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The Exemplarion.
Zo!’s personal starship.
From the portholes of the Pegasus that brough the party in, they got a good view of the starship, with its six decks, casino, spa, three restaurants and a bowling alley.
There are over a hundred guests aboard, and after a brief tour of the ship, the party is escorted by one of Zo!’s skeletal assistants to the production studio on Decks 4 and 5.
The studio is a large, multi-tiered auditorium with an immense window that looks out over Salvation’s End. Dozens of professionals rush about the studio, adjusting lights, testing holographic displays, pulling clothes from wheeled wardrobes, cleaning the hundreds of tiered seats, and more. The elebrian media mogul Zo! sits on the stage with the Starfinder Society’s First Seeker, Luwazi Elsebo, animatedly telling a story while Luwazi marvels at the ongoing activity. When the First Seeker spots the adventurers, she waves for them to walk down the aisles and join them. Assistants immediately rush out with additional chairs to accommodate the new arrivals.
Yes. Yes! You’re everything I was hoping for,” exclaims the undead showman while looking over the new arrivals. “Oh, Luwazi, you’ve truly outdone yourself. They’re so exciting, so energized, so—”
“—alive?” finishes a ghast woman wearing well-tailored clothing as she steps onto the stage. Zo! frowns at the blunt observation and tries to respond, but Luwazi intervenes.
“Starfinders, no doubt this is all happening a little fast, so let me explain. After the Scoured Stars incident, the Society struggled to support new expeditions. I reached out to numerous people and organizations for grant money, and our host was eager to help. He financed more than a dozen missions, including the one to Salvation’s End. There was one big catch.” Zo! visibly bounces in his seat with excitement as Luwazi continues. “If we found anything especially exciting, we’d need to cease exploration long enough for him to get a film crew out there to document whatever we found next. Well, Salvation’s End may look like a moon, but our initial survey of it found there’s something built
inside—the whole thing might be artificial. That qualifies as especially exciting, but that was also several months ago.”
The skeletal mogul waves his hands. “Oh, but Luwazi, I couldn’t just send a single crew. No, the Starfinder Society’s greatest triumph deserves far more production value.” He hops up from his chair and gazes out at the moon as he paces and gesticulates. “Imagine: heroes from the Pact World, a mysterious planetoid, untold secrets, limitless adventure—all broadcast before a live audience in our greatest production yet!”
He spins to look back at the group, his lipless mouth smiling
gleefully.
“Live Exploration Extreme!”
The ghast claps politely before interjecting. “To translate, you’re scheduled to explore part of Salvation’s End accompanied by a professional camera crew and production team. You will find exciting things and be thoroughly entertaining.”
Please give a cheer for Wazasha Kevir, my production assistant Zo! says, pausing a moment as if to wait for applause, she will supervise the film crew and make sure the pacing is correct. Any questions?
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Markar nods and gives a short bow to Zo! who he had made a good impression with during a dinner party with the First Seeker. Are the crew capable of defending themselves in hostile environments? the four armed Kasatha warrior wants to know. It would not be wise to send civillians into a potentially hostile environment.
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A bright red jellyfish-like creature floats along, occasionally an eyeball on a long tendril to get a better look at something, or turning a manipulatory tendril into a grasping hand.
It chirps in appreciation when it sees the recording set up.
This one, which is known as Blasto the Jellyfish, notes that it is pleased to be here. The ratings boost from having a professional vidgamer on set should be of substantial benefit, and being on this show will no doubt serve to catapult this one's following into the upper stratosphere, as well. Now there is one thing you can do...
It then produces a densely worded, and distressingly thick legal document from its backpack.
This one notes that it needs the producer's signature on this form. A little different from the standard boilerplate, it acknowledges the primacy of the right of the reality television network to the imagery and soundbites derived from this foray, but also acknowledges the primacy of this one in regards to its image for all other forms of marketing, such as coffee mugs and action figures.
When Id asks his question, Blasto's form twists to produce some shoulders, which it shrugs, before they fade away.
Look good in front of the camera, and be as stylish as possible? Failing that, a heroic, or gory death, tends to be a crowd-pleaser.
Exactly! Zo! says when Markar asks his question you will be thoroughly extertaining, and you have already started. No, the crew is armed with only holocameras and sound recorders.
Zo! comes up to you and takes you away to a private corner. A private corner, that is, that is set up with a rolling camera. You have been chosen, he says by our special sponsor: Nova Solutions LLC. Nova Solutions! Why end a fight when you can end a planet?! Our sponsor has made some special high-quality equipment available for you to test out.
Zo! points to a table where an aide pulls off a cloth, showing products from the new Scorched Earth line
Our other main sponsor is Clashwear! Zo! exclaims, making it abundantly clear why his name is written with an exclamation mark, Clashwear! Dress to Excess!
