for combat. Grooves in the stone floor catch blood, and the high translucent walls surrounding the arena protect the spectators, who are the rulers and nobles from throughout the Imperium. From their comfortable chairs, each gaze into the pit below, crying out for blood and entertainment. High above, the dome opens, offering a picturesque view of Kaitain’s night sky along with two of her four moons. As the Imperial Sardaukar raises a sword, both warriors take their position a good ten meters from the other. And as the sword drops, each may spring into action.

The gamemaster can use the rules for duel conflict or expedite the scene with a Simple Battle test (or an extended test), opposed by Cadra’s own Battle skill. Count the player character’s successes

@ If the player character succeeds with one or two successes, they win, though they nearly die in the process.

@ If the player character succeeds with three or four successes, they win, though not without suffering several blows.

@ If the player character succeeds with a five successes, they win decisively and without a scratch. If the player character champion fails this roll, they are slain, and the player characters’ House is considered innocent in the matter of violating the Great Convention, but it is a pyrrhic victory given the cost of one of a valued member of the House. There will be no direct repercussions for the House, as they were not accused of a crime, but being ‘proved’ liars reflects badly on them and their House. The House gains the House Trait ‘Liars’ until at least after the next adventure.

Conclusion

If the player characters are successful in the duel, Cadra’s bloody form falls to the ground, witness to the price of their hubris. The High Council declares that the player characters and their House are victorious. The High Council immediately and officially sanctions House Zerides. The High Council also strips House Zerides of all their standing and officially ejects them from the Landsraad.

In the aftermath, the Emperor reclaims Kittiak and gives it to whomever he chooses. If the player characters are looking to set up a House (or at least a territory) of their own, Kittiak might be a good starting point. However, in gaining Kittiak, the player characters’ House may make an enemy of the Harkonnens, who, perhaps rightfully, considered themselves the only logical choice to inherit Zerides’ holdings.

Wh a t A b o u t t h e S a d e Fa m i l y ? If the player characters rescue Sarita and Bracken Sade and their children from Kittiak, the family pledges their loyalty to the player characters’ House. The two scientific geniuses provide access to the science behind the enhanced rheat, which the House can use as it sees fit.

or planet, which can kick off another adventure. Or the gamemaster can use their capture in future adventures against the player characters.

Wh a t A b o u t t h e Enhanced Rheat Seeds? If the player characters hand over the wheat seeds and sample to Dr. Jang, the scientist expresses her deep gratitude. She presents the player characters with a writ, declaring the debt owed from House Alexin to the player character’s House, signed by Prince Kole Alexin.

Wh a t A b o u t Awa r d i n g A d va n c e m e n t P o i n t s ? The gamemaster should follow the guidelines listed on page 138 of the Dune Core Rulebook. However, they should also consider granting a bonus point if the Sade family escaped Kittiak and if Dr. Jang received her rheat specimen.

If the player characters left the Sade family behind on Kittiak, they later learn how the Zerides arrested Sarita and Bracken and their children. Intelligence suggests the Zerides relocated the four to a brutal prison moon

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