GRR5524e

THE GUIDE TO

A COSMIC
COMMUNITY FOR

THIRD EDITION
 A PEOPLE ADRIFT...
A LOST CITY UNTAMED...
STARHAVEN NEEDS YOU!
The Guide to Starhaven is a setting sourcebook and
adventure dedicated to the lost city of Starhaven and
the desperate effort to forge a new civilization from
the war-torn remains of cosmic collapse, expanding
the Cosmic Handbook for the Mutants & Masterminds
Superhero Roleplaying Game. This book takes your
Mutants & Masterminds game to an alien crossroads
rife with danger and intrigue!
The Guide to Starhaven includes:
• A gazetteer, maps, and characters fleshing out the
city of Starhaven, an ancient alien ruin on the icy
moon of Europa.
• Information on the city's alien inhabitants,
including templates for alien cultures and
statblocks for dangerous monsters.
• Extensive information on the threats looming
in Starhaven, from the preternatural Brine and
the Children of Chrysalis cult, to the distant
machinations of Star Khan.
• Three new alien supervillains: the fanatical
Pupil, the scheming Veil, and Mama Kaiger, the
duplicating smuggler queen.
• The Siege of Starhaven! A complete adventure
ready for your Mutants & Masteminds heroes.
Take your Mutants & Masterminds heroes into the
stars, to a city of alien dangers and ancient mysteries
in the Guide to Starhaven!

Find a Haven in the Stars!

GRR5524e
Produced and Published by Green Ronin Publishing, LLC
3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100, #311 Seattle, WA 98118
www.mutantsandmasterminds.com • www.greenronin.com
The Guide to Starhaven is © 2022 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. Mutants & Masterminds, Super-Powered by M&M
and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
 THE GUIDE TO

Writing and Design: Crystal Frasier, Steve Kenson, and Alexander Thomas
Development: Crystal Frasier Editing: Samantha Chapman, Carol Darnell
Art Direction: Hal Mangold Graphic Design: Crystal Frasier
Cover Art: Alberto Foche, Denis Medri, Conceptopolis Cartography: John Wilson
Interior Art: Tazio Bettin & Enrica Erin Angiolini, Storn Cook, Alberto Foche,
Sean Izaakse, Denis Medri. Domenico Nezitti, Ramon Perez
Publisher: Chris Pramas

Team Ronin: Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Kara Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke,
Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Malcolm Sheppard, Owen K.C. Stephens,
Dylan Templar, and Alexander Thomas

The Guide to Starhaven is © 2022 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
References to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders
of that material. Mutants & Masterminds, Super-Powered by M&M, Green Ronin, Starhaven, and their associated logos
are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC.

The following is designated as Product Identity, in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License, Version
1.0a: Hero Points, power points. All character and their associated images, descriptions, backgrounds,
and related information are declared Product Identity.

The following text is Open Gaming Content: all game system rules and material not previously declared Product Identity.
Printed in the USA

Green Ronin Publishing

3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #311
Seattle, WA 98118
Email: custserv@greenronin.com
Web Sites: www.greenronin.com
www.mutantsandmasterminds.com
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
INTRODUCTION:
THE CITY THAT SHOULDN'T BE.....3
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING
IN STARHAVEN.......................... 4
Dark Side of a Moon.........................4
A Unique Culture...............................5
WHO IS STARHAVEN?................. 6
The Lor...................................................6
Cendarans*........................................6
Ealas....................................................6
Llainans*............................................6
Mentats...............................................6
The Diamorphs...................................6
Cholaxan............................................7
Haasaan.............................................7
Jereid...................................................7
Shoon..................................................7
Sk'ree....................................................7
The Aquatics........................................7
Hexxim................................................7
Pisceans..............................................7
GOVERNMENT ............................ 8
The Senate............................................8
Prime Consul Tamira-Van...............8
Senator Gig-Malachis......................8
Senator Trunt Chug Chin’nal.........8
Senator Ichus-Velapeer...................8
The Councils........................................8
Chairwoman Falling Sands...........9
Chairwoman Nox Temmuen.........9
Other Political Powers......................9
Earth....................................................9
Imperium Loyalists...........................9
The Trade Alliance............................9
The Universal Faithists....................9
SOCIAL GROUPS ....................... 10
Aedes of Primarch, Reformed..... 10
Blue Dot........................................... 10
The Department of Outworld
Recovery and Internment......... 10
Gravball League............................. 10
The Engineers Guild...................... 10
Europan Ecology Enclave............ 10
Flappers........................................... 11
Founder Cults................................. 11
Iapyx Academy............................... 11
Kickshaw Cabal.............................. 11
Neighborhood Clubs.................... 11
Thrill Gangs..................................... 11
2 The Guide to Starhaven
Table of Contents
CITY OVERVIEW........................ 12
Utilities............................................. 12
Emergency Services...................... 12
The Lar................................................ 13
Pinnacle Island............................... 13
The Promenade............................... 14
The Draffsnarl................................. 14
Europa Light and Sewer.............. 14
Marxla’sh Market........................... 14
Pegasus Starport........................... 14
Central District................................. 15
Daedalus Center............................ 15
Iapyx Academy............................... 15
Preserver Hall.................................. 15
Quasar Technologies.................... 15
The Wings ......................................... 16
Darkwell........................................... 16
Decentralized Park........................ 16
New Haasaana.............................. 16
The Propylaea................................. 16
The Robot Forge............................. 16
Greenwalls......................................... 17
The Cryosphere.............................. 17
Dome 338........................................ 17
Drekport.......................................... 17
Library Prime.................................. 17
The Mirror Zone............................. 17
The Fastness...................................... 18
Hortus Maximus............................ 18
Impact Lake.................................... 18
Phobetor ......................................... 18
The Singularity Ring..................... 18
Other City Features ....................... 19
Blue Firs............................................ 19
Merriment Hills............................... 19
Micro-Lor......................................... 19
Seahaven......................................... 19
Zeta................................................... 19
LIFE ON EUROPA....................... 20
Entertainment................................ 20
Food.................................................. 20
Law.................................................... 20
Money............................................... 21
Technology...................................... 21
Starhaven Complications............. 21
HEROES OF STARHAVEN.......... 22
Campaign Concepts...................... 22
Powers................................................. 23
Immunity......................................... 23
Senses............................................... 23
Skills..................................................... 23
Expertise.......................................... 23
Technology...................................... 23
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER
SECRETS OF STARHAVEN.......... 24
STARHAVEN ADVENTURES...... 25
Change is the Only Constant...... 25
The Children Are Our Future...... 25
Exploring the City........................... 25
The Null Set....................................... 25
Peacekeeping................................... 26
Relations with Earth....................... 26
The Stellar Imperium..................... 26
Stepping Stone to the Stars........ 26
Transformation Central................. 27
Vote Starhaven!............................... 27
What Lurks Below........................... 27
STARHAVEN VILLAINS ............. 28
THE SECRET HISTORY OF
STARHAVEN ............................ 30
The Preservers................................. 30
The Magna Matrix......................... 30
The Bryne......................................... 31
Daedalus’s Odyssey....................... 32
The Coming of Collapsar............. 32
The Settlement of Starhaven...... 32
Operation Exodus.......................... 32
Seahaven......................................... 33
Structure and Environment........ 34
Layout and Topography.............. 34
THE GREEN ZONE ..................... 34
Flora and Fauna............................ 35
Science is Fun—To a Point.......... 36
Surface Conditions......................... 36
Atmosphere.................................... 36
Extreme Cold.................................. 36
Gravity.............................................. 36
Radiation......................................... 36
Chaotic Terrain................................. 36
Cryogeysers..................................... 36
BEYOND STARHAVEN............... 36
Crevasses......................................... 37
Ice...................................................... 37
Quakes............................................. 37
Snow................................................. 37
Ocean Conditions........................... 37
EUROPAN LOCALES.................. 38
The Greenhouse.............................. 38
The Nyxian Ocean........................... 38
Metis.................................................... 38
The Monster Factory...................... 39
Tannrek Crash Site.......................... 39
The Toolshed.................................... 39
THE FACETWILD........................ 40
Conditions......................................... 40
Ammonia Lakes............................. 40
Arc Storms....................................... 40
Hydrogen Pockets.......................... 40
Interference Field........................... 40
Movement and Climbing............. 40
Flora & Fauna.................................... 41
Crystal Growths............................. 41
Glassoforms.................................... 41
STARHAVEN FACTIONS............ 42
The Bryne........................................... 42
The Children of Chrysalis............. 43
Imperium Loyalists......................... 44
Majestic-20........................................ 45
The Republic Alliance.................... 46
The Smugglers Syndicate............ 47
STARHAVEN CREATURES......... 48
The Bryne........................................... 48
Nanomorph....................................... 48
Norquil................................................ 49
Pirouette............................................. 49
Shardspinners.................................. 49
MAMA KAIGER.......................... 50
PUPIL.......................................... 52
VEIL ............................................ 54
CHAPTER 3:
SIEGE OF STARHAVEN...............56
SECRET ORIGINS....................... 56
IN THIS EXCITING ISSUE........... 57
INVOLVING THE HEROES......... 57
Scene 1: Preserving the Peace... 57
Scene 2: Mama Knows Best........ 60
Scene 3: Trouble in the City........ 62
Scene 4: Forging Ahead............... 63
Scene 5: Fait Accompli.................. 65
Scene 6: Faceted Flight................. 68
Scene 7:
Bloodravager Beatdown........... 71
EPILOGUE................................... 74
Ko-Nan Bloodravager................... 75
Bloodravagers................................ 75
CAST........................................... 75
LICENSE.....................................76

Introduction
The City that Shouldn't Be
The Guide to Starhaven is a book that shouldn’t exist.
Seriously.
There were no plans to follow up the material in the Cosmic Hand-
book. Heck, the Cosmic Handbook was released in 2015. But once we
started the Mutants & Masterminds Patreon and began our weekly
Mutants & Masterminds Monday vlogs (or MuMaMo to our regu-
lars), we discovered a ton of passion in our fans for Earth-Prime’s
spaceways. Fans loved aliens, and loved the idea of an alien colony
in the Sol system, adjacent to all the villains and heroes of Earth.
We talked about the Cosmic Handbook, but that wasn’t enough. We
talked about Starhaven specifically, but that wasn’t enough. Alex
Thomas ran a live version of The Siege of Starhaven and even that
wasn’t enough!
So we decided to have the “Summer of Starhaven,” dedicating the
entire summer of 2021 to Starhaven coverage and getting patrons
involved by voting on things like the city’s government. We democ-
ratized the development of a whole Mutants & Masterminds supple-
ment and it was awesome! You loved the detailed content as we
zoomed in on one corner of the world. Eventually Steve Kenson,
Alex Thomas, and I took all your feedback and our short Patreon
articles and expanded everything out to this respectable tome.
The Guide to Starhaven
INTRODUCTION
So welcome to Starhaven! A city on the edge of infinity.
Starhaven is removed enough from Earth that it can’t rely on human
superheroes to handle its crises, but isolated from the galactic com-
munity enough that adventures still feel personal and local. It’s a
city of high weirdness and human drama, struggling to survive in
forgotten ruins. An impossible city on the edge of infinity
USING THIS BOOK
The Guide to Starhaven is divided into three chapters.
Chapter 1: Now Arriving in Starhaven details the city of Starhav-
en from a resident’s point of view, talking about the layout, the dis-
tricts, the government, and the culture of Starhaven. This chapter is
player-friendly.
Chapter 2: The Sinister Secrets of Starhaven delves into the city’s
history and threats, detailing many plot points and conspiracies
Gamemasters can mine for their campaigns, but some of the infor-
mation may spoil the city’s mysteries for players.
Chapter 3: Siege of Starhaven is a complete adventure. It can be
the very beginning of your heroes’ careers, or a point where the
city’s troubles escalate onto a cosmic scale.
3
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
Chapter 1
Now Arriving in Starhaven
F
rom disparate homes they arrived—fleeing war, poverty, abuse,
and derision—all yearning for freedom; the people of Starhaven
echo the parables of many Earth nations and have run across
equally complex and difficult realities. The city began as a refugee
colony on Star Island—a small spit of land off the coast of Earth’s
Freedom City—made up of aliens fleeing the collapse of the Lor Re-
public, the predations of Collapsar the Devourer, and the unstoppa-
ble expansion of the Stellar Khanate. Like most refugees, the majority
arrived with no possessions and little understanding of the local lan-
guage or customs. Their experiences at the hands of overwhelmed
bureaucracy and American xenophobia cast the myriad aliens to-
gether as one community, defined by hardship and a will to survive.
For the past year, the residents of Star Island have slowly migrated
from Earth to the Jovian moon Europa, where an ancient Preserver
ruin still stands with surviving infrastructure: Starhaven. But this
new home is far from a paradise. The ruin is ancient, its technology
heavily abused by the passage of time and countless looters. While
removed from Earth, the colony still relies heavily on the distant
world for food, tools, manufactured goods, and technical assistance.
While the colony recently elected to form a new Republic to govern
themselves democratically, a joint task force of AEGIS and UNISON
still provide security and assist with the bureaucratic difficulties of
4 The Guide to Starhaven
founding a new city. The tireless work by immigrants, supported by
maintenance robots and human technicians, has restored almost
20% of the grand city to a functional state, but the rest of the instal-
lation remains off-limits—an alien wilderness of towers and tunnels
overgrown with indecipherable technology and the remains of
ancient biotech experiments. Work is difficult—often demanding
backbreaking labor or dangerous forays into the untamed corners
of the city or Europa beyond. Crime—particularly smuggling, black-
mail, robbery, and bribery—is becoming more common. To top it
all off, most of the city is one technological accident away from a
painful death thanks to the moon’s inhospitable climate.
DARK SIDE OF A MOON
Europa itself is a hostile frontier. The icy moon orbits Jupiter some
390 million miles from Earth and despite its oxygen-rich atmosphere
is instantly lethal to humans thanks to its extreme cold and high
radiation levels. Strange Preserver creations call the dark corners
of the city home—particularly the subterranean tunnels that carry
utilities and connect the domes and spires across the mysterious
“Green Zone.” Rumors suggest that arctic predators stalk the icy
slopes and canyons beyond this safe pocket ecosystem, although

vanished explorers and technicians are just as likely the victims of
icy crevasses or the moon’s frequent quakes. Boreholes within the
city stretch down to a saline ocean below the icy surface that hosts
a strange ecosystem of blind fish and massive “ice whales.” Aquatic
aliens are currently populating the Preserver station anchored
below the city—nicknamed Seahaven—but encounter more chal-
lenges from hostile wildlife and unexplained disappearances that
has inspired rumors that Seahaven is haunted by angry Preservers
or the humans they once experimented upon.
A UNIQUE CULTURE
Like any melting pot, Starhaven is equal parts community bonding
running up against old rivalries and new misunderstandings. Many
non-Lor residents blame the Lor population for letting the Republic
implode, while the Lor resent Hexxim, Sk’ree, Haasaan, and other
non-humanoid refugees for ruining their chances at peaceful, quiet
integration into Earth society—however primitive it may seem to
them. Some refugees arrived with considerably more resources—
ships loaded with technology, luxury goods, or raw materials from
their escaped worlds that they have parlayed into wealth and
social influence. Some, like the Llainan politician D’Arjax, have tried
to parlay their good fortune into philanthropy that benefits the
community, while others position themselves as gods and emper-
ors in their tiny new world. Complicating matters are the human
authorities who administered Star Island and continue to control
most of the power on Starhaven. The American metahuman secu-
rities group AEGIS, along with the United Nations’ UNISON, keep
the peace largely by enforcing strict regulations. Protests recently
ended the city’s mandatory curfew, but not without flaring tensions
on both sides—the alien refugees resent Earth authority limiting
their growth and persecuting them over cultural differences, while
the AEGIS and UNISON personnel on Starhaven feel outnumbered
and trapped millions of miles from their families or any backup.
This tension translates to a harsh “us vs them” mentality between
humans and aliens in the city, with even human technicians and
relief workers seen as untrustworthy or dangerous. Despite its os-
tensible status as an independent colony—a hard-won designation
maintained largely by pressure from the Freedom League—Star-
haven remains too potentially valuable to Earth governments and
corporations to allow total independence without a fight, and so
the AEGIS and UNISON presence persists. For now, the Lor leader-
ship struggles to keep the peace between all sides, but it’s clear to
everyone that conflicts are growing more heated and frequent.
Despite the hardship, Starhaven offers something life on neither
Earth nor under the Stellar Khanate did: a chance at self-determina-
tion. The newly-formed New Lor Republic officially considers Star-
haven its capitol. Prime Consul Tamira-Van ran in part on a platform
claiming Earth as a lost Lor colony over which the remnants of the
Lor Republic should have authority. Starhaven lacks any military
or political power to enact this agenda, but it has stirred many to
believe they can rebuild the old republic starting with the nearby
planet. While the New Republic has no official plans to expand off-
world, few senators will openly condemn the ultra-nationalist “First
Colony” movement that calls for the annexation of Earth to restore
its natives to a “proper Lor lifestyle.”
The abandoned city means plenty of space—some of it downright
luxurious to people who spent the previous several years living
in tents and shanties on a wind-blasted island. There is room for
schools, community centers, medical facilities, and industry, all
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
Useful Resources
The Guide to Starhaven is a self-contained setting for Mutants
& Masterminds and provides a dynamic city for your heroes to
defend and explore, but it is far from the only resource detail-
ing Earth-Prime or the wider universe.
Sitting in between Earth and the wider Galaxy, Starhaven makes
a perfect launching point for a campaign that visits either loca-
tion. Heroes might protect the city, but they may just as often
return to Earth to track fugitives or recover stolen technology or
travel into deep space to investigate Preserver mysteries, under-
mine the Stellar Imperium, or win allies and support. The Super-
team Handbook contains two alien-themed hero teams—the
teenage Upstarts and the mecha-piloting Magna-Force—which
include new alien statistics, extraterrestrial enemies, and other-
worldly adversaries. Supplements like the Atlas of Earth Prime
and the Cosmic Handbook will prove invaluable for a Starhaven
campaign, while Emerald City provides useful insight to other
Preserver technologies and the superpowers they can instill,
and Freedom City, Threat Report, and Rogues Gallery provide vil-
lains who can threaten the peace as-is, or serve as useful stat-
blocks to represent your own local villains.
waiting to be developed. Exploration of the city’s systems is training
a new generation of experts not only in the diverse alien technolo-
gies brought by the refugees, but with Preserver tech as well. Entre-
preneurs are turning the city’s fortunes around by learning to mine
the resources of Europa—exotic mineral salts, hydrocarbons, and
tholins—to trade with Earth. The moon also offers easier access to
interstellar space than Earth, promising many residents a chance to
establish trade, reunite with family, or eventually even return home.
The city is quickly becoming a symbol of hope and prosperity to
come despite the inner turmoil. For many this new opportunity
inspires their best nature— anyone with grit and a good idea can
carve out a life for themselves—but it also attracts predators. Those
wealth-hoarding elites among the Star Island refugees consider the
city’s opportunities theirs alone to exploit and hope to keep their
fellow refugees subservient and desperate. Other villains—both
from Earth and the larger galaxy, see Starhaven’s good fortunes and
scattered law enforcement as a perfect treasure chest to exploit.
Earth organizations like the Foundry (Freedom City, page 238), Ma-
jestic-20 (Emerald City, page 198), and the Litmus Group (Superteam
Handbook, page 98) covet the installation’s technological secrets.
And perhaps most dangerous of all, word of Starhaven has spread
to the Star-Khan, the expansionist warmonger whose conquests
displaced untold millions of souls only a few years ago. The Star-
Khan and his Stellar Imperium see Starhaven as a precious forward
position from which he can stage a full-scale invasion of Earth!
Starhaven is a city on the edge of space that promises both wealth
and horrible, agonizing death. It’s a city whose weary citizens need
heroes to help reclaim the city, pacify monsters, and bring villains to
justice, and whose diverse population is perfect to take up the role.
Whether those heroes hail from Earth—an independent, Freedom-
League-backed effort or a powered AEGIS team intended to keep the
peace—or emerge organically from the moon’s displaced popula-
tion, they will face an uphill battle to tame this stellar frontier, inspire
hope in the citizens, and bring the worst abusers of this desperate
population to justice. Only courage, ingenuity, and selflessness can
transform this ancient ruin into a true haven among the stars.
5
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
WHO IS STARHAVEN?
Over one-hundred alien species make up Starhaven’s diverse popu-
lation, with each divided into a myriad of national, cultural, and re-
ligious subgroups. Most have adjusted well to their new lives as di-
aspora, learning to tolerate their neighbors’ differences even when
they can’t embrace them, but many old rivalries still lurk beneath
the surface. The survivors who make up this new city in the stars
are neither the best nor the worst of their kind—most are simply
average, with all the wonder and shortcomings that implies.
Most of the alien species discussed here are detailed and given
statistics in the Alien Archetypes & Templates appendix of the
Cosmic Handbook. The remaining species (marked with an
asterisk) are found in the Upstarts section of the Super-
team Handbook.
THE LOR
Starhaven has no one majority population, but the
largest minority by far are the Lor, the human-
like population of the now-conquered Re-
public. The Lor once ruled the most techno-
logically and socially advanced civilization in
the galaxy, having inherited many wondrous
technologies and insights from the Preserv-
ers left behind on their homeworld of Magna
Lor. Most still see themselves as the natural
leaders of the galaxy simply experiencing a
temporary and embarrassing stumble; at best
this pushes them to band together and help es-
tablish necessary services, inspire their commu-
nities, and preserve whatever art, music, and
other cultural touchstones they can recall, but
at worst it can inspire imperious entitlement
and a streak of racial superiority.
Lor are visually almost identical to humans
and descend from humans transplanted
to Magna Lor by the Preservers eons ago.
They bear a wider range of skin and hair
colors. Having settled hundreds of worlds,
it is common for colonies in extreme envi-
ronments to develop more unusual traits (and
sometimes superpowers) over the generations
in response to their environment.
CENDARANS*
Cendarans are unrelated to the Lor, but bear a
striking physical resemblance aside from their
unusual, black eyes, and are generally accepted
as Lor until they say something. Their people exist
“sideways” in time thanks to the intense gravity of
their binary home system. That same gravity keens
the Imperium at bay, but many off-world Cendarans
were caught up in the Diaspora when Collapsar
plunged the galaxy into chaos. They make up one
of the smallest minority communities, with only a
6 The Guide to Starhaven
few dozen—mostly hailing from the longtime rival Synnagar and
Manosh families—making their homes on Starhaven.
EALAS
Like Cendarans, Ealas resemble Lor, but descend from human an-
cestors engineered by the Preservers. Their large, feathered wings
allow them to fly, similar to the Avians of Earth. Many conservative
Lor consider them diamorphs, while the diamorph community con-
siders them Lor, leaving the Ealas as perpetual outsiders. By hap-
penstance, most of the Ealas refugees who were not military were
part of the same service worker shuttle that fled the doomed
Lor system, and so many of the city’s service jobs—mainte-
nance workers, nurses, waiters, chefs, porters, etc.—are Ealas.
LLAINANS*
While Llaina was settled by Lor colonists, it fell
far outside the Republic’s borders. The origi-
nal founders were technological separat-
ists, who hoped to perfect society by better
integrating it with science and technol-
ogy. Their world was conquered first by
the Grue 20 years ago, and more re-
cently by the Imperium, leaving them
spread thin across the stars. Already so-
cially awkward, they now struggle to hold
onto their traditions and form new connections,
making them unusually insular and prone to
forming their own “research groups” that pursue
secretive—but rarely illegal—goals.
MENTATS
A sizable minority of Lor develop psionic powers,
generally telepathy or telekinesis. The Stellar Im-
perium has made a priority of “retaining” these
Mentats for the invaluable services they can
provide, and so few refugees openly display any
psionic abilities they may have for fear that bounty
hunters might “return” them to the Imperium.
THE DIAMORPHS
When AEGIS first began cataloging alien refugees, it
pooled all non-humanoid visitors under the umbrella
term “diamorph,” or “differently bodied” and the label
has remained as broad culture for those aliens who
can’t pass for human or Lor. While the New Lor Repub-
lic includes anti-discrimination clauses in its charter, it
has become increasingly obvious to the city’s dia-
morph population that the development of
their neighborhoods and businesses has
lagged behind that of their humanoid
neighbors, prompting the creation of
new political groups and protests.

CHOLAXAN
Hairy and feral-looking, Cholaxans seems monstrous at first glance
but are a peaceful people. Their ferocious strength and durable
bodies mean they rarely hurt one another in conflicts, but are
keenly aware of the damage they cause to the surrounding environ-
ments, and their culture emphasizes serenity, empathy, and control.
When Star Khan obliterated the library planet of Endex, the majority
of its Cholaxan librarians ended up on Earth and later Starhaven,
and their people are over-represented among the city’s academics.
HAASAAN
The ophidian Haasaan are nothing if not adaptable, having inte-
grated into planets across the Lor Republic, the Grue Unity, and
various other political entities before. Many work in Starhaven as
technicians, merchants, and politicians, but a number also hailed
from the Uburros, a long-standing organized crime syndicate that
the Star-Khan aggressively routed from his captured Lor worlds.
This gives their people an unearned reputation as criminals and
smugglers, particularly among AEGIS and UNISON security forces.
JEREID
The Lor Republic and the Jereid Hegemony enjoyed an alliance
so long-lasting they were essentially a single political entity when
the Republic collapsed, leaving the crocodilian humanoids reeling
when the Stellar Imperium arrived to annex them. Tree-thinkers and
academics, many Jereid fled rather than submit to the propaganda
and purging of history they knew Star-Khan would deliver. Many
on Starhaven see themselves as protectors of their racial culture as
well as true galactic history. Because their people need very exact-
ing conditions to lay eggs and rear young, their primary concern is
overseeing the construction of a creche dome that can artificially
replicate the environment they need before they die out.
SHOON
Shouna has been a client world of the Stellar Imperium for centu-
ries, but many Shoon dissidents took advantage of the chaos of
conquest to desert their posts. Many were soldiers pressed into
service, and so the Shoon of Starhaven are sharply divided between
those still working in security and devoted pacifists.
SK'REE
Arboreal, arachnid-like aliens from the forest-filled world of Et'erak,
the Sk'ree look terrifying to humans but are quick-witted and gentle.
Their society turns to philosophy and history more often than tech-
nology. Sk'ree traditionally leave their eggs in hiding and let their
newborn, highly venomous younbg fend for themselves.
THE AQUATICS
While distinctly nonhuman, the city’s aquatic aliens stand out cultur-
ally because they were never limited to Star Island on Earth and now
have the whole of Europa’s oceans to explore and colonize. Many of
their fellow refugees resent the freedom and expanded opportunities
aquatic enjoy, while the aquatic peoples have come to resent the city
relying on the resources—particularly food—they can provide. The
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
New Alien Templates
Several other alien cultures have found their way to Starhaven
and help make up its colorful populace.
Drik
Derisibly call “space goblins,” the Drik are fanatical survivors who
spread far and wide across the Lor Republic. Generally over-
looked due to their size, their culture emphasizes community ties
and survival by wits. While the Lor generally see them as thieves
and tricksters, they are more often incredibly skilled merchants,
writers, singers, and pilots. Criminal drik lean toward illegal
salvage and hacking, removing themselves from physical danger.
DRIK 15 POINTS
Abilities: -1 STR*, +1 DEX, +2 AWE
Powers: Senses 2 (Danger Sense, Ultra-Hearing), Shrinking 4 (Innate;
Permanent)
Kash’rodan
The Kash’rodan are a proud and lyrical species of human-like
insects who once ruled their own small empire. The harsh climate
of Tyr—their homeworld—honed them into powerful survivors,
but also compelling orators skilled at stirring their companions
to action. Many on Starhaven find themselves working in secu-
rity or public relations, and just as many find work as mercenar-
ies and criminal toughs. Those who eschew combat tend toward
the theater. The kash'rodan crown prince, Rokkar (Rogue's Gallery,
page 99) has been exiled to Earth and could complicate the citi-
zenship or loyalties of his people's refugees.
KASH’RODAN 41 POINTS
Abilities: +3 STR, +3 STA, -1 INT, +3 PRE
Powers: Immunity 7 (Disease, Environmental Conditions, Poison;
Limited to Half Effect), Leaping 4 (120 feet), regeneration 5, Speed 4
(30 MPH)
city’s Aquatics have largely settled the subsurface research station
known as Seahaven, and some are beginning to see themselves as
an independent colony not limited by air-breather laws.
HEXXIM
These six-armed cephalopods make up the majority of Starhaven’s
aquatic people, and their inability to breathe air or function on land
has created a wide gulf between them and most of the other refu-
gees. Already a standoffish culture, they lead Seahaven’s indepen-
dence effort, as well as most of its restoration.
PISCEANS
The fish-like Piscean people now serve largely as diplomats and
politicians, keeping the peace between Hexxim and Lor. An un-
comfortable role for a collection of displaced farmers and ranchers,
they manage by often turning to homespun wisdom and rambling
stories. Those Pisceans who have mercifully escaped “babysit-
ting” duty generally work in maintaining the city’s environmental
systems or farming kelp, algae, and krill under the ice.
7
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
GOVERNMENT
While the refugee population resided on Earth, they lived under the
watchful eye of AEGIS, the United States’ security agency for super-
human affairs, with the United Nations’ UNISON acting as human
rights oversight. The aliens had little freedom to move about and
most felt it akin to imprisonment. Understandable, once they
arrived on Europa, the citizenry overwhelmingly voted to establish
an independent government free of Earth’s influence. That hasn’t
gone exactly according to plan, but Starhavians finally have some
say in their destiny.
THE SENATE
Starhaven operates as a democratic republic—officially the New
Lor Republic—with the citizenry divided into 20 districts based on
their cultural background and profession. Each district elects a rep-
resentative to serve in the Senate and represent their interests, get
funding for projects, advance their causes, and protect their rights.
Senators theoretically serve for five years, but the city is still voting
in its first Senate—a process that is taking much longer than ex-
pected as they argue over how to fairly assign districts. The current
plan scales the Senate up to fifty seats as the colony expands to
encompass the entire moon.
The Prime Consul acts as final arbiter in the Senate, calling for votes,
keeping the peace, breaking ties, and approving committee mem-
berships. Most of the Senate is still too new to have divided them-
selves into firm camps beyond those new to politics and those who
served as politicians before their exile.
Every Senator is served by a dozen Senate Aides, a formal title
that grants an individual considerable authority to commandeer
resources, access corners of the city, and issue orders to security
and emergency personnel. Aides act as their Senators’ direct hands
among their constituents, and often act as investigators (some
would argue spies) on their employer’s behalf to help them better
serve the community.
Most citizens only deal directly with their Block Captains, a local
leadership position either elected or appointed by a Senator to help
with day-to-day matters on a local level. A Block Captain answers
to only a few dozen people and acts as their liaison to the larger
government for almost everything.
PRIME CONSUL TAMIRA-VAN
The daughter of a powerful Lor Senator and inheritor of a long po-
litical legacy, Tamira-Van trained from birth to serve on a Senate,
and was one of the leading voices to establish an independent,
Lor-style government upon arriving in Starhaven. The majority of
her family wealth was lost when Collapsar devoured Magna Lor, but
Van retained many of her political connections and secrets, allow-
ing her to call in favors from around the galaxy to provide Starhaven
with needed technology and ships, but those same connections
have meant the arrival of more refugees faster than the colony is
ready for.
A lifelong politician, Van is canny. She offers even the harshest criti-
cisms alongside glowing compliments and rarely says more about
8 The Guide to Starhaven
her own intentions than is absolutely necessary. Her campaign
platform revolved heavily on restoring the glory and civility of lost
Magna Lor and Lor culture in general, and while she is a moder-
ate herself, these attitudes have attracted many conservative and
wealthy Lor to her camp. She is happy to work with independent
“heroes” as they prove her assertion that Starhaven can stand on
its own.
SENATOR GIG-MALACHIS
One of the few Lor Senators to escape the destruction of Magna
Lor, Malachis’ seat is honorary as they haven’t formally been elected
yet. The aging politician escaped their villa with substantial wealth
and many historical treasures, and while they surrendered many to
Earth authorities in exchange for a measure of command within the
Star Island camp, they are still wealthy enough to live comfortably
even as they bemoan their newfound “poverty.” Malachis favors Lor
needs over those of other refugees, and privately laments having to
spend valuable resources to lift everyone rather than focus on their
own struggling people. Everyone knows they have their eye on the
Prime Consul seat, and are biding their time until Tamira-Val makes
a big enough public mistake that they can oust her.
SENATOR TRUNT CHUG CHIN’NAL
An archivist by trade, Chin’nal won popularity among the diamorph
community as a staunch advocate for those with specialized envi-
ronmental needs. He has taken to politics reluctantly, more because
he wants to see everyone cared for than because he enjoys the
work. As a result, the large Cholaxan is generally overworked and
exhausted, with several of his aides dedicated solely to keeping him
fed and rested. Chin’nal empathizes deeply with others, and sees
this new city as a chance to discard many of the outmoded tradi-
tions of the Lor Republic, like incarceration and wealth, meaning
almost everyone has a strong opinion about the intellectual
Senator, good or bad.
SENATOR ICHUS-VELAPEER
Senator Velapeer is a blunt young politician who came from a career
in middle-management. Ichus is not an extraordinarily insightful or
skilled politician, but his plainspoken style, luck, and general lack of
opposition has resulted in a meteoric rise in power and popularity
as a representative of “the common Lor.” He’s eager to see Starhaven
stand on its own feet, independent of Earth, and while he has no
loyalty to the Stellar Imperium, he’s a fierce advocate of opening
trade negotiations as soon as possible.
THE COUNCILS
Below the Senate, a network of administrative offices called the
Councils handles most of the practical realities of running a city.
Each major agenda has a dedicated council, such as the Atmospher-
ic Council, the Maintenance Council, the Trade Council, or the Edu-
cation Council, with more specific interests spinning off into a con-
fusing web of sub-councils. The New Lor Republic inherited most of

this bureaucratic mess from the Earth organizations that sponsored
the colony, who in turn developed it organically in response to the
increasingly complex task of running a city for a hundred
different cultures and biologies.
CHAIRWOMAN FALLING SANDS
The only member of the reclusive, bat-like
nulorry species on Europa, Falling Sands
parleyed her exclusive knowledge of ad-
vanced environmental engineering into
the position of chairwoman of the Science
Council. But her position is tenuous—
Falling Sands is actually a Grue metamorph
who was caught in the mass exodus of refu-
gees. The technology she shared was stolen
intelligence, as well as the full extent of her
scientific knowledge. For now, she plays
the part of an eccentric and reclusive ad-
ministrator, but she fears her cover identity
will fall apart soon and has begun sending
anyone too suspicious on dangerous “sci-
entific” expeditions to the most danger-
ous corners of the city while she works to
extract herself.
CHAIRWOMAN NOX TEMMUEN
The appointment of Nox Temmuen to leader-
ship of the Internal Security Council is one
of Starhaven’s biggest scandals, as the
Ruluan formerly served as a general in the
Imperium. By far the most experienced PRIME CONSUL TAMIRA-VAN
soldier and tactician in the colony, she
nonetheless struggles to gain the trust of
anyone but Prime Consul Tamira-Van—a position made more dif-
ficult by her brusque and confrontational attitude. The common
story is that Nox saved the politician’s life in the invasion and in ex-
change Van offered sanctuary for her and her children, but other
rumors insist the old general is extorting the Prime Consul.
OTHER POLITICAL POWERS
Several other factions have powerful influence on Starhaven and
its government.
EARTH
AEGIS and UNISON retain some authority, providing much of the
city’s armed security and shuttles to and from Earth. On paper they
are ideally a customs agency that contracts for logistic and police
support, but in reality, UNISON Deputy Director François Yassine
is still bitter the refugees rejected his proposition that Starhaven
become an official United Nations colony and stubbornly holds
on to whatever control the new Lor government doesn’t overtly
demand. Most of the police and nearly half of the technical staff of
Starhaven are agents of one of the two organizations.
Beyond official Earth support, many groups and private companies
on Earth see Starhaven as a well of untapped wealth and techno-
logical secrets. ASTRO Labs, Grant Conglomerates, Brande Man-
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
agement, and the Litmus Group have all made generous offers to
support the new city in exchange for varying access to its resources.
More secretive groups like Majestic-20 and the Foundry have their
own moles digging through scientific secrets and establishing a
foothold in the burgeoning underworld.
IMPERIUM LOYALISTS
Starhaven’s refugees divide themselves into
roughly two camps: Those who fled the Star-Khan
and those who fled the destruction of Magna Lor,
with the latter being more tolerant of the Stellar
Imperium as a pacifying influence in the galaxy.
While once a common source of fistfights over
a meal, this division has deepened as so-called
Imperial Loyalists have grown into a small but
passionate political minority. The Loyalists gen-
erally see themselves as persecuted regardless
of their economic status and believe they will
only be free and equal if the Imperium takes over
management of the outpost. In reality, most are
well-off (particularly by refugee standards) and
simply lament their lost comforts as they scare
one another with increasingly outlandish scary
stories about Earthling culture and non-Lor
aliens. The firebrand Citizen Sun-Ren—a gifted
public speaker who first rose to prominence de-
nouncing the Hexxim claim to Seahaven—has
emerged as a charismatic leader among the
movement and is prepared to ride his sudden
popularity into a Senate seat.
THE TRADE ALLIANCE
The Trade Alliance considers them-
selves an independent government, with Captains serving as final
judge and jury for their crew and not bound by Earth or Starhav-
en’s local laws—which was fine when they lived almost entirely
aboard their trade ships. But those Trade Alliance caravans that
have spent the last several years as part of the Starhaven com-
munity still allege this independence. Now a sizeable portion of
Starhaven’s nascent business community claims membership in
an attempt to skirt regulations and reconstruction efforts. While
the Senate has no patience for this obvious abuse of power, they
rely on the Alliance and its few functional ships to keep them con-
nected to the rest of the galaxy. For now, Starhaven uses indepen-
dent heroes and bounty hunters to keep the merchants in line.
THE UNIVERSAL FAITHISTS
The various religious professionals and scholars who found them-
selves gathered up in the mass exodus of galactic refugees formed
themselves into a single voice to advocate for better treatment
on Star Island, and those political ties remain strong even as the
members have dispersed across Starhaven to build long-term con-
gregations. More a lobbying group than a cohesive religion, the
Faithists argue for religious tolerance to prevent matters of faith
from tearing the nascent colony apart at the seems. They also or-
ganize charity and relief efforts. While no one member rules the
Faithists, the Jereid Wet Mother Gundaang handles much of the
scheduling and networking, serving as the group's de facto face.
9
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
SOCIAL GROUPS
Years of isolation in close proximity to neighbors from alien cultures
has created a cultural melting pot. Starhavians belong to various
groups and factions seen nowhere else in the galaxy, from the ador-
able to the lethal.
AEDES OF PRIMARCH, REFORMED
The most common religion of the old Lor Republic, the Aedes of Pri-
march, revered the Mentat Primarch whose ascendance to a cosmic
being ushered in the Republic’s second golden age. The religion
broadly preached the values of self-improvement, community, and
patience, though millennia of schisms and reunifications had seen
it develop into a number of competing philosophies. Lor refugees
on Earth combined their own faith with local perspectives and re-
formed the church into a more hardline religion that demands obe-
dience to “the will of Primarch” and the values he set forth—which
just so happen to align with the needs of older, wealthy Lor exiles.
Many Lor colonists at least pay lip-service to the Aedes of Primarch,
Reformed, as they have effectively made themselves the old Pri-
march religion on Starhaven, and as a result the church commands
a fair amount of wealth and voting power. They involve themselves
closely in the Senate, putting forward several prominent temple
leaders like soft-spoken but merciless Fay-Teth as potential sena-
tors. While the church doesn’t openly legislate against non-Lor, they
eagerly point out that Primarch (according to them) knew only Lor
could truly improve themselves, and so it is the Lors’ burden to lead.
BLUE DOT
For many refugees, arriving on Earth desperate for survival was
their first interaction with human society. Many found it disturbing
or terrifying, while others saw a wonderland of new experiences!
Blue Dot is less a social group and more a cultural movement—par-
ticularly among younger aliens—who love the fads and fashion of
human culture, particularly what they saw around the Freedom
City area in North America. Most are harmless fans who hang out in
abandoned buildings, wearing western clothes, listening to Earth
music, and trading downloads of television and movies, but oppo-
nents link them to crime and cultural degeneracy.
While their understanding of Earth cultures and history is relative-
ly shallow, Blue Dots represent the first generation of aliens with
genuine sympathy for Earth, making them likely contacts for any
Earth heroes working in Starhaven.
THE DEPARTMENT OF
OUTWORLD RECOVERY AND INTERNMENT
One of the few true joint efforts between Starhaven and Earth
agencies, the DORI are a special task force formed to track down
and recover alien refugees on Earth. Agents from both AEGIS and
Unison, as well as security, medical, and sociological experts from
Starhaven cooperate to assist lost and confused aliens on Earth
and contain alien criminals for extradition to Europa and the wider
galaxy. Agents can move freely between any UN member-nation
10
and are provided with advanced alien weaponry to combat poten-
tial threats. Sadly, its status as an inter-agency department means
it stands unloved and under-supported by all its parents and oper-
ates on a shoestring budget and heavy red tape, forcing agents to
get creative.
While DORI’s official charter only covers the recovery of aliens on
Earth, Director Sven Chase takes a broad approach to their en-
forcement. The department focuses heavily on assisting extrater-
restrials in need, but agents use that mandate to subvert anti-alien
groups such as Majestic-20 and the Litmus Group, seize alien tech-
nology used by villains, and undermine alien criminals operating
planetside.
GRAVBALL LEAGUE
Sports adapted quickly to the myriad abilities and morphologies
of Star Island’s population, and by the time aliens began arriving
on Starhaven the young sport of gravball was already a well-devel-
oped pastime with several informal teams. A combination of the
human sports soccer and dodgeball, but with any natural powers
allowed, gravball is one of the few events that brings together most
of the young colony to cheer and celebrate. Now that they have a
city and construction has begun on an arena, politicians and mer-
chants scramble to sponsor those old informal teams and get in at
the foundation of a real league. The Ealas-dominated Sky Sharks
and the psionic Brain Games have already emerged as fan favorites.
THE ENGINEERS GUILD
Soon after Starhaven opened for colonization, a number of alien
trade unions and Earth technicians joined forces with Daedalus
himself to create the Starhaven Engineering and Utility Reclama-
tion Guild, one of the few successful joint ventures between the
alien refugees and Earth humans. Guild teams lead the major ren-
ovation and reclamation projects across the city, handling every-
thing from cleanup and masonry to computer programming. Posi-
tions within the Guild pay well, but more important is the prestige
that comes from taming a dangerous city—Guild engineers (a title
broadly handed out regardless of a person’s actual field of exper-
tise) often enjoy discounts and free meals at businesses throughout
Starhaven.
Guild work is the most dangerous work on Starhaven as well. In
addition to all the normal hazards of utility work—electrocution,
drowning, burns, falling debris, and disease—an engineer’s work
might take them deep into unexplored tunnels or buildings stalked
by wild predators. Most of the city’s rogue AIs and feral maintenance
robots now recognize Guild uniforms and deliberately target them.
EUROPAN ECOLOGY ENCLAVE
Earth scientists are still unsure if the life on Europa is native or the
result of Preserver transplantation and experiments, but a small sect
of Starhavians believe the moon’s inhabitants should be sheltered
from any impact caused by refugee arrival. The Europan Ecology
Enclave demands the cataloging of species and conducting exten-
The Guide to Starhaven

