The Crimson Tide - Campaign Setup

 

This is a background to the characters that make up the members of The Crimson Tide campaign I'm playing for Five Parsecs From Home. For my first campaign, I rolled up a fully random crew to see what I'd get and then built the story from the details I got in my rolls. So without further ado, here are the main characters in my cast and some introductory background for the setting.

The Crimson Tide

The crew of the Bug-out have unofficially called themselves "The Crimson Tide". Lead by ex-Special Agent Matt, their mission is to make the universe a little safer by eliminating some dangerous people that Unity would otherwise not be able or willing to take out. Pulling on his various contacts from over his career, Matt has assembled a crew from many different walks of life to best tackle the tasks ahead. From smooth talking Sebastian to the teams muscle Tyris, each member of the crew has something to contribute to ridding Unity space of individuals that would seek to harm others, be it for pleasure or greed.

Matt assembled his team on the backwater colony of Jacob's Reach where they could dig up their first lead from the various information brokers and begin their hunt in earnest.

Matthew "Matt" Charlemagne

Matt is an ex-Special Agent for Unity. Born on Ulysses, a notable research colony for Unity, Matt grew up surrounded by cutting edge science and technological development. As he grew older he was recruited by Unity to serve in the advance reconnaissance equipment and development wing of their Special Agent program.

It was during a raid of his facility by forces from the Converted where Matt was able to demonstrate his tactical savvy and was then made a fully fledge Special Agent. After this promotion, Matt was sent all across fringe space participating in various missions for Unity. However, after a time, Matt began to notice that there were so many negative forces at work in the fringe, and Unity blocked his attempts to engage them. With the frustration setting in from not being able to make the fringe a better place for those that lived there, a disillusioned Matt quit the service and set out to put together a team of independents who could help make the universe a slightly better place.

Linda "Hotshot" Hodgeon

Linda was Matt's first contact he reached out to. She was a military technician serving at the Mojave outpost on Jacob's Reach, a backwater colony world. Matt had worked closely with Linda during his time as a Special Agent. She was Matt's main contact for providing access to various vehicles he used in his missions. Linda was both a skilled pilot and mechanic, and had a fair amount of weapon's training.  She found herself however wishing she could do more for humanity, maybe even make a name for herself in the process. When Matt approached her to join his team, she accepted right away. She already had a beat on an old military transport vessel they could use to get around, which they named the "Bug-out".

Linda was excited to team up with Matt and start making a difference. Anything would be better than being stuck on some backwater colony and one day, people would know the name Linda "Hotshot" Hodgeon, the crack pilot bringing safety to the citizens of Unity.

Sebastian VanDelgan III

Sebastian VanDelgan the third was born to a wealthy family of traders based on the tech guild world of Noro's Peak. Sebastian however, had little interest in the high society his family engage with. Always an adventurous spirit, he would find himself exploring and scavenging whatever he could find. His trading roots however lead him to become an information broker to many, as much of what he ended up scavenging tended to be very useful information pulled from computer banks of wrecks in hostile environments.

Matt tapped Sebastian to join his crew as he knew how resourceful Sebastian could be, and how much he loves adventure. Plus it never hurt to have someone with the social skills and connections to help them get around or into difficult places.

Tyris

Tyris is a K'Erin soldier. A skilled combatant, Tyris has been deployed on battlefields beyond count. At one point, Tyris was the leader of his own battalion in charge of the defence of the newly acquired industrial world of Hakarm after their last expansion in the fringe. Tyris would later step down from this position as backroom politics made him out to appear incompetent during the Skarra Incident where several facilities had been sabotaged.

Matt had earned a life debt from Tyris when he saved him from near certain death when he was to tour one of the sabotaged facilities. Matt had provided information about the intended sabotage and that it was likely to target the facility Tyris was set to tour. While the data provided did not save Tyris from losing his prestigious position, it allowed him to be available when Matt reached out to him regarding his plan to take out some dangerous individuals. Between the potential for combat, the wealth that could be gained, and that he owed a life-debt, Tyris readily joined up.

A-113

The unit known as A-113 was what Unity believed to be an orphan found on a derelict Soulless vessel found adrift in the fringe. Unity brought it online and began to train A-113 for use as a Special Agent for infiltration missions. A-113 was a quick learner and using the Soulless' gift of being able to integrate into society, allowed it to blend in and perform many covert operations across the fringe. Over time however, A-113 began to desire more recognition for the work it was performing, which due to it's nature, had to remain secrete.

Matt had done some joint operations with A-113 before and so when he was putting his team together, reached out and offered it a place in his crew. A-113 was eager to join, judging that Matt's plan was far less covert and that it could finally be recognized for the good that it was doing in the fringe.

Jeb

Jeb was born in the slums of Jacob's Reach. The local radiation and pollution from the Starport had resulted in his disfiguration while in the womb and he was branded a mutant by the local officials. Jeb is a gentle and artistic soul, wishing only to make the universe a better place. Overlooked by much of society, Jeb has only really known hardship most of his life and there have been few who treat him as a person, let along as an equal.

Jeb had worked with Matt in the past and holds great respect and loyalty to him. Matt was the first person to ever treat him with respect and as an equal. Matt knew that Jeb wanted to help make a difference, so when he decided to set out on his mission, he offered Jeb a place on his crew. Jeb excitedly accepted, though naive about what could lay beyond the Starport of Jacob's Reach.

Jacob's Reach

The planet of Jacob's Reach is a backwater colony of humanity in the fringes of Unity space. It was once a pilgrimage site but has since become a bit of a run down dust bowl. It primarily serves now as a trading and supply hub for many crews passing through the area. There is a standard military outpost present with a regular compliment of soldiers and equipment. Several industrial and tech firms call the planet home and as a bi-product of their industry, a pollutant haze drifts across the planet's surface reducing visibility on the otherwise barren world. 

The bustling markets offer crews many fine goods, and so long as you don't make a scene, most people can drift through without being noticed. This comes in handy for many information brokers and intelligence contacts. Local law enforcement is under funded, so companies take to private security to defend their property and facilities.

Many are not able to afford the chance to leave the planet, so look to joining crews of the various ships that come in to get supplies. For those lucky enough to get hired, a universe of possibilities opens up.

NEXT: Campaign Turn 1