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A man of good looks and a confident comportment enters the dock area. He's quick with his smile, and acknowledges any who look his way. some people actively wave as if they know the man. It's likely true that they do, not as a Starfinder, but owner and operator of the Flaxseed Station cantina.
He's slight of build, though the contours of his graphite suite show off a toned physique. While his azimuth pistol is pretty standard, his dueling sword looks more like fashion than function.
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Feeling their comm device begin to buzz on their right fore-limb, Xyroniel chirps excitedly, his mandibles clacking together in anticipation for another mission. Their last had taken them across the Star systems in search of destroyed ships and this one, he hoped, would prove as adventurous as the last.
Dashing out of the Flaxseed station and towards the dock, his recently retro-fitted armour squeaking softly as he runs, Xy Xy nearly bumps into a familiar face! Ah, ermm pet us not be too hasty he chides himself before snapping to attention before Conrad. The twitch of scarred tendrils the only outward sign of his thought-communication with the human.
"Greetings Master Castamir! I am Xyroniel, though feel free to call my Xy Xy." he pulses, his tone soft. "You are here for a journey to the red Planet?"
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a small yoski comes drifting through the doors. "mmhmmhmmamhmm" he realizes hes trying to talk and chew on a random object he pulls it out"good day yall im Jed buy people call me nibbler. glad to see that there is another mission. i wonder what were doing on this planet and if they call it a red planet do you think its really red." Nibbler goes on and on and on until he finally goes back to chewing which seems the only way to shut him up.
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You are quickly summoned back to the Lorespire Complex by 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.”
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Nibbler walks in and admires the place for a min. When asked to sit he politely decides to stand. After listening to what the venture-captain and the questions from kai he adds. In a barrage of questions "what information do you have on this talbot. Lime what does he look like? What did he use to do here in the society? Do you want him dead or captured or do u not care what happens to him as long as you get this artifact? Do you know anything about this city of maro? Whats the weather like? What are the people like? Do u have anyone that we might be able to contact when we get there that might help?"
He passes to take a breath and wait for answers.
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"What kind of artifact are we talking about?"
“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.”
"How should we track him down?"
"Seems he caught an Akitonian shuttle to the city of Maro. He has to be close by. That is why you are being hired. To track him down."
"what information do you have on this talbot. Lime what does he look like? What did he use to do here in the society? Do you want him dead or captured or do u not care what happens to him as long as you get this artifact? Do you know anything about this city of maro? Whats the weather like? What are the people like? Do u have anyone that we might be able to contact when we get there that might help?"
The Venture-Captain holds his hand up to cut Jed off. "That is a lot of questions and I will answer to the best of my ability. Though we have limited information."
“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.”
"Male human presumed to be around mid-thirties with shoulder length black hair."
“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.”
“Akiton has a thin atmosphere, and we don’t have the luxury of giving you weeks to get used to it. It would be smart to make sure you some way of coping with it, or some armor. Any armor, even the lighter sets, offsets the difference.”
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"It may be easier to find him than you might think at first. Newcomers usually draw attention on Akiton. People will have noticed him; if we ask around at the right places, I bet we'll find someone who saw or heard about him. With Akiton's economy the way it is, if he's already started using the stone for some big transactions, we'll be able to trace him that way, too."
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Listening to the briefing and nodding, the Shirren throws the captain a salute, before spinning on his heel and marching towards the indicated shuttle bay. It seems like his allies had heard several things regarding Akiton's current state of affairs which saved him the bother. As they move, Xy Xy checks over his gear and re-adjusts a few settings on his Graphite model armour to make it fit a little better. He also checks a strange pistol that was definitely not made on the station, it looks fairly archaic.
"I am ready, let us be off to the red planet." he sends as a thought through the minds of his colleagues. "It seems you will get your wish to leave the station."
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As everyone is ready and eager to depart the shuttle takes off from the Docking bay and slowly drifts it's way through and past the swirling Armada itself before entering the Drift.
The journey takes several hours but before you know it 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!”
***
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Staring at Akiton from the shuttle's reinforced windows, Xy Xy is intrigued by the Red planet, having never stepped foot on it before now. Vastly different from his homeworld Triaxus, the shirren disembarks the shuttle with a twitchof their mandibles showing unease.
"This place is surely destitute and I feel for the people here." he pulses to his allies. "Rumours of any sudden windfall should be on everyone's lips if there has been anything."