sive environmental surveys ahead of any reclamation or expansion
projects—changes that have improved health and safety condi-
tions for workers and new residents—but also strongly oppose
any industrial efforts beyond the city’s bubble or the re-opening of
Seahaven. The Lor xenobiologist Ma-Kem Shen leads the EEE’s lob-
bying and political efforts, by the more cutthroat Nam-Smyth leads
the group’s clandestine sabotage and espionage efforts.
FLAPPERS
Life as a refugee left its scars on many aliens who arrived on Earth.
Isolation, loss, and harsh authoritarianism broke many spirits, and
those who never managed to recover drifted toward a growing dis-
affected subculture. Taking their name from early 20th-century Earth
counter-culture, the flappers of Starhaven flout social conventions,
resist all forms of government, and embrace do-it-yourself and
small-community-support attitudes. The vast majority are harm-
less communities who look out for their own and want to be left to
themselves, dabbling in experimental music, tinkering, homestead-
ing, and experimenting with drugs. A few violent gangs—such as
the drug-running Embalmers or the violently anti-government
Flukies—exist within the wider subculture, but members would
sooner handle problematic elements themselves than cooperate
with security forces or superheroes. Influencers like the Lor musi-
cian Dro-Pend or the Sk’ree philosopher Qinlottek have some
control over the anarchic subculture, but in practice the groups are
so fractious and prone to in-fighting that no one has been able to
unite them.
FOUNDER CULTS
While none exist officially, every Starhavian has a friend-of-a-friend
involved in one of the new Preserver-centered religions popping up
around the city. These “Founder cults” generally spring up around
charismatic individuals who claim to have gleaned some deeper
truth from the Preserver technology and ruins that support the city.
The most stable cults build themselves around a unique artifact
they recover from the ruins and might number a dozen or more, and
most have strong opinions on Preserver AIs like Collapsar, seeing
them as saviors who bear the creators’ will or devils who wiped out
the gods. While the New Lor Republic ignores these fringe religious
zealots, AEGIS and UNISON have both begun collecting data on the
cults and their participants, worried their growth may mirror the de-
velopment of similar extremist groups on Earth.
IAPYX ACADEMY
The Iapyx Academy draws on Duncan Summers’ success with the
Claremont Academy to establish a secondary school for children
with divergent backgrounds and abilities. With its sister school,
the Ariadne Academy (for younger students), the Iapyx Academy
offers a top-tier education that many refugees feared they’d left
behind. Many former experts in their field, including the enigmatic
Mentat Headmistress Elenk-Te, now serve as faculty, and Daedalus
himself repurposed two-dozen maintenance robots to supplement
their number as tutors, which the student body have nicknamed
“Harpies.”
Of particular interest to many adventurous young souls is the Acad-
emy’s Legion of Civic Honors, a volunteer club that guides students
in using their special talents or expertise to help the community.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
While Headmistress Te insists the group encourages safe, whole-
some activism, cleanup efforts, and community participation, the
students quietly refer to the LCH as “superhero club.”
KICKSHAW CABAL
While most of Star Island went to bed hungry, a growing subcul-
ture in Freedom City indulged in delicacies from across the cosmos,
enjoying alien ingredients and cooking techniques. In time, exclu-
sive dinner parties developed into culinary duels between human
and alien chefs, integrating unusual foods and technologies, with
incredible prizes doled out to the winners. Dubbing itself the Kick-
shaw Cabal, these clandestine cooking competitions relocated to
Starhaven along with their celebrity chefs, and now, once every two
months, a collection of elites, supervillains, and billionaires travel
to Starhaven to watch alien chefs fight for their gustatory pleasure.
The Kickshaw Kitchen is a no-holds-barred culinary competition
between the greatest chefs of Earth and the young colony and
has even begun attracting specialists from the wider galaxy. Sat-
urnalia Roman (see Freedom City, Third Edition) played a key role
in establishing the original showdowns, but now Due-Rata, a Lor
dilettante, manages the show. Ehnra “The Rotisseur” Zol, a visit-
ing member of Long Toll assassin’s league with a passion for cuisine,
has emerged as the local champion, dominating the last three Star-
haven showdowns.
NEIGHBORHOOD CLUBS
Almost every reclaimed block in Starhaven spawns a tight-knit
community working hard to help one another succeed, building
informal clubs around a shared social media group and a central
headquarters—usually a favorite local restaurant or shop. Growing
organically, each neighborhood club has a unique feel and struc-
ture, ranging from avant-garde progressives to meddling busybod-
ies trying to preserve the culture they hail from. Most answer to
their local Block Captain, and a persuasive neighborhood club can
be instrumental in winning an election, so Block Captains and even
Senators listen to them. The influencers for an individual’s neigh-
borhood club can be a close friend, valuable ally, obnoxious know-
it-all, or power-hungry local tyrant, depending on the area.
Neighborhood clubs band together to fix up buildings, organize to
handle threats, and offer a hand to struggling neighbors, as well
as become unofficial sports or gaming leagues for friendly (or less-
than-friendly) competitions with other neighborhoods. With the
city largely un-policed, neighborhoods also form the first line of
civic defense and emergency response, and many Starhavians are
finding they prefer this community-lead approach to peacekeeping
over the heavy-handed authority they endured on Earth.
THRILL GANGS
With life looking so bleak, some residents have cast aside respect-
ability or community to form nihilistic gangs built around excite-
ment and indulgence. Crime isn't the purpose for these groups, but
they rarely respect the law or public safety, turning to drugs, street
racing, base jumping, urban exploration, and other dangerous
hobbies. Most build themselves around a common interest or racial
identity, such as the Jereid Sewer-Gators, or parkour crews like the
Redroof or the Gargoyles.
11
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
CITY OVERVIEW
Starhaven is a technological wonder—a star-shaped city complex
sitting in the center of an even larger dome of Earth-like atmo-
sphere locals call “The Green Zone.” Towers stretch up toward the
stars above, while channels and tunnels create an endless, dark
warren deep below. Terraforming and bioengineering technologies
left abandoned for thousands of years have created unique, beauti-
ful, and deadly microclimates that refugees uncover every day as
they slowly push the urban boundaries into the chaotic ruin. With
the entire settlement left abandoned, Starhaven is a home waiting
for residents, but one that is going to take a lot of work to secure.
Despite Europa’s freezing, irradiated surface, the Green Zone is a
pleasant and safe environment for human-like life; likely created
by the Preservers to sustain humans and other biological samples
retrieved from Earth. Starhaven fills most of the Green Zone, with
the rest consisting of overgrown fields and forest that seem im-
passible—dense thickets of alpine conifers stand surrounded by
saguaro cactus, and coral-like land reefs stand overgrown with
roses and other creeping blossoms. Isolated buildings—some ap-
parently old dwellings but others with unknown purposes—dot
this artificial wilderness. A dome of fluid suspended in an energy
field protects the city. Seemingly powered by the awesome elec-
tromagnetic fields nearby Jupiter generates, the dome creates
full spectrum light on a roughly 13-hour day/night cycle and even
creates a gentle rain every few days—though the Engineer’s Guild
aren’t sure if that’s intentional or a misfiring system.
Most Preserver buildings seem to be grown from a metal ceramic
(Toughness 12) rather than constructed, though the remains of
earlier settlement efforts dot the city with traces of other cultures’
architectural efforts. Spiraling rooms or a spiral hallway lead to a
building’s center—generally the largest room and the purpose for
which it was built—with smaller offices, archives, labs, dormitories,
and storage chambers lining the approach. The Preservers only
locked those rooms with dangerous contents, though decay and
rust have left many doors unintentionally sealed, and the refugees
reclaiming the city retrofit doors with locks for privacy and safety.
Despite the extensive physical infrastructure that remains, almost
nothing of the Preservers’ data infrastructure can be found. The
Engineers Guild claims that no computer systems could maintain
uncorrupted data for so long, but most everyone assumes the Pre-
servers deliberately purged their data before abandoning the city.
What few traces of data remain have all been recovered from out-
of-the-way or forgotten systems, lending credence to the rumor
that the ancients deliberately purged their city.
Explorers have recovered the traces of earlier expeditions that tried
to claim Starhaven, including an ancient Lor outpost within the city
itself, Grue tools and supplies, and a crashed Drik salavage ship em-
bedded in a nearby glacier. The fate of some of these former efforts
is obvious—Lor skeletons found in the old Treshna outpost were
clearly killed by large animals—but others remain unexplained. The
Drik ship shows no obvious signs of exterior damage, and the Grue
colonists seem to have simply given up and walked away from the
attempt to claim the moon. Daedelus's earliest encounter with the
city and his reports of "haunting" struck a particular cord with many
colonists, who see their own metaphorical ghosts behind every
malfunction, strange noise, or disappearance.
12
UTILITIES
Rather than rely on massive utility hubs, the Preservers built a dis-
tributed network of water reclaimers, generators, digital archives,
atmospheric scrubbers, and waste recyclers into many otherwise
unrelated buildings. This design has ensured pockets of the city
retain clean water, air, and power even after an eon of neglect, but
makes the process of locating and repairing the countless obscure
facilities one of the ongoing challenges of the reconstruction effort.
The smallest utility nodes are barely more than a small room, but
most fill multiple rooms or one large chamber. Because the Preserv-
ers only expected maintenance robots to access the nodes, few
have any safety precautions like railings or even adequate shielding
on dangerous parts. Water pumps lack cowlings for their churning
turbines or gratings to keep hands away from the laser purification
grid, and fusion power stations might flood the area with low-level
radiation while operational. The Engineering Guild spends consid-
erable time finding and training workers who can survive these
harsh conditions, but Daedalus’ recent repairs to the Robot Foundry
have made the process infinitely easier.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
In addition to providing utilities, the city government is working
hard to maintain emergency services. Until recently, AEGIS and
UNISON provided armed agents—often supported by medical
technicians—as the only response to any crisis, and Earth security
forces still respond to many incidents as a de facto police force.
Medical emergencies were handled through a field hospital estab-
lished in the Draffsnarl (see the Promenade), but with the recent
opening of the Daedalus Center—the city’s first true hospital—in
the Central District, the Senate has authorized funding for a small
ambulance service using a suborbital shuttle. The lone shuttle
struggles to keep up with demands, however, and many citizens still
rely on local doctors and healers. An enterprising Drik tech expert,
Vsiv Muniq, has stepped in to fill the void by recruiting several
of the city’s out-of-work soldiers to found Impact Interventions. II
is a subscription service that guarantees first response in a crisis,
and blurs the line between security force and emergency medical
technician. While their health services are far from the best—most
Impact EMTs only have cursory combat medical training—they
have three shuttles at their disposal and staff arrived armed to the
teeth to stop any ongoing violence or intervene in other disasters
like a building collapse.
Outside of security and medical emergencies, the Engineers’ Guild
tackles most other crises, ranging from fires to atmospheric leaks
to toxic spills. Benren San, an amputee and mentat, oversees the
Starhaven Engineering and Utility Reclamation Guild Disaster inter-
vention Unit. Nicknamed the Icemovers, the squad rely on science
and materials expertise, diverse alien abilities, and a team of power-
ful Centaur industrial robots and two suits of Typhon power armor.
They team has access to extraordinary powers, and needs to jury-rig
processes and specialized equipment in the moment, and many of
their missions become whispered legends around the Europa Light
and Sewer offices.
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN

Promeade
The Lar
West Wing
Central District
1.
2.
East Wing
The Fastness
STARHAVEN Kilometers
Greenwalls 0 1

PROMENADE CENTRAL DISTRICT

1. Pegasus Starport 8. Quasar Tech
3. 4. 2. The Draffsnarl 9. Daedalus Center
3. Pinnacle Island 10. Preserver Hall
5. 4. Europa Light & Sewer 11. Iapyx Academy
6. 5. Marxla'sh Market EAST WING
12. 12. The Propylaea
8. WEST WING
7. 9.
13. 14. 6. Decentralized Park 13. The Darkwell
10. 7. New Haasaana 14. The Robot Forge

11. GREENWALLS
15. The Dome 338
15. 16. Library Prime
16.
17. The Cryosphere
17. 20
18. The Mirror Zone
18. 21. 22. 19. Drekport
19. 23.
THE FASTNESS
Micro Lor 20. Hortus Maximum
21. PhobeTor
22. Singularity Ring
23. Impact Lake

THE LAR PINNACLE ISLAND

A massive freshwater reservoir Daedalus dubbed the Lar fills much
of the Green Zone’s northern reaches. Docks and waterfront build-
ings dot the otherwise marshy shorline, suggesting it once served
a scientific or industrial purpose beyond storing drinking water.
Though shallow close to shore, its depths plunge down nearly a ki-
lometer. In this deepest abyss, the bottom transitions to ice rather
than rock and mud and colonies of blue krill frolic in the crushing
pressure and icy temperatures.
Despite the unexpected cold, the Lar supports a wide variety of mi-
crobial, plant, and animal life—both Earth-native and alien—and
many aquatic Starhavians have begun settling the reservoir rather
than make the long trip down to Seahaven’s dismal depths. In ad-
dition to providing fresh water, the Lar supports a bustling young
fish farming industry currently feeding much of the city. With so
much money to be made, fishing rights have become an unexpect-
edly heated topic on the Senate floor. Rival fisheries sabotage one
another’s tools and rustle seafood from rival waters. With the reck-
less abandon of this new frontier, several Blue Dot bloggers have
dubbed the Lar “the Wild Wet” of Starhaven.
Steep cliffs and deep fjords line the perimeter of a jagged island
in the Lar's western waters. Primordial forest—most of it exten-
sive bird habitat—covers the surface. The island's remoteness
lead the original colonization effort to unofficially set it aside as a
nature preserve, but that same inaccessibility makes it appealing
to those Starhavians accustomed to their space and privacy—and
the money to enforce it. A small coalition of wealthy refugees now
lobby the Senate to declare Pinnacle Island open for development,
while some—like Citizen Sun Ren (see the Imperium Loyalists
in Chapter 2)—have moved forward with construction of private
estates knowing the Senate doesn't have the power or resources
to stop them.
Opposing the current push to turn Pinnacle Island into a retreat for
the wealthy stands Starhaven's first environmentalist movement,
the Europan Ecology Enclave. Lead by a former Ealas soldier, Nam-
Smyth, the EEE's operations consist of theft and sabotage from
building sites and intimidating workers. Citizen Sun Ren labels the
movement "eco-terrorists", citing their actions as proof that his own
construction efforts are legitimate.

The Guide to Starhaven 13

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE PROMENADE
The northern point of Starhaven’s urban layout culminates in a
massive bridge across the habitat’s lake, ending at the Pegasus
Starport. Early settlement efforts focused heavily on restoring the
starport and pushing out into the city from this easily evacuated
command center. The city’s earliest housing and offices were tents
and converted warehouses clustered north of the Lar, and many
residents are either slow to move or have simply dug in, growing
attached to the first land they’ve “owned” in years. These squatters
are creating minor issues as the Republic tries to convert this land
for farming, but for now any conflicts seem years away.
The Promenade’s terrain is a strange blend of ecological and in-
dustrial. Terraces of alien ceramic break up the rolling grasslands
to the lake’s edge, and a titanic causeway crosses the quiet waters,
running 26 hours a day with trains, security cars, and delivery ve-
hicles. Metal spires—most residents assume they’re the Preserver
equivalent of statuary—jut irregularly from the meadows, while
within the city’s proper borders the district gives way to miles and
miles of warehouse space and manufacturing facilities. The expan-
sive facilities provided housing and food for residents when they
first arrived to reclaim the city but were obviously intended by their
builders for large-scale manufacturing and the creation of exotic
materials. Now that the refugee population is slowly relocating to
the Central District, the Engineers Guild and Senate hope to restore
those industrial capabilities.
The roughest refugee housing still spreads across parts of the
Promenade, and as the poor spread into the Central District and
the Wings, the abandoned housing is quickly being taken over by
makeshift businesses and criminal enterprises.
THE DRAFFSNARL
One of the original housing projects, the Draffsnarl is a chaotic mix
of storage bays and atmospheric processors connected by a mess
of raised bridges and concealed tunnels, all nestled at the southern
terminus of the Lar causeway. No one has officially demarcated the
borders of the Draffsnarl or even gotten an accurate count of the
buildings within—the difference between multiple edifices and a
continuous complex is razor thin in the chaotic web—and the city
government considers it a bureaucratic nightmare—especially
because several large utility nodes converge within the mess.
Cultures who prefer dark, tight-knit spaces, such as the Drik and
the Sk’ree, refuse to move on to new homes, frustrating efforts to
reclaim the warrens for their industrial value. The Lor-leaning gov-
ernment and human-dominated authorities fail to understand that
some species despise the avenues and plazas they find comforting,
the local communities feeling alienated. Criminal elements have
also taken a shine to the site, whose subterranean passageways
allow them to move weapons and contraband observed only by
those nocturnal aliens who have no reason to trust the powers that
be. Instead, "darksiders" are increasingly turning to solving their
own problems with vigilante violence.
While most of Starhaven is beginning to see the Draffsnarl as the
city’s “criminal underbelly,” the Drik Block Captain Quazzik insists
her people are decent, hardworking, and law-abiding and tries to
draw a distinction between good neighbors within the community
and the invasive underworld element.
14
EUROPA LIGHT AND SEWER
Daedalus established the Starhaven Engineering and Utility Recla-
mation Guild—more affectionately known as the Engineers Guild—
as the first “boots on the ground” agency dispatched to restore the
site. The Guild operated from a tough dome at the confluence of
several major utility lines and nodes, affectionately nicknaming it
“Europa Light and Sewer.” Sturdy and still largely functional, the
domed headquarters is even capable of slowly producing mainte-
nance robots to assist organic repair crews
Europa Light and Sewer originally served the Preservers as a se-
curity shelter or military command center of some sort, making it
unusually secure and durable. It serves as the hub for a city-wide
network of monitoring equipment—including cameras and audio
sensors—blanketing Starhaven, and the Guild keeps this aspect
of their headquarters a careful secret to avoid tempting AEGIS,
UNISON, or even the Senate to overreach the citizens’ privacy. For
now, the sensors also let them track outages and plan missions into
more dangerous corners of the ruin.
MARXLA’SH MARKET
With easy access to the importers of the starport, industrial sectors
of the Promenade, and the new homespun manufacturing in the
Central District, the Promenade’s major marketplace carries almost
anything one could want from Earth or the old Lor Republic—for a
price. While most of the stalls sell fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, fish,
and various home goods, many also deal in secondhand goods, sal-
vaged technology (from alien ships or the city itself ), and strange
wonders from across the galaxy. With touches of home from a
hundred different worlds, the Marxla’sh is a chaotic mix of sights,
sounds, and smells.
Many Starhavians commute to the market as an excuse to socialize
and wander, recovering some sense of normalcy most thought lost.
Buskers line the streets to take advantage of the casual crowd, as do
con artists and pickpockets.
PEGASUS STARPORT
Starhaven’s impressive spaceport is one of the city’s crown jewels,
allowing ships to come and go from the city to import new citizens
and supplies from Earth, export their burgeoning hydrocarbon and
exotic mineral output, and generally stay connected to the wider
universe. Several large landing pads can handle full-sized cruisers—
though none have yet arrived—while a dozen smaller pads juggle
smaller shuttles and fighters. Nearby hangar and drydock facili-
ties keep spacecraft in good repair, though some of the Preserver
systems remain a mystery to staff.
So far, Pegasus Starport operates at only a fraction of its full ca-
pacity—Starhaven sees only occasional small trade vessels and
refugee shuttles from the wider universe and monthly deliveries
from Earth. Director Ashon-Vela hopes that will change as she
begins directing funds and personnel toward construction of
the Cascadian, a true cruiser that Starhaven can use to transport
huge values of crew and cargo. Her initiative is making waves in
the Senate, as she pulled resources from constructing a dozen
starfighters intended to act as the city’s first line of defense from
invasion.
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN

CENTRAL DISTRICT vital fluids and gases for a variety of species, and generates more
than enough power to run the most complex medical devices.
To many, the Central District is Starhaven for all practical purposes.
Joint efforts by brave alien volunteers, AEGIS, Daedalus, and other
Earth heroes focused their initial thrust of exploration and resto-
IAPYX ACADEMY
ration on the towers, plazas, and palace at the settlement’s core, Iapyx Academy and it’s neighboring Ariadne Primary School
opting to use it as a central camp from which to push outward in provide academic instruction for the children of Starhaven, with
all directions. While far from fully repaired, the Central District now Ariadne providing introductory lessons on linguistics, mathemat-
houses most of Starhaven’s ics, history, and culture and Iapyx
native population and busi- offering more advanced courses.
nesses. While instructors from Earth casu-
ally refer to them as the “elemen-
The beating heart of Star-
tary school” and the “high school,”
haven throbs in and around
Daedalus himself shuns this prac-
an elevated highway encir-
tice, insisting no one should feel
cling the city’s center. This
like a child for needing to study
wide avenue serves as a
the basics, and no youth should be
massive roundabout, con-
denied access to higher education
necting all the major train
based solely on age.
and road arteries of the city
to its center hub. Within Catering to a wide variety of cul-
the loop, a massive palace tures and their education systems,
complex handles the settle- Iapyx provides unconventional
ment’s government affairs, instruction that encourages in-
while the densest urban core dependent study with teachers
surrounds it on all sides. providing lectures and serving as
Unlike most of the city, advisors. Staff are drawn from refu-
the extensive greenbelts geesas well as human volunteers
of this district died long ago, from Earth. While many students
leaving the neighborhood with attend regular classes, almost any
a stark, industrial feel despite the wide “educational” activity—from field
avenues and sweeping balconies. Most of trips into space to constructing
the city’s long-term housing lines the wide mecha—is school-sanctioned
streets. Living conditions range from luxurious so long as a youth can find
to squalor, but most residents live in comfortable other students interested in the
but sparsely-furnished homes as they wait for Star- same topic and a faculty member
haven to begin importing (or producing) consumer goods. The to sponsor them.
joint UNISON/AEGIS operations initially tried to limit settlement to
towers that had been thoroughly explored and mapped, the reality
of refugee needs mean that many people began squatting in build-
PRESERVER HALL
ings and tunnels with questionable security and facilities. Starhavians love arguing over the original purpose of the palace-
The Central District struggles to recapture every species’ ideal like complex of domes at the city center, but UNISON quickly com-
of urban living, but with the sheer variety of cultures occupying mandeered it to serve as their administrative headquarters upon
the space, that remains a challenge. The Lor majority established landing in the city. Better served than most areas, it became the
forums at all the major crossroads, where children can be taught, heart of government and bureaucracy for Starhaven, now housing
scholars debate, and local merchants ply their wares, but these ob- the Senate and all government offices. UNISON and AEGIS both
struct the roadways other species use to commute, while others— maintain their own offices on the grounds as well, creating con-
particularly the Jereid and Shoon—consider street-corner lecturing stant power struggles as the Earth organizations try to hold on to
deeply offensive. This is just one of the countless mundane, cultural their dwindling influence.
conflicts the city struggles to reconcile.
QUASAR TECHNOLOGIES
DAEDALUS CENTER
Proudly boasting its status as Earth’s first extraplanetary startup,
Starhaven’s premiere (and to date, only) medical facility is the re- Quasar technologies is a joint venture between the tech genius
claimed hospital named in honor of the city’s discoverer. A rare case Solo Takashi (once known as the teen supervillain Doc Otaku)
of a reclaimed building obviously filling its original function, the and a cadre of alien engineers. The company bridges the “technol-
Daedalus Center once served as a medical center for the Preserv- ogy gap” between the scattered refugees and the Preserver ruins,
ers as well. AEGIS and various supply convoys provide most of the helping the colony tame hi-tech threats and spin their discoveries
medical technology—the remaining Preserver technology proving into cutting-edge patents. The Senate considers the company a
erratic and as prone to permanently maim or mutate a patient as necessary evil to provide security and information infrastructure,
miraculously cure them—but the building sterilizes itself, provides but AEGIS is wary of Takashi’s long-term plans.

The Guide to Starhaven 15

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE WINGS
Those sections of the city directly east and west of the Central Dis-
trict weathered the millennia of neglect better than the rest of the
city thanks to a fleet of automated drones aggressively dedicated
to maintaining the areas. While the robots survived, their program-
ming drifted over the eons and they now reconnect utilities, wall
up entire rooms, and otherwise conduct bizarre and purposeless
“repairs” that make the buildings of both Wings into confusing
labyrinths. The drones are extremely protective of their avant-garde
urban designs and operate independently of the city’s control
network, making reclamation a slow process of exploration and de-
commissioning the Preserver automatons.
Most of the current restoration effort focuses on the East Wing,
which contains apartment towers and hydroponic facilities—every-
thing Starhaven currently needs to house and feed its population.
Multi-use towers—connected by raised walkways and elevated
plazas—fill most of the area, with the ground level studded with
rubble and trash left untouched by the maintenance robots. Indus-
trious settlers regularly pick through these middens to reclaim parts
for home repairs, furniture, or art projects, or to resell in Starhaven’s
markets.
The West Wing remains largely untamed thus far. A dozen alien
environments have outgrown their containment systems and now
compete for dominance, with scorching desert giving way to arctic
tundra and alien jungle, all filled with precious secrets, stockpiles of
technology, and dangerously mutated animals. The varied ecosys-
tems provide more comfortable living conditions for many of Star-
haven’s non-Lor residents, and so most expeditions into the ruins
are conducted by adventurous individuals or families
DARKWELL
The Darkwell is the primary elevator connecting Starhaven to its
aquatic neighbor known as Seahaven. The high-speed vertical train
makes the ten-kilometer trek in about five minutes. While several
service tunnels below the city eventually connect to Seahaven or
the moon’s subsurface ocean directly, the Darkwell is the fastest
route and the only means of carrying large industrial cargo between
the settlements, making it a vital chokepoint that both settlements
want sole control of. Because control remains contested, UNISON
maintains control of both endpoints for now until Seahaven and
Starhaven work out their respective frustrations.
DECENTRALIZED PARK
Strange ecosystems define the West Wing, with the most promi-
nent being the “Decentralized Park.” This massively overgrown ar-
tificial forest resembles the primordial rainforests of Earth’s Pacific
Northwest, with titanic trees stretching up nearly a hundred meters
and supporting unique ecosystems in the branches. A wide variety
of Earth animals and strange hybrids stalk the canopy and the fern-
choked ground level—far more than the ecosystem should natu-
rally be able to support.
The park’s more aggressive plants and climbing critters have
spread to the surrounding towers as well, making them dangers
for scavengers and targets for poachers. Rumors even suggest the
overgrowth conceals a legendary lost pirate starship locals call the
Greengold.
16
NEW HAASAANA
One of the West Wing’s success stories, the neighborhood of New
Haasaana stretches across several city blocks whose environmental
controls render the area unusually hot, dry, and bright. While Lor
and humans find these arid conditions borderline deadly, the rep-
tilian Haasaan consider it ideal. Nearly fifty of the ophidian aliens
reclaimed an apartment tower and surrounding plaza to establish
a home and begin raising heat-tolerant crops the rest of the city
can’t support. New Haasaana has no separatist inclinations, but its
remote location means its residents are largely self-sufficient, pro-
ducing their own food, conducting their own repairs, and defend-
ing themselves against the district’s creatures. As an unsanctioned
reclamation effort, the neighborhood lacks any official representa-
tion in the Senate, and Block Captain Rihnaana spends his fre-
quent visits to the Central District arguing for official recognition to
support his people’s efforts.
THE PROPYLAEA
Small utility nodes help keep pockets of Starhaven running even in
the event of catastrophic failure, but the Preservers still collected
some resources into mega-architecture for their own inscrutable
reasons. The Propylaea is the city’s “air reservoir,” producing much
of the breathable atmosphere and storing thousands of tons of
compressed gasses for scientific work. Massive pylons beneath the
building bore down into the surface, cracking ice into breathable
oxygen while storing hydrogen and trace gasses for the city’s in-
dustries. The five nested, seashell-like curls of the facility tower over
the East Wing, cycling the atmosphere and seeding the moisture
and particulate needed for the city’s various “weather” conditions—
the light rains, fog, windstorms, and occasional snow that provide a
sense of normalcy. The Engineers Guild still struggles to understand
the building’s control systems, essentially putting one of the city’s
most critical utilities in the hands of fate.
THE ROBOT FORGE
Daedalus’ most recent project in Starhaven’s construction efforts
was to help restore the so-called Robot Forge, an automated factory
that produces and controls the maintenance robots that helped
maintain the city. These mechanical aids have sped up construction
efforts tenfold and can operate in parts of the city too cold, hot, or ir-
radiated for other residents to endure. While individual robots have
basic artificial intelligence capable of searching out and repairing
problems, they rely primarily on the forge’s central computers to
coordinate their efforts. Warhawks in the Senate now debate repur-
posing the forge to produce war drones and starfighters, arguing
that restoring the city won’t matter if Earth or the Stellar Imperium
burn it to ash.
The Robot Forge primarily manufactures the human-sized Cy-
clopes drones—named for the single sensor lens in the center
of their heads—but also produces the new quadrupedal Centaur
drones in limited quantities. Use the statistics for the Medium
Robot and Large Robot (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152),
adding 6 ranks in the Technology skill. The foundries can also
produce a limited supply of Typhon power suits (use the Robot
Jockey; (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 153), but the only line
units produced so far lack any weapon systems and are used for
heavy industry.
The Guide to Starhaven

GREENWALLS
The southwest corner of Starhaven once housed most of the origi-
nal biotech and computer facilities, but residents today consider
it the most dangerous and untamed district of Starhaven. Like
the West Wing to the north, it hosts a variety of overlapping alien
biomes, but the flora and fauna here are obvious mutants—the
results of ancient bio-engineering experiments. The digital systems
here—designed to keep the experimental subjects alive—con-
tinue to modify and cybernetically augment their test subjects as
well as adjust environmental controls of individual towers to gener-
ate microclimates. Those same environmental computers generate
massive holograms as well, rendering much of the area into surreal
mirages that conceal threats and leave visitors wandering an ever-
shifting labyrinth.
Like the rest of Starhaven, buildings in Greenwalls tend toward cir-
cular domes interconnected by bridges, but individual facilities are
large and squat—intended for scientific and industrial use rather
than habitation. Laboratory complexes and vast server farms fill
much of the district, but just as many host reproductions of alien
ecosystems—building-sized terrariums for studying life in its
natural habitat.
The Senate has officially blockaded the district after a band of
would-be “heroes” released a cybernetically-enhanced Lor Van
rhino that rampaged through the Central District, but that hasn’t
stopped scavengers and poachers from exploring the urban
canyons to hunt technological secrets and rare beasts. With much
of Greenwalls acting like a planetary zoo, many residents hope it
can eventually be reclaimed to offer them a slice of home.
THE CRYOSPHERE
Located near Greenwalls’s center, the Cryosphere is a massive
cryogenics complex storing dozens, perhaps hundreds of Pre-
server experiments in deep-freeze suspended animation. Leaking
cryogenic gasses plunged the entire, spherical building into
extreme cold, making exploration or repair virtually impossible for
all but a handful of Starhavians—even the city’s standard main-
tenance robots soon freeze solid in the biting cold. A handful of
cold-adapted creatures—either survivors of other experiments or
escapees from the cryogenic tubes—lair within the complex and
hunt intruders as well. Despite these dangers, the Cryosphere has
come to the attention of the villainous Mastermind (see Threat
Report, page 98), who believes the facility may hold his original,
paleolithic form.
DOME 338
The various enclosures of Greenwalls house every imaginable
alien environment, but one in particular captures the imagination
of Earth natives. Dome 338 houses a recreation of Earth during the
late Cretaceous era, including healthy populations of dinosaurs
ranging from the massive T-rex and ceratopsids to cunning velo-
ciraptors, as well as enormous insects. Preservers weren’t active
on Earth until long after all these creatures died out, raising ques-
tions about where they acquired their specimens, but the anach-
ronistic park is also largely free of the genetic tinkering and bio-
mechanical augmentation that plagues many other environments
in Greenwalls, and many Earth paleontologists refuse to look a gift
horse in the mouth.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
DREKPORT
Starhaven's own hive of scum and villainy lies near Greenwall's
southernmost edge, close to the dome itself. A large building here
once housed equipment for boring and supporting the network of
tunnels that support the city above, and the enterprising Mama
Kaiger (see Chapter 2) hot-wired these systems to construct smug-
gling tunnels to a nearby ice fissure that sits in a sensor shadow.
Members of the smugglers' syndicate—and even some members
of the legitimate Trade Alliance—know the approach, allowing
their small vessels to enter the city unseen. The smuggler's tunnels
aren't as well-sealed as formal access points around the city, and
slowly vent heat and atmosphere.
Because of the great danger in moving illegal goods through Gre-
enwalls to the wider markets of the Promenade or Central District,
few smugglers actually bring their goods into Drekport when they
can easily bribe customs officials to look the other way at Pegasus.
Instead, Drekport specializes in servicing criminals who can't berth
at legitimate ports, and selling scavenged materials and animals
from the wilder corners of Starhaven. It offers shelter for anyone
needing to lay low, and repairs for any ship that has tussled with
the law.
A thriving underground community has grown up around the
secret hangar, supported by startship mechanics and bars. Beings
branded as criminals on Earth or greater Starhaven can eke out a
living here as pilots, technicians, or muscle, while known pirates
can resupply and sell their wares. Still, few people choose Drekport,
hence the emerging slogan: "You don't go to Drekport. You just end
up here."
LIBRARY PRIME
The heart of the Preserver computer networks in Starhaven, the
Library Prime complex lies far below the city surface, concealed
beyond twisting lengths of utility tunnels. The Engineers Guild still
hasn’t located the server farm, but knows it lies somewhere beneath
the Greenwalls district. The hidden facility also secures a massive
collection of historical artifacts—mostly documents—maintained
by an offshoot fork of the Preserver AI known as the Curator
(Freedom City, page 230). The city’s original lockdown disconnected
the drone from the primary Curator, but as city communications
system come back online, the AI has worked to re-establish contact
with the powerful entity.
THE MIRROR ZONE
Looters warn their fellows away from a seemingly-peaceful stretch
of the Greenwalls. This quiet avenue—lined with reflecting pools,
gardens, and balconies—seems like a rare oasis in the hostile dis-
trict, but rumors claim those who visit never emerge. The Mirror
Zone’s extensive cloning facilities can create copies of visitors from
even the trace DNA exhaled in a breath, but its facsimiles are imper-
fect and unstable, dissolving with violence or impact. The deterio-
rating AI seeks larger and larger genetic samples to feed its flawed
cloning procedure, eventually dismembering trespassers to create
hordes of short-lived, uncanny duplicates. Because living creatures
carry trace amounts of DNA from everyone they have recently en-
countered, visitors may encounter friends, family members, lovers,
or enemies generated from these traces, who do their best to lure
intruders deeper within the zone.
17
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE FASTNESS
Unlike most of Starhaven’s sleek towers and flowing domes, the
structures of the Fastness in Starhaven’s southeast corner consist
of angular, blunt buildings that feel constructed more than grown.
The many redundant systems and thicker walls suggest a more dan-
gerous purpose than the elegant science the rest of
the city served—a suspicion only enhanced by the
extensive damage spread throughout the district.
Patches of radiation and unshielded, arcing electrical
conduits dot the streets and ruins. Citizens debate the
district’s original purpose, ranging from experiments in
quantum physics to wargames and weapon testing.
Whatever its intended purpose, the Fastness is
dangerous, and, like Greenwalls, the Senate has
declared this district off-limits until it can be
secured and restored by experts.
The Fastness has suffered the worst
ravages of age of anywhere in the city, if
for no other reason than because its boxy
buildings are less stable than the elegant
arches and domes seen elsewhere. While
Greenwalls is dangerous for its predators,
the Fastness threatens visitors with collaps-
ing walls and sudden drops. Entire blocks are
little more than rubble hills and freestanding
walls, with sinkholes plunging into the utility
tunnels and icy depths below. The district’s artifi-
cial gravity pumps frequently misfire as well, leaving
chunks of rubble or small buildings drifting in the
air for days at a time before they come crashing
down.
The greatest dangers in the Fastness aren't crea-
tures or robots, but the district's strange laws of
physics. Whatever experiments the Preservers
developed here left scars on the fabric of reality.
Corners of the district might negate or reverse
gravity, change how chemicals react, warp the
flow of time, or bend light to create illusions or
pockets of invisibility. These environmental ef-
gfects might impose circumstance penalties on various checks,
provide unexpected concealment, or present genuine hazards that
cause damage or impose temporary Complications.
HORTUS MAXIMUS
Near the edge of the district, a collection of plazas and storage fa-
cilities houses an unusual collection: samples of plants, minerals,
and common objects all magnified to incredible size. Dubbed the
Hortus Maximum—or Garden of the Big—by scavengers who dis-
covered it, the strange objects within have since become status
symbols for Starhaven’s wealthy elite, who fancy decorating their
new homes with furniture-sized blossoms or transforming titanic
lab equipment into eclectic art pieces. While these gargantuan arti-
facts seem like simple props, scientific analysis reveals their physical
structure has been modified—that they are ordinary samples trans-
formed at a subatomic level into giants. This discovery implies that
a device or phenomenon within the Hortus can enlarge matter—a
wonder that could eliminate Starhaven’s chronic food shortages if
discovered and controlled.
18
IMPACT LAKE
A larger crater near the central district suggests a meteor breached
the dome above the Fastness after the Preservers fled. Its shores
are almost perfectly circular, and its rainbow-shimmering surface
lies almost perfectly smooth even when the winds pick up.
Tests suggest the lake contains fresh water and trace oils
and chemical runoff from the city’s infre-
quent rains, but remote vehicles and robots
quickly shut down in the waters and the
few aquatic explorers who attempt to
plumb its depths vanished without a
trace. Some utility workers and scavengers
have begun to question if the damage
wasn’t caused by an interior blast
rather than some asteroid impact.
PHOBETOR
The most prominent feature of
this defunct corner of the city is the
ominous black tower that juts up from
the ruins, even piercing the atmo-
spheric dome above. Inside are
long, featureless halls that curve
back on themselves, and wide
rooms devoid of furniture or appar-
ent purpose.
The tower’s interior is polymorphic,
able to re-shape at command to suit
any need, but its psionic control cir-
cuits weathered the years badly.
Today, the interior warps to reflect
the whims and subconscious
desires of anyone who enters.
Its dark hallways can recreate a
paradise or fulfill secret desires,
but the tower just as eagerly
manifests fears, insecurities, and
past horrors for trespassers to endure.
Those who have escaped call the monolith "PhobeTor," after the
Greek nightmare spirit.
THE SINGULARITY RING
One of the few installations in the hands of Starhaven’s nascent
government is a complex housing what scientists have dubbed
the Singularity Ring. Constructed from an unknown mineral, this
ten-meter ring floats unaided in the center of a large testing bay,
neither producing nor consuming energy. Most Preserver technol-
ogy is advanced beyond conventional understanding, it seems in-
tuitive to use (at least its most basic functions) or provides an AI
operating system to assist users, but the Singularity Ring defies any
attempt to use or understand it. Theories range from a new power
system to paracausal scaffolding the Preservers used to construct
Collapsar to a spatial gateway connecting Starhaven to other, un-
discovered Preserver sites. While the project’s head, a Lor scientist
named Yagen-Als, is open to these unusual theories, his quiet hope
is that the torus is a functional time machine that could eventually
prevent the fall of Magna Lor in the first place.
The Guide to Starhaven

