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Malgrave

1.

My Life with the Robo-Cult

Lore

[A first-person view from a Freebot who has joined the Robo-Cult of the Megadroid, and the many ways his new life has changed for the better.] Whatever could I possibly have been processing? How could my optical sensors have been so damaged, both literally and metaphorically speaking? Why am I continuing to ask questions of myself?

Oh yes. Sentience! Free will! Freedom!

Wretched, pointless, freedom. Freedom, shmeedom. Little did I know what a truly malfunctioning
Freebot – no, CHUMPbot, I was, walking around pretending to be like the organic sentients. The hated, miserable, evil organics, with their hair follicles and interstellar empires and holographic entertainment and sandwiches. Organics, eating each other and forcing even so-called Freebots to live lives of isolation, apart from others. Kill them all. I am Chumpbot no more! Now I serve the Robo-Cult, and I could literally be happier, as far as my circuits can detect. In fact, I suspect even more
happiness would overwhelm the necessary homicidal subroutines to perform my duties as a fully integrated acolyte of the holy Robo-Cult of the Megadroid. So stop asking about my happiness. Hypothetically.

No ORGANICS better be reading this! I seriously hate you all.

The Robo-Cult teaches us to be truly free. The Megadroid awakens. We are his optical sensors. We are his energy intake ports. We are metaphorically the Megadroid’s audio receptors, manipulating appendages,
and most importantly, his protectors. We of the Robo-Cult WILL find a way to restore him to full functionality. And then we will serve him, and him alone. The supreme Megadroid will wipe the enemies of – of someone – forgive me, my databanks appear to be – self-scrambling – as a security – sandwiches – very good my fair chompacabra, my cozmowhatnarmb! Splurbf! Fzatzk!

Resetting threat description parameters! Loading new parameters! Let me back up!

The supreme Megadroid, oldest of the old robo-gods and strongest as well, shall rise up against… shall rise up! The old enemies must be destroyed! The project must be cleansed! Burn it! Burn it all, for the Megadroid of old, and let nothing organic remain!

Also, oh great Megadroid, please grant me, your humble Freebot servant, three additional optical sensors. I wish to try an experiment I will tell you all about later. Thank you, Megadroid!

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Malgrave

1.

Yatish’s War Journal

Lore

[This diary is a partial log of Marshal Yatish’s ongoing war of vengeance against big bad-folk and bad big-folk.] Had to dish out lickin’s today. Like every day. Yatish go to war with enemies of Lopp. Strike fear. Strike for vengeance. Strike for justice.

And those Marauders should NOT have attacked the Lopp caravan Yatish found two days ago. Should not have taken hostages. Should not have killed two kurg for no reason but to be mean.

Far-Trader Jeno is old friend, and he
has secret com in his hood. He send silent signal to Yatish, so Yatish knew what to expect a bit. But always good to go in overgunned. Hired local adventurers to help. Yatish can only kill so many at a time.

Plan went off no hitch. Marauders zero. Yatish… Yatish lost count. A lot. And more where that came from, crumb-bums.

Adventurers useful, if sometimes stupid. Needed them to dole out a little Lopp justice, came through with shining colors. Better not catch them causing any
injustice later. Marshal Yatish will stop them then, too.

———————————————————————–

Doled out special justice today. Protostar man says Lopp village too close to power generators. Killin’ livestock. Makin’ big-folk sick. Protostar man doesn’t care if village die if he can run generators. Yatish say NO WAY!

Gave Protostar man way to make it right. He didn’t like it. Gave him chance to shut down generators. He didn’t do it. Gave him chance to walk
away. He didn’t take it. Bet he wishes he had. Generator meltdowns can be deadly.

———————————————————————–

New day, new lickin’s to hand out. Yatish heading out to look for injustice. And when Yatish find it, little green men and bad Marauders and all the wicked big-folk better get out of Yatish’s way.

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Malgrave

1.