Connecting up to Akiton's computer network, Xy Xy begins to search for any recent news or idle chatter on any sudden improvements of fortunr or the like.
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"I've never been further from Absalom Station than a few jaunts through the armada." Kai confesses to his companions as they enter Akiton's atmosphere. He is visibly excited at the prospect of visiting even a dead rock like Akiton.
Once they exit the shuttle, Kai stamps his feet on the landing pad. "Real earth!" He exclaims.
Although he retains his excitement, he manages to focus on the mission at hand.
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A burly Ysoki lugging an ancient but meticulously maintained Veskarium reaction cannon scrambles down the ramp to catch up with the rest of the group. "Ah Akiton, home sweet home." Buster slaps a magazine into his reaction cannon and looks down the sights. "Hope you guys know how to take good care of your weapons; we might need 'em."
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As Buster walks through the streets, he stops to pick up a piece of scrap from a broken comm unit, muttering to himself "Oohh, I can make a detonator out of this.
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Nibbler looming at the planet throught the windows of the shuttle his jaw konda goes loose and a piece of junk falls out of it. "this place looks beautiful from way up here." as the suttle comes through the atmoshpere and they land in the city. He goes jumping down the ramp excitedly repeating. "one small leep for yoski " and kinda laughing. Getting back on this misson nibbler will pick up his chew toy and head out with kai trying to get any information that he can.
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Buster pats Nibbler on the back when he sees him. "Good to see another Ysoki on board. Us short guys gotta stick together."
Buster stops to think "The mission brief said something about Talbot maybe having a lot of creds to toss around. I could check out some of the local dives and see if anybody has been looking to hire muscle lately."
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Blinking at the two hyperactive Ysoki, Xyroniel has to pause for a moment to work out which one was which, for to his Shirren eyes they looked the same. With a soft feel of his tendrils, he reads their thought patterns to differentiate the two Ysoki.
He had no luck withthe Planet's computer systems, for it seemed the news was focused on the desperate and the downtrodden of late.
"Talbot may gave fake gold at his disposal. It may even be that he is unaware of the stone's false properties."
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Telepathy
A creature with the telepathy special ability can mentally
communicate with any other creature within a certain range
(specified in the creature’s description, though the range of
telepathy is usually 100 feet) that knows a language. It is
possible to address multiple creatures at once telepathically,
although maintaining a telepathic conversation with
more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as
simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at
the same time.
Limited Telepathy
Limited telepathy functions in the same manner as telepathy,
except that both the creature with the limited telepathy special
ability and the creature it is communicating with must have a
language in common.
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Kai hits the town and immediately hops onto the local news site. Sifting through a few pages on the local articles he finds something interesting. AbadarCorp, the largest corporation in the Pact Worlds, recently purchased a large amount of Drift engine fuel from the nearby town of Tasch. While the discovery of Drift engine fuel on Akiton is impressive, the fact that the AbadarCorp fleet that purchased the fuel is 2 days overdue for departure suggests something is likely amiss with the delivery.
Buster and Jed are able to confirm it as well.
Conrad spends nearly 4 hours speaking with locals and canvasing Maro in search of information about Reynald Talbot. Given the specific information he has, such as Talbot’s time of arrival and the specific shuttle he flew in on, it looks as if Talbot departed to small mining town called Tasch a few miles outside of Maro.
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As they gather together, Xy Xy listens to what allies have to offer with a nervous twitch of their mandibles. The Shirren was uneasy at the presence of such a large corporation overdue to leave after a business transaction. Perhaps this had nothing to do with Talbot, but there were too many signals for it to br simple coincidence.
"Hmm, mayhsps Talbot has entered a business deal eith Abadarcorp in Tasch. Though if they have used the stone in this deal it smells of trouble." they muse over the psychic link. "Shall we make our way to Tasch then? Unless anyone has any shopping to do."
The Shirren checks his gear is safe from dust contamination before setting off with thenothers to find transport once ready.
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Grabbing a bite for the road Buster chews on a spike of barbecued meat as you easily catch a ride to the small mining town. Finding transportation isn't difficult as numerous vehicles seem to be going back and forth.
An elongated dune buggy transports you from Maro into the red dunes of Akiton’s surface. The journey only takes 2 hours, with the buggy stopping just outside the city limits before continuing to other peripheral towns.
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.