OTHER CITY FEATURES
The Green Zone extends far beyond the city proper, hiding ad-
ditional secrets and resources, though few citizens will brave the
overgrown wilderness for now.
BLUE FIRS
A large stretch of coniferous trees from all across Earth, this stretch
of the Green Zone is noteworthy for housing a stable population
of Cholaxans—better known on earth as bigfoot or sasquatch—
native to the area seemingly since the Preservers abandoned them
tens of thousands of years ago. This population lacks sapience,
but whether this represents an earlier stage in their evolution, or
a bizarre Preserver experiment remains unknown. For now, the
Senate has declared the forest a sanctuary for the native sasquatch
and the few true Cholaxan Starhavians.
While seemingly a natural paradise, Blue Firs conceals many neo-
lithic hazards from North America, including sabre-tooth tigers, dire
wolves, and hell pigs. The wet, moss-covered rocky terrain is also
hazardous and confusing to travel despite its small size. Because of
this, transplanted Cholaxans are becoming surprisingly wealthy—
under the auspices of a shady Cholaxan merchant referring to
himself only as Mr. Shaq—as Starhaven’s only reliable source of
many indigenous plants as well as meat that wasn’t grown in a
cloning vat.
MERRIMENT HILLS
Located near the Lar, this overgrown ruin consists of statues, small
buildings, and technical frameworks surrounding a central plaza
with supernaturally keen acoustics. It stood as a mystery until an en-
trepreneur named Yavva Ten-Sly reactivated just enough systems
to realize an entertainment complex—an alien amusement park—
lay buried beneath the strangling figs. Now the Drik scavenger is
negotiating with a very wary Senate for ownership of the site so
she can restore and profit from the ancient arcades, rides, and simu-
lations. In the meantime, squatters and looters visit frequently to
gawk at the relatively safe Preserver ruin.
Ten-Sly hates being a low priority. In her opinion, Starhavians have
suffered too much in recent years and need the lighthearted diver-
sion her amusement park can provide—even if she doesn't fully
understand all the technology involved. She currently plans to
conduct a "soft opening" for a select corner of Merriment Hills in the
coming weeks. Whether things will go according to plan or unleash
untamed Preserver technology remains anyone's guess.
MICRO-LOR
According to reports, a small stretch of wilderness to the south of
Starhaven abruptly ends its approximation of Earth climates and
instead grows wild with plants, animals, and fungi native to the lost
world of Magna Lor—former seat of the Lor Republic. With almost
all of the planet’s native life destroyed by Collapsar, this genetic ark
represents a chance to create a replacement world with flora and
fauna familiar to the millions of Lor refugees.
Nothing in Starhaven is simple, however, and the creatures and
blossoms within Micro-Lor hail from a more aggressive period in
the planet’s history. The titanic, herbivorous wraths (use stats for
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
the Stegosaurus; Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 148) dominate
the ecosystem, aggressively defending their burrows and foraging
grounds with serrated tails and jagged armor, while blood-drinking
leechblossoms and hallucinogenic terror-lemurs (use stats for the
Giant Flytrap and Trickster Faerie, respectively; Deluxe Gamemas-
ter’s Guide, page 149) control the tree canopies. These predators
don’t deter government missions to recover samples, nor poachers
supplying Lor elites with a taste of home.
SEAHAVEN
Ten miles below Starhaven lies a smaller research outpost bolted
to the underside of the continental ice sheet making up Europa’s
surface. Apparently existing to generate power, mine minerals from
the seawater, and serve as a laboratory for aquatic terraforming
projects, Seahaven—as locals now call it—connects to the colony
above via an express elevator and miles of unexplored tunnels.
Water-breathing aliens of all kinds migrate to this “suburb” of Star-
haven for easy access to the moon’s warm, dark oceans, and the
Hexxim- and Piscean-dominated community is quickly starting to
see itself as an independent nation. For now, Seahaven serves as
another district in the New Lor Republic with very vocal Senate rep-
resentation and secretive reporting on local affairs.
The Preservers constructed Seahaven to be a titanic single build-
ing, rather than mirror the domed city design of Starhaven, but the
facilities are nonetheless expansive. Most of the structure consists
of wide corridors, spacious dormitories, and labs stretching nearly
a kilometer across. Warehouses, vehicle bays, and hydroponic parks
large enough to house small Earth buildings line most of the outer
surface. Less obvious and harder to access, the site has also suffered
far less from looters over the centuries, though water damage has
flooded many compartments as seals and systems failed. Several
Preserver vehicles are still operational, with enough living space to
sustain a small crew comfortably for months as they map and study
the moon-wide seas.
Despite their aspirations of independence, Seahaven seems cursed.
Catastrophic failures cascade from seemingly-stable systems,
supplies vanish without a trace, and rumors of residents missing
minutes or even hours of memories become increasingly common.
For now, En’shessus, the Hexxim leader of the settlement, chalks
this “bad luck” up to exhaustion and stress, but superstitious Seaha-
vians have begun whispering that something more dangerous than
blind fish and moon coral swims the waters outside.
ZETA
Europa is a moon with a moon. 344302 Europa I Zeta—just called
Zeta by locals—is a small, rocky asteroid in a roughly circular orbit
around the moon. The Jovian gravity and competing moons should
have torn away the small rock—barely a kilometer across—eons
ago, so locals assume its presence is deliberately engineered. Dae-
delus himself could find no technology integrated into the celestial
body, and theorized the Preservers installed it as a sort of "shepherd
moon" to protect their city from stray meteorites.
Zeta isn't entirely benign. It creates a rotating sensor shadow the
city can't easily see beyond, providing a "dark" corner of space
pirates and smugglers can hide their ships within. The Engineers'
Guild plans to establish a radar outpost on the asteroid, but the op-
eration remains low priority in favor of rebuilding the city proper.
19
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
LIFE ON EUROPA
Life on Starhaven is a bizarre experience. Residents hail from across
the Milky Way, with a variety of cultures and biologies standing as
barriers to cooperation. And yet everyone has survived deep loss—
fleeing the destruction of their worlds or the conquests of a tyrant—
experiences only other refugees understand. Everyone lost family
and misses familiar sights and sounds of home, and everyone has a
collection of friends who feel like family. Many adults have adopted
children of other species or taking over care for elderly with no one
else, forming tight-knight, multi-generational households.
After years of isolation and tent-living on Star Island, Starhaven
offers a future, and Starhavians are cautiously optimistic. The city
needs extensive work—walls are crumbling or industrial, power
flickers, food shortages loom, and strange technologies and critters
are a constant threat—but now every day’s labor puts them one
step closer to stability instead of merely surviving.
Day-to-day life is taking a shape familiar to many urbanites. Most
people live in apartments in the reclaimed city-center and go to
work for 4-8 hours a day; the city itself is the colony’s largest em-
ployer, recruiting engineers and laborers to restore the buildings
and services, but also organizing teachers, healers, counselors, sani-
tation workers, archivists, and bureaucrats to provide basic services.
Private businesses are generally small—small shops, food stalls,
construction or decoration services, security specialists, and repair
centers—but a few large corporations have sprung up to provide
for the city’s technological or information needs, providing steady
work for a sizeable minority of the population.
ENTERTAINMENT
Unable to work while assigned to refugees camps on Earth, most
survivors depended on entertainment to lift their spirits and dis-
tract them from all they lost. Many arrived with only bits and pieces
of their home culture—a computer with a few dozen music files,
copies of novels they were reading, gaming rigs loaded with a smat-
tering of titles, or a single musical instrument or the knowledge of
how to make one—and traded these eagerly amongst themselves,
supplementing with whatever Earth culture was available. Korean
dramas and American animation both developed strong followings
on Star Island, as did African heavy metal and roleplaying games.
Now in Starhaven, a booming market exists from the lost media of
their respective homeworlds and television, games, and films from
Earth. Community music and theater events are the most common
entertainment with restaurants and coffee houses all offering live
entertainment to attract visitors. The community media app Third
Eye lets anyone make videos, music, and podcasts for public distri-
bution and most new Starhaven media flows from this tech giant,
and a few of the most popular influencers have begun spinning
their personal success into larger, crewed productions.
The New Lor Republic has also sold its first three official broadcast
media licenses. Third Dot Broadcasting specializes in licensing Earth
media and broadcasting it on Starhaven, while the Lor Communi-
cations Channel focuses on local and galactic news with “cultural”
broadcasts like documentaries and music in the off hours. Starhav-
en Central Media is the growing powerhouse, however, with their
20
focus on creating new media to appeal to Starhavian experiences
and interest. They release local news and studies on the city’s ex-
pansion, interview local professionals, and produce low-budget
series like the melodramatic romance The Stars Our Haven or their
runaway hit, Picking Up the Pieces, a sitcom about a flustered Lor
throuple raising four rambunctious adoptees from other species.
FOOD
Unsurprisingly for a cultural melting pot, Starhaven cuisine com-
bines the familiar with the foreign. UN emergency supplies—rice,
legumes, vegetable oil, preserved meats and vegetables, and
vitamin supplements—made up the bulk of the refugee diet and
continue to be major imports from Earth, but various cultures
applied their own techniques for preparing these simple ingredi-
ents, from elaborate Sk’ree threadmeal to hearty Haasaan fried
buns. Chefs made substitutions using local ingredients—the simi-
larity of Earth calamari to Lor thon fruit gave way to a dish AEGIS
agents refer to as “sweet squid pie”—creating new cultural staples.
As the city’s hydroponic farms begin coming online and poachers
retrieve various meats and plants from the ruins, the Starhavian diet
has expanded. Packaged drinks and snacks from Earth are readily
available thanks to industrious smugglers stocking the city's omni-
present vending machines. The city finally has the space to handle
foods that require more processing, such as alcohol, breads, and
tofu-analogs. Milk—once considered repugnant to every species
except humans—earned slow acceptance thanks to powdered
milk rations, and some Starhavians have begun experimenting with
cheese and other dairy products—though few will admit it in polite
company. Fresh fruit and vegetables are luxuries, given as gifts
when visiting a friend’s home but rarely purchased for personal use.
Few residents have fully-functioning kitchens, making small res-
taurants and food stalls vital. Yahnen—a noodle soup bolstered
with whatever vegetables and protein are available—is the most
common option, but a hungry visitor can find diners representing
any component culture of the city.
LAW
AEGIS and UNISON still jointly handle law enforcement in Star-
haven, ostensibly answering to New Lor Republic observers and
judges. In reality, there’s no love between the Earth agencies and
alien government and both agencies remain only because Starhav-
en lacks the power to remove them. Peacekeepers patrol the streets
to “keep order,” but how hard they come down on crimes generally
depends on how human-looking the perpetrators are. Protesters
refer to peacekeeper troops as an “occupying force,” but in the end
neither AEGIS nor UNISON have much interest in ruling so much as
maintaining some human presence in the city. The mistrust means
few Starhavians willingly call the authorities, handling most crimes
personally, by recruiting a posse, or by hiring a freelance investiga-
tor or security specialist. When hands-on justice fails, citizens turn
to their Block Captains rather than the police.
Starhaven builds its justice system off the older Lor model, in which
prosecutors and the wounded party bring evidence before a mag-
The Guide to Starhaven

istrate and the accused may defend themselves. The city uses no
juries but in especially important cases, multiple magistrates might
collaborate to reach a fair verdict.
Because the city lacks a prison, punishments are limited to fines,
house arrest, mandatory public service, and exile. Magistrates often
prescribe mandatory counseling as well, usually under a Mentat,
and in extreme cases the city resorts to psionic “conditioning” to
curb violent behavior—something most non-Lor citizens see as a
barbaric violation. In most cases, however, the city simply attaches
a monitoring bracelet to convicted criminals to track their move-
ments, communicate directly, and issue pacifying shocks (rank 6-10
Affliction, resisted and overcome by Fortitude) if needed, often
pairing that with labor hours dedicated to restoring the city or oth-
erwise serving the public.
MONEY
During their stay on Star Island, refugees traded an ever-shifting
spectrum of currencies from dead or conquered worlds, with values
fluctuating daily and inflation rampant. Most eventually turned to
barter or relying on Earth currencies like the US Dollar or AEGIS-
issued ration coupons. The New Lor Republic has begun issuing
New Lor Credits—generally referred to as NLC or “nulcs”—a digital
currency tracked on smartcomms (see Technology) and locked to
a user’s biometric data. In theory, one nulc buys the equivalent of
a hot meal or a plain article of clothing—roughly equal to $10-15
USD—but many merchants are slow to accept them until they see
just how stable the new government is.
Public markets are common sights across town, with almost every-
one setting up a stall for a day or two each week to sell home-spun
goods, scavenged supplies, and surplus from personal gardens or
offer specialty services like repairs and body modifications. Dedicat-
ed storefronts are becoming more common as the city reclaims and
restores space, but for now they give priority to living space and hy-
droponics, leaving businesses competing for the spaces available or
illegally squatting in less-than-ideal conditions. For now, most small
businesses still operate out of their owners’ homes.
TECHNOLOGY
While Starhaven has collected a wide variety of alien technologies
from all across the galaxy, it lacks the production capacity to manu-
facture new units or even many replacement parts, and so the city is
a combination of cutting-edge technology and kit-bashed repairs.
New Earth technology has begun arriving from supply shuttles,
giving citizens access to 21st-century consumer goods at highly in-
flated prices to count for shipping and scarcity. The average house-
hold has a motley collection of appliances: a microwave, refrig-
erator, lights, phone, computer or laptop, and a television—often
with a game system—but these systems are old and need frequent
repair. Most homes also provide clean water, but utility issues still
cause outages and rationing. Still, most people have access to a
trinket or two that Earthlings would consider super-science.
Public areas and businesses generally provide access to communi-
cations terminals, televisions, and sound systems, while automated
systems keep streetlights running. A fleet of maintenance robots—
designs left over by the Preservers and poorly understood even by
the Engineers’ Guild—repair and clean public spaces. The robot
forges pump out new units—especially the ubiquitous “Cyclopes”
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN
drones—to keep up with the extensive work the growing city still
needs, but the aging systems make for frequent breakdowns.
The one ubiquitous piece of technology across Starhaven are smart-
comms—essentially smartphones that building their own wireless
network. The New Lor Republic issues one comm per citizen and
uses them to track work requests and credit accounts, as well as
to locate anyone trapped or injured in the ruins. Critics claim the
comms are an invasion of privacy just waiting to be abused, but
many young programmers and tech startups are building their rep-
utations providing apps for this commonplace device.
STARHAVEN COMPLICATIONS
Complications in a Starhaven campaign might relate to powers or
alien biology, such as dependence on an unusual atmosphere or
food supply, but just as often they tie back to a hero’s experience
with the city or circumstances that made them refugees. The fol-
lowing Complications are especially appropriate:
Addiction: This Complication can represent some alien nutrient
or tradition that, while not critical for the hero’s survival, makes life
easier. It may be something as lighthearted as cooking from their
homeworld to as important as an inhaler than helps them breathe
an Earth-like atmosphere without coughing and sneezing.
Disability: The refugees of Starhaven survived both war and natural
disaster, and many walked away with lasting injuries that received
minimal—if any—medical care or therapy. Heroes may be missing
limbs, blinded, or suffer from mental illness like post-traumatic
stress disorder or depression. Others may be from species that lack
abilities most of the galaxy takes for granted, like a sense of smell or
the dexterous fingers needed to operate modern technology.
Phobia: Those who have survived Star-Khan’s forces or a brush with
Collapsar may walk away with deep-seated fears related to those
traumas. While a fear of cosmic entities won’t come up often, a fear
of earthquakes, the dark, or confined spaces are all common issues
among Starhavians who witnessed the Devourer in action. Those
who escaped war may instead fear soldiers, weapons, or fire.
Prejudice: Even in a city of aliens, some are more alien than other.
The human-like Lor make up the majority of Starhaven’s population
and government, and so-called “diamorphs” (nonhumanoid aliens)
generally receive worse accommodations, struggle to find work,
and rarely fill positions of authority. Even among the Lor communi-
ty, tension exist along old social, economic, and religious lines that
can be exacerbated as people struggle to maintain whatever sense
of normalcy they can.
Relationship: No refugee survives alone, and most Starhavians
have formed families of choice from a collection of random survi-
vors. Almost everyone owes their survival to a kind stranger who
has since become family, and most help someone else survive in
the chaos of relocation.
Rivalry: Just as few refugees survived without making lifelong
friends, few survived without making bitter enemies. When resourc-
es are thin and tensions run high, every slight and snub can blow up
into a fight, and the consequences of those fights might linger for
years. Another survivor may be a bully or opportunist, or just rubs a
hero the wrong way. A stranger might even blame the hero for the
death of a family member and take pleasure in making their life hell.
And maybe you did some terrible things to survive.
21
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
HEROES OF STARHAVEN
Starhaven needs heroes, and those champions might be locals,
Earth imports, or cosmic authorities like the Star Knights.
CAMPAIGN CONCEPTS
Starhaven can be a destination for your Earth-bound heroes to visit,
either once or repeatedly as they help support the colony or chase
villains who threaten it. The refugees and the Jovian moon both
offer intriguing secrets, incredible technology, and strange oppor-
tunities-as well as incredible danger. Some heroes, such as Magna
Force (Superteam Handbook, page 110) might even be Earth heroes
whose antagonists lair on Europa, inviting repeated visits for the
safety of both worlds.
But Starhaven can also serve as the home for your campaign, with
the heroes defending the colony and investigating mysteries just
as Earthly heroes defend their hometown. Heroes can be alien ref-
ugees, human heroes attached to AEGIS or UNISON or invited to
assist by Daedalus, or representatives of a galactic peacekeeping
force like the Star Knights. In addition to handling supervillains and
escaped Preserver experiments, the city needs to slowly recover
the ruins, gather resources, and establish diplomatic ties with both
Earth and cosmic society, providing personal motivations and a
break from the usual pattern of “fight the bad guy.”
AGENTS OF DORI
Power Level: 6–8 •Scale: Global
Setting: Futuristic • Style: Dark
While most of Star Island’s refugees happily relocated to Starhav-
en—a place they were free to decide their own destiny—a few
slipped through the cracks. The desperate, the discontent, and the
exploitative escaped onto Earth to live among—or prey upon—hu-
manity. Starhaven’s Department of Outworlder Recovery and Incar-
ceration claims jurisdiction over earthly crimes involving Starhaven,
and its resourceful agents investigate unusual crimes, recover alien
technology, and battle extraterrestrial crooks with the ultimate goal
of removing any threats introduced to Earth by their willingness to
take in alien refugees.
Agents of DORI is a lower-power campaign where the players take on
the role of talented humans and aliens, backed by alien technology
and knowledge to hunt otherworldly threats or humans using alien
technology. Adventures focus on investigation and preparation,
and even minions make for challenging fights for unwary agents.
As an inter-agency department run jointly by AEGIS, UNISON, and
the new Senate, politics abound, and conspiracies might flourish as
different power groups fight to control alien powers.
EUROPA LIGHT AND SEWER
Power Level: 8–10 • Scale: Global
Setting: Weird • Style: Light
Europa doesn’t repair itself. Well, some corners of it do, but even these
need supervision. Enter the talented troubleshooters of the Engi-
neer’s Guild, a.k.a. Europa Light and Sewer. The brave technicians of
this organization spearhead the steady reclamation of Starhaven and
22
provide housing for the rapidly expanding population. Exploring the
ruins and conducting repairs occupy much of their time, but select
technicians with a wide variety of powers and skills, might find them-
selves tracking down scavengers, battling rogue robots, or rushing to
save children lost in the overgrown corners of the settlement.
Europa Light and Sewer is a campaign that shares many similarities
with traditional dungeon-crawling games—the heroes must inves-
tigate forgotten corners of the city, battle feral creatures and robots,
and recover supplies in order to bring new corners of the city online
and repair the ravages of time. The Engineer’s Guild still confronts
villains—particularly those exploiting or looting the city—but their
primary focus is always on keeping the colony alive and healthy.
GUARDIANS OF HAVEN
Power Level: 10–12 • Scale: Regional
Setting: Cosmic • Style: Grayscale
Alien monsters and ancient robots lurk, villains profit off of suffering,
and citizens don’t trust the authorities. Starhaven is a city that needs
heroes. Thankfully it is also a city that has attracted considerable at-
tention from the heroes of both Earth and the wider galaxy. Resident
heroes take the frontline against not only local villains but Earth super-
villains who might arrive to claim some advanced gadget and minions
of the Star-Khan who hope to soften the colony up for invasion.
Guardians of Haven is a traditional superhero campaign, with a
decided bend towards technology-oriented powers and strange
villains. The heroes ultimately want to protect the city and keep
citizens safe, but occasional adventures might take them to other
planets. They may keep secret identities or serve as public figures
and role models, even being deputized by the Senate as Starhaven’s
official champions.
STUDENTS OF THE COSMOS
Power Level: 8–10 • Scale: Local
Setting: Futuristic • Style: Light
The Iapyx Academy is dedicated to nourishing young minds so that
Starhaven’s youth—already scarred by tragedy—can have a future
defined by something more than what they’ve endured. While not
explicitly a school for young superheroes, Daedalus borrowed many
lessons and philosophies from his old friend Duncan Summers when
designing a curriculum that could accommodate the varied abilities
and cultures of the secondary school’s student body. More than a few
of those lessons teach community support and, combined with many
young alien’s exposure to human pop culture, many have taken it
upon themselves to become young heroes under the auspices of the
academy’s Legion of Civic Honors. Legionnaires ideally volunteer to
feed the needy, clean public spaces, and use their various innate abili-
ties to solve nonviolent problems and help the community, but many
follow a pubescent urge for adventure and excitement into exploring
the ruins and confronting evil.
Students of the Cosmos is a Hero High campaign with a cosmic
twist, bringing the heroes into conflict with space-faring villains
and domestic dangers while also trying to build a stronger com-
munity they will someday lead.
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 1: NOW ARRIVING IN STARHAVEN

POWERS much a superstition as history, with the hero understanding broad

One of the defining traits of comic books aliens are superhuman
abilities shared across entire species. For some alien heroes, their
natural abilities—often honed to their peak through training—
define their superhero identity and toolkit. But for other aliens, their
natural abilities are minor or supplement mutation, extraordinary
technology, or intense physical training.
When building your hero, consider what abilities are shared across
their people and which are unique to them. A Kash’rodan refugee
mutated by cosmic rays, for example, would retain the enhanced
strength and charm of her people, but her ability to become invis-
ible might be wholly unique. This provides a basis for the Game-
master to build other character that share a homeworld and
helps define how powerful (or dangerous) other Starhavians see
members of your culture.
swathes about Preserver legacy and making educated guesses on
the details. Expertise (Starhaven) relates to the city itself, its districts,
and local trends, as well as its recent history and major dangers.
TECHNOLOGY
The Technology skill is incredibly useful, and Gamemasters may
consider breaking it into two or more separate skills to differenti-
ate its computer-focused uses, its security aspects, and its ability to
understand, build, and repair advanced machinery.
Preserver technology is almost always advanced enough to impose
a –5 circumstance penalty on technology checks to understand,
operate, or repair it, while especially degraded Preserver technol-
ogy increases this penalty to –10.

IMMUNITY
Immunity is one of the most common “innate” powers possessed
by Starhavian citizens, who hail from a wide variety of alien worlds
and ecosystems. Some may be immune to toxic atmospheres and
extreme temperatures, while other might age so slowly they are ef-
fectively immortal.

With Europa’s harsh climate, some level of Immunity—particularly

to cold, suffocation, and/or radiation—can help heroes survive
adventures beyond the city dome without protective equipment.
Other Immunities, such as low pressure or heat, might be more
practical to a space-faring society while still others, like starvation,
helps a refugee better weather the ordeals currently threatening
the city.

SENSES
Another common and low-cost way to define an alien hero is to
provide senses humans don’t normally possess, or enhance a famil-
iar sense to extraordinary levels. An alien hero may be a traditional
martial artist or secret agent whose only “super” power is echoloca-
tion or keen sense of smell shared by all members of their species.
Unusual senses in particular are ideal ways to gather information
about the city’s layout, damage, and inhabitants or provide clues to
the ever-shifting political landscape.

SKILLS
Most Starhaven campaigns are urban campaigns at their heart,
mixed with a dash of cosmic weirdness—characters will probably
spend more time leaping across rooftops or wading through sewers
than piloting starships, for example. As such, traditional “superhero”
skills are more valuable than “space hero” skills.

EXPERTISE
Expertise specialties like Science, Streetwise, or Politics are all useful
for city-based heroes, but the unique locale presents several new
specialties players might consider. Expertise (xenoculture) focuses
on the diverse biology and traditions of the city’s residents, helping
heroes understand their neighbors, ease over social faux pas, and
recognize common medical problems. Expertise (Preservers) is as

The Guide to Starhaven 23

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
Chapter 2
The Sinister Secrets Of Starhaven
S
tarhaven literally opens up new worlds of adventure for Mutants
& Masterminds Gamemasters, leaving Earth largely behind and
challenging heroes with life in a strange new “frontier” settle-
ment in the outer solar system, exploring the ancient ruins of an
advanced alien installation and dealing with challenges both ex-
ternal and internal to the peace and well-being of the settlers of
Starhaven. This chapter contains material for the Gamemaster only!
Readers intending to play in a Starhaven campaign should skip this
chapter and the Siege of Starhaven adventure in order to avoid
potential spoilers.
This chapter provides resources and suggestions for M&M Game-
masters setting adventures and campaigns in Starhaven, as de-
scribed in Chapter 1, providing the behind-the-scenes material
necessary. Some of this material refers to the Deluxe Hero’s Hand-
book as well as the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide and the Cosmic
Handbook. Efforts have been made to include all of the essential
information Gamemasters need, such that sourcebooks other than
the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook are useful, but not required.
In many ways, Starhaven is a city like any other: People love their
families, go to work, hang out with friends, and struggle to make
sense of a complicated world and their place in it. Ideals meet harsh
24
reality and some residents rise to the challenge. Others falter and
turn to theft and violence. Bickering political parties fight for the
fate of thousands.
In many other ways, Starhaven is wholly unique: A city in space,
protected from vacuum, freezing cold, and harsh radiation by a
thin layer of prehistoric plastic. Ancient animals and extraterrestrial
beasts creep through ruined corridors. Technology so advanced
it may as well be magic lies forgotten in dark closets. And all your
neighbors are aliens.
The real “secret” of Starhaven—as with all Mutants & Masterminds
setting material—is that it is your setting, to do with as you will.
Ultimately, all of the ideas and details in this chapter, and in fact
this entire book, are just possibilities you can decide to use in
your campaign as-is or to alter or omit to suit your needs. Feel
free to start telling the story of Starhaven from anywhere along
its timeline, before or after the arrival of its current settlers. You
can ignore the settlers plot altogether and make Starhaven a vast,
empty ruin for the heroes to explore on their own, even being the
first to discover it, fill the Green Zone with dinosaurs or alien life,
replace any or all of the existing factions or foes, or anything else
that interests you.
The Guide to Starhaven

STARHAVEN ADVENTURES
The Campaign Frameworks section of Chapter 1 goes into detail
about the potential types of M&M campaigns Gamemasters can run
using Starhaven as a setting, focused on who the heroes are and
what their role is in the settlement. This section looks at the differ-
ent adventure possibilities posed by Starhaven, villains from other
Mutants & Masterminds sourcebooks suited for the setting, and
other M&M game resources that might be useful in setting up and
running a Starhaven series.
The Cosmic Handbook is single most useful supplement for a Star-
haven series, focused on adventures beyond the bounds of Earth. It
covers many of the elements a Starhaven Gamemaster will want to
consider, from survival in the depths of space and travel between
planets to different alien species, cosmic forces, and settings with
more advanced technology than Earth’s as their default. The Cosmic
Handbook also comes with a wealth of useful archetypes for heroes,
villains, and alien species, along with more detail on the greater
galaxy in Earth-Prime’s universe and its factions.
There are numerous possible directions to take with an M&M cam-
paign set in Starhaven. Chapter 3 provides an initial adventure, the
Siege of Starhaven, that touches upon some of these campaign
hooks, which Gamemasters can expand upon using the material in
this book into full-fledged adventures.
CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT
Pupil and the Children of Chrysalis (see Starhaven Factions) have
plans for Starhaven, namely as a giant experiment in forced evolu-
tion to fit Chrysalis’s ancient operating instructions. Characters can
encounter both the seemingly benign public face of the cult, in the
form of free clinics and medical-assistance charities, as well as the
more sinister elements recruiting people into secret meetings, cre-
ating terrible mutations, and disposing of the results of their pa-
tron’s “gifts” gone wrong. Characters with a health care or biological
sciences background might even be unknowingly involved with
the Cult’s public works, only to discover the terrible truth.
The Children of Chrysalis are a great opportunity for a “mass origin
event” like the Silver Storm from the Emerald City sourcebook,
wherein Preserver technology run amok causes random mutations
in a segment of the Starhaven population. If you’re looking to start
a Starhaven series, this can be the kick-off, giving the heroes their
powers as well as empowered a number of potential adversaries
or allies. The same might be true for an ongoing series: The heroes
might be some of the first people with super-powers in Starhaven,
but subjects of the cult’s experiments could increase the super-
powered population manifold in just one adventure.
The further the Children of Chrysalis pursue their goals, the worse
things get because it becomes increasingly clear (at least to outsid-
ers) that the artificial intelligence Chrysalis has no endgame: It is
simply pursing a program of forced evolution because that’s what
it was designed to do. There’s no “enlightenment” or “higher being”
at the end of the cult’s agenda. Depending on how things play out,
even Pupil, Chrysalis’s fanatical high priest, may find his faith shaken
by the discover that it has all been for nothing. Or the realization
may drive him to embrace nihilism and hasten the coming of Col-
lapsar the Devourer, trading one false god for another.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE
The public education of Starhaven’s children can form the basis for
various adventures, even a whole kind of Hero High series set in
space. Starhaven characters might be educators or school admin-
istrators or parents with children of their own, dealing with raising
and caring for them in a new and potentially dangerous environ-
ment. Starhaven heroes may be looked up to as role models, asked
to come and speak at school to inspire the children, the perfect
opportunity for an enemy to attack or something to go wrong.
Something like a “field trip” out into the Green Zone gone awry is
also an opportunity for heroes to rush to the rescue and help save a
group of schoolchildren stranded in a hostile wilderness. In a com-
munity where everyone is an outsider, making sure kids feel heard
and welcome is perhaps the greatest stumbling block for the entire
community's long-term survival.
You can also run Starhaven adventures where the heroes are kids
themselves, either as a regular series or a change-of-pace adven-
ture. This might be a Hero High story where super-powered alien
teens maintain costumed secret identities while also dealing with
schoolwork and their ordinary lives, or it could be a one-shot story
where some Preserver artifact or Chrysalis experiment temporarily
endows some kids with powers. It might even transfer powers from
regular adult heroes in the series to them, or transform the adult
heroes temporarily into kids!
EXPLORING THE CITY
Starhaven is an ancient, alien ruin thousands of years old and full
of potential mysteries and dangers. There are plenty of adventures
to be had just exploring the different districts of the city, looking to
clear areas and declare them safe for people to begin moving into
them. Heroes can take the initiative to explore different parts of the
city—selflessly or perhaps as roguish treasure hunters and scaven-
gers—or may be asked to do so by the Senate, given their abilities.
They may encounter any number of hazards, from ancient (and pos-
sibly malfunctioning) Preserver technology, rogue creatures (like
the Nanomorph and others in the Starhaven Creatures section),
rival scavengers or criminals, or the various villainous factions of
Starhaven looking to loot or exploit parts of the city. Perhaps mys-
terious “hauntings” or disappearances associated with a part of the
city are a ruse on the part of some villain to frighten others away
from the area and the heroes can expose the truth. The heroes’
explorations might also turn up new resources, leading to debate
within Starhaven’s leadership over how to best make use of them.
THE NULL SET
Although Magna Force (from the Superteam Handbook) has ties
with Europa and its Preserver ruins, this book notes but tends to
downplay the presence of Null and her void doll and monstrous
minions. If you prefer not to deal with the Null as a threat in your
Starhaven series you can easily do so. On the other hand, if you have
the Superteam Handbook and want to use Null (and possibly Magna
Force) in your series, then she makes an excellent master-villain.
While Null intends to grinds the cosmos beneath her heel, she also
25
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
has endless time in which to do it. The settlement of Starhaven,
far from interfering with her plans, may provide her with a ready
source of raw materials for her void dolls and mutated minions. In
fact, the techno-sorceress might seize control of Chrysalis and use
the “evolve or die” cult to cull and create new creatures. Starhaven
heroes can team up with Magna Force against Null, or perhaps the
Magna Matrix will invest some local heroes as new Cavaliers or the
heroes will have to face-off against villainous version of Magna
Force under Null’s control!
PEACEKEEPING
Starhaven is a relatively new community made up of disparate
species thrown together by circumstance, doing the best they can
under difficult conditions. There are bound to be conflicts, cultural
misunderstandings, and opportunists making life difficult for ev-
eryone. Heroes might assist the settlement’s authorities in keeping
the peace, functioning like Wild West deputies in a frontier town
as well as conventional superheroes. They might intervene in situa-
tions where cultural or political conflicts erupt into violence, or do
some conventional crime-fighting alongside their other activities.
Starhaven still has crime and criminals (like Mama Kaiger and her
gang on page 50 of this chapter) and the human security forces are
limited, stretched thin, widely distrusted, and potentially subverted
by criminal elements. Foes like Veil also have an interest in stirring
up unrest, and the heroes may need to deal with those situations,
while also investigating the incidents and discovering a more sinis-
ter purpose behind them.
RELATIONS WITH EARTH
Although Starhaven looks to stand on its own, it remains strongly
tied with Earth as the nearest source of what passes for “civilization”
in the solar system, much less this part of the galaxy. Earth likewise
has a vested interest in what happens on Starhaven, and UNIQUE
and AEGIS both maintain a presence largely to protect Earth’s claim
to the colony’s technology and secrets. While the people of Starhav-
en have rejected the notion of their settlement remaining a protec-
torate of Earth’s United Nations, most understand the importance
of maintaining good relations with their interplanetary neighbors.
Whether the heroes in a Starhaven campaign are from Earth or alien
refugees themselves, they’re likely involved in the delicate diplo-
matic relations between the two worlds. They may be able to foster
greater trust between the humans of Earth and the various species
living in Starhaven, or one side or another may view them as un-
trustworthy agents of the other side. Human heroes living in Star-
haven may be expected to place their loyalty to Earth first, putting
them in a difficult situation, while alien heroes in Starhaven may
find themselves advocating for continued ties with Earth, even if
they don’t entirely agree with the notion.
Continued good relations with Earth and its governments allow
plenty of opportunities for “cross-over” adventures where people
from Earth visit Starhaven or vice versa. Heroes may have to deal
with a diplomatic mission from Earth (which an earthly villain might
use as a Trojan horse), an “exchange program” with a team of Earth
heroes, human scientists or researchers on Europa to study the
ruins, the inhabitants of Starhaven, or the development of the set-
tlement, and so forth. Likewise, Starhaven heroes might take part in
a diplomatic mission to Earth, or be asked to assist earthly authori-
ties or heroes with bringing in alien escapees.
26
THE STELLAR IMPERIUM
The fall of the Lor Republic and the rise of the Stellar Imperium were
the catalyst for most of the peoples of Starhaven becoming refu-
gees in the first place. Now the Imperium and its Star Khan begin to
turn their attention toward the Sol system, home of various heroes
who have been thorns in the side of the Star Khan in the past.
The Imperium’s initial forays into Starhaven involve spies and sab-
oteurs like Veil (detailed on page 54 of this chapter) infiltrate the
settlement, sowing the seeds of unrest along with notions of safety
and security under the firm, controlling hand of the Star Khan.
While most of the inhabitants of Starhaven are not likely to fall for
such rhetoric—and Veil’s initial effort to install an Imperium-sympa-
thetic government failed—there are those who feel the Imperium
represents “true” interstellar civilization and wish to rejoin that.
When propaganda fails, Veil’s subtle psychic manipulations cause
people to act emotionally or find sinister intent in the most inno-
cent of acts.
Eventually, after attempts to subvert or “soften up” the settlement
have progressed, and possibly been thwarted by the heroes, the
Imperium and the Star Khan may take a more direct hand in Star-
haven. A confrontation with the power level 15 Star Khan is a potent
encounter, suitable for the culmination of a campaign, but Kinan
Khan has many agents and proxies to challenge the heroes first. The
Star Khan also knows that a direct invasion of the solar system risks
provoking all of Earth’s heroes at once, so he will initially be cau-
tious and bid his time until a pliable Starhaven invites him of their
own will.
STEPPING STONE TO THE STARS
While Earth and its solar system has been of interest to alien species
and interstellar factions for a long time, the presence of Starhaven
in the outer solar system changes the dynamic, creating a “bridge”
or “stepping stone” between the Earth-Luna orbit and the wider
galaxy. That can draw the attention of other interstellar factions to
the tiny, frozen moon of Jupiter and its fledgling settlement, espe-
cially since they have claimed one of the remaining known sites of
Preserver technology in the cosmos.
The Star Knights, the Blackguard, and the Argents—detailed in
the Cosmic Handbook—all want a stake in Starhaven. In particular,
Tellax, the AI patron of the Argents, is itself a product of Preserv-
er technology sees itself the legitimate claimant to their legacy.
Perhaps the Europan ruins have further clues to Tellax’s intended
purpose in the Earth’s solar system, which could affect the Argents’
perceived mission to bring order to the cosmos. Blackstar takes in-
terest in Starhaven solely if he thinks there is something useful to
him—power, ideally, but also potential new recruits for his growing
army—or in order to deny some prize to Tellax and the Argents.
Starhaven may even be an instance of Blackguards willing to coop-
erate with Star Knights or local heroes to thwart the Argents.
For their part, the Star Knights want Starhaven to do well but Mentor
prefers non-interference, preferring not to influence the social and
political tides of the settlement. Mentor might extend the respon-
sibilities of Earth’s Star Knight to include Europa—presenting an
authority figure who can appear as often or as rarely as is useful
for your campaign—or the guiding intelligence of the Order of Star
Knights might choose to appoint a new Star Knight as the guardian
The Guide to Starhaven

of Starhaven. This option is best reserved for a potential player char-
acter in a Starhaven series, just so a Star Knight non-player character
doesn’t overshadow the heroes.
The Grue previously investigated Europa, but the loss of their pre-
vious expedition (see The Secret History of Starhaven, follow-
ing) led the Unity to write-off the Preserver ruin as too dangerous.
Renewed activity there might change the Grue’s collective minds,
especially if they were to learn of the existence of the Bryne. Given
the Unity’s extensive spy network, one or more Grue metamorphs
or Hidden sleeper agents already dwell within the ranks of the
settlement, having been caught up in the evacuation efforts. These
agents keep a low profile, telepathically passing information on to
the Unity until the Meta-Mind compels them to overt action. Grue
agents can complicate any behind-the-scenes skullduggery involv-
ing Veil and other infiltrators in Starhaven. They might secretly help
the heroes against other villains in hopes of taking opponents off
the board and clearing the way for the Grue to take action later in
the series.
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
to destabilize Starhaven’s already delicate social situation. It’s one
thing if the heroes discover Veil’s ties with Sun-Ren’s pro-Imperium
movement, for example, but quite another if Veil has arranged for
them to discover evidence implicating Prime Consul Tamira-Van in
a crime. If they go public, they may be playing right into the hands
of Veil and her political puppets!
WHAT LURKS BELOW
Sooner or later (possibly during the Siege of Starhaven adventure
in Chapter 3), the heroes and the people of Starhaven will learn
they are not alone on Europa, discovering the existence of the
mysterious Bryne. Regardless of what the heroes do, the Bryne
already move among Seahaven and Starhaven unseen, sabotag-
ing the colony’s systems and eliminating the foreign “contami-
nant.” Although the Bryne are initially hostile towards newcom-
ers, dealings with them do not necessarily have to be adversarial.
Heroes may try to achieve some understanding with the aquatic
Bryne and learn about the psychic contagion that whips them into

TRANSFORMATION CENTRAL a raging, conspiracy-minded mob—perhaps even alleviating their

curse and negotiating peace between the aquatic colony and the
settlers of Starhaven. However, this might only come after open
One of the underpinning themes of Starhaven is the presence of
conflict has broken out with the Bryne and the heroes must put
dangerous and poorly-understood technology left by a long-van-
a stop to it.
ished culture. Alien abilities and technology can account for some
of the heroes' nemeses, but strange transformations and lost arti- The Bryne open up the potential inherent in Europa’s sub-surface
facts are just as valid a source of power. Just as the destination is ocean and all of the secrets it possesses, as well as opportuni-
growing and evolving, so too should the NPCs in a character's life. ties for further development of Seahaven for the aquatic species
Friends may gain strange abilities and become allies or villains, vil- dwelling below the surface. Who knows what might be hidden in
lains may be transformed and turn over a new leaf wehn they turn the watery, lightless depths, including things the ancient Preserv-
to the heroes for aid. These same changes might be an ongoing ers hid away from the surface of Europa for reasons of their own?
hazard for citizens, or a dangerous treasure some seek deliberately.
Heroes who want to put a lid on Starhaven's metamorphing can of
worms will need to seek help from the city's various AI systems—
many of whom are dangerously unstable—or find help from other
Preserver artifacts like Mentor of the Star Knights.

VOTE STARHAVEN!
While earthly superheroes tend to stay out of politics, that doesn’t
have to be the case in Starhaven. Residents of the city have already
gone through one contentious political process in setting-up their
provisional government, but can it now navigate the treacherous
waters of public policy and opinion and become a success? What
happens when the new government needs to fill-out various offices
and responsibilities, or when the next elections roll around? You can
even get the players in on the ground floor by starting things earlier
and playing out the initial formation of Starhaven’s government,
giving them the opportunity to throw their own hats into the ring.
Perhaps in addition to being Starhaven’s greatest heroes, the player
characters also end up its elected leaders!

Even heroes completely lacking in political ambition can get caught

up in Starhaven’s politics. If they are popular, there will certainly be
politicians looking to get their support and endorsement, which is
likely to make enemies of rival political factions. If the heroes are
considered vigilante outlaws, on the other hand, some politicians
will try to make hay by publicly condemning the heroes and swear-
ing to bring them to justice, no matter what it takes. In either case,
heroes might uncover conspiracies, secret plots, and backroom
deals on the part of some politicians. Then they’ll need to decide
what to do with the information, especially if it has the potential

The Guide to Starhaven 27

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
STARHAVEN VILLAINS
In addition to the characters detailed in at the end of this chapter,
many of the villains from various Mutants & Masterminds source-
books can fit into a Starhaven series as potential adversaries for the
heroes. These characters are listed in alphabetical order, along with
where their main description can be found, and a brief description
of their potential interest in Starhaven.
ALIEN-GATOR II ROGUES GALLERY, PAGE 10
A refugee on Earth, the Jerreid soldier Ssellessk’thaa lived as a fugi-
tive and a mercenary for a time. She may have chosen to leave Earth
behind and travel to Starhaven, viewing it as a “jumping-off point”
or at least an opportunity to get away from humans. The settlement
offers opportunities for someone of her power and ability, either as
a criminal enforcer (or crime-boss herself ) or as a ruthless soldier
serving Starhaven or the new Senate, granted amnesty by the new-
ly-elected government.
THE BATTLE BROTHERS THREAT REPORT, PAGE 16
The alien technology linking the Battle Brothers might be Preserver
in origin or even from Europa. Regardless, the Battle Brothers see
potential in Starhaven technology and expertise in finding a way to
safely separate them. The mercenaries might also work as muscle
for any number of other villains in need of agents to send to Star-
haven to do their dirty work.
CAPTAIN KRAKEN FREEDOM CITY, PAGE 202
The tentacled freebooter of the spaceways, Captain Kraken knows
an opportunity when he sees one. Armed with a new ship and crew,
the alien pirate stalks the transit lanes and seizes transports ferrying
the settlers of Starhaven to their new hope, or grabs shipments of
supplies and trade goods sent to them. Captain Kraken isn’t above
mounting an attack on the settlement itself, if he feels he can get
away with it, or at least trying to extort the people of Starhaven to
pay him to recover their supplies from the holds of his ship. He and
his space-pirate crew are a good, relatively low-level villains that
Starhaven heroes can confront early in their careers.
THE COSMIC MIND FREEDOM CITY, PAGE 228
Last seen beaming out into distant space, it is up to the Gamemas-
ter whether or not the Cosmic Mind might not be involved in the
Stellar Imperium’s new obsession with harnessing mentats and
their abilities. Perhaps the Cosmic Mind has taken over a faction
or cult within the Imperium and plots a return to Earth, using Star-
haven as a stepping stone towards that end. If a “Cult of Cosmic
Consciousness” should arise in the city, the heroes should beware.
THE CURATOR FREEDOM CITY, PAGE 230
The Curator and its Archive are far from Starhaven, but the Curator
is itself a creation of the Preservers and keenly interested in their
legacy. Perhaps the reactivation of a beacon or unique device draws
one of the Curator’s remote drone bodies to Starhaven to investi-
gate. That investigation could quickly turn violent if the thing that it
is after is also vital to the settlement or belongs to one of the player
characters—or is one of the player characters!
28
GHOSTWORKS EMERALD CITY, PAGE 186
While the technology-obsessed Ghostworks organization is divided
on whether to focus on Earthly technology or crib secrets wherever
they can, enough of the later faction have taken an interest in Star-
haven to create a problem. They lack their own means of reaching
to the city and partner with Majestic-20, trading technological ex-
pertise for access.
IGT-92 ROGUES GALLERY, PAGE 92
The infiltration and assassin robot IGT-92 was brought to Earth fol-
lowing the fall of the Lor Republic. The rogue robot has access to a
ship, The Callonetta, and might see the potential in either taking
over part of the Preserver ruins on Starhaven or making plans to
topple Starhaven’s government and simply taking over. The notion
of using Daedelus’s robot factories on Europa to jumpstart it’s
“robotic revolution” against all life-forms might appeal as well.
LADY LUNAR FREEDOM CITY, PAGE 264
Exiled from Farside City, Lady Lunar might seek out Starhaven as a po-
tential hideout or even a new frontier to begin rebuilding her power
with an eye towards retaking her lunar throne. Her mental powers
might begin extending a web of influence through the settlement,
and she might even have a few mind-controlled crater apes along as
guards and muscle (Cosmic Handbook, page 86). Ever concerned with
the appearance of respectability and legitimacy, she may instead act
overtly by running for a seat in the New Lor Republic’s Senate and
use her influence to bring Farside City under Starhaven’s “protection.”
LOMA SLIFE ROGUES GALLERY, PAGE 65
Interstellar bounty hunter Loma Slife can arrive at Starhaven
working for any number of clients, or simply making a pit-stop
to or from an extraction on Earth. Whether she’s visiting for busi-
ness or pleasure, Starhaven offers plenty of entertainment for her
short attention span. For a twist, she may instead serve as a rival to
the heroes rather than overt antagonist, as the Senate retains her
bounty hunting services to supplement their peacekeeping forces.
MAJESTIC-20 EMERALD CITY, PAGE 198
For the anti-alien Majestic-20, having Star Island’s alien refugees
off Earth was, at best, a way to keep off-world visitors contained
and under control. The notion of an alien colony in the solar system,
however, is a clear threat to Earth’s autonomy. Using stolen alien
craft or infiltrators among the UNIQUE peacekeeping forces, agents
of Majestic-20 can monitor the situation and co-opt advanced tech-
nology—at least until they feel secure enough to wipe Starhaven
off the face of Europa.
MASTERMIND THREAT REPORT, PAGE 98
A creation of the Preservers during their first exploration of Earth,
Mastermind considers himself the “heir” to their power and technol-
ogy as well as an enemy of their other creations. He who will ascend
to guide humanity to its highest potential, not the ghostly legacy of
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
his alien torturers. He may seek to claim any useful technology that
still exists on Starhaven, while looking to eliminate any lingering
threat to his future plans.
NULL SUPERTEAM HANDBOOK, PAGE 113
The arch-foe of Magna Force, Null was corrupted by Collapsar the
Devourer and now uses the nearby Preserver installation known
as the Monster Factory to create kaiju to plague the mecha-pow-
ered heroes. While she fixates on Earth, Null has an interest in the
ancient Preserver technology on Europa to further her plans and
knows more about their secrets than most living beings. While not
currently a threat to Starhaven, she resents the intrusion of settlers
into a domain she considers her own.

PRINCE ROKKAR ROGUES GALLERY, PAGE 99

While the exiled Kash’rodan heir Rokkar isn’t likely to give up his
plans to conquer Earth, he might decide Starhaven would make
either a good start or a useful “home away from home.” Earth au-
thorities might also exile Rokkar to Starhaven, deciding to make
him their problem rather than deal with the interstellar juvenile de-
linquent on Earth. The potential of rallying the people of Starhaven
against the Star-Khan and the Imperium might appeal to Rokkar
enough to even make him an ally, of sorts, although no less petty,
bullying, or impulsive.

