Bikmorr
Bikmorr is a strange little planet set deep into the Perkell Sector a ways off the Salin Corridor. It sports only one small continent of solid land, which is split into three roughly equal areas by a fork of mountains.If you’ve come to this planet, with its retrograde spin and pastoral landscapes, it’s probably for one of two reasons. Either your ship broke down during a trip along the Corridor and you’re making an emergency landing for repairs, or you’re looking for:
The Crimson Forest
As your ship comes in on its descent over the mountains, you’ll see your destination. The Crimson Forest fills the narrow valley between two small mountain ranges, a swath of dusky red leaves laid like a carpet between the peaks. A friend of mine once told me that the Cinnabar trees that make up the canopy get their vibrant red leaves from absorbing the blood of sapients who were buried beneath them. But I’m pretty sure it’s actually mercury sulfide. Either way, I wouldn’t recommend feeding the leaves to your Murra. There are few spots to put your ship down in the forest, but the clearing around the lake at the northern end of the valley is as good a spot as any. The deep blue waters of the lake may seem inviting, but don’t be tempted to take a dip. The water gets its color from intense concentrations of cobalt and humans or similar species will have a very adverse reaction to any prolonged contact. (Cobalt Poisoning: PCs who are submerged in or ingest the water of this lake must make a Hard Resilience check to avoid suffering 5 Strain and 1 Wound. Effects are cumulative per hour of exposure. Droids or other creatures immune to poison do not suffer this effect.)
Once you’ve landed and stretched your legs, take a walk around the shore of the lake to see the sights. Aside from beautiful scenery, there’s a particular attraction at the narrowest part of the lake, just under the surface. Submerged in the lake are the remnants of an old statue. Most of it is missing or destroyed, leaving only a blindfolded humanoid face smiling serenely up from the water. The statue appears to be carved from the stone of the nearby mountains, but by whom is hard to say. There are no official records of any sapient species ever living on Bikmorr. The statue has become something of a local legend in Fringer circles. It’s said that on sunrise of the equinoxes, Bikmorr’s sun shines through a hole in the peak of the tallest mountain, and illuminates the statue’s face. It’s supposed to give some kind of clue to the whereabouts of one of Xim the Despot’s old treasure fortresses hidden somewhere in the sector, but that’s a story for another time. It’s probably just an old spacer’s yarn anyway. But I’m not really an expert in that sort of thing. If you want to know more about it, you should talk to:
Rek’Tar:
Rek’Tar is an old Caamasi tinkerer who lives in the Crimson Forest. He occasionally meets with strangers, especially stranded spacers and treasure-hunters looking to unravel the lake’s mysteries. He eschews the vibrant high-society activity of most Caamasi in favor of a hermit’s life in the Forest. He says that he found serenity in the natural world after a lifetime of galactic society, but I think he just gets a kick of out of the “wise and mysterious hermit” act. Although he spends most of his time making his way in the wilderness, he’s a gifted mechanic too. Which is a welcome surprise when you make an emergency landing on Bikmorr with a leaky reactor and two thirds of a hyperdrive motivator, I can tell you. He can repair almost anything you bring him, for the right price. Unfortunately for many of us, his definition of “the right price” is a bit unusual. He won’t take credits, and he doesn’t have much use for complicated technology. You’ll have to give him something he finds useful. Basic supplies and equipment are his usual payment, but he’s more partial to entertainment. A little music, or a well-told story will take you a long way with Rek’Tar. And if he really likes you, he may even gift you one of the trinkets he makes from material he finds in the forest. Most of these take the form of a small amulet or charm made of stones, bits of wood, or a splinter of bone, tied together with string made of the rough grass that blankets the edges of the forest. They may look like a hokey good luck charm off some outer-rim souvenir shop, but if he offers one, take it all the same. If you keep it safe you may find yourself on a lucky streak in the near future. Small stuff mostly, but a friend of mine who won big in Pan-Hydian Sabacc Tournament swears it was all down to one of those little charms.
A PC who is gifted one of these trinkets (Rek’Tar never sells or barters them) may use it once per day as an incidental to add a boost or setback die to one check.
If you do spend any time with Rek’Tar it may be worth asking if he has anything in the way of protection. Bikmorr is usually a peaceful place, but it’s dangerous to run afoul of:
Ruby Lizards:
Ruby Lizards are nasty creatures. About a meter long and mottled in grey-green scales from their nose to their whip-like tails, which serve as a weapon for both hunting and defense. Those tails are tipped with crystalline spikes, which have a habit of shattering and embedding splinters in the flesh of their targets. They’re as sharp as a vibroknife and once those splinters work their way into you, they don’t come out easy without a specialized medbay. Ruby Lizards are fiercely territorial, but they won’t try and prey one something as large as a human. If you stay away from their nests, you should be fine. Ruby Lizards typically live in colonies of between 20-50 adults spread out over maybe hectare of forest, with only one adult or mated pair per tree.
Final Notes:
All told, Bikmorr is an interesting place. Personally I don’t make a habit of visiting, it’s a little too far from the space-lanes for my taste. But there’s no denying it can make a nice change from the hustle and bustle of galactic life and sometimes that’s what it’s all about. If eco-tourism is your thing, or you like the sound of looking for ancient lost treasures, The Crimson Forest just might be your next stop. If you do decide to stop by, tell Rek’Tar I said hello.
Isaac Wittenberg
Latest posts by Isaac Wittenberg (see all)
- The Crimson Forest on Bikmorr - November 14, 2019
