Located on Equus (Spinward Marches 2417)

Description: The Storm-rider Clan is a nomadic flotilla of reinforced barges and sleek hydrofoils, roaming Equus’s tempestuous seas to harvest migratory shoals and salvage storm-tossed wrecks. Their flagship, the Windkraken, is a fortified barge with a bustling deck-market where clans folk trade fish, salvaged tech, and woven seagrass goods. The air crackles with ozone and the roar of waves, while a communal “Galepit” tent serves briny stew and hosts storytelling contests. A weathered navigator, the clan’s matriarch, rules with an iron harpoon, welcoming traders but demanding tribute in goods or service. The Storm-riders are fiercely independent, viewing both off-worlders and rival clans with suspicion.

Encounter Motivations:

• Salvage Heist: A rival clan hires the players to steal a valuable wreck’s cargo from the Storm-riders’ latest haul, requiring stealth or a daring raid on the Windkraken. If caught, they face the matriarch’s wrath or a trial by storm (surviving a tethered swim in rough seas). Twist: The cargo might be a bio-weapon, accidentally salvaged and dangerous to all.
• Clan Alliance: A Rhylanor trade consortium tasks the players with securing an exclusive deal with the Storm-riders for their fish exports. The matriarch demands the players prove loyalty by sinking a rival clan’s hydrofoil. Twist: The rival clan might offer a better deal, tempting the players to double-cross their employer.
• Stowaway Escape: A fugitive noble, fleeing Imperial justice, begs the players to hide them aboard the Windkraken and smuggle them off-world. The Stormriders’ sharp-eyed sentries and the matriarch’s disdain for off-world politics make this a deadly gamble. Twist: The noble’s pursuers might offer a massive bounty, testing the players’ loyalty.

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