                                Star Wars 

                           Wizard's RPG Stories

          source : http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=starwars/newsarchive
          upload : 10.IV.2006


     Stories of Caarimon

     Scenario Supplement for Belly of the Beaast

     By Morrie Mullins

     Former Living Force Plot Director and Campaign Designer

     Former Living Force Plot Director Morrie Mullins presents a supplement to
the campaign's newest scenario. In "Stories  of  Caarimon,"  reporter  Melanda
Forswoth's person-in-the-street interviews about the Caarites start off  badly
and go downhill from there. This supplement ties into  the  May  Living  Force
scenario, Belly of the Beaast, the  conclusion  of  the  "Metatheran  Caution"
trilogy.

     Welcome to "Eye on Cularin." Yara Grugara is on assignment;  I'm  Melanda
Forswoth.

     Our top story: Who is the Metatheran Cartel? They've been in Cularin  for
several years, and yet we know almost nothing about them. What  do  they  eat?
What do they drink? Do they read the right holonets? Do they  wear  the  right
clothes? Our viewers deserve to know the truth about these  individuals,  what
they do in their spare time, and what kinds of color schemes  work  well  with
their strange, piggish skintones. So, we'll start with what we know.

     They come from somewhere called Caarimon, but no one  goes  there  except
for the Caarites themselves, and sometimes,  the  Filordi.  Why  the  secrecy?
What, oh what, could they be hiding? They're traders, not  warriors,  so  that
must mean that they have some sort  of  secret…  well,  some  sort  of  secret
something that they don't want anyone to know about.

     To learn the facts, we went to the place where the facts  live  -  -  the
streets of Cularin, in the hopes of discovering the truth about Caarimon.

     Fade to the streets of Gadrin. Melanda stands, microphone in hand, beside
the street. A pale, blue-skinned Twi'lek notices her and starts to walk in the
opposite direction, but she hurries after him.

     Melanda: Sir? Sir, could you please wait a moment? Sir, if  I  could  ask
your name?

     The Twi'lek, clearly irritated, turns.

     Twi'lek: You may call me Jaiteh.

     Melanda: Well, Jaiteh, I'd like  to  -  -  I  mean,  hello.  I'm  Melanda
Forswoth, from "Eye on Cularin."

     Jaiteh: Isn't that Yara Grugara's show?

     Melanda: Yara is on assignment. I'm filling in for her.

     Jaiteh: You're almost as perky as she is. But not quite.

     His lekku twitch, and his tone of voice makes it clear that this was  not
intended as a compliment.

     Melanda: Thank you! I try. Now, can I ask you some questions?

     Jaiteh[sighing]: Certainly.

     Melanda:  I'm  conducting  a  series  of  interviews  with  people  about
Caarimon. You may not know that Caarimon is the world the Caarites - - they're
the Metatheran Cartel - - come from.

     Jaiteh: I seem to remember knowing that, yes.  But  I've  never  been  to
Caarimon, so I don't think I'd be much help to you. I'll just be on my way.

     Melanda catches him by his arm, barely  missing  grabbing  a  lekku,  and
smiles almost as broadly as Yara might. It's clear the young  woman  has  been
studying tapes of the normal host.

     Melanda: No, please.  I  don't  think  anyone  on  Cularin  has  been  to
Caarimon. I just wanted to get your perceptions of it. What  have  you  heard?
What do you think you know? A Caarite  (second  from  left)  and  three  other
aliens.

     Jaiteh: Those are very different things. What have I  heard?  I've  heard
that it's a small world, as befits a small people.  I've  heard  that  it  has
heavy gravity, and that precious metals are mined in shafts that  stretch  all
the way through the planet.

     Melanda: Um... wouldn't that create uncontrollable tectonic activity that
might destabilize the entire planet and  send  it  exploding  in  millions  of
chunks out into space?

     Jaiteh: No.

     Melanda: Oh. Okay.

     Jaiteh: I've also heard that much of the world is forested, and  that  it
has no spaceports. That the Caarites are actually a slave race working for the
Hutt overlords who live beneath the planet's surface.  I've  heard  that  they
don't drink anything fermented, ferment anything grown, or grow anything drunk
or fermented. I've heard that on Caarimon, Caarites are immune to blaster fire
and natural and artificial poisons, and that their skin  becomes  as  hard  as
stone without losing any flexibility.

     Melanda: That would make them virtually indestructible!  Why  would  they
ever leave home?

     Jaiteh: They wouldn't. Which tells me that most or all of what I've heard
is not true. That leads me to your second question - - what do I think I know?
I don't think I know anything. I tried doing business with them  once,  and  I
never got any closer to Caarimon than  an  account  they  siphon  their  funds
through on Coruscant. They can keep their planet, for all I care.

     Melanda: So, you don't know anything about the planet?

