New to writing fan fiction, much less posting it and it feels like some background might be helpful. About a year and half ago the DnD group I play with found the Mass Effect 5e ruleset and I excitedly agreed to GM it. Campaign has been a real hit and we're still having fun with it in between our other games. They started as a black ops team, have since gone somewhat rogue and are starting to build their own mercenary army in the Terminus, starting to blip on the radar of the big 3 (Eclipse, Blue Suns, Blood Pack). In doing this they've accumulated a few friendly NPC 'specialists' in addition to grunts. The specialists are characters that I keep more or less leveled with the players and they can utilize them to complete minor off screen objectives to aid the base while they do the main story. They also can call them in as backup for larger, siege style battles. This archive is just meant as a creative outlet where the stories of these specialists will be presented. It's a living WIP, only a few adventures have been actually written so far, so there will be backfilled chapters as well as future updates but for now here's some background since we're jumping in the middle of things.
The Set Up
Namakle (sometimes called Nam): Planet where their main base is. Various codex entries show that it used to be an Asari colony approximately 400-450 years ago, where they tried to 'socialize' Vorcha, and the colony collapsed when the Vorcha revolted. Now it's a big ol desert planet with roaming Vorcha. It's also central in the Leviathan DLC, but none of my players have played that so keeping that quiet for now. After taking out a bounty and swiping a Turian frigate out from under the Eclipse on Omega the players crashed on Namakle and found the ruins of the Asari Colony. It consists of:
The Main Base: A large junkyard and underground hangar. This is their Operation Center. Comms, briefings, most of the dorms, training areas, etc.
Outpost Gamma: A small garage type building that's been converted into a shop for their smaller ships.
Outpost Delta: Ruins of larger research labs and agricultural grow beds and such. Delta is a few hundred miles from the other two but they have a shuttle system set up.
The game started right before ME2, currently they're about 8 months after Shepard's death. In that time they've made significant repairs to these areas and have set up basic defenses as well as comms and stealth fields to hide them. Their series fits into the canon timeline but there are non canon factions, organizations, characters and some tie-ins when it works. On that note, tone wise the sci fi/tacticool of Mass Effect is present but being a DnD offshoot there are sometimes over the top sequences and a degree of goofy misfits vibes infused. Here to provide a story that explores the ME universe removed from the spectacle of the Normandy. Action, adventure, intrigue, exploration, some comedy, and a little light romance.
Non Canon Factions and Organizations
Alliance N2: A lower tier of the Alliance special forces program, their prerogative is to build cross species spec ops teams. The party started as one of their attempts but are quickly drifting off the map and nearly AWOL.
Blood Eclipse: A rogue faction of the Eclipse, their motives are currently unknown but the party has had run-ins with them before.
Lucen Council/Cult: An Asari supremacist group that functions like any other Asari Council. They hide their true motives so they do exist in general political circles. They also manufacture biotic amps.
Notable Non Canon Characters
The party: This page chronicles their Specialists' adventures but they are sure to be mentioned more than once in passing. They are:
Boros: Batarian taken in by the Andromeda Initiative as part of a defection deal. Eventually worked his way into the Alliance N2 division. The face of the party.
Urdnot Skarr: Only recently an Urdnot, he's an early version of Okeer's clones made before he worked with the Blue Suns. The cloning process went wrong so the 'Tank Mother' doesn't exist to him, the recordings were hardwired into his brain and he just talks to dead warlords in his mind. He joined the original N2 team as a mercenary. Skarr smash.
Ares: A Drell that was given leave by the Hanar he was protecting to join C-Sec and learn about other species. That Hanar was killed by a Blue Suns crime lord, Ares went vigilante and killed him, he was dishonorably discharged from C-Sec. The party unintentionally broke him out of a Cerberus prison and he joined up.
Jorram: A Turian that's getting up in age. He works for the Hierarchy as a special agent, his mission was to infiltrate Boros' team and find out why the hell the humans were giving a spec ops team to a Batarian. He brings the experience, tech know how and a big rifle.
