"Fascinating! our ancestors used to venerate a great god of battle and conquest, but we do not see the need for religion during these current times, as the city provides for their every need!"
Perhaps ironically, the lights flicker again right during the word "need."
this old deity is likely a form of Damoritosh.
"With the mainframe, we have no need of gods either."
The Most Elevated explain that the Mainframe is the heart of the city, "constructed by our ancestors to provide continuous power and to house the many drones that cater to our whims." Unfortunately, they can’t say much more about the Mainframe, as it is taboo for ghibranis to enter the area of the city where it is housed apparently. They don’t seem very concerned by the implications.
The Most Elevated are happy to point out where the Mainframe resides and, after a moment of discussion among themselves, note that nothing in the tradition mentions anything about non-ghibranis entering the area.
As the meeting wraps up, Klarima informs you that while everyone was eating, she requested some drones convert a few ground-level warehouses into sleep quarters for you. She offers to lead you there so you can rest for the night and go to the mainframe in the morning.
Klarima shows you the way, and once at the makeshift quarters, offers you her membrane holdout pistol* to help with your expedition into the Mainframe. When you step inside, you see that the accomodations are spartan at best, but you must have made a good impression, as they have left you a gift! It's a dark blue metal crown embossed with silver thread that acts as a mk 1 mindlink circuit.
A membrane holdout pistol is a 3rd-level, laser small-arm ranged weapon that deals 1d6 fire damage and has the burn 1d6 critical hit effect. It has a range of 80 feet and holds 20 charges. It has L bulk.
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"Your ancestors obviously built something great. You are the benefactors of their hard work, but who maintains or repairs the mainframe and the systems it connects to?" Noble motions to the party "Among our party here you have several people very skilled in areas of engineering. Perhaps a knowledge share is possible."
Noble then, if given the opportunity will restart the discussion that Gideon had started earlier about the Starfinders, coming off world, etc. To give some more context to the visit.
"Repairs? Not sure what you mean. Things simply work until they don't." They seem genuinely confused at the idea that they would have to fix something.
Klarima stares at Noble-44's odd question for a while as she leads you to the mainframe.
The building housing the Mainframe is near the outskirts of Arkeost, on the opposite side of the city that you entered. The party can see an increased concentration of drones and other hovering robots in this neighborhood, though none seem to pay any attention to you. A large doorway leads into the structure and a ramp descends a bit into open garage-like space where thousands of drones are stored. Many are powered down and others are being repaired by other drones, leaving youto walk through patches of dead silence followed by stretches of frantic activity as you descended on curving ramps farther and farther below.
As you continue, you spot the several signs in Ghibrani that read “Taboo Area,” “Keep Out,” and other warnings with similarly grave images to accentuate the point. It is here that Klarima stops, "I can't go any further, but I will stay here and wait for you!"
Eventually, you reach a hallway that branches off from the garages. The hallway opens into a rectangular room of white plastic, a stark contrast to the smoky, grease-stained garages that led up to this place. Fans whir quietly overhead. Track lighting along the floor illuminates much of the chamber. Several white coveralls hang on the wall behind a bench to the north. A door leads to the east.
Spacey turns to ask, but your guide stopped a hundred meters ago...
While designed for ghibrani, Noble-44 is certain they'll fit the lot of you. They don't seem to have a specific need, but they are here for a reason...
Gideon doesn't find anything untoward about the door.
Noble, however, immediately stops Gideon. The door seems to be trapped, rigged to shock the hell out of anyone foolish enough to open it without a keycard...
Noble-44 makes quick work of the trapped door and then opens it to the room beyond.
Four pillars, each covered in glowing circuitry, break up the floor of this chamber. Though slightly out of date by modern Pact Worlds standards, the four power generators in between the pillars nevertheless hum with energy. The room is illuminated from below, and doors lead east and west.
A quartet of robots flit about the room, but seem to ignore you as you stand in the doorway.
You recognize their forms as a combination of husk and membrane physiology—thick shells but with winglike appendages...
The android steps into the room.
The machines inside quickly move to formation. All 4 speak in unison. The translator just a moment behind. "You are unauthorized. You have 5.95 seconds to withdraw before defensive measures are activated."
"Not you." And with that laconic exchange, laser fire erupts. Immediately though, two of the robots begin to spark in a way that can't be by design:
The closest two narrow their eyes and each shoots a laser from their eyes, aimed squarely at Noble-44:
for
for
The other two spark and smoke. Within seconds they're burned scrap metal, sparking and melting on the floor.
