Crazy Plot using some Trek History
As I mentioned over on the 'Adventure Seeds' thread, I am sort of combining two old story ideas that were originally posted way back in 2001.
I want to give credit where it's due, so the first, called "Dangerous Find" (reply #12) was posted by Julius:
Title: 'Dangerous Find'
Series Type: Exploration/Space Station
Description: The PC's are contacted by a Ferengi ship which offers to sell them salvaged vessel. Questions as to the type are answered with an automated message piped over from the Ferengi ship. It's in ancient Andorian and is an automated call for help.
From there the PCs must acquire the ship (possibly with the help of the Andorian government) and then discover that it is a centuries old sleeper ship. Later as they investigate the ship they find that the passengers are dissidents, called 'Preservers' who have a record of the times during the Age of Lament. Information that could destabilize the peace Andoria has had for centuries. The Andorians having heard of the ship's recovery through Starfleet and knowing who it carries will send ships to take it into custody, and plan to destroy the records and wipe the minds of the crew. Unfortunately the crew of the sleeper ship ask for asylum, forcing the PCs to defend them from the Andorians.
The second one is called "The Ancient". It was posted by Aedh Rua (reply #20), and was among a number that were suggested for a Romulan crew:
Title: The Ancient
Description: Our Heroes our patrolling the Neutral Zone when they come across a ship drifting in space. They check their computers to try to identify it, and find in some history/archaeology database that it is an old pre-Renunciation Vulcan sublight vessel.
When they board it, having had their Romulan curiosity and sense of heritage piqued, they find that it is, naturally, a sleeper ship. Unlike in "Space Seed" all the passengers are dead save one. This one is revived, and in very archaic Vulcan identifies himself as T'lahr, a simple monk and priest of Ket-cheleb.
Needless to say, things aren't nearly that simple. T'lahr, unlike Kahn, is not famous, but neither is he a simple monk. He is in fact an Ahkhinahru, which is to say a Vulcan mindlord, with more nasty psi skills than anyone Our Heroes have ever dealt with. He is not a worshipper of Ket-Cheleb, but is, in fact, a follower of some previously lost group of dark deities with a taste for green blood. His agenda will be to use his powers of persuasion, his psi skills, and his knowledge of the "true ancient heritage" to take control of the ship, and maybe the Empire. Good luck, dudes.
So here's my crazy idea for an amalgamation. I really liked both of these ideas, and really got excited when we got a new Captain for our crew who happened to be Andorian.
But then I realized that both of these dealt with the "sleeper ship" idea, and so I figured I've have to really space the episodes far apart to not be redundant.
The more I contemplated things, the more I figured I could combine them. Andoria and Vulcan are very close in proximity. So what if - way back when those Vulcans that didn't choose the way of logic (and some broke off to become the Romulan people) - one mystic-type made his way to Andoria and drew some followers among that great war-like people?
I realize that, ordinarily, Vulcans and Andorians don't really get along. But back before 'The Age of Lament', would it not be possible for a clan to rally behind a powerful psionic warrior?
The great roleplaying opportunity with this one will be seeing what the Captain does with these barbaric warriors from Andoria's past that could pose a threat to modern Andorian culture.
Can any of you that understand Trek's history far better than I add some details and flesh out some of the specifics, to help make this decision for the Captain tougher? (the one about allowing these 'Preservers' to potentially ruin the peace Andoria has known for centuries), all assuming they overcome the danger that this Vulcan and his Andorian warriors pose.
At first I want this Vulcan mystic to (very Khan-like) come across as a very peaceful, logical Vulcan. But all the while he'll be biding his time and doing what he can to ascertain the situation and evaluate the weaknesses of these silly peaceful Federation peons who are not worthy to lick his boots or touch his cloak. Think sort of a cross between Khan and Sybok.
Any help and input would be greatly appreciated!
Doug Taylor
Member of Decipher's Hall of Fame
Currently running The One Ring RPG. I also occasionally run Villains & Vigilantes (our campaign is in year 25) and WEG d6 Star Wars (both games are mostly on hiatus) and an annual game based on The X-Files (using Conspiracy X).