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With a nod of thanks to the driver of the buggy, Xy Xy hops off their transport expecting tension of a sort. Thrown off guard by the casual nature of the town's inhabitants he clicks his mandibles thoughtfully as he surverys the scene before him. "Prosperous indeed if they can affors to be in the Bar in sunlight hours. Maybe the Corp have not got here yet?" he pulses to his allies.
"Either way, a cool brew is best for ridding oneself of travel aches. And we could find information from talk there?"
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Nibbler excited to see more yoski goes running into the bar to blend in. In the bar he goes up to the bar and flags down the bartender. " my good man please come here i gots a question or two for ya. First what ya got on the menu for drinks and second how mich is it."
Once he is able to get his drink he meanders around to the other yoski and starts asking about abidarcorp.
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Kai eyes Buster. "Watch our 6? Huh? Why are you checking your weapons? Do you think we're in danger?"
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Kai approaches the bar and chats up the bartender. "Hello, I'm looking for someone that I think came through here recently. Do you think you could help me find him, or direct me to someone who can?"
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Digger’s Dive is a single-story structure built using imported wood. There are no windows, but there are small rectangular openings in the exterior walls at ceiling height to allow for ventilation. The front entrance is a swinging waist-high wooden half-door. The ceiling is 15 feet high and strung with dim electric lights which provide dim light.
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.
A sharp tongued Ysoki greets Jed and Kai at the bar as they order drinks. "We got Snakebite #9 on tap. How many you having? 1 credit each."
One of the locals waves his hand at the Ysoki. "I got the tab Podswald." The local looks to Buster before wandering into the crowd as he hollers out. "Thank Reynald Talbot for the extra credits!" The crowd lets out a cheer as they raise their glasses. "THE SAVIOR!" they all call out at once in response.
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Striding into the bar, Xy Xy is thrown off by the force field seperating the seating space, it seemed odd in such a rustic establishment, but each to their own asthetics He supposed. About to order a drink, he is shocked for the second time when a stranger picks up the tab for them and groans inwardly as they discuss why. It eould seem Talbot had done some good here, though if the Corp had taken exception life would soon be troublesome for the locals.
"Th-thank you F-friend" he stammers awkwardly, speaking vocally for the first time around the group. He then raises his glass with the others to not seem rude. "T-as-ch is doi-ing well. W-what's the secret? It is the t-alk of the p-ort."
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"Reynaldo Talbot? That just so happens to be the guy I'm looking for. Do any of you know where I could find him?"
As Kai glances at the surrounding bystanders, he does a double take at some of them in the corner. He taps the nearest fellow starfinder on the shoulder and mumbles in their ear, "Do those Shirren and Vesk in the corner look out of place to you?""
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"I wouldn't have noticed them if you didn't point them out. Not sure."
Conrad knows an adoring crowd when he sees one, after all, he does own a popular bar, "This.... Savior thing is a bit.... unexpected."
To a bar goer "Talbot the Savior? Do tell, I'm new around here, and looking to get to know the place."
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"Reynaldo Talbot? That just so happens to be the guy I'm looking for. Do any of you know where I could find him?"
Kai and Conrad move to questioning the crowd about Talbot. The townsfolk seem all too eager to spread their good fortune and even better word of Talbot around.
"Talbot, the Savior has a miraculous means of transmuting damned thasteron into a higher selling fuel! Can you believe that? The miners started excavating thasteron again for Talbot to transmute, which has already given us more credits than we know what to do with. Most of us before didn't even have jobs. And now all this." The man raises his cup into the air and another cheer erupts.
Another man at the bar looks over to Conrad. "Talbots been hanging around the nearby thasteron mine. Helping out all he can."
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Looking around he spots three people that seem quit out of place around here. He turns to the bar and orders a mug of snakebite for himself and one for each of the other three.
As he delivers the mugs to the people he tries to strick up a conversation with them. "rough day out there today maybe these will help. Say you guys lokking for work of do u have a job already?"
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The man points Conrad in the right direction as he draws out a crude stripmap on a stained bar napkin and hands it to him. "Jest a couple of miles down the way."
***
Meanwhile Jed grabs a few pints of Snakebite #9 and sets out to the far southwest table of the conjoined common room of Digger’s Dive to strike up conversation with the out of place Shirren and Vesk bodyguards. All three wear dark armor trimmed in silver.
The Shirren looks and Jed curiously and waves for the Ysoki to have a seat. Opening a mental link to Jed be casually introduces himself.
The Shirren leans in closer.