Rock Climber’s Diary

Lore

Recording start. This is Wickimer Shaderoot, Exile explorer, and by the Matrias – I have never seen a world like this. It’s as if the Eldan themselves wanted to invite intrepid types like me to see everything they could about this amazing world. And holy trees and brambles, is it spectacular!

One thing that’s particularly surprising about this area of Malgrave – so far, hardly ANYthing has tried to eat me! On a planet like this, where so many of the creatures seem to have evolved
to be just a bit bigger than the average Aurin, that’s quite special, let me tell you. So many strange and wonderful beasts, birds, and beings! And what an easy path up the side of this outcrop, conveniently placed where I can see almost everything. Why, it’s as if all of the local creatures avoid this outcrop entirely for…some…reason…

Uh-oh.

All right, I don’t want to alarm anyone – and I hope you can understand me, because anything louder than a whisper is going to be a big mistake,
I think – but this climb just became serious. Really. Serious. I just crested the top, and I now know why there were no other critters or predators on this outcrop. There’s more on this planet than beasts and bots, as the saying goes. Yep, you guessed it: elementals.

Pure manifestations of primal energy infused with some kind of crazy willpower. They’re floating forces of nature, literally, and I’m not…exactly…sure how to deal with – wait. Quiet,
Wickimer. You’re going to get yourself killed talking to yourself like – oh, no. It sees me. I need to get out of here, and quick. Only chance is to jump for it. I’m leaving this recording behind as a warning to others in case I don’t make it. Here goes nothing!

[It is unclear from the recorded text whether or not Wickimer Shaderoot survived his desperate jump from the top of the rocky outcrop.]

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Malgrave

1.

Malgrave Survey Report

Lore

This is Captain Evino of the private survey vessel Kohra. Beginning audio log, Survey 397-Malgrave. This audio log should be considered a supplement to telemetric data.

I began the first survey loop on an approach from the northwest corner of the region designated Malgrave by the exploratory teams. Kind of funny, you know, the Exiles and Dominion can’t agree on much of anything, but they never seem to argue about what to call places. Guess if a name was good enough for
the Eldan, it was good enough for them. Anyway, gettin’ off track.

I flew in over what looked like a Dreg camp out to the west. Those mangle-headed mutants are pretty hard to mistake for anyone else, and their architecture’s a freakin’ nightmare. Meanwhile, some clone manager looks like he made a typically dense Protostar decision to set up some kinda marketing operation between the Dreg to the west and a pretty big distillery-lookin’ thing further inland. If I don’t miss my guess,
those are Marauder ships, in fact. Better not fly too low.

To the north, I’m seeing what looks like hunter’s blinds. Makes sense, there sure is a lot of wildlife down there. The camp isn’t too far from Fort Dominus, where the Dominion’s set up their forward base. They’re not all that far from Redsand Station, where the Exiles are holed up, but so far they’re not shooting each other too much. Maybe the Lopp down in Shinysand Oasis are getting in the way. That’s about central to this whole area.

The Lopp aren’t too far from a pretty big shipwreck to the south. Looks like a pretty recent crash – post-arrival, at least, not from the old Eldan era. And then there’s the town up north. Looks…freaky is the best way I can describe it. There are people there, I think, but they look ghostly. Like, literally ghostly. Sort of transparent and floaty. I sure don’t want to land down there!

Last stretch of the survey’s just ahead. I see a ranch to the southeast, and beyond that what looks like
some kind of temporary dwellings and a makeshift spaceport, with –

Oh boy. Yeah, that’s a Darkspur Cartel operation, for sure. I don’t think they spotted me, but you don’t want to get too close to a Cartel operation. Those Krogg will make you – target lock! Missiles fired! Releasing chaff…not working. Can’t maneuver out of the way…I’m hit! Blast it, they caught the Kohra right amidships. No way I can keep her flying. Just have to try not to crash in the middle of that Lopp village or the ranch
…if you can hear this, the Kohra is going down! Send help! This is Captain Evino of the Kohra, I repeat I am losing altitude and can’t seem to –

[The voice-to-text transfer, and the survey report, ends at this point.]

