USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: To The Dark Avenue

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01E18 “To The Dark Avenue” Dramatis Personae Capt Greg Ellison, Human-Deltan Commanding Officer (Dan) Dr Patrick Troughton, Human Chief Medical Officer (Doug) Cmdr Morpheus Drake, Human Executive Officer / Flight Officer (NPC) Lt Cmdr Galinha, Tamarian Chief Operations Officer (Ivan) Lt JG John Hippocampus, Beluga whale Chief Science Officer (Razz) Stardate: 58592.6 August 13 2381. The Ascent After a week’s shore leave, the USS Östergötland has departed from Reykjavík Experimental Shipyards on Earth. She is now in Earth’s orbit, holding station near Earth Spacedock, waiting for their next mission. Their mission supervisor Admiral Kathryn Janeway calls from her office in San Francisco. Her visage fills up the main viewscreen on the Östergötland‘s bridge. Capt Ellison is in the centre seat. XO Cmdr Drake is at Conn instead of the first officer’s seat. Beside him on Ops is COO Lt Cmdr Galinha. The Science Station is manned […]

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USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: Shades of Green

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01E17 “Shades of Green” Dramatis Personae Capt Greg Ellison, Human-Deltan Commanding Officer (Dan) Dr Patrick Troughton, Human Chief Medical Officer (Doug) Cmdr Morpheus Drake, Human Executive Officer / Flight Officer (Ivan) Lt Cmdr Galinha, Tamarian Chief Operations Officer (Ivan) Lt JG John Hippocampus, Beluga whale Chief Science Officer (Razz) Stardate: 58592.6 (5th August 2381) 1 While the USS Östergötland is undergoing maintenance and overhaul at Reykjavík Experimental Shipyards on Earth, the senior crew is at the Starfleet Administration Building in Tycho City on Luna. They had just went through an award ceremony on the moon, bestowed by their mission supervisor Admiral Kathryn Janeway. After the ceremony, the crew split up with Östergötland CO Captain Ellison hailing a hovercab for some soul searching over the skyline of Tycho City by himself. He disappears into the night. 2 At the Tycho City  Zoo, a trio of adorable white […]

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USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: Straight To The Moon

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01E16 “Straight to the Moon” Dramatis Personae Capt Greg Ellison, Human-Deltan Commanding Officer (Dan) Dr Patrick Troughton, Human Chief Medical Officer (Doug) Cmdr Morpheus Drake, Human Executive Officer / Flight Officer (Ivan) Lt Galinha, Tamarian Chief Operations Officer (Ivan) Lt JG John Hippocampus, Beluga whale Chief Science Officer (Razz) Stardate: 58592.5 (5th August 2381, 2045 hrs local time) 1 It is almost a week after the Jenolan Dyson Sphere jaunt and Earth’s moon beckons. The Norway class NCC-72227 USS Östergötland is recalled to Reykjavik Station on Earth for a full maintenance & repairs while the command crew is summoned to Tycho City on Luna for to receive awards by none other than Admiral Kathryn Janeway. The Danube-class Runabout USS Rajang, piloted by Ensigns Burke and Latour are dispatched to retrieve them as Östergötland sails by the moon. Tycho City is a huge dome city beside Lake Armstrong. […]

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USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: Emergent From the Depths

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01E15 “Emergent From the Depths” Dramatis Personae Capt Greg Ellison – Human Commanding officer (Dan) Dr. Patrick Troughton – Human Chief Medical Officer (Doug) Lt Galinha – Tamarian Chief Operations Officer (Ivan) Stardate: 58564.8 July 26 2381. Location: Within the shell of the Jenolan Dyson sphere. The Norway class NCC-72227 USS Östergötland awaits anxiously in the underwater tunnel far behind the shuttle Kuakamoku Rock. The Type-9M aquashuttle approaches the derelict Tosk ship they were looking for, with Executive Officer Commander Morpheus Drake (NPC’ed this session) piloting. With him are Dr. Patrick Troughton and Lt. Galinha. Swimming alongside the Kuakamoku Rock is Beluga whale Chief Science Officer Lt. J.G. John Hippocampus (also NPC’ed this session). The Away Team has navigated their way through a connecting tunnel filled with huge, giant crystal shards to reach another tunnel. A blue glow permeates everywhere. Before the Kuakamoku Rock, blocking part of […]

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We haven't played together for a long time

Alien RPG: Hope’s Last Day Part 1

It was a Saturday morning and we had just completed a walk along the canal near the house. I asked Irfan if we could try out the Alien RPG. So I grabbed my gear and set things up… Dramatis Personae Dr. Westerlund, Xenobotanist (Irfan) Dr. Westerlund is a botanist assigned to Hadley’s Hope, the colony on the moon Acheron, which orbits the gas giant Calpamos. His task is to monitor the Botany Stations at various locations on Acheron, which might some day One dreary morning, he receives an alert from Botany Station 2 in Demeter Valley 30 km away. As per security procedure, Deputy Marshall von Oy accompanies him, driving out in an NR-9 ATV. Botany Station 2 The uneventful drive to Demeter Valley takes 30 minutes over shadowy skies and black soil. Meanwhile a Company shuttle arrives from off-world with a Weyland-Yutani senior officer; von Oy monitors the arrival […]