Round 1:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Go
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Go
Raia: Go
Gideon: Go
Not a helpful response, Raia notes amid the laser blasts. Would it be so hard for them to identify who is, rather than emphasizing who is not?
She moves to the other side of the door from Spacey, realizing this is her chance to off BUD-33 but thinking better of it an instant later. Instead, she sends one magic missile at each drone.
Raia splits her power. Each missile scores some minor burns on the robots.
Round 1:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Go
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Go
Raia: MM
Gideon: Go
Red: 3
Blue: 2
Bud's returned fire is close, but off target.
Round 1:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Go
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Miss
Raia: MM
Gideon: Go
Red: 3
Blue: 2
Noble's shot is dead on target. The robot sputters and sparks, but does not drop!
Round 1:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: BIG HIT
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Miss
Raia: MM
Gideon: Go
Red: 13
Blue: 2
Gideon's Hit is powerful, and yet the seemingly ancient robot isn't quite ready to break down yet.
Seeing how close to destruction it is, Spacey reaches with magic to telekinetically hurl some broken down robot parts at the more damaged foe.
for
It clatters to the ground as a malfunctioning mess!
The remaining robot still registers Noble as the biggest threat, and shoots another eye-laser: and hits for
Round 2:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Go
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Go
Raia: Go
Gideon: Go
Red: 18
Blue: 2
Bud-33 gives something akin to inspiration...
Round 2:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Go
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Envoy-fu
Raia: Go
Gideon: Go
Blue: 2
Thankfully the android maintains composer, scoring a solid hit on the remaining foe.
Round 2:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Hit
Spacey: Go
Bud-33: Envoy-fu
Raia: Go
Gideon: Go
Blue: 5
Spacey, on a roll, opts for the pistol before anyone closes: for
Round 2:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Hit
Spacey: Hit
Bud-33: Envoy-fu
Raia: Go
Gideon: Go
Blue: 6
Raia takes a full round to launch a trio of missiles this time!
Raia's push to make quick work of the robot requires a lot of magic, everything she's got. All three missiles slam into the robot, leaving a nearly destroyed, but still armed and operational, foe.
Round 2:
Robots: ATK
Noble-44: Hit
Spacey: Hit
Bud-33: Envoy-fu
Raia: MM
Gideon: Go
Blue: 16
Gideon's hammer makes short work of what's left.
Finally, the room is quiet. Quiet except for the hum of machines, occasionally a spark or beep interrupts the flow. One of the power sources continues to sputter.
The door to the east seems safe, and with nothing harrying you, it's easy to check, then open.
The temperature of this narrow room is a few degrees warmer than the previous chambers. Racks of computers line the walls, with tiny lights blinking and hard drives audibly whirring. A single terminal stands opposite the only door to the west, an input prompt flashing serenely.
The terminal seems to be stocked with data files...
Just over 300 years ago the ghibranis engaged in a brief but deadly nuclear war between several of its now forgotten nation states. Prior to their cataclysmic conflict, ghibranis paid their respects to an aspect of Damoritosh—a god of war most commonly worshipped by the vesk in modern times. This worship shaped the race into a strong coalition of militarized states, with religious servants of Damoritosh in key advisory positions. The war that destroyed most of the ghibrani race occurred only decades after the Gap, as the addled state of the world’s leaders in the Gap’s aftermath only exacerbating existing tensions.
A small percentage of ghibranis survived the devastation. A powerful force field spared the metropolis of Arkeost the brunt of the nuclear war, but subsequent radiation carried by shifting wind currents wracked the city. Many died, but a sizable population endured. The ghibrani leaders knew the city didn’t have sufficient resources to support all the survivors, so after much discussion, they purposefully engineered several additional minor disasters to trouble the populace. The leaders then seeded rumors that an angry Damoritosh was responsible for this “divine” punishment and devised the creation of a false deity—Mother Touloo—who promised salvation to those ghibranis who gave up the comforts of civilization. Agents planted within the populace spread this false religion, leading a sizeable contingent of ghibranis into the wastelands. Meanwhile, the leaders of Arkeost and their closest family and friends remained behind.
This includes several confessional vidclips recorded by the ghibranis who originally orchestrated the creation of Mother Touloo, photos of the planet as it was before the attack, and information on the orbital defense system.
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"This is potent," Gideon comments gravely as a sifts through the information BUD-33 has unlocked. "We must decide whether to inform the ghibrani--both subspecies. None alive today were responsible for this choice. Perhaps we can take these findings back to the Society for a later revelation, backed by off-planet resources and trade to bring this world up from its broken depths."