Some people might be newer to Rollplay and not have had the chance to watch and get caught up before the Live show in less than 48hrs. So here’s some quick (as quick as I can make them) plot points.
FYI everything to come is a spoiler for all of swan song. There is a lot here, and there is so, SO much left out.
[spoiler]The crew smuggled a crate off of the planet Andoni with the help of Higgs old partner Randy. Higgs shot randy in the back of the head before they left the planet.
The crew took a job to recover an item from a missing ship in exchange for salvage rights (lots of money) and a small payout (a bit of money). Pirates were taking ships who came to salvage the derelict ship. The Swan Song was boarded. The crew fought off the intruders, boarded the enemy ship, and proceeded to in absurd and epic fashion to kill everyone on that ship and escape. On the derelict ship, they found an AI. Piani decided to un-brake the AI (which is considered an illegal and dangerous act in many parts of the sector). This takes all limiters off the AI and let’s it evolve, the danger being they could evolve into a dangerous super-being that is a major threat. The AI’s name is PI (Pie) and it is tranferred to the ship. The crew recover the object and complete their mission.
The crew go to a crazy bug planet and shit goes wild. Nothing really goes right, and it’s pretty spooky. The scientist they were to bring for the mission goes a bit crazy, bugs attack them, and they almost die. The crew manages to refuel, and make it off planet. Unfortunately due to a navigation error, they run out of life support and Victor puts the crew into a coma state while PI crash-lands the ship onto the closest planet.
The crew wake up in a hospital under surveillance. They crash landed on a low tech planet (no space travel available). However things get suspicious in this hospital when they aren’t allowed to leave and some of the crew realize they are being drugged to keep them ill and unable to fight back. The Swan Song crew fight their captors, and lose Victor Kovacs in the process (but he was going kinda crazy anyways). This is the first character death, and the loss really impacts the crew and PI. The crew is still in a tight spot, having trouble getting to the ship when a commando unit swoops in and helps them escape. Turns out their captors were actually an organization who are dedicated to fighting against unbroken AI. Crew escapes.
Enter Prosper Trudeau (I like to think he is possibly the great great great great great great great etc. grandson of Justin Trudeau). Prosper is from an organization that basically worships Evolved AI beings as a pantheon of gods. Prosper joins to help guide PI’s evolution. Higgins hates him. It’s great. Antics are had, and along the way they pick up Connor Wu, a young sassy mechanic who goes from expendable NPC to lovable ship mascot.
The crew are contracted to pick up an artifact and deliver it to a Pfotenhauer battleship. The object ends up being an ancient AI that takes over the ship. The Swan Song crew desperately try to put the AI back in his box. Mr Sicarian has to go out on the outside of the ship while it is in subspace, and gains a freaky psychic mutation as well as seeing his dead wife and other amazing things. The crew unfortunatley does not succeed quite fast enough, and the AI names itself as the Warmind. The battlecruiser is fully controlled by the warmind and destroys almost all life on the planet Andoni.
The crew end up on the wrong side of a major crime syndicate in part thanks to Higgins murdering Randy. Randy owed them, higgins killed him, so now Higgins owes them. The Madari Syndicate kidnap Wu, while the crew gets a hostage of their own. An exchange is arranged at one of the Madari’s major drug production facilities. Mr.Sicarian takes a bandolier of grenades and tries to free Connor from captivity before blowing the facility to bits. The Madari won’t budge. The potent chemicals involved in the drug are extremely volatile and when Mr. S throws the grenades, the explosion destroys the building as well as their debtor and poor Connor Wu.
Mr. S barely survives the explosion, the crew recover him and gtfo before the authorities arrive. Higgs and Prosper have a fight that ends with Prosper leaving the Swan Song to become (we assume) some sort of prophet or high member of his order. Mr. Sicarian prepares to fight his all-time nemesis Mr. Titan. Mr. S gets some much needed cybernetic, and armour upgrades to get the edge in combat. A tough, and very close duel ensues with Mr. Sicarian striking down Mr. Titan. However he is called upon to lead Pfotenhauer in Mr.Titan’s place, and the call of duty is too strong. Mr. Sicarian has a very emotional goodbye as he moves on to the next phase of his life.
Only Piani and Higgins remain from the original crew, sharing the Swan Song and it’s adventures now with Erik and Alpharius. The Swan Song take a job to investigate a research station that went dark only to find some weird AI/nanobot zombie infection. The Warmind has been here and is seeking something dangerous! The crew manage to destroy the version of the warmind on the station, and indeed the station itself.
By now, Piani has replaced an eye with an ancient cybernetic eye that is connected to psychic powers. She is given strange visions, and eventually disappears. However a physically identical woman with a different name and history appears in her place. The rest of the crew try to figure out what has happened, and Erik realizes that it is some strange and dangerous psychic event that could end the universe when they try to undo it. The crew tries to save Piani, requiring Erik to sacrifice himself in her place. Erik accepts this pact, and that is where we ended. Did the universe truly end? What happened to Piani? Will Higgins ever con again? Find out this Saturday at 1pm EST!
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One final important point to know! Over the course of the campaign, PI has been continually upgraded and learned from the crews actions, conversations, morals (or lack thereof), trust and distrust, virtues and flaws. In addition, his contact with the Warmind has had unknown impact. Make no mistake, AI and PI in particular are a very important piece in this world.
I know this was all very long, but it was difficult to trim out as much as I did! There are many amazing moments such as brumpo tungus, scaring off a pirate ship with finger guns, the sicarian spacewalk, and the many deep questions about what makes a person and morality. If you’d like to look up some of the information on the Swan Song universe, check out the Swan Song Wiki.