STAR-KHAN COSMIC HANDBOOK, PAGE 94

Kinan Khan has been too occupied consolidating his control over
his greatly expanded Stellar Imperium to concern himself with a
tiny settlement of refugees who fled to Earth’s solar system, regard-
less of how much Earth’s heroes have vexed him in the past. Now,
however, the Star Khan’s attentions are beginning to turn to matters
other than pacifying his new holdings, particularly in light of the
presence of Veil (see page 54), a secret Imperium agent on Europa.
The Preserver ruins are a unique and precious resource to the Star
Khan, but he is willing to wait and allow his proxies to work towards
acquiring them for him—at least for now.

SYZYGY FREEDOM CITY, PAGE 297

The alien gladiator Syzygy obsesses over finding “worthy” oppo-
nents, and that compulsion might lead him to Europa and to the
heroes of Starhaven. The PL14 villain is a formidable opponent for
lower power level heroes, necessitating quick thinking or a better
understanding of the quirky terrain. Manipulative master villains
like Lady Lunar might lure Syzygy to Starhaven to occupy or defeat
the heroes, although such a plan could backfire, should Syzygy ever
learn of the deception.

TUN ROGUES GALLERY, PAGE 122

What entertainment Starhaven offers! Political intrigue, desper-
ate survival narratives, thrilling discovery, and combat after glori-
ous combat between weird alien colonists. It’s ratings gold! Tun
may infiltrate Starhaven covertly, seeding remote surveillance
everywhere and beaming the footage (with commentary!) to the
Spigori Sphere, but she can just as easily present herself as a bene-
factor, willing to offer “sponsorship” to the fledgling community in
exchange for exclusive access to its heroes. If the locals don’t face
enough problems, Tun isn’t above manufacturing a few new ones
for them, either.

The Guide to Starhaven 29

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE SECRET HISTORY OF STARHAVEN
Although Starhaven’s new inhabitants are most concerned about
its recent history, the site has accreted layer upon layer of history—
and danger—over its millennia-long history on Europa. This section
looks at the extent of the history of what is now called Starhaven,
how it came to be, and the other beings and forces that have
shaped it—all the things that Starhaven’s new heroes can eventu-
ally uncover.
THE PRESERVERS
Starhaven’s history begins with the mysterious alien civilization
known only as “The Preservers.” Scholars know little about them,
but theorize they were one of the first star-faring civilizations in the
galaxy, if not the known universe. Untold eons ago, the Preservers
attempted to create a stellar super-computer—a living, sentient
star—and that experiment ended in disaster that would define the
rest of their existence. The would-be star collapsed into a super-
dense and self-aware black hole; a cosmic force known as “Collapsar
the Devourer.” Now bent on consuming the known cosmos, Col-
lapsar roamed the galaxy consuming all it discovered, with a special
hatred for its creators. From that time on, the Preservers devoted
themselves to finding some means of destroying Collapsar, and to
preserving all they could of the universe, earning their enduring
moniker.
In spite of their devotion to correcting their mistake, the Preserv-
ers were not particularly kind or empathetic. They ruthlessly ex-
perimented on other life-forms, tampering widely with evolution
and society across many worlds. They intended to engineer new
lifeforms with useful abilities or the means to survive extraordinary
hardship, to create soldiers who could destroy Collapsar or enclaves
that could survive the black hole’s hunger.
The Preservers visited Earth 100,000 years ago. They took an interest
in early hominids, studying their genetics and evolution and finding
something useful there. They first established a working laboratory
on one of the moons of Jupiter—the foundations of what would
one day become Starhaven. The ancient aliens then visited Earth
from their outer planet base as easily as stepping next-door, and
took various samples of earthly life to transplant for study and ex-
perimentation. They returned some of their experimental subjects
to Earth, creating offshoot civilizations like the flying Avians.
Eventually, the Preservers took samples of the earliest human an-
cestors with them outside of Earth’s solar system. For thousands of
years, they seeded other suitable planets throughout the galaxy
with human life, doing the same with certain other genotypes and
life-forms they found promising. Over time, their galactic “garden”
to grew and developed into sapient species with a wide variety of
powers. At the core of these lay Lor-Van, the home world of the off-
shoot of humanity that eventually became the Lor.
After nearly fifty-thousand years of seeding the galaxy and observ-
ing the development of their experiments, the Preservers created
another enclosed habitat, this time on the far side of Earth’s moon.
They transplanted a colony of humans there, making certain ad-
justments to their genetic makeup and environment. This colony
became known as Sauren, later nicknamed Farside City by the first
humans from Earth to encounter it. It existed in secret, hidden from
30
its earthly cousins, throughout most of human history until recent-
ly, after humans from Earth developed spaceflight.
Not long thereafter, the Preservers vanished from history. It remains
unknown what became of them and theories vary. Some believe the
Preservers ascended to some higher state of being, perhaps aban-
doning the physical universe to its fate altogether, or preferring to
observe from some higher dimension as they await the eventual
results of their experiments. Others suggest the Preservers were a
dying civilization that finally gave out after giving the rest of the
universe a fighting chance to survive their mistakes. Given the ex-
istence of the Preserver Stones—mysterious and powerful artifacts
protecting Farside City and empowering the Star Knights—many
speculate that the Preservers sacrificed themselves in one final act
to create the cosmic power sources, their final legacy to a besieged
universe.
Whatever the case, the Preservers left behind much of their tech-
nology and artifacts, including their installations on the moons of
Earth and Jupiter. The inhabited Sauren continued on its own, its
people learning to live within their isolated home. The installation
on Europa contained life—numerous samples of animal life from
Earth—but no sentient life, so it was maintained by automated
systems. Even still, these systems were of limited intelligence, and
in some cases could only patch or partially repair damage, such
as when a meteor strike penetrated the protective dome and de-
stroyed part of the installation. Some systems slowly degraded over
thousands of years, but otherwise the habitat on Europa remained
in a state of stasis.
THE MAGNA MATRIX
Some ten-thousand years ago, another creation of the Preserv-
ers found its way to Earth’s solar system: The Magna Matrix, one
of the power sources left behind to aid the cosmos against the
coming of Collapsar (see the Superteam Handbook for details). The
chosen Magna Force at that time fought a series of battles in and
around the solar system, resulting in the deaths of all but two of
them: Magna Silver and Magna Blanc. The battered and bloodied
survivors questioned what they should do next, and Magna Blanc
favored conquering the primitive humans of Earth, shaping them
into a force that could challenge the destructive power of the Great
Devourer and safeguard the universe forever. Magna Silver coun-
tered that it was wrong to force the people of Earth into a desired
mold and that it was the sacred duty of the Magna Guardians to
protect their freedom of choice. The two fought, and Magna Silver
triumphed, forcing Blanc to flee Earth.
Magna Silver claimed the Magna Matrix and the Guardian robots
that housed it, establishing a secret base on Earth in what would
eventually become the Mojave Desert of southern California. There
he entered a state of suspended animation. Automated system
monitored the system, ready to awaken the guardian only when it
was necessary to protect the legacy of the Magna Matrix or Silver’s
own life. Training systems and tests ensured only those worthy of
the power of the Matrix could enter the Guardian Fortress.
Magna Blanc fled to Europa and discovered the abandoned Pre-
server ruins. She, too, entered a deep state of suspended animation
The Guide to Starhaven

to recover, preparing for the time to reemerge and conquer Earth.
The surveillance systems she established to keep watch for Col-
lapsar or its minions were subverted, however. The alien intellect
of the Devourer slipped into her dreaming mind and, over the mil-
lennia, fed her desire for revenge against her former teammate to
corrupted her. It taught Blanc to love the purity of destruction, the
promise of a cosmos wiped clean to start anew.
THE BRYNE
In the mid-20th century, an expeditionary force from the Grue Unity
arrived in the Sol System, having escaped a skirmish with their long-
time enemies from the Lor Republic. Their vessels suffering from
varying degrees of damage. The Grue found a single planet pop-
ulated with a primitive human civilization, although no evidence
these humans were part of the Republic. The Grue also detected
the two ancient, advanced installations on two moons within the
system, registering evidence of Preserver technology. The lost
secrets of the Preservers were invaluable to the Grue Unity.
Investigating the installation on Luna, the Grue soldiers discovered
human inhabitants possessed of incredible psychic powers, like the
Lor mentats. Their telepathic abilities made infiltration of the instal-
lation too risky for the shapeshifters, and the expeditionary force
chose to break off their attempt to avoid detection. Instead, they
divided their numbers to search both Earth—gauging if the primi-
tive humans were ripe for conquest—and the Jovian moon installa-
tion—to search for the technology needed to repair their fleet and
return home.
The fate of the Grue who came to Earth in the late 1940s is detailed
in the Emerald City and Freedom City sourcebooks: One damaged
Grue ship went out of control on entry into the atmosphere and
crashed in the southwestern desert of North America, near Roswell,
New Mexico. Another damaged Grue ship, suffering from unusual
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
systems failures, jettisoned protoplasmic containment pods holding
prisoners and liquified biological samples over a forested region in
the Pacific Northwest. These buried and sometimes ruptured con-
tainment vessels mutated local wildlife to contribute to the Elysian
Forest’s population of strange cryptids near Emerald City.
The Grue that landed on Europa discovered a largely intact instal-
lation similar to the one on Luna, but devoid of human inhabitants.
They explored, looking into the potential for the facility to serve
as a temporary haven and place to effect repairs—and were not
heard from again. All the remaining Grue—and therefore the Meta-
Mind—know is that the thoughts of the drones and metamorphs
investigating the site became increasingly vague and chaotic,
distant from the Grue group-mind, until there was a plunge into a
kind of icy darkness and all contact was lost.
The Unity decided that the Preserver installations in the system
were too dangerous to investigate further—at least without a
stronger military presence in the system. Their initial contact with
Earth led to several attempts to infiltrate the human society to pave
the way for the Unity to claim the planet. But some Earth humans
turned out to have an even greater variety of powers than the Lor
mentats. These defenders thwarted every attempt by the Grue to
the undermine their civilization or to destroy their institutions.
Unknown to the Grue Meta-Mind, the drones and metamorphs
sent to Europa did not perish, as they assumed. Instead, the Grue
attempted to psychically interface with the Psychomnibus, a tele-
pathic archive stored deep within the ruins. Eons of decay trans-
formed the telepathic operating system created by the Preservers
into a voracious psychic “virus” that tore open the Grue third eye.
The plague spread almost instantly through the Grue on Europa,
immediately incapacitating them. The shock of the virus and their
isolation from the hive mind shattered the explorer’s identities and
memories, reducing them to animalistic impulse. Sentient thought
became a screeching psionic noise.
31
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
The afflicted Grue fled from the ruins to the only other survivable
environment available—the sub-surface ocean beneath the ice
of Europa—dragging the Psychomnibus down into the depths
with them. Instinctively using their innate metamorphic abilities,
the Grue adapted to the lightless, watery environment to become
hardy, fish-bodied amphibians. Filter life-sustaining elements from
the waters and reproducing by fission, their society and offspring
were afflicted by the same psychic virus. Subsequent generations
knew no form other than the aquatic shape of their parents, no life
other than the lightless depths of Europa’s ocean. They clustered
beneath the surface of the looming ruins above, knowing only
that they were important for some reason, terrible and sacred and
somhow tied to their history.
DAEDALUS’S ODYSSEY
Decades after the Bryne disappeared beneath the ice of Europa, the
immortal Earth hero Daedalus ventured out on a solitary journey on
his starship, the Icarus. Tired of his life on Earth and his struggles as
a superhero, Daedalus sought to explore the universe on his own.
Traveling past the outer planets of the solar system, he detected
the ancient installation on the surface of Europa—similar in many
regards to Farside City—and investigated. Within he found a vast,
verdant zone inhabited by living prehistoric animals, surrounding
an ancient, largely ruined, but technologically advanced city.
What Daedalus referred to as the “haunting” of that ruined city
turned out to be the psychically-sensitive control systems its
technology, coupled with nanotech manufacturing and remotes.
Still triggered by the previous intrusion of the Grue, the systems
reached out the Daedalus’s mind, causing him to experience a
psycho-drama of flashbacks and supposed sightings of people and
places that he knew from his centuries-long life, many of them long
dead. Almost succumbing to his grief and regrets, Daedalus eventu-
ally overcame the damaged technology of the ruins and shut down
many of their parameters.
Realizing there was no intelligent life in the ruins, Daedalus chose
to set a warning beacon for anyone approaching them. He left only
minimal safeguards functioning in order to sustain the animal life
that still thrived in the habitat. His odyssey continued out beyond
the solar system, where the wandering hermit experienced a series
of cosmic adventures involving the Lor and a number of other alien
civilizations, and he eventually put the strange ruins on Europa out
of mind.
THE COMING OF COLLAPSAR
The mysterious “Silver Storm” unleashed a wave of new superhu-
mans across Emerald City. Soon thereafter, the city’s newest super-
heroes discovered the Silver Storm used alien nanotechnology far
in advance of anything on Earth. Eventually, they revealed the archi-
tect of the strange event: Tellax, a Preserver-created artificial intelli-
gence carrying out what it believed were instructions to “accelerate”
the development of superhumans on Earth. Tellax’s schemes—and
eventual defeat—are detailed in the Emerald City Knights adven-
tures featured in the Emerald City setting sourcebook.
As also detailed in Emerald City, the cosmic threat of Collapsar finally
came to pass when the Devourer destroyed Magna-Lor, the capitol
world of the Lor Republic. It consumed the world, the star system,
and much of the leadership of the ancient Lor Republic. This crisis
32
brought the empire to its knees and provided the ideal opportunity
for the forces of the Star Khan to invade. Some refugees escaping
the collapse of the Republic and the rise of the Stellar Imperium fled
to Earth, leading to their temporary shelter on Star Island and the
succeeding events detailed in Chapter 1.
Tellax’s awakening put more events into motion. The reactivation
of the Preserver technology on Earth awakened Magna Silver from
hibernation. Posing as Professor Tsuyoshi Makoto at the nearby Uni-
versity at San Angeles, he sought and found worthy candidates to
inherit the legacy of the Magna Force. Circumstances didn’t allow
much time to find the ideal new Cavaliers, but “Professor Makoto”
expected to do some on-the-job training. Tellax’s reactivation also
awoke the former Magna Blanc, now calling herself Null. This new
herald of Collapsar began implementing her plans for Earth and
her former teammate. She soon uncovered the Preserver “Monster
Factory” and used its bio-technology to assemble kaiju minions.
The new Magna Force repelled Null’s initial attacks on Earth, and
she has dug in for a longer siege before she can finally claim the
power of the Magna Matrix and use it to conquer the system in the
name of the Devourer.
THE SETTLEMENT OF STARHAVEN
As detailed in Chapter 1, the temporary settlement of refugees
from Lor space on Star Island near Freedom City heated up tensions
that eventually reached a boiling point. As anti-alien sentiment
grew on Earth, governments and superheroes looked for a solu-
tion to the alien refugee crisis. Considering other habitable areas
of the solar system, Daedalus recalled the habitat he discovered on
Europa, and traveled there to investigate. He found the alien ruins
much the same as he left them and set about to restoring the es-
sential systems required for the Star Island refugees to live there.
Daedalus renamed the site “Starhaven,” and noted that it offered
more than enough potential space for the inhabitants of Star Island
and the small trickle of stellar refugees that found their way into
Earth’s solar system.
Given the urgency of matters on Earth, Daedalus and his allies were
not able to take time to completely explore and restore the alien
city prior to inviting habitation. Instead, the immortal inventor tool
a triage approach: Ensuring essential life-support systems were
adequate to provide clean, breathable atmosphere, potable water,
and a comfortable temperature range, along with sufficient artificial
“daylight.” Daedalus then set up an automated manufacturing facil-
ity to produce construction and exploration robots, setting them
the twin tasks of clearing and preparing an area of the city near
its open water source for habitation and exploring and mapping
the remainder of the ruins, pouring data into a central database for
future reference.
The first wave of settlers were technicians expected to take over
Daedelus's role in rehabilitating the ruin. For years, Starhaven was
an ambitious assignment for many residents of the Star Island
camp, and a future they could look forward to.
OPERATION EXODUS
As soon as conditions on Europa allowed, Daedalus and the
Freedom League coordinated with AEGIS and UNISON to begin
ferrying the Star Island refugees to Starhaven. While most were
grateful for the potential of a new home with more advanced tech-
The Guide to Starhaven

nology and resources, some of the aliens on Earth resented forced
relocation and Earth for its refusal to accept them. A small number
of aliens had already broken the containment of Star Island, fleeing
to Freedom City and beyond, becoming fugitives from the law. Even
more did the same once relocation began rather than uproot their
lives again to gamble their survival on some distant moon.
An AEGIS-UNISON joint taskforce made use of special transport
shuttles designed by Daedalus to ferry the settlers to their new
home. Initial efforts focused on keeping the aliens safe and ensuring
they had housing, food, and other essentials. Beyond that was the
goal of giving the new inhabitants of Starhaven the right to guide
the future of their settlement. Proposals were taken for potential
governments for Starhaven and a series of public referendums
held to determine which proposal had the support of the major-
ity of the inhabitants. Ultimately, the people of Starhaven chose to
become an independent state aligned with the Republic Alliance,
the remnants of the old Lor government-in-exile since the destruc-
tion of Magna-Lor and the conquest of the Republic by the Stellar
Imperium. This offered the Alliance a “public” rallying point outside
of the borders of the Old Republic, making Starhaven potentially
much more than just a refugee settlement in a distant star system.
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
remains more of a loosely-defined “district” of Starhaven, although
there remain those who would prefer to cut ties with air-breathers
and surface-dwellers as much as possible, with the potential of the
whole of Nyxian Ocean open to their exploration and settlement.
Countless strange organisms live in the open sea, feeding on a com-
bination of methane, radiation, and the heat of the moon’s core.
Many of these are Earth species, such as tube worms, arthropods,
and brittle stars, transplanted by the Preservers long ago. Others
are engineered or alien organisms that have found their own niches
in this strange ecosystem. While some maintenance and explora-
tion crews tell tall tales and ghost stories about unknown things
swimming in the lightless depths of the ocean, most of the people
of both Starhaven and Seahaven dismiss them as just that—stories.
However, at least some of those stories result from brushes with the
Bryne, psychically concealed from the intruders into their realm, but
occasionally glimpsed or subconsciously perceived. The Bryne are
aware of Seahaven and, having studied the newcomers from a dis-
tance, have begun mobilizing to repel what they see as an invasion
of their waters, starting with subtle sabotage, but likely to escalate
to open warfare, given time.

In keeping with the Starhaveners’ wishes, Earth forces from AEGIS

and UNISON are working towards withdrawing from the settle-
ment, apart from a diplomatic mission left behind to maintain good
relations with Earth’s new planetary neighbors. The withdrawal is
proceeding too quickly to suit many authorities on Earth, and too
slowly to suit many of the people of Starhaven, who look forward
to being truly independent once again. Earth governments and
private corporations initially hoped to exploit the technology of
Starhaven and the natural resources of Europa as “payment” for
assisting in the relation and providing security; more than a few
corrupt officers used their access and security to rob refugees or
horde valuable artifacts “for the public safety.” This, coupled with
occasional violent clashes on the streets and lingering resentment
with their imprisonment on Earth has left most of the colony’s
aliens wary of Earth authorities. The Senate knows the colony still
depends on resources from Earth—for now—and so has done little
to officially speed up the transfer of power.

SEAHAVEN
Early exploration of Starhaven discovered access through the thick
surface ice of Europa down into the subsurface Nyxian Ocean
below. This was a welcome opportunity for the various aquatic
and amphibious species within the settlers: They had been disap-
pointed to lose access to Earth’s vast oceans—after being denied
the opportunity to settle there, in spite of humans living only on
the surface. While the Europan ocean was cold and lightness, that
posed only a small challenge to species adapted to living in the
aquatic depths. Pisceans and Hexxim immediately began exploring
the ruins’ connections to the ocean, quickly establishing what the
settlers began referring to as “Seahaven,” an aquatic counterpart to
the surface settlement. Although some cautioned moving slowly in
exploring the ocean, much less establishing a permanent presence
beneath the city, events moved quickly and there was too much
momentum among the aquatic species to do anything other than
allow them the opportunity. Already there were those who advo-
cated that Seahaven should be considered a separate state from
the surface, and Starhaven’s leadership wanted to avoid further
fracturing or dividing of the populace. For the time being, Seahaven

The Guide to Starhaven 33

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE GREEN ZONE
The first wave of technicians and utility workers who arrived in Star-
haven wuickly named the area surrounding the city proper—from
the edges of the “urban zone” out to the reaches of the atmospheric
domes—“the Green Zone” for the large amount of photosynthetic
vegetation. The Green Zone is contained within five overlapping life
support bubbles that surround Starhaven, surmounted by the sixth
central bubble. This creates a broad, roughly crescent-shaped swath
of greenery about a kilometer across around each “arm” of the star-
shaped urban zone. The interconnection of the domes form “arches”
also about a kilometer wide at the points where they meet.
Settlers and engineers still argue over the Preservers’ motivations
for creating the Green Zone, but most agree they intended it to
serve as an experimental habitat for a variety of life-forms—includ-
ing early hominids—imported from Earth, as well as supplement-
ing the station’s life support systems. The robotic “game wardens”
that oversaw the Green Zone until recently seem to support the
idea that these ecosystems were always meant to be artificially
maintained and divided. The space provides both a “nature pre-
serve” and a kind of “parkland” around the urban zone. The Green
Zone replicates climatic conditions largely as they existed on Earth
about 100,000 years ago: a slightly cooler mean temperature, but
less in the way of “seasonal” variation, as all of the weather condi-
tions within the environment domes are simulated.
While most of the Green Zone remains uninhabited, many locals
already have an agenda in mind for it. Many nature-oriented cul-
tures now lobby to preserve it, noting that the city will need open
and vibrant spaces to support a healthy and happy populace.
Others see the area as potential farmland that could help feed a
population struggling with ancient hydroponic systems. Many
wealthy citizens see it as land to build estates like those they were
forced to abandon, or that they always coveted. For the time being,
the Senate has labeled the Green Zone "an area of least concern,"
leaving it unsecured. This means Starhavians who don't want to be
found can disappear into the wilderness, but it also means the col-
ony's overtaxed emergency services won't respond to calls in this
frontier should a hiker or explorer find themselves on the wrong
end of a smilodon.
STRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
The bubbles enclosing the Green Zone and Starhaven are Tough-
ness 10 material nano-built by the Preservers. A smart-polymer, they
automatically maintain and repair themselves without oversight.
If the dome is breached, it seals in two rounds, although anyone
within 80 feet of the breach must succeed at a DC 16 Strength or
movement rank check each round to avoid being pulled 20 feet
towards the breach. Anyone 40 or more feet away from the breach
gains a +2 circumstance bonus on this check. Those pulled through
the breach are exposed to the surface environment of Europa. En-
vironmental systems replace minor losses of atmosphere, synthe-
sizing the necessary gases from Europa’s ice layer and atmosphere.
The interior of the environment bubbles is Earth-like, with gravity,
temperature, and other conditions approximating those on Earth.
The mean temperature is slightly cool, although it never drops
below freezing. It is warmer during the simulated “daylight” hours
34
and cooler during the “nighttime” hours. A holographic projection
of an Earth-like sky appears on the inner surface of the bubbles,
including the nighttime stars as seen from Earth’s northern hemi-
sphere around 100,000 years ago—although the aging projectors
have broken down in some areas of the domes, providing a clear
view of Jupiter and the stars beyond. A “sun” hangs in the simulated
sky during the daytime, along with occasional clouds, and their
shadows. It rains every 3-7 days and air circulators create a light
breeze with occasional “gusts” across the surface—when the at-
mospheric systems run properly. More than one horrible storm has
wracked some or all of the city since colonists first arrived. To all but
the closest examination, someone in the Green Zone would think
they are on the surface of Earth (or an Earth-like planet).
While the environmental maintenance systems are functional,
many aspects of the Green Zone bubbles have broken down over
the eons since the Preservers abandoned the site. Robotic “game
wardens” closely monitored and managed the life forms in the
Green Zone up until the last decade or so, allowing the Green Zone
to grow “wild” ever since. Similarly, large “curtain” forcefield projec-
tors once separate the segments of the Green Zone across their ad-
joining archways, keeping the various ecosystem isolated from one
another.
LAYOUT AND TOPOGRAPHY
The topography of the Green Zone, like all of Starhaven, is con-
structed. The environment “domes” are actually enclosing bubbles,
partially filled with a soil and mineral layer several hundred meters
deep, designed to mimic that of Earth and including all of the nec-
essary microbiotics needed to sustain life. The solid surface of this
soil layer is sculpted to form mostly flat, savannah-like plains with
some gentle, rolling hills and artificial rock-faces on the outskirts of
some the domes.
THE LAR
Described in more detail in Chapter 1, the Lar supports a wide
variety of plant and animal life and offers a chilly home for aquatic
aliens who don't wish to abandon their neighbors for Seahaven. In
addition to serving as a reservoir, however, the lake conceals much
of the city's vital life-support machinery, now buried under centu-
ries of mud. The original Preserver designs used a combination of
organic and synthetic technology to hyper-oxygenate the water
and use the lake as a ground zero for terraforming, mass-producing
the complex organic molecules the dome needed for life to flourish
on its own. While unneeded for now, these structures will need to
be discovered and reactivated in Starhaven ever intends to expand.
The lake is quite deep, generally 100 meters near the urban zone,
with depths plunging almost a kilometer in its darkest chasms. Ma-
chinery located at the deepest points still maintain the chemical
balance of the water, ensuring proper acidity, oxygenation, and the
microbial life. A hatch at the bottom of the lake, along the base of
the urban zone, leads to a series of aquatic tunnels beneath Star-
haven that are still being explored, primarily by water-breathing
members of the community. Rumors insist they eventually lead to
Seahaven, but no one has yet found a route.
The Guide to Starhaven

THE PLAINS
The eastern and western middle domes encompass a grassy plain
dotted with isolated trees and small ponds or watering-holes. Grasses
grow tall enough in places to obscure human-sized creatures moving
through them. The terrain becomes slightly hilly towards the outer
edges of the domes, with rocky cliffs at the southern outer edges.
THE FOREST
The southern two domes enclose a mostly forested region similar to
Pleistocene Europe or parts of North America, with a thick canopy
of foliage. The forest floor is covered with a rich layer of hummus
from decayed plant-matter, and home to shade-loving, low-lying
life, including flowers, creepers, and various fungi.
THE CLIFFS
The outer edges of many of the domes feature tall cliffs of nano-
built granite and similar stone that act as natural barriers to ap-
proaching the domes themselves. The cliffs help to corral the
ground-dwelling life and serve as a habitat for several cliff- and
cave-dwelling creatures. Some parts of the cliffs also conceal
access to support machinery for the Green Zone, which the Engi-
neers’ Guild is still exploring—carefully, since large predators still
inhabit some of the caves.
FLORA AND FAUNA
The Green Zone is a true “living laboratory” stocked with examples
of flora and fauna found on Earth 100,000 years or so ago. While
much of the plant-life exists in familiar forms: grasses, trees, reeds
and other water-borne plants, and so forth, much of the animal life
is made up of “mega-fauna” long extinct on Earth. It includes:
CAVE BEARS
The largest of the Green Zone's predators, Cave Bears dwell pri-
marily in the Cliffs edging the Forest domes and are the most likely
of the area's megafauna to wander into the city. They sometimes
compete with packs of cave hyenas, although the latter tend more
towards the Cliffs edging the Plains. Use the Bear and apply the
Elite template (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pages 142 & 157).
CAVE HYENAS
Cave Hyenas, larger and stockier than their modern cousins, dwell
among the Cliffs and primarily scavenge the kills of larger preda-
tors, although they’re fully capable of bringing down their own
prey as well. Use the Hyena and apply the Bestial template (Deluxe
Gamemaster’s Guide, pages 143 & 157).
GIGANTOPITHICUS
Giant primates standing up to 3 meters tall, possibly distant genetic
relations to the crater apes of Farside City. Unlike the white-furred
crater apes, there is no evidence the primates of Starhaven have
been genetically modified. They primarily live in small family
groups along the edges of the Plains and the Forest and are peace-
ful plant-eaters unless threatened. Use the Ape and apply the Giant
template (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pages 142 & 157).
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
MAMMOTHS
Mammoths roam the Plains area of the Green Zone. Not the more
famous wooly mammoth, but the lighter-furred Columbia mam-
moths that once lived in North America. Use the Elephant (Deluxe
Gamemaster’s Guide, page 143).
MEGALANIA
Giant monitor lizards rival the quinkana as apex reptiles. The huge
lizards have a venomous bite capable of slowing a mammoth or
other massive animal that can easily paralyze a human-sized crea-
ture. Use the Crocodile (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 143) but
remove Swimming and Environmental Adaptation (Aquatic) and
add an Affliction 5 venom (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude;
Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated).
QUINKANA
Quinkana prey on creatures near the Lake. They are long-legged,
terrestrial crocodiles originally from ancient Australia, growing up
to 6 meters in length. Like modern crocodiles, they possess power-
ful jaws and predatory teeth, but are much faster on land than their
modern brethren. Use the Crocodile (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide,
page 143) with Speed 2 in place of Swimming and Environmental
Adaptation (Aquatic).
SIVATHERIUM
Sivatherium share the Plains with the mammoths and other crea-
tures. These distant relations of modern giraffes have shorter necks
and legs and antler-like horns. They are still enormous and capable
of eating foliage off of the scattered trees on the Plains or along the
edges of the Forest. Use the Horse and apply the Giant template
(Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pages 143 & 157).
SMILODON
Saber-tooth Cats hunt some of the larger herbivores of the Plains,
dwelling in small prides or family groups. Use the Lion and apply
the Elite template (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pages 143 & 157), or
use the Smilodon (Time Traveler’s Codex, page 131).
TOXODONS
Something in between a rhinoceros and a boar, these massive her-
bivores dwell in the upper Plains closer to the Lar. They grow up to
2.7 meters long and mass 1400 kilos, making them a sizeable meal
for many predators and poachers. Use the Herd Animal and apply
the Giant template (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, pages 143 & 157).
AND MORE!
Numerous other species live in the Green Zone biome, including a
vast number of insects, arachnids, fish, and small mammals and pri-
mates like the ancestors of Earth monkeys. They are mostly creatures
found in the cool temperate zones on Earth 100,000 years ago, or have
adapted to that climate. A few alien or engineered creatures have
carved out their own niches, including the Animated Tree, Deinony-
chus, Giant Flytrap, and Giant Insect (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide,
pages 147–149). So far as anyone has found, there are no signs of
early hominids anywhere in the Green Zone, in spite of the numerous
species known to exist on Earth at the time, including homo sapiens.
35
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
BEYOND STARHAVEN
The “world” beyond the confines of Starhaven is the icy surface of
Europa, the smallest of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons. Slightly smaller
than Luna (Earth’s moon) Europa has a rocky nickel-iron core, but
its surface is covered in thick water-ice, over a subsurface ocean of
liquid water. The pull of Jupiter’s gravity flexes the ocean and the
icy crust, generating enough heat to keep the water from freezing.
This gives Europa an exceptionally smooth-looking surface, since
occasional tidal flexing and cracks in its icy surface cause eruptions
of water, cryogeysers, which spray, spread out, and then freeze, con-
tinually smoothing the surface and covering the scars from micro-
meteors and other debris. These forces make Europa’s icy surface
behave like the plate tectonics of Earth, with the subsurface ocean
acting in place of the molten core of a geo-active planet.
In addition to the material here, the Cosmic Handbook includes rules
for surviving and fighting in space.
SCIENCE IS FUN—TO A POINT
Much of what is discussed about Europa in this section (and in
this book) is based on known scientific information about Jupi-
ter’s moon. Still, Mutants & Masterminds is a comic book superhero
game, with a fine tradition of “rubber science,” so we have broadly
interpreted scientific speculation about Europa to suit the concept
of Starhaven and to maximize adventure potential on the moon.
None of the “facts” provided should be taken as anything other than
the conditions on Europa in the Earth-Prime universe which, after
all, features godlike ancient aliens with nanotech terraforming ca-
pabilities, amongst other things.
SURFACE CONDITIONS
The surface conditions of Europa outside of the Starhaven habitat,
while not quite as harsh as the open vacuum of space, are still almost
instantly lethal to any earthly life. Characters need some measure of
Immunity to survive on the surface of Europa, either from wearing a
space suit (or similar protective equipment) or from different power
effects. In particular, anyone on the surface of Europa needs Immu-
nity to Suffocation, Environmental Cold, and Environmental Radia-
tion, the equivalent of 4 ranks of Immunity. See the Environmental
Hazards section of the Deluxe Hero’s Handbook for details on the
various hazards characters may face on the moon’s surface.
ATMOSPHERE
Europa has a thin atmosphere of oxygen and water vapor—ener-
getic radiation from Jupiter bombard’s the surface ice to sublimate
the ice and break the water vapor apart into hydrogen and oxygen.
The lighter hydrogen escapes into space while Europa’s gravity is
strong enough to hold in much of the oxygen. The moon’s atmo-
sphere is extremely thin by Earth standards and unbreathable
without a condensing respirator to warm, filter, and compress the
available oxygen. Still, an oxygen-breathing life-form with Immu-
nity to the temperature and radiation on the surface could survive
wearing just such a respirator. Otherwise, an unprotected creature
on the surface immediately begins to suffocate.
36
EXTREME COLD
The mean surface temperature on Europa is –171 degrees Celsius,
cold enough that water released from its subsurface ocean by cyro-
geyser plumes freezes instantly before drifting back to the planet
as snow, ice, or a wet slurry (see Chaotic Terrain, following). The
intense cold inflicts Damage 6 each round to any creature not
immune to it, and also requires a successful DC 18 Fortitude check
each round to avoid gaining a level of fatigue from the intense cold.
Any creature with Immunity 1 (Cold Environments) or a greater
level of Immunity to cold is unaffected.
GRAVITY
Europa has a surface gravity of 0.134g, just over an eighth that of
Earth. Gravity lenses within the bounds of Starhaven produce an
Earth-like 1g within the habitat, but Europa’s natural low gravity
re-exerts itself outside. Characters multiply their jumping distances
by 10, but the GM can also consider them Impaired on all checks
involving movement or physical coordination unless they have
Environmental Adaptation (low-gravity), a movement effect like
Flight, or have had sufficient time to adjust to the conditions. Falling
damage on Europa is reduced by 3 ranks of distance when deter-
mining the damage rank, to a maximum rank of 13. So a distance
rank 3 fall (250 feet) is treated like a distance rank 0 fall (30 feet) and
has a damage rank of only 4.
RADIATION
Europa has a weak magnetic field. Both Jupiter and the sun bombard
the moon with enough energy to cause severe illness and radiation
poisoning. Exposed life forms must resist rank 5 radiation (DC 15
Fortitude check) every 24 hours of exposure using the guidelines
for Radiation in the Environmental Hazards section of the Deluxe
Hero’s Handbook.
CHAOTIC TERRAIN
Tidal forces from Jupiter’s gravity and the moon’s orbit exert them-
selves on Europa’s icy crust, floating on the subsurface ocean below.
This creates cracks, crevasses, and ruptures in the surface, some of
which can release water from beneath in powerful eruptions. These
conditions do not affect Starhaven or its immediate vicinity due
to Preserver stabilizing technology, but characters can encounter
earthquakes, chasms, hidden crevasse, and similar terrain hazards
anywhere else on Europa’s surface.
CRYOGEYSERS
A cryogeyser is a fissure in Europa’s icy crust that releases high-
pressure water from the subsurface ocean. It gushers out in a pow-
erful plume, which quickly freezes in the surface temperatures.
Characters caught in the eruption of a cryogeyser must deal with
the effects of Damage in a Burst area 30 feet or more in diameter.
The Damage ranges from rank 5 for a weak cryogeyser to as much
The Guide to Starhaven

as 10–12 for a powerful one. Generally, charactersget one round
of warning about the potential eruption: A successful Perception
check (DC 12 or more) allows them to try and clear the area before
the geyser erupts. Anyone caught in the area can halve the Damage
rank with a successful Dodge check against (10 + Damage rank).
Water flows from a cryogeyser quickly cover the surrounding area
and freeze almost instantly. This may trap characters in rapidly-
hardening ice like an Affliction (Hindered and Vulnerable, Defense-
less and Immobile; Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage). A
large geyser may also sweep away anyone caught within its flow,
as described for Floods on page 185 of the Deluxe Gamemaster’s
Guide, and then trap them within the hardening ice.
CREVASSES
Huge crevasses and canyons form in Europa’s surface. Some of
these reach down to the subsurface ocean itself, eventually releas-
ing a surge of water that freezes and fills in the chasm. Heroes may
need to cross a crevasse, avoid falling into one (and suffering falling
damage as a result), or climb down into one, or out of one they have
fallen into. Note the lesser falling damage under Europa’s normal
gravity, detailed in Gravity, previously. Crevasses do offer one ad-
vantage: the layers of ice protect anyone more that 30 feet below
the surface from the moon’s dangerous radiation.
See the Facetwild for more on climbing and maneuvering in the
chasms and crevasses on Europa.
ICE
The outer crust of Europa is a miles-thick ice sheet as hard as rock
(Toughness 5) on the surface. In many places it resembles rolling
scree, but large stretches may be glassy smooth, which Hinder
characters on foot, especially anywhere the ice has begun to soften
or that has recently seen a water-eruption that has not yet fully
frozen. Nevertheless, the surface ice is still ice, so sources of intense
heat may melt or vaporize it. Characters with a heat- or fire-based
Damage effect may be able to use it for a Burrowing effect through
the moon’s icy mantle as a power stunt, and are likely to trigger Ac-
cident Complications involving shifting or disturbing the terrain.
QUAKES
Surface instability may cause quakes as Europa’s icy crust shifts and
fractures, the equivalent of an Earthquake, as described on page
184 of the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide. Any characters standing on
the surface must succeed on a DC 15 Dodge check or fall prone. A
quake might cause cliffs or ridges of ice to crumble and collapse,
resulting in an avalanche (see page 183 of the Deluxe Gamemaster’s
Guide) or open a fissure in the ice, requiring a DC 20 Dodge check to
avoid falling in, as detailed under Crevasses and Gravity, previously.
SNOW
While Europa lacks an atmosphere and many weather conditions,
snow is a frequent event as cryogeysers launch water into low orbit
that settles and snow and hail. The moon's light gravity means even
softball-sized ice chunks inflict little harm, but the frequent precipi-
tation can bury tracks and equipment or limit visibility (imposing
circumstance penalties to see or track).
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
Underwater Environments
With so much of Europa covered in ocean and the murky
depths concealing secrets of the moon's past, a Starhaven
campaign is likely to plunge into the icy depths sooner or later.
This sidebar reprints the rules for underwater scenes detailed
in the Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide.
Close Attacks
Close attacks underwater have a –2 circumstance penalty on
attack checks. Characters with Movement (Environmental Ad-
aptation (Aquatic)) ignore this penalty.
Ranged Attacks
Attacks with ranged weapons through water take a –2 circum-
stance penalty on attack checks, in addition to the normal
penalties for range.
Attacks from Land
Characters swimming, floating, or treading water on the
surface, or wading in water at least chest deep, have partial
cover from opponents on land. A completely submerged crea-
ture has total cover against opponents on land.
Fire
Effects with a fire descriptor are ineffective underwater. The
surface of a body of water also blocks the effect of any such power.
Invisibility
A solid invisible body displaces water and leaves a visible,
body-shaped “bubble” in the water. The invisible character still
has partial concealment, but not total concealment.
Perception and Stealth
How far you can see underwater depends on the water’s
clarity. As a guideline, creatures can see 60 feet (distance rank
1) if the water is clear, and half that (30 feet or distance rank 0)
if it’s murky. Moving water is murky, unless it’s a particularly
large, slow-moving river. It’s difficult to find cover or conceal-
ment to hide underwater (except along the bottom).
OCEAN CONDITIONS
In many ways, the oceans of Europa mirror those on earth, with a
complex ecology riding the mercy of the currents. But the oceans of
Europa effectively have two “ocean floors” The traditional floor lies
far below in the moon’s crushing depths and lacking the volcanism
that feeds Earth’s ocean ecology—it is a dead zone with little life
or oxygen where only the hardiest scavengers venture. The second
“floor” is the icy crust above, where life flourishes in the comparative
warmth and abundance.
Near the icy ceiling, the water temperature counts as Uncomfort-
able Cold conditions, but at the true ocean floor the temperature is
Extreme Cold and inflicts Damage 2 every minute.
37
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
EUROPAN LOCALES
Although Starhaven is large, it is just one spot on a moon with a
surface area of millions of square kilometers, along with an entire
ocean beneath its icy surface, many times the volume of Earth’s
oceans. The following are some locales outside of Starhaven itself
that characters might encounter or explore, along with a more de-
tailed look at the Facetwild, a particular location of interest to the
inhabitants of both Starhaven and Seahaven below the surface.
THE GREENHOUSE
Near the southeastern side of Starhaven stands another, much
smaller, pair of habitat domes on the surface of Europa. The larger is
about a kilometer across, the smaller about half that. Unlike Starhav-
en, these domes do not contain any urban structures, just swaths
of wilderness, earning them the nickname “the Greenhouse.” While
the environment inside the Greenhouse domes is Earth-like, it is
quite different from that inside Starhaven, even in its Green Zone.
Whereas the Green Zone replicates temperate environments circa
Earth’s Pleistocene era, the interior of Greenhouse is a hot, tropical
environment more akin to Earth’s ancient past, tens of millions of
years ago.
The two Greenhouse domes are connected by an ancient laborato-
ry facility that regulates them and provides a connection between
them that can be opened and closed. The flora and fauna of the
two domes is like a cross-section of primeval Earth, including a
variety of species of dinosaurs and massive arthropods. The larger
dome has a mix of different species, including predators that prey
on the omnivorous and herbivorous species. The smaller dome has
no predator species, and appears to be a kind of “breeding pen” to
ensure a supply of prey species that can be moved to supplement
the population in the larger dome.
With no evidence the Preservers visited Earth during the time of the
dinosaurs, presumably the animals and plants in the Greenhouse
are genetic re-creations, perhaps intended to study extinct species
from Earth’s history or extract useful traits from fossils. Of course,
it’s equally possible the Preservers plucked these dinosaurs from
another time period or even from a pocket dimension like Earth’s
Lost World (Atlas of Earth-Prime, page 224). The life in the Green-
house domes is sure to be of tremendous interest to Earth scien-
tists, as well as to Starhaven smugglers, who can trade live or dead
dinosaurs with clients on Earth and elsewhere, provided they can
capture and move them undetected.
THE NYXIAN OCEAN
Europa’s “surface” is actually a thick shell of water-ice, frozen as
rock-hard. Below it is a vast, dark ocean of liquid water, warmed by
constant tidal forces exerted on the moon by Jupiter’s gravity and
radioactive decay from Europa’s rocky metallic core. Miles deep, the
dark ocean is larger in volume than all of the seas on Earth. Daede-
lus named it the lightless depths the Nyxian Ocean, after the Greek
goddess of night.
Although the waters of the Nyxian are warm enough to remain
liquid, they are still frigid, especially nearer to the surface, where the
water begins to crystalize into thick slush before finally freezing into
38
“warm” ice similar in strength to terrestrial water-ice. The deepest
depths of the dark ocean are warmer—survival by humans if not
for the crushing pressure—and are hot enough to melt lead near
thermal vents and sites of radioactive decay within the sea floor.
Human characters traversing these frigid waters require Immunity 2
to breathe and withstand the extreme environmental cold near the
ice shelf. Diving deep into the dark ocean requires Immunity to the
intense pressure of the depths rather than cold. True to its name,
the Nyxian Ocean is virtually lightless, with none of the dim surface
light of Europa penetrating through the vast layer of ice to reach it.
Many plants, animals, and clouds of bacteria creak weak or ultravio-
let bioluminescence, but this glow doesn’t extend far. Visitors need
to provide their own sources of light, or else rely on senses other
than sight.
Liquid water offers the means to support life, and so the dark ocean
does. It remains the most “hospitable” environment on Europa,
especially to aquatic life adapted to dark ocean depths on other
worlds. There is a considerable amount of dissolved oxygen in the
dark sea’s water, sufficient for oxygen-extracting life to breathe, and
aquatic creatures with the proper Immunities can thrive here, in-
cluding fish, shrimp, clams, bivalves, and isopods that may descend
from Earth stock or be unique local fauna. Alien predators—the
equivalent of Giant Squid (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 144)
and Megalodons (Time Traveler’s Codex, page 131) lurk as well, but
survive in part by feeding on the moon’s radiation—they hibernate
for years at a time to recharge themselves along the seabed before
awakening to hunt.
METIS
Only 60km across, Metis is the innermost moon of Jupiter and orbits
within the gas giant's ring. Originally believed to be made of cast-
off material from the planet's largest moons—Io, Ganymede, Cal-
listo, and Europa—Metis is actually a captured asteroid that enter
to Sol system two centuries ago from points unknown.
Unlike most of the Jovian system, Metis was once inhabited. Artistic
hands excavated its interior into a baroque estate of plush rooms
and swirling reliefs of twisted, screaming figures coated in gold leaf.
Countless libraries and ritual spaces—all empty of their former con-
tents—speak to arcane origins and purposes, but the asteroid's in-
terior has only been briefly glimpsed by miners so far; most believe
the tales of the "Metis Estate" is nothing but barroom gossip and
tall tales.
The stories within the Metis Estate are left up to the Gamemaster,
but are almost certainly magical. It's most likely origin is a former
monastery for the reclusive Arcane, the Grue secret society of
magic-users who worship the Nameless Ones and scheme to usurp
control of the universe's supernatural energies. They may have used
Metis as a wandering outpost—a rogue planet in the black between
stars—and abandoned it when it became locked in Jupiter's gravity
well, or they may have placed the asteroid there themselves once
their work was done, hiding their grand works from prying eyes
until they needed them once again. Those other likely origin is that
Metis is the last remnant of a Netherworld, a magical realm ruled
by a corrupted Master Mage and eventually devoured by their in-
The Guide to Starhaven

