Action: The characters don’t necessarily to go after the prisoner; after all, they have no real ties to him. However, the Banik has gained a foothold in the mystic character’s mind and has no real plans to let go any time soon. If the characters don’t rescue him, he will make certain the mystic experiences everything he does… feeling every moment of torture that the Scarran inflicts on the Banik. The Banik does not have a standard form of telepathy; it is very powerful, but it can only connect with those who are mystically attuned.

If they do go after him, there are several points to consider. Is the Scarran alone, or does he have backup? What kind of weapons does he have? Is he part of the Scarran military, or just a lone sadist? More importantly, why does he have the Banik as a prisoner? Is he a slave upon whom the Scarran has decided to take out his sadistic tendencies ? Does he know the location of a free Banik colony, and the Scarran is trying to get that information out of him? Or is he actually a dangerous criminal?

If they chose not to rescue him, the character in contact may lose his sanity while the Banik has his brain torn apart. When the Scarran physically tortures his captive, the mystic will feel every moment of pain, and the shock could potentially kill him. The Banik may not be evil, but he wishes to live, and if he must die, he will take out the person who refused to help him.

The characters may try to travel out of range of the Banik’s telepathic abilities, but the Banik is unusually strong, and his power has a surprisingly long range. If they manage to break the telepathy due to range, the mystic’s mind will be torn from the Banik’s with a sudden snap; he must make a Will save, DC 18, or take 5d6 damage from shock. The mystic will be able to sense the impending danger and can warn the others to turn back before it actually snaps.

Love and War
Set-up: A Vorcarian female has grown tired of her mate, and now wishes to have another. Unfortunately, there is no concept of “divorce” among the Vorcarians. She comes to the characters and asks for their help in either killing her mate, or taking her to someone who can. In the meantime, her mate has come to the same conclusion about her, and has hired mercenaries to kill her and any assistants she may have.

Action: If the characters are mercenaries or assassins, they may take the job. The Vorcarians had just completed a lucrative mission, and they can both afford to pay good wages to their mercenaries. If they accept the assignment, the characters will then need to track the male down, while he is trying to track down the female. He has his own backup, and they are all eager to kill her and any supporters she may have.

Should the male be killed, his mercenaries will attempt to retreat. The female will insist that they give chase and kill all his fighters. Those who refuse will be seen as cowards, and she refuses to pay cowards. Likewise, should the female be killed, his mercenaries will kill the characters as accessories.

If the characters are not mercenaries, she may hire them to transport her to a place where she can hire a band of fighters. The male’s mercenaries will give chase in their own ship, and they may try to board the characters’ vessel. A firefight will likely ensue, utilizing the same tactics as those listed above. Should they succeed in killing her mate, the female will grant the characters a bonus. She will pay them even more if they finish off her mates’ associates.

If the characters turn the Vorcarian away altogether, she will disperse pheromones on their ship, leading the male to them and throwing him off her actual trail. In this case, the mercenaries will attack the characters, demanding her head. They will not believe that she is not aboard, and will attack relentlessly until the characters convince them that the female is not aboard (a very difficult task indeed) or until one side or the other is destroyed.