STARGATE MISSIONS - EPISODE TITLE: TOYS
Planet Designation
P53-261
Technological Development
Iron Age
Type of Team Assigned
Diplomatic Ops or Exploration
Gate Location
The stargate of P53-261 is located on an island, in the coastal city of Eidyia (aiii-dee-ya), which is the island's major port. It's positioned in one of the city's large public courtyards. The gate has wreaths of flowers on it and flowers around its base. There are also candles on either side of it. A small golden dish is present near one cluster of candles, and inside of it is a thick, clear liquid that's sweet to taste. If a MALP is sent through before the team, the natives will put wreaths on it and offer a similar small dish of liquid. The courtyard presents Mycenaean-styled architecture, and the walls of the surrounding buildings have frescoes on them. Upon close examination, the frescoes reveal scenes of the god Kronos, whom the SGC recognizes as the Goa'uld System Lord, Cronus.
The People
The inhabitants of Eidyia are reminiscent of Mediterranean peoples. Many of them have physical professions and hobbies, and they're in good shape. They eagerly welcome the characters, since they've never received visitors through the "eye of Kronos" before. They assume that the characters are sent by Kronos, or that one of the characters is Kronos (only if one of the characters has a Charisma of 18 or more); they don't know that their god is dead.
They arrange bull fights, gladiatorial games, and celebrations to honor their guests. They are ruled by a council of eight "elders" which include the eldest, wealthiest, and wisest among them. The people of Eidyia are part of the Halia alliance of islands, and they refer to themselves as the Halia. They speak a dialect of Ancient Greek; any character proficient with Ancient Greek will be able to speak to the Halia without much trouble. Possible names for the Halia are: Cinerxes, Diander (or Diandra), Lycaphra (or Lycaphrus), Mellius (or Mellia), Quentus.
Introductions
When the Halia discover that the characters have come through the "eye of Kronos," they'll escort the characters to the hall of the elders, a large and ornate building. If it's late at night, the characters will be invited to stay at the hall for the evening. They'll be served a light meal before bed, with a small amount of the clear, thick liquid that was offered at the stargate (Intelligence or Cultures check DC 10 to identify). It's sweet, almost like honey. If the characters eat it, the next day they'll feel especially good upon waking up. They'll be given some more with breakfast. If at any time they ask about the substance, the characters will be told it's The Malt, and it's something of a holy substance to them. It fills all hunger, maintains youth, and can even help the sick to regain strength. Only those most deserving are granted even the smallest portion of it (read as: the rich, the powerful, and the well-connected). If asked, they'll say that small creatures make it, and that they will be shown some of the creatures when the elders take them to the exhibit.
The characters will then be invited to meet with the eight elders. They are, in order of age: Pharaxes, Antheia, Lipenius, Zosimos, Brygos, Goralus, Soteira, and Kharis. Of these, Antheia, Soteira, and Kharis are women. Although Pharaxes, Antheia, and Lipenius appear to be in their 70s, their skin glows with health, their hair is thick, and their minds are sharp. All of the elders share glowing skins and glossy hair. They're always announced in descending order of age, even though it's clear that Goralus (who appears 40), Soteira (who appears 40), and Kharis (who appears 35) are not so old and are on the council for other reasons.
The council explains that the Halia were brought to the planet by their god Kronos many years ago. Unlike other races, they know that they came from the Tauri. The planet they came from (Earth) was not fit for their god, so he picked his best worshippers and took them to a new world. Kronos left them there to see whether or not they would grow into a civilization worthy of having him in their midst. He said that he would be back again to check on their progress and render judgment. The Halia nearly died for lack of proper supplies and training, but they quickly learned about their new environment. Ever since, they've been striving to be worthy and waiting for their god. If they're told that their god is dead, most of them will believe that such news is part of their test (that is to say, most of them won't believe it at all).
Subtexts - Pharaxes
Pharaxes is a brilliant old man. A lifelong scholar and thinker, he's also extremely personable and well-spoken. For many years, he's suspected that his people were truly abandoned by their god, and he's been in an agony of doubt about it. Whether the characters reveal the death of Cronus or not, Pharaxes will see their arrival as confirmation of his worst suspicions, for after so many years of silence, only humans have come through the gate. If he's able to get at least one of the characters alone in his home and he likes them, he'll ask well-aimed questions. He lives only with servants, and if any character comes to his home he'll send his servants away.
