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THE SAEDIRI
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SIEGE
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RISE OF THE NERIDS

BY ROBIN FJÄREM
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FLOOR 3 FLOOR 2

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FLOOR 1
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FLOOR B1 FLOOR B2
 THE SAEDIRI

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SIEGE

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WRITING and LAYOUT: Robin Fjärem

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PLAYTESTERS: Lindsay Belton, Raphael Falk, Will Mitchell,
James Matthews, John C Park

MAPS: Created with Dungeondraft, using the following 3rd

party assets: Sci-fi Assets 01 and 02 by White Fox Works
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(CAL-BY-NCR), Sci-Fi Floors, Portals, Walls, Paths, Lights
and Terrain by Feed the Multiverse (CAL-NA-NCR)

IMAGES: Pixabay
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This product was created under license. Coriolis and its logo, are
trademarks of Fria Ligan AB.
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This work contains material that is copyright Fria Ligan AB and/or other
authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community
Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2023 by Robin Fjärem
and published under the Community Content Agreement for Free
League Workshop.

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 INTRODUCTION
This is an open-ended scenario and a toolbox set in the
Aiwaz-B system. It features a seaweed harvesting and
processing facility on an oceanic planet where the
humanite Nerids are exploited as divers. The main plot
is a conflict between the Colonial Agency management
and the Free League workers. The Colonial Agency has
sent for Legion mercenaries to stop a suspected
uprising before it begins. The goal of the scenario is to
help the workers and figure out a solution to the
ensuing siege by negotiation, force, or cunning escape.
You can choose to run the scenario as is or leave out
the parts about the siege and simply use it as an
interesting location in your own campaign.
SAEDIRI
This scenario takes place on Saediri, a hot oceanic
planet in the Aiwaz-B system. Feel free to change the
name and place it in a system that suits your game.
KNOWN FOR: Saediri seaweed
SIZE: 7900km
GRAVITY: 0.5G
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IN ORBIT: Small space station, three moons
ATMOSPHERE: Breathable
TEMPERATURE: Hot (60-80 degrees)
GEOSPHERE: Oceanic
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FACTIONS: The Colonial Agency, Free League
POPULATION 37,000 (95% Zenithian, 5% Nerid)
SPACEPORT: Simple
TRADE: Import machinery, chemicals. Export seaweed
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CONTENT WARNING & SAFETY TOOLS
This scenario depicts many dark themes and includes content
that may touch on the following sensitive subjects:
Asphyxiation, colonization, exploitation of marginalized groups,
fascism, and xenophobia. Consider using safety tools such as
the X-card and Lines and Veils to adjust the content to a
comfortable level for your group. And remember, this is a
scenario about fighting the good fight. It’s a story of
oppression and exploitation, and it’s your players’ duty to make
things right.
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CLIMATE
The ocean is scalding hot and steamy making
navigation without instruments difficult. The incredibly
salty seawater turns to steam and comes down as rain.
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It rains all the time during the day on Saediri, except for
the segment of the Merchant when the ocean surface is
cool enough to not instantly turn into steam. During the
night, the sea shines with an awe-inspiring
bioluminescent shine from the jellyfish that comes up to
the surface. Together with the starry sky, this turns into
a display few visitors will ever forget in their lifetime. A
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thermostatic suit is needed because of the high surface
temperatures. Most settlements are built underwater
since it’s cooler down there than on the surface.
SEAWEED INDUSTRY
Saediri seaweed is an incredibly rare material only
found on this planet and is mainly used to make
luxurious Aiwaz rugs. The Colonial Agency runs the
seaweed industry here and they have 13 facilities
across the planet. The corporate administration is
located on the main facility, SWPF-1, where they
seaweed. There are dozens of smaller facilities as well.
POPULATION
The majority of the population is Zenithian, mainly
working with seaweed and logistics. About 5% of the
population belongs to a humanite group called Nerids.
They have gills and organs suited for living underwater
on Saediri, making them ideal for harvesting the
seaweed beds. All of the seaweed divers are Nerid.
They have been brought here from off-world under
terrible conditions to be exploited by the Colonial
Agency. Only thanks to the Free League presence are
they granted workers’ rights. The Zenithian workers
have come to accept the Nerid as their peers and share
meals, pray together, and even mate.
AIWAZ RUGS
Created from the incredibly resilient Saediri seaweed
that has a beautiful luster which shimmers and reflects
light when out of water. The seaweed is just a dull
green/gray underwater but shows its true iridescent
nature above the surface. Careful extraction and
processing is required to allow the seaweed to keep
these properties as it’s woven into beautiful rugs. Only
the best seaweed is able to withstand prolonged use, so
it must be picked and sorted by hand as machines are
not able to distinguish between high and low quality
seaweed. The seaweed is then transported to the
Aiwaz-A system to be woven into rugs. All of the above
makes Aiwaz rugs outrageously expensive.