They have also met larger figures in their adventures that will probably be mentioned as well:
Dino: Blood Eclipse boss that they killed early days on Omega. That job and the fallout was how they met a good number of their specialists.
Admiral Fox: Still a shady figure, mostly unknown but the name has popped up in a few Cerberus communications and datapads they've recovered.
Matriarch Amara: The leader of the Lucen Council. Also was the head of the original Namakle colonization project. She's out for blood after the party thwarted her coup attempt of an Armali Council embassy. They also are harboring her greatest enemy, who was thought to be dead once already. Now twice.
Nyla: An Ardat-Yakshi assassin. Affiliation unknown but her faction seems to be in league with Amara and the Lucen Council somehow. Absolute psychopath, has fully given into her carnal instincts. She damn near killed the party and a couple of their specialists.
Mehrkuri Barro: Nyla's apparent partner in crime. Some kind of ex-military Turian. Specializing in guns and demolitions, he put a bullet through one of the party's specialists, she is currently in a coma.
The Specialists
Alright, the stars of this show. The first three were part of the original Alliance ship, Gallipoli, and they have stuck around as the party has garnered enough loyalty points from them. The rest are listed in the order the party met them.
Ahmed Halim: Alliance Vanguard through and through. Comes from a military family, grew up moving from post to post. Excellent service record, clean, model soldier. However, he feels as though he hasn't earned his place. Coming from such a long line of soldiers he feels insecure about his career because it's how his parents' careers were, and his grandparents', etc. He had enough clearance to know that N2 was putting together a new team and put in a transfer request. He wanted to be a trailblazer and find his own niche in the Alliance. He was taken aback that the Captain of the operation was a Batarian but he's turned out to be an okay man and they have cleared out a decent amount of gang and Cerberus activity. 25 YO, 5'8", 215 lbs. An absolute unit. Brown skin, brown eyes, short cropped black hair.
Chris Kwolski: Alliance Soldier that would've been kicked out years ago except for his fighting ability and knack for comms. He grew up on the streets of Earth and was somewhat forced to enlist after he tried stealing from a docked Alliance cruiser as a teenager. Insubordination write ups all over his record, among other things, when his CO heard about 'the batarian project' he immediately shipped off Kwolski, assuming it would fail and by association Kwolski would finally be kicked out. Well, he's not a great soldier, but he's a hell of a pirate and is quite content with the current situation. 26 YO, 6'3", 200 lbs. Generic looking square jawed marine. White, blue eyes, short blonde hair.
Serena Benutti: Alliance Engineer that was actually requested by the party's CO. Grew up on Mars in the library research facility. She made a name for herself onboard the SSV Newfoundland on the fringes of Alliance space. Crucial in repelling a Batarian raid, she has numerous commendations. Bright, resourceful and combat proven. 21 YO, 5' 5", 150lbs. A little stocky with toned arms from cranking on tank bolts most days. Olive skin, medium length dark red hair, chestnut eyes.
Winona Malloch: Colony kid that grew up on Terra Nova. She lived on a soy farm with her parents, brother and sister. Her and her brother were into hot rodding speeders, eventually starships. Her father died of eezo related cancer, her brother joined the Alliance as a fighter pilot and her sister became a reporter for the local ANN station. She stayed on the farm to help her mom. Eventually her sister took her mom in and her uncle bought the soy farm from Winona. She pulled the rags off of her dad's old SX-3 starfighter, fixed it up, got her bounty license and traveled the stars. Met the party on Omega as an ally when they took down Dino. 34, 5'10, 155lbs. Lanky gunslinger/pilot. Tanned skin, long black hair, brown eyes
Xifeng: Her family was on a transport raided by pirates when she was a baby. Both of her parents were killed and when the pirates returned to their hideout and began to open loot they found baby Xifeng wrapped in a blanket with that name on it. The fates were smiling on her that day and the pirates raised her as their own, a Krogan in particular took a shine to her. Eventually the gang fell apart, it was just her, the Krogan and a few others. The krogan told the others to leave and then wanted to do one more thing for Xifeng. He wanted to make sure she was strong enough. They dueled and as a fully realized biotic she won and killed him. She carries his warhammer in memory of. Continued to be a scourge of the Terminus, eventually forming a loose partnership with Winona as an enforcer. Also met the party on the Dino job. Age unknown but assumed late 20s, 5'6", 175lbs. Built like a brawler. Tanned skin, medium length black hair, brown eyes.