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USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: Between a Rock and a Wet Place

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01E14 “Between a Rock and a Wet Place” Dramatis Personae Capt Greg Ellison (Dan) Dr. Patrick Troughton (Doug) Cmdr. Morpheus Drake (Ivan) Lt Galinha (Ivan) Lt. JG John Hippocampus (Razz) Stardate: 58564.75 July 26 2381. Location: Jenolan Dyson Sphere Grace Under Pressure The heavily modified Norway class NCC-72227 USS Östergötland is 70 meters under the surface of a lake. The lake is on the inner surface of the massive Jenolan Dyson sphere, 8 light minutes in radius. The top hull over Transporter Room 1 on Deck 1 is breached by the bright light burst from the fist-sized crystal on the transporter pad. The hole lets the lake water flood into the compartment, but is held within the transporter pad emergency forcefield. But, its energy is quickly being drained somehow. In the room are Captain Greg Ellison, Tamarian Chief Operations Officer Lt. Galinha, the young Cetacean Chief […]

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Quest RPG at UniMAP in 2023 with GM Danial

Quest RPG at UniMAP

It is now the semester break and with help from my colleagues, I was able to organise a Tabletop Roleplaying Game Training Workshop (Bengkel Latihan Permainan Penglipur Lara) at the office. Usually I had to both organise and run the game, which means more time for game prep. Thankfully, this time I was joined by our guest GM from Penang, Ahmad Danial A. Ghafar. One day, Danial searched for application of RPGs in education in Malaysia and came across my MAHSA University talk. He reached out and I discovered he has the same aspirations to use RPGs as a tool for teaching and learning. So, I invited him to run a game for our workshop. We had five participants, Farah, Mastura, Mimi, Hasmizan and Faizal. The first two have played in games I GMed before, but the rest were new to the game. Danial decided on using Quest, the RPG […]

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Welcome to Hishgraphics Games & Training

Hishgraphics Games Training

After carrying out a handful of tabletop role-playing game events for schools, colleagues and such, I believe it is time to offer these services actively instead of sitting down and waiting while I do other stuff. As such, I have created a new YouTube channel. The first video, the intro, has been posted below. I plan on doing interviews with other tabletop gamers concerning education (especially language learning) as well as training and teambuilding. Check out Hishgraphics Games & Training (still not sure about the ampersand). I’ll try my best to upload new (and old) videos about my running tabletop RPGs and other such events. Please subscribe and wish me luck for my future plans.

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USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: Orbital Manoeuvres in the Dark

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01E09 “Orbital Manoeuvres in the Dark” Stardate: 58563.9, 26th July 2381. Location: Gondolin Station, Cor Caroli III Previously on Star Trek: Emergency Deep. From Gondolin Station After taking time to recover from Andorian Death Fever, Commander Morpheus Drake returns to the Östergötland as her primary Conn Officer. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Saladin Chau, who tended to Drake, also returns to the ship from Gondolin Station‘s infirmary. In the meantime, Captain Greg Ellison tasks Drake to organise a memorial for Lieutenant JG Velek & Specialist 1st Class Randall Loomis. They were both killed by the Orion whalers along with the shuttle Mälaren in Trychnos orbit. Drake holds the memorial in the hangar bay. After the memorial, Capt Ellison receives a message from Admiral Kathryn Janeway. She informed him that she will look into the Romulan operative Qaenlahr with the Orion whalers, along with his involvement with the […]

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Nasi goreng butter chicken

Emergency Deep Meeting

After a long time of playing Delta Green and Star Trek Adventures remotely with Dan while he was posted in Sudan, I finally had the pleasure of meeting him. An old friend of Ivan, we all planned a dinner meet. Dan picked me up at Aiman & Zara’s house where we would be spending the night, and rendezvoused with Ivan somewhere in the proximity of Kelana Jaya. We talked for some hours about RPGs, Star Trek (specifically “In the Pale Moonlight” and “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”) and other miscellanea while having dinner. The nasi goreng butter chicken was delicious, but there was so much of it I was unable to finish it. I would have met Dan earlier as he had planned on taking a vacation in Perlis some weeks ago. Sadly, it was the week I got COVID-19 for the second time.

