The politics in Fading Suns are extremely feudal and your P.C.s have no doubt got themselves pretty close to the top of the pile. Imagine what would happen if the peasants decided that they would like to establish a more egalitarian society. Suddenly your P.C. nobles would find themselves on the brink of a revolution. This is a dangerous campaign so you may want to help out the Pcs a little. Remember that any NPCs around can give helpful advice and even perform services, especially if it is their way of life that is threatened.
To help you gauge the current level of revolutionary intent in the citizens of the town you might want to use this fun system.
Civil Unrest Rating
The CUR represents how many people and the fanaticism amoungst the revolutionaries. The higher the number, the more the people are feeling oppressed and will react accordingly. This rating begins the game at 3.
CUR Effect
0 Unwaving support for the noble in power
1-2 Population stable
3-8 Population uneasy. Some extremists will begin to make a nuisance of themselves with grafitti and humiliating the nobles.
9-12 Civil disorder. The populous is angry and will begin to down tools. The extremists will begin to attack nobles and cause acts of violence and vandalism.
13+ Revolution. The peasants are revolting! They will storm the palace. Either the Pcs will have to leave or they will have to find a way of defending themselves.
It is modified in the following ways:
(Each week begins on midnight Monday or whatever the first day of your game week is)
+1 for each week the printing press is in operation and producing propaganda.
+1 for each week Maya is operating.
+1 for each week Julius is operating.
+1 for each week Powell is operating.
+2 for each successful terrorist attack on a target. (only by member of the command unit)
+3 if any revolutionaries are executed.
-2 for each week of uneventful rule.
-3 for imposing a curfew.
-6 for capturing The Beggar King.
-2 for each terrorist attack that fails.
-2 for capturing Maya, Julius or Powell
-1 if any revolutionaries are incarcerated.
As you can see, the main way to end this adventure is to capture the members of the command cell and protect against terrorist attacks. After they are eliminated the city will soon return to normal after a few weeks of uneventful rule. If the CUR begins at 3 then after the first attack (at the beginning of the first week) the rating will shoot up to 9 causing civil disorder. The Pcs then have about a week to bring it back down again by tracking down members of the command unit or imposing a curfew. A week that contains a terrorist attack is NOT an uneventful week.
You do not have to use this system at all but it does give you a good idea of how quickly the revolution can take off and exactly what will affect it. Your Pcs will no doubt surprise you with some plan or other. Simply decide how effective it will be and apply a modifer for it.
This adventures works best when it occurs in one of the characters home provinces. If they have any land to their name it could quite easily happen there. They will be fighting to protect their way of life. Any church based P.C.s would also find themselves involved as the socialist propaganda that occurs would be aimed at them also. I have based this scenario in a city but it could quite easily be set in a group of villages or whatever territory your players belong to. The technology level of the city must be at least Tech 2 but conversely would probably be less successful in a city of a very high Tech level. An interesting twist could be having the PCs on the side of the revolutionaries.
Synopsis
A group of hired intelligence agents establish themselves in the local community as revolutionaries. In fact they intend to fleece the local population for a great deal of their money and cause as much havok as possible. If there is an arch-enemy in your campaign feel free to add him/her into the group or have them funded by him/her. Either way it will be another part of their ongoing saga.
The beginning
The signs of the revolutionaries should start to occur a few adventures before their arrival. This represents their gradual rise in power. There are many signs that could occur. revolutionary graffiti starting to appear on walls throughout the city, nobles are pelted with rotten fruit when riding through the city, the servants of the nobles begin to leave their service and maybe even the military ranks become involved. Street preachers will be joined by revolutionary speakers who will tell of great things that will come when "the people" have control. The P.C.s will instantly be seen as the bourgeoisie who are oppressing the proletariat, the peasants. This activity will continue to rise until there begins a series of terrorist attack throughout the city in the name of the Peoples Revolutionary Party of (whatever the name of the city is).
These signs are all the beginning of a shift in power in the province. A group of egalitarian rebels have established a revolutionary underground. The group have organised "cells" throughout the city who are being instructed by a mysterious leader nicknamed "The Beggar King". The Beggar King (a bit of a joke on Thomas's part. The more educated members of the PRP may wonder why an egalitarian revolutionary should call himself "King") is in fact an ex-muster named Thomas Lyons who has concocted a plan to either wrest control of the power in the province either for personal gain or, more dramatically, because he is being employed by the P.C.s arch enemy. This is a good point to introduce some of those Afflictions the Pcs thought they could get away with having. He has enlisted the aid of three co-conspirators including a psychic who is conditioning selected members of the population to aid their cause.
On their arrival they used what little money they have left to purchase a property in the heart of the city. This used to be a printers and still has the printing press in the basement. From here they have enacted their plan.
One member, a man named Julius Hamez, has infiltrated the mercantile class by posing as a foreign investor. Remember, these people are not from this region and will be recognisable from the populous by their accent with the exception of William Powell who is a train intelligence agent.