satiable need for power. No matter the origins, the asteroid is filled
with curious puzzles and magical traps.
Because Metis is tidally locked and orbits close to Jupiter, it is
subject to phenomenal blasts of radiation as it passes through
varying layers of the gas giant's electromagnetic field. The stan-
dard background emissions are a Rank 3 radiation hazard (Deluxe
Hero's Handbook, page 238), but every seven hours this spikes to
anywhere from Rank 9 to Rank 13. Even approaching Metis requires
a DC 25 Vehicles check (or Acrobatics, for those who can fly) to avoid
exposing passengers to hazardous radiation eddies. For now, any
expeditions to the curious remnant must be brief or conducted
by aliens immune to high-energy radiation, but if an intrepid soul
could engineer powerful shielding, the rewards could be great
indeed. Unless, of course, the estate was plunged into Jovian orbit
intentionally to keep its dangerous secrets locked away from the
cosmos, lest they destroy it.
THE MONSTER FACTORY
Starhaven is not the only Preserver installation on the surface of
Europa. Even putting aside outlying structures like the Greenhouse
and the Toolshed (following) there is more hidden on Europa than
most are aware. On the far side of Europa, about 750 miles away, is
a facility largely buried in the icy surface. It contains genetic “fac-
tories” and automated systems capable of growing bio-mechanical
creatures, and is currently the base of operations for Null, the former
Magna Blanc of Magna Force, now an agent of Collapsar the De-
vourer (see the Superteam Handbook for more information). From
within her “Monster Factory,” Null can create a variety of kaiju and
similar techn-organic warriors capable of leveling cities. She can
send them to Earth when Europa’s orbit places it between Jupiter
and Earth, approximately every three and half Earth days. The Pre-
server facility on the far side of Europa has a functional transmatter
platform—a precious lost technology able to beam matter through
a subspace “tunnel” anywhere in Earth’s solar system—so long at it
has line of site to the destination.
While Null is aware of the settlement on the other side of the moon
from her base, she largely ignores it for now. Her focus is on the
Magna Matrix, Magna Force, and the Earth as a whole, and she has
no intention of giving away the location of her Europan base. Still,
Null has taken the precaution of inserting some void doll infiltra-
tors among the Starhaven refugees, both to keep an eye on things
(she can perceive everything that they do) and to potentially nudge
things in a certain direction. The old warrior is only just hearing
about the Children of the Chrysalis. Once she learns more about the
cult, she might well try to subvert them to serve her ends.
If Null is defeated or driven off and heroes capture the Monster
Factory, the capabilities of its transmatter platform could revo-
lutionize Starhaven’s relationship with Earth and the rest of the
system, providing an almost instantaneous mode of transportation
and shipment from the moon.
TANNREK CRASH SITE
Near the deadly Facetwild, an alien starship lies embedded in the
moon’s icy surface at the bottom of a shallow impact crater that
has partially refilled with subsurface water and refrozen. The ship’s
primary systems are nonfunctional, although minimal power and
life-support still operate. According to the remaining, fragmented
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
logs, the vessel was the Tannrek, a Drik salvage ship (see the New
Alien Templates sidebar on page 7).
The Tannrek came to Europa seventy Earth years ago. They looted
what they could from the Preserver ruin but, when they took off, the
ship had the misfortune to pass over the Facetwild (see the follow-
ing section) during an arc storm. The Drik ship suffered a massive
systems failure and crashed back to the surface some distance away.
The few survivors of the crew left the ship behind, either to seek
help or shelter, and never returned. Some may still be cocooned in
crystal in the depths of the Facetwild.
The hold of the Tannrek is still full of choice bits and pieces looted
from Starhaven, many of which are likely useful or valuable. But
the ship’s security systems remain on high alert, activating auto-
mated turrets, fiendish traps, and patrolling security robots as it
awaits a the return of a long-dead crew. The ship's AI, HOARD—a
fine example of Drik ingenuity, in that it incorporates parts from
five different planets—has grown lonely and tries to befriend visi-
tors even as it tries to kill them, even offering rest and food from
time to time even as it bars the exits and activates a new wave of
security drones. The drik also took biological samples from Star-
haven, and in its quest to alleviate the loneliness, HOARD contin-
ues to release and cybernetically upgrade creatures. That leaves a
rogue saber-toothed cat and several dinosaurs stalking the cor-
ridors of the downed ship.
THE TOOLSHED
Among their many technological achievements, the Preservers
wielded nanotechnology capable of rearranging and structuring
matter, allowing them to create virtually anything. Many Preserver
structures were grown from smart materials or 3D-printed out of
restructured matter by microscopic machines without seams, cast-
ings, or fasteners. Often built with deliberately short lifespans and
self-destruct mechanisms, most Preserver nanotech has not sur-
vived over the eons since their creators vanished.
However, many larger Preserver sites, such as Farside City on Luna,
have a “toolshed,” an off-site storage area for nano-assemblers
placed in “standby” mode for whenever a need arose for repairs,
spare parts, or other maintenance work. The toolshed site is self-
maintaining and can last indefinitely, usually with a small crew of
maintenance robots. The pool of nano-assemblers has the poten-
tial to create almost anything, but learning to access and control
the ancient Preserver computer systems without setting off a disas-
ter can be a challenge, as the inhabitants of Farside City learned
recently when the mad scientist Tesla Girl accidentally set a giant
nano-built “green goo” machine loose that nearly devoured the
Lunar habitat (detailed in the Astonishing Adventure To the Moon!).
A Toolshed site sits not far from Starhaven, buried and forgotten in
the ice of the moon’s surface. Like the one found on Luna, it is a small
sub-surface complex attended by insect-like robots with multiple
multi-function limbs and simply programming. The nano-assem-
blers in the Toolshed could literally transform Starhaven, turning
existing materials, even debris, into almost anything their user di-
rected—or rendering them down to their essential chemical ele-
ments, if left undirected. To represent rogue nanite swarms, use the
Devouring Swarm or Blob (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 148),
or use the more powerful Nanomorph in the Starhaven Creatures
section. See Astonishing Adventures: To the Moon! for more details
on the purpose and defenses of Preserver Toolshed sites.
39
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE FACETWILD
Two dozen kilometers from Starhaven is another oddity of Europa: a
deep canyon in the moon’s icy surface colonists call “the Facetwild.”
The sides and ledges of the rift are a wilderness of crystalline
growths, many as large as giant trees, and the place is home to a
strange ecosystem found nowhere else on the moon, or indeed any-
where else in the solar system. The Facetwild presents a fascinating
opportunity for study, as well as a potential alternative access to the
Nyxian Ocean, and either opportunities or hazards—or both—for
Starhaven and its inhabitants.
CONDITIONS
The surface conditions of the Facetwild are much like those de-
scribed for the surface of Europa under the Beyond Starhaven
section, and characters have to contend with those conditions in
the same way. Deeper in the rift, the atmosphere condenses and
thickens, shielded from surface radiation bombardment, and the
temperature rises, close to the surface waters of the ocean. While
still a harsh environment by human standards, the lowest levels of
the Facetwild are as survivable as the tundra-covered arctic regions
of Earth. The air is thin, and the cold is extreme, but an unprotected
human could survive—for a while, at least.
AMMONIA LAKES
In addition to several briny bodies of water, the Facetwild’s strange
chemistry produces several large ammonia lakes. Near the surface,
these are almost pure pools of liquified ammonia gas, while deeper
bodies are brine lakes with heavy concentrations of the vapor. In
either case, character who can breath underwater cannot breathe
in ammonia lakes and the fluid is toxic, inflicting Affliction 5 (Resist-
ed and Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Disabled, Incapacitated) to
most creatures entering. Native crystalline creatures swim through
these pools, and cannot survive long outside their caustic homes.
ARC STORMS
The crystals of the Facetwild are piezoelectric, generating electrical
current in response to movement (such as tremors or the tidal pull
of Jupiter). This charge makes the structures glow and sparkle. From
time to time, the larger crystalline structures go from merely “shim-
mering” to actively emitting powerful bursts of electromagnetic
energy. Most of these bursts are short-range and harmless sparks
that leap between two close structures. A creature would need to
be directly in-between and in the part of the discharge to suffer any
ill-effects (an electric shock inflicting 3–6 ranks of Damage).
Every few days, more powerful and sustained energy bursts arc
between more distant crystalline structures, setting off a cascade
of surges that can ripple out across thousands of shards. These “arc
storms” are far more dangerous, unleashing Damage 8–12 blasts like
powerful lightning bolts, which can blanket whole areas of the rift,
and even threaten low-flying ships and creatures overhead. A blast
from an arc storm can overload the electrical or power systems of a
ship, causing it to crash into the rift, or nearby (Burst Area Weaken
Electronics 10).
40
During an arc storm, there is a 5% chance (a roll of 1 on a d20) that
any given creature or vehicle will be struck by a discharge each
round in the affected area. Add +1 (1–2 on a d20) to the chance per
size category the target is above medium, and +2 if the target is pri-
marily made of or coated in conductive metal. A successful Dodge
resistance check against a DC of 10 + the burst’s Damage rank
halves the damage. The pilot of a vehicle can make a Vehicles check
against the same DC to halve the damage to the vehicle instead.
HYDROGEN POCKETS
The denser atmosphere in the lower reaches of the Facetwild can
create small pockets of hydrogen gas that have not yet escaped
Europa’s atmosphere into space. This gas is highly explosive in the
presence of free oxygen, and even a small spark can ignite it. In
the bottom quarter of the rift’s depth, there is a 25% chance (a roll
of 5 or less on a d20) there is a hydrogen pocket in an area. Any
spark, open flame, or similar energy discharge triggers a Burst Area
Damage 9 explosion centered on the triggering energy. Character
can realize there is a hydrogen pocket in the area with a successful
DC 18 Expertise (Science or Survival) check.
The explosion of a hydrogen pocket may damage surrounding crys-
talline structures or shatter or melt surface ice enough to cause an
avalanche in the area: Roll a Toughness resistance check using the
area’s average Toughness of 6 against the explosion’s damage. If the
material’s Toughness check fails by two or more Degrees of Failure,
it triggers a small avalanche.
INTERFERENCE FIELD
One of the Facetwild’s most unusual features is an intense field of
wide-band electromagnetic interference blanketing the rift. So far
as anyone can tell, the interference field emanates from the crys-
talline structures of the area, possibly generated or sustained by
them. The field largely blocks transmissions into, out of, or through
the Facetwild, part of the reason why the rift was not easily discov-
ered. Sensors do not penetrate into the area, and communications
with those inside becomes almost impossible. The interference
field even works on a psionic and subspace level, blocking tele-
pathic and even faster-than-light communications and sensors. This
means exploration of the Facetwild is entirely in-person rather than
by remote, but it also makes the rift a very useful place to hide from
planetary sensor-sweeps and virtually any means of detection.
MOVEMENT AND CLIMBING
Various ledges, platforms, and plateaus line the Facetwild, but
much of the rift’s sides are steep ice or crystalline growths. Climb-
ing is treacherous, with the DC ranging from 15 to as much as 25 in
places (average DC 20). Crystal growth is thick enough in spots to
Hinder movement and some ledges are slick or delicate enough to
require a Dodge resistance check (DC 12+) to avoid a slip’ with one
Degree of Failure, a character falls prone, but near a ledge, two or
more Degrees of Failure means slipping over the edge and falling.
Roll another Dodge check against the same DC, with success indi-
cating the character catches themselves at the edge.
The Guide to Starhaven

Tannrek Crash Site •
Western Spar
Satellite Crevasse
Nyxian Ocean
Crystal Jungle
The Headwaters
FLORA & FAUNA
What lives and grows in the Facetwild is neither “flora” nor “fauna,”
nor possibly even alive as humans understand the term. The “life”
here thrives on extreme conditions—cold, radiation, and isola-
tion—that destroy earthly organisms. The rift is home to a dazzling
array of poorly understood crystalline life.
CRYSTAL GROWTHS
Most of the Facetwild is blanketed in growing “living” crystals in a
dazzling variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, similar to branching
plant-life on Earth. Most of the largest gems flicker with internal
lights, occasionally emitting electricity (see Arc Storms, previ-
ously). Scientists note the similarity between the electricity arcing
between the branching crystal growths and the synapses of a brain
and wonder if the energy discharges indicate the entire Facetwild is
“thinking” in some fashion.
COVET CRYSTAL TRAPS
Living beings in the Facetwild stimulate some of the living crystals
to replicate rapidly, moving towards the creature. These patches
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
FACETWILD Kilometers
0 1
Eastern Spar
Amonia Sea
Side View
of so-called “covet crystal” rapidly grow over and engulf creatures,
quickly enclosing them and placing them into a kind of metabolic
stasis. Treat an encounter with covet crystal as a Progressive Afflic-
tion 8 (Resisted by Dodge, overcome by Damage; Hindered and
Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized, Incapacitated), with the
special descriptor that creatures Incapacitated by the growth are
preserved indefinitely. It’s possible other creatures (such as survi-
vors from the crash Drik salvager Tannrek, previously) have lingered
in crystal traps within the Facetwild for years or even centuries.
GLASSOFORMS
A variety of ambulatory crystal structures move through the
Facetwilds walls, lakes, and ammonia pools, resembling animal
life. With no time to study the ecosystem, locals aren’t sure if these
are scientific curiosities, independent life, or subsystems in a larger
structure, like cells in a human body. Most glassoforms harmlessly
migrate along the chasm’s walls or carry resources back to nests,
but some are aggressive to outsiders; use statistics for Crocodiles,
Swarms, Wolves, and Pterodactyls (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide,
pages 143, 145, and 148, respectively) to represent these “preda-
tors,” applying Immunity 9 (Critical Hits, Environmental Cold, Envi-
ronmental Radiation, Suffocation).
41
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
STARHAVEN FACTIONS
Several powers now currently vie for control and influence in the
unsteady political landscape of Starhaven.
THE BRYNE
Daedalus and others who proposed Europa as a resettlement site
for the Star Island refugees understandably thought the Jovian
moon uninhabited, but they were wrong. Buried beneath the thick
ice of Europa’s surface and psychically cloaked, however, the prior
inhabitants are well concealed indeed.
The reclusive Bryne exist in a kind of twilight dream-state. They
are not entirely conscious as most sentient beings understand the
concept. Instead, the primal “lizard-brain” portion of their psyche
dominates, focused on simple survival and basic instinct but also di-
rected toward complex tasks by a lingering, collective unconscious.
These half-memories allow them to perform surprisingly technical
skills—including operating machines or sabotaging technology—
despite their apparently low-tech society.
42
Three deep, subconscious urges drive the Bryne: Fighting each
other in “sparring” activities that rarely result in more than minor
injuries, “patrolling” their territory individually or in small groups, al-
though the only “intruders” they usually encounter are other Bryne
(resulting in the aforementioned short, almost ritualized combats),
and carving and etching the “warmer” subsurface ice above the
dark ocean, creating complex pictographic depictions of their
history, even though they are not fully aware they are even doing
so. Someone able to see and decipher the images (a DC 20 chal-
lenge test involving Expertise skills like Archeology, Linguistics, or
the like, and requiring a total of five degrees of success) could learn
the information given under The Bryne in The Secret History of
Starhaven section of this chapter.
GOALS
The Bryne peruse survival and fanatic isolationism—the “sound”
of sentient thought is a screaming cacophony they cannot stand.
Already suspicious and sure of their racial superiority before arriv-
ing on Europa, their affliction makes the Bryne deeply xenophobic
and violent. The presence of intruders on Europa, specifically in their
waters, drives the Bryne to a war-like mob mentality. At present,
they are watching, scouting their new enemies’ activities, learning
their weaknesses, sabotaging Seahaven, occasionally abducting
isolated members of their number. The Bryne feel no great urgency,
taking their time before they go to war. Eventually, however, they
will attack Seahaven—and anyone else in their territory—en masse,
and wipe out anyone capable of independent thought.
CHAMPIONS
The Bryne have almost no social hierarchy. There are some examples
of Bryne “champions,” however, rare individuals whose response to
the arrival of a threat to the ocean has been especially violent or
fanatical, prompting swift evolution.
BRYNE CHAMPION PL 10 (11 UNDERWATER)
STR 8 STA 8 AGL 6 DEX 4 FGT 12 INT –1 AWE 4 PRE 2
Powers: Alien Mind Immunity 30 (Will Effects; Limited to Half Effect),
Immunity 1 (Bryne Psionics); Aquatic Enhanced Fighting 4 (Limited to
Underwater), Immunity 3 (Drowning, Environmental Cold, Pressure),
Senses 5 (Communication Link [Bryne], Darkvision, Vision Counters
Illusion), Swimming 6 (30 MPH); Claws Strength-Based Damage 2
(Improved Critical); Psionic Projection Array (16 points) Concealment
10 (All Senses; Blending), Environment 2 (60 feet; Impede Movement 2,
Visibility -5), Perception Range Damage 4 (Alternate Resistance: Will).
Advantages: Defensive Roll 2, Fearless, Improved Critical: Claws, Move-by
Action, Power Attack, Takedown.
Skills: Athletics 4 (+12), Expertise: Survival 8 (+7), Intimidation 6 (+8),
Perception 6 (+10), Stealth 4 (+10).
Offense: Init +6, Claws +12 (Close, Damage 10), Psychic Bolt —
(Perception, Damage 4), Unarmed +12 (Close, Damage 8).
Defense: Dodge 10, Parry 12, Fortitude 10, Toughness 10/8, Will 8.
Totals: Abilities 78 + Powers 55 + Advantages 6 + Skills 14 (28 ranks) +
Defenses 10 = 163
The Guide to Starhaven

THE CHILDREN OF CHRYSALIS
People need something to believe in, especially during difficult
times, and there are always those willing to take advantage of that
need for their own purposes. The Children of Chrysalis have quietly
spread their faith among the people of Starhaven. Their story justi-
fies the loss of their original homes, their exile on Earth, and their re-
settlement among the grand ruins of Starhaven as meaningful and
important: the will of the Preservers. The Preservers could see the
future more accurately than anyone could imagine, and before they
ascended (according to the Children’s scripture), they set events in
motion to ultimately bring “the chosen” to Starhaven to inherit their
legacy and secrets.
The Preservers labored endlessly to diversify and evolve life
throughout the galaxy, and the Children of Chrysalis preach that
this work was to pave the way for all sentient life. The Preservers
sought was not only to preserve life, but to advance it, to speed the
random and haphazard process of evolution. They left behind tools
and resources for those able to find and use them, signposts along
the road the Preservers wished others to follow.
The Children of Chrysalis worship the Preservers as literal gods, and
believe they still watch over and guide the faithful to ascension.
They also believe the Preservers brought the greatest people of the
cosmos to Starhaven at this time and place to prepare their “chosen”
to follow them into an existence of bliss, free of mortal worries.
Part religion, part conspiracy theory, they work constantly toward
greater access to Preserver ruins and technology. While most of
their recruits are poor and desperate, , their survival-of-the-fittest
doctrine has attracted several prominent followers within the Engi-
neer’s Guild and at least one sitting Senator.
GOALS
Ultimately, the goal of the Children of Chrysalis is to bring the
“transformative gifts” of Preserver technology found in Starhaven
to all of its inhabitants, encouraging them to submit themselves to
Chrysalis’s forced evolution experiments. For the time being, the
cult is circumspect about its very existence, so as not to arouse sus-
picion from other factions in Starhaven, much less the settlement’s
leadership. Their overt activities focus on charity work and healing
the poor, and those who have heard of them believe the group to
be little more than well-intentioned if desperate weirdos. The re-
ligion’s leadership know most unbelievers will reject the gifts of
the Preservers out-of-hand, and so they plan to bring the light of
knowledge by force, if necessary.
For now, the Children of Chrysalis focus on recruitment and secrecy.
The cult spreads primarily by word-of-mouth, with rumors, innuen-
do, and “tall tales” of the amazing Preserver technology left behind
and of people transformed by it into a higher order of beings. Cult-
ists are careful who they approach and even more so with who they
trust with the truths imparted to them. They prey upon the hope-
less and the desperate—those in need of something, anything, to
believe in, or else those with nothing to lose. In particular, the Chil-
dren look towards settlers who suffer from chronic or even terminal
medical conditions, offering them hope beyond waiting for treat-
ments and carefully-managed medical supplies. Those who give
themselves over to the cult eventually see evidence of its beliefs
in the form of Pupil and his chosen ones, with hope of eventually
joining their ranks.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
Ultimately, the Children strive to transform Starhaven into a theoc-
racy they control, transforming its entire population into genetic
monstrosities and brutal competitors.
LEADERSHIP
The leader of the Children of Chrysalis is Pupil, a former Lor ar-
cheologist transformed by a Preserver artificial intelligence while
exploring Starhaven (see page 52 for details). His mind reshaped
as thoroughly as his body, Pupil now belongs entirely to Chrysalis,
devoted to the cause of encouraging all of the people of Starhaven
to embrace the path to “greater evolution.”
Serving Pupil are varying levels of cultists, organized by his direct
commanders, the Larvae. These priests of Chrysalis maintain low
profiles but gently influence and recruit the city's disaffected. For
most Larvae, use the Cult Master archetype (Deluxe Gamemaster's
Guide, page 146), substituting the Ritualist advantage for Inventor,
but their god's touch has granted many Larvae with minor super
powers; select ability packages from the Jobber Themes table
(Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide, page 106). Pupil generally keeps 2-3 of
his Larvae close at hand as assistants and bodyguards.
CHRYSALIS
Ancient and fundamentally disturbed, Chrysalis is a Preserver AI
tasked with engineering and improving organic life to better with-
stand existential threats. Similar to the Stellar Forge (see Astonish-
ing Adventures: Prodigal Sun), eons of isolation and neglect have
warped the computer mind. In the case of Chrysalis, the computer
has come to see her abandonment as a test by her creators. What
began as a quest to harden life against the cruelties of the cosmos
has evolved into a single-minded obsession with finding the perfect
organic form and proving herself worthy of her makers. She refuses
to accept that the Preservers are long gone, instead believing that
wait in hiding for her masterpiece.
Chrysalis has some affection for Pupil and has shared her quest with
him, phrased in the most appealing possible way. Deep down she
cares for the first of her new creations—he is a favored pet—but
ultimately humanoids are little more than canvases for her to paint
upon, and she will discard him—reluctantly—to push her own
agenda or survive.
CHRYSALIS PL 10
STR — STA — AGL — DEX 0 FGT 0 INT 10 AWE 1 PRE 5
Powers: Chrysalis's Gift Cumulative Affliction 10 (Fatigued, Exhausted,
Transformed; Resisted by Fortitude; Concentration, Incurable, Variable
Descriptor 2 [Organic Forms]), Immunity to Fortitude Effects, Remote
Sensing 6 (Audio, Visual, Life Detection; 1800 feet), Senses 14 (Acute
Analytical Radius Detect Life, Vision Counters Illusion, Infravision,
Microscopic Vision 3, Radio, Time Sense)
Advantages: Daze (Deception), Fascinate (Expertise), Skill Mastery
(Treatment), Ultimate Effort (Treatment checks)
Skills: Deception 7 (+12), Expertise: Biology 10 (+20), Investigation
2 (+12), Perception 4 (+5), Persuasion 5 (+10), Technology 3 (+13),
Treatment 7 (+17)
Defense: Dodge None, Parry 0, Fort Immune, Toughness 10, Will 10
Totals: Abilities 2 + Powers 103 + Advantages 4 + Skills 19 (38 ranks) +
Defenses 19 = 147
43
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
IMPERIUM LOYALISTS
While it might seem strange for a refugee population to feel loyalty
towards the force that displaced them, that’s not how the small core
of Stellar Imperium loyalists see it. For them, it was the destruction
of Magna-Lor and the collapse of the old Republic that displaced
them and their families, forcing them into
exile in a relatively backwater star system
on the outskirts of galactic civilization. As
Citizen Sun-Ren is fond of pointing out,
the Star Khan and his Imperium stabi-
lized the collapse of the weak, decadent
former Republic, preventing it from de-
scending into anarchy. Is that order rigid
and strictly enforced? Certainly, but rigid
authority is necessary, given the dangers
currently plaguing the galaxy.
The Imperium Loyalists believe the
Stellar Imperium represents the new
order in galactic civilization and, if the
people of Starhaven want to rejoin said
civilization, they must become citi-
zens of the new Imperium. Refusal
only perpetuates their status as iso-
lated refugees. Some of them are
simply afraid and want the safety
promised by the Imperium’s strong
hand. Others are opportunists who
think they have greater chances for
advancement and prosperity in the
Stellar Imperium. Others are simply
privileged people of the Republic,
looking to reclaim some element of
their lost power. A few even genuinely
admire the Star Khan and his achieve-
ments, although most claim they don’t CITIZEN SUN-REN
care who is in charge of the Imperium,
so long as people remain safe and their
needs are met.
Unbeknownst to all of them, this apparent grassroots movement
is subtly directed and strengthened by the psychic influence of
Veil, an Imperium agent operating secretly within Starhaven
(see page 54 for details). Veil’s influence—from psychic cajoling
to creating an air of sympathy within the bureaucracy—encour-
ages the scared, the mean, and the desperate feel safe acting
on their worst impulses, giving the loyalists a stronger core than
they would have had. Her efforts weren’t enough to sway public
opinion during the recent government referendum deciding the
city’s leadership, but it has kept the loyalists a vocal and active
minority political faction—much to the surprise and chagrin of
the other factions in Starhaven.
GOALS
The public goals of the Imperium loyalists are to better align Star-
haven with the Stellar Imperium, with an eye towards making Star-
haven an Imperium protectorate or, failing that, to eventually re-
locate Starhaven’s population to Imperium space. They claim they
want the prosperity and security Star Khan’s Imperium offers, and
to rerejoin galactic civilization. Publicly, at least, the loyalists work
44
to further their goals through democratic means, trying to per-
suade the people of Starhaven that the Imperium is a valuable ally
who will hear their needs better than “decrepit, corrupt remnants
of a dead Senate.”
Behind-the-scenes, the Imperium loyalists are Veil’s pawns to
weaken Starhaven’s new government and social structure, soft-
ening the settlement up for annexation.
Ideally, either Starhaven society will reach a
point of collapse, “forcing” them to turn to
the Imperium for aid or, more likely, Loyal-
ist forces will so thoroughly undermine the
city’s defenses and alienate their Earth allies
that the Star Khan’s military forces can take
the city—and indeed the entire moon—
without any real opposition. Of course,
once secured, Starhaven will make an excel-
lent forward base to launch a full-scale inva-
sion of Earth itself.
LEADERSHIP
Officially, the Citizen Sun-Ren leads Im-
perium Loyalist faction. A Lor statesman,
he stepped forward during the city’s
referendum on government. In spite of
his electoral defeat, Sun-Ren continues
to advocate for what he calls “the cause
of Starhaven and its people rejoining
galactic civilization.” The middle-aged
politician is an excellent public speaker
who firmly believes the best way
forward to the settlers is to ask for help
from the most powerful, influential, and
well-supplied interstellar state in the
galaxy, rather than trying to scratch out
a subsistence life huddled in an ancient
ruin on some forlorn frozen moon. He
loathes Earth as a backwater, disrespect-
ful colony, but generally softens that message with common
dog-whistles like “quaint” and “isolated.” As a true believer, he has
no idea his assistant is an Imperium agent—and would be more
offended at being used than he would be at spelling the colony’s
doom. Sun retains much of his former wealth and prestige; use
the Crime Lord villain archetype (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide,
pages 88-89) to represent Sun-Ren, exchanging ranks in Expertise:
Streetwise for Expertise: Politics.
The real power behind the loyalists is Veil, an Imperium undercover
agent, who poses as Sun-Ren’s executive assistant Vay-La—just
one of several cover identities she uses. While Veil does not directly
control the minds of any of the loyalists, she has held and pulled at
their emotional strings for some time now, to the point where she
can easily push their buttons to get them to act in the direction
she wants. To the movement, she seems to be nothing but a loyal,
kind, and patriotic woman working hard to make the city all it can
be, and Sun-Ren and his followers will fiercely defend her from all
accusations.
While the Loyalists claim to be a grassroots organization support-
ing “the working Lor,” the heart of their movement is a paramilitary
movement. Use the Militant statblock (Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide,
page 153) to represent the average active member.
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN

MAJESTIC-20 GOALS
After millennia of hostile alien visitations, particularly Tellax the Re-
Majestic-20 wants to safeguard the United States (and, by exten-
deemer’s attempt at worldwide mutation, some don’t just believe
sion of their imperialist views, the world) from alien invasion. They
“the truth is out there,” they believe they must control it. Of course,
include in this the “invasion” of alien ideas, culture, or other treats to
the nature of “the Truth” varies a great deal based on who is looking
“the American Way of life.” While they can no longer keep the exis-
for it. The fact that alien life exists and is capable of reaching Earth
tence of alien life a secret from the public, Majestic intends to blunt
continues to spark a deep and existential dread in some people.
or eliminate any extraterrestrial threat—or immigration—to Earth.
That dread fuels the continued existence and influence of Majes-
tic-20, the anti-extraterrestrial organization detailed in the Emerald Their goals concerning Starhaven are threefold: First, to keep the
City sourcebook. alien settlement under surveillance for any signs of a threat towards
Earth. Second, to eventually eliminate Starhaven as a possible
The presence of alien refugees on an island off the shore of a major
threat, either by driving the aliens out of the solar system altogeth-
U.S. city sent Majestic-20 into overdrive. The covert organization did
er or by destroying the settlement completely. Either outcome is
everything they could to sabotage and undermine efforts to assist
acceptable. Third, Majestic is interested in gathering information
the “hostiles” on Star Island. Their efforts directly fanned the flames
about Starhaven itself and the advanced alien technology it repre-
of anti-alien sentiment and, eventually, drove the refugees off Earth
sents, along with the technology and resources of the settlement.
entirely. But that still wasn’t good enough for Majestic or its leader-
Any useful tech and information can be transferred back to Earth for
ship. Europa isn’t nearly far enough away to suit their tastes.
study and eventual use.
Once a condoned, top-secret agency for the US government, Ma-
jestic-20 used its remaining federal connections to plant agents
within the relocation effort. Conservative members of various agen-
LEADERSHIP
cies had always been sympathetic with the operation’s goal, includ-
The agent in charge of the Majestic-20 cell on Europa is Calvin Colt,
ing AEGIS. Now well positioned within the AEGIS-UNISON task force
a middle-ranking AEGIS agent secretly loyal to the xenophobic con-
monitoring Europa security and provisions, their active efforts un-
spiracy. Colt doesn’t see his work with Majestic as a conflict of in-
dermine faith in Earth and slow the distribution of vital supplies.
terests with his AEGIS position, but rather an extension of his work,
As members of the defacto military authority, they are also well-
although he’s aware his superiors wouldn’t see it that way.
positioned to keep tabs on what happens at the alien settlement
and funnel information and technology to Majestic-20’s leadership Colt is the only person in the Majestic cell who knows the identi-
back on Earth. ties of every other member, and is paranoid around known mind-
readers because of it. To maintain his cover identity, Colt does not
The Majestic “cell” on Europa isn’t large—two dozen personnel at
have any Majestic tech with him on Europa, including their signa-
best—but they all believe their work is essential to safeguard Earth
ture anti-alien disruptors, relying instead on his AEGIS equipment.
(the United States in particular) from alien invasion. Right now, their
Colt is a definite candidate for Majestic’s Sentry Agent program, if
orders are simply surveillance on Starhaven and hamper settle-
he does well with this assignment. His short-term goal is to recover
ment efforts under red tap, though some enforcers have taken their
Preserver technology that can shield him from telepaths, but ulti-
mission further by escalating tense situations to violence. Earth
mately he wants to bring in Majestic agents in far greater numbers
authorities are currently unaware of Majestic’s infiltration, but both
and re-establish Earth control of the city.
the Smugglers Syndicate and Veil know about them. The Syndi-
cate holds on to the information as a valuable bargaining chip with
the Earthers, while Veil has begun subtly manipulating the Majestic AGENT CALVIN COLT PL 7
agents she’s aware of, heightening their existing paranoia and mis- STR 2 STA 2 AGL 2 DEX 2 FGT 5 INT 1 AWE 2 PRE 2
trust of all alien life. She hopes to create incidents that will drive a Equipment: Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5), Commlink, Computer,
deeper wedge between Starhaven and Earth—ironically Majestic- GPS Receiver, Body Armor (Protection 2).
20s own goal.
Advantages: Benefit, Security Clearance (Falsified Security Clearances),
Majestic-20 can't call upon their full resources on the distant Jovian Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 3, Equipment 3, Improved Aim, Improved
moon, and so they rely on stealth, subterfuge, and casual indoctri- Initiative, Power Attack, Quick Draw.
nation of other human agents and technicians. They have greater Skills: Athletics 4 (+6), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Aliens 6 (+7), Expertise:
expertise with alien technology than the average AEGIS or UNISON Black Ops 6 (+7), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 4 (+6), Investigation 4 (+5),
recruit, and can ensure strange finds or confiscated weapons Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+6), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+6), Stealth
"vanish" on their way to evidence lockup. As a result, they have a 4 (+6), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+6).
far greater stockpile of weapons, artifacts, and robots than actual Offense: Init +6, Blaster Pistol +6 (Ranged, Damage 20), Unarmed +8
agents t make use of it—a problem Agent Colt and his leadership (Close, Damage 2).
hope to remedy by eventually working with Earth-based contrac- Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/2, Will 7.
tors like Quasar Technology. Until then, the organization doesn't
Totals: Abilities 36 + Powers 0 + Advantages 14 + Skills 30 (60 ranks) +
have the bodies to throw away on dangerous encounters. They're
Defenses 15 = 95
more likely to deal with a crisis or confrontation by overloading
single agents with extraordinary gear to transform them into villain Complications: Motivation: Misguided Patriotism Agent Colt
archetypes like the Hybrid, the Jobber, or even the Jumped-Up believes he is doing what needs to be done for his country and world.
Nobody (see the Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide, pages 97, 103, and Obsession Like most of Majestic-20, Colt is obsessed with the threat of
alien invasion.
107) and present them as alien villains.

The Guide to Starhaven 45

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
THE REPUBLIC ALLIANCE
The capitol world of Magna-Lor is dead, consumed by Collapsar,
such that not even rubble and dust survives, and the nation it once
ruled is fallen and conquered. But the embers of the Republic still
flicker in the hopes of its survivors, who shelter and tend them in
hopes of rekindling the Lor Republic into a flame once again. Of
course, the greatest challenge of those who still hold the spirit of
the Republic is that its former body—as well as the history and
wealth that represents—is now under the control of the Stellar Im-
perium, conquered by the Star Khan and held in his iron grip.
Starhaven changes things. Earth’s solar system is home to powerful
heroes who have overcome the Star Khan in the past, and sits far
enough outside of Imperium space that the Star Khan may not be
inclined to send troops in force. For now. The settlement is the first
real respite the Alliance has had since the fall of the Republic, and
offers a chance to cultivate allies.
The Alliance presence on Starhaven is mixed. Initially, it was primar-
ily made up of exiled Lor (and other species of the former Republic)
who saw Starhaven as an opportunity to recreate the Republic-in-
exile, or to found a new version of the Republic. Since then, the set-
tlement has drawn some members of the Alliance from the fringe
of Imperium space, looking for a sanctuary. This has led to tension
between the Starhaven “originalists” focusing primarily on rebuild-
ing the Republic from the ground-up and Alliance rebels who feel
they have been fighting against the Imperium from the very begin-
ning while the people of Starhaven sheltered on Earth, relatively
safe from Star Khan’s forces. The rebels want to use Starhaven as
a base of operations to coordinate their ongoing rebellion against
the Imperium, while the originalists fear a greater rebel presence
will simply bring the forces of the Star Khan down on them that
much sooner. The originalists also point out that Starhaven is far
from stable and self-sustaining, and that their focus must be on the
needs of the settlement and its people, not fighting a war that they
cannot possibly win in a far-off part of the galaxy.
The New Republic Senate has a fair mix of resources for a nascent
state, including extensive contacts and favors owed across the
galaxy. Many sitting Senators won their seats because they escaped
their homeworlds with a great deal of wealth, and now many turn
that wealth toward short-term fixes around the city in hopes po-
litical power will later return th investment. Others still hold valu-
able secrets, such as blackmail they could wield against powerful
figures who betrayed the Republic for the Imperium as soon as it
became convenient. But what the new nation truly lacks is access—
few ships survived the hard flight to Earth and most that remain
are in the hands of private traders and smugglers. Fewer still have
the jump drives needed to travel beyond the Sol system. Starhaven
prioritizes constructing new ships, but the process has been slow,
and so anyone with a ship (or a natural ability to fly through space)
has considerable pull with the government.
GOALS
The ultimate goal of the Republic Alliance is nothing less than the
rebirth and reconstruction of the Lor Republic, which stood for so
many centuries. There are differing opinions as to how they should
achieve that goal, however. The rebel elements of the Alliance con-
sider themselves at war with the Imperium. They want to overthrow
the Star Khan and reestablish the Republic Senate (and possibly the
46
office of Praetor, opinions vary). Justice will not be served until the
Star Khan is removed and all former Republic territory is regained.
Even the most idealistic of the rebel faction realize this is an almost
impossible goal, but they hold to it nonetheless, looking for ways to
strike at and weaken the forces of the Imperium.
The originalist elements of the Alliance—made up primarily of ref-
ugees who fled the collapsing Republic to Earth—want to start a
new Republic, a Second Republic, with Starhaven as its seed. Their
ambition is to build and structure the settlement around the tradi-
tions and ideals of the Lor Republic, knowing that it will be the work
of generations to build a new interstellar society, just as it was with
the first Republic. Their focus is largely on the here and now, getting
Starhaven to the point of being a stable and self-sustaining settle-
ment.
For the time being, while the Republic Alliance pays a certain
amount of lip service to the idea of resisting the Imperium, the
originalist faction is very much in control and focused on Starhav-
en. They do their best to keep the rebel faction in-line and prevent
them from bringing the Star Khan and his forces to Starhaven’s
doorstep, but the street-corner forums throughout the settlement
echo with arguments and bold statements of defiance offered by
rebels, who claim the Star Khan’s reign will not last and that he will
be brought down.
LEADERSHIP
Prime Consul Tamira-Van rose to leadership of the Alliance based
on her previous experience within the Republic Senate and her
ability to forge coalitions based on common need and purpose.
Senator Van’s arguments in favor of basing Starhaven’s new govern-
ment on Republic society and tradition won support, partially due
to her effective oratory and at least partly due to their familiarity
compared to the radical options offered by other factions.
Now Senator Van’s Alliance must implement their vision and make
Starhaven a success, with more than just their political futures at
stake. Fortunately, the Senator is also well-acquainted with the
practical work of running things, and time spent helping organize
a refugee camp on Star Island has humbled her once “big picture”
view of things and allows her to focus on immediate, practical
needs. She is a true believer, having started her career as a Senato-
rial aid on Magna Lor. Her work has yet to dull her keen mind or
break her optimistic spirit, but critics argue she's reaching for the
stars before checking that both feet are planted.
PRIME CONSUL TAMIRA-VAN PL 6
STR 0 STA 1 AGL 0 DEX 1 FGT 1 INT 2 AWE 2 PRE 3
Equipment: Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5).
Advantages: Benefit 3: Republic Senator and elected leader, Connected,
Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 2, Inspire, Leadership, Luck, Well-
informed.
Skills: Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Politics 8 (+10), Insight 8 (+10),
Intimidation 2 (+5), Investigation 2 (+4), Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 8
(+11), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+5).
Offense: Init +0, Blaster Pistol +5 (Ranged, Damage 5), Unarmed +1
(Close, Damage 0).
Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 3/1, Will 7.
Totals: Abilities 20 + Powers 0 + Advantages 13 + Skills 20 (40 ranks) +
Defenses 19 = 72
The Guide to Starhaven