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HOOKS
◆ The Night hands, the paramilitary wing of the Free
League, pays the group to deliver a disk to Zewad
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Karali at SWPF-1. The encrypted disk contains
blueprints of the facility and plans for overthrowing
the Colonial Agency overlords since they have
overstepped their boundaries for too long. A
Colonial Agency spy overhears the conversation
with the Night Hands and immediately sends a ship
of Legion soldiers to intercept. Optionally, the disk
contains a data djinn virus, trying to replicate itself
◆ The Night Hands wants to assassinate Mehrak
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Shahidi, the operating officer of the seaweed
industry on Saediri. Deliver a “gift” to Mr. Shahidi
◆ The Free League wants the group to mediate in a
conflict between the Colonial Agency and their
workers in the facility
◆ A wealthy trader in the Spire on Coriolis offers a
lucrative seaweed shipping contract
◆ Doctor Noushi Halaby sends an urgent message to
one of the characters, asking for assistance
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ACTS
This scenario plays out in 3 acts. If you have limited
time, Act 1 takes 30 minutes, Act 2 takes 1.5 hours, and
Act 3 takes 2 hours. Adjust encounters accordingly.
ACT 1: Calm Before the Storm. The workers are
discontent and the Colonial Agency knows it. The Free
League rep Zewad is starting to organize the workers.
Legion mercenaries are en route. It’s a frail peace.
ACT 2: The Siege. With the arrival of the Legion
mercenaries, the facility goes into lockdown and
nobody is allowed in or out. Legion mercs occupy the
upper floors and the workers set up defensive positions
in the basement floors. The Colonial Agency orders the
mercs to arrest the dissident leaders and force the rest
of the workers to get back to work. The workers refuse.
ACT 3: Hell Breaks Loose. All it needed was one spark.
Open conflict and gunfights between the mercs and the
workers begin. The workers must figure out how to
defuse the situation or fight their way to safety.
Optionally, if negotiations between the Colonial Agency
and the Free League go too well, the GM can spend 2
DP to have Captain Bahim go rogue and let loose his
trigger happy soldiers, storming the basement.
 SITUATION
The workers in the SWFP-1 facility on Saediri are
unhappy about their working conditions. The Colonial
Agency is demanding harder work for less pay every
cycle that passes. In addition, terrifying and aggressive
fishlike creatures have started appearing near the
seaweed beds, attacking the Nerid divers. The divers
demand protective gear and escorts when working, but
management refuses to budge, citing budget cuts from
the Colonial Agency. Because of this, the divers and
workers are planning to overthrow the executives, steal
their ships, and escape for a better life in another
system. The Colonial Agency headquarter at Coriolis
learns about this just before the rebellion begins, and
sends a platoon of Legion mercenaries to lay siege to
the facility and snuff out the insurgency before it has a
chance to start. All areas except floor 2 and 3 are
locked down and guarded by the mercs. Negotiating or
fighting is the only way to get out, but the Colonial
Agency drives a hard bargain and will settle for nothing
less than complete obedience and imprisonment of the
alleged insurgency leader, Zewad Karali, and anyone
who aids him.
THE SIEGE e
It is up to the GM when Act 2 (the siege) begins, but
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here are two suggestions:
◆ When the characters have delivered the disk to
Zewad Karali, the Night Hands representative
◆ A few hours before the characters arrive at SWFP-1,
airspace closing shortly after the characters land
Legion mercenaries have been sent by the Colonial
