MY PLAYERS STAY OUT

It's likely that in two or three sessions my group will be taking a side trip from Lure of the Expanse to visit a system in the Heathen Worlds that has captured their interest. I have a few background details prepared, but I'm not entirely sure where to go with it, or what Endeavours could best emerge from that background. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

At the moment, the information the players have on this system (which may or may not be entirely accurate) is as follows:

Adoni is a trinary system which is home to two technologically advanced xenos species which, fortunately, have yet to master the warp. These xenos are stalemated in a long conflict that has involved them hurling weapons and spacecraft at sublight speeds between the two main stars, about 1.2 light years apart.

The system is incredibly difficult to navigate, with large numbers of comets, planetoids and major planetary bodies careening around in wildly complex orbits. As a result, both species of xeon appear to have learned to grasp corresponingly complex mathematical processes which have been branded heretical by the Ordo Xenos and the Adeptus Mechanicus.

It is rumoured by some that the death fo the Rogue Trader Phelmos Ruin in Adoni was orchestrated by the Ordo Xeons and occured during an attempt to sell details of Imperial warp technology to one of the xone species. There is, of course, absolutely no cooberation for this tale.

Apart from their lack of warp capable technology, the xenos have access to technology at least as advanced as the Imperium, and should be treated with gre at care. Several Rogue Traders are believed to have dealt with teh xenos peaceably, but others have not fared so well.

My basic backround ideas (information not yet known by the players) for this system and its inhabitants is as follows:

The original xeno inhabitants lived relatively peacefully in the system, eventually establishing significant colonies on a number of planetary bodies around two of the stars. Eventually developing advanced AI, the downfall of their solar empire came when the AIs were corrupted by chaos. The xenos in the vicinity of one of the stars were all but wiped out by biological weapons released by the AIs, while the others discovered this betrayal in time to eliminate the AIs in their part of the system and prevent the release of the weapon.

The AIs and their creators have been at war ever since.

The AIs themselves, having fallen into the thrall of Nurgle, suffer from an inevitable, debilitating breakdown of their artificial neural systems. They begin their existence relatively stable, but gradually fall into madness. In the latest stages of their lifecycle, they become completely insane, and eventually lose all sense of the physical world, becoming trapped in a waking dream of pain (which they do not feel at all before this point) and hopelessness. Ultimately, their minds are downloaded to become part of the warp-fueled, ultra-intelligence that rules the artificial species and which is, of course, an avatar of Nurgle.

As far as the AIs are concerned, their affliction is some kind of malfunctioning fail-safe installed by their creators, this belief fueling their hate and the desire to inflict every kind of pestilence imaginable upon them.

They are willing to trade with outsiders, especially for anything that will give them a leg up in the ongoing conflict, but much of their tech is corrupted or carries slow-acting biological contagions. If they can see a potential for beneficial, long term trade, they will typically ensure that the items they are giving away contain only the most subtle and insidious flaws and viruses.

Encounters with the AIs by the PCs will most likely be with the more stable, younger ones, unless facing off against infantry elements.

One faction within the AIs has become somewhat aware of the malign influence of the Ultra Intelligence, and is trying to work towards destroying it. These individuals recruit from the youngest of the population, and carefully slow down selected neural pathways in order to stave off insanity. They believe that the secret to curing the species lies in the mysteries of biological neural systems, and are always seeking biological specimens for experimentation. Sapient subjects are preferred, but diversity is also prized.

The original xenos have become supreme biologists, modifying themselves continually to resist the contagions unleashed upon them by the AIs. Their settled planets contain some of the hardiest and most dangerous life-forms in the Expanse, that ruthlessly elminate and break down any foreign material encountered. Their medical capabilities are far in advance of the Imperium.

The biological xenos seem to have re-created themselves and the biospheres of their words into artificial deathworlds to combat their opposition.

The AI nurglites appear to be quite interesting - a subtle trap for unaware Rogue Traders - "hey, we're seeking trade and peaceful co-existence. Come on over and we'll show you the Mighty Blender Four Thousand!"

The potential for mistakes is large. Hey thats a deathworld alright - lost forty armsmen to those flying razor monkey things setting up the dang landing zone for biological sampling. Lets go check out that industrialized world over there instead.

If they have minimal ability to combat chaos i'd say let them meed the deathworlders first and find out whats going on so they can devastate the Ai from orbit and search the ruins. Nurgle is about as deadly and insideous as they come.

Of course if your players are smart and they arrive in the deep outer system and start searching for artificial transmissions perhaps you can clue them in on the two separate sources of signals and how they differ - even hint at the war as signals co-mingle and are silenced in battle in space.

If the species still war among one another allow them to witness one of these combats and see who they try and make contact with.

From the brief snippet of background I have already provided, the players will be expecting a war in progress. This leaves them three obvious options:

• Aid one side against the other in return for something valuable/useful
• Ignore the war and make some kind of trade deal with one side
• Ignore the war and make some kind of trade deal with both sides

If they're not looking to gain actual, hard tech for their own uses, I could see them profiting from a successful interaction with either species, although anything involving AI trade goods exiting the system is likely to have some unpleasant consequences down the track. Out of the three options above, the first and the third are the most likely candidates based on the group's behaviour to date. Something that results in profit as well as the destruction of both species would probably be the preferred option, but probably well beyond their current capabilities.

The PCs have shown themselves to be appropriately leery of AI and xenos in general, although several PCs are definitely interested in xeno tech, which might result in an unfortunately dangerous deal being struck.

The most interesting interaction, IMO, would be with the AI splinter-faction, which is opposed to Nurgle's influence, but conducting vile research in order to free themselves. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I'm quite confident that the group's Rogue Trader, despite being a self-serving bastard whenever he can get away with it, would never condone handing human subjects over to a xeno species.

As to blasting the AIs from orbit -- that would require a grand endeavour and the marshalling of signficant resources, but would make for an interesting extended adventure down the track if they decide it's a worthwhile option.