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USS Östergötland NCC-72227

STA: With a Fine-Toothed Comb

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01 E08 “With A Fine-Toothed Comb” Stardate: 58552.74, 22nd July 2381 (0720 hours UTC) Location: Gondolin Station, Cor Caroli III. The Norway-class USS Östergötland NCC-72227 is en route back from the ocean world Trychnos to Gondolin Station at Cor Caroli III, a Helios class habitat, with a captured damaged Orion Lightning-type starship in tow. En route, Operations Officer Lieutenant Commander Tosk the Studious requests wormhole traffic data from Starbase Deep Space 9 because of the Gamma Quadrant tech found on Trychnos. Captain Greg Ellison is contacted by Gondolin Station’s commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Ola Piotrowski who requests a meeting with the Captain. Tosk also suggests a memorial service for Lieutenant JG Velek and Specialist Randall Loomis who perished with the shuttle Mälaren. Rest and Repairs Upon arrival at Cor Caroli a day later, Cetacean Ensign Kremzeek docks the ship at Gondolin Station. They all note the […]

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NCC-72227 USS Östergötland

STA: Three On One

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01 E07 “Three On One” Stardate: 58550.35; 21st July 2381 1020 hrs Location: Trychnos, near Cor Caroli   Suddenly three Orion Lightning-class blockade runners appear in the blue skies of the ocean world Trychnos and destroyed the Type-9 shuttle Mälaren. Captain Greg Ellison orders red alert as the USS Östergötland confronts the Orion vessels. One Lightning nosedives towards them from an altitude of 10,000 metres while the other two peel off elsewhere. With a sensor scan,  Lieutenant Commander Tosk the Studious  easily determines the Orion ships’ shield frequency. On Ellison’s orders, Tactical Officer Lieutenant Libby dos Santos fires a phaser beam at the two other ships that peeled off. The sudden show of force causes one of the two to bank towards them on an intercept course. The dolphin Conn Officer Ensign Kremzeek increases the Östergötland‘s altitude to a position between the two ships bearing down […]

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Doom Agents 2023

Doom Agents: Stealing Crate 037

We had the room at the library for 2 hours. The group activity with my students took only 30 minutes. So, I introduced them to tabletop role-playing games. I thought that using Mini-YZE (with my own mods) would make it simple for them. Easiest setting to run for new students would be the Doom Agents setting. It is contemporary, and I can emulate modern spy and action moviews with it. DRAMATIS PERSONAE Chamice, Engineer – Tey Jack, Medic – Ooi Agent 47, Sniper – Danis Sniper Agent 47, Medic Jack and Engineer Chamice are assigned to a mission near Manaus, Brazil. The Approach The team, in an off-road vehicle, heads south into the jungle in the late afternoon. It is raining heavily and before them river with a strong current block their path. The bridge has been washed away. Chamise and Jack study the waters, then guide 47 to drive […]

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NCC-72227 USS Östergötland

STA: On the Trail of the Unseen

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01 E06 “On the Trail of the Unseen” Stardate: 58550.35; 21st July 2381 1020 hrs Location: Trychnos, near Cor Caroli The Return to Trychnos On yellow alert, the Norway-class USS Östergötland NCC-72227 returns to Trychnos from Gondolin Station around Cor Caroli III without Commander Morpheus Drake who is infected with an Andorian Death Fever (harmless to humans), deadly to Andorians. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Saladin Chau remains with him on Gondolin Station. In the meantime, river dolphin Cetacean Ensign Kremzeek from Delta shift has been ordered to take his place in Alfa Shift. He gladly takes the Conn station on his grav walker. They debriefed Andorian First Mate T’lath of the SS Takoyaki who confirmed that something invisible collided with them in orbit. Sensor records from the ship itself reveal debris fragment of material manufactured  in the Gamma Quadrant. A detailed orbital scan reveals where the […]

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The chapter begins

RPG Chapter in Book

Once upon a time, before the onset of the plague years, I ran a Laundry RPG campaign at work. You can read about it here. Since then, one of my players Dr. Noriha has been writing research papers about using games in language learning. She has been using our campaign notes! Along with Dr. Ina, I am also the co-author of a chapter in book entitled “Naratif Dalam ‘Gamifikasi Permainan Penglipur Lara’: Menjana Pemikiran Kreatif Dalam Pengajaran Dan Pembelajaran“. Translation: “Narratives in Tabletop Role-playing Games: Generating Creativity in Teaching and Learning.” The title of the book is Wacana Ilmu dan Kemanusiaan (Knowledge & Humanity Discourse). First of all, I am grateful for the writing team for involving my activity in their research. This tracks with my own research of employing RPGs to improve speaking skills. Secondly, I will be pushing using “Permainan Penglipur Lara” as an official translation of “Tabletop […]

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NCC-72227 USS Östergötland

STA: Where the Trychnos Currents Lead

Star Trek: Emergency Deep S01 E05 “Where the Trychnos Currents Lead” Stardate: 58542.09; 18th July 2381 0945 hrs Location: Trychnos, near Cor Caroli Last time on Emergency Deep, the Östergötland undergoes her first First Contact mission… Arrival at Trychnos Assigned to investigate the distress call of the SS Takoyaki NAR-7789 a Federation merchant starship, the USS Östergötland NCC-72227 warps to the uninhabited ocean planet of Trychnos, two light years from Cor Caroli. The Takoyaki reported a violent collision with something invisible in orbit. The collision caused them to fall into the atmosphere and into the ocean below. The Takoyaki is now underwater and needs to be rescued. Upon arrival, Lieutenant Commander Tosk the Studious detects the Takoyaki‘s emergency buoy in stable orbit and downloads information that shows the merchant ship crashing into something invisible, tearing off her port nacelle. Using sensors, they confirm the crash coordinates in the ocean and […]

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