His primary scores are in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma and he has high Bluff, Diplomacy, Innuendo, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot scores. He is already suspicious, and it should be difficult to pull off lying to him. He will ask about Kronos, if he's really a god, where the characters have come from, and so on. If the character(s) satisfy his curiosity and have said Kronos is dead, he might confide in them about what he really thinks (namely, that Kronos left his people to die and was probably not a god at all).
Subtexts - The Love Triangle
With the exceptions of Pharaxes and Antheia, all of the other elders are married and living with their spouses. Brygos and the younger elders all have children of varying ages. The characters are likely to meet Thana, the wife of Goralus, since she tends to the hall of the elders at odd hours, seeing that things get done. What Thana and most others don't know is that Goralus and Kharis have been having an affair for some time, and Kharis' daughter is Goralus' child. The one person who does know is Soteira, Kharis' older sister, who's always wanted Goralus for herself. Soteira will take the appearance of the characters as a sign from Kronos that it's time to enact her plan. The characters might notice her slip out of her house, and might be within earshot when she blackmails her sister into leaving.
Sight-Seeing
The characters will be invited to a tour of the city. The elders will arrange for a young street guide named Semos to show the group around so he can show them the city with the wonder of a child. Semos is friendly and curious about all the things the characters carry. He knows a bit of local dirt and all the best places to see. The city is quite beautiful, and what's even better is that the Halia are fond of games. The characters will be able to participate in card games, dice games, or more physical contests like the gladiatorial fighting events. The Halia also love to place bets and will be too happy to make wagers with the player characters.
Invitations
The characters will be invited to stay at the homes of the elders, who draw lots to decide which of them will get to play host. Any character with Cultures will be able to tell that it would be considered quite rude to refuse their hospitality, but they can request to stay with a particular elder without incurring social penalties. The elders will try to divide the characters so that as many elders as possible will have the honor of hosting the off-worlders.
At least one character will stay with Pharaxes. The rest of the characters probably end up with younger elders. In every house but that of Pharaxes, there's at least one child under the age of 13. The characters are introduced to their families and share the evening meal, which features more of the syrupy substance from before.
Play Time
That night, as the family is settling in for bed, the characters may be within earshot of the children playing. The characters will hear the children talking, and then hear a strange, small voice saying: "I'm so tired...please let me go. You're hurting me" (they will need to understand Gaelic or make an appropriate Language check; in any case, the tone will be small and hurt). Or they might hear tiny cries or screams, depending on how graphic a scene is desired. If they look into the children's rooms, they'll see the children playing with a Diminutive sized humanoid. If they ask, the children will tell the characters that the humanoid is their doll, given to them special by their parents. Only a few children ever get one. When they're not playing with their dolls, the children must keep them locked in a special cupboard in the kitchen. The children are also responsible for feeding and watering the creatures.
If the characters try to communicate with the creatures at night, the small folk will be scared but desperate to talk. (Possible Fae names are: Yilan, Zifta, Wiiri, Tephen, Raelee, Olit, Nefzen, and Lembree, although the children call their Fae whatever they want.) They will even try simple gestures to get their point across. (When they try to mention the stargate they put their arms up over their head and bring them down in a circle. Then they dart one hand in front of them, through the circle, and say: "Whoosh!" DMs should mime this out.)
Depending on how successful their attempts are at communication, the characters can learn the following:
the small creatures call themselves the Fae
the Fae recognize the stargate symbol for Earth on SGC uniforms
the Fae originally came from Earth but they migrated before the Goa'uld took hold
some of their race stayed behind and could still be on Earth somewhere
the Fae have a process by which they produce The Malt, which is what they live off of, for the most part
the Fae live in something like a hive and produce The Malt from this specially constructed unit; the design of the hive is an essential part of the process; the Halia captured their hive and moved it into Eidyia
the Fae also add to the process, but they won't say how
the Fae have been enslaved by the Halia for many years because The Malt makes humans feel better
some Fae are given to noble children as toys; these Fae actually have the worst lives of their people. The children have been told that the Fae are not real, living beings, and many have performed gruesome acts on the little people.