Powell is acting as the espionage agent in this set up. Disguised as one of the local populous he has be visiting drinking establishments, public gatherings and various businesses and targeting those most likely to be sympathetic to their cause. These people are then either approached by Powell with a proposition to join the PRP or, if they are less sympathetic they are visited by Maya Yuon. Maya is a psychic who was trained with Powell by the Muster as intelligence agents. She is a beautiful young woman who uses her charms to seduce men into the PRP. This rarely fails as she uses her psychic powers to influence their actions. So far there are six major merchants in the city and at least three non-noble court members are also under her influence. These men have all become totally infatuated with Maya and will do anything she asks, even when it is against their best judgement, they are love-sick and will act very strangely. If you have NPCs who are merchants or influential people within the city already they could easily be added to the rank of her lovers. She is tragically immoral and will use any means to get her man. Julius can introduce her to any of his contacts.
From these men and women three cells have been established. They do not know the whole story. They believe that they will be working together for the good of the people, lead by the Beggar King. They are aware that other cells exist but are kept apart so that captured members do not give up too many names under pressure.
Alpha cell - These people work closest to the command group. They are composed of four thugs (who have been armed with firearms for the defence of Lyons) and two printers who are at work creating revolutionary propaganda.
Beta cell - These are the mercantile backbone of the PRP. They meet in secret and overall represent about half the mercantile power in the city. They are allowing the PRP to use their resources and will invest a great deal of firebirds in the PRP.
Delta cell - These are the people on the streets. This is the largest cell comprising of about forty or fifty people. More join every day, enticed by the thought of freedom for all. They are responsible for the graffiti, the noble abuse and other problems that will occur around town. They will also be the group that storms the palace (or wherever the nobles live) when the time is right. Those that join of their own free will are let in and given revolutionary propaganda. Those who seem less keen to join are taken to a meeting with Maya who uses her influence to get them to join proper.
WEEK 0
This is the warming up period. In this week the signs of revolution will occur. The CUR is at 3.
WEEK 1
After the first wave of signs the attacks will begin. This will push the CUR up to 9, this is unavoidable. The actual target of the attack is up to you. If the city is technologically advanced enough then any broadcasting building (radio or television) is a prime target. Otherwise something like a military barracks would be suitable. The attack will take place late evening.
The team have access to a light mortar which they brought with them. Powell and Lyons, as they are the only two who can operate it properly, will take this to a sucluded roof top and then launch an attack on the target. They only have six explosive shells and two smoke cells. They wills fire one smoke shell, use that to get better bearings and then quickly launch two explosive shells before packing up and leaving the area. Their equipment will be discreetly loaded onto a cart and taken back to the base. If the PCs are present they can make a test using any Warfare skill+Wits to quickly guess that the first shell is being used to target the area and they will have ample time to run away an possibly evacuate a few people.
A successful Warfare Artillery+Wits skill will allow the Pcs to pinpoint from which building the attack was launched from. Julius will be watching from nearby to see what action is taken by the Pcs.
Now that the revolutionaries have become militant there will be reports throughout the city that workers are laying down their tools in protest to their social position. Things are beginning to come together for the Beggar King. Propaganda will begin littering the streets all calling for the populous to rise up against their oppressive masters and win freedom.
WEEK 2
The week begins with another mortar attack on the next target which will undoubtedly be military. If the Pcs have failed to make any progess the CUR will now top 13 and they are looking at a revolution. If they have captured some of the command members they may have done enough to stabilise the CUR. They need only to have captured one member of the group to stop the CUR from reaching 13+. Assuming it is still in operation the command unit will now have enough money to buy some more ammunition for the mortar. This will be smuggled into the city. If it can be intercepted then that will render the mortar useless and stop the attacks.
WEEK 3+
Each week after the third the command unit will continue to function as normal with one attack per week and the usual propaganda. They will continue this way until the revolution occurs or three of the group are captured, in which case the final member will leave taking as much of the revolutionary money as possible.
How to capture the members
The bring this scenario to a successful ending the Pcs will have to capture the command unit. each member is well trained and they rarely meet. If captured it will be virtually imposible to get information out of them. They will also find that the Muster Guild will quickly intervene and petition for their release. An agent will arrive and quietly speak with the Pcs explaining that the person they are holding is a member of the League (they will be very hazy about which particular guild) and must be released to League authorities. He will assure the Pcs that there will be a trial for their crimes. This is partially true. The member will be taken away and released on another world. They will not return to the city or even the planet. Their reputation as an intelligence agent will be damaged and they will try to distance themselves from the event as much as possible.
Julius: Since he is the only visible member of the group he may be the first member the players go after. If they suspect that merchants are involved they will quickly hear about a foreign investor who has recently entered ther area and has promised to invest a great deal in the city. They may also hear about him if they ask questions about new people entering the area. If spoken to he will continue his guise as a league member who represents as small guild that are interested in foreign investment. He will name some far away place as their base and say that a ship with the money is on its way. Of course there is no money coming in but if his bluff is called and someone demands that he pay what he promises he will dip into the revolutiuonary coffers and make a small investment. This may be enough to throw them off the trail.