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Agency to strike down the rebellion but the workers are
holding out. They are currently stuck in floors B1F and
B2F in the facility. Since there are families and kids
down there, the Legion soldiers cannot go in with full
firepower to beat down the rebellion. Instead, they will
try to recruit scabs to infiltrate and possibly execute the
rebel leaders. They will also send small elite groups to
work behind enemy lines. They will set up positions in
the work area on the first floor, keeping their sights on
the ramps.
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Communications are scrambled and a no-fly zone is
imposed just after the Legion lands. If word gets to the
Free League leadership in Coriolis, they will certainly
intervene, but news travels slowly across systems. It is
a delicate matter, since both the Colonial Agency and
Free League depend on each other.
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There are several ways to solve the situation depending
on what the crew wants to achieve. Here are some
ideas:
◆ Persuade the Free League rebels to try and
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overthrow their overlords by fighting the Legion and
make a break for the administration offices on the
top floor. If word gets out, this will trigger a
diplomatic crisis in the Council. The Colonial Agency
will not stand idle and will keep chasing the group
until the end of the Third Horizon
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◆ Act as an intermediary to try and negotiate a deal
between the Free League rebels and the Colonial
Agency. Even if a deal is struck, there is a high
chance that it will end up with the Colonial Agency
firing the workers or sending them to labor camps in
some of their less civilized colonies
◆ Help the Free League rebel leaders escape the
planet and come back with reinforcements to save
the rest of the workers. However, this will give the
Colonial Agency plenty of time to prepare, and it will
not be easy to carry out such an operation
MONSTER ATTACKS
Hideous creatures called twilight terrors appeared after
a new, deeper, seaweed bed was exploited due to
depleting the more shallow fields. The Colonial Agency
does not want to look into the attacks, they just want
production to go on. Doctor Noushi Halaby desperately
tries to convince them that the monsters constitute a
real threat and to do something about it, but they don’t
want to listen to such nonsense. Unknown to everyone
so far, there is a cave where the twilight terror queen
resides. If the group decides to try and do something
about this, there are some possible solutions below, but
be creative and try to play along with the group’s ideas if
they seem plausible.
◆ Persuade the Colonial Agency to stop farming the
new seaweed bed and search for a new location
◆ Persuade the Colonial Agency into providing safety
measures such as armored suits, defensive fences,
and escorts for the divers
◆ Dive into the deep sea cave and kill the queen or
force her to move (GM gains 3 DP)
Most of the seaweed beds are located at a depth of
around 160 meters, just deep enough for sunlight to
penetrate. Since the seaweed beds at that level are now
depleted, the harvesting has moved down into the
twilight zone (200 meters depth). Light is needed to
navigate at these depths and the water is only about 5
°C. Diving gear or artificial gills are required for humans
but the Nerid are perfectly adapted to this environment
and need no special gear. Note: Movement rate for non-
Nerids is halved when swimming underwater.
 LOCATIONS
Saediri Seaweed Processing Facility 1 (SWPF-1) is a floating structure anchored with grav stabilizers. Seaweed beds
are harvested until depleted, then the facility moves to find another seaweed bed to exploit. Disgusting green/gray

