Campaign Title: **The Ashfall Reckoning** **Background**: In the far reaches of the galaxy, the planet of Pyre-IV stands as a testament to industrial ambition and human perseverance. Rich in resources, the bleak and volcanic world has attracted the interest of Union, a massive galactic government, and several megacorporations. Union has dispatched an experimental team of mech pilots, codenamed "Ember Squad," to safeguard its interests and ensure the successful extraction of Pyre-IV's resources. The team consists of fresh recruits, each piloting their own Lancer-class mech, a perfect opportunity for newcomers to understand the basics of piloting a mech. **Hook**: The players are the members of Ember Squad, initially sent on a routine mission to provide security for a mining facility owned by a Union-aligned corporation, Hephaestus Mining Consortium. The welcome is a baptism by fire as the facility comes under attack by a group known as the Cinderborn, a faction of freedom fighters who claim to protect the rights of the miners and the planet's indigenous lifeforms. **Act 1: The Cinderborn Uprising** (Introduction to basic mechanics) - Players learn how to maneuver their mechs in hazardous terrain while defending the facility. - Introduce combat mechanics as the players fend off the Cinderborn assault on the mining operation. - After the battle, players explore NPC interactions within the mining camp, learning about the Cinderborn's motives, and get the first hints of a larger threat looming on the planet. **Act 2: Secrets in the Ash** (Skill checks and advanced mechanics) - The squad is assigned to investigate a missing research team in the Ashen Maw, a region marked by constant ash storms and volcanic activity. - Players must navigate difficult environmental conditions, employing skill checks and learning how to customize and use their mech's systems to survive. This is a great way to introduce hazards, electronic warfare, and the importance of systems and equipment. - A shocking discovery awaits the players: an ancient alien structure deep within the Maw, guarded by highly advanced and hostile automated defenses. This introduces players to non-human adversaries and the concept of ancient, high-tech battlegrounds. **Act 3: The Titan's Fall** (Large scale combat and narrative choices) - Analysis of the alien structure reveals a weapon capable of obliterating the planet. The Cinderborn plans to use this to force the corporations off Pyre-IV, not understanding the weapon's full power. - Ember Squad must rally the mining camps and face a two-front war: against the Cinderborn and to prevent the activation of the alien weapon. - Large-scale combat ensues as the squad leads the charge, coordinating with allied mechs and managing battlefield resources. This will introduce players to mass combat and strategy in LANCER. **Act 4: The Heart of Pyre** (Climax and utilizing character abilities) - Infiltrating the alien structure, the squad must face the Cinderborn leader and stop the weapon's activation. - This act focuses on intimate in-mech combat and the use of specialized abilities and character roles as the squad encounters the Cinderborn's most elite pilots and their custom mechs. **Epilogue: Ashes and Echoes** (Consequences and future campaign seeds) - The outcome hinges on the players' decisions and combat success. They can either avert the disaster and become heroes of Pyre-IV or fail, leading to the weapon's firing and a desperate escape from a dying world. - Regardless of the outcome, players will have to contend with the political and ethical implications of their actions on Pyre-IV, setting the stage for future campaigns in the LANCER universe. Through epic battles, moral dilemmas, and the intrigue of a forgotten alien legacy, "The Ashfall Reckoning" introduces beginner players to LANCER's mechanics in a dynamic and engaging campaign sure to ignite a passion for this tabletop universe.