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Noble-44,High Priest of the Pragmatic Blade.
A very professional/standard looking Android Operator stands at rest. At least standard until you see the detail of his equipment. It borders on looking on ceremonial in terms of placement and care. Every piece bears a small, repeating etching in elvish script ... 'Savain'.
A quintet of Starfinders are summoned to the Lorespire Complex on Absalom Station to meet with Venture-Captain Arvin
The doors to the office slide open with a soft pneumatic hiss. Inside is a well-lit and blue-carpeted office. Venture-Captain Arvin, a handsome and determined-looking damaya lashunta, sits behind a desk, his eyes riveted on a glassy display. After a heartbeat, he glances towards the open door and motions everyone to enter. “Apologies, please come in. Be seated if you like, although this shouldn’t take long.” Arvin taps a button on a console and murmurs to a digital assistant, “Croyd, put everything on hold for a few minutes. If anyone calls, please explain I’m in mission briefing and I’ll get right back to them.” He then darkens the display to give his full attention. “Right. I have an assignment for you. This one is a little a different than others you might have received.” He pauses before he explains, “It’s an internal matter...
“You’re probably aware that after the Scoured Stars incident many of our colleagues elected to leave the Society. That is unfortunate, but not surprising. We hate to lose good field agents, but no one is conscripted into our ranks. Normally we wish them well and that’s that. In this case, the defector, former field agent Reynald Talbot, stole an artifact from the Lorespire Complex before departing. Theft is where the Society draws the line; I need you to get that artifact back."
“Unfortunately, Talbot left weeks ago and we only discovered the theft in the last 24 hours. We launched an immediate investigation to determine the identity of the thief and their last known whereabouts. It’s our bad luck that Talbot was smart enough to get off the station and head to Akiton, where there’s no central government or law enforcement to easily call upon. I need you to track him down and recover the artifact. We know Talbot caught a shuttle to the Akitonian city of Maro, so that’s a great place to start. The Society will, of course, cover your travel expenses.”
"Any Questions"
You may know a little something about Akiton:
It is smaller than the Golarion standard with ×1/3 gravity and a thin atmosphere. This means non-acclimated characters, like you, can jump three times as high and carry three times the normal weight, although you gain no additional movement speed. Likewise, unless you wear any type of armor, you must succeed at hourly Fortitude saves or become fatigued. You also know Akiton suffered an economic crash when the revelation of Drift technology rendered the numerous pre-Drift fuels mined on Akiton virtually worthless.
Akiton is generally lawless, except for whatever laws a local authority might impose. Akiton survives on trade and commerce. Strangers find loyalty hard to come by, especially in the big cities. Newcomers are consequently likely to be observed and watched, especially if an organization believes it can take advantage of the strangers. If Talbot acted or did anything at all out of the ordinary, someone is likely to have noticed. To avoid being found, it is unlikely he stayed in Maro for more than a few days.
Wealth is hard to come by on Akiton. If Talbot fled to the red planet, he did so for a reason. It’s likely the ex Starfinder had a plan, and that plan involved gaining a large number of credits. Given Akiton’s unstable economy, such a surge should be identifiable for those who “follow the money.”
Quig listens closely. For about ten seconds.
He knows nothing about "culture" — he's a rat, after all — but seems to rouse at the mention of Akiton. I speak Akiton! Er, Akitonian!
"Good question, but the answer is complicated because it’s actually two questions: what the artifact is and what Talbot thinks it is. We’re operating under the assumption that Talbot thinks he’s stolen an object from old Golarion called a philosopher’s stone. Legend has it that the stone could transmute matter, among other properties. What Talbot actually stole was recently re-cataloged as a charlatan’s stone. It does something similar, except the effect is a potent illusion and only temporary. We think ancient con artists used to make false gold.”
