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Table of Contents
102 Pen and Paper Adventure | Beta Age | Hunting an Unknown Hunter
SCENE 4d — MEDICAL STATION OF MORNINGSTAR
1 | Scene Overview
- Location: Medical Station of Morningstar and Pharmacy of Morningstar, Public Services Ring, Morningstar
- Type: Healing · Risk Management
- Era: Beta Age
- Tone: Cold · sterile · bureaucratic · indifferent to suffering
Atmosphere & Sensory Cues: The smell of chemical scrubbers and ozone · the quiet hum of bioscanners · the metallic click of Medical Bots calibrating tools · the complete absence of human warmth
2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions
Initial Read-Aloud (Scene Opening)
The Medical Station sits like a metal block dropped into the mud of Morningstar.
Built from three repurposed starship cargo containers, its edges are reinforced with heavy welded timber.
A low, constant vibration hums through the metal walls. Every few minutes, an exhaust pipe exhales the faint, unmistakable scent of chemical scrubbers and sterile air into the damp street.
The building promises healing, but its armored exterior makes no promises of comfort. It looks less like a sanctuary and more like a vault — a place built to keep the wilderness out, and its high-tech secrets safely locked within.
—
Staged Read-Alouds (Progressive Descriptions)
| Trigger / Timing | Read-Aloud / Narrative Insert |
| PCs choose to enter the Medical Station | You push past a weathered white fabric curtain — its faded red cross heavy with dampness — and the contrast to the muddy timber town is absolute. The floor is seamless alloy. The air smells of ozone and harsh chemical scrubbers. Behind a reinforced glass partition, a Butler Bot processes a bleeding lumberjack whose arm is wrapped in blood-soaked rags. The bot’s voice is pleasant, synthesized, and utterly devoid of empathy. “Biometric scan complete. Account verified. Please proceed to Trauma Bay Two for laceration repair. Cost: 60 Kourou.” The lumberjack stumbles through the inner sliding door. The Butler Bot turns its optical sensors toward you. “Welcome to the Medical Station of Morningstar. Please step forward for biometric identification and triage.” |
3 | Scene Intent
| Scene Type | Player Intents | DM Function / Story Link |
| Recovery & Risk | Heal wounds · remove conditions (like Crippled from the Honga) · gather data | Forces a choice on Wanted PCs: risk arrest for healing, or suffer penalties. Provides access to digital medical logs that reveal J.W.'s men frequently require trauma care and heavy painkillers, hinting at the violent, heavily guarded nature of his estate. |
4 | Key (N)PCs + Dynamic Cues
| Name | Role / Affiliation | Motivation / Function | Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play | Wiki Link |
| Butler Bot (Reception) | Intake AI | Log IDs · process payments | Cannot be intimidated or bribed. Rejects aliases unless digitally forged. If a Wanted ID is scanned, it silently alerts the Guarding Troopers while locking the front door. | Butler Bots |
| Butler Bot (Pharmacy) | Dispensing AI | Validate prescriptions | Strictly enforces the requirement of a digital prescription from Dr. Thorne. Dispenses medication through the steel bars. | Pharmacy of Morningstar |
| Dr. Aris Thorne | Chief Physician (Human) | Oversee complex cases | Exhausted, clinical, and isolated. He sits in an upstairs office authorizing advanced therapies and managing the bots. He does not interact with patients directly. | Medical Station of Morningstar |
| Medical Bots | Surgical / Triage | Perform treatments | Silent, precise. They apply treatments based on the tier purchased at reception. | Medical Bots |
| Guarding Trooper Patrol (Pair) | Local Law Enforcement | Enforce warrants · secure the station | Arrive 3 minutes after a Wanted scan. They approach tactically, covering the main entrance and windows. Escalation is procedural, not emotional—they demand surrender and use stun-batons or sidearms only if the PCs resist or attempt to flee. | Local Guarding Troopers Station of Morningstar |
5 | Triggers, Clues & Consequences
Phase 1 — The Biometric Check (The Gatekeeper)
| Trigger / Cue (Player Action) | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| 🆔 PCs are NOT Wanted and submit to the scan | The Butler Bot pings green. “Identity confirmed. State your medical need.” | PCs gain access to the treatment menu. |
| 🚨 PCs are WANTED and submit to the scan | The scanner flashes blue. The bot says, “Identity confirmed. Please wait for a triage assessment.” A heavy magnetic lock engages on the front door with a loud clack. | The Trap: The bot has silently notified the Guarding Troopers. PCs have roughly 3 minutes (or 3 combat rounds) to hack the door, break a window, or find a back exit before a patrol arrives to arrest them. |