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smoke from the facility covers the sky above. There is a landing platform attached to it, open to the sky with waves
crashing below. The seaweed is harvested by divers and then processed in the facility before being shipped off-
world. Cargo ships come from the orbiting spaceport twice per segment. Other than the locations detailed in this
section, there are also several maintenance units and shafts as well as a recycling area at the bottom of the
structure. The other seaweed procession facilities are hundreds of kilometers away.

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NOTE ON THE MAPS: These maps are not to scale or created for tactical combat on a virtual tabletop. They are
mainly used as a reference for the GM, but feel free to use them however you deem suitable.

Roll on the Conversation tables on each floor if the group asks around or succeeds on an OBSERVATION roll when
walking around the facility. Many of the overheard conversations are just rumors. It is up to the GM to decide
whether they are true or not. Roll on or choose from the Random Events table below when you want to up the pace
of the game during the siege. The associated DP cost must be spent to trigger the event.

RANDOM EVENTS
2D6 Event
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A legionnaire strike team rappels down the ramps, guns blazing. D6 workers get hit by the gunfire and the legionnaires
run for the closest leader, trying take them hostage (3 DP)
A mob of workers accuse a man of being a traitor and starts lynching him, pushing him towards the ramp saying “Go
be with your own people!”. Whether this is true or not is up to the GM (2 DP)
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4 A group of 2d6 workers armed with industrial tools make a desperate break for the ramp, using ground loaders as
cover (2 DP)
5 One of the workers fires a shot by mistake towards the Legion mercenaries. One of them is hit (1 DP)
6 A child is separated from their parents and stuck on floor 2. The parents beg the group for help (1 DP)
7 A worker called Rashid wants the group to deliver a tag with a voice message to his lover Inez, who is part of the
administrative staff on floor 3. If the group doesn’t help him, he will try to escape through the ventilation shafts to be
with her (1 DP)
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8 A Nerid is caught red handed trying to steal food from the cafeteria to feed his family (1 DP)
9 An old lady in one of the worker habs screams with agony. She needs urgent medical care (1 DP)
10 An explosion is heard from the landing platform. Someone has sabotaged the Legion’s shuttle (1 DP)
11 A Legion elite mercenary has snuck down and set fire to one of the piles of seaweed in the basement. Smoke is
spreading rapidly and he seizes the moment of confusion to attempt to take one of the worker leaders hostage (2 DP)
12 The Legion convinces the Colonial Agency to turn off the life support systems in the basement area. Oxygen drops
rapidly and it becomes incredibly hot. 1 hour: People start to become drowsy and have trouble concentrating. 2 hours:
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People breathe heavily and start sweating profusely. 3 hours: People feel nauseous and vomit, some even faint. Panic
breaks out. 4 hours: There are convulsions and people lose consciousness. They will die unless they get oxygen
immediately (3 DP)

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The administration offices of the Colonial Agency on Saediri are located on this floor.

ADMIN STAFF CONVERSATIONS

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D6 Conversation
1 Those legion mercs scare the living hell out of me. I hope they will finish their business and leave soon, Icons willing
2 I know profits are important and everything, but those workers have families just like us. Is this really necessary?
3 I heard Naomi from accounting is starting to organize the admin staff. Says the workers downstairs are fighting the
good fight. If you ask me, all it will do is get her fired and put on the blacklist of the Agency
4 I could swear I saw one of those Nerids last night, skulking around on the office floor rummaging through stuff
5 Lana and Nura down by the worker habs are such sweethearts. They patched up my beagle after he stepped on a
nail and didn’t even ask to be paid
6 I swear, if I have to attend another meeting where the executives are talking about metrics, charts, and forecasts I will
go crazy. How I would love to go for a vacation on Kua. Only two more cycles left…

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 3.1 COLONIAL AGENCY ADMIN OFFICE 3.3 SHARIF OFFICE
Dull cubicles illuminated with flickering light armatures A small office with a few jail cells. The job of the sharif
occupy this crowded space. The entrance of the office Farukh Bakshi is mainly taking care of drunk workers.
has a large Aiwaz rug with the Colonial Agency logo For any more serious crimes, the Colonial Agency will