A second table is revealed with some armored suts on it, all created by the wildly popular shirren designer Neshkuay I
Subtier 1–2 (Armor): Basic iridishell (heavy armor), business stationwear (light armor)
Subtier 1–2 (Weapons): Ember flame doshko (advanced melee weapon), ifrit-class flamethrower (heavy weapon), red star plasma kukri (level 5 one-handed basic melee weapon that deals 1d4 E & F damage, has the wound critical hit effect, has L bulk, and has the operative and powered [capacity 20, usage 1] special properties), static
arcpistol(smallarm)
Once the group is ready, Wazasha the ghast stuffs the group, a complete skeleton crew of cameramen and production team and a hexagonal robot called 'the booth' are packed into a shuttle.
Just before departure, 'the booth' unfolds, launching two mini-camera drones and projecting a sound-proof bubble. Wazashi invites the adventurers inside, one by one, for a one-to-one interview.
Blasto, how do you see your chances as the squishiest of the adventurers?
OP-1, what do you think of your fellow adventurers?
Id, how does it feel for a pilot to be exploring the underground?
Alton, there have been rumours that you and Markar don't get along well. Care to fill us in?
Markar, there have been rumours that you and Alton don't get along well. Care to fill us in?
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I thank you and, uh, Nova Solutions for this equipment. I pray to the Tale Teller that I will be worthy of them. I will take the doshko and the flamethrower if it please you.
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Alton is taken aback at Wazasha’s frankness in her question. ”I… uh…” he stammers, trying to connect his fragmented thoughts.
”Having never worked with Markar, I wouldn’t say we don’t get along well. I mean, we've never got along period." Alton clears his throat, and suddenly finds it stiflingly warm in this sound-proof bubble. These leeches are trying to create unnecessary drama for their stupid show. Can't let it bother me when we're dealing with a potentially life-threatening scenario.
Alton thinks for a moment, and tries his most diplomatic tone. "Well, Wazasha. Can I call you Wazasha? I’d say that... theoretically, there’s could be a bit of a difference in our approach to… applied conflict resolution. The kasatha I know have a very… traditional approach to conflict, and perhaps I operate a little more… unconventionally.”
Alton then looks to the side, flashes camera two a smile, then recalls a time on Akiton where he threw a bar mug at a shobhad yelling “grenade!” in the hopes that it would buy his allies a split second to land their shots.
The crew and party are ushered into the shuttle, which then departs for the false moon. Upon arrival, the crew takes some time to set up stage, adjust to the lighting. On a large screen, the live audience (partially a misnomer, given some Eoxian fans are present) is shown an opening montage describing the discovery of the false moon, featuring fierce-looking space goblins.
The opening scene then cuts to a dramatic depiction of the character's bios.
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All shirrens search for individual identity and a sense of purpose; it's what separates them from the ravenous Swarm. But the shirren called Id-Sinitis is caught in a cruel duality: he seeks purpose in exploring and embracing the void, forcing him to recognize his own insignificance! Id channels mystical powers from the spaces between the stars, powers that continually remind him that his consciousness is but a blip on the cosmic radar, inevitably bound for eternal obscurity. Can he use his powers to create ripples of meaning throughout the universe? Or will he succumb to nihilism as time swallows his efforts to make a difference? Only the thoughtful shirren knows for sure!
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<< Station-born, but a spacer for most of his life. Alton Loucks is no stranger to the Great Frontier. In his teens, he dreamt of escaping the toil of a migrant working life, so he began a career as a small-time drug dealer! This eventually got him into trouble with the law. After a short rap in a prison colony, he was deemed to be a potential candidate for working off-world as a part of a reduced sentence -- rehabilitated and reformed, he's now working as a Starfinder, and as part of this expeditionary force, he's ready to delve into mystery! >>
Alton stares at the screen flabbergasted. "How did they dig that photo up? I paid someone a good chunk of credits to scrub that from the datasphere..." he grumbles.
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"Assembled on the dark side of the moon he is still not comfortable in the bright light of the sun. Said to roam the dark, deep underside of society. If you need help and no one else can be found, maybe you can hire; the android only know by his designation OP-1 - suggesting there might be more like him out there. "
Halfway through the announcements or the show's guests, the bio's stop for a moment to make space for a loud sound of a combustion engine. Riding comes a large vesk on a brutally loud quadbike.
Please welcome our special guest, Jims Jams very own: BIG JIM
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The Vesk cheers a bit more as the quadbike revs loudly and then the engine cuts and he gets off the machine "Big Jim here with my trusty sidekick Buster, and you are watching a very special collaboration episode of Jim's Jams with our special host Zo! This episode is sponsored by our very best friends and partners at Bamford Tools, and remember folks... SAFETY FIRST!"
Jim looks away from the camera as it stops filming and Buster quietens down to a much more bearable engine hum.