He is not an easy man to get an appointment with so the Pcs may have to pose as merchants to get his interest. He is a smart man though and will easily recognise the Pcs from his briefing notes unless they are disguised. He is a hard man to trap. He will try to escape rather than fight. He has two bodyguards who are fiercely loyal to him and will fight to the death. He is never without them.
Maya: Maya can be met at social functions by the Pcs or could be introduced by NPCs who have already fallen under her spell. She will quickly try and seduce any male members of the group and use them to get information about their activities. She will say that she is involved with a merchant and she thinks he is a revolutionary. To show them that she is on their side she may well give them some information about Delta or Beta cell allowing them to arrest some less important members of the group without endangering the endevour. She wis wiley and will use her psychic powers ruthlessly. If the Pcs seem on the brink of discovering her identity she will try to assassinate them or lure them into a trap. She may pull a bit of a Penelope Pitstop and fake her capture and ransom only to lure the Pcs into a trap. When they arrive at the location they will be attacked by armed members of Delta cell. She will play along throughout the whole ordeal and will thank the Pcs for their aid saying she was forced into drawing them into the trap by the revolutionaries. If this fails she will get close to the group and organise assassination attempts. She will always seem the helpful one. Be careful not to play her too craftily otherwise they will easily guess she is one of them. Play her as a bit airheaded and way too stupid to be a revolutionary.
Powell: Powell works closely with members of Delta group and so the Pcs may meet him on one of the raids against military installations. If the Pcs have a Gossip Network in the city they may hear from their sources that there is likely to be an attack at X place at Y hours. Otherwise they can use Inquiry+Wits or Streetwise+Wits to get the information. The Pcs can then set a trap for the revolutionaries. This is really the only way that Powell can be encountered. The actual terrorist attacks (which are different from the raids) with the mortar are harder to determine. A successful Military Tactics roll could allow the Pcs to guess the target of the next attack and prepare to it but only allow them to do this if they start to investigate new attacks. Powell is usually with members of Delta cell and there could be as many as a dozen people with him.
Thomas Lyons (The Beggar King): Lyons will never show his face. He will spend virtually the entire time at the printers controlling the operation. He has been in a lot worse places and this job is quite comfortable for him compared to where he has been before. He has many gadgets for security. Anyone entering the building will immediatly be registered and noted by Lyons. He has a small escape tunnel set into the sewers and a map leading him to the edge of town where a Runt shuttle is waitnig to take him away. The other members all arrived different ways and so are unaware of the vehicle. Lyons is a very clever man and will not act stupidly. He has the building set with explosives which he will activate as soon as he feels his position is comprimised.
Other events
All these events can be put in when the action is slow. They can be played out as quick asides or as mini adventures in themselves.
Attack on the church
The local church is attacked causing much damage. This was not organised by Lyons and was an independant attack by members of Delta cell. A church representative will arive and threaten to seize control of the province if the problem is not solved. A contingent of Brother Battle will arrive and begin to guard all church property.
Revolutionary speaker
When the Pcs are passing a revolutionary speaker is beign arrested. the crowd are outraged. The Pcs will have to step in to control the situation.
Personal Grafitti
A large characature of any Noble PC is displayed on the wall of a building. The PC is made to look foolish.
Loyalist attacks
A group of peasants loyal to the Pcs attack a group of revolutionary peasants. The Pcs may be present or may show up later. Either way they will have to decide whether they will punish the loyalists even though they are on their side. Either way they are endangering their reputation. Their decision shouold affect the CUR.
Revolution:
If the CUR rises to 13 the Pcs have obviously not pulled their finger out there will be a full blown revolution. This turns the tables on the Pcs. They will have to go underground. The city will change overnight. There will be riots and vandalism. The command cell will now reveal themselves and proclaim themselves the new government. The next day the arch enemy will turn up and install him/herself as the new leader of the people. A small force will begin military rule and the peasants will quickly begin to see what they have let themselves in for. They will realise they have been tricked but will be held back by the police state that follows the revolution. The city will be scoured by the troops who will take any object of worth in the name of the revolutionary people. This will be taken to the palace and stored ready to be taken away and sold off. Any previous military units will be disarmed and disbanded. The city will be taken apart. After a week or so the military units, the arch-enemy and the command unit will all leave, very rich people in deed. The Pcs have this long to stop the city from being ransacked. They may try to start a revolution of their own or they may try a different tactic.
This scenario can end in three ways. Either the PCs stop the revolution, in which case the city returns to normal within a few weeks, or the revolution occurs. If the revolution occurs it is a race against time to stop the arch-enemy from taking a great deal of the wealth of the town. If he/she is stopped then the wealth can be returned and the city will fully recover in a year or so. If not then the city will be bankrupted and it will take a great deal of time and effort to get it back to its former glory. The rebuilding of the town could be an adventure in itself with various parties asking for aid, the church asking for explanations and diplomatic trips to other provinces to ask for help. They must also be on their guard and make sure that no other parties become interested in gaining power quickly in a time of turmoil.