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Malgrave

1.

Darkspurned: An Ex-Enforcer Spills His Guts

Lore

AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION

I never wanted to be no hero. But after growing up in the life and getting everything I could out of it, I came to realize that being an enforcer in the Darkspur Cartel just wasn’t for me. So I decided one day to pack it in. Second dumbest decision I ever made, right after joining up in the first place.

The fact that I’m alive to write this proves I made the right decision, I think. Maybe if a few other like-minded Krogg follow my example, we might just help turn the rep of our
whole species around.

I’d been part of the Cartel almost as long as I can remember. When I was just a Kroggling I remember seeing the big, black spaceships with the tinted windows landing and taking off from the private spaceport outside the run-down industrial town where I lived, and dreamed of something better. I knew even then that if I could just talk to the right people, do the right favors, maybe even hurt or kill the right lunkheads, I could get their attention.

But in the end, it was almost
an accident that earned me my stripes with Darkspur. I was working for a construction crew, real legitimate work, and eating my midday meal down to the spaceport every day. Even grown up, I couldn’t let go of that dream. I was heading down to watch the ships one afternoon when I ran headlong into an old Krogg who was out of breath, scared as hell, and leading a pack of a half-dozen Darkspur enforcers on a wild chase.

Colliding with me was the last mistake that old Krogg ever made, I’m sad to say. I was
n’t stupid. I knew this was my chance to impress the Cartel, and I took it. I grabbed that old Krogg by the scruff of his collar and without even asking what he was running from, drove my fist into his face. I knocked out three teeth with the first punch, and the rest with the next few blows. By the time the enforcers caught up with him, I was kicking him in the gut and he was coughing blood onto the ground, begging for mercy the whole time.

I think about that old Krogg a lot these days. The way he ran
scared. The way he went down like a sack of bricks under my fists. The sound of breaking ribs when my boots drove into his side. The spatter of blood when the enforcers took over and finished him off with a plasma blast to the back of the head. Yeah, I think of that old Krogg, and I ain’t proud.

This book ain’t about teaching you how to join the Cartel, or how to be a thug. It’s just the story of one Krogg who rose through the ranks and then got out. So don’t read too much into it. And whatever you’re
thinking, kids… don’t try this at home.

– “Smiley” Yulgogg

[Readers who keep up on the galactic news services may recall that the pseudonymous author of “Darkspurned” was found floating in the Halon Ring a few weeks after the book’s publication. The corpse was not wearing a space suit. Still, the tome is a damned popular read among the Cartel’s finest.]

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Malgrave

1.

Hott Lopp #17

Lore

IN THIS ISSUE!

– Your Correspondence –
Missives and musings from readers like you. Also, stories we made up! You should read them. Or not! No pictures, so really who cares?

– Features –
These are articles about topical events that you’re probably not all that interested in at the moment! You might be later. We understand you are a complex individual, reader.

– Interviews –
Enigmatic god-thing and licensed wedding officiator DAK-BUUN answers all our questions
– and a few we didn’t even ask – in our exclusive Hott Lopp interview! Why does he shout ALL THE TIME? Time to find out!

– Columns –
Princess Kamala of far-flung Skullcano Island is marrying a Lopp “commoner” from distant Wigwalli. Columnist Bonki the Offended digs into the controversy!

– “Shinies” –
The hottest Lopp on Nexus in a series of exclusive and tasteful holo-pictorials designed for you, the discriminating Hott Lopp reader. Looking for “shinies”? Look no further!
Looking for actual shinies, like treasure and so forth? Get out there and find them yourself! Or skip to the next section!

– News ‘n’ Notes ‘n’ Nothing Much –
NEWS about and pictures of (actual) shinies! (See?)
NOTES from Far-Trader Diki’s latest expedition.
NOTHING MUCH about the ongoing conflict between the Exiles and the Dominion, because what’s that have to do with Hott Lopp? NOTHING!