Episode 1: A Routine Mission

Played: 1st March 2020

We meet Nestoc Belvedere, an arcanaloth with a keen mind and chaotic power. Eva Green, a human botanist using her skills for the profit of a giant corporation. Bellamy Henbane, a Drow former soldier who is taking unfulfilling security guard jobs to pay the bills, and BBGM, a war forged with very little memory of his past.

Nestoc Belvedere, in a grey and dull office, waits for a job interview. Though initially impressed with Nestoc's references, the interviewer brings up an incident that happened on Nestoc's home moon of Gehenna, which Nestoc brushed over, assuring it wouldn't happen again. Uncertain but willing to give Nestoc a shot, he is hired by M-Corp to assist Eva as an ambassador, where his natural skills as a negotiator will be necessary when dealing with an independent planet. Nestoc spends the morning ignoring calls from his family, but eventually picks up and has a bittersweet conversation with his younger brother Jude, who says it would be nice if Nestoc came home.

Eva Green, late for her job as a botanical researcher at M-Corp, runs into her brother Alexander, the technology secretary for the Prime Mage Quarien Rhothomir. They argue over Alexander's decision not to return to Chauntalea for Grandma June's birthday, which is a reminder to Eva that Alex has turned his back on his druidic origins. When she arrives at work, she is quickly sent away by her lab partner Envo Doth to Talonis to finish their experiment with HSO-23, an engineered plant that might be able to survive in the harsh climate of Talonis. She meets Nestoc and the two are escorted to Talonis by Brumir, the Dwarven pilot of an M-Corp shuttle.

On the floating city Ozaris, orbiting the moon of the same name, Bellamy Henbane prepares for a day of assignment as an M-Corp security guard. As she prepares to leave the house, she is contacted by her parents, who have rumbled her plans to finally move them offworld to Eldathar, the summer planet. Though her parents protest, Bellamy insists that this is *why* she works these terrible jobs, to afford a better retirement for them. At work, Bellamy talks to Elliott, a half elf who fought alongside Bellamy in the military, and now works with her as a guard. They talk about their old friend Orzak Ul-Thakk, a half orc who used to be in Bellamy’s squad. Having left Ozaris and now working freelance as a bounty hunter, Orzak has no recent known locations.

Eva and Nestoc meet with Bellamy, who is assigned by her boss Kraskal to escort them from Ozaris City down to the surface. Eva, Nestoc and Bellamy meet with Dr. Vozelle, a scientist with a small research station on Talonis. He is excitedly awaiting the arrival of HSO-23, and is giddy to see it.

Nearby, BBGM meditates in his cave, processing the only two memories he has: An catastrophic explosion, and the silhouette of a woman, with a voice saying 'Don't worry, my love, your time will come.' His meditation is interrupted by his animal friend Crunch, who leads him down to the research station.

Following the exchange of HSO-23, the plant mysteriously burrows its way down into the planet, which begins violently quaking. Believing this to be a form of attack, and surprised by the appearance of an old model of Warforged, Vozelle sets his robot gardeners upon the four. The gardeners are destroyed and Dr Vozelle is knocked unconcious, and the party return to Ozaris City.

Resting at Bellamy’s place, everyone considers what just happened, unsure what to do next. Bellamy gets called in by Kraskal, and she is told to bring the others along too. Everyone agrees with this, but as they are leaving BBGM observes postcards sent by Bellamy’s parents from one of their holidays in sunny Eldathar. The image of a beach causes him to glitch and see a vision of a beach ravaged by destruction.

Kraskal is immediately suspicious of the group, and is uncomfortable with BBGM, whose synthetic presence is not massively welcome in this city. Bellamy decides to resign before she can be fired after seeing how Kraskal treats BBGM, but Eva and Nestoc agree that BBGM is raising concern and take him outside.

As they leave the guard's post, Eva and Nestoc see a Telescreen loudly broadcasting to the crowd, reporting on the events on the surface below. Video footage recorded and transmitted by Dr Vozelle in his final moments shows the party with HSO-23, followed by them fighting with Vozelle. Bellamy, Nestoc and Eva’s ID photos were displayed on screen for all to see along with the warning that they were armed and dangerous.