Saturday Starport: Trage's Starship Triage

Today's Saturday Starport is brought to you by Shortymonster who upon hitting 10,000 page views offered his readers a free NPC. In fact, the offer is good until 11/17, so you still have time to go get yours!

DB4 Trage's Starship Triage 

Like all Chadra-Fan, Trage was covered in a rich dark fur from head to foot. Very few of her kind took the time to style the fur on their heads as she did. It was lifted into a long Mohawk and interwoven with fine gems and precious metals. She was very proud of her ‘hair’, and when dealing with her customers could often be seen to stroke it and make minute adjustments to the crest. Some think that she’s compensating for her small stature, small even for the bat-like species she is part off, but the few her know her well, understand it as pure vanity.

She has done well for herself has Trage. using her natural gifts of salvage, and then hiring others to do the dirty work, she runs a successful business on an affluent star-port. Buying damaged components, and sometimes whole space faring vessels that are beyond repair, and stripping them down to the component parts. these are then refurbished and sold on at a higher price as replacements. Although she knows how to make a fast turn-around on a small investment, Trage is always honest with her clients and customers.

In her world it is too easy to make the wrong kind of enemies if a business deal goes south, so she makes sure she is beyond reproach. This has helped her in her successes, but has recently started to cause her an unexpected problem. A criminal Cartel, the Umbruc, have seen her success, and her reputation as straight shooter, and have started to threaten her business. They see her as a perfect front for their smuggling operations, but she knows it will mean saying good-bye to her integrity. For now, no one else knows what is troubling her, but if the threats become too much, she has very few options open to her…

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As an ongoing project I’m stocking the map above with shops and characters, making it something of a mini-campaign setting. However, it’s also want to open to you. This is your chance to be a guest blogger here at Tower of the Archmage! All you need to do is to pick one (or more) of the different stores, and write up a description of what type of store it is!

How to get involved: Leave me a comment or an e-mail letting me know you want to join in, and pick a space. Write your post (or posts if you’re feeling ambitious). Send me your post via e-mail, and I’ll get it up, probably on a Saturday.

Starport Saturday: Mechs, Bots, and Droids Discount Emporium

Starport SaturdayA105

Mechs, Bots, and Droids Discount Emporium

This little shop is crammed full of all sorts of little robots and their component parts. While nothing on the shop floor is actively blackened with blaster marks, nothing looks like it came right off the factory floor either. The display window contains a variety of climbing and flying robots that carry or otherwise display the various deals available within.

For anyone looking for an inexpensive bot (slightly used) or some spare parts to fix their old droid (parts refurbished in-house), or a basic servicing (oil bath extra) this is the place to go. The owner operator is a grizzled, skinny human with a scruffy white beard and breath that smells of actuator fluid and breath mints named Randal. Everyone entering the store will receive the same enthusiastic greeting along with a handshake or a clap on the shoulder. He will often ramble on about the latest rare droid component he’s managed to acquire, or is looking for, and always stands just a little too close.

Anyone who comes to his store more than once will always receive a better than fair deal, and anyone with a rare bit they’re looking to offload can usually get a fair or better price.

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As an ongoing project I’m stocking the map above with shops and characters, making it something of a mini-campaign setting. However, it’s also want to open to you. This is your chance to be a guest blogger here at Tower of the Archmage! All you need to do is to pick one (or more) of the different stores, and write up a description of what type of store it is!

How to get involved: Leave me a comment or an e-mail letting me know you want to join in, and pick a space. Write your post (or posts if you’re feeling ambitious). Send me your post via e-mail, and I’ll get it up, probably on a Saturday.

Starport Saturday - Coprt's Elemental Samples

C11: Coprt's Elemental Samples

This shop has small drawers all up the walls which contain plexiglass sample vials of various elements. Radioactive elements are stored in vials coated inside with porous lead-tyrrilium foil to soak up stray energy and particles. The center of the shop has waist-height shallow bins on tables containing all kinds of low-value junk minerals that tourists love to buy up.

The proprietor is Coprt, a 3' tall and wide reptilian biped with a toad-like expression. He dresses in vertical-slashed synthetic leather garments which allow him to move without his tiny horns tearing the clothing apart.

Coprt keeps several dozen trained creatures called Cleos that look like white-bearded monkeys. These assistants are of animal intelligence but can bring samples down from any of the drawers. These Cleos also pick up bits of minerals left on the ground, bringing them back to Coprt in exchange for treats like a squeeze-juice or honey crystal.

