the mahanji oasis

coriolis design team

Tomas Härenstam, Nils Karlén,
Kosta Kostulas, Christian Granath

writer
Kosta Kostulas

editor
Nils Karlén

graphic design maps

Christian Granath Gustaf Ekelund

cover art translation

Magnus Fallgren Tim Persson

interior art proofreading

Ylva Ljungqvist, Gustaf Ekelund John M. Kahane

sku code isbn

MUH051207 978-91-87222-64-1

CORIOLIS™ Copyright© 2017 Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved. www.paradoxplaza.com
SCENARIO LOCATION

THE MAHANJI OASIS Under the scorching sun and in almost unbearable heat,
life on Lubau somehow continues. Nomad caravans,
Zenithian explorers and ancient cultists manage to live
their lives on the inhospitable planet closest to the star
of Kua. They all meet at the Mahanji Oasis, to escape the
oppressive heat, make deals and scheme plots of intrigue.
Welcome into the shadow.

the lush mahanji Oasis is located in Lubau's y  MAHANJI VILLAGE

northern hemisphere, wedged in between the The village of Mahanji consists of around a
glistening Crystal lakes. For centuries, the oasis hundred low, sand-colored houses built in the
has been a hub for local tribes of Firstcome traditional style of the Kerahana province. The
nomads, but has grown rapidly in the last years houses have slightly slanted walls, are partly
thanks to a large influx of Zenithian settlers. dug down, have cool basements underneath,
The Mahanji Oasis open sector is a place the and roof terraces covered in grapevines and
PCs could visit for many different reasons. They other climbing plants. Palm and fruit trees grow
could be prospectors looking for petroleum, around the houses. A few important places in
on the hunt for an ancient scroll in the Tayasuf Mahanji village are described below.
Ilm Library or maybe they have been hired to
spy on the Factory and Omar din Nimatallah, Achalom's Cantina: The hub of the village is the
the mysterious bionic. Read up on Lubau on cantina run by the Zenithian Achalom Herohm.
page 282 of the Rulebook before introducing The cantina is a sandstone building dominated
the Mahanji Oasis into your game. by a large, circular common room where visitors
are treated to food and drink by Achalom's four
OVERVIEW daughters. There are several hookahs here, but the
The Mahanji Oasis is located in the Kerahana guests will have to make do with tabak – Achalom
province in northern Lubau. From orbit, the is strongly opposed to heavier drugs – or visit
oasis and the surrounding Crystal lakes are Fraytor's Bar for something more potent. A wind-
visible as a string of blue pearls framed by green, ing spiral staircase leads from the common room
surrounded by the vast desert. The Crystal lakes up to the roof terrace. Locals, nomads from the
are supplied by a large network of underground seraglio and the occasional, tired spaceport worker
springs, and the mountains around Mahanji are during the day watch, mainly frequent Achalom’s.
full of caverns and tunnels. Before the Zenithian
colonization began, the region's only permanent Caravan seraglio and loader park: The old cara-
residents were a couple of Firstcome tribes living van seraglio has recently been restored with funds
around Lake Mnembau. The tribes traded with from the petroleum companies. It is constructed
the local nomads and those at an old temple. in an antique style said to come from Al-Ardha.
The nomads are divided between the Beri and The outer parts consist of arched colonnades
Xinghur tribes, with the latter being humanites. leading to small stalls, rooms and corridors where
The area known as the Mahanji Oasis dromedons can rest away from the heat, and are
includes all of the smaller camps and settle- always full of nomads, dromedon drivers and
ments around Lake Mnembau, but the major peddlers. Outside of the main gate leading to
hub is Mahanji village. the courtyard, a marketplace has formed where