TV: Duchess that was squeezed out of a governmental position on Sur'kesh for political reasons. Honestly she preferred research anyway, got herself to Thessia and studied medicine at the University of Parnitha. She's quickly become the go to field medic. Also has an organ trading business on the side on Omega. The party rescued her after investigating a stranded Cerberus raiding crew. 7, 5' 11", 90lbs. Fiery red skin.
Vortiox: Elcor professor at the University of Parnitha, known for his work in microbiology. He generally hangs around base and has been building/maintaining a full medbay as repayment for saving him and TV. He's able to do fine medical work despite his massive hands because he can use his biotics precisely. He just tells the university he's still on research leave with his assistant, TV. 325, an older, slightly pudgy Elcor.
Juleena T'desi: An Asari matron the party found while initially exploring Namakle. She has about 100-150 years of memories that are missing or jumbled up and she's been believed to be dead for awhile. Her background is as an engineer, she was one of the original Namakle researchers and she stayed until the end trying to broker some kind of peace between them and the Vorcha. She views Namakle as her greatest failure and has been trying to make up for it ever since. While brilliant she seems very aloof. Also has an innate seeming knowledge of Prothean tech. 637, 5'8", 150lbs. Looks like the mom friend, is the mom friend. Her skin is a deep blue tone.
Reeva Nyl: Turian deserter turned anarchist. As Palaven born Turians do, she was enlisted in the military academy at 15. Skilled in cyber security and hacking she followed the Sysop branch. The deeper she got, the more she resented the imperialistic ways of the Hierarchy. She banded together like minded students, stole a hierarchy ship and they now roam the Galaxy lending experience and aid to causes as they see fit. The party convinced her and her crew to assist in breaking up a Blue Suns slave ring. 36, 6'9", 240lbs. Shifty and constantly observing every detail in a room.
Bato: Ex-Hegemony Batarian commando. An old friend of Boros, as the base on Namakle was set up he was brought in as a trainer to ensure any mercs hired were up to scratch. The squad of Batarians he convinced to join with him have formed the backbone of the Namakle forces. As long as the money keeps coming, he'll be around. 33, 6' 2", 225 lbs. Hardened, commanding prescience and almost always had a cigar.
Zeelo: One of Jorram's contacts, he's a STG agent. As the Namakle operation has grown, discretion was preferred. He was brought in to install stealth technology. His reports to his superiors have been satisfactory and they've decided to leave him embedded in the group since they've been disrupting a significant amount of gang and Cerberus related activity. 12, 6'6", 125 lbs. Light blue skin tone with black spots.
Tiya T'remi: Asari that joined up after the party took down a Blue Suns slave ring that had captured her, among others. Grew up on Omega, father was a Vorcha and it shows. She's been running Red Sand for most of her life and is arguably the best pilot they've recruited so far. Hot-headed, cocky, able to back most of it up. 117, 5'4", 135lbs. Purple blue skin tone, scrappy looking.
Cody Malloch: Alliance Lt. the party saved from a Cerberus base. He's part of the reformed 212th, more of a pilot than a ground fighter but never underestimate an Alliance crewman. One of the more charismatic characters they've picked up, he quickly became a squadron leader. He did report to the Alliance after being freed but they decided to reallocate him to the N2 team. He is Winona's older brother. 36, 6'1", 185lbs. Stronger than he looks, lanky farm boy. Tanned skin, short dark brown hair, green eyes.