Trinity RPG - Assignment - Polish Produce

[KingOfDreams]

Here is an Assignment idea that I don't have much planned out for. Well...in fact, I have hardly anything planned.

I was reading Shattered Europe [the color pages], and I came across an intriguing setting. There are a lot of farms in rural Poland. Some of these are automated by large robots. The text stated that some of these farms were abandoned after the crash. I thought it would be cool for the players to have a reason to go to one of these "abandoned" farms. What if the farm has been taken over by immigrants, or even second class Polish citizens who face deportation because they don't quite measure up to Poland's new immigration laws? Poland has asked for Aeon's help because the new "owners" of the farm aren't responding to diplomacy from their own government. Poland believes that Aeon can get them out without creating a PR disaster. Enter the new face of Aeon, the players.

I really intend on showing the despair in Europe. My goal is to make the players feel bad for the people who have claimed the farm, but still have to boot them out. Perhaps the players can come up with a diplomatic compromise for both parties.

What I'm looking for is ideas to flesh out the Assignment. I need events to make this one challenging and long enough to fulfill an evening of gaming. I also need to include some action. My players react well to violence and tend to lose interest if there isn't any. A fight at the feet of these giant mechanized fruit pickers sounds great, I just need an antagonist worthy of the players rage. So far I have no clue what or who to use. Basically, I want someone to do my work for me!

I'm game for almost anything you come up with. Don't like Polish jokes? Suggest another locale. A secret Norca cabal has set up shop on the farm? Its possible. A clandestine Chromatic enclave has infiltrated the territory and is building a secret communications/surveillance outpost? I guess.

I'm actually going to be gone on vacation for the next week. I won't have access to the "series of tubes" we use to post, so I won't be responding to your spectacular input right away.

Thanks in advance!

[Alex Green]

Sounds to me like you already know what you want to do.

It's a situation where the law is clear but justice is not. There's a reason why it's a PR night mare. Something to make clear to the players is that whatever reason the people are to be kicked off the land is a good one (i.e. not just money... although I personally like the "the road must go through here" problem.) We Americans forget how much local opposition was against the high way system. No one wanted a high way cutting his farm in half.

[BlueNinja]

To make it harder on the players:

The farmers themselves aren't connected to any group. But some outside group (local Abbies, anti-Psion/Aeon nutcases, organized crime, a villain from a previous story hook) decides this will be the perfect setting to make the PCs, and by extension AeonTrinity, look like incompetents. That way, the PCs have to worry about not only defending themselves while carrying out these unpleasant orders, but also protecting the innocent civilians in the middle. (Perhaps not everyone will be innocent, but the overwhelming majority of the farmers should be.)

Here's an excellent reason why the party would be called in: taxes. The farmers have moved in, gotten the farm running again, but the Polish government hasn't seen the taxes from their proceeds. Whatever antagonist you want has been filching the taxes before they get paid to the gov't, and intercepting the increasingly angry messages the gov't has been sending to the farm. That way, the antagonist gets money to help fuel their cause (whichever that is) and lay an embarassing scandal at the feet of the Polish/Aeon government.

[KingOfDreams]

Thanks guys. Your thoughts have lead me in a certain direction.

I'll have the farm located in one of Poland's newly "claimed" territories. I think I'm going to use the Witnesses of Hagia Tamrika K. I figure the "cult" has capitalized of the farmers situation and struck a mutual agreement with them. The farmers provide resources to the Witnesses instead of oppressive Poland. In return, the Witnesses provide support for the farm. I'm not sure exactly how yet, or who the exact antagonist will be. They have to be of sufficient force to represent a challenge to the players. Maybe the players will be caught in the middle of the Witness/farmer militia and the Polish army.

Does that sound reasonable?

What kind of ordinance should I give the Witnesses/farmers?

[Alex Green]

What kind of ordinance should I give the Witnesses/farmers?

Shotguns & Rifles. Maybe some heavy equipment for farming.

[KingOfDreams]

What other kind of events can I include in this Assignment that will help pass a few real hours for my gamers?

[Alex Green]

Mutant plants. I.e. a taint infected tree which might show up on the psi radar as an aberrant.

[KingOfDreams]

Mutant plants. I.e. a taint infected tree which might show up on the psi radar as an aberrant.

That is a good idea that would occupy the players time. However, I just don't see it meshing with this Assignment. It seems more like a random encounter situation. Its doable. The players could run into it on the way to the remote farm I guess.

I wanted to focus more on the task at hand. The players are going to need to convince the farmers to adhere to the Polish government. The antagonists will be the Polish militia waiting to come in and take extreme measures. Also, the farmers will be influenced by the representatives from the religious Witnesses.

I could have a minor altercation occur between the farmers and the militia that the players must try to diffuse, but I was hoping to reserve this for the climax.

Perhaps a preliminary quarrel with the Witnesses themselves.