"Sorry I'm late, there was a bit of a contractual problem with the last show and we got caught up in legal - apparently there's sooo much paperwork when you try bring an undocumented space goblin into Absalom Station, anyhow, he's doing fine in quarantine right now as he gets his shots"
"Pleased to meet you all anyhow, I look forward to working with a bunch of great talent on this show - I have some signed 6" x 8" inch photos here, and if I could just get you to sign these media releases..."
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<<A young warrior. Beholden to an ancient tradition. Inheritor of mysterious ancient combat arts. Markar comes from the Kasathan Worldship Idari and always, always wields two weapons to rain death and destruction on his foes from far away as well as up close and personal. Now outfitted with ruinous weapons provided by our sponsor Nova Solutions, the galaxy better watch out for Markar's FOUR ARMS OF DESTRUCTION!>>
This is not honorable Markar mutters to himself as he watches the crazily edited intro vid.
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From the gas giant of Bretheda, comes a young vidgamer with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. He came from nothing, but rapidly established himself as the scourge of pro-gamers throughout the Pactworlds, with his ability to manipulate six different gaming consoles at once (not to mention his ability to form just the right manipulatory arm for *whatever* task is at hand), let's here it for BLASTO!!!
When the introductions end, the show goes into a commercial break. Good intro! Wazashi says,we'll now move into the corridors of the false moon, starting your exploration. Please keep voicing your thoughts aloud, this is very important. And remember, be very entertaining, we'll be getting scores from the audience.
A group of starfinders is repairing a hangar bay, with the last remains of some kind of rogue shuttle still visible. The place is still a mess, with a mainframe visibly damaged - it's a if a pack of goblins went through it - and a engineer looking exasperated at repairing it.
Two of the starfinder crew are recruited as guides, and they self-consciously guide the starfinders into the tunnel network below.
They leave as soon as the first tunnels are clear. Within the network, the occasional drone or robot part is lit up by flickering light fixtures - the majority broken or malfunctioning.
Farther down the tunnel, there's a midden containing trash and excrement
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Waving at the camera OP-1 looks around as he walks through the tunnels and notices some droid parts
"I have never seen this type of design before, but the technology is roughly comparable to the level of the Pact Worlds"
--
Further down
"Odd, Mostly low-tech scraps that might have been attached to something more valuable. But the more valuable parts seem to be missing"
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Blasto confidently floats down the corridor, ricocheting off the walls like a pinball on speed.
He morphs the end of one of his tendrils into a crude hand, and gives OP-1 a thumbs-up.
This one occurs with your assessment. Could it be, that we are encountering the remains of a civilization previously unknown to the Pact Worlds?
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Id approaches the turds and scrunches his mandibles. "Still warm, these are recent droppings. Keep your wits about you." He makes a show of drawing his pistol and scanning the surrounding area for life, putting himself directly in the way of the camera and consciously looking past it to the far ends of the room for dramatic effect.
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Physics (Take 10=17)
Jim turns his camera on and moves away from the 'dung incident' "HOWDY FOLKS AT HOME! We're kicking around a bit of an old moon and an old set of tunnels. Just looking at where the tunnels are damaged and the surrounding rocky matrix is visible I can tell the rock appears to be natural, but there are signs of warping and buckling as though the moon has periodically experienced heavy forces such as strong gravitational forces or the large-scale movement of something large toward the moon’s core" Jim highlights some key features for his viewership.
A monitor brought by the production team gives the starfinders a mirror into their on-screen performance, with little commentary overlays showing in real time. A little marker 'Careful Id!' is displayed, while also real-time popularity rankings are visible. It looks like Id-Sinitis, Jim and Alton have left some initial positive impression on the audience.
[ooc]It looks like you'll be attempting to gain favour with the audience by being entertaining. Let's hope nobody gets voted out...[/b]
Only just briefly after the discovery, a loud explosion an explosion shakes the walls and echoes from ahead. The monitor reads 'Boom!' and 'What is this?'
As the group dashes in, the camera crew sets up a bright, almost blinding light.
A bit further down the hall, in a larger intersection of corridor, the place is teeming with goblins.
There a strange glowing creature with the goblins, that seems to absorb the bright light into some kind of iridiscence.
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Alton
Markar
Id-Sinitis
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Goblin
Goblin
Goblin
Strange glowing creature
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OP-1
Jim
Blasto
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Id tries to recall any information he might possess about the strange glowing create.
Id then makes a show of concentrating, conjuring three orbs of starlight into his hands. "Whatever purpose we seek, we will not be hindered by ragtag monstrosities. Stand aside, or suffer the fury of the void." He launches the glowing missiles toward the luminescent creature.
Alton shoots his laser, but with limited accuracy. Id's magic missiles hit the creature hard, hurting is badly, while Markar misses as well.
The radiating creature moves for Markar, slicing him with a claw, while the goblin start firing wildly.
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OP-1
Jim
Blasto
Alton
Markar
Id-Sinitis
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Goblin
Goblin
Goblin
Strange glowing creature (10)
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