Hnipinn's Salvage Mission

Participants

Salvage Team

• Steve Briggs
• Renala T'Iavay
• Fera'Sel nar Veltar
• Unnamed Young Human
• Unnamed Old Turian
• Unnamed Driver

Survey Team

• Karl
• John
• Sam
• Li
• Alexei
• Roberto
• Sara

Wildlife

• Photol Pack

Summary

Into the Mountains

In August of 2183 Hnipinn Minerals, an Aite-based mining company, hired a team of freelancers to salvage equipment from a lost survey team - and, if possible, bring back any survivors. The team set out into the snow-capped mountains via truck, making a stop at a miner's waystation to refuel on the way. Upon reaching the last known coordinates of the survey team, they found a broken down truck, and a log from Karl, one of the surveyors, that indicated that the vehicles had broken down in the cold - or, as theorized by the log's author, broken down because of an unknown 'souvenir' possessed by Alexei, one of the team members. The log also indicated that two of the survey team's members, John and Sam, had stolen parts from the second truck to repair the first, and headed off on their own, stranding the rest of the team, who in turn decided to set out on foot.

A Grizzly Fate

Following the trail left behind by the stranded survey team, the salvagers came upon the corpse of Karl, left behind in the snow after he collapsed. They continued to follow the trail until they reached a small camp, where they were met by a lone survivor. The man was clearly unhinged, and although initially friendly, he attacked the salvagers when they tried to investigate the camp. He was killed in the ensuing struggle. Upon examining the camp, just what had transpired became all too clear. The survivors had resorted to cannibalism after the people they sent out to hunt for food never returned. A small group, led by Alexei, had left the camp before this after getting sick of waiting for rescue.

Dead Ends

The salvagers decided to follow the splinter-group's trail, which, oddly, led further up the mountain rather than down towards civilization (or as near as you will find on Aite, at least). It was soon discovered that they had not made it far, seemingly ambushed by unknown attackers carrying exotic weaponry. A search of the bodies yielded little of use aside from a note from Alexei, lamenting that the attackers had taken his souvenir. The salvage team was confounded by the lack of tracks left by the attackers, and eventually decided to double back and follow the trail of the hunters, seemingly the most likely suspects in the attack. Exploring into the snowy forest, the salvagers found the hunters - or what was left of them, at least. Mangled corpses, killed by predators. A pack of photol, feathered hunters that stalk the treetops. The very same pack set upon the salvagers, who retreated back to the truck, although one, the young human, got lost in the panic, fate unknown. The rest returned to Freedom Falls with little to show for their excursion, the few pieces of equipment they managed to recover amounting to a meager payday.