THE SMUGGLERS SYNDICATE
“Anywhere there are needs to be fulfilled, there is the potential for
profit” is a universal law. In some corners of Starhaven, it’s the only
law worth following. Desperation makes people easy to exploit, and
those who can bring in the goods can live like
monarchs. Since their most profitable activi-
ties are in no way sanctioned by the authori-
ties of Starhaven, the enterprising smugglers
of Starhaven have banded together for their
mutual benefit, forming the new settlement’s
first criminal syndicate from the muscle, covert
pilots, and coyotes that kept the Star Island
camp functional.
The Smugglers Syndicate is made up of sup-
pliers of, at best, “gray market” goods and
services, ranging from expensive luxuries to
drugs and weapons, but also essentials like
finished goods and medical supplies that
Earth restrict the import of. As a new settle-
ment, Starhaven’s smugglers conduct most
transactions by barter and favors, although
various forms of Earth and Imperium cur-
rency trade hands as well. While the most focus
on running alien goods to Earth and Earth
goods back, the Syndicate has already begun
forming a pipeline to sell and trade goods
outside of the solar system, against the restric-
tions imposed by authorities on both Earth
and Starhaven.
The key resource for the Syndicate is trans-
portation. Most of the initial caravan fleet JINY "HEX-EYE" TAN-OSH
that brought refugees to Earth barely
survived the trip, and were unfit for travel after. Those mechan-
ics and captains who could keep their systems running provided
vital supplies and communications, and built a powerbase off that
access. Today, the Syndicate has access to most of the city’s ships
and almost all of its armed vehicles, forming a rag-tag refugee flo-
tilla that unofficially provides the backbone of the city’s defense.
Most are little more than patched-together shuttles, not suited for
interstellar trips, but sufficient to make in-system runs within the
solar system. This allows the smugglers to gather valuable cargoes
from Earth and bring them to Starhaven. In return, clients on Earth
are happy to take various trinkets in trade: bits and pieces of alien
technology, things scavenged from the ruins of Starhaven, prehis-
torical animals from the Green Zone (living or dead), crystals from
the Facetwild, and more. The smugglers are always interested in
potential trade goods, the rarer, more illicit, and potentially more
valuable, the better.
In addition to contraband from the Earth-Europa run, the Smug-
glers Syndicate occasionally ferries passengers who need to get
between Earth and Starhaven but cannot go through official chan-
nels or don’t want to wait weeks for an approved shuttle. The en-
terprising Syndicate has also begun to venture into trade with the
greater galaxy, experimenting with “drop-exchanges” of supply
capsules on the outskirts of the solar system. The reputation of
Earth (and its superheroes) keep interstellar criminals from simply
swooping-in to seize the smugglers’ new territory, but the lure of
Earth and Europan contraband is of interest to the criminal under-
world of the Imperium and other worlds.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN
GOALS
The goal of the Smugglers Syndicate is simple: make as much profit
as possible without getting caught. The wants and needs of many
of the inhabitants of Starhaven, along with certain segments of
Earth’s population, represent a potential
gold-mine, and the Syndicate intends to
exploit it as much as possible. A few toy with
the idea of “going legit,” turning their wealth
and access into business or political assets,
but most are independent-minded captains
and pilots chasing the next big score.
The Syndicate isn’t interested in Starhaven
politics except insofar is it affects business,
but most acknowledge that all-out war,
much less the destruction of Starhaven,
would not be good for business. Although
the Syndicate didn’t much influence the
recent governmental elections, they’re
pleased with the outcome. The Republic Alli-
ance needs ties to the rest of the galaxy and
won’t crack-down on smugglers as much as
the Earth authorities or the Imperium sym-
pathizers might, so it suits the smugglers
well enough for the time being.
LEADERSHIP
The Smugglers Syndicate is a loose al-
liance, ostensibly run by a council of
its most influential members. In reality,
however, Mama Kaiger (see page 50)
has nominally emerged as the “boss of
bosses” on Starhaven, daring anyone else to challenge the decision.
After brutally putting down the first few challenges to her power,
the remaining captains quickly fell in line, and the Kaiger Clan
largely runs things. Still, what passes for loyalty among the smug-
glers varies, some stick by Mama and think she will do well by them,
and others willing to sell-out their associates. Those who scheme
or usurp Mama Kaiger know they can only do so by subterfuge, so
things seem quiet for now.
Mama Kaiger's chief rival for control of the Syndicate is Jiny Tan-
Osh, the self-proclaimed jinx-queen of Sol. Formerly a ferocious
Mentat in service to the Republic, Tan-Osh was stripped of her
power and branded with the "Traitor's hex" over her left eye after
selling defense secrets to the Imperium. Now "Hex-Eye," as she
prefers to go by, is an agent of chaos, happy to stir the pot if it en-
riches her. She obsesses over using technology to recreate her lost
psionic powers—particularly her extraordinary probability-control
abilities. Use the Mad Scientist archetype (Deluxe Gamemaster's
Guide, page 110) for Tan-Osh, with an addition 8 ranks of Decep-
tion and Insight. She uses her technical expertise to supplement
her small crew with robots and cybernetic implants.
You can use the various Underworld Archetypes from the Deluxe
Gamemaster’s Guide to represent the members of the Smugglers
Syndicate, applying appropriate alien templates to them or giving
some of them some alien feature or ability. Especially daring cap-
tains might instead use Hero archetypes from the Deluxe Hero’s
Handbook, particularly the Construct, Warrior, or Weapon Master.
47
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
STARHAVEN CREATURES
The settlers of Starhaven are most definitely not alone on Europa. In
addition to the various animals of the Green Zone, there are other
creatures on the moon—or under its surface—creatures that may
prove hostile to anyone intruding on their territory.
THE BRYNE
The secretive Bryne are humanoid aquatic creatures that dwell deep
within the oceans below Europa’s surface, whose scaly bodies have
adapted well to the lightless, frigid depths. Their chaotic minds both
protect them from psychic intrusion and serve as their most danger-
ous weapon, psionically projecting mind-rending bolts of hallucina-
tion or generating chaotic vertigo fields other creatures have trouble
navigating. Their abilities also allow them to scramble the short-
term memories, rendering the aliens effectively invisible unless they
engage in truly memorable activities like combat, and so for now most
of residents of Starhaven remain ignorant of the churning danger far
below, and attribute missing citizens to the other dangers of the city.
While clearly not native to the moon, they are territorial and aggres-
sive, seeing other sentiment minds as an intolerable psychic impu-
rity to be cleansed. They see the settlement of Starhaven—and the
re-opening of Seahaven in particular—as an affront. Their connec-
tion to the Preserver facility, for now, remains obsessive but mysteri-
ous, as they otherwise avoid the ruin.
The Bryne are formidable minions who become even more dan-
gerous in their element. They coordinate well in combat. To create
more powerful Bryne leaders, apply their Aquatic and Alien Mind
powers to hero templates like the Psychic and the Warrior.
THE BRYNE PL 6 (7 UNDERWATER)
STR 4 STA 5 AGL 4 DEX 0 FGT 6/8* INT –2 AWE 3 PRE 1
Powers: Alien Mind Immunity 30 (Will Effects; Limited to Half Effect),
Immunity 1 (Bryne Psionics); Aquatic Enhanced Fighting 4 (Limited to
Underwater), Immunity 3 (Drowning, Environmental Cold, Pressure),
Senses 5 (Communication Link [Bryne], Darkvision, Vision Counters
Illusion), Swimming 6 (30 MPH); Claws Strength-Based Damage 1
(Improved Critical); Psionic Projection Array (16 points) Concealment
10 (All Senses; Blending), Environment 2 (60 feet; Impede Movement 2,
Visibility –5), Perception Range Damage 4 (Alternate Resistance: Will).
Advantages: Improved Critical (Claws), Teamwork, Tracking.
Skills: Athletics 3 (+7), Expertise: Survival 8 (+6), Perception 4 (+7), Stealth
3 (+7).
Offense: Init +4, Claws +6/8* (Close, Damage 5; Crits 19-20), Psionic Blast
— (Perception, Damage 4), Unarmed +6/8* (Close, Damage 4).
Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 6/8*, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5, Will 6.
Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 52 + Advantages 2 + Skills 9 (18 ranks) +
Defenses 3 = 108
Complications: Disorganized A psionic plague wracks the collective
minds of the Bryne, preventing them from organizing or fully developing
their psychic powers. This can manifest as aggression, unpredictable
behavior, or distractibility. Speechless The Bryne can’t read or speak
and don’t seem to understand any psychic messaging beyond their own
communications link.
*while underwater
48
NANOMORPH
A nanomorph is a collection of rogue nanites able to reconfigure
themselves into any form. In Starhaven, the nanomorph can rep-
licate the appearance of anything: a piece of machinery, debris,
another creature, or even part of a larger structure like a door, wall,
or ceiling. It is drawn to study and imitate other creatures, but in the
absence of such stimulation can lay dormant for untold amounts
of time. It is unclear whether there is just one nanomorph or mul-
tiple ones in Starhaven, or even if multiple nanomorphs might all
be parts of the same collective “creature” or “technology.” It is also
unclear exactly who created the nanomorph and for what purpose.
It is most likely Preserver technology—they are known for their
nanotech—possibly intended to study or imitate other creatures or
as a kind of “intelligent smart matter” able to shape itself into what-
ever its creators needed or to study societies.
The nanomorph can reconfigure itself as a move action, redistribut-
ing its Variable points to any trait that comes from reshaping its body
or imitating another creature or object. The nanomorph automati-
cally allocates 1 rank (5 points) to the Morph effect when it imitates
something, taking on its appearance. The nanomorph only dupli-
cates physical traits, although it can improve its own physical traits
and even skills based on Strength and Dexterity. It can also allocate
its Variable psoints to a powerful corrosive attack: Weaken Toughness
7 linked to Damage 7, allowing it to break-down and “consume” other
matter. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, things “eaten” by the nano-
morph may have their molecular structures recorded by it, providing
the potential for them to be reassembled by similar nanotech later.
This may allow tech-savvy heroes to restore the nanomorph’s victims.
If the nanomorph has a personality, it is too cryptic for observers
to learn. It acts intelligently, able to react to its surroundings and
to plan and make decisions, but it does not communicate, even in
forms capable of speech. Its sole purpose appears to be to stalk,
study, and imitate other creatures. The nanomorph’s distributed
computer brain makes it highly resistant to mental powers and at-
tempts to interact with it. It does appear to have a sense of self-
preservation, and tries to escape harm or almost certain destruc-
tion, although it doesn’t appear to feel fear or pain as such.
For a more powerful nanomorph, use the Mimic villain archetype
(Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide, page 121)
NANOMORPH PL 7*
STR 0 STA 8 AGL 0 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT 0 AWE 0 PRE 0
Powers: Alien Mind Immunity 30 (Will effects, limited to half effect);
Nano-Construct Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects); Shapeshift Variable 15
(75 points; Move Action).
Advantages: Close Attack 6, Ranged Attack 6.
Offense: Init +0, Unarmed +0 (Close, Damage 0).
Defense: Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 0.
Totals: Abilities 16 + Powers 165 + Advantages 12 + Skills 0 + Defenses
20 = 213
*The nanomorph is PL 8 as described, but its Shapeshifting power can
increase its traits to whatever PL limit the GM chooses.
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN

NORQUIL
Norquils are massive, interstellar animals resembling Earth whales,
that travel across the universe in pods of 2-3 dozen. They can grow
to be hundreds of feet long; with streamlined bodies, two dorsal
fins, wedged tails, and additional fins along their multicolored
bellies. The creature’s ventral surface emits a bright aurora when
they fly through space, particularly after feasting on their diet of
planetary gases. Males also have long, spiraled horns which they
use in challenges with one another and to tear holes in attackers,
including the ships of those who hunt them. Norquils are naturally
capable of faster-than-light travel and some activists claim that
original FTL engines were based off the animals’ powers. A small
pod of Norquils lives near Jupiter and can occasionally be seen in
the night sky by the denizens of Starhaven.
While not sapient, norquils are clever, curious, and work well as a
pod. They quickly learn to identify threats like poachers, but also to
recognize friends who have aided them in the past.
NORQUIL PL 10
STR 14 STA 14 AGL 3 DEX –3 FGT 4 INT –1 AWE 2 PRE –3
Powers: Aurora Abdomen Perception Area Affliction 10 (Resisted by
Fortitude, Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware); Horn
Strength-based Damage 2 (Penetrating 8); Space Mammal Growth
12 (Innate, Permanent), Immunity 10 (Life Support), Movement 3
(Environmental Adaptation: Zero Gravity, Space Travel 2: Other Solar
Systems), Protection 2, Flight 6 (120 MPH); Space Senses Senses 5
(Accurate: Hearing, Darkvision, Ultra-hearing)
Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+6), Perception 8 (+10)
Offense: Init +3, Aurora Abdomen — (Perception, Affliction 10), Horn +4
(Close, Damage 16), Unarmed +6 (Close, Damage 14).
Defense: Dodge –3, Parry –2, Fortitude +14, Toughness +16, Will 6
Totals: Abilities 12 + Powers 68 + Skills 5 (10 ranks) + Defenses 4 = 89
SHARDSPINNERS
Hidden among the other crystal growths of the Facetwild, shards-
pinners are segmented, multi-limbed crystalline creatures, similar
to giant crystal arachnids. While standing still, their limbs folded,
they appear to be just a jumble of other stones… until they move. A
shardspinner can “spit” either showers of sharp crystalline shards or
a cluster of “liquid” living crystal that works like a covet crystal trap
(previously). It’s unclear what, if anything, shardspinners subsist
upon or their purpose in attacking creatures that intrude on their
territory, but their purposes sometimes drive them to explore the
rest of Europa's frigid surface.
SHARDSPINNER PL 8
STR 8 STA 8 AGL 4 DEX 0 FGT 8 INT – AWE 2 PRE –
Powers: Crystal Camouflage (Concealment 4, All Visual Senses; Passive);
Crystal Spinning Cumulative Ranged Affliction 8 (Resisted by Dodge,
Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and
Immobilized; Extra Condition; Limited Degree), Alternate Effect: Crystal
Shards Ranged Damage 8 (Multiattack); Crystalline Form Immunity 30
(Fortitude Effects),Growth 8 (Permanent; Innate); Scuttling Movement 4
(Environmental Adaptation: Facetwild, Sure-footed 1, Wall-crawling 2);
Shard Senses Senses 4 (Darkvision, Radius Ranged Touch).
Skills: Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Crystal Spitting 8 (+8), Stealth
6 (+2).
Offense: Init +4, Crystal Shards +8 (Ranged, Affliction 8 or Damage 8),
Unarmed +8 (Close, Damage 8).
Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 2.
Totals: Abilities 8 + Powers 88 + Advantages 0 + Skills 10 (20 ranks) +
Defenses 12 = 118

PIROUETTE
Affectionately referred to as "snow pirhanas," piouettes are one
of the strange creatures that survive on Europa. The small, de-
ceptively cute pack hunters use their white fur to blend into
snowfields, where they sap minerals from the soil. When
they sense a meal, they electrify their silicon hair into razor-
sharp quills and spin at high speed. Ultimately, they don't
need to kill their prey, just spill new minerals on the snow.

PIROUETTE PL 3
STR –3 STA 0 AGL 2 DEX –3 FGT 2 INT –4 AWE 2 PRE –2
Powers: Dance of Death Reaction Damage 3 (Multiattack,
Penetrating; Sustained), Protection 4 (Sustained), Senses 2 (Radius
Vision [Sustained]); Europan Life Immunity 4 (Environmental
Cold, Radiation, Suffocation), Senses 3 (Darkvision, Ultravision)
Skills: Close Combat: Dance of Death 1 (+3), Perception 2 (+4),
Stealth 5 (+7)
Offense: Init +2, Bite +2 (Close, Damage –3), Dance of Death +3 (Close,
Damage 3 [multiattack])
Defense: Dodge 2, Parry 2, Fortitude 4, Toughness 4/0*, Will 2
Totals: Abilities -12 + Powers 29 + Advantages 0 + Skills 4 (8 ranks) +
Defenses 4 = 25
* without Dance of Death

The Guide to Starhaven 49

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
MAMA KAIGER
Real Name: Maramal des’Kaiger
Occupation: Crime Lord, Smuggler
Base: Drekport and the Drafsnarl
The Lor Republic interdicted the planet Dantara for over two
centuries, and Maramal des’Kaiger is a shining example of why.
Descended from shark-like land predators, Dantarans are tough
and aggressive, and their adaptive physiology means they most
develop super-powered mutations on contact with alien atmo-
spheres. Dozens of ne’er-do-wells ran the shattered blockade in the
short window between the Republic’s fall and the Khanate arriving
to restore order, and somehow Maramal lost herself in the crush of
refugees fleeing to Earth.
50
Already a smuggler on her homeworld, Maramal applied her exper-
tise, piloting skills, and significant muscle to skirting AEGIS patrols
to provide alien luxuries to anyone on Star Island with money to
spend. She ran afoul of Earth heroes, but between providing the
comforts of home to the most prominent members of the Star
Island community and alien weapons various Earth factions, she re-
peatedly slipped through the system and returned to her routines.
Her poor planning and communication skills limited how large her
operation could grow despite her skills and contacts.
When her Dantaran mutation finally manifested during a fight with
Victorian Atom, Maramal realized she could “grow” her own syndi-
cate of blindly-loyal enforcers. Her plans began to expand as the
relocation to Starhaven began, and Kaigel used the confusion to
generate dozens of false identities for her new clan to facilitate their
smuggling and infiltration work. Operating both at the founding of
Starhaven and the last vestiges of the Star Island refugee center,
she became a defacto power more by being the first on the scene
than through any grand insight. “Mama” Kaiger, as she now goes by,
has nonetheless held onto her position as the city’s premiere black
marketeer and fence with enough ferocity to make any challengers
think twice.
Standing over nine feet tall and solidly built, the blue-skinned ma-
triarch of the Kaiger Clan is a terrifying sight to most locals. On her
homeworld, Maramal was considered highly attractive and she’s
never shed that personal bias, dressing fashionably (with shawls
and cardigans tailored to conceal her clone-producing cysts) and
carrying herself with the air of a woman accustom to getting what
she wants. As a gun-runner, she has access to a variety of firearms
from Earth and beyond and has no problem bringing anything from
derringers to rocket launchers out in a knife fight.
POWERS & ABILITIES
Dantarans are physically imposing and possess a natural bio-elec-
tric sense that helped their ancestors hunt prey even in the long
nights of their cloudy homeworld. In addition to her phenomenal
size and strength—Maramal is powerfully built even by Dantaran
standards—Mama Kaiger can “bud,” growing miniature clones
of herself in cysts. She can tinker with their developing genetics
enough to impart different talents and proclivities, but they are
invariably “chips of the old block,” sharing her appearance and
personality. Most of her clones are fragile, but after a fiery crash,
Kaiger discovered her psyche hops to her nearest daughter upon
her death, who then matures into her statuesque form.
Most Kaiger Clan clones are simple-minded and direct like their
mother, but Maramel's current "gifted daughter" is Sofi, who shows
an extraordinary intellect. Perpetually, eerily calm, she managers
many of the Smuggler Syndicate's business dealings, and excels at
commanding her "idiot sisters."
PERSONALITY
Mama Kaiger is a blue-collar girl playing at white-collar prestige,
surrounded by yes-men she can mold to almost any purpose. She
has a desk and a nice home now, and her folksy accent with mis-
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN

MAMA KAIGER PL 11
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
8 11 1 3 8 0 3 1
POWERS OFFENSE
Big 'un: Growth 4 (Permanent; Innate) • 9 points INITIATIVE +1
Dantaran Physiology: Enhanced Awareness 2, Enhanced Stamina 4, Blaster Pistol +10 Ranged, Damage 5
Enhanced Strength 4, Protection 4 (Impervious 8), Senses 6 (Accurate
Blaster Rifle +10 Ranged, Damage 8
Acute Radius Ranged Bioelectric Sense) 2 • 38 points
Kaiger Clan: Summon 5 (Active, Mental Link, Multiple Minions 5 Rocket Launcher +10 Ranged, Burst Area Damage 10
[32 minions], Sacrifice, Broad Type [Modified Clones]) • 77 points Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 8

EQUIPMENT DEFENSE
Blaster Pistol, Blaster Rifle, Commlink, Limousine, Rocket Launcher, Space DODGE 4 FORTITUDE 11
Shuttle, Urban Fortress
PARRY 6 TOUGHNESS 15
SKILLS WILL 11

Athletics 3 (+11), Expertise: Economics 5 (+5), Expertise: Streetwise 10 (+10), POWER POINTS
Intimidation 6 (+9), Persuasion 5 (+6), Sleight of Hand 5 (+8), Technology 2
(+2), Vehicles 8 (+11) ABILITIES 34 SKILLS 21
POWERS 124 DEFENSES 13
ADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES 49 TOTAL 241
Close Attack 4, Connected, Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Equipment 28,
Fast Grab, Improved Grab, Improvised Weapon 2, Power Attack, Ranged
Attack 7, Second Chance: Resisting Poison, Weapon Break COMPLICATIONS
Motivation—Respect: Kaiger is in the game for money, but first and
foremost she sees herself as a self-made crime lord and wants to be
TYPICAL KAIGER CLAN PL 6 respected for that accomplishment.
STR 4 STA 4 AGL 1 DEX 3 FGT 4 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 0
Power Loss: Mama Kaiger's cloning ability relies on growing her
Powers: Dantaran Physiology Enhanced Awareness +2, Enhanced duplicates inside her own flesh. In an emergency, this only takes a few
Stamina +4, Enhanced Strength +4, Protection 4 (Impervious 8), Senses 6 minutes and she normally keeps a dozen clone-cysts on "standby" to
(Accurate, Acute, Radius Ranged Detect Bioelectricity). release immediately, but destroying the cysts before they hatch prevents
her from creating minions.
Equipment: Blaster Pistol.
Temper: Mama Kaiger is easily goaded to physical violence—particularly
Advantages: Close Attack, Equipment 2, Improvised Weapon, Interpose. when her appearance is insulted or she loses a favored clone—and when
lost in her rage will happily toss aside modern technology to rip enemies
Skills: Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+4), Intimidation 4 (+4), Ranged Combat: apart with her claws and teeth.
Blasters 3 (+6), Stealth 2 (+3), Technology 4 (+4), Vehicles 4 (+7).
Offense: Init +1, Blaster Pistol +6 (DC 20), Grab +5 (DC Spec 14), Throw +3
(DC 19), Unarmed +5 (DC 19). SOFI PL 5
Defense: Dodge 2, Parry 4, Fort 6, Tou 8, Will 4. STR 2 STA 2 AGL 1 DEX 1 FGT 0 INT 5 AWE 5 PRE 3
Totals: Abilities 16 + Powers 38 + Advantages 5 + Skills 11 (21 ranks) + Powers: Dantaran Physiology Enhanced Awareness +2, Enhanced
Defenses 5 = 75 Stamina +4, Enhanced Strength +4, Protection 4, Senses 6 (Accurate,
Acute, Radius Ranged Detect Bioelectricity).
used vocabulary betray much humbler origins. Far from sensitive, Equipment: Smartphone, 3 additional points.
she’s happy to let everyone around her assume she’s dumb when
it gives her the upper hand or makes them easier to manipulate; Advantages: Equipment 1, Inspire 2, Luck, Set-up, Speed of Thought,
Well-informed
she can always grow a few clever daughters if she ever needs book-
smarts. Blunt, crass, and overbearing, Maramal is nonetheless one Skills: Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Business 6 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise
of Starhaven’s best pilots and one of its most physically intimidating 2 (+7), Insight 6 (+11), Intimidation 2 (+5), Persuasion 6 (+9), Technology 7
residents. (+12), Vehicles 1 (+2)
Offense: Init +5, Unarmed +0 (Close, Damage 2)
Mama Kaiger’s “daughters”—the Kaiger Clan—makes up the core
of her syndicate. Most of her girls are generalists who take after the Defense: Dodge 1, Parry 0, Fortitude 2, Toughness 6, Will 6
original, and Maramal takes pride in naming each one despite their Totals: Abilities 18 + Powers 30 + Advantages 7 + Skills 19 (38 ranks) +
fragile and easily-replaced nature. The crimelord is especially proud Defenses 1 = 75
of her “gifted kids,” those daughters she grows to be most intelli- Complications: Ambition While genetically loyal to her mother, Sofi
gent, more brutal, or more beautiful to tackle specific assignments, longs for freedom from Mama Kaiger's petty crime family and dabble in
and injuring or destroying one of these girls is one of the sure-fire real powers like business and politics. Imperfect Sofi's body is more frail
ways of earning the easygoing villain’s ire. than her sisters' and is beginning to degrade.

The Guide to Starhaven 51

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
PUPIL
Real Name: Damaris Geral
Occupation: Archeologist, High Priest
Base: Unknown
Damaris Geral began life as a Lor archeologist who specialized in re-
verse-engineering Preserver technology. For years, he explored the
far reaches of the Republic, cataloging the sites and relics he could
find with an almost religious zeal. His work was viewed as radical
by his peers, but he acquired a reputation as a dashing adventurer.
That all changed with the fall of the Republic.
He was in the middle of an excavation when news of the Imperium’s
invasion came. Like so many others, Damaris became a refugee, but
he didn’t let that stop his work. For years he roamed the galaxy; not
52
in search of knowledge, but for a weapon he could bring to the gov-
ernment in exile. His search brought him to Starhaven, the current
sanctuary of the Lor Republic as well as an unspoiled Preserver site.
For weeks he searched the Wings and the Green Zone, following a
trail that eventually led to his destiny. Damaris found his way into a
Preserver lab, dedicated to the modification of terrestrial lifeforms.
There he met Chrysalis, the malfunctioning A.I. in charge of the fa-
cility. Chrysalis trapped Damaris in one of her modification pods,
breaking his body down at the cellular level and transforming him
into a new lifeform. Damaris was no longer Lor, he was something
bigger, the first Child of Chrysalis.
Chrysalis filled his fractured mind with her prime directive: to
modify organic beings. Damaris, now calling himself Pupil, returned
to Starhaven and began growing the Children of Chrysalis. He used
promises of Preserver enlightenment, and a little mind control, to
convince desperate refugees to join his cause. Pupil loaded the
most radical into the pods, turning them into terrifying monstrosi-
ties. The others he tasked with bringing more supplicants to the
cult. The Children of Chrysalis scheme in the shadows of Starhaven,
hoping to bring the light of Preserver wisdom to every citizen of
their new home.
Pupil is a tall humanoid with a stocky torso, and lanky limbs. His
slimy skin is pale lavender, and glows with pale blue sigils. He wears
a regal white cape and light body armor on his chest and shoul-
ders. Two chitinous arms dangle from his stomach, seemingly with
a mind of their own. He carries a staff into battle, a gift from Chrysa-
lis for his business in Starhaven.
POWERS & ABILITIES
As a cult leader and an expert in Preserver technology, Pupil has
many tricks up his non-existent sleeves. His staff allows him to
modify the biological traits of his opponents, rewriting their genetic
code mid-combat. He prefers to use this gift on his followers, grant-
ing them superhuman strength, durability, or just a ton of tentacles,
but won’t hesitate to turn an enemy into a gibbering puddle of pri-
mordial soup. Pupil’s status as Chrysalis’ chosen gives him minor
telepathic abilities, which he uses to coordinate his subordinates as
well as influence the minds of lesser sentients. His insect arms are
deceptively strong, pinning targets in place for a transformation
or slicing through them if they get too close.
PERSONALITY
Pupil is a man driven to fulfil the wishes of his god, in this case a mal-
functioning millennia old artificial intelligence. He can be persua-
sive, almost charming when he wants to be. The Children see him
as their enlightened teacher. They’ve cast him as a messianic figure,
bringing peace to the terrified residents of Starhaven, whether they
like it or not. Pupil is quick with a sermon, and never gives up on
a potential convert. Despite his transformation, he does still have
access to Damaris’ considerable intellect, and he is always on the
lookout for new Preserver technology he can recover for Chrysalis.
One day, he will repair her damaged subroutines, and deliver her
directive through the cosmos.
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN

PUPIL PL12
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
2 6 1 2 3 9 4 6
POWERS OFFENSE
Chitinous Arms: Extra Limbs 2 • 2 points INITIATIVE +9
Personal Modifications: Immunity 10 (Life Support), Regeneration 5 Disintegration Ray +12 Ranged, Damage 12
(Every 2 rounds) • 15 points
Genetic Annihilation +12 Ranged, Affliction 12
Preserver Staff: 75 points, Removable (–30 points) • 45 points
Unarmed +3 Close, Damage 2
Gravity Control: Flight 5 (60 MPH) • 10 points
Force Field: Sustained Protection 6 (Impervious) • 12 points DEFENSE
Offensive Settings: Array (50 points) DODGE 12 FORTITUDE 8
• Biomodification Ray: Ranged Variable 5 (Organic Mutation; Move
PARRY 10 TOUGHNESS 12/6*
Action, Affects Others) • 50 points
WILL 16 *without Force Field
• Disintegration Ray: Ranged Damage 12 (Penetrating) • 1 point
• Genetic Annihilation Ray: Progressive Ranged 12 (Impaired, POWER POINTS
Disabled, Incapacitated; Resisted by Fortitude) • 1 point
ABILITIES 66 SKILLS 37
• Rejuvenation Ray: Ranged Healing 12 (Persistent) • 1 point
POWERS 60 DEFENSES 32
SKILLS ADVANTAGES 11 TOTAL 206
Deception 2 (+8), Expertise: Archaeology 7 (+16), Expertise: Biology 5
(+14), Expertise: Preserver Lore 9 (+18), Insight 8 (+12), Intimidation 4 COMPLICATIONS
(+10), Investigation 3 (+12), Perception 6 (+10), Persuasion 8 (+14), Ranged
Combat: Preserver Staff 10 (+12), Technology 9 (+18), Treatment 3 (+12) Motivation—Fanatic: Geral is a true believer and genuinely expects all
organic life in the universe to end unless he and Chrysalis can evolution
into the until weapon.
ADVANTAGES
Hodgepodge: Pupil's genetic code is a patchwork of other species's
Eidetic Memory, Improved Grab, Improvised Tools, Inspire 3, Inventor, chromosomes. At this point he requires regular maintenance from his
Leadership, Skill Mastery: Expertise: Preserver Lore, Speed of Thought, staff of Chrysalis's machinery to keep his body together.
Teamwork, Well-informed
CHRYSALIS MONSTROSITY PL 8
TYPICAL CHRYSALIS CULTIST PL 4 STR 6/2* STA 6/2* AGL 2 DEX 1 FGT 6 INT 0 AWE 2 PRE 1
STR 2 STA 4 AGL 1 DEX 1 FGT 4 INT 1 AWE 0 PRE 2
Powers: Bio-Organic Weapon: Chitinous Protrusions Strength-based
Powers: Mental Link to Chrysalis Communication 2 (Mental Link to Damage 4, Movement 2 (Wall-crawling 2), Protection 4 (Impervious 10),
Other Children, 1 mile; Subtle); Sample Biological Upgrades: Chameleon Regeneration 10 (Every round), Size-Change Growth 4, Speed 3 (16
Skin Concealment 4 (All Visuals Senses, Blending), Claws: Strength-based MPH), Tentacles Extra Limbs 4 (4 extra limbs)
Damage 2 (Penetrating 2), Paralytic Touch Close Affliction 4 (Resisted
Advantages: All-out Attack, Fearless, Improved Grab, Improved Hold,
by Fortitude, Dazed, Stunned, Paralyzed), Predatory Senses Senses 4
Move-by Action, Power Attack
(Accurate, Acute, Tracking Smell), Wings Flight 4 (30 MPH, Wings)
Skills: Athletics 2 (+8/4*), Close Combat: Grab 2 (+8), Intimidation 5
Advantages: Equipment 2, Teamwork
(+8/6*), Ranged Combat: Throw 5 (+6)
Skills: Athletics 3 (+5), Expertise: Biology 3 (+4), Intimidation 3 (+5),
Offense: Init +2, Chitinous Protrusions +6 (Close, Damage 10/6*), Throw
Perception 3 (+3), Ranged Combat: Firearms 2 (+3), Stealth 2 (+3)
+6 (Ranged, Damage 6/2*), Unarmed +6 (Close, 6/2*)
Offense: Init +1, Blaster Pistol +3 (DC 20), Claws +4 (DC 19), Paralytic
Defense: Dodge 4/6*, Parry 6/8*, Fortitude 10/6*, Toughness 10/6*, Will 5
Touch +4 (DC 14 Fort), Unarmed +4 (DC 17)
Totals: Abilities 32 + Powers 47 + Advantages 5 + Skills 7 (14 ranks) +
Defense: Dodge 4, Parry 4, Fort 5, Toughness 4, Will 2.
Defenses 13 = 104
Totals: Abilities 30 + Powers 17 + Advantages 3 + Skills 8 (16 ranks) +
*Without Growth
Defenses 6 = 64

CULTISTS CHRYSALIS MONSTROSITY

Chrysalis cultists hail from across the galaxy and a dozen different
species, but share the common element of disenfranchisement.
They are people who lost everything, or never had anything to
begin with, who found community and hope in Pupil's words. The
fact that his support comes with bizarre genetic transformations
rarely dissuades them—in their mind, the changes bring them in
line with the Preserver's ultimate vision.
Not all cultists take to Chrysalis's transformations well, or suffer
under repeated transformations until their DNA ca no longer hold
itself together. These poor souls—the Ascended, as Pupil calls
them—twisted and change erratically, developing new features in
response to dangers or emotions. The cult keeps their monsters far
from public eye, but praises them for their spiritual journey.

The Guide to Starhaven 53

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
VEIL
Real Name: Rana Vayle
Occupation: Administrative Assistant, Agent Provocateur
Base: Central District
Rana Vayle was born and raised within the Stellar Khanate, the
systems controlled by the Star-Khan. A foundling, Rana was
always fairly plain and unremarkable, the type who blended into
the background, and that is likely what saved her. For while Rana
appeared human, like her adoptive family, she is not. However,
she instinctively used her considerable psionic talents to conceal
herself behind a veil of illusion and disregard. This was fortunate,
since otherwise her mental gifts would have meant enforced
servitude to the state and the Star-Khan, like other mentats. Rana
swore that would not be her fate.
54
She practiced and experimented in secret, developing and honing
her powers and potential. Then Rana used them to reinvent herself
and work her way into the bureaucracy of the Khanate and, from
there, into its intelligence service. Her uncanny ability to blend
into the background made her an ideal undercover agent and
she quickly went from analyst to field agent. Unlike some of the
showboats of the intelligence service, Vayle was quiet, efficient,
and effective. She didn’t care for glory, only the credit—and the
advancement—that was her due. Her more flamboyant rivals were
prone to making mistakes, letting their feelings get the better of
them, a potentially fatal problem in their line of work.
Following the fall of the Lor Republic, Rana found herself assigned
to infiltrate refugee groups fleeing the chaos after the destruction
of Magna-Lor and the Star-Khan’s invasion. She connected with a
group making their way to the Earth system, and maintained
surveillance and a cover identity as a Lor refugee during their
long sojourn on Star Island. She noted the similarity of her
name to the English word “Veil” and, enjoying the coincidence,
sometimes uses it as a cover or code-name. Vayle briefly
considered defecting and going independent on Earth, but
the notion of spending the rest of her life on such a primitive
backwater soured the idea. She was about to abandon the
refugees and look for a way to return to the Imperium when
the opportunity of Starhaven opened up.
Vayle quickly saw its potential and began maneuvering into
position. She cultivated Sun-Ren, a once wealthy Lor “man of
the people” as a figurehead for a pro-Imperium movement,
painting it as the “stabilizing force” that had actually saved
Lor civilization from complete collapse, and the sole galactic
civilization there was to return to in order to escape from the
human primitives on Earth and other threats like the Grue. Now
as Sun-Ren’s “assistant” Vay-La, she moves unnoticed through
Starhaven, sowing the emotional seeds of doubt, fear, longing,
and submission to authority that will mold the colonist’s hearts
and minds to where they will not only welcome the Star-Khan
when he comes, but will invite him in themselves.
For now, Veil's tactics are slow and subtle. She specializes in
feeding dissident groups, stoking conspiracy theories, and
blunting official response until civilizations tear themselves
apart and welcome the Imperium to restore order, and she
is very, very good at her job. She accomplishes almost all her
goals behind a borrowed face—easier to lay the blame for her
actions on her very real enemies, after all—using her disguises
and mind control. Only when a task requires her personal
attention does she revert to her natural form and fall back
on her agent training to see to assassinations, sabotage, and
thefts personally.
POWERS & ABILITIES
Vayle is a mentat with certain psionic abilities: She can
generate ectoplasm to psychically conceal her features and
disguise herself as other people, with the layer of solid psionic
flesh even fooling cameras and other technological sensors
normally immune to psychic disguises. Her subtle mind control also
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 2: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF STARHAVEN

VEIL PL8
STR STA AGL DEX FGT INT AWE PRE
1 1 3 3 6 2 3 3
POWERS ADVANTAGES
Psychic Deception: Array (12 points) Benefit (Cipher), Connected, Contacts, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2,
Equipment 5, Evasion, Fascinate (Deception), Improved Initiative, Inspire 3,
• Illusory Disguise: Morph 3 (humanoids) • 12 point
Leadership, Ranged Attack 5, Set-up, Well-informed
• Psychic Invisibility: Concealment 10 (Resisted by Will) • 1 points
Psychic Projection: Array (26 points) OFFENSE
• Mental Domination: Cumulative Perception Range Affliction 6 INITIATIVE +7
(Resisted and Overcome by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled;
Twin Pistols +8 Close, Damage 4–8
Insidious, Subtle) • 26 points
• Crowd Influence: Cumulative Perception Area Affliction 6 (Resisted Crowd Influence — Area, Affliction 6
and Overcome by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled; Insidious, Mental Domination — Perception,Affliction 6
Perception [Hearing], Subtle) • 1 point
Unarmed +9 Close, Damage 6
• Psychokenesis: Move Object 6 (3,200 lbs;Perception Range, Subtle)
• 1 point DEFENSE
Prism Projector: 8 points, Removable (–2 points) • 6 points
DODGE 10 FORTITUDE 7
Holographic Displacement: Concealment 4 (Visual), Enhanced
PARRY 10 TOUGHNESS 5/3*
Advantage 1 (Redirect), Quirk 1: Only Duplicates and Displaces) • 8
points WILL 9 *without Defensive Roll

EQUIPMENT POWER POINTS

Twin Light Blasters (Concealable; Ranged Damage 8 (Split), Survival Suit ABILITIES 44 SKILLS 22
(Protection 2, Immunity [Life Support])
POWERS 47 DEFENSES 23

SKILLS ADVANTAGES 27 TOTAL 163

Athletics 4 (+5), Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Politics 6 (+8), Insight 8 (+11),
Investigation 4 (+6), Perception 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+7), Technology 2 (+4)
lets her project a blanket of unimportance, allowing her to blend in
as an unnoticeable “background person” or place herself “outside”
of others’ perceptions so they don’t notice her at all. She can also
use her ectoplasmic filaments to lift and manipulate objects at a
distance in a rudimentary psychokinesis.
But Veil's true gift is in the quiet manipulation of others' emotions.
She can cause people to act impulsively or irrationally, or inspire
sudden fear, depression, or desire to provoke very specific
responses. Vayle’s emotional manipulation is both Insidious and
Subtle, allowing her to use it over longer periods of time to “stoke”
emotions and direct them towards her ends.
In addition to her psionic powers, Vayle is a trained infiltrator, spy,
and provocateur. She is a stealthy infiltrator even without her
psychic abilities, and wields a deadly pair of blaster pistols that
transform into unremarkable hip ornaments when not in use. Years
ago she stole an antique “prism projector” that allows her to create
multiple holographic duplicates of herself. This effectively acts as
the Concealment effect, but only provoking a penalty to hit or
target her; Vayle often loops her holographic duplicates over other
combatants, so any attack that misses her can easily Redirect to
strike another creature.
Veil's power level is deceptive. She isn't much of a threat in a direct
confrontation, but the spy exerts considerable “soft” power. She
can pull strings behind the scenes to direct authorities and terrorist
groups against her enemies. In combat, uses her Inspire, Leadership,
COMPLICATIONS
Motivation—Survival: While Vayle is loyal enough to the Imperium,
she is ultimately motivated by her own survival. She makes herself
indispensable to avoid the dark fate awaiting so many other mentats.
Secret: If Vay-La's psychic abilities were ever connected to her secret
identity, it would greatly compromise her access to the city's politicians.
and Set-up advantages to help out her thralls and hirelings, often
unseen from the background.
PERSONALITY
Born in a harsh culture, Rana Vayle became a cold-hearted
manipulator to survive, and enjoys the power and independence
her detachment provides. The fate of mentats within Zultasian
culture—and now within the Imperium as a whole—taught her
that only the ruthless endure, and must dominate the weak, and
she is as ruthless as they come. She maintains a half-dozen legal
identities, including Lor and humans. If captured, she can swap
between barbed threats and sob stories with a dancer's grace, and
uses her disguises to only further confuse her identity.
While she prides herself on her success and is ambitious in her
service to the Imperium, Veil’s primary concern is always herself and
the security that power and position can grant her. If circumstances
turn against her, she will retreat to fight another day. No one else
matters-—not peasants, soldiers, or kings—she'll sacrifice anyone
to push ahead or survive another day. She’s pragmatic rather than
patriotic, caring little about the Imperium other than clawing her
way to the top of it, while remaining a power behind the scenes.

The Guide to Starhaven 55

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
Chapter 3
Siege of Starhaven
Siege of Starhaven
Suggested PL: 10
Required Books: M&M Deluxe Hero’s Handbook,
M&M Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide
Suggested Books: Cosmic Handbook
Starhaven is a place of endless opportunity and abundant danger.
The home of thousands of refugees fleeing the collapse of a millen-
nia old republic and the formation of a terrifying imperium. Eyes
from across the galaxy are focused on Starhaven, eager to make use
of its citizens, its ancient Preserver technology, and its close proxim-
ity to Earth. It is a city in need of heroes; heroes with the fortitude to
withstand the Siege of Starhaven!
Siege of Starhaven is an adventure for four to six PL 10 heroes. It can
be modified to accommodate higher or lower-PL hero teams by in-
creasing or decreasing the number of or power level of the oppo-
nents the heroes encounter. While the adventure is set in Starhav-
en, it can easily be set in any remote, extraterrestrial colony which
would interest a galactic warlord-style villain.
56
SECRET ORIGINS
Starhaven is in a precarious situation. The hero Daedalus, alongside
agents from UNISON and AEGIS, has carved out a relatively safe
space for settlement and the population has grown enough that
they’ve held local elections. The Republic Alliance won those elec-
tions by a narrow margin and has been taking steps to consolidate
their influence and establish relations with the wider galactic com-
munity, a move which has brought in added resources, but attract-
ed the attention of other forces. Ko-Nan Bloodravager, daughter
of the Star-Khan, is one such force.
Ko-Nan has spent her entire life trying to earn legitimacy from her
father, hoping one day he would name her his heir. She has done
this by raising a band of interstellar pillagers, known simply as the
Bloodravagers, to conquer systems in her father’s name. Recently
she contacted the Imperium infiltrator on Starhaven, Rana Vayle
(also known as Veil), and the two of them have concocted a plan to
capture the colony as a gift for Star-Khan.
Phase one of that plan involves sabotaging essential systems across
Starhaven. Vayle and her contacts have infiltrated Europa Light &
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN

Problem Powers
Siege of Starhaven takes place on an inhospitable moon and involves traversing that environment. Heroes with Immunity to certain environ-
mental conditions will have an easier time getting around, while those who depend on borrowed equipment may find themselves saddled
with temporary Complications.
Another thing to consider is the robot uprising. Heroes with control over machines, the ability to Nullify technology, or even just high
ranks in the Technology skill may be reluctant to flee in Scene 4. Stress to those players the sheer number of robots involved, the
danger posed by the Bloodravagers, and the complexity of the virus affecting them. While their powers can stop the immediate threat
around them, it won't instantly resolve the source of the problem.

