Noventa - A Star Wars Story

A sole Pantoran woman walked her way up the mountain steadily as the evening hours continued on. Soren had been planning to finally climb Mt. Hamankarn for quite sometime now, but jobs kept popping up in town never giving him a full night to really devote himself to the task. It had been quite some time since her teenage years when she would spend considerable time climbing the various icy peaks on Arkania.

Her mind wandered off to a distant world and time... when she was still becoming used to her own freedom.


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She sat atop a crystalline peak on a bleak and freezing tundra. A woman, the woman who she recognized as her savior of sorts, approached quietly from the side. Soren's face turned to see the woman, most noticeable was the patch of white hair that covered the front of her scalp, that quickly turned dark and black as the night.

"How are you doing Soren?" The woman asked with a calm and gentle voice.

"Good... I think...." Was the Clawdite's simple reply.

The woman nodded and took up a seat next to the young changeling. "What they put you through in there is tough stuff. I worked in special ops... infiltration.... sabotage during the Clone Wars for the Republic... You end up being asked to do things that... leave a mark. You have people who break your trust... Those marks aren't necessarily bad Soren... unless you let 'em fester and rip you apart."

Soren looked out across the vast tundra that surrounded her. "How do you not let it fester? How do you unravel all that they did?"

The woman reached her arm around the young Clawdite and replied, "You find people who won't break your trust... and you find something good to use that energy and frustration on."

The woman squeezed Soren's shoulder and stared out with loving eyes on to what almost anyone else would see as a bleak landscape, "I got you out of that camp for a reason." She then smiled warmly, "Even if I don't know what the heck that reason is."


----

The Pantoran Soren pulled the straps on her backpack tighter as she walked up the side of the mountain with her thermal cloak tied tightly around her...

"Time to get some of that energy out..."

Mount Hamakarn towers over the landscape. Even with the range surrounding it, and the nearby town of Charnel Gulch, it is picturesque, if daunting. There are a few different trails and climbs that had been mapped out.

The scenic, if safe path, which only climbs to the Mount Hamankarn basecamp.

The Volcano path, which takes you to a Caldera over looking the podracetrack.

And finally, the Summit. A strenuous climb past basecamp, to take you to the very peak of Noventa itself. It can be difficult, and perhaps dangerous.

Soren's sights were set on reaching the summit. And he trudged along the path that would take him there...

Scaling to the Summit is a daunting challenge. Facing the bitter cold and elements, adds to the danger. But the peak itself will provide a wonderful vista.

Athletics or Coordination, in a series of skill checks, each representing three hours of work. These aren't the real challnge, each only a Hard Check. There will need to be 5 checks made. Starting at check 3, they are upgraded once, as the weather and thin air begin to make the journey more difficult, coupled with the terrain.

Accompanying them, will be a series of Resilience checks, as you must endure the effot and the weather. These are at [b]Hard[/i] difficulty, as well. Failing incurs strain damage, with threat being spent to suffer more strain equal to the amount ot failures on the roll.

Sumitting Mount Hamankarn will take this time slot, as well as the next three.

Weather does affect these rolls.

The going was slow and arduous at first for Soren. As the air thinned out she attached her respirator and began trudging up the mountain from basecamp. After spending only a few minutes walking, she realized that in front of her on this path was an ice gorge that wasn't on any of the maps she had looked at. It must've been something that developed recently... so she decided to shift course and head up a different route as the chill started to get ever more piercingly cold.

Her new course immediately paid dividends as she found a path that led through a narrow passageway between to protrusions of icy rock. She worked her way up the side of the mountain with skill and patience. Her heart beating with excitement as she climbed relentlessly towards the summit.




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D2, Climb that Mountain! First two rounds, Coordination, Respirator and Gear for 2 Bonuses (GM), Thermal cloak to -setback, Stalker: 2#4eA+3eB+3eD 3 failures, 6 advantage 6 successes, 2 threat


D2 Climb that Mountain, Second Coordination check, 3 bonuses from Adv: 3eB 1 success, 4 advantage


6 Adv used to reduce time of the failure, Second roll passes (adv used for bonus)



D2, Climb that Mountain! First two rounds, Survival in place of Resilience, Respirator and Gear for 2 Bonuses (GM), Thermal cloak to -setback, Survival Knife Bonus: 2#3eA+1eP+3eB+3eD 2 failures, 7 advantage 1 success, 3 advantage


D2 Climb that Mountain, Second Survial check, 1 bonuses from Adv: 1eB 0 successes, 1 advantage


Take 2 strain, recover 1, use rest for bonuses on 2nd Coordination check. Second check passes and grants 2 bonuses to next Coordination check.

3 hours spent on the mountain.

As the evening wore on Soren continued with methodical determination up a cliff ace that led to a plateau about half way up the summit. Thoughts of Arkania and climbing mountains with the Old Republic operative who had saved her from that Imperial spy camp came rushing to her mind...

"What in the world is beautiful about this T? It's all ice and freezing cold..." A young Soren asked.

"And what isn't beautiful about that? Look how hard it is to live here... and yet there's life." T replied with a smile.

"They should move if you ask me." Soren grumped.

T laughed and nodded her head, "But sometimes you can't move... you just gotta push through because the world around you isn't gonna change in the short term. But if you wait it out... even the harshest cold goes away Soren... Even the biting pain of the cold doesn't last forever..." T looked out at the landscape and sighed.

It was then that Soren understood the beauty of the cold and harsh world for the first time.


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D2 Climb that Mountain, Third Coordination Check, 2 bonuses from Adv: 4eA+5eB+2eD+1eC 3 successes, 6 advantage


Make progress, Bonuses for Survival check.