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 THE MAHANJI OASIS

locals sell fruits, vegetables, and sometimes fish. This is also THE MAHANJI OASIS
where the loader park can be found – a large gravel yard where
rows of enormous petroleum loaders are parked. ◆◆ AVERAGE TEMPERATURE: 40-60 degrees centigrade during
the day and around 30 degrees at night.
The petroleum companies: The architectural style of these ◆◆ POPULATION: 1,000 permanent residents at the Mahanji
houses stands out in the village. These white, two-storey Oasis, plus around 500 workers at the spaceport and in
buildings with rounded domes are connected to each other the petroleum industry. The Firstcome residents are of
by whitewashed colonnades, and house Mahanji Petroleum, Beri and Xinghur descent.
Free Petroleum and the Free League offices for petroleum ◆◆ GOVERNANCE: The Mahanji Oasis is an independent set-
and spaceport workers. The largest building does, of course, tlement governed by the Firstcome clans. The Colonial
belong to Mahanji Petroleum. This is where Kehoni Mahnon Agency and the Free League govern the petroleum com-
can be found, in an elegant office opening up onto a balcony panies, the spaceport, NimaBionics and the Foundation’s
shaded by vines. Parts of the building are empty, kept ready Geochemical Outpost.
for when a new colonial agent is appointed. ◆◆ LAW AND ORDER: The local sharif, working alone, keeps
the peace. The petroleum companies, the spaceport
The Well of Dreams: Along the beach of Lake Mnembau, and NimaBionics have their own security staff, and are
there is a string of low, sandstone buildings. They look rather officially not included in the sharif's responsibilities, but
anonymous when observed from land, but this is, indeed, the anything that happens in public is still the sharif's busi-
Well of Dreams pleasure house. Facing the lake, the houses ness. Certain elements of the population are aware of an
have long wooden jetties and beautiful, covered balconies additional, secret organization called the Guardians.
where patrons and courtesans enjoy the view and each other's ◆◆ IMPORTS: Medicine, spare parts, meat.
company – there is even a small stretch of the beach kept ◆◆ EXPORTS: Petroleum, fruits, spices, bionic derivatives.
raked and clean of rocks and debris for those who wish to go
for a swim in the hot waters of Lake Mnembau.

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1. Mahanji Village
LEMON ORCHARDS 2. The Foundation's Geochemical Outpost
3. The Rig Cemetery
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8. The Spaceport
THE MAHANJI OASIS 9. The Ruins

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MAHANJI VILLAGE

A G

MAP: MAHANJI VILLAGE

A. Achalom's Cantina
B. Caravan seraglio
C. Loader park
D. The petroleum companies
LAKE RAKSHI E. The Well of Dreams
F. Fraytor's Bar
G. The doctor's office
H. Matil Hamila's Emporium

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The Well's proprietor, Cantara Usiel, brags about this being the help of the family's three sons. Xin-Mal is known throughout
the finest pleasure house on the planet. Petroleum workers, the system and in Mira among those of the privileged strata who
stevedores and ship crews wanting to relax and spend their practice the curious sport of diving. Now and then, a biologist
hard-earned birr frequent the house. comes through the center, usually to obtain a specimen of the
exotic mouri-mouri fish. The center consists of three sandstone
Fraytor's Bar: Known simply as ”The Bar”, this is the nadir buildings with roof terraces, and an underground garage where
of the Mahanji Oasis. The hangar-like building is ugly, cast Xin-Mal keeps a bahtrol-powered sand crawler. A concrete
in grey concrete and covered with a rapidly deteriorating, boathouse on the beach contains two inflatable speedboats.
sand-colored plaster. There are large metal double doors in
the front with the settlement's only neon sign above them. y  THE ESTATE AND THE FACTORY
Pink, curly letters invite visitors inside. At night, kohôl, drugs The estate of Omar din Nimatallah covers most of the large
and even the occasional proxy trip can be found here. mesa that overlooks the lake. The mesa towers sixty meters
above the water and the estate is made up of several independent
The doctor's office: A small house containing the settlement's buildings circling a domed main house in the middle. Trees and
medical office. Patients are shown into a small room with red bushes surround the estate. During the nights, the buildings
carpeting both on the floor and on the walls. This is the medlab. are lit up and can be seen from across the water. One of the
Navid Allomon, the settlement's medicurg and pathologist, runs houses is balanced on the edge and contains a big elevator used
the clinic with the assistance of his apprentice Chaga. There to transport the estate's residents and servants to the Factory
is an autopsy room in the house as well, but it is rarely used. and Mahanji village. The Factory, a huge, one-storey concrete
building without windows, is located beside the mesa in a
Matil Hamila's Emporium: Matil Hamila, a Zenithian peddler small valley. It is completely smooth and doesn't appear to be
with an eye for business, runs Mahanji’s general store. The guarded, but advanced electronic security systems make sure no
store can offer most ordinary tech, but no weapons – unless the trespassers make it inside. The Factory has many subterranean
customer is really insistent, that is. Matil can order advanced levels and this is where most of the bionic research takes place.
tech through contacts in Mehrabi and via certain freighter
captains, but the delivery times are often many months. y  THE SPACEPORT
The spaceport is basically a couple of long concrete runways on
y  THE FOUNDATION'S GEOCHEMICAL OUTPOST a wide field. Enormous, mobile hangars are kept ready nearby
The outpost is operated by a group of enthusiastic scientists to protect landed ships from sandstorms. There is a small
and engineers under the command of Professor Minemoka. terminal for the modest number of passengers who visit the
They study the unusual mountain ridges between the Crystal oasis, and sharif Hector Akoub lives in a small house next door.
lakes that contain curious levels of various rocks and rare Behind the terminal, there are some ten round petroleum vats
radioactive isotopes, but Lake Mnembau itself is, of course, and usually several petroleum loaders, either parked nearby
the most fascinating element of the region, believed to have or busy pumping petroleum into the vats. Tubes run from
formed after an asteroid crash eons ago. The locals stay away the vats to pumping stations on the runways for transport off
from the outpost, and say extra prayers against bad luck if world. There is a fusion reactor in the spaceport, powering the
they have to pass it. The outpost is a small cluster of domed, bahtrol refinery, the pumping stations and parts of the village.
concrete buildings. Professor Minemoka's pride and joy – a
pontoon boat loaded with advanced geochemical sensor y  THE TAYASUF ILM TEMPLE AND LIBRARY
equipment – can be found moored by the beach. Tayasuf Ilm is an ancient Icon temple and library, surrounded
by sandstone mountains. The complex is very old and consists
y  XIN-MAL'S DIVING CENTER of two parts. The round main building has a high dome that
Xin-Mal's Diving Center is located next to the geochemical out- was gilded in ages past, but sandstorms have chipped away
post. Xin-Mal is an eccentric Xinghur who runs the center with at its splendor over the years and left no trace of its former

