The Derelict Collectors of Sector 7
Some Ships Should Stay Forgotten in the Graveyard
Sector 7 is a dense graveyard of ships trapped in the asteroid belt, a dumping ground for century-old freighters, military wrecks, and corporate research hulks. The Derelict Collectors are specialized scavengers who board unpowered, ghost-like vessels to extract vintage artifacts and black-box logs. But in the silence of deep space, some ghost ships aren't entirely dead. Anomalous radiation, rogue defense AIs, and parasitic alien organisms lurk inside the frozen corridors of Sector 7.
“Rule 1 of Sector 7: If a ship has been dead for fifty years and the emergency lights suddenly turn on when you walk past the airlock… get back to the shuttle immediately.”
- Captain Orson, Salvage Skiff Grave-Dancer
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1. Setting Overview and Tone
Sector 7 sits in the shadowed region of the main asteroid belt, far from commercial shipping lanes. Hundreds of derelict hulls from ancient wars and failed colonial expeditions drift in perpetual silence, tumbling through dark rock fields.
Tone: Moody, eerie, atmospheric space horror. Emphasizes dark corridors, flickering flashlights, resource management, and the unknown secrets of abandoned vessels.
Sensory Pillars:
- Sight: Narrow beams of suit flashlights cutting through floating ice crystals and zero-G dust inside pitch-black ship hallways. Massive asteroid silhouettes blocking out distant stars.
- Sound: The rhythmic sound of your own breathing inside an EVA helmet. Heavy boots clanking against frozen metal decks. Distant, unexplained thumps echoing through the hull structure.
- Touch and Smell: Bitterness of stale suit oxygen. The freezing chill creeping through suit insulation when touching unpowered bulkheads.
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2. The Graveyard
The Iron Tomb: A massive military cruiser broken in half, drifting near the belt’s center.
The Hauler Prometheus: An automated freighter whose cargo holds have remained locked for eighty years.
Sector 7 Outpost: A tiny, improvised refueling station built inside a hollowed-out asteroid.
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3. Factions
The Collectors: Independent salvage teams operating out of Asteroid Outpost 7.
The Iron Remnant: A cult of cybernetic scavengers who modify their bodies using parts harvested from ancient military androids.
Corporate Reclamation Teams: High-tech mercenaries sent by Earth megacorps to recover specific classified black boxes before Collectors find them.
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4. Unique Mechanic: Sensory Isolation
Track Sensory Isolation from 0 to 6.
Isolation Triggers:
- Comms blackout inside heavy lead-shielded hulls: +1 Isolation
- Helmet flashlight failure or power loss: +2 Isolation
- Separated from the boarding team: +1 Isolation
Isolation Levels:
- 0-1: Clear spatial orientation. Normal operational status.
- 2-3: Mild paranoia, hearing phantom suit warnings, minor skill check penalty.
- 4-5: Severe disorientation, visual hallucinations (seeing movement in shadows), major check penalties.
- 6: Sensory Panic. Immediate panic check required.
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5. Character Archetypes
The Boarding Lead
You enter dark airlocks first with a shotgun and a plasma torch.
- Drive: “Lead the team into the wreck and clear the path to the bridge.”
- Approach Distribution: Force 3 | Finesse 1 | Mind 1 | Presence 2
The Black-Box Tech
You hack ancient control consoles and extract encrypted flight logs.
- Drive: “Extract the ship’s data core before the reactor goes critical.”
- Approach Distribution: Force 1 | Finesse 2 | Mind 3 | Presence 1
The Salvage Recon
You scout zero-G corridors and secure tethers between the skiff and the wreck.
- Drive: “Find the highest value cargo modules and secure our exit route.”
- Approach Distribution: Force 1 | Finesse 3 | Mind 2 | Presence 1
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6. Starter Scenario: The Signal from Sovereign
A 100-year-old battleship, the Sovereign, suddenly broadcasts a distress signal on an obsolete military frequency. The Collectors dock their skiff to the airlock, finding the ship perfectly preserved in vacuum, with no signs of the original 400-person crew.
As the team reaches the bridge, the main engines auto-ignite, locking the doors and turning the weapon systems toward the approaching Corporate Reclamation vessel. The players must find out what happened to the crew and override the ship’s computer before the battle begins.