D2 Climb that Mountain, Third Survival Check, 3 bonuses from Adv: 3eA+1eP+5eB+3eD 4 successes, 1 advantage


No strain, 1 adv to reduce time by 15 mins.

Been on the Mountain for 5h 45m.

Soren began feeling some of the effects of the lack of oxygen and the prolonged cold as she walked across the plateau that led to the final approach up the summit of Mt. Hamankarn. She didn't let the tingling in her face get to her though, she knew her body's limits and the time she had left to try and reach the top safely.

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D2 Climb that Mountain, Fourth Coordination Check: 4eA+3eB+2eD+1eC 3 successes, 1 threat


D2 Climb that Mountain, Fourth Survival Check: 3eA+1eP+3eB+3eD 1 success


Take 1 strain.

8hrs 45mins on the mountain. 3/5 checks passed.

Remaining Strain: 10/11

Soren looked up the steep incline that lead to the top of the mountain. There'd be several stretches where he'd have to climb bare icy rock-walls... a single mistake would cost him dearly. A single mistake...

----

In the homely tunnels beneath the Arkanian surface Soren and 'T' sat down for dinner. The two of them joked and laughed about the Ice-Tooka that slipped as it ran after a rodent and slid across an ice patch. The cat then subsequently thought this was great fun and spent the next two hours sliding across the frozen pond in front of T and Soren's hidden abode.

As the pair munched on their food merrily suddenly they were alerted by a flashing light above the kitchen counter.

"Proximity alert..." T said as she swiftly stood to check the cameras. A small team of imperial operatives passed by a hidden camera slowly and stealthily as T reached the screen.

"Imperials." She said in a matter-of-fact manner as she moved to collect her belongings.

"How?" Soren asked as he too moved to get his things.

T merely shook her head, "Were you seen?"

Soren racked his memory for a moment, "I don't think so... I went to town the other day... but... Oh no... I did a face I once used in the academy..."

T nodded but said nothing as she hurriedly prepared to leave.

"Oh T... I am so sorry!" Soren replied.

T merely put up a hand, "It's not your fault." She checked another monitor and let out a slight groan, "Damn... they're at the back too. You're going to have to hide. I'll draw them off and meet up with you later. Wait here for 12.5 hours and then carefully try to make your way to town. You're going to have to find a transport to Lothal. Once you're there I need to you find a man named Temmeret Nadir. I'll meet you there. Got it?"

Soren looked up with conflicted eyes, "But T..."

She looked back with a sharp look of urgency, "Got it?"

Soren nodded and T pressed a button on a detonator, sending a rumbling noise through the tunnels. "Gotta go. See you on Lothal!"

----

Soren trudged up the incline hand over foot, her eyes never leaving the road ahead of her.

No little mistakes...

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D2 Climb that Mountain, Fifth Coordination Check: 4eA+3eB+2eD+1eC 2 successes


D2 Climb that Mountain, Fifth Survival Check: 2eA+2eP+3eB+3eD 2 successes, 3 advantage


2 adv to give boost to next Coordination Check. 1 adv for Strain.

11hrs 45mins on the mountain. 4/5 checks passed.

As Soren reached the last stretch leading up to the summit she could feel a second wind bursting from within her. Her long years of training and living by herself in the wild had hardened her... made her tougher than she looked. In was in these moments when that inner strength inside of her were really able to come forth... a side that no one but T had ever been able to see... A side that part of her somewhere wished to share... but also there was a strong feeling to keep this aspect of her private. In some sense this was the only version of herself that she knew to be her.

All the other faces... men, women, children, elderly... those were masks she wore for convenience. This here was the one time when she could be honest with herself and let herself shine. Her tired fingers pulled up on crystalline protrusions in the mountain slope, propelling her closer and closer to the top. And then there it was... only a few feet ahead of her and up a small incline... The highest point on Noventa. And internally... the highest feeling of self-accomplishment she could reach in this world.

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D2 Climb that Mountain, Sixth Coordination Check, Bonus from Adv: 4eA+4eB+2eD+1eC 4 successes, 1 advantage


D2 Climb that Mountain, Fifth Survival Check: 2eA+2eP+3eB+3eD 4 successes, 4 advantage


Regain all strain, Reduce climb time by 1hr.

13hrs 45mins on the mountain.

5/5 Checks Passed. Summited the Mountain!

The view from the top of the world is spectacular. Only through your training in the wilds, and sheer perseverance are you able to tame Mount Hamankarn.

Looking about, you see mementos of other climbers who had summitted the peak. Holorecorders showing smiling, tired faces. Pieces of jewelry tied to climbing stakes. Little sacred treasures of those respectful and brave enough to make the climb.

Your reaching the summit is fairly early in the morning light. The sunrise, bathing the mountain above the clouds of the storm below, is aweinspiring, filling you with resolution about any task you may make.

As the first player character to make the climb, you are granted:

Soul of the Mountain - You gain a rank in Discipline, as your fortitude, both mental and physical was tested. Also, you gain a boost die to all Survival, Coordination, and Athletics checks.

Soren took a few elated breaths as she stared out over the vista. She rummaged through her belongings for a moment before pulling out an old deactivated proton grenade. She smiled for a moment while looking down at it before closing her eyes and concentrating. Her outer form began to shift and change, and her appearance took on the look of a woman in her mid-twenties with black and white hair.



She took out her knife and cut a lock of white hair from her head. Wrapping it around the grenade she positioned some rocks to act as a stabilizing platform for the circular object and tied the hair around one of the rocks. She stood up and looked over the vast expanse beneath her again and let out a sigh of accomplishment.

Terrah... if you're out there... I'm still here. I'm gonna make it. I promise.