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glory. Inside the main house there is only one big room,
surrounded by several balconies. Lanterns and candles, aided
by sunlight coming in through an opening in the ceiling,
keep the shadows at bay. In the back of the house, facing
the mountain, a spiral staircase leads from the main hall to
the library, an oblong building on the mountain ledge high
above. A corridor from the library leads to a small ravine
lake surrounded by hanging terraces and small plantations.
Temple elder Rahmana can usually be found here.

y  THE HERMITAGE
In the middle of the desert there is a small palm grove and a
tiny hut. This is the home of ascetic hermit Moaciri. She spends
most of her time meditating in the shadows of the trees.

y  THE RIG CEMETERY

A few kilometers outside of the village rests the remains of the
mobile oilrigs brought here in the last oil rush a few years back.
The enormous, rusted carcasses on their twenty-meter-wide
tracks have become quiet palaces for the sparse, local fauna.
Two spaceship wrecks can also be found here. Their captains
foolishly attempted to land here instead of in the spaceport
and paid a bitter price for it. The nomads stay away from
the place, as there are plenty of rumors going around about
raiders and other, more mysterious, creatures living here.

y  THE RUINS
Between a couple of oddly spiral shaped cliffs, a group of
ruined buildings protrude from the sand. Archaeologists who
have attempted to study the site have been chased away by
local raiders (the Guardians). A high wall used to be the most
well known landmark in the area. The wall was not made from
any indigenous stone, but from some incredibly dense rock
of unknown origin. It followed a slight but perfect curve –
undetectable without advanced sensors –, which seemed
to hint at an original construction with a circumference of
two thousand kilometers. Sensor data pertaining to this has
never made it off Lubau, as the wall section was blown up
by bandits (the Guardians) before more than a preliminary
scan had been completed, and the investigating archaeolo-
gist was mysteriously killed in a landslide shortly thereafter.
This incident, together with other stories of researchers and
prospectors going missing in the area, has created a strong
air of mystery around the ruins.

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SCENARIO LOCATION

THE SITUATION
The peaceful days in the Mahanji Oasis are coming to
an end. The nomads have been on edge ever since the
Zenithians arrived to drill for petroleum in the desert
and NimaBionics constructed the Factory next to Lake
Mnembau. Rumors have it that experiments outlawed in
the core of the system are secretly being performed there.
When people start disappearing (see Events below), the
dams can no longer hold – the Beri have sent out word
and are preparing for a war council in the desert. At the
same time, the old Firstcome order of the Guardians has
increased their activity in guarding the ancient ruins found
at the perimeter of the Oasis. Their purpose and origin
remain a mystery.

CHARACTERS AND CREATURES

Most of the Oasis' residents are not described in detail,
only named and given a location. A few key NPCs are
described below.

