Table of Contents
Exohumans | NPC
KEN PETRIDIS
Race and Faction
- Species: ExoHuman
- Born: 2584, aboard the spaceship Last Frontier
- Affiliation: Chemist & LSD Magnate, Co‑Founder & Supplier, Kittens from Space (Beta Age), Outlaw Chem‑Lord & Black Market Entrepreneur (Gamma Age)
- Place of Residence: Firetown
Background
Ken Petridis began his academic journey aboard the Last Frontier, studying Chemistry at the esteemed Last Frontier University. However, his unorthodox zeal for experimentation led to disaster—he illicitly worked with explosive matter in the ship’s lab, triggering a massive explosion that got him expelled. Branded both brilliant and reckless, he turned his attention to illicit drug production after the crash landing on VOI 700 D.
Petridis often quipped, “Chemistry is the most exciting crime in mankind's history,” embracing the identity of a self‑styled “Crime‑strist.” He apprenticed under renegade chemists in Firetown’s industrial quarters to refine psychoactive compounds and, by 2625, dominated the Beta Age’s LSD trade with his ultra‑pure “Petridis Pink.” In January 2626, he partnered with Isaac Lubega to launch Kittens from Space, supplying exclusive chem-stims to the Pleasure Club’s elite clientele.
After the 2631 Communard reforms shuttered private bars under the Peace Treaty, Lubega was required to register for a GAIA-driven aptitude test at the Federal Allotment Agency in New Kourou. Instead of appearing for the test, he and Lubega chose exile: they fled Firetown and became Outlaws, building a clandestine black-market drug network across the surrounding frontier settlements. Their operation thrived through 2633, moving high-grade LSD and other chem-stims under the radar of the Federal Sheriff.
In July 2634, Petridis and Lubega died in a suspicious riding “accident,” just weeks after the Jane Mendoza Gang’s founding. Underworld whispers credit Jane Mendoza with orchestrating the hit to seize control of Firetown’s illicit drug network, cementing her ascendance in the nascent Gamma Age.
Roles by Ages
Beta Age
- Chemist & LSD Magnate (2623–2631): Synthesized and distributed high-grade LSD; brokered exclusive deals with clubs and mercenary outfits.
- Co‑Founder & Supplier, Kittens from Space (Jan 2626–Mar 2631): Provided proprietary chem-stims for club patrons; advised on discreet distribution.
Gamma Age
- Outlaw Chem‑Lord (Mar 2631–Jul 2634): Oversaw clandestine labs; managed smuggling routes; negotiated with frontier syndicates.
- Deceased (Jul 2634): His untimely death under mysterious circumstances cemented his legend — and the power struggles that followed.
Personality
- Traits: Visionary, opportunistic, hedonistic
- Behavior: Charming and persuasive in social settings; meticulous and secretive in his labs.
- Values: Chemical innovation, personal freedom, loyalty to profitable alliances.
Physical Attributes
- Height: 1.82 m
- Weight: 78 kg
- Appearance: Angular features, tousled sandy hair with faint pink streaks (a nod to his signature LSD), wire-rim spectacles, stained lab coat under a tailored jacket.
Combat Statistics
- Armor Class (AC): 12 (light protective vest)
- Hit Points (HP): 28
Actions
- Stim Injection (Melee): On successful melee attack, injects target with potent stimulant; target gains +2 to Dexterity checks but suffers –1 to Wisdom checks for 1 minute.
Special Abilities
- Chemical Mastery: Can brew improvised stimulants or toxins on the fly (DC 10 Intelligence check) and administer as actions in combat.
Motivations and Goals
Beta Age Motivations
Petridis sought to push pharmacological boundaries, establishing his compounds as indispensable luxuries for the Free State’s elite thrill-seekers.
Gamma Age Motivations
He aimed to control the frontier’s chem-market, forging alliances with outlaw syndicates—an ambition that made him a prime target in Firetown’s underworld wars.
Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters
Ken Petridis can serve as:
- Resourceful Patron or Foe: A unique source for exotic chem-stims; may hire or double-cross PCs seeking performance-enhancing compounds.
- Laboratory Encounter: His hidden labs offer dynamic combat arenas with volatile chemicals and improvised traps.
- Mystery Thread: PCs investigating Firetown’s drug wars can trace supply chains back to Petridis’s designs and labs, uncovering Mendoza’s conspiracy.