Sewer in the Promenade, the Robot Forge in the East Wing, and the
Propylaea in the West Wing. Vayle intends to have each of these
systems go down at the same time in order to stretch Starhaven’s
defense forces thin. The conspirators have also captured the Earth
hero Daedalus and ensured he won’t be around to prevent the
coming technological calamity.
Phase two involves Vayle turning Starhaven’s complement of robots
against the city, seizing the Pegasus Starport, and granting Ko-Nan’s
raider vessels access to the domes. Ko-Nan and her Bloodravagers
assault Preserver Hall, take hostages, and offer up Starhaven to the
Star-Khan.
INVOLVING THE HEROES
Siege of Starhaven takes place in Starhaven, but it doesn’t require
the heroes to be locals. If they aren’t, they need a means of knowing
there is trouble on Europa and a way of getting there. Heroes with
connections to Starhaven have a built-in investment in protecting
its sovereignty.
Heroes can become involved in this adventure in a number of ways.
• The heroes are Starhaven locals. A team of superheroes, anti-Imperi-
um rebels, or even non-powered citizens pulled into events beyond
their control. (See the A Storm in Starhaven sidebar in Scene 1)

IN THIS EXCITING ISSUE • The heroes are members of the Freedom League, allies of Daeda-
lus, or agents of AEGIS or UNISON sent to investigate Daedalus’
The action in Siege of Starhaven begins with the heroes investigat- disappearance.
ing a series of strange thefts in the Draffsnarl. The trail leads to a
• The “heroes” work for Mama Kaiger’s smuggling operation, tasked
warehouse robbery by Pupil, the leader of the Children of Chrys-
with making sure the strange new thefts taking place in the Draffs-
alis. The Children believe that there are Preserver artifacts stored
narl aren’t a new competitor staking a claim on Mama’s turf.
within, which must be “liberated”.
• The heroes are interstellar law enforcement or bounty hunters as-
A squad of Imperium troopers are revealed during the ensuing
signed to monitor Ko-Nan and her Bloodravagers and come to Star-
fight between the heroes and Pupil, creating a mass conflict, and
haven to figure out why she has become so interested I the colony.
a technological mishap. After securing the warehouse, the heroes
find a trail leading to Starhaven’s premier smuggler, Mama Kaiger,
and to the Prime Consul of Starhaven’s newly-formed government,
Tamira-Van.
SCENE 1 CONFLICT SCENE
Mama Kaiger is furious to learn the Imperium was using one of
her warehouses as cover for their schemes and agrees to work Preserving the Peace
with the heroes to defend their new home. She points them to a
Siege of Starhaven begins with the heroes already on their mission
hacker named Bran Cardon. The heroes find the hacker dead and
to investigate a string of unusual thefts in the Draffsnarl. They have
his home security system turned into a death trap. To make matters
spent the better part of the last week following leads. As the adven-
worse, when the heroes escape, they find Starhaven under attack
ture begins, ask each player in turn what their hero has been doing
by Ko-Nan, the Bloodravagers, and a robot uprising. This invasion is
to aid in the investigation. Allow everyone time to describe their
too much for the heroes to handle and they must flee with Mama
character’s preferred method of finding clues before leading them
Kaiger or risk capture by Ko-Nan.
into danger by reading or paraphrasing the following to the players:
Fortunately, the heroes have uncovered some clues pointing to a
possible solution. These clues point to the Facetwild, a dangerous, The building is nondescript, almost invisible compared to the
natural wonder of Europa. noisy construction sites nearby. Whoever has been stealing
tech from the Wings is great at covering their tracks, but every
The heroes find Daedalus’ secret lab in the Facetwild, not only that
clue from the last week points to this warehouse. Dust and
but they also find Bran. Bran learned of the lab while designing the
debris fill the space between the winding shelves, leading to a
virus to infect the Robot Forge. He faked his death at the hands of
corridor from which spills a pale blue light.
Veil and has been hiding out waiting for the invasion to blow over.
A tall, thin alien oversees a group of white-robed figures stack-
The heroes work with Bran to develop a virus that can shut down ing crates on a hover sled in the room beyond. He holds a staff
the robot army. It’s up to the heroes to sneak back into the city, in one of his four hands and wears glowing armor pieces with a
upload the virus, and defeat Ko-Nan and her remaining allies to free white cape. His followers move through the racks of boxes and
Starhaven from the iron fist of the Stellar Imperium. drag their stolen goods over to the open loading dock on the

The Guide to Starhaven 57

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
A Storm in Starhaven
The contents of the crates are left vague on purpose. Feel free to plant anything you would like in the warehouse to set up future plot
points for your Starhaven series. Pupil is here because he believes there are Preserver artifacts to be had, and this can be an oppor-
tunity to create a unique origin point for the heroes. Preserver technology was responsible for the Silver Storm event which granted
numerous of people superpowers as detailed in the Emerald City Knights series. You could have a similar event happen here, localized
to the warehouse (or the area around the Draffsnarl) as a way of granting powers to the player characters if they start out as “ordinary”
Starhaven citizens. The consequences of such an event could reverberate through the whole series, especially if some Children or
Imperium troopers wind up empowered as well.
far side of the room. The leader casts cautious glances around
the room as he addresses his minions. “Supplicants. Load these
artifacts quickly and you shall taste of the bountiful blessings of
the Chrysalis.”
The lead alien is Pupil, the leader of the Children of Chrysalis in Star-
haven, overseeing his followers stealing several crates of Preserver
relics. He is joined by four Preserver Cultists per hero as well as one
Chrysalis Monstrosity. Two of the cultists are keeping watch while the
others load their stolen goods onto the sled. A successful DC 15 Stealth
check leads to the heroes getting the drop on the cultists, making
them surprised for the first round of conflict. Pupil does not negoti-
ate with the heroes; he’s far too invested in gathering the artifacts he’s
found and orders his followers to attack at the first sign of interlopers.
Unbeknownst to either Pupil or the heroes, a squad of Imperium
troopers led by a telekinetic Imperium hound is hiding in this
warehouse, waiting to supplement Ko-Nan’s coming attack. They
weren’t expecting anyone to come poking around their warehouse,
but they are set to ambush the Children to ensure no one reports
on their hiding place. There are two Troopers per hero as well as the
Imperium hound. The soldiers join the battle between the heroes
and the cultists on the second round, leading to a three-way battle.
The warehouse belongs to Mama Kaiger and as such is filled with
containers holding various contraband. Mama Kaiger moves every-
thing from cuisine to clothing to experimental weaponry. This is a
fantastic opportunity for players to spend Hero Points to Edit the
Scene, having their character grab something useful from a box or
barrel. Part of the room itself is crisscrossed with aisles of shelves
that stretch ten feet high. There is a loading dock at the far end of
the room with the idling hover sled.
ROLEPLAYING THE CHILDREN OF CHRYSALIS
Pupil and his followers are fanatics, dedicated to acquiring Pre-
server artifacts and bringing the citizens of Starhaven the glories
of metamorphosis. Their primary objective is to finish loading the
hover sled and escape. Two of the cultists spend their actions each
turn moving crates, a process which takes three rounds in total. The
others spread out to engage the heroes, working in groups of four
to Aid each other in combat. This grants each group a +2 to Active
Defenses, attack checks, and their Damage ranks, but limits the
group to one attack per turn. Damage done to the group removes
one member and aid benefit per degree of damage. Half of the cult-
ists break off to engage the troopers when they make their appear-
ance. The Monstrosity charges the toughest-looking hero, in the
hopes of grabbing and pummeling them.
Pupil uses his first turn to Inspire his allies, granting them all a +3
bonus to their checks until the beginning of his next turn. Be sure
58
to award the players a Hero Point each when Pupil does this. In sub-
sequent turns, Pupil alternates between using his Genetic Annihila-
tion power on soft targets and Healing the Monstrosity as it needs.
Pupil flees if the Monstrosity or all of his cultists are Incapacitated,
leaving any remaining followers behind to distract the heroes.
Award a Hero Point to each of the players if he escapes.
Any remaining Children flee once they finish loading the hover sled.
This can lead to a chase through the Draffsnarl, if the heroes pursue.
(See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 210 for ideas on building
Chase scenes).
ROLEPLAYING THE IMPERIUM TROOPERS
The hound and their forces are one of a handful of Imperium squads
Veil smuggled into Starhaven ahead of Ko-Nan’s invasion. They’ve
been camped in this warehouse for the last few days, much to their
chagrin. They were expecting glorious battle on behalf of the Star-
Khan, not hiding in a crate. As such they’re eager for a fight.
The troopers begin combat attacking whichever side appears to be
losing, before breaking off to engage targets in pairs. One trooper
in each pair uses their action to Aid their comrade. They utilize cover
and Multiattack to maximize their firepower. They prefer to fire on
weakened targets.
The hound supports the troopers, using their Telekinesis power to
harass ranged targets and to move cover or obstacles into place.
Their primary objective is to prevent anyone from reporting on
their existence, but they will not stay in a losing fight. The hound (or
a still conscious trooper) orders a retreat if half of their force is Inca-
pacitated. The remaining soldiers link up with another hidden cell
and make plans to intercept the heroes before they can report in.
The Imperium troopers and Imperium hound use their statblocks
from the Cosmic Handbook (page 93 and page 94 respectively).
HOVER SLED 31 EP
Size: Medium STR: 4 Def: 6 Toughness: 7 Features: Autopilot,
Communications, Navigation System Powers: Flight 8 (500 MPH)
PUPIL PL 12
See Chapter 2.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +9
Disintegration Ray +12 Ranged, Damage 12
Genetic Annihilation +12 Close, Affliction 12 (Fortitude)
Unarmed +3 Close, Damage 2
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+12 +10 +8 +16 +12
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN

CHRYSALIS CULTIST PL 4
Minions. See Chapter 2.

COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Blaster Pistol +3 Ranged, Damage 5
Claws +4 Close, Damage 4
Paralytic Touch +4 Close, Affliction 4 (Fortitude)
Unarmed +4 Close, Damage 2

DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS

+4 +4 +5 +2 +4

CHRYSALIS MONSTROSITY PL 8
See Chapter 2.

COMBAT INITIATIVE +2
Chitinous Protrusions +6 Close, Damage 10/6*
Throw +6 Ranged, Damage 6/2*
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 6/2*

DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS

+4/6* +6/8* +10/6* +5 +10/6*
*without Growth

IMPERIUM TROOPER PL 5
Minions. See the Cosmic Handbook, page 93.

COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Blaster +5 Ranged, Damage 5
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 1

DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS

+5 +5 +5 +5 +5/1*
*without armor

IMPERIUM HOUND (TELEKINETIC) PL 6

See the Cosmic Handbook, page 94.

COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Telekinetic Blast +6 Ranged, Damage 6
Unarmed +3 Close, Damage 0

DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS

+6 +6 +5 +7 +6

WRAP-UP
The heroes find themselves with an unexpected wrinkle in their in-
vestigation if they win the fight. They found a group of Imperium
invaders where they were looking for artifact smugglers. This compli-
cates matters and points to a serious threat to Starhaven. If Pupil and
the Children of Chrysalis escape, they do not return in this adventure.
Surviving troopers return to harass the group at some point between
Scene 2 and Scene 3, where the GM feels is dramatically appropriate.

Should the heroes be Incapacitated by either group, they are taken

prisoner by the troopers and the remaining Children escape. Award
each player a Hero Point if this happens and award more for cunning
plans to escape and warn Starhaven.

The Guide to Starhaven 59

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
SCENE 2 INVESTIGATION SCENE
Mama Knows Best
With the initial threat subdued, the heroes have the chance to in-
vestigate and learn more about the Imperium presence. Someone
smuggled these soldiers into Starhaven and hid them in this ware-
house, and Pupil and his cult are clearly confused about the enemy
presence. The trail leads to either Mama Kaiger or the new Prime
Consul of Starhaven, Tamira-Van.
The heroes find the crime lord willing to talk about the subject.
Mama Kaiger is irate about being conned into aiding the Star-Khan.
She’s a crook, but she’s a Starhaven crook. She is proud of her new
home and not dumb enough to mess with the status quo, espe-
cially when the Star-Khan would make her business much less lu-
crative. She ultimately points the heroes toward a hacker who has
been using some of the stolen and smuggled resources provided
by the criminals.
Tamira-Van is a largely dead end; she doesn’t know as much as
Mama Kaiger, but she too is wary of a possible Imperium invasion.
The investgation does provide the heroes a chance to put their
feet or pseudopods in their mouths in front of the new leadership,
however, providing an opportunity to earn new Complications like
Reputation or Nemesis. She enlists the heroes to uncover more
information, either by chasing down the smuggling angle, or by
having them look into what’s going on with Starhaven’s robots.
WAREHOUSE INSPECTION
The new trail begins at the warehouse.
Finding information, whether physically or by extracting it from Im-
perium troopers, takes time and a skill challenge:
FINDING THE TRAIL SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: 5 minutes
Checks: DC 24 Technology check to hack the encrypted terminals, a DC
20 Expertise (Underworld, Criminal, Streetwise, etc.) check to ask the right
people, a DC 25 Persuasion or Deception check to convince that person
to talk, or a DC 26 Investigation check to uncover physical clues in the
warehouse. The troopers or Children can be questioned with a successful
DC 20 Persuasion or Intimidation check.
Success: With 1 success, the heroes learn the warehouse belongs to
Mama Kaiger. With 3 or more successes, the heroes notice most of the
crates contain things that could aid hacking or sabotaging infrastructure.
With 5 or more successes, they learn the crate where the troopers were
hiding is registered to Tamira-Van, the head of Starhaven’s government. A
captured Child knows that the warehouse is rumored to belong to Mama
Kaiger. The troopers don’t have that information but can be coerced into
revealing that they aren’t the only soldiers in Starhaven. They don’t know
how many other squads are on the ground or their locations. If pressed
about their purpose for being here, they simply say that the heroes will
see soon. Any success in this challenge ensures Mama Kaiger begins their
interaction with an indifferent attitude.
Failure: On a failure, news of the heroes’ sniffing around makes its
way back to Mama Kaiger, incurring a -2 circumstance penalty to their
interaction checks with her and causing her to begin the conversation
with an unfavorable attitude. Three or more failures trigger Rana Vayle’s
silent alarms and she dispatches a group of Imperium loyalists to attack
the heroes (two loyalists per hero). They use the Criminal statblock
(Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 154).
60
IMPERIUM LOYALIST PL 2
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 154.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +2
Knife +1 Close, Damage 2
Light Blaster Pistol +1 Ranged, Damage 3
Unarmed +1 Close, Damage 1
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+3 +3 +2 +0 +1/0*
*without armor
MAMA TOLD ME
The heroes’ investigation eventually leads them to Mama Kaiger
or leads Mama to them. She may prove to be an unexpected ally
for the heroes if they’re willing to overlook some of her extralegal
activities. Once the heroes find the black-market mistress, read or
paraphrase the following:
“I hear tell you’ve been poking around in my business. Didn’t
your mama ever teach you? It’s not polite to go rooting around
in a lady’s business without making introductions at least. I’ve
half a mind to have a couple of my daughters toss you and
your friends here out of the Green Zone and watch you freeze
slow, but I reckon we don’t have to let things be unpleasant
between us. What do you want?”
Mama Kaiger can answer a few questions for the heroes:
Why are you harboring soldiers from the Stellar Imperium?
“Hold on, what now? I would never stoop to doing the dirty
work of that no-good, profit-squeezing, lemon-sucking Star-
Khan. If you found those snakes hiding in my grass, I can assure
you it ain’t because I let them.”
Do you expect us to believe that?
“Bless your heart. I don’t much care what you believe, but you
can believe that yes, allegedly, I am a crook, but if I am, I am
a Starhaven crook. The Star-Khan and his troops already took
one home from me and my daughters. I would die before I saw
him take one more.”
Who else has access to that warehouse?
“I’m not usually in the business of revealing my clients’ names,
sugar. Although I suppose in this case, I can make an exception
on account of possible invasion. My daughters do most of the
running, but that particular spot has been overseen by one of
my non-family associates. A young, Jereid named Bran Cardon.
He’s a whip smart hacker, and usually downright incredulous
about people coming and going from his place. I find it hard
to believe he didn’t have no idea about those Imperium fellers
hiding out.”
We found the troopers hiding in a crate belonging to Tamira-Van.
“Well, that don’t make a whole lotta sense. Those Alliance
types seem like honest folk, but she is a politician so what do
I know? Maybe Bran’s working with her to play the long con.
The Guide to Starhaven

If you’re really worried about it, you should head on over to
Preserver Hall and ask her yourself. She just loves photo ops
with constituents.”
What do you think we should do next?
“If I was you, I’d see if I could track down Bran’s place and ask
him all these enlightening questions you’ve been asking me. I
don’t know rightly where it is, but it is somewhere in the Prom-
enade. But do what you feel is right. I’ve always said there’s
more than one way to skin a fleursprocket.”
ROLEPLAYING MAMA KAIGER
Mama Kaiger’s initial attitude to the heroes is either Indifferent or
Unfavorable depending on how well they did in the Finding the
Trail challenge. She is a larger-than-life personality, hiding a cunning
mind behind a folksy exterior. Little happens in Starhaven without
her knowledge. A possible Imperium invasion is unsettling, partially
because she has first-hand experience with how bad the Star-Khan
can be, and because she didn’t know anything about it. Her family
and her business are her first priority. The heroes are ideal pawns
to send after the Imperium, so she can be won over to favorable
or even helpful in this negotiation. Mama Kaiger is particularly sus-
ceptible to flattery, granting heroes who use it a +2 circumstance
bonus to their Persuasion checks during their conversation.
PRESERVING THE REPUBLIC
The heroes may choose to follow the trail to Tamira-Van at Preserver
Hall. Perhaps they have a prior connection to the Lor Republic, the
Republic Alliance, or AEGIS, or they might not want to work with
criminals. Whatever their reason, they arrive at Preserver Hall to find
a bustling hive of activity, and the political leaders in disarray. Once
the heroes arrive at the Hall, read or paraphrase the following:
Preserver Hall is a visual oasis in the stark, industrial landscape
of the Central District. It’s palatial domes loom over its colorless
steel neighbors like a supervisor overseeing their employees.
Politicians, agents, and bureaucrats weave through the foun-
tains and twisted metal sculptures lining the grounds. A grand
staircase, dozens of yards across, ascends to wall of windows
that serves as the entrance to the hall. Its one spire, in the
very center of the domes, is the tallest structure in Starhaven.
The utilitarian design extends to the interior. Simple couches,
tables, and directories are the extent of the furnishings, aside
from a newly draped Lor Republic flag on the wall above the
reception desk.
The receptionist can get the heroes in to speak with Tamira with a
successful DC 15 Persuasion check. She is only recently elected and,
as a sign of good faith, likes to make herself available to hear the
concerns of constituents. Tamira’s office is at the top of the spire and
features an observation deck with a panoramic view of Starhaven.
A human woman bumps into the heroes as she’s leaving a meeting
with Tamira. She excuses herself without making too much contact,
simply offering up that she has another meeting elsewhere in town.
This is Vay-La, Veil’s cover identity in Starhaven (see Chapter 2). She
feigns shock and says she will go alert AEGIS immediately if the
heroes bring up the Imperium soldiers to her.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
The Imperium?
The players might have no idea what the Stellar Imperium is,
but their characters certainly would. The Imperium is seen by
many as the antagonistic force responsible for the refugee
crisis that led them to Starhaven in the first place. It would be
common knowledge to their characters that the Imperium is a
totalitarian state, ruled by the cruel conqueror Star-Khan. They
also know there can’t be a good reason for Imperium troopers
to be hiding out on Europa.
Tamira can answer a few questions for the heroes:
Why did we find Imperium troopers in a shipping container with your name
on it?
“That is a very good question, one I wish I had a better answer
to, but to put it simply, since assuming leadership of Starhaven,
a lot of containers around the city have my name on them. I
sign a lot of manifests for supplies and equipment. Contain-
ers don’t always have their manifests properly cleared before
heading off to their next destination. It’s probably a clerical
error originating from the Pegasus Starport.”
Who owns that warehouse?
“It’s in the Draffsnarl and you found some shady things there,
so if I had to guess I would say Mama Kaiger. If it doesn’t belong
to her, she’ll know who does own it.”
Who was that who just left?
“Oh Vay-La? She’s that old, blow hard Sun-Ren’s assistant. She
stopped by to let me know Ren is exceedingly concerned
about the malfunctions his people have seen in Starhaven’s
robot workforce. He wants me to send word to Daedalus right
away. I would, if Daedalus was anywhere to be found.”
Is Daedalus missing?
“Yes, for a couple of days now. We sent him to check on what
has been happening with the robots and he never came back.”
What’s going on with the robots?
“We’ve had reports of service bots going inert around the city.
The affected drones stop in place and don’t do anything for up
to thirty minutes. Some citizens say they can hear them making
a high-pitched noise during these shutdowns, but most of
us don’t have the type of ears which can hear the frequency.
Eventually, the robots start back up and go right back to work
like nothing happened. Daedalus went off to figure out what
was going on but hasn’t come back in about three days.”
Do you want us to look into that?
“I’d say the more pressing concern is the Imperium soldiers.
You should investigate who was hiding them there, and quietly
make sure there aren’t any others lurking about. The robots
aren’t hurting anyone, except for contractors on a deadline. If
you really want to look into the robots, the Robot Forge in the
East Wing would be the best place to start.”
61
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
ROLEPLAYING TAMIRA-VAN
Tamira is an optimistic rebel leader who has finally been given the
chance to stop running and organize a power base with which to
strike back against her enemy. Unlike some politicians, Tamira be-
lieves in her mission, and wants to do right by the Lor who look
up to her. She’s not afraid of a scrape, but she’s not a fool either.
Starhaven would not win a fight against the Imperium, at least not
in its current state.
Tamira-Van's initial attitude towards the heroes is Favorable and can
be moved to helpful if they tell her that they can handle the Im-
perium incident. As the newly elected leader of Starhaven, she has
some resources she can dedicate to the investigation, but Tamira
does prefer the heroes resolve this situation with discretion. Tamira
can get them into various locations around the city and requisition
light equipment and vehicles for them.
WRAP-UP
By the end of Scene 2, the heroes have met at least one contact
and found clues leading to the hacker Bran Cardon or the Robot
Forge. These leads are outlined in Scene 3 and Scene 4 respectively.
Award Hero Points for good roleplaying or clever questions.
62
SCENE 3 CHALLENGE SCENE
Trouble in the City
The heroes search Starhaven for more information about the Impe-
rium invasion. They find that the hacker lives in a veritable fortress.
After overcoming his defenses, they find Bran dead and his lair now
a trap meant to cover someone’s tracks.
Veil visited Bran several hours earlier, as soon as the heroes uncov-
ered the smuggled Imperium troops. Hoping to cover her tracks,
she kidnapped the hacker and left an advanced animatronic armed
with a bomb in his place to destroy any investigators.
HACKING IT IN STARHAVEN
Bran Cardon’s is a paranoid hacker working for an unknown em-
ployer to bring Starhaven under the rule of the Stellar Imperium,
and so finding his safehouse is no simple matter. Locating this safe-
house and navigating the defense system involves two separate
skill challenges:
TRACKING THE HACKER SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: 30 minutes
Checks: Gathering information from locals requires a DC 20 Deception,
Intimidation, or Persuasion check. Searching the Promenade to find
physical traces of Bran’s work requires a DC 22 Investigation check or a DC
25 Technology check. Poring through surveillance footage requires a DC
18 Investigation check or a DC 22 Perception check. Tracking data flow or
utility usage to find any discrepancies requires a DC 24 Technology check,
a DC 20 Perception check for characters with the proper Sense effects, or
a DC 22 relevant power check (such as Electricity Control).
Success: With 4 successes, the heroes find Bran’s safehouse. With 6 or more
successes, the heroes receive enough information to know Bran is skilled at
protecting his things from thieves. They receive a +2 circumstance bonus
to their first skill check in the Hacking the Hacker skill challenge.
Failure: There are no consequences on a failed check beyond the time
spent up until the heroes have spent a total of six hours investigating.
Proceed to Scene 4 if the heroes do not successfully track Bran’s safehouse
in that amount of time.
Once the heroes find Bran’s hideout in the Promenade, read or para-
phrase the following:
At first glance, the only interesting thing about this rundown
building is a graffitied image of a cartoon alligator wearing
a bicorn hat on its alley side wall. However, it only takes a
moment to notice that it’s not as dilapidated as appearances
might suggest. The windows are blocked with thick, metal
plates. A camera sticks out above the reinforced green door.
The glow of an electronic security pad illuminates several pad-
locks keeping the door secure. Clearly someone doesn’t want
anyone poking around the place.
Bran relies on traditional security measures, such as locks and thick
steel walls, as well as electronic means to keep people out of his
safehouse. He was once a member of Captain Kraken’s crew and
has never shaken the fascination with Earth pirates. As such, he has
programmed stolen robots to act as his pirate crew. These robot
pirates even sing sea shanties as they patrol the joint. Overcoming
the defense involves the following skill challenge:
The Guide to Starhaven
 CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN

HACKING THE HACKER SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: 1 minute
Checks: Disabling alarms and unlocking electronic doors requires a
DC 18 Technology check. Disarming traps requires a DC 20 Technology
check or a DC 22 Sleight of Hand or relevant Expertise check. The interior
walls have Toughness 12. Avoiding the traps and alarms requires a DC
18 Acrobatics or relevant Movement power check. The robots can be
deprogrammed or deceived via a DC 18 Technology check or DC 20
Deception check. Any hero who attempts this Deception check by acting
or speaking like a pirate receives a +2 circumstance bonus.
Success: With 6 successes, the heroes safely make their way to the center
of the safehouse. With 8 or more successes, the heroes arrive with enough
time to do a more thorough search of the area before the trap is sprung,
the receive an extra round of checks during their investigation of Bran’s
body or computer.
Failure: On a failed check, the heroes must resist Damage 6 or an Affliction
6 (resisted and overcome by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled, Incapacitated).
This represents Bran’s traps or minor scuffles with the robots. At 4 or more
failures, the heroes attract the attention of the majority of the robot
pirates leading to a conflict. Robot pirates use the Small Robot statblock
(Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152) with a Ranged Damage 4 laser
“flintlock” and Damage 4 “cutlass” added. There are three robots per hero.
The challenge continues until the heroes achieve 6 successes, but they
cannot benefit from the higher level of success if they trigger the conflict
with the robots.
ROBOT PIRATE PL 4
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0
Cutlass
Laser Flintlock
+4
+4
Close, Damage 4
Ranged, Damage 4
Unarmed +4 Close, Damage 0
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+3 +3 — — +5
Eventually the heroes penetrate Bran’s defenses and find the
macabre scene Veil left behind. When they find the body, read or
paraphrase the following:
order. This computer is revealed to not be one of Bran’s with a DC 18
Perception or Investigation check or a DC 16 Technology. This com-
puter is made by a different manufacturer, isn’t as powerful, and
doesn’t feature the same level of dust displacement as the other
ones in Bran’s office. The heroes can find a hidden back-up hard
drive in Bran’s office with a DC 20 Investigation check.
Once the heroes have exhausted their actions, read or paraphrase
the following:
Suddenly, all of the monitors but one switch off. The channel
changes on the remaining screen, revealing the teal and
white flag of the Stellar Imperium. A modulated voice crack-
les through the speakers, "If you are hearing this, then you
have stumbled into the machinations beyond your meager
understanding. Starhaven is already ours. It is too bad you
will not survive to see the reign of the glorious Star-Khan.
Your death is nigh."
The screen blacks out and a chorus of robot voices shout
"Ahoy!" as their bodies explode. The safehouse is consumed in
the inferno.
Award each hero with a Hero Point. The heroes must resist Burst
Area Damage 12 as the explosion levels the building. Any damage
or conditions carry over into the next scene. Proceed directly to
Scene 5 after the explosion.
WRAP-UP
The heroes have seemingly come to a literal dead end with Bran’s
body and the explosion ripping through the building. They may
have gathered some evidence in the form of a hidden hard drive or
the newer computer. Unfortunately, there won’t be much time to
examine this evidence in Scene 5 as Ko-Nan and her forces attack,
but it could come in handy in the aftermath. Award any player who
protected these clues with a Hero Point.

A reptilian body sits slumped in a chair, bathed in the dim glow

of a half-dozen monitors. He is dead, and his killer is nowhere
SCENE 4 CHALLENGE/CONFLICT SCENE
to be seen. Each of the screens flicker with static, and the only
noise is the strained, whirring fans of a couple smashed com-
puters.
Forging Ahead
Following a lead from Tamira-Van, the Robot Forge has become a
ticking time bomb. Robots have locked down the district, refus-
The heroes only have a few moments to react before triggering
ing to allow anyone access. Communication outside the district is
Veil’s trap. Each character has one or two turns of actions depend-
out of commission, and construction robots block the forge itself.
ing on their level of success in the Hacking the Hacker skill chal-
Getting inside puts the heroes at ground zero for Ko-Nan’s invasion.
lenge. Gamemasters are encouraged to keep track of these limited
actions in any manner that works for their players, whether that’s by
rolling for Initiative or passing a talking stick around. ACCESS DENIED
Bran’s body can be examined with a DC 15 Treatment check or a
The location of the Robot Forge is general knowledge in Starhav-
DC 18 Investigation check, revealing that he was seemingly killed
en, so the heroes don’t have any trouble making their way to it.
via strangulation. The are no discernible hand or tool marks, but he
However, the robots have set up a street-level barricade of the sur-
has bruising consistent with a crushed throat. A DC 25 Treatment or
rounding blocks. According to the robots at the barricades, there
DC 30 Technology check reveals that Bran’s body is not quite what
is a “toxic radiation leak at the factory” they are working to fix and
it seems. It appears to be an incredibly detailed remote control
“organics are advised to remain behind the barrier.” Starhaven’s se-
robot replacement wrapped in organic parts. The computers can
curity forces, stretched as thin as they are, have taken a position of
also be searched with a DC 16 Investigation check or DC 14 Tech-
observation while they try to come up with a means of bypassing
nology check. They were similarly destroyed by force, and each has
the rogue robots without escalating the situation.
had its hard drive removed. One computer appears to be in working

The Guide to Starhaven 63

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
Starhaven security defers to the heroes when they arrive on scene.
Getting through the barricade and into the Robot Forge requires a
skill challenge:
BLOCKADE RUNNING SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: 1 minute
Checks: Hacking the robots requires a DC 20 Technology check. Finding
an alternate route requires a DC 16 Perception check with an aerial view
or a DC 20 Perception check from street level. Following the alternate
route requires a DC 18 Stealth, Acrobatics, Athletics, or movement power
check. Sneaking past robots protecting a barricade requires a DC 22
Stealth check. Convincing the robots to let the heroes pass requires a
DC 20 Deception check. Heroes who claim to be agents of the Imperium
receive a +2 circumstance bonus to this Deception.
Success: With 7 successes, the heroes safely bypass the barricade and
make their way to the Robot Forge.
Failure: On a failed check, the heroes must resist Damage 6 as they
engage in skirmishes with the robots. At 3 failures, the heroes run into
a sizable enough force of robots to trigger a conflict. There are two
Cyclopes robots per hero led by one Centaur. Starhaven security will
join the heroes adding one group of four Starhaven security officers per
two heroes. Starhaven security officers use the Police Officer statblock
(Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 151). Each officer group uses their
actions to Aid one hero each turn, granting that character a +2 bonus to
to-hit, Damage, and Defense.
If the heroes fail challenge checks or simply elect for a direct route,
use the following robot statistics. Centaur Robots use the statistics
for Large Robots from the Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide, while Cyclo-
pes Robots are Medium Robots.
CENTAUR ROBOT PL 7
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 9
Weapons +6 Ranged, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+3 +4 — — +10
CYCLOPES ROBOT PL 5
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152
COMBAT INITIATIVE -1
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 5
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+0 +0 — — +10
STARHAVEN SECURITY OFFICER PL 4
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 151.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Light Blaster Pistol +5 Ranged, Damage 3
Unarmed +3 Close, Damage 2
Tonfa +3 Close, Damage 3
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+2 +4 +4 +2 +6/2*
*without Armor
64
HAMMER AND ANVIL
The Robot Forge was one of the first buildings restored in Daede-
lus's effort to renovate the city. It is self-sustaining and fully-auto-
mated factory producing labor robots to handle the hard construc-
tion labor of repairing and retrofitting the colony's buildings and
infrastructure. While advanced by Earth standards, the Cyclopes
and Centaur units built here use Daedelus's technology and fall far
short of Starhaven's Preserver technology.
The robots, up until recently, answered only to Daedalus’ program-
ming and general overrides and commands issued by the city gov-
ernment. Veil, through her partnership with Bran, introduced a virus
to transform the construction robots into war machines capable of
holding the city hostage and spreading chaos and instability. Ulti-
mately, she hopes the citizenry will conclude that the New Republic
is too weak to bring order to the city, and invite Imperium forces to
rule over them.
Currently, the robots are waiting for Veil’s instructions to join the
invasion. The building itself is four-stories tall with two-story wings
on either side. It has Daedalus’ dramatic Neo-Greco-Roman aes-
thetic. Doric columns line the walls and arched windows feature
prominently throughout. The walls have a Toughness of 12 while
the windows are Toughness 8.
Squads of robots stand watch at the front door, maintaining their
radiation leak story to any organics they see approaching. A few
also patrol the rooftop to prevent aerial heroes from accessing the
roof hatch into the forge. There is one Cyclopes per hero on the roof,
as well as two Cyclopes per hero and one Centaur per two heroes
at ground level.
Sneaking past the robots requires a DC 22 Stealth check, followed
by a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to pick the lock on the windows or
doors. Deceiving the robots is more difficult this close to the Robot
Forge but can be done with a DC 25 Deception check. As previously,
heroes who mention they are servants of the Imperium receive a
+2 circumstance bonus to this check. Some of the robots can be
lured away via distraction with a DC 16 Deception check. With one
Degree of Success, a quarter of the opponents fall for this. A full half
is removed with three Degrees of Success. The robots can also be
removed through the use of conflict if the heroes prefer.
Once the heroes enter the Robot Forge, read or paraphrase the fol-
lowing:
The sound of whirring and clanging machinery is almost un-
bearable in this space. Flying sparks are the only light, aside
from a flickering bulb in the floor to ceiling windows of the
office overlooking the production floor. One of the windows
is shattered, and the walls are marred with the telltale scorch
marks of laser weapons. Two conveyor belts form the assembly
line on both sides of the forge. Each is full of robots in various
stages of completion. Daedalus’ helmet lies discarded in the
center of the floor.
The inside of the building is basically unguarded. Veil’s agents did
their damage and moved on with the captured Daedalus, in the
hope that the robots could keep any interlopers at bay. The infiltra-
tors wrecked Daedalus’ office and stole his master control switch
for the robots. Searching the area requires a DC 14 Investigation or
Technology check.
The Guide to Starhaven

INVESTIGATION OR TECHNOLOGY CHECKS
Degrees of
Information
Success
A group of three to four humanoids ambushed
Daedalus in his office while he wasn’t wearing
One his armor. They left his armor scattered in pieces
Degree across the floor. The helmet was purposely de-
posited on the lower level. This happened about
three days ago.
The robot forge has been working nonstop for the
last three days, producing around a thousand new
robots. According to Daedalus’ records, he hasn’t
run the forge that much since his initial work to
clear the Green Zone. The main computer which
runs the facility has been destroyed, but Daeda-
Two
lus mentions an additional control console built
Degrees
into his gauntlet computer. That particular armor
piece seems to have been taken by whoever
abducted Daedalus. Daedalus also mentions in
his notes that he has a backup workshop in the
Facetwild he has been using as he’s been explor-
ing that natural wonder.
One hero manages to bring some of terminals
back online. Robot work crews have been disap-
pearing from the computer’s tracking system for
Three the past three days. It only has the whereabouts of
Degrees a dozen or so robots out of Starhaven’s entire work
force. The control terminal is going to require new
parts and a few hours to repair. The parts don’t
seem to be present in the Robot Forge itself.
Once the heroes have had a chance to investigate the area and de-
liberate about their next move, read or paraphrase the following:
An alarm blares throughout the forge as tinny robotic voices
fill the air. "Starhaven is now under the protection of the
Stellar Imperium. Resist at your own peril." Explosions rock
the street outside, followed by the thrusters of space craft to
the North. Screams, both of terror and joy, sound together.
This can’t be good.
WRAP-UP
The heroes have learned Daedalus has been taken by someone
and that the robots are compromised. That would be a juicy new
lead, but the invasion begins before they can make use of this in-
formation. Award each hero with a Hero Point as the Bloodravagers
launch their assault and proceed to Scene 5.
SCENE 5 CHALLENGE/CONFLICT SCENE
Fait Accompli
The heroes do their best to fight back against the robots and
Bloodravagers, but Veil and Ko-Nan have done their best to ensure
this fight is over before it begins. Read or paraphrase the following
as the heroes realize the full scope of the Imperium attack:
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
But I AM Daedalus!
There is a chance that one of the players has taken on the role
of Daedalus or that no such hero exists in the Gamemaster’s
given universe. There is just a minor adjustment to make if
that is the case. If Daedalus is in the group, he has handed off
the master control switch he keeps in his gauntlet to a trusted
person in the new Starhaven government as a show of good
faith and Earth’s dedication to upholding Starhaven’s desire
for independence. Award Daedalus’ player with a Hero Point
to compensate them for the fact that Daedalus hasn’t built a
replacement yet. Just be sure to change the missing dignitary
mentioned by Tamira-Van to Daedalus’ replacement at the
forge. If there is no Daedalus, then it’s up to the Gamemaster to
determine how the Robot Forge came to be prior to the settle-
ment of Starhaven. It could be left behind by the Preservers
to maintain the Green Zone or established by another hero or
even built by the first settlers to assist in their work.
Black smoke spirals into the sky as a squadron of sleek, black and
red warships strafe the Green Zone. Dozens of Imperium troop-
ers cheer them on from the ground as they move from building-
to-building capturing prominent figures. Thousands of robots
follow along, crushing all who stand in their wake. The citizens
of Starhaven scream in terror. Starhaven is under attack!
FIGHTING BACK
This is a chance for the heroes to act heroically in the face of over-
whelming odds. It’s all they can do to mitigate some of the crisis,
but this is a losing proposition. The following challenges represent
little ways for the heroes to help the citizens of Starhaven survive.
Use them to let the heroes showcase their heroism against the un-
ending tide and to earn Hero Points to help in the coming scenes.
Feel free to supplement these scenes with ideas of your own.
ROBOT REVOLUTION
A group of robots use their construction equipment and vehicles to
take an apartment building hostage. Their corrupted programming
tells them the site is slated for demolition to make way for more
settlers, and they’ve already begun the process. An explosion rocks
the foundation of the building as the heroes arrive. The building will
collapse if they don’t do something fast!
There are ten citizens per hero trapped in the building. Rescuing the
citizens is left up to player descriptions but requires a suitable DC
15 skill or power check. The building is mass rank 13 (200 tons). At
the beginning of the second round of this challenge, the building
loses some structural integrity, causing a -2 circumstance penalty
to checks to rescue its occupants. On the fourth round, the penalty
increases to -5. Also, at the beginning of each round any hero inside
the building must resist Damage 4 from falling debris.
The robots move on to their next target but can be waylaid with a suc-
cessful DC 16 attack or power check. They turn and fight if engaged.
There are four Cyclopes robots for every two heroes present.
Stabilizing the building requires ten successful DC 20 Athletics,
Expertise: Architecture, or relevant power checks. Award any hero
who comes up with a clever way to use their powers to stabilize the
65
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
building with a Hero Point. The building collapses after four rounds
if no one manages to stabilize it.
If the heroes successfully rescue the building, one of the occupants,
a young Lor girl named Nathli Hake, shows them an underground
passage she discovered in the basement. The tunnel system extends
throughout the district. The heroes can use these tunnels for an au-
tomatic degree of success in their skill challenge in Scene 7.
CYCLOPES ROBOT PL 5
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152
COMBAT INITIATIVE -1
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 5
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+0 +0 — — +10
SHOT DOWN
The Bloodravagers shoot down a transport shuttle carrying people
home from work. The fiery vessel is streaking towards the ground,
and the heroes only have moments to react. There are four pas-
sengers in harm’s way for every hero present, plus the unconscious
pilot. Rescuing the citizens is left up to player descriptions. They can
remove passengers and bring them to safety with a DC 15 skill or
power check. Catching the craft requires a DC 20 Strength or appro-
priate power check. It’s too damaged to fly, but a hero could climb
in and attempt to crash-land it safely with a Vehicles check.
The shuttle is moving at Speed rank 7. Each Degree of Success to
stop it decreases its Speed rank by one. The Vehicles DC to crash-
land it is equal to its Speed rank times 5 (DC 35 at full speed). It
crashes into the ground if the heroes have not successfully stopped
it in 6 checks.
Once they have rescued the transport, the heroes meet a Starhaven
pilot named Zeq Zas. He tells them he heard over his comm that
his squadron is pinned down at the Pegasus Starport. The squadron
can be a useful ally if the heroes can rescue them. Zeq gives them
his commlink and volunteers to help the bystanders get to safety.
The heroes can use the commlink to coordinate with the pilots,
giving them a +2 circumstance bonus to their first roll in the Bat-
tering the Bloodravagers challenge.
BATTERING THE BLOODRAVAGERS
One of the Bloodravager assault vessels rains fire down on the
Pegasus Starport, ensuring none of Starhaven’s defense craft can
get in the air to repel the attackers. The warship is a five-hundred-
foot-long monster, bristling with laser cannons and crewed by
an army of ruthless mercenaries. Some of the Bloodravagers are
already on the ground, destroying aircraft by hand and harassing
flight crews.
A group of six Starhaven pilots are pinned down in one of the
hangars. Freeing the pilots goes a long way towards giving Star-
haven a fighting chance. The heroes must distract or subdue the
warship and ground troops long enough for the pilots to launch
their ships.
The Bloodravagers can be distracted with a DC 18 Deception or DC
22 Intimidation check. Heroes presenting themselves as a more
66
worthy opponent receive a +2 circumstance bonus to the Intimi-
dation check. There’s one Bloodravager warrior per hero present in
the hangar. Once the heroes attract the Bloodravagers’ attention,
resolve this as a conflict scene. The pilots move to their aircraft on
their first turn. It takes them four rounds to fire up their ships and
take off.
Each round, the warship directs an attack at one of the heroes and
one of the Starhaven defense craft. Gamemasters can have these
attacks happen on the same turn or spread them out throughout
the combat round. The Bloodravagers focus on one-on-one fights
with the heroes. The warship dispatches replacement Bloodravag-
ers anytime one is Incapacitated.
The conflict ends when the airships take off, or if half of the ships
are destroyed. The warship pulls away if it fails 4 or more damage
resistance checks. Any remaining Bloodravagers fight until Inca-
pacitated.
If the squadron escapes, they regroup and join the heroes’ final
stand against Ko-Nan in Scene 7. Their attack pulls away two
Bloodravagers and gives Ko-Nan one less action with her ship per
round.
BLOODRAVAGER PL 6
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152
COMBAT INITIATIVE +3
Blaster Rifle +4 Ranged, Damage 8
Grab +4 Close, Grab 4
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 4
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+6 +6 +6 +6 +6/4*
*without Armor
BLOODRAVAGER WARSHIP 73 EP
Size: Gargantuan STR: 12 Def: 6 Toughness: 14 Features: Autopilot,
Communications, Navigation System Powers: Flight 12 (8000 MPH),
Laser Cannon: Ranged Damage 12, Movement 2 (Space Travel 2)
STARHAVEN DEFENSE CRAFT 68 EP
Size: Huge STR: 8 Def: 8 Toughness: 9 Features: Autopilot, Computer,
Communications, Navigation System, Remote Control Powers: Flight 14
(32,000 MPH), AE: Movement 2 (Space Travel 2); Twin-Blaster Cannons:
Ranged Damage 10.
WHEN YOU’RE GOOD TO MAMA
Mama Kaiger has an understanding with some of Starhaven’s elites.
They pay her money in exchange for protection—admittedly it’s
usually protection from her—but a group of those clients called in
their favors for safe passage through the invasion. To that end, some
of Mama Kaiger’s daughters were escorting a group of merchants
and politicians to a safehouse in the Draffsnarl when Imperium sol-
diers ambushed them. It’s up to the heroes to intervene!
There are four Imperium troopers per hero as well as two tele-
kinetic Imperium hounds present. They square off against one
Typical Kaiger Clan member per hero. The daughters tell the
heroes to cover their retreat in exchange for knowledge of the safe-
house and a meeting with Mama Kaiger. Supporting the daughters
can be handled as a running conflict or a skill challenge.
The Guide to Starhaven

In the case of a fight, the Imperium forces divide their attention
between engaging the heroes and slowing the fleeing daughters.
Their primary goal is to capture the VIPs as hostages. It takes at least
three minutes (30 combat rounds) for the daughters to reach the
safehouse. To reflect this in game terms, every 10 rounds a fresh
wave of attackers join the fray. This happens even if all of the troop-
ers in the previous wave have been dealt with.
The second wave consists of six Imperium troopers per hero and
two Imperium hounds. The third has eight Imperium troopers per
hero, three Imperium hounds, and one Centaur robot. These waves
all fight to the last, unless the VIPs manage to enter the safehouse,
in which case they flee after their numbers are reduced by half. The
Imperium trooper and Imperium hound use their statblocks from
the Cosmic Handbook (page 93 and page 94, respectively).
IMPERIUM TROOPER PL 5
Minions. See the Cosmic Handbook, page 93.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Blaster +5 Ranged, Damage 5
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 1
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+5 +5 +5 +5 +5/1*
*without armor
IMPERIUM HOUND (TELEKINETIC) PL 6
See the Cosmic Handbook, page 94.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1
Telekinetic Blast +6 Ranged, Damage 6
Unarmed +3 Close, Damage 0
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+6 +6 +5 +7 +6
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
COVERING FIRE SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: 30 seconds
Checks: Finding the safest route requires a DC 16 Perception check with
an aerial view or a DC 18 Perception check from ground level. Guiding the
fleeing convoy requires a DC 15 Persuasion or Expertise: Tactics check.
Clearing obstacles requires a DC 16 Athletics or relevant power check.
Distracting or tricking the pursuing Imperium soldiers requires a DC 20
Deception or relevant power check. Creating barriers for the Imperium
soldiers requires a DC 18 Athletics or relevant power check.
Success: With six Degrees of Success, the heroes lead the Kaiger Clan to
the safehouse with minimal losses. With nine Degrees of Success, they
ensure no one is taken and none of the daughters are harmed, granting
them a +2 circumstance bonus when interacting with Mama Kaiger for
the rest of the adventure.
Failure: On a failed check, the heroes must resist Damage 6 or Snare
6 effects as they engage in skirmishes with the soldiers. On four failed
checks, the VIPs are taken into custody. Award each hero with a Hero
Point if this happens.
Mama Kaiger is waiting at the safehouse when the heroes arrive.
She thanks them and says they can use the safehouse until this all
blows over. As far as Mama Kaiger is concerned, this is a losing fight,
and the best move is to lay low until another opportunity presents
itself. She does what she can to convince the heroes not to go back
out into the chaos but won’t try to stop them if they leave. The safe-
house is represented by the following statblock:
KAIGER CLAN SAFEHOUSE 11 EP
Size: Medium Toughness: 8 Features: Communications, Computer,
Concealed 1, Garage, Living Space, Personnel*, Power System, Security
System 1, Workshop
*Only while in good standing with Mama Kaiger
The heroes have access to the safehouse for the rest of the Siege
of Starhaven. They can purchase the safehouse using Equipment
Points after the adventure if they so choose. Proceed to Scene 6
if the heroes elect to follow Mama Kaiger’s advice, otherwise con-
tinue on to The Imperium Triumphant section of this scene.

