On Sun, Jan 1, 2017 at 4:17 PM, Jeff Zeitlin <xxxxxx@freelancetraveller.com> wrote:

The following is a description of what I have been calling a "Horatio"
(in my own mind). The reference is to the well-known line from
Shakespeare's _Hamlet_: "There are more things in heaven and earth,
Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Comments, adventure ideas, critiques, suggestions for improvement, all
are welcome - have at...

Singing Crystals

Very nice!

A couple of suggestions.

1. Change the sourcing of the crystals from the rather woo "only the pure of heart can find them" to a secretive importer who hides the source to maintain control of the market. This company works through a series of fronts, DBAs, and other tricks to avoid being pinned down. Buyers might also be under ferocious nondisclosure agreements.

2. Crystal Salons would be the in amenity at Class A starports and high-end hotels. A soothing massage, a calming cup of groat milk tea, and a nice soft couch in the Crystal room.

3. The things are addictive. Not immediately, but those who use the salons on a regular basis start becoming irritable and distracted when separated from them for any length of time. These are the customers who will pay any price, do anything, to get their own set.

4. The crystals can reveal hidden psionic abilities in people. It's rare, but it happens.

Nice thing is you could make any sort of campaign out of these.. are they a plot by the Perfidious Zhodani? A Megacorp addicting important people as part of corporate espionage and warfare? Or are the crystals harvested only from one place, a small gas giant moon that is an Ancient site? Or are they just a cool thing that someone is getting rich off of?

Douglas Berry
dberry49xxxxxx@gmail.com
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Twitter: @gridlore