woven into it and there’s a digital plaque on the wall
with a picture of the employee of the month, smiling
reluctantly. Some of the staff have made attempts to
make their cubicle slightly more personal by decorating
them with keepsakes from their home planets and shiny
trinkets, but no amount of Icon talismans can change
the fact that this office is soul-draining. If anything, it
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send for Guard investigators from Coriolis. Farukh is
very pleased with his cushy job and will do his utmost
to deny any wrongdoings of the Colonial Agency, he is
completely in their pocket. There is an arms locker here,
and Farukh is the only person able to open it with his
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feels like the office was designed by a follower of The
Faceless One, sucking every bit of energy from its
occupants.
3.2 EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Adorned in gold, jewels, exotic fabric, lanterns and
lamps hanging from pearl-adorned chains, and
comfortable seating areas attended by courtesans
carrying platters with heavenly sweets and beverages.
No expense was spared when making this office, which
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3.4 LIVING AREA
This is where the admin staff lives. A clean and tidy
area kept spotless by cleaning robots. There is a small
recreational area with some holo games and a ping
pong table that is barely used since the staff is too
stressed to relax. Sometimes people are seen staring at
the wall with a hollow expression. It seems like a
favorite pastime. Many of the staff decorate their rooms
with holograms of their loved ones from off-world, but
know better than to put up anything that might be seen
as “disloyal to the company” such as art created by the

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resembles more of a sultan’s playground than a place
where actual work is carried out. There is not a single
desk to be seen other than a huge, almost vulgar, desk
made of exotic wood inlaid with rare metals. Behind the
desk is a throne-like chair — the seat of Mehrak Shahidi,
the Colonial Agency operating officer on Saediri. He can
access all the systems and cameras in the facility
workers in the basement floor.

3.5 DATA HALL

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through his terminal. A large safe containing top-secret
documents and an ornamental urn containing a trapped
djinn is here. It requires a roll of DATA DJINN (-2) to
open. If it fails, the alarm throughout the whole building
sounds and guards are called to the office. If released,
the djinn reacts differently depending on the Icon of the
character who released it. The Djinn also acts
according to the values of that particular icon.
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Only Mr. Shahidi and the resident data djinn, Qadir (who
sleeps in a hammock in a dark corner of this room)
have access to this area. It’s filled with racks of blinking
computers, terminals, cables all over the floor, and a
ventilation system that keeps acting up, though Qadir
has given up on asking management to fix it. All of the
SWPF-1 systems, such as elevators, lights, cameras,
defense drones, and life support, are controlled through
the terminals in this room. A DATA DJINN roll is
required to access the simpler systems. To access the
defense drones and life support systems, a roll of DATA

DJINN (-2) is required or the alarm will go off.

Icon Djinn Reaction
Messenger, It helps the character with one problem
Dancer, before escaping. It may take a liking to the
Gambler, group and possess their ship’s AI, giving a
Deckhand bonus of +1 to Science when calculating
portal jumps
Merchant, It deceives the character into thinking that
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Judge, it will help them, just to betray them when

Traveler, given the chance. An attentive character
Lady of Tears may try a Manipulate roll VS the djinn. If
successful, it will reluctantly join the group
in their endeavors
Faceless One It tries to possess the character, claiming it
as its vessel. The possession is detectable
with an Observation roll. Subash, the priest
on floor 2, can perform an exorcism

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This is the recreational area of the facility where both the workers and administrative staff from floor 2 come to do
their errands and eat their meals.

SERVICE STAFF CONVERSATIONS

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D6 Conversation
1 I wish they’d allow the art from the workers up here. I’m so sick of these corporate propaganda posters
2 I found Reva passed out on the floor of the general store again. She’s been doing way too much kambra
3 I heard a Nerid sing once. It was hauntingly beautiful. I wonder if we can ask them to arrange a concert?
4 Ugh... Another day of algae porridge. Can you believe they’re already out of bread too? Budget cuts they say
5 No I swear it’s true! Yawazi’s Market back in Aiwaz-A is really run by Yawazi from here! I heard he used to be a big
boss in the Syndicate. No wonder he seems so carefree when the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet
6 I swear, if I have to watch another re-run of the Bulletin’s dramas, I’m going to throw myself into the ocean

