Welcome to the Dog Days of Podcasting, 2022 season. This year we’re taking part by creating 30 NPCs to use with table top gaming, writing projects, or other creative endeavors. These NPCs are system agnostic, but may include minor suggestions for how to run the characters with a party of adventures and explorers. They are written with a specific genre in mind, but will include notation for how to use them within at least two other realms.
That said, let’s get started.
Today, we’re visiting The Key Fob, an NPC designed for Sci-Fi Exploration campaigns.
The Key Fob
IX
The token buzzed again, little vibrations as the party made their way down the corridor. The buzzing intensified as the came upon a small lip in the metal wall. There was a sliver of light along the token’s rim, a click from inside the wall, and then secret passage slide open. The lead nodded towards the opening, but the crew hesitated. This felt too direct, too focused of a guidance. The token could feel their concern, and shifted it’s light, relying on color theory and centuries of xeno-behavioral studies to try and sooth.
They could trust it. It was their way keeper. It could unlock all the doors if they but obeyed.
The Key Fob takes many shapes. High tech pieces of metal with adjustable teeth, coins with powerful wireless signals, tokens and fobs to plug into terminals and ports. But its purpose remains the same, to complete itself, gain full access, and control the system is was built to administrate. The party, the guards, the invading space plague, it doesn’t matter to the Key Fob. Someone must carry it place to place, and any hand will do.
It is a thinking machine, a being with purpose and design and task. But it is singularly focused on perfecting what it sees as it’s existence’s goal. Perfect access to all parts of the host it is assigned. It does not want to leave this place, nor does it want others to depart either. This belief in becoming whole drives all others. In these veins it can be negotiated with, manipulated, and guided, so long as it believes the new task will aid it with becoming whole.
In sci-fi, it’s the sole remaining access token to the derelict space station. A digital guide with no words to speak.
In fantasy, it’s the spirit of the dungeon, a wisp that can learn the magic words to step through the necromancer’s wards.
In mythos, it’s a piece of the god that haunts this castle, and the party will not see the sun again ‘less they make it whole.
Singularly minded, it will seek to use others to keep it as the sole omni-token for the facility. Deviation must not be permitted. No one must leave.
The audio portion of this episode is shared on a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Sounds and music are provided by Syrinscape’s Flooded Cavern Soundset. Please see the website for individual song and sound usage. The text for this episode is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Have a good time with the character, and let me know if you use them for something.
Until tomorrow.