the Fae desperately want to be free and away from the Halia and may be willing to trade some of The Malt for their freedom (and being led to an uninhabited planet)
Choices
The characters have many different options from this point onward. What your group will decide to do will depend largely on the players involved and how the scenario has unfolded. Here are several possibilities:
A character could take their Fae with them right then, sneak out of the house, and round up the rest of the team. They could then try to find the House of Malt (the name for the building where the hive is kept) on their own. They could try to ask their young guide Semos (and bribe him into silence in some fashion). They could also appeal to Pharaxes for help. Pharaxes will be Reluctant to interfere because The Malt is keeping him alive: he needs a regular dose in order to maintain himself. He may tell the characters that he's 130 years old. He'll ask that the characters take him with them and try to find some other way to keep him alive (they might think of him as a good Tok'ra candidate). In any case, rescuing the Fae by night will require many Move Silently and Hide checks. It might also entail knocking out or killing anyone who sees them. If the team desires, they can try to sneak out the few Fae that are kept in other noble houses.
The House of Malt is designed to keep the Fae in and the peasants out. It has solid doors, high-DC locks, and slits instead of windows so the Fae can't wriggle through them. The hive inside is about two stories tall, in an irregularly rounded shape. It's entirely encased in a thick, heavy, glass-looking substance. There's a larger door in one of the glass walls that's big enough for a full-sized human, but it's rarely used. Within the large door is a smaller door that can be opened, and it's used regularly but under heavy guard. Hoses are fed through it to collect The Malt or deliver necessities like water and grains used to produce The Malt. Other times, Fae go through it when they're going to be offered to a noble child.
If the characters decide to stay with their hosts, the next day they'll be taken to see the hive of the Fae. The Halia believe that the Fae are animals that mimic people; they have no souls and no real intelligence. The hive is encased in glass so that it can be exhibited, much like zoo animals in cages back on Earth. The Fae within don't look happy in the least, and one or two might dare to call out to the onlookers. If the characters make a high Spot check, they might notice one or two Fae who appear pregnant.
The Halia will be willing to part with some of The Malt to honor the characters. If it's sent back to the SGC for analysis, it will be revealed as a perfect food, with great nutritional value, next to no fat, and a substance that aids in cell repair. The SGC won't be able to synthesize it, however.
If the characters inform the SGC that the Fae are enslaved, the SGC will want the team to return to Earth for further briefing. The SGC might order them to intercede diplomatically but the Halia will not be willing to part with the Fae under any circumstances. With a successful Sense Motive, the characters realize that privileged elders rely on The Malt to extend their years. Wealthy Halia use The Malt to bolster their health and youth. They aren't physically dependent on it to live, but their entire culture has been warped around its benefits. The elders won't be angry at the attempt, but they will have others keep a closer eye on the team afterward.
If the team decides to try to rescue the Fae after failing to secure their release, they'll have a more difficult time. More wary citizens will be watching them, and more security will be stationed at the House of Malt. Disguises might help, especially at night. They could seek out sympathizers to aid them or try to rile the public against the upper crust. There's also a sewer system that could prove useful…
Resolution
Regardless of how players approach the problem, DMs should remember that the only way the Halia will give up the Fae is if it's demanded by Kronus. Other attempts to free them will be met with lethal force. The Halia believe the Fae to be their rightful property, like any of their livestock or land, but even more than that, the Fae are essential to those in power.
If the Fae are rescued, they will not be able to remain on base for very long until the NID gets wind of it (allowing the scenario to continue further). The Fae are generally good, if disheartened, creatures who only want to be free to live amongst themselves. There are uninhabited, or sparsely inhabited worlds that would make good homes for the Fae, and good relations with the race will continue for some time if the SGC does not hold them prisoner as the Halia have done.
Pharaxes will help the team if they agree to help him extend his life and health, but he'll stop cooperating if he's made a prisoner and no effort is made to help him. He will be a willing candidate for Tok'ra blending if the option is presented to him, and with his knowledge, the Tok'ra will welcome him.