| 💻 PCs attempt to hack the scanner or spoof an ID | The bot waits patiently while the PC interfaces with the terminal. | Requires an INT (Tech/Hacking) probe (DC 15). Success: The system accepts a fake alias. Failure: The system locks out, denying treatment. Critical Failure: The system flags a security breach and calls the Guarding Troopers. |
| 🗣️ PCs demand to speak to a human doctor | The Butler Bot refuses the request. “The Chief Physician is currently managing automated surgical protocols. All intake is processed here.” | Thorne will not come down. The PCs must deal with the bot. |
—
Phase 2 — Treatment & Prescriptions
*(Assuming PCs pass or bypass the intake scan)*
| Trigger / Cue (Player Action) | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| 🩹 PCs purchase basic healing or trauma care | A Medical Bot directs them to a bay and administers nano-gel and surgical staples in total silence. | Apply healing effects and prices as per the Medical Station Table. |
| 🩼 A PC seeks treatment for a condition (e.g., “Crippled”) | A Medical Bot scans the injury. An authorization ping is sent upstairs. Dr. Thorne's voice comes over the intercom. “Bone fracture. Authorized for reset. A prescription for NeuroCalm has been forwarded to the Pharmacy.” | The PC is cured of the condition (Cost: 60 Kourou). They must go outside to the Pharmacy window to purchase the prescribed painkiller. |
—
Phase 3 — The Pharmacy Transaction (Outside)
| Trigger / Cue (Player Action) | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| 💊 PCs approach the window to fill a prescription | The Pharmacy Butler Bot scans their faces to match the prescription forwarded by the Medical Station. “Prescription verified. Please pay 12 Kourou.” | Upon payment, the bot slides the medication (e.g., NeuroCalm Nano-Vial) through the steel bars. |
| ❌ PCs attempt to buy medicine without a prescription | The Pharmacy Butler Bot declines. “Request denied. All pharmaceuticals require a authorization from the Medical Station.” | The bot will not dispense anything, regardless of how much Kourou is offered. |
| 🗣️ PCs ask the bot about other customers, J.W., or bulk purchases | The bot ignores the inquiry. “This facility dispenses medication to authorized patients only. Please state a valid transaction or clear the window.” | The Pharmacy holds no clues. It is a closed system. |
6 | DM Notes
- The Station is a Trap for the Careless: Do not warn Wanted PCs about the scanner. If they walk up and put their thumb on the glass, lock the doors. Morningstar's systems are designed to catch outlaws.
- Healing is transactional, not magical: The bots do not care about the PCs. They care about Kourou.
DM Tutorial: How to approach the scene
Related Pages and Further Information
- ↑↑ Start: Hunting An Unknown Hunter
- ★ Overview: All Scenes of Hunting An Unknown Hunter
- ☞ Resolution: Case Resolution and discoverable Backstory
- ← Previous Scene: Scene 4 - Arrival in Morningstar
- → Next Scene: Please use the Morningstar Hub Overview to continue …
Morningstar Hub Overview (Playable Locations & Opportunities)
| Location | Type / Activity | Primary Opportunities | Tone / Difficulty | Leads To Scene |
| Django’s Diner | Food · Rumors · Low-cost stability | Eat cheaply · overhear timber and trade talk · ask the serving Butler Bot Roxy about the receipt found on the Hand and his henchmen | Warm · Cramped · Watchful | → Scene 4a |
| Saw’s End | Lodging · Social Risk · Rumor Hub | Secure the only accommodation in Morningstar · gather guarded rumors about “J.W.” and his operations · risk visibility through drinking or playing Twenty One · encounter Sagan Belmont in forced proximity | Loud · Smoky · Volatile | → Scene 4b |
| Morningstar Food Market | Supplies · Barter | Replace basics · buy trail food · observe who watches newcomers and who avoids them | Practical · Neutral | → Scene 4c |
| Medical Station of Morningstar | Healing · Recovery | Treat injuries · stabilize conditions · receive prescriptions for medication or painkillers (to be filled at the Pharmacy of Morningstar) | Clean · Functional · Moderate cost | → Scene 4d |
| Hale & Hook Outfitters | Investigation · Trade | Ask shop owner Garrick Hale about hunting gear, fur trade practices, and Hale & Hook–branded notes or items found on the Hand and his henchmen · gear up | Polite · Guarded · Transactional | → Scene 4e |
| Local Guarding Troopers Station of Morningstar | Risk · Records · Pressure | Ask procedural questions · report incidents · risk scrutiny or arrest if wanted | Bureaucratic · Dangerous (if wanted) | → Scene 4f |
- Note: Morningstar contains many additional locations beyond the hubs listed above (see the full Morningstar wiki page). Player characters may freely visit any of these sites. As they are not directly tied to the core investigation, interactions there should be improvised using the respective location articles — focusing on atmosphere, local routines, and consequences rather than new plot-critical clues.