     Jaiteh walks away. We  fade  to  another  street,  more  crowded.  Again,
Melanda stands just outside a throng of people, but rather than  waiting,  she
wades into the middle of them. All of them but four - three Rodian females and
a Wookiee male - leave when they see  the  camera.  The  "Metatheran  Caution"
Trilogy Summary The Metatheran Cartel has never been particularly popular with
many of the people of Cularin, and things only get worse when  a  strange  new
illness arises that has strong links  back  to  the  Cartel.  Are  the  heroes
willing to trace the problem back to its core - wherever that may take them?

     Melanda: Hello. I'm Melanda Forswoth, from "Eye on Cularin."

     Rodian Female 1: Isn't that Yara's show?

     Rodian Female 2: Where's Yara?

     Rodian Female 3: Didn't you  used  to  do  the  weather  on  one  of  the
holonets?

     Melanda's face pales a little, and she forces a smile.

     Melanda: Yara is on assignment, and I'm  filling  in.  We're  talking  to
people on the street today - -

     Rodian Female 2: We're on the sidewalk, not the street. It's not safe  to
stand in the street.

     Rodian Female 1: Oh, I'd say not! Did you hear  that  there  was  another
speeder accident, just this morning?

     Rodian Female 2: Is that what you're here about, Belinda?

     Melanda: It's Melanda, actually.

     Rodian Female 2: What's Melanda? If you want to ask  me  questions  about
some "Melanda," you're going to be disappointed. I've  never  heard  the  word
before. Is it Dosh? You don't want to speak Dosh around Nerrowr here.

     Nerrowr: Grunt. Grunt.

     Melanda looks off-camera.  Melanda:  Could  someone  get  the  translator
working? All I got from the walking stench was two grunts.

     Voice from off-camera: It's working, Mel.

     Melanda turns pale and looks at the Wookiee, who shakes his head.

     Nerrowr: I sometimes say "grunt" just in case the idiot who's talking  to
me is relying on a simple-minded translator. It can be very informative.

     Melanda: Right. Do any of you  know  anything  about  Caarimon?  No?  All
right, then, time to move on!

     Fade in on Melanda standing in front of one of the brightly  lit  casinos
of  Tolea  Biqua.  She  smiles  too  broadly,  giving  her  an  almost-Caarite
appearance. Rough-looking types shove their way past her, entering and leaving
the casino. She makes as if to grab one - a very tall humanoid with pale  blue
skin and an angry cast to his features - then,  at  the  last  moment,  thinks
better of it and taps him on the arm.

     Melanda: Hello? I'm Melanda Forswoth, from "Eye on Cularin."

     She waits for the obligatory question  about  Yara.  Instead,  the  being
looks her over appraisingly, glances at the  camera,  and  smiles.  His  teeth
appear to be sharpened.

     Falsswon: Hello, Melanda Forswoth. What can Falsswon  do  for  you,  this
day?

     Melanda: Yara is on assignment - - oh. Sorry.  I'm  doing  person-on-the-
street interviews about Caarimon. Could you - - I mean, would you talk  to  me
for a few minutes?

     Falsswon: The homeworld of the Caarites? I could be... persuaded.

     Melanda smiles her winningest smile, and he  smiles  back.  Her  straight
white teeth make a disturbing contest with his sharpened teeth, all  of  which
appear to be black near their roots.

     Melanda: What do you know of the world of the Caarites?

     Falsswon: Bleak. Large, too large for the small things that  live  there.
Gave them an overdeveloped sense of presence in the galaxy. Or absence.  Small
on a large, empty world means one must  develop  ways  to  make  oneself  feel
larger.

     Melanda: But what about their culture?

     Falsswon: Culture? The Caarites have no culture of their own.  They  take
the cultures of others. They follow whatever trends will make them appear most
a part of the galaxy, and not separate from it.

     Melanda: Sounds reasonable.

     Falsswon: If you are vapid and galactically  inconsequential,  certainly.
The Caarites are dangerous because the only way to predict their activities is
to watch what everyone else in the galaxy does, and then  wonder  what  little
change they will make to it. See how they followed  the  model  of  the  Trade
Federation, but have yet to get their charter revoked? It is because they know
how to work with local politicians, rather than against them. They also  chose
their allies more... wisely.

     Melanda: Right. But this isn't a political show. We're here to talk about
their culture. You know, entertainment, fashion - -

     Falsswon: And I told you, no such beast  exists!  You  are  a  blithering
dribble who has been let  wander  too  far  from  her  society  page,  Melanda
Forswoth.

     Melanda's mouth drops open,  and  she  looks  as  though  she  might  say
something. Then Falsswon pulls a blaster, turns, and points it directly at the
camera. We see a flash of light, then black.

     Fade to Cularin Central Broadcasting's  news  floor.  Yara  Grugara  sits
behind the news desk, hands folded in front of her. She looks intense - - more
intense than we've seen her since the Genarius scare last year.

     That, my friends, is the last time Melanda Forswoth was seen. Yara  spoke
with CCB management at great length about whether to air the final  clip,  but
if any of you can help us find this Falsswon - - "False One," how original,  I
wonder what his real name is? - - or if you have information about sweet young
Melanda, please contact us.

     This is Yara Grugara, for "Eye on Cularin," signing off.