HECTOR AKOUB, SHARIF AND GUARDIAN

Sharifhood is a prestigious honor among the nomads, and can

loosely be translated into ”protector of the clan”. Sharif Akoub's
position is special in that he is responsible for the safekeeping of
several clans belonging to different tribes, although he himself ATTRIBUTES:
is Beri. He is of the strict opinion that everything that happens STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3

in and around the Oasis is his business, which puts him on a HIT POINTS: 6
collision course with the petroleum companies. In the Firstcome MIND POINTS: 7
community, Akoub's mandates are absolute, as many there – REPUTATION: 8
correctly – believe him to be a member of the Guardians – he is
SKILLS: Observation 5, Infiltration 4, Ranged Combat 4, Survival
actually the current master of the secret order. Hector's main 4, Dexterity 3, Manipulation 3
concern this day is that time is beginning to catch up with him. He TALENTS: Nine lives, Combat Veteran, Rugged
is considering taking on some sharif apprentices, and eventually ARMOR: Heavy (6)
grooming the best one for the day when he will be gone. Hector
WEAPONS: Accelerator pistol, accelerator rifle, combat bow
is in possession of the Guardians' most valuable artifact, the
GEAR: Thermostatic suit, exploding arrows, the Arrow of Ulung
Arrow of Ulung. (negates Armor), personal communicator, personal sensor, sand
crawler.
APPEARANCE: Hector normally dresses in a wide, black caftan

over his thermostatic suit and with his accelerator pistol clearly
visible. As a Guardian, he wears red and uses a combat bow and OMAR DIN NIMATALLAH, BIONICS SCIENTIST
duralite arrows.
Omar din Nimatallah comes from a prominent Zenithian pilot family,
CHARACTERISTICS: Firm and decisive. but was disowned at an early age. He has an adventurous spirit,

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ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 2, WITS 5, EMPATHY 3

HIT POINTS: 8

MIND POINTS: 8

REPUTATION: 7

SKILLS: Technology 5, Science 5, Culture 4, Manipulation 4, Data

Djinn 3, Ranged Combat 3
TALENTS: Faction Standing, Licensed, Wealthy Family, Tough

ARMOR: -

WEAPONS: Thermal pistol

GEAR: Arrash pipe, arrash, transactor with 20,000 birr.

RAHMANA, TEMPLE ELDER

As Elder in the Tayasuf Ilm temple and library, Rahmana is one of

and travelled the Horizon the oldest living people in the Oasis, and even remembers the time
for many years before the colonization. She is usually found wandering around in
before settling in the temple gardens, bent over her cane. Her life's goal has been
the Mahanji Oasis. In to categorize all of the library's ancient scrolls, and she is almost
Lake Mnembau, he discovered done. Despite her age, Rahmana is young at heart and has begun
the mouri-mouri fish, and, using a rather primitive bionics lab, was transferring the knowledge of the library onto more modern media
able to study its fascinating genetic code. After being ignored by the with the help of some of her younger colleagues. She is always
Foundation when seeking funds for more advanced research, he interested in new visitors, and will gladly show them around the
came into contact with Celer-Delekta and commercialized his theories temple grounds.
instead. This partnership proved very rewarding for Omar, who today
works in a state-of-the-art laboratory and lives in an estate as large APPEARANCE: A crooked old Beri lady with white hair.

as a palace. He is still fascinated by the possibilities of bionics, and is

always interested in acquiring rare organisms to study. Lately, he has CHARACTERISTICS: Talkative, but also a good listener.

been devoting himself to the creation of new life forms – often very
simple ones – but his initial success has made him impatient and he ATTRIBUTES:
has attempted to create semi-intelligences – with mixed results. His STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4
biggest dream is to discover the genetic sequence for mystical powers. HIT POINTS: 4
Omar firmly believes that the mysterious powers that are manifesting
MIND POINTS: 9
themselves across the Horizon are rooted in genetics, and is doing
REPUTATION: 7
everything he can to unlock their secrets – even going as far as ”invit-
SKILLS: Culture 5, Science 4, Manipulation 3, Mystic Powers 3.
ing” mystics to the Factory to experiment on them.
TALENTS: Bless, Rugged, Premonition, Intuition, Mind Walker

ARMOR: -
APPEARANCE: Dark brown eyes, short-cropped hair, obese and has

a big double chin. Wears a vest with a geometrical pattern. WEAPONS: -

GEAR: Cane, Ulung talisman.

CHARACTERISTICS: Pensive, but can become very agitated in

conversations.