"As for Talbot, he's a human... typical of your species. Hang on." The V-C projects a picture of the man. "He’s smart, capable, a bit brash, and a reasonable field agent. Talbot is also self-entitled and ambitious. After the Scoured Stars incident, he expected to be promoted to venture-captain, but the Forum felt he needed more time. He got angry. We think this theft is retaliation.”
"“I want the stone back. Talbot’s not worth the expense of dragging back here, so you can do whatever you think is necessary with him. That said, you don’t have a license to go on a mass killing spree. Don’t make the Society look bad. It might be tough to do on Akiton, but don’t take that as a challenge.”
...and no mass killin' spree, Quig scrawls into a battered notebook, which he promptly closes and shoves into his left cheek. Got it.
What are we waitin' fer? he exclaims quite suddenly. Let's go!
The shuttle trip isn't overly long....
Outside the observation windows floats Akiton, a world the color of blood, rust, and red clay. A thick shell of white caps both poles. The shuttle descends toward the planet, and a barely perceptible shift in gravity occurs as the ship’s artificial gravity begins to lessen and the planet’s natural gravity begins to take hold.
From suborbital heights, a handful of small towns, large complexes, and industrial sites that spew noxious fumes into the thin atmosphere surround the trench city of Maro. A spidery web of dirt roads scratched into the rust-colored ground by regular traffic connects these sites to the metropolis.
Maro, the so-called City of Lights itself, comes into view as the ship begins its final descent. The city occupies more of a vertical space than horizontal, built into a six-mile-long section of trench that is half as deep and a half mile wide. Entire neighborhoods and business districts are built into the walls, accessed by patio entrances. Lights, neon signs, and holographic advertising bejewel either side of this urban canyon, while an active spaceport and industrial zones occupy the ground level. As the shuttle lands, it does so beneath the backdrop of an immense mural of brightly glowing neon-green graffiti that reads in Common: “Git Out! Planet’s Broke!”
It's a busy place Starfinders, how do you want to go about finding a needle in a haystack?
A Culture check can provide you with the savoir-faire to poke your nose into places in order to figure out what's what. Professions are also a lot more robust in Starfinder. Consider: Profession (accountant), Profession (corporate professional), Profession (dockworker), Profession (merchant), Profession (miner), or others if you can justify it.
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The dark-garbed man, who introduced himself as Gideon McVey back on the station, frowns at Noble-44. "Looking for profit among those who have nothing garners you little. I would hazard that our quarry has found more lucrative business partners. Such as Akiton can provide, of course."
Gideon recommends inquiring around the local docks, particularly transport businesses. If the others choose this course, Gideon makes good by putting a few choice words in the right ear-holes.
It takes about hours of asking around, but the Knight of Tides works on some of Noble-44's ideas to track Talbot. Apparently Talbot departed to small mining town called Tasch a few miles outside of Maro.
Grabbing a shuttle is easy, and it's comped by the Starfinder Society. A long dusty road, lined with single-story dwellings, runs through the town of Tasch. Some powered vehicles rest chained to their owner’s homes. A small general store stands near the center of town, illuminated by flickering white lights. Another building, full of locals, hosts a signpost that reads “Digger’s Dive”—clearly the town bar. Although the sun beats down on this desert town, its citizens meander around the bar in good cheer. Most are ysoki and humans, with the occasional lumbering four-armed shobhad mingling among them.
With no other leads, The Digger's Dive seems like the best course.
Faint electric lights dangle from the ceiling, while the open sky is visible from cracks between the planks that serve as a roof. The floor is solid wood. The interior walls and ceiling supports are mud brick, the latter being carved in a rare attempt at ornamentation. The tavern is divided in two halves by an energy field with an opening on the northern end. The bar lining the southern wall is open to either side, with a wall of half-empty bottles behind it. The tables are wooden and makeshift, but solid. The east end has square wooden platform about a foot above the floor. Two sets of double doors are built into the northern and southern walls on the west end, both ajar. A single closed door provides an exit behind the west end of the bar.
