Story Vignettes

Story Vignettes are events that will occur when a player lands in certain zones when the right conditions are met (era, faction etc.). Some of them are very short and will be resolved immediately in that zone, other Vignettes will include multiple missions and could take years to accomplish. They are not related to the central story missions and are entirely optional, however they often provide unique rewards above the level of regular missions.

Descriptions may contain  some spoilers .

= Major Story Vignettes = Major Story Vignettes are ones that require missions to other zones to complete. They still vary significantly in length.

Call Of The Strong - Rescue an elite Cadar soldier from a Steel Song prison

De Rivesh Legacy - Go exploring to recover a long lost sword

Crowned Smuggler - Pull the strings behind the scenes as a smuggler and earn your contact a major promotion

Stranded Merchant - Insert yourself into the middle of a feud and make friends (and enemies)

Wrathful Corsair - Rescue a merchant from a vengeful pirate and find more than meets the eye

Sudden Departure - Help a questionable Military Officer flee the coming storm

Goltha Development - Help a "retired" diplomat hijack a military secret

Expedition Discovery - Help a retired explore recover his lost expedition's loot

= Bounty Hunter Story Vignettes = Bounty Hunter Story Vignettes are triggered when a powerful Contact with Influence and negative Personal Rep sends a unique and powerful Bounty Hunter with a death or capture warrant after you.

Urraca Aurelius - the heir to the Aruelius line of Bounty Hunters comes hunting with a death warrant.

Troy 'The Blade' Circin - the famous assassin and bladesman haunts the spice hall, waiting to serve a death warrant on the tip of his sword.

The Werewolf - the infamous bounty hunter and her band come after you in close combat.

Draiv Solregard - the ancient bounty hunter from the post-Exodus Era hunts you in the void with a single offer to surrender.

= Card Game Story Vignettes = Card Game Story Vignettes are triggered when you draw unique story cards while playing any of the card mini-games such as Explorer, Black Market, Spy, Blockade or Patrol. These cards can only be drawn once (as they are a unique story event) and are usually only available during special circumstances. All cards that lead to these Vignettes are considered "Rare." Therefore, they cannot be discovered when there is 0% chance of getting a Rare card and the greater the Rare percentage is, the more likely these cards will appear.

Xeno Ruins - Hit the big score with an Explorer card available when an "Artifact Find" Quadrant Rumor is active or a "Discovery" Zone Rumor is active on the wilderness zone.

Pinned Smuggler - Tough choices await when a desperate smuggler approaches you for help. Will you risk the ire of the quadrant faction to make a new friend? Find this story by patrolling or blockading during a Trade Embargo Planet Rumor.

= Minor Story Vignettes = Minor Story Vignettes are completed within the zone in which they are encountered. They may have consequences outside that zone but the story is effectively finished by the time the Captain leaves the zone.

Synopsis
Introduced during the Second Founding Era.

Walkthrough
 Reveal/Hide SPOILERS More coming soon

Synopsis
This Vignette appears on a random planet during any era. On landing the crew of the ship is approached by Prospector Ani who has been stranded planet-side. She claims to have discovered a massive vein of Kambrinite in a nearby wilderness. Since she can't get it, she is willing to sell the record of it in order to get some capital to restart her operations. It's a question of trust really can you trust her word or is she selling you a bridge to nowhere?

Walkthrough
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 * The record is for around 200 Kambrinite which sells for around $200 a unit. She is offering to sell the record for $8,000.
 * It's an honest offer so the only consideration is whether you have somewhere to sell it. It needs a rank 2 permit so it's not too hard to move.
 * It's almost always worth it unless it's going to zero out your operating reserves.
 * If you chose to pay the $8,000 the stash will appear in your cargo screen, now you just have to fetch it.

Synopsis
This Vignette tends to show up early in the game and requires a empty crew slot on the ship to fire. On taking off from a zone your crew discovers a stowaway, Edge Almaen. She claims to be smuggler who just needed a quick way off of the planet. Your crew will scan the communication from the zone and discover that she is wanted by security forces and there is a $10,000 bounty out for her. She's a fast talker though and will offer you $25,000 for dropping her off at a nearby planet. So what's it gonna be captain?

Walkthrough
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 * If you take her on as a crew member, she has decent stats, with high charisma and many skill bonuses.

Synopsis
This Vignette is part of the first Era. On landing, the captain is approached by a smuggler who wants to get rid of some illegal cargo before the local faction security forces confiscate it. Due to his desperation, he offers a hefty discount, in order to get away from the law. The cargo will require a Level 4 (?) Trade Permit, or an Indie world that buys them. Alternatively, the Captain can turn over smuggler Davis, for an instant payment, and reputation gain.

Walkthrough
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 * When landing on a planet, you will be approached by smuggler Davis, and he'll explain his situation to you.
 * He offers to sell some Explosives to you at a 75% discount, for $4,000. The choices are to buy them, turn him over to security, or just let him go.
 * Upon buying the Explosives, smuggler Davis thanks you and leaves. No rep change, however, you are carrying illegal goods now.
 * If you turn him over to security, the Security Officer thanks you, and pays you $2,500, and you gain 15 Rep with the local faction.

Synopsis
This Vignette will appear in the first Era, and may require a decent Combat Crew. Upon landing, a cutscene plays out, showing the Hunna Collective firing upon local faction personnel and civilians. The captain is given the option to either assist the Hunna, local FDF, or let the situation handle itself. Two of the three choices, however, make you lose rep with the local faction, and one gains you rep. Two of the choices can give you a new Contact.

Walkthrough
 Reveal/Hide SPOILERS
 * When landing on a planet, a cutscene plays, with a possible Smuggler being searched, before some Hunna Agents open fire on them.
 * Your Officers explain a little about what is going on, and you're presented with three options, assist the Hunna, FDF, or let it handle itself.
 * If you assist the Hunna, FDF open fire on you, and you are thrust into Crew Combat. Winning grants you Rep with the Hunna Collective, and a Hunna Lieutenant Contact. You will lose rep with the local faction.
 * If you assist the FDF, your crew opens fire on the Hunna, and you are thrust into Crew Combat. Winning grants you Rep with the local faction, and a Military Commander Contact for that Faction.
 * If you let the situation handle itself, the FDF will take out the Hunna, and the Security Officer will call you a coward, causing you to lose Rep with the Local Faction.

Mob Attack
This short vignette is one of the 6 opening vignettes of the Plague Era. On landing the Captain is confronted by an out of control mob at the Starport. The crew will have to fight off these Scavenger-Level combatants in crew combat. Following the combat the local Starport Commander will explain the situation, introducing the Crimson Pox and the Plague Era.