Guide

Map

Algoroc

1.

The Chronicle of Gallow’s Name

Lore

Martin Goldcastle first suggested the name, and it was for dark reasons the first Exile settlers in Algoroc – well, the first who weren’t here strictly to mine the place dry – called their new home Gallow. For like any group of people, there were good among the new settlers, and a few of the bad as well. In the case of Gallow’s founding, the bad were pretty bad indeed, and it meant the good folk who wanted to live here had to build a gallows before they even built the first home alongside
the dusty thoroughfare.

We didn’t even have a peacekeeper in town then, which made folk vulnerable to the worst kind of instincts humans got. The worst of the lot was a fellow name of Crowe and his family full of ne’er-do-wells and murderous thugs. Old Pappy Crowe had raised all his children mean and nasty, turning them into more a gang than a family. Eventually, all you had to do to earn the name “Crowe” was do something wicked on Pappy’s orders.

So, expecting trouble, the
town founders rounded up all the Crowes in town and told them they should take their business elsewhere. Naturally, this didn’t go over so well, and Pappy sent two of his biggest – Alf Crowe and his bigger brother Ugor – to burn down the tents and temporary structures that made up the as-yet-unnamed settlement. But the people of this new settlement were still Exiles, and Exiles fight for
what’s theirs, whether it’s a three-hundred-year-old starship or a spot of dirt on a distant planet they aim to call home. The settlers caught Alf and Ugor in the act and built the first permanent structure in town: the gallows what gave the place its name.

Pappy Crowe didn’t like it much, but the folk of Gallow – as it was now called – had made their point. Pappy took his family up to the hills and stayed mostly out of town business. Folk here don’t want any trouble with slush, that nasty
drink what the Crowes seem to specialize in, and the Crowes are keeping to themselves. Some say they’ve made contact with another criminal group, others that the Crowes are just making so much gold selling their foul brew offworld that they just ain’t got time to bother with Gallow anymore. And a lot of folk say Pappy’s running with the Krogg now and the Darkspur Cartel’s the ones really pulling the strings. We’ll just see about that.

If you ask this chronicler, this is a situation what can’t hold. Pappy Crowe’s always been one to hold a grudge, and he’s had plenty of time to nurse this one. As I write this, a lot of folk are saying that our new peacekeeper can’t show up soon enough. This chronicler tends to agree.

Guide

Map

Algoroc

1.

A Bloodstained Map

Lore

[This piece of paper appears to depict the layout of the slave camp and its location relative to nearby Exile settlements, including Gallow. You can see a simple note in one corner scrawled in what appears to be a mixture of blood, dirt, and charcoal. Considering the medium employed, the stilted grammar is understandable.]

Taken in night. Grims hunting us. All in Gallow – danger. Big operation. Darkspur connected. Saw Krogg.

So far,
Grims making us work Algoroc. No one sent offworld. Yet. Big cages. Big ships coming, they said. Going to space mines. Don’t care if we hear. They want our spirits broken. They don’t know Exiles!

Getting dizzy. Blood loss. If you find this, send for help. Don’t be a hero if you can’t handle a fight. You’ll just end up a slave. But if you can… save us!

Guide

Find and enter Halsen’s Claim.

Map

Algoroc

1.

Tonight’s Listings

Lore

8:00 Nexus Mean Time
Network 24
ALL THE THINGS with BUNGZ and BINGZ
A stinky situation arises when Bezgelor’s most famous explorer siblings visit the burning lava fields of Mikros in mostly flameproof suits. Is it just burning hair, or did Bingz break his promise to give up eating Grumpel food?
BUNGZ…..Himself
BINGZ…..Himself
CLANLORD GRUVAK…..Gruvak Foolslayer
THE MIKROS MAGMA MONSTER…..Hylav Ponterius
Directed by Axis Pentax

9:00 Nexus Mean Time

Network 49
FACE-OFF/FACE-ON
Host Brock Masterton welcomes Doctor Mikhal Kuhlhart of the Grismaran Revival League, an organization that wants Mordesh everywhere to stop living with the Contagion and let themselves die out; and Doctor Victor Lazarin, the infamous creator of both the Everlife Elixir and the Vitalus Serum, who has spent, in his words, “every waking moment” seeking a cure. Will they come to blows? Tune in to find out!

BRONK MASTERTRON’S HAIR…..Henrad Smithwick
DOCTOR KUHLHART…..Himself
DOCTOR VICTOR LAZARIN…..Himself (hologram only)

10:00 Nexus Mean Time
Network 13
THE NIGHT ZONE
Hosted by Dorian Walker
The most famous explorer in the history of the Exile Fleet – the pathfinder who found the planet Nexus – invites you to join him on a terrifying journey into THE NIGHT ZONE, a new horror anthology for Network
13 Studios! True, Walker’s only connection to these stories is the large stipend Network 13 Studios is paying him to read the narration, but don’t let that reality dim the warm glow of wonder that strikes when you see his grizzled visage fill up YOUR holoscreen. That’s THE NIGHT ZONE with DORIAN WALKER, only on Network 13!
DORIAN WALKER…Himself, Allegedly
JAUNSON…..Grent Weatherford
JONSUN…..Jara Starward
THE ELDAN GHOST…..Zalko Ivyneck

Guide

Find and enter First Strike Mine.

Use Strange Lever.

Go through portal to Morek Throg’s Lair.

Path to the Journal.

Journal.

Map

Algoroc

1.