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 2.1 WELCOME LOUNGE
Comfortable sofas and chairs line the walls of this
room. A stand of company pamphlets is next to a
hologram showing divers harvesting seaweed from the
ocean floor. At daytime, visitors are greeted by a smiling
receptionist that kindly asks people to wear their visitor
badges at all times. The elevator is behind the reception
and the restrooms are located at the end of a corridor to
the south.
2.2 HOLO CINEMA
Holo films are shown here on the last day of every
workweek. Visitors who ask the reception nicely may
watch one of the films from the collection. The newest
movies currently in stock are from the last cycle, but
they do have some rare pre-Zenithian classics, such as
Raiders of the Lost Barge and Edge Runner.
2.3 CHAPEL
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This is a fairly standard chapel with nine alcoves
containing statues, except for the ninth which is left
empty to represent The Faceless One. The statue of The
Merchant carries several scars and traces of graffiti. It
looks like it has been repainted many times. The chapel
is run by Subash, a priest appointed by the Colonial
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Agency who is paid well to stay loyal to the company.
His only duty is to keep the worship as civil as possible.
As such his services are usually about the importance
of being a devout follower and accepting one's place in
life. Any incriminating confessions are promptly
reported to management, and on several occasions he
has been seen carrying valuable donations to his
personal quarters. Safe to say, he is not popular and the
workers despise the man.
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2.4 GIFT SHOP
Seashells and miniature Aiwaz rugs are sold here. You
can also buy an “I visited Saediri” t-shirt and an
iridescent hookah with “Saediri SWPF-1” printed on it.
The shop owner is a conspiracy theorist who believes
that the Emissaries are actually Bulletin talk show hosts
disguised with special effects.
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2.5 GENERAL STORE
A fairly well-stocked store that also rents out diving
gear. There’s a 2 in 6 chance that they sell an ordinary
non-weapon item the crew is looking for. The proprietor
Reva is an aloof woman constantly watching Bulletin
dramas behind the counter. There is a stand with
tabloids magazines from the Bulletin.
2.6 MEDBAY
Attended by doctor Noushi Halaby, this is a fairly
advanced medical facility. Most common diseases can
be treated here. The waiting room has posters of
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different kinds of aquatic creatures on the walls. A
framed award saying “For Doctor Noushi Halaby’s
groundbreaking contributions to the field of Marine
Biology” hangs over an aquarium with colorful fish.
There are at least two patients at any given time in here.
Most of them work-related injuries from the industrial
area below. Noushi takes good care of them and she’s
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very popular among the workers. She is also a specialist
in Nerid anatomy, making her incredibly valuable.
2.7 HOTEL HELLO
Exotic plants and avant-garde art adorns the entrance
of this surprisingly high end hotel. The manager looks
distraught as the hotel is fully booked by Legion mercs.
If bribed or persuaded with a MANIPULATE roll, she
may be able to “move things around” and get a room for
the group. While waiting they may partake in a selection
of Miran sweets and delicate glass carafes of dream
wine, containing arrash.
2.8 HUBBLE BUBBLE HOOKAH BAR
Beautiful cushions and rugs made of Saediri seaweed
cover this almost psychedelic bar. The smell of thick
incense lulls all visitors into a drowsy, dreamy, state. Tall
hookahs are placed by piles of cushions, where patrons
sit and puff billowing clouds of smoke. The bartender,
an old man called Yawazi, is a retired Syndicate
member. He still remains in contact with the Syndicate
though, and forwards intel to them on a regular basis.
He has some illicit drugs behind the counter available
for sale to the right person. A character knowledgeable
about the Syndicate will recognize Yawazi’s affiliation by
his tattoos. Anyone else may do a CULTURE roll to
deduce the same information.
2.9 CAFETERIA
This is where the workers and administrative staff
gather to eat. It’s one of few places where the two
groups mingle together, though they mostly keep to
their own. Kitchen workers are seen running in and out
of the kitchen with bulging steel trays filled with
unappetizing food. The food is cheap and nutritious but
leaves a lot to wish for when it comes to taste. It
features mainly fish and algae. Most of the people
working here are sick of it after eating similar food for
months on end, so off-world snacks are always
welcome and may bring someone to talk about more
than they should.