Secrets: Coprt has opened the communications duct in the wall of his shop, hidden behind a loose access panel behind the counter. The Cleos can use the duct to access any of the other shops in the facility. There are small passive audio-sensors hidden in the walls of these shops, planted by clever Cleos, and Coprt reviews the recordings that seem interesting every night. Each Cleo also has a small cybernetic radio device that skips off the nearby audio-sensors to allow Coprt a basic type of control over the Cleo (investigate, return to base, hide and be quiet, etc. but nothing too complex). Effectively, Coprt can hear through the ears of any Cleo if it's in the station.

Ra'zal knows that Coprt seems to know things that he shouldn't, and occasionally asks for information. The arrangement is pretty informal: Coprt gives Ra'zal information when he needs it, and Ra'zal doesn't snoop too much into Coprt's business.

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Coprt's Elemental Samples brought to you by Dan of 1d30. If you want to join in, all you need to do is to pick one (or more) of the different stores, and write up a description of what type of store it is!

How to get involved: Leave me a comment or an e-mail letting me know you want to join in, and pick a space. Write your post (or posts if you’re feeling ambitious). Send me your post via e-mail, and I’ll get it up, probably on a Saturday.

Starport Saturday - Two Moons Mining Company

Starport Saturday B04

Two Moons Mining Company

In spite of it’s name, TMMC does far more than just mining. In fact, the mining portion of its operations makes up a very small part of the companies overall activity. The majority of TMMC’s work deals with exo-archeology. As such their offices are located all over known space, and they are constantly buying, selling, trading, transporting, and hunting for relics of past civilizations.

This particular branch of TMMC is set up to sell decorative semi-precious stones and natural mineral formations in a small retail area. Past that is a slightly larger office area/storeroom. While the front of the store does bring in some minor income, the real business takes place in the office. Ships and crews are hired to do a wide variety of tasks: from basic courier work to sneaking into forbidden locations looking for ancient relics. Generally the better a crew does at the easier (and less profitable) tasks, the faster they get offered the more difficult and better paying jobs. Sometimes, due to a lack of available crews and a highly limited window of opportunity, untested crews are offered the toughest jobs.

Ra’zal Thravas is the manager of this branch of TMMC. He is a tall near human man, with rusty red skin that is adorned with numerous tatoos, thick black hair, and striking blue eyes. He wears a leather harness and numerous pieces of jewelry made from the stones and minerals mined by TMMC. Ra’zal is generous, friendly, and a little bored. Because of this he had begun to drink, even while on the job.

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As an ongoing project I’m stocking the map above with shops and characters, making it something of a mini-campaign setting. However, it’s also want to open to you. This is your chance to be a guest blogger here at Tower of the Archmage! All you need to do is to pick one (or more) of the different stores, and write up a description of what type of store it is!

How to get involved: Leave me a comment or an e-mail letting me know you want to join in, and pick a space. Write your post (or posts if you’re feeling ambitious). Send me your post via e-mail, and I’ll get it up, probably on a Saturday.

Starport Saturday - The Pleasure Palace

A116 - The Pleasure Palace

A two meter tall waterfall near the door of this shaded storefront. While helps to hide the talk of those within, it does nothing to disguise the chemical and floral scents that all but billow from the open doorway. Above is a blue sparkly sign that reads “Pleasure Palace” in several languages. Within is an odd juxtaposition of clean clinical form and soft decorative touches. The space is divided into different areas for a variety of pampering opportunities. A number of chairs and benches are available for hair/fur care, pedicures, massage, steam & heat rooms, and some minor form of body modifications (piercings, glo-tats, etc.).

Madam Feluria, the proprietor of Pleasure Palace is a gender neutral grey alien who is always seen adorned in flowing floral prints and a wig, usually pink or purple. She does her best to maintain an atmosphere of friendly relaxation where her customers can gossip and chat.

The Pleasure Palace is a great spot to pick up rumors, though only for those of the feminine persuasion. In addition, the quality of the rumors tends to be more accurate, even if the topics tend to be of less value to adventurers.

1d6 Rumors

1. Terellian Sandswine, according to the newest article in “Interstellar Beauty” are the best bet for keeping your ship space-mite free, in addition to it’s natural calming effects, and out of this world scent!
2. Captain Jarek Froqu (silent q) of the tramp freighter Long Haul is rarely seen off his ship, and his buying agent Lady Janet Froqu is rarely seen on the ship.
3. Due to a spiritual revolution in a far off system, the stock of cheap hair for various decorative uses has dried up, causing a sharp spike in prices.
4. The new fad of applying Delvian crystals on the face and hands has caused their cost to increase for the previous main users of the crystals - Mynock hunting. The hunters are very unhappy!
5. Gabby Garah, the newest pop-singer sensation was seen wearing Andorian Moon-pearls - they’re going to be huge once word gets around.
6. The stock of Pantene Proto-V is rapidly diminishing due to a blockade of the system where it’s manufactured.