Throg’s Personal Journal

Lore

Krogguary 7

This town is a joke. One peacekeeper to deal with the strongest arm of that blasted Darkspur Cartel? I couldn’t have found an easier place to roll. Of course, it’s all just another way to get rich if I don’t manage to get Kain’s attention this time. That damned Granok owes me another fight. No one locks up Morek Throg without giving him a chance to fight back. Judge Kain was a damned coward, using my own people against me.

Well, guess what, high and might Judge Kain? You locked me up,
but I broke out, stronger than ever. And this place? This planet? You idiots think it’s some safe, happy paradise. You didn’t dig too deep at all, did you? There’s a lot more than valuable rocks and easy-to-grab slaves here in Algoroc. And I’m going to be the Krogg to find it, take it, and use it to carve out my own little empire on this stars-forsaken planet.

The best part? Kain won’t be able to resist when these whining losers cry for help. He won’t wait a minute. And when he shows up, I’ll be
ready.

MT

Kroggust 31

So we got us another little justice-loving do-gooder in town, eh? All the better. Me and my boys already gave the judge what he had coming to him. His justices are in pieces and Kain’s bleeding out on the mountainside. This new idiot will give us a chance for some target practice. Never expected that son of a fulgurite to go down so easy.

Of course, this newcomer thinks the judge can be saved, I hear. That’s a laugh. Between my Grim slavers tearing down the forests or
the Crowes making a fortune off the slush, it’d take an army of Kains to stop me now. Gallow’s as good as mine!

MT

Kroggtober 2

So it seems my plans might’ve been a little premature. A smart boss learns when to recognize he made a bad call and cop to it, and maybe I made a few. Never saw that whole thing with the botsmith and the robot arm for Kain. My spybots snapped some holoshots, and the bastard looks pretty badass, if I do say so myself. Too bad he’s got his rocks set on justice more’n
ever, ’cause I could use a guy like him to deal with other guys like him.

Take that no-good busybody who saved the judge, for example. If I could turn Kain against that useless piece of crap….

Eh, no helping it now. Can’t go back to the Cartel bosses empty-handed, and the Exiles are getting too thick out here. Can’t do business like a Krogg should. That means collecting a bounty. I got the rest of my boys lined up to take out Kain and any do-gooders who want to help him, and I’ve left clues
to this location obvious enough even for a Granok. Shouldn’t be long now until I get my final payback against hizzoner.

MT

Guide

Map

Algoroc

1.

WARNING LABEL

Lore

READ BEFORE CONSUMPTION

“Old Pappy Crowe” Barrel-Aged Slush

Illegally distilled, aged, stored, and sold in Algoroc, Nexus
Since 1659

A WARNING FROM THE DISTILLER

Hello, drunkard. Your ol’ Pappy here. Now, assumin’ you’re still sober enough to read this, please take a moment to skim this label before you consume this deliciously intoxicatin’ and potentially toxic beverage. I’m happy to get you blasted outta your ever-lovin’ gourd, but let’s make
sure you’re still breathin’ the next day so’s you can buy yourself another bottle of “Old Pappy.”

Now first, and this is important, I absolutely recommend you do not drink this. I mean it. If you drink this, two things are gonna happen: you will become addicted to slush. That’s great for me, but after decades in this business, I gotta tell ya, I sleep better at night tellin’ ya that up front. Don’t mean most of ya won’t drink it anyway. Ain’t like folk don’t
know slush is even more addictive than starbacco. So go ahead. Welcome to the family!

Second, and I know I’m taking up a lot of label space here, you’ll go more or less completely insane. Now that’s good when it comes to my boys. I can use a little crazy out there keepin’ folk from diggin’ into my business. But if you go and open a barrel of Ol’ Pappy and expect anything but pain, heartache, insanity, and random murders, you’re
expectin’ too much.

Now that’s outta the way, here’s to ya! Raise a glass to your Ol’ Pappy, and drink responsible-like. You’ll be glad ya did, or you’ll be dead. Either way, Old Pappy gets paid!

Guide

Map

Algoroc

1.

Currently Unavailable Items

Lore

Ultra-Grow-Infused Pre-Fertilized Plant Pots by Protostar Gardens Division – OUT OF STOCK

“Old Pappy Crowe” Barrel-Aged Slush – DISCONTINUED

Protostar-brand Plushie Chow and Desensitizing Face Lotion – RECALLED

Protostar-brand Dermatological Rock Polish for Gronyx – POTENTIALLY FATAL TYPO

The Elder Cube – PROBABLE MYTH

Stormtalon Creme Eggs (6) – PRODUCT UNDER INVESTIGATION

Guide

Map

Algoroc

1.

Deployment Orders: XAS Joint Op

Lore

FCON-XAS JOINT OP: Operation Bigbot

FIELD CONTACT: Doctor Belle Walker, XAS

This one oughtta be fun. We got an actual, factual Eldan Annihilator gone crazy not too far from the town of Gallow in Algoroc. Damned thing’s blasting its eye beams all over the surrounding area, including an XAS camp FCON’s been assigned to protect. See, this gigantic Eldan bot – sorry, “construct,” the eggheads get all fractured when I call them bots –
looks to be part of a bigger complex. An exo-lab. And Doctor Walker says it looks like Exo-Lab 22, whatever the hell that means. Could be Exo-Lab Rowzdower for all I care. Just make sure those scientists make it back in one piece.

A quick threat assessment doesn’t turn up anything you haven’t been trained to handle: burrowing critters called canimid and Eldan constructs (but they blow up just like ordinary bots.) The main enemy to
worry about is that Annihilator. Get some shields on the XAS site, or get them to call that whole thing off and let me blast the site from orbit. That’ll be sure to put that monster back in its cage.

Stonebreaker