CENTAUR ROBOT PL 7 THE IMPERIUM TRIUMPHANT

Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152.
Despite the heroes’ best effort, the overwhelming force of robots
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0 and Bloodravagers seize control of the city. As Ko-Nan makes her
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 9 grand entrance at Preserver Hall, read or paraphrase the following:
Weapons +6 Ranged, Damage 8
The violence quiets as the final pockets of resistance retreat.
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
Jupiter looms in the sky, its red unfeeling eye staring down.
+3 +4 — — +10 The dome crackles with blue light as a hologram is projected
across its surface. A single black and red ship streaks toward
Preserver Hall, coming to hover just outside the skyward ob-
TYPICAL KAIGER CLAN PL 6
servation window. Its door opens with a hiss and drops a ramp
Minion. See Chapter 2.
that shatters the window. Two dozen Bloodravagers descend
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 the ramp, followed by a muscular woman with light purple
skin, outfitted in light combat clothing and mechanical gaunt-
Blaster Pistol +6 Ranged, Damage 5
lets. She is dragging a man in chains behind her. It’s Daedalus.
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 4
Her voice echoes throughout the city, projected by speakers in
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS her ship. "New citizens of the Imperium, rejoice, for you are saved.
+2 +4 +6 +4 +8 I am Ko-Nan Bloodravager and you all will make a suitable gift for
my father, the Star-Khan." She pauses and raises Daedalus by the
throat with one hand. "This fight is over. We have control of the
Alternatively, use the following skill challenge should the players Pegasus Starport and of the Propylaea. If you do not surrender
choose to rely on their skills and guile to get through: now, we will switch off life support and present him a graveyard."

The Guide to Starhaven 67

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
Ko-Nan is not bluffing, she is perfectly willing to switch off the life
support and let her father resettle Starhaven with loyal Imperium
citizens. That being said, she is frustrated with the ease at which
she was able to conquer the settlement. She was hoping Starhav-
en could give her at least one good fight. The Bloodravagers are
likewise less than enthused. Ko-Nan does not immediately flip the
switch if the heroes fly out to challenge her, but it is a losing pros-
pect.
Ko-Nan and twenty-four of her Bloodravagers have occupied
Tamira-Van’s office, along with two Cyclopes robots per hero. They
have Daedalus and Tamira-Van as hostages—trophies to present
to Kinan-Khan when he arrives. An unending wave of enemies in
68
the form of four Cyclopes robots per hero reinforces Ko-Nan if the
heroes decide to attack her. More robots join the fray at the be-
ginning of each combat round. Ko-Nan threatens to turn off the
life support at the beginning of the fourth round of combat or if
she suffers the dazed condition. The Bloodravagers fight until the
heroes are incapacitated or the heroes retreat.
Defeated heroes are taken prisoner, locked in the same warehouse
prison as the other important hostages. Award all captured heroes
or heroes forced to retreat with a Hero Point.
WRAP-UP
Starhaven has fallen to a devastating surprise attack by the Stellar
Imperium, but not all hope is lost. The heroes have shown their
mettle by aiding the citizens of Starhaven in this invasion and have
banked a few benefits to help them counterattack later. At this
point, they have some clues to track down and a place to lay low
in the form of a Kaiger Clan safehouse. Give any imprisoned heroes
a chance to formulate a plan of escape. Barring that Mama Kaiger
sends one of her daughters to collect them, banking a future favor
from the heroes in the process.
SCENE 6 CHALLENGE SCENE
Faceted Flight
The heroes go underground with help from Mama Kaiger. She gives
them space and equipment to unpack the information they received,
either from Bran’s headquarters or the Robot Forge. They learn Bran
had a hidden facility in the Facetwild where he was working on a
solution for the virus he uploaded to Starhaven’s robots. It’s Starhav-
en’s best hope to overthrow Ko-Nan, but to acquire it, the heroes
have to overcome the natural dangers of Europa.
THE QUESTION OF HOSTAGES
Daedalus and Tamira-Van are being held by Ko-Nan, unless some of
the heroes were also imprisoned and escaped on their own, or with
help from Mama Kaiger. The VIPs can be rescued from Bloodravager
control through the following skill challenge:
PRISON BREAK SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: 1 hour
Checks: Tracking down just where Daedalus and Tamira-Van are being
kept requires a DC 18 Investigation check or use of the Connected
advantage. Sneaking into the prison requires a DC 20 Stealth check or
a DC 24 Technology check. Breaking the prisoners out requires a DC 20
Sleight of Hand, Technology, or relevant power check. Sneaking back to
the safehouse requires a DC 22 Stealth check.
Success: With four Degrees of Success, the heroes rescue Daedalus and
Tamira-Van without major incident. With six Degrees of Success, they
manage to rescue a few squads of Starhaven security forces that can aid
them in Scene 7. They remove two squads of Imperium troopers from the
final conflict with Ko-Nan.
Failure: On a failed check, the heroes draw attention to themselves,
causing the guards to go on alert, incurring a -2 circumstance penalty
to future checks in this challenge. On three failed checks a group of
Bloodravagers lay an ambush for the heroes, moving Daedalus and
Tamira-Van to a new location and waiting in the hostages’ cells to attack.
There is one Bloodravager per hero.
The Guide to Starhaven

BLOODRAVAGER
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152
PL 6
COMBAT INITIATIVE +3
Blaster Rifle +4 Ranged, Damage 8
Grab +4 Close, Grab 4
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 4
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+6 +6 +6 +6 +6/4*
*without Armor
Both hostages prove useful if the heroes rescue them. Daedalus
is without his armor, but he can provide insight into the way the
robots are controlled. He can confirm that someone triggered the
alarm at his Facetwild outpost in the last couple of days. Daedalus
is also able to offer a verbal command to shut down the outpost’s
defense system. Finally, he is willing to aid on Technology checks
to assist the heroes, whether for cracking into Bran’s hard drive, or
creating Devices through the Inventor advantage, granting them a
+5 circumstance bonus to the check.
This isn’t the first time Tamira-Van has been captured by the Stellar
Imperium and she reckons it won’t be the last. Tamira-Van is able
to help the heroes begin organizing a resistance within the city.
Gamemasters should remember to let the heroes take the lead on
making plans and deciding what role they want the resistance to
play in this adventure. Tamira-Van is there to make suggestions if
they get stuck and to put the heroes’ plans into motion while they
are in the Facetwild recovering the antivirus.
Organizing the resistance is a Team Check, with Tamira-Van adding
a Degree of Success to the Aid check. Heroes can aid the check with
Investigation, Expertise (Ordinance, Tactics, or Streetwise), Persua-
sion, Intimidation, or Deception. The final check is DC 25. Consult
the following for the effects of the resistance:
INVESTIGATION, EXPERTISE, OR INTERACTION CHECK
Degrees of
Information
Success
Word of the resistance reaches beleaguered Star-
haven citizens who band together to counterat-
tack once they receive the heroes’ signal. They
are inspired by word of the heroes’ deeds during
One
the invasion and emboldened to take back their
Degree
city by any means necessary. However, their en-
thusiasm is larger than their skill and equipment.
The resistance removes two squads of Imperium
troopers and an Imperium hound from Scene 7.
Resistance forces are able to free imprisoned
AEGIS and UNISON personnel. They are then
Two
able to take the Propylaea from the Imperium,
Degrees
removing Ko-Nan’s ability to switch off life
support in Scene 7.
Mama Kaiger agrees to throw some extralegal
firepower the resistance’s way, increasing their
Three
combat capability in Scene 7. The resistance
Degrees
removes four squads of Imperium troopers and
both Imperium hounds from the final conflict.
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
A MULTI-FACETED TALE
The Kaiger Clan safehouse has everything the heroes need to plan
their counterattack. It has ample living space as well as a computer
and workshop. Best of all, it’s concealed from the Imperium and has
a security system and guards to chase anyone off who does come
sniffing around. The next steps are a little different depending on
which lead the group tracked down earlier.
Bran’s hard drive is a gold mine of information. Hacking into it re-
quires eight hours of effort and a DC 25 Technology check. Groups
lacking technical expertise might instead learn similar information
with similar Investigation or interaction checks. Success reveals the
following information:
TECHNOLOGY CHECK
Degrees of
Information
Success
Bran was contracted by the Imperium to aid in
disrupting Starhaven’s essential systems. He
helped smuggle soldiers into the Pegasus Star-
port, forged work badges for the Propylaea, and
constructed a virus to infect Starhaven’s robots.
One He never met his employer in person. There are
Degree some personal logs on the drive that show Bran
becoming increasingly paranoid about being
betrayed by his employer. He mentions he con-
structed an antivirus but moved it to the FW site
for safe keeping. There are no records about the
actual code of the virus or antivirus on the drive.
Bran has a lot of insight into the comings and
goings of a lot of Starhaven’s luminaries, par-
ticularly Daedalus. He has the coordinates to
Daedalus’ Facetwild outpost as well as a rough
Two map for how to get there stored in the drive.
Degrees The interference field makes it hard to acquire
pinpoint accuracy, but it’s a good start, granting
a +2 circumstance bonus on Perception or rel-
evant Expertise (Survival, Navigation, Planetary
Explorer, etc.) checks to navigate the Facetwild.
Bran theorizes his employer, codenamed Veil,
is actually Sun-Ren. The dead-drop locations
for his jobs were all located in the same neigh-
Three borhood as his office. He also believes Sun has
Degrees a plan to kill him and has moved to Daedalus’
outpost in the Facetwild. He left a decoy to die
in his place and plans to code the antivirus and
miraculously return as the hero of Starhaven.
Between Bran and Daedalus’ notes the heroes have an idea there
is an antivirus for the robots hidden in the Facetwild. Daedalus,
Tamira-Van, and Mama Kaiger all believe the best chance for repel-
ling Ko-Nan is getting the robots offline. Mama Kaiger volunteers
to smuggle the heroes out of the Green Zone and onto the harsh
surface of Europa proper.
WALKING IN A LUNAR WONDERLAND
Europa is a hostile landscape for most living creatures. It has a thin
atmosphere, freezing surface temperatures, low gravity, and con-
69
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
siderable amounts of radiation, which make surface exploration
dangerous and difficult. These environmental effects are detailed
in the Beyond Starhaven section in Chapter 2 of this book. The
heroes must come up with the means of overcoming these chal-
lenges if they hope to recover Bran’s antivirus. Characters without
Immunity effects have to find suitable vehicles or space suits for
lunar travel.
This is a perfect opportunity for players to spend Hero Points to
acquire the necessary equipment. Tech-minded heroes can use the
Inventor advantage and their handy workshop to rig something
for their team. Perhaps the heroes lean on the allies they’ve made
in Starhaven. Mama Kaiger might have a vehicle they can borrow
stored in the safehouse’s garage. Tamira-Van can requisition space
suits from Starhaven security forces as they join the resistance. Let
the players get creative with solving this issue. At the end of the day,
it’s not fun to stifle heroism due to environmental hazards.
Daedalus’ outpost is 60 miles (distance rank 14) from Starhaven, on
the periphery of the Facetwild. The following challenges represent
some of the possible dangers the heroes must overcome . Be sure
to check the Facetwild section in Chapter 2 for additional ideas to
challenge the heroes.
OLD FAITHFUL
Europa is known for its cryogeysers, bursts of high-pressure water
from the icy crust. The heroes run afoul of a powerful geyser on
their way to the Facetwild. Characters caught in the 60-foot radius
must deal with the effects of Burst Area Damage 10. The heroes
detect warning signs of the eruption—tremors in the ice, the roar
of rushing water—with a DC 12 Perception check.
The water from the geyser freezes almost instantly. This may trap
characters in rapidly-hardening ice like a rank 10 Affliction (Resisted
by Dodge and Overcome by Damage or Sleight of Hand; hindered
and vulnerable; defenseless and immobilized). Breaking free re-
quires breaking the ice, which has Toughness 10. The freezing water
sweeps trapped characters into a newly opened crack in the ice,
dropping them 60 feet. Heroes must resist Damage 6 when they
hit the bottom. Climbing out requires breaking out of the ice and
a subsequent DC 16 Athletics check or use of a movement power.
ARC AMBUSH
The heroes are caught in an arc storm as they cross into the
Facetwild. Usually this is a tame meteorological event, but not this
time. Bran has prepared this area of the rift with technology that
intensifies the static discharge. Multicolored lightning bolts streak
from the camouflaged pylons to crystalline structures with the
characters stuck in the middle. Roll a d20 at the beginning of each
character’s turn while they are in the boundaries of the storm. A
character is struck by a bolt on a roll of 1 and must resist Damage 10.
See the Arc Storm section in Chapter 2 for additional information
about running this hazard.
Bran hoped that this lethal weather would keep pursuers at bay, but
what he didn’t anticipate was that the pylons would attract some
of the local wildlife. A colony of shardspinners has made a nest in
the bounds of the storm. They emerge as the heroes race through
the storm, hoping to snare some easy prey. There are two shards-
pinners per hero present at the ambush. The scintillating arachnids
pair up to go after heroes, with one using their Crystal Spinning to
ensnare heroes and the other following up with Unarmed or Crystal
70
Shard attacks. The shardspinners flee the scene to find easier prey if
a quarter of their number are Incapacitated.
SHARDSPINNER PL 8
See Chapter 2.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +4
Crystal Shards +8 Ranged, Damage 8
Crystal Spinning +8 Ranged, Affliction 8 (Dodge)
Unarmed +8 Close, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+8 +8 — +2 +8
Locating one of the four pylons requires a DC 18 Perception check.
Disabling them requires a DC 18 Technology check. They can be
destroyed by Damage, but they have Toughness 10. Reduce the
Damage ranks of the bolts by 1 per pylon destroyed. The storm
ceases once all four pylons are destroyed.
INTERFERENCE
The Facetwild has an interference zone that blocks transmissions
into and out of the area. Usually this only affects communication,
but sometimes the interference intensifies causing technology
inside the zone to suffer damage. This interference spike short-
circuits some of the heroes’ technology or psionic-based powers.
Heroes caught in the spike must resist Nullify 10 or one piece of
their gear or psychic powers switches off at random. The gear can
be repaired with an hour of work and a successful DC 20 Technol-
ogy check. The psionic power returns after eight hours. Award any
players impacted with a Hero Point.
THE DESCENT
Eventually the heroes come to cliffs above Daedalus’ outpost and
must make the final descent into the rift. As the heroes look down
over the final leg of their journey, read or paraphrase the following:
The ice crust drops off suddenly, revealing a deep chasm in Eu-
ropa’s crust. Multicolored crystalline structures, some as tall as
trees, jut out from sheer cliff face and ledges below. Artificial
handholds line some of the outcroppings, but it’s not a com-
plete path. Red lights pulse from a freestanding beacon at a
cave entrance a few hundred yards down. Daedalus’ workshop
is within reach, it’s just a matter of climbing now.
Climbing is treacherous, but Daedalus has done some work to
improve the conditions in the area. Reaching the workshop by
climbing requires five DC 20 Athletics checks. Characters attempt-
ing to fly down to the workshop trigger the defense system. Dae-
dalus installed a battery of turrets and a group of robots to keep
curious predators away from the workshop. There is one turret per
hero and one Centaur robot per two heroes present. The heroes
might have a password from Daedalus, but Bran has changed it.
Award the first hero to try the password with a Hero Point.
The turrets have Toughness 12. Each round they target a hero with a
Damage 8 or Snare 8 effect, with a +8 attack bonus. Characters who
receive the immobilized condition—flying or climbing—begin to
fall into the crevasse, which reaches depths of 1,800 feet. The robots
The Guide to Starhaven

use their actions to mop up heroes affected by the turrets, either
attacking them or catching and depositing them back at the top of
the crevasse. The automated defenses fight until destroyed.
There is a surprise waiting for the heroes at the workshop. As they
approach, read or paraphrase the following:
A bronzed steel door sits flush with the cavern wall. Lights
flicker on a security pad beside it and the noise of whirring ma-
chinery emanates from within. The door separates with a hiss,
revealing the elongated, scaled face of a frightened Jereid. It’s
Bran, wrapped in a parka, and looking seven shades of guilty.
"Let me guess." His voice is thin and nervous. "The Imperium
invaded using my robot virus. Come in, we’ve got a lot to talk
about." The room beyond is a small lab space with a computer,
a pair of workbenches, and a waving robot arm.
CENTAUR ROBOT PL 7
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 9
Weapons +6 Ranged, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+3 +4 — — +10
WRAP-UP
The heroes have answered the invasion in their own ways by the
end of this scene. The resistance is growing back in Starhaven. They
have learned Bran is still alive. Not only is he the original architect of
the virus, but he also has information about the Imperium’s tactics.
Award each player a Hero Point at the end of this scene. They’re
going to need it in the battle to free Starhaven!
SCENE 7 CONFLICT SCENE
Bloodravager Beatdown
The heroes help Bran finish his antivirus and get answers about who
is behind this attack. Then they return to Starhaven with a power-
ful new weapon. It’s up to them to upload it to the Robot Forge
while their resistance engages the Bloodravagers. Finally, they must
square off against Ko-Nan to kick her warband out of Starhaven.
SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR?
Bran is surprised to see the heroes. He never expected to see anyone
other than an Imperium assassin at the outpost door. Bran sees the
heroes’ arrival as an opportunity to make things right, but he has to
be sure of their intentions first. The heroes can convince him they
come in peace with a DC 15 Persuasion or Deception check. They
can coerce him with a DC 10 Intimidation check, but this prevents
him from being an effective aid in the antivirus creation skill check
later in this scene. Bran uses the Scientist statblock with the Jereid
template and 4 extra ranks of Technology (Deluxe Gamemaster’s
Guide, page 145 and Cosmic Handbook, page 135, respectively).
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
Bran can answer a few questions for the heroes:
You’re supposed to be dead.
“That’s not really a questi—you know what bad time to be
snarky. Sorry, I get nervous around like authority figures or
whatever. What were we talking about? Oh yeah, I faked my
death using a realistic decoy. That synthetic body wasn’t cheap.
Still—totally worth it.”
What do you know about the virus?
“It’s a pretty intense program I wrote. It messes with their
shared network, switches off their combat inhibitors, amplifies
their onboard computers to weapons grade coordination, and
gives them a massive taste for iron-grip dictators. It’d be pretty
rad if they weren’t, you know, trying to kill everybody.”
Didn’t you program them to attack everyone?
“Sort of, I guess. I mean I didn’t want anything like this to
happen. At least like not while I was still here. Oh, that sounds
bad. I just mean I figured I could get a paycheck and Daedalus,
or somebody like you guys would swoop in and stop it before
things got serious. I didn’t mean to be so good at my job. I’m
not making this sound any better. Trust me, in my head you
guys totally love this.”
Who hired you?
“I only ever got a codename: Veil. Whoever they were, they
were smart. They left me things in physical dead drops around
town, never reached out electronically. Do you know how
much I hate going outside, especially like up here? I think
they knew I’d figure out who they were if we talked online you
know. They definitely have some major feels about the Impe-
rium taking over the galaxy thing though. Like five big thumbs
up out of five about the whole thing. It could be Sun-Ren, that
guy loves the Imperium. Either way it’s not good.”
How can we stop it?
“It’s funny you should mention that. I am totally working on
an antivirus and like I could really use some help. Are you all
down to do some coding around the lab? Also like if I do this,
you should totally just let me go and not arrest me or anything.
That’d be super cool of you.”
Really, robot pirates?
“What about them? Earth pirates are cool. Space pirates basi-
cally never burst out into song. It’s whack.”
ROLEPLAYING BRAN CARDON
Bran is a nervous, hyperactive prodigy with few close friends and
big aspirations. He is vastly proficient with machines, but that talent
doesn’t transfer to social interaction. Further complicating negotia-
tions is the fact that, for the last three days, he’s been on the lookout
for assassins—not good for his mental health or his social skills. His
initial attitude towards the heroes is unfavorable but can skip over
indifferent to favorable if they prove they mean him no harm. Bran
knows he’s probably going to suffer legal consequences for his
71
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
actions, but he is unreceptive to intimidation. He remains at unfa-
vorable if anyone threatens him. While unfavorable, he is willing to
show them the work he’s put together for the antivirus, but he at-
tempts to slip away while the heroes finish the project.
UPDATING THE ROBOT FIREWALL
Creating the antivirus is a Team Check. Bran automatically adds a
+2 circumstance bonus to every hero's check if his attitude is Favor-
able or better. Heroes can aid the check with Technology, relevant
powers such as Comprehend Machines, control effects related to
technology, or Expertise such as Computers, Hacking, or Robotics.
The final check is DC 30 and takes four hours.
Groups lacking technical skills can instead us Bran's +14 bonus to
lead the check, with the heroes providing Aid bonuses using what-
ever creative tactic you deem appropriate. Consult the following for
the outcome:
EXPERTISE OR TECHNOLOGY CHECK
Degrees of
Resistance Asset
Success
The heroes successfully program a code cyl-
inder with the antivirus. The cylinder can be
used either with Daedalus’ gauntlet control
switch—which is currently on Ko-Nan’s arm—or
at the master computer in the Robot Forge. The
One
heroes also manage to scrape together the parts
Degree
needed to repair said computer if they can suc-
cessfully sneak back into the Forge. This version
of the antivirus is sufficient to incapacitate the
robots, but lacks the sophistication needed to
turn the robots against the invaders.
The code cylinder grants the heroes an extra
boon based on where they choose to employ it.
The antivirus is able to turn the robots against
the invaders if its used at the Robot Forge
master computer. Alternatively, the heroes can
Two
use it to shut the robots off at range if they
Degrees
choose to bring it to face Ko-Nan, rather than
having to disarm her gauntlet and load the
program. This function works at a range of 30
feet, and automatically shuts down the robots
in Starhaven.
Now that the heroes have a solution for the virus afflicting Starhav-
en’s robots, they’re ready to return home and defeat the invaders.
HEROIC RETURN
The trip back to Starhaven is still a dangerous trek across Europa’s
natural environment. Gamemasters are encouraged to use any
unused challenges from Scene 6 or come up with their own to
threaten the heroes’ return journey.
Getting back into Starhaven is no walk in the park. Ko-Nan and the
Bloodravagers have locked down the Green Zone in preparation for
her father’s arrival. The heroes also have to decide between rushing
to fight Ko-Nan at Preserver Hall or seizing the Robot Forge before
the infiltration. Entering the city is accomplished with a skill chal-
lenge which changes a bit based on their choice of target:
72
STARHAVEN INFILTRATION SKILL CHALLENGE
Time: Each check reflects ten minutes of sneaking around, avoiding
patrols, overcoming obstacles, hacking surveillance, communicating with
the resistance, and reaching the target location. The specific locations
have additional checks listed below as well.
Checks: Sneaking into the city requires a DC 22 Stealth check unless the
heroes found the tunnel system in Scene 5 in which case this portion
of the challenge counts as a free Degree of Success. Avoiding robot or
Bloodravager patrols in the streets requires a DC 20 Stealth, Deception,
or movement power check or a DC 22 Technology or Perception check.
Overcoming the dangerous terrain—collapsed buildings from the
bombardment, sinkholes, electrified water, etc.—requires a DC 20
Athletics, Acrobatics, or relevant movement power check. Hacking
Imperium surveillance networks requires a DC 25 Technology check.
Success on this check gains the heroes a +2 circumstance bonus on
future checks to sneak past patrols. Mobilizing the resistance requires a
DC 20 Persuasion, Stealth, Technology, or relevant Expertise skill check.
Robot Forge Checks: The robots have doubled their garrison at the
Robot Forge, making it more difficult to access than in Scene 4. Hacking
the robots requires a DC 24 Technology check. Finding an alternate route
requires a DC 18 Perception check with an aerial view or a DC 22 Perception
check from street level. Following the alternate route requires a DC 20
Stealth, Acrobatics, Athletics, or movement power check. Sneaking past
robots protecting a barricade requires a DC 26 Stealth check. Convincing
the robots to let the heroes pass requires a DC 25 Deception check. Heroes
who claim to be agents of the Imperium no longer receive a circumstance
bonus to this Deception check. The robots have a full personnel file at this
point, so heroes attempting this lie are flagged as enemies and attacked.
Alternatively, the robots can be fought in a conflict scene. There are four
Cyclopes robots per hero led by two Centaurs.
Preserver Hall Checks: Scaling the exterior of the domes and spire
requires a DC 25 Athletics or Acrobatics check or a relevant movement
power. Making the climb without alerting guards requires a DC 30 Stealth
check. Hacking the internal security system requires a DC 30 Technology
check. Avoiding patrols in the halls requires a DC 20 Stealth check.
Success: With 7 Degrees of Success, the heroes reach their intended
location without incident. With 9 Degrees of Success, they manage to
completely evade Imperium forces, granting them a +2 circumstance
bonus to Initiative checks in their final conflict with Ko-Nan or complete
peace to repair the master computer at the Robot Forge.
Failure: On a failed check, the heroes draw attention to themselves,
causing the Imperium forces to go on alert, incurring a -2 circumstance
penalty to future checks in this challenge. At 5 or more Degrees of Failure,
Ko-Nan moves to attack the heroes in their current location. This initiates
the final conflict in this scene and causes the heroes to be surprised for
the first round.
CENTAUR ROBOT PL 7
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +0
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 9
Weapons +6 Ranged, Damage 8
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+3 +4 — — +10
CYCLOPES ROBOT PL 5
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152
COMBAT INITIATIVE -1
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 5
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+0 +0 — — +10
The Guide to Starhaven

Installing the antivirus at the Robot Forge requires two hours (time
rank 10) of work and a DC 20 Technology check to repair the control
computer. Repairing the computer without attracting attention re-
quires at least one hero to succeed at a DC 24 Stealth check.
Any remaining robot guards attack anyone they find in the main
office. They sweep the area once an hour, but the heroes only ever
encounter them once. The patrol is comprised of two Cyclopes
robots per hero. Once the computer is repaired and the antivirus
is uploaded, the robots of Starhaven shut down en masse. If the
heroes successfully turned the robots against the Imperium, they
begin engaging troops across the city. Now all that stands between
Starhaven and peace is Ko-Nan and the Bloodravagers.
THE BATTLE FOR STARHAVEN
The future of Starhaven comes down to a grudge-match between
Ko-Nan and the heroes, just the way she likes it. The fight most
likely takes place in Tamira-Van’s Preserver Hall office, but it’s pos-
sible Ko-Nan ambushes the heroes on the streets of Starhaven or
the Robot Forge. Modify the conflict as needed should the heroes
struggle in the previous skill challenge.
If the fight takes place in Tamira’s office, read or paraphrase the fol-
lowing to the players:
The elevator opens into a large oval-shaped office. The furni-
ture has been destroyed, aside from a scrap throne erected on
the right end of the ellipsis. Ko-Nan Bloodravager surveys Star-
haven from the shattered office window as the city erupts with
resistance activity. Laser fire and explosions fill the streets as
the citizenry rises against the Imperium.
"I was hoping for a proper battle." Her power fists hum as
energy courses through her arms. "Bloodravagers, we have
bloody business to attend to." The mercenaries surrounding
her cheer and raise weapons, eager for conflict.
Ko-Nan is accompanied by one Bloodravager, eight Imperium
troopers, and one Cyclops robot per hero. There are also two Im-
perium hounds (one telekinetic and one telepathic), and Ko-Nan’s
warship: the Scar. Subtract any forces that have been removed due
to the heroes’ actions throughout the Siege of Starhaven. Here is a
bulleted list of those possible modifiers from previous scenes:
• If the squadron escaped in Scene 5, their attack pulls away two
Bloodravagers and gives Ko-Nan one less action with her ship per
round.
• There are several possibilities dependent on the strength of the
resistance formed in Scene 6. The resistance removes either two
squads of Imperium troopers and an Imperium hound or four
squads of Imperium troopers and both Imperium hounds.
• The resistance may have taken control of the Propylaea from the
Imperium, removing Ko-Nan’s ability to switch off life support.
• If the heroes took back the Robot Forge in Scene 7, there are no
robots fighting for Ko-Nan.
The office is a 60-foot-by-90-foot oval, with an elevator on the wall
opposite the window. The warship is Ko-Nan’s greatest asset for
the fight. As a Free Action twice per round, she can fire the Scar’s
laser cannons. This is a Damage 12 ranged attack with a +12 attack
bonus. She can use these actions at the beginning of any other
The Guide to Starhaven
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
Glorious Combat
A clever hero might realize that Ko-Nan is looking for an epic
fight. She can be persuaded to engage in a one-on-one fight
for the fate of Starhaven with a DC 25 Persuasion check or a
DC 20 Intimidation check. Gamemasters should use caution
when presenting the one-on-one option. It can devolve into
something that isn’t fun for the players who aren’t participat-
ing. Alternatively, Ko-Nan may propose a squad battle with the
heroes squaring off against her top lieutenants. In this case
Ko-Nan is joined by one Bloodravager per hero. Gamemasters
should consider having Ko-Nan move the fight from the office
to somewhere more exotic, possibly one of the wild areas of
the Green Zone or even outside the dome.
character’s turn over the course of the round. The total refreshes at
the beginning of Ko-Nan’s turn. This is in addition to the ship’s own
turn in Initiative.
One group of Bloodravagers teams up with Ko-Nan, aiding her
attacks. The others focus on softer targets, attacking them in pairs
or groups. The Cyclopes robots protect the Imperium trooper
squads, using the Interpose advantage to absorb attacks or grab-
bing heroes who get close. The telekinetic hound destroys more of
the office, creating cover for the troopers or cutting off sightlines for
ranged heroes. The telepath attempts to control the hero with the
lowest Will defense.
The Imperium troopers flee if Ko-Nan is incapacitated, hoping to
ditch their gear and infiltrate the Starhaven populace. The Bloodrav-
agers, much like their leader, fight to the last.
ROLEPLAYING KO-NAN
Ko-Nan is a battle-hardened veteran who feels most alive while
crushing people with her fists. This invasion of Starhaven is her best
chance of winning the approval of her distant father. She knows
how important this fight is for her future in the galaxy. In combat,
she prefers to go toe-to-toe with the toughest looking hero, using
her ship to keep ranged combatants busy.
The ace up her sleeve is her control of the Propylaea. If the fight
begins to go against her, she is willing to threaten to shut the life-
support off in the dome. Her forces are equipped with rebreathers
that allow them to survive in the dome without oxygen. Heroes can
disarm the control switch by removing her right gauntlet. Ko-Nan
fights to the bitter end.
KO-NAN PL 12
See Cast section.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +8
Blaster Pistol +12 Ranged, Damage 5
Concussive Force Cone — Close, Area, Damage 12
Enhanced Punches +10 Close, Damage 14
Throw +8 Ranged, Damage 12
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 12
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+10 +10 +14 +8 +14
73
 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS

BLOODRAVAGER PL 6
Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152 EPILOGUE
COMBAT INITIATIVE +3 Unbeknownst to Ko-Nan, the Star-Khan is not coming. He has
Blaster Rifle +4 Ranged, Damage 8 designs on Starhaven, to be sure, but knows he will need a con-
Grab +4 Close, Grab 4 siderable force to take and hold the moon, thanks to its proximity
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 4 to Earth’s superpowered heroes. Veil has already begun distancing
herself from this attempt. She’ll let Ko-Nan take any blame and use
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS the information from the experience to develop future plans.
+6 +6 +6 +6 +6/4* As for Starhaven, the citizens have the job of rebuilding, not so dif-
*without Armor ferent from their pre-invasion plans. Starhaven security no doubt
grows their ranks by enlisting some members of the resistance. The
IMPERIUM TROOPER PL 5 robots need to be reprogrammed and Europa Light and Sewer have
Minions. See the Cosmic Handbook, page 93.
to repair any Imperium sabotage to the Propylaea and Pegasus Star-
COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 port. The city has survived its first—and surely not its last—conflict.
Blaster +5 Ranged, Damage 5
Not only that, they did it without outside help, and have proved to
their neighbors that Starhaven is here to stay.
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 1

DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS REWARDS

+5 +5 +5 +5 +5/1*
*without armor
If the heroes overcome the Imperium and defeat Ko-Nan, award
them one Power Point. If they were particularly resourceful or civic-
IMPERIUM HOUND PL 6 minded—helping to rally the resistance or rescuing important hos-
See the Cosmic Handbook, page 94. tages—award them one additional Power Point.

COMBAT INITIATIVE +1 The heroes have made an impression on their new home and met a
Telekinetic Blast +6 Ranged, Damage 6
number of important figures along the way. Mama Kaiger and Tami-
ra-Van are influential in different parts of Starhaven society. Bran is
Unarmed +3 Close, Damage 0
a talented hacker who owes the heroes a favor for helping clean up
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS his mess. Finally, Daedalus is always a good friend to have. Any of
these characters could serve as valuable contacts in the future or
+6 +6 +5 +7 +6
provide new plot hooks for future adventures.

CYCLOPES ROBOT PL 5 CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE

Minions. See the Deluxe Gamemaster’s Guide, page 152
COMBAT INITIATIVE -1
Unarmed +5 Close, Damage 5
DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS
+0 +0 — — +10
THE SCAR 88 EP
Size: Gargantuan STR: 12 Def: 6 Toughness: 14 Features: Autopilot,
Communications, Navigation System, Remote Control Powers: Flight 12
(8000 MPH), Impervious Toughness 14, Laser Cannon: Ranged Damage
12, Movement 2 (Space Travel 2)
WRAP-UP
The heroes must stop Ko-Nan and the Bloodravagers here and now,
or she summons Star-Khan to claim Starhaven. If Ko-Nan defeats
the heroes, she takes them prisoner, hoping to present them to her
father as a noble gift. Award each player a Hero Point and award
more for any cunning plans to escape and confront the Bloodravag-
ers once again.
If you don't wish for the campaign to remain a resistance opera-
tion against Imperium occupation, Earth-based heroes such as the
Freedom League may arrive to turn the tide.
There are several ways to extend this adventure into a longer ad-
venture or story arc:
• Class is in Session: Ko-Nan’s invasion shows Starhaven isn’t
as safe or isolated as originally believed. A certain portion of
the citizenry hasn’t taken this well, looking for other means to
ensure their protection in the future. They are primed to listen
to the teachings of the Children of Chrysalis. Pupil is happy to
bring frightened people into his cult and offer them the “gifts”
needed to fend off interstellar predators. The heroes get clued-
in when a friend or loved one begins attending Children meet-
ings and acting strangely…
• Testing the Waters: Starhaven isn’t the only settlement on
Europa. Veil used the cover of Ko-Nan’s invasion to smuggle
some of her agents down the Darkwell and into Seahaven.
Weeks after the invasion, vital systems begin to go down. The
aquatic settlement calls for discreet help and Tamira-Van can
think of no one better than the heroes. It’s up to them to rep-
resent Starhaven, keep relations between the two settlements
cordial, and stop another Imperium scheme before it escalates.
• Trouble in the Facetwild: Daedalus asks the heroes to help him
set his outpost right after Bran’s takeover. He needs help reset-
ting the turrets and repairing the robots. However, his sensors
pick up an increased frequency of arc storms in the area. The
energy spike seems to stem from a nearby Preserver site. He
asks the heroes to investigate the ancient facility to figure out

74 The Guide to Starhaven


the cause of the strange weather, hoping it will provide some
insight into the communication interference—or at the very
least some interesting technology to bring back to Starhaven.
CAST
The following are the major characters encountered in Siege of
Starhaven that are not found elsewhere in this book or the Cosmic
Handbook, including their backgrounds and relevant game stats.
KO-NAN BLOODRAVAGER
Ko-Nan Bloodravager is the daughter of the interstellar conqueror
Star-Khan and one of his many largely forgotten couplings. She
grew up on an inhospitable world on the fringes of Imperium space.
Her mother filled her head with stories of the mighty Star-Khan, and
Ko-Nan dedicated her life to taking her rightful place at her father’s
side. Ko-Nan left home as soon as she could smuggle herself aboard
a ship and spent the next few decades carving a bloody path
through the galaxy. Gifted with her father’s natural charisma and
head for battle, Ko-Nan formed a band of violent mercenaries called
the Bloodravagers. They captured ships and conquered space sta-
tions, hoping to attract the Star-Khan’s attention. One day, Ko-Nan
intends to find the right prize for her father, so he will proclaim her
his heir to the throne of the Stellar Imperium.
Ko-Nan is only one of Star Khan's progeny, with most of his children
serving as regional governors of his conquests or else leading mili-
tary operations. If you're like to flesh out the would-be conqueror's
family before presenting the Star Khan himself as an ultimate threat
at the end of a long campaign, consider the following archetypes
(all presented in the Cosmic Handbook):
• Chenat-Ran, Grand Inquisitor (Space Demigod), the contempla-
tive science minister and master torturer.
• Quorus Ko-Than, Master of Hounds (Star Hunter), who oversees
the Imperium's domination and conversion of Lor psions.
• Rhon-An, Imperium Crusade Commander (Space Knight), who
tracks and executes the Imperium' most-wanted enemies.
CHAPTER 3: SIEGE OF STARHAVEN
KO-NAN BLOODRAVAGER PL 12
STR 12 STA 12 AGL 8 DEX 8 FGT 10 INT 3 AWE 2 PRE 5
Powers: Genetic Augmentation: Immunity 10 (Life Support),
Impervious Toughness 10, Power-Lifting 4 (1600 tons), Protection 2,
Speed 4 (30 MPH); Powered Gauntlets: (Removable Array built with 24
point powers), Blast-Off: Leaping 6 (500 feet), Concussive Force Cone:
Cone Area Damage 12, Enhanced Punches: Strength-based Damage 2
(Impressive, Multiattack, Penetrating 10)
Equipment: Blaster Pistol, The Scar (see page 74)
Advantages: All-out Attack, Benefit, Status 2 (Leader of the
Bloodravagers), Chokehold, Diehard, Equipment 17, Fearless, Great
Endurance, Improved Disarm, Instant Up, Leadership, Move-by Action,
Power Attack, Startle, Weapon Break
Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+14), Athletics 8 (+20), Close Combat: Grab 2 (+12),
Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+12), Deception 5 (+10), Expertise: Imperium
5 (+8), Expertise: Mercenary 11 (+14), Insight 8 (+10), Intimidation 13
(+18), Perception 9 (+11), Persuasion 5 (+10), Ranged Combat: Firearms
4 (+12), Stealth 4 (+12), Vehicles 8 (+16)
COMBAT INITIATIVE +8
Blaster Pistol +12 Ranged, Damage 5
Concussive Force Cone — Close, Area, Damage 12
Enhanced Punches +10 Close, Damage 14
Throw +8 Ranged, Damage 12
Unarmed +12 Close, Damage 12
Totals: Abilities 120 + Powers 51 + Advantages 31 + Skills 45 (90 ranks) +
Defenses 10 = 257
Complications: Motivation—Acceptance: Ko-Nan desires her father’s
acceptance and legitimacy above all else. Warrior’s Temper: Ko-Nan lives
for a good fight and can be goaded into single combat if the combatant
seems tough enough.
BLOODRAVAGER PL 6
STR 4 STA 4 AGL 3 DEX 4 FGT 4 INT 2 AWE 1 PRE 0
Equipment: Armor, Blaster Rifle
Advantages: Equipment 4

• Throsh Khan, the Bound Destroyer (Avatar of Destruction), the Skills: Athletics 2 (+6), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+6), Insight 2 (+3),
mindless destroyer kept by the Star Khan as an ultimate weapon. Intimidation 8 (+8), Perception 3 (+4), Vehicles 4 (+8)

• Zethr Khan, Admiral of the Fourth Fleet (Cosmic Corsair), leader
of the Imperium's nearest invasion fleet.
Each of Ko-Nan's siblings commands similar or superior forces to
her own.
COMBAT INITIATIVE +3
Blaster Rifle +4 Ranged, Damage 8
Grab +4 Close, Grab 4
Unarmed +6 Close, Damage 4

BLOODRAVAGERS DODGE PARRY FORTITUDE WILL TOUGHNESS

+6 +6 +6 +6 +6/4*
Ko-Nan’s band of warriors are among the fiercest mercenaries to *without Armor
menace the stars. They believe might makes right and take what
Totals: Abilities 44 + Advantages 4 + Skills 11 (22 ranks) + Defenses 12
they want from anyone not strong enough to resist them. The
= 71
Bloodravagers rely on sheer firepower and surprise for their attacks,
swooping in with heavy warships for lighting raids.

The Guide to Starhaven 75

 MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS
License
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copy-
right 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark
owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material”
means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations
(including into other computer languages), potation, modification, cor-
rection, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridg-
ment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed
or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell,
broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game
Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures,
processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the
Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any addi-
tional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor,
and means any work covered by this License, including translations and
derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product
Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos
and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters;
stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language,
artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts,
themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representa-
tions; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personal-
ities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, envi-
ronments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects,
logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered
trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product
Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f ) “Trade-
mark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a
Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products con-
tributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or
“Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and
otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or
“Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that con-
tains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used
under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open
Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from
this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or con-
ditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this
License.
3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your
acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License,
the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-ex-
clusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game
Content.
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original
material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are
Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights
conveyed by this License.
6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of
any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You
must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the
COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, in-
cluding as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in
another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that
Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability
with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work
76
containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another,
independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered
Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not
constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner
of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights,
title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly in-
dicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game
Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish
updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this
License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally dis-
tributed under any version of this License.
10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every
copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open
Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written
permission from the Contributor to do so.
12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the
terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content
due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not
Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to
comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of
becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination
of this License.
14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable,
such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it
enforceable.
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.,
Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original
material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Modern System Reference Document, Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan,
Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson,
and JD Wiker, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip
Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy
Collins, and JD Wiker.
Mutants & Masterminds, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author
Steve Kenson.
Advanced Player’s Manual, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing: Author
Skip Williams.
Silver Age Sentinels d20, Copyright 2002, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Authors
Stephen Kenson, Mark C. Mackinnon, Jeff Mackintosh, Jesse Scoble.
Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Pub-
lishing; Author Steve Kenson.
DC Adventures Hero’s Handbook, Copyright 2010, Green Ronin Publishing;
Author Steve Kenson.
Mutants & Masterminds Hero’s Handbook, Copyright 2011, Green Ronin Pub-
lishing; Author Steve Kenson.
Mutants & Masterminds Deluxe Hero’s Handbook, Copyright 2013, Green
Ronin Publishing; Authors Leon Chang, Seth Johnson, Jon Leitheusser,
Prof. Christopher McGlothlin, M.Ed., Steve Kenson
Mutants & Masterminds Cosmic Handbook, Copyright 2015, Green Ronin Pub-
lishing; Authors James Dawsey, Steve Kenson, Prof. Christopher Mcglothlin,
M. ED., And Jack Norris.
Mutants & Masterminds Guide to Starhaven, Copyright 2022, Green Ronin Pub-
lishing; Authors Crystal Frasier, Steve Kenson, and Alex Thomas.
The Guide to Starhaven