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KEHONI MAHNON, MERCHANT WITH MAHANJI PETROLEUM

Kehoni Mahnon is the closest thing the Mahanji Oasis has to a

Colonial agent. She is akbar and top dog of Mahanji Petroleum, a
subsidiary to the Colonial Agency. She can usually be found at her
cool, air-conditioned offices in the Mahanji Petroleum building in
the village. Her two biggest interests are pumping petroleum from
the ground and trying to make Free Petroleum go bankrupt. That
she has not been officially named Colonial agent yet irritates her
enormously – but on the other hand, most of the profits from the
oil end up in her pockets. She has been considering applying for
the position as Colonial agent for many years and turn the Oasis
into an official colony, but she would prefer to eliminate the com-
petition, Free Petroleum, first. Kehoni is always protected by her
two bodyguards Agmal and Lior (use the Soldier stats from the
Rulebook, p 343).

APPEARANCE: Black hair, studded with gems. Dresses in fancy

djellabas. Always wears a brooch with the Mahanji Petroleum

logotype.

CHARACTERISTICS: Analytic, quick to bribe or threaten to get her way

with people.
EVENTS
ATTRIBUTES: The events below are related to the petroleum, NimaBionics
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 2, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4 and the two nomads tribes in the area.
HIT POINTS: 5

MIND POINTS: 7
y  BLOOD FIEND
A series of gruesome murders haunts the Oasis. The victims
REPUTATION: 6
range from drunken stevedores to nomad hunters, but
SKILLS: Manipulation 4, Culture 2
they have all been killed at night. The PCs could become
TALENTS: Judge of Character
involved in this for many reasons – maybe they are hired
ARMOR: -
by the sharif, or approached by members of the Guardians
WEAPONS: Thermal pistol posing as local merchants afraid for their commerce unless
GEAR: Tag with 20,000 birr. the murderer is brought to justice. Analyzing the victims
and the evidence will show that they have been killed in
various ways, but with an increasing amount of violence and
sophistication: from blunt force trauma, via stab wounds,
TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFACTS to gunshot wounds on the latest victims. All of the bodies
The tech around the Oasis is mainly concentrated in the have suffered various degrees of post mortem mutilation.
village – landed spaceships, loaders and whatever Zenithian The attacker has often removed and eaten the victims' livers
visitors bring with them. The desert around the settlement is and brains. The explanation for the killings is that a pack of
as good as empty, except for the ruins and the library, where blood fiends (see the Rulebook, p 333) have escaped from
valuable, archaeological finds can be dug up. the Factory, and are terrorizing the area.

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y  ULUNG AWAKENS! of the ground behind his grove. Olim has recently lost his
A freighter suffers a reactor meltdown during its approach to wife and has two daughters to support, and when he saw the
the spaceport and crashes into Lake Mnembau and the east petroleum, he immediately contacted Mahanji Petroleum to
beach. A heroic rescue operation is launched, and the PCs try to claim the find, despite being fully aware that this is
are recruited to help out. After the crash, the luminescent against the customs of the Oasis. The new find causes an
plankton that usually lights up the lake at night disappears uproar among the players in the area: the Guardians wish to
(because of toxic emissions from the wreckage), and the destroy all evidence of a new well, the petroleum companies
Firstcome mumble about bad omens. When mangled body want to secure it for themselves, and the sharif has to keep
parts from missing spaceport workers float ashore onto the the peace. As Olim is of Beri blood, Xinghur emotions might
beach, many view it as proof of what has been quietly feared run high, possibly leading to tribal war or blood feuds.
– that mighty Ulung is upset by the crash. Ulung is the local
spirit deity that the nomads worship as an Icon. Ulung is the y  THE MURDER OF THE PROFESSOR
negative aspect of the deity and Zahdak its positive aspect. Professor Minemoka has been murdered! There could be
This is, of course, not true – it is actually another one of din several different suspects – from the grad student who got
Nimatallah's mutants on the rampage. A bionic shark (use passed up for a position at the outpost, to the Guardians whose
the Nahang stats in the Rulebook, p 323) has escaped from other methods of getting the professor to stop disturbing
the sublevels of the Factory and made its way to the lake. The Lake Mnembau have failed. Maybe the PCs themselves end
shark is allergic to the luminescent plankton that live close up accused of the crime?
to the surface, and has until recently been forced to stay in
the depths, but now the plankton are gone and the shark is y  THE VISION
loving its new diet: humans. One or several PCs have a vision or dream of being in the
desert, dehydrated and close to death. The vision then goes
y  THE PETROLEUM WELL on to show images of white, endless corridors, people in
The Oasis is suddenly boiling with rumors – apparently, padded cells rocking catatonically, a ruined building under
someone has been drilling for oil on the western beach of a burning sun and finally, a crushing sensation of drowning
the lake, and possibly found something! The truth is that in the blue abyss. The vision is a cry for help from one of the
Olim, a poor date farmer, has found petroleum coming out mystics held captive at the Factory.

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