You catch an out-of-place presence of a shirren and two vesk bodyguards in the corner of the bar.
The bartender chuckles a bit at Gideon's rather rough attempt at discourse, "Heh, like yourself? We have a lot now, and all thanks goes towards Reynald Talbot. He really breathed life into this place."
The bartender doesn't stick around for follow up.
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Gideon nods his assent, downs his drink, and makes straight for the shirren.
"Apologies to intrude," the Knight begins politely, "but I am told you might be in the business of making money. I recently inherited a substantial sum from my late uncle -- 800,000 credits or thereabouts -- which I am trying to collect from Abadarcorp. Unfortunately, the bankers are insisting on a "donation" to the Church before I can open an account, and I just do not have the 10,000 credits in cash that they are asking. If you could help me out with the cash, I would gladly offer to triple your investment: 30,000 credits in return. What do you say?"
The Shirren's thoughts are immediately broadcast to all. "I think that is jest on your part, is it not? It must be. For I am an agent of AbadarCorp. We overheard you talking about Talbot, and that AbadarCorp wants to know what your interest in Talbot is all about. He is a known swindler to us."
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Gideon's tone changes from plaintive to conspiratorially hushed immediately. "I will be more plain then. I am an agent of the Starfinder Society," he shows his dermal implant, "and I am tracking Reynald Talbot for the recovery of an artifact he stole. An artifact, I might add, which facilitates his swindling. Perhaps you might be willing to offer some information to aid my search?"
"My interest in Talbot is immaterial to your needs. The Starfinder Society deserter approached corporate buyers in Maro with a new, alternative fuel for Drift engines. The fuel was purchased for analysis, and if it checked out, would have been evaluated as a new commodity on the galactic markets. To the chagrin of the buyers, the fuel reverted to common thasteron not long after the AbadarCorp ships made to depart Akiton’s orbit. The fuel was purchased on good faith and AbadarCorp does not tolerate outright fraud. I need to take him in."
Quig helpfully tries to join in the conversation, but his words end up with much expectorate on the table around the shirren, which he sheepishly mops up using his arm. Say it, don't spray it, he reminds himself.
the clicks a bit, tilting his head to the side. "Fine. You bring Talbot to me. Deliver your ex-Starfinder to AbadarCorp’s custody. I would prefer Talbot alive but do not require it. The item itself is yours. We will await your return."
As you prepare for the next step in hunting down your quarry, a sonic wrench gets thrown into the mix.
A deep booming female voice echoes from outside the front of the bar. “Intruders! We know you’ve come to Tasch in search of our savior. I give you this one chance. Lay down your weapons and leave our town. You will not disrupt the salvation of Akiton, not when Reynald Talbot has come so close to saving our world! You have one minute to decide. You have ONE MINUTE.”
The AbadarCorp group seems to vanish out the back, and the other patrons all find places to hide. You get the impression that being a bystander in a bar-fight is a common pastime.
Quig looks up from behind the bar, where' he's slipped to help himself to unlimited refreshments. One minbute to whabt? he asks, his mouth gorged with alcohol and nachos while trying to piece the details together.
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Gideon's deep baritone booms out to rival the woman's. "Only a fool would trust such gold. In a few days, when either you or I are dead, this new wealth will turn to sand and you will only have despair to add to your belongings."
He takes up a position near the gap in the energy field. A shimmering hammer of absolute darkness appears in his hand, the light from the energy field seeming to bend towards it.
In what was CLEARLY less than a minute, the door busts open. A shobhad, a native 4-armed blue-skinned giant, stands in the doorway. In front of her a pair of ysoki dash in.
Round 1
Queequig: Go
Hostiles: TBD
Spacey: TBD
Noble-44: TBD
Gideon: TBD
Round 1
Queequig: Go
Taiuna: Go
Hostiles: TBD
Spacey: TBD
Noble-44: TBD
Gideon: TBD