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As an ongoing project I’m stocking the map above with shops and characters, making it something of a mini-campaign setting. However, it’s also want to open to you. This is your chance to be a guest blogger here at Tower of the Archmage! All you need to do is to pick one (or more) of the different stores, and write up a description of what type of store it is!

How to get involved: Leave me a comment or an e-mail letting me know you want to join in, and pick a space. Write your post (or posts if you’re feeling ambitious). Send me your post via e-mail, and I’ll get it up, probably on a Saturday.

Phaelonian Exotic Pets

Location: A113
Store Type: Pet Store
Name: Phaelonian Exotic Pets

Hoots, howls, chirps, and tweets call passers by to turn an look into this spacious and chrome accented store. The front windows contain several different sections, each showing off a selection of the different pets they have available.

One feature that all the animals in the store share is their small size making them more suitable for more cramped space ships. In fact no creature for sale is bigger than a Terran house cat. The selection of animals will vary with every visit, though for some reason short haired golden hamsters are always available.

Raoul!

The proprietor is a sentient computer that roams the store as a chrome robotic arm attached to a series of tracks on the ceiling. At the end of the arms is a round sensor device with speaker attached.

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August's RPG Blog Carnival topic is Animals and it's being hosted here at the Tower of the Archmage! How can you get involved? Easy! Write a post about animals, anything about animals, and then share the link!

Starport Saturday

A while back coliver988 over at Citizens of the Imperium posted an idea about using a mall map as a ship construction yard. In his post he suggests that the anchor stores serve as the construction bays while the smaller stores serve as offices and storage space. While that works I saw it a little differently. If it was more of a starport/docking/repair facility, there would be a much more of a reason for players to spend a lot of time there.

I don’t know about your games, but in mine, the players tend to take a lot of fire (and therefor need repairs) and spend time shopping! At the same time I was working on my most recent geomorph set I decided to draw and stock just such a facility. Well, I’ve drawn it.

It would probably look better if it was done with a graphics program, rather than by hand, but I’m better with paper than I am with graphics.

As an ongoing project I’m thinking about stocking it with shops and characters, making it something of a mini-campaign setting. However, I also want to open it up to you. This is your chance to be a guest blogger here at Tower of the Archmage! All you need to do is to pick one of the different stores, and write up a description of what type of store it is! Now, I’m picturing this as a fairly cross genre sort of place that could fit in the Star Wars, Star Trek (Original Series/Enterprise eras) Traveller, or even Tales from the Floating Vagabond!

How to get involved: Leave me a comment or an e-mail letting me know you want to join in, and pick a space. Write your post (or posts if you’re feeling ambitious). Send me your post via e-mail, and I’ll get it up, probably on a Saturday.

A couple of examples are below

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A-119
Specialty Retail
Avari’s Antiquities

The first impression one gets upon entering this store is ‘cluttered’. There is barely enough space to move around the various boxes, crates, furniture, pictures, etc. Everything in the store is, or appears to be, old, and it’s all priced accordingly. A quiet rhythmic music plays in the back room, and can only just be heard when halfway into the store. The lighting is somewhat dim, and has a yellowish cast.

Avari is a tall older man with a bald head and bearded face. He is generally kindly and very knowledgeable about antiquities from a variety of planets and cultures. Anything he feels maybe dangerous he will attempt to convince the patron that the item has some small worth, but he might have a buyer, so hell offer 10% more than he usually would. Ok, maybe 15%.

D-22
Food
Tasty Comets

Coffee Flavored Comet with Dark Chocolate Core

This small shop has barely enough room for the equipment and supplies used to create it’s frozen confections. The store front is a garishly decorated counter surrounded by cartoon celestial bodies. Tasty Comets is staffed mainly by local teenagers who spend most of their time looking bored.

One young employee, Jayla, is perpetually perky and has taken the corporate spiel hook line and sinker. Her fellow employees resent her for making them look bad, and a one, Kat, is looking for a way to spectacularly sabotage and humiliate Jayla.

A sample of offerings include:
Comet - Slushy iceball with one of 301 flavors with a core made from a variety of cookies, brownies, frozen fruit, etc.
Hale-Bopp - Carbonated Comet
Sungrazer - Basic Comet with a hot topping
Meteor - 3 cores together with a thin icy layer on top
Shooting Star - Meteor with a hot topping
Asteroid - 7 cores with a thin icy layer