Opening the gameplay thread. Dot here.
Dotting in.
Doot.
Dot!
Dot.
Dot. Profile is updated.
"Please remove the induction headset," the cool feminine voice instructed, "and hang it on the wall mount to your left. Thank you for participating in our virtual examination. When you are ready, exit the chamber." The lights come on and you find yourself once again in the small bare room, unadorned besides the comfortable chair that seemed to fit you precisely and the headset that hung on the wall that now sits on your head.
Earlier, you arrived at the Lorespire Complex. The building seemed mostly deserted, and a single security robot manned the lobby. The reception terminal was automated and greeted you by name. It spat out a small flexi "visitor's pass" and instructed you to follow the directions on the pass; a small light appeared on the pass and indicated what direction you should go.
As you walked through the building, you noted that most of the offices were empty, and the only people you saw were a few scattered staff that looked rather harried, and a few cleaning robots. They paid no attention to you as you walked by. More robots could be seen loading up office furniture and equipment onto pallets for transport. What the hell is going on? you thought. I came here for a job, but it looks like the whole place is going out of business. Eventually the directions provided by the flexi brought you to a larger room with a dozen doors off to one side. One of those doors lit up.
"Greetings," said the same feminine voice, "and thank you for your interest in the Starfinder Society. Please enter the door to your left that is lit. Inside is equipment that will allow you to take our entrance examination. This examination is administered in an artificial virtual reality environment, and will test a variety of skills and abilities to determine if you are qualified to join the Society. Take a seat inside and put on the headset, and your examination will begin shortly. The examination will take several hours so make sure you are seated comfortably."
You entered the small chamber, sat down, and put the headset on. The room disappeared and you found yourself in a rocky badlands where a distant battle was taking place. What then followed were a variety of tests assessing a variety of your abilities; pyhicical and mental, combat and technical, knowledge and instinct. Always some urgent crisis prompted you to use these abilities to survive and prevail. Each new scenario seemed more difficult than the last, and in a new environment. The first was in the wilderness, the second was in the tunnels under some huge city; the third was on board a starship, and the last was at a fancy fundraising gala. Then the simulation ended, and now you find youself in the small chamber again. You had seen virtual reality before, but whoever programmed this must have been paid well.
You get up and hang the headset back on the wall, and emerge from the small chamber. To your surprise, eight others also emerge from the small doors to either side of you. They are of a variety of species and carry a host of unusual equipment. You look each other over as you stand in the room waiting.
You don't wait long. "Would the following applicants exit the door to your left:" says the feminine voice.
"Iolas."
"Rising Dawn."
"Stell Zee-Linn."
"Thuldas."
"Wint."
"If your name was not called, I regret to inform you that your examination scores were not high enough to qualify you for membership in the Starfinder Society. Please exit the door to your right. If you wish to reapply you may do so after a period of three months. Thank you for your interest."
The five of you file out the door to the left, and find yourself in a modest-sized lounge. The furniture is comfortable and a bar stands in the corner with an autoserver prepared to dispense refreshments. A huge electronic console dominates one wall. You look over the others...
An attractive woman stands beside the bar, waiting as the autoserver pours wine into five glasses. She has pale skin and long, reddish-blonde hair, and she wears the blue-and-gold robes of a priest of Sarenrae. A few lines of faintly glowing circuitry tattoos adorn her hands and face, revealing her true nature as an android.
Once the drinks are ready, she makes her way around the room and hands one to each of you. "I understand it is customary to share in alcoholic libations to celebrate an accomplishment. I am grateful to have successfully completed the entrance exam, and that all of you were able to do so as well. My name is Rising Dawn. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances."
"Woo hoo. I made it. I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!. I'm a Starfinder now!!!!".
The creature jumping up and down with excitement is a little under a metre tall, has 3 pairs of arms and is covered in dark blue fur that looks incredibly silky and soft. He speaks in a high pitched voice with an accent that is hard to place.
Although numerous sharp teeth protrude from his jaw and he is wearing no less than two holstered pistols AND a tactical baton he doesn't seem at all menacing. The fact that he is wearing Second Skin shows that he is reasonably well off. Beyond a harness on which various pieces of equipment are strapped he is not wearing any clothing.
He visibly makes an effort and calms himself down.
"Sorry. My name is WWwwwwwwwiiiiiiiinnnnnnntttttttt. Wint. I'm REALLY, REALLY happy to meet all of you.
I've never seen an Android who worshipped a God before. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Just never seen it. Should I convert to your religion?
Yes please, I'd love a drink. But maybe I'd better make it a small one. I've been told that I'm a lightweight. Not sure exactly what that means but I think that maybe I should just have a small drink.
So, Rising Dawn. Are you in charge here?"
Rising Dawn takes a step back as the surge of enthusiasm from the furry creature washes over her. Fortunately, he calms himself down, and the android regains her composure.
"I've never seen an Android who worshipped a God before. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Just never seen it. Should I convert to your religion?"
"There are many things I have never seen before as well. That doesn't mean they do not exist." She smiles at the skittermander as she hands him the smallest of the glasses. "I cannot answer that question for you. You must go where your heart and mind take you. Perhaps that will lead you to the Dawnflower, perhaps now."
"So, Rising Dawn. Are you in charge here?"
"No, I am not. I am a new recruit, the same as you. I assume a figure of authority will make themselves known soon."
A young dwarf is the next to accept a glass from the android, clearly uncertain as whether to appear excited or stoic about his recent qualification. His clothes are well-worn but exceedingly sturdy, with a reddish hue seemingly ground into the fabric. From a broad belt hang a variety of tools and kit, and some sort of small computer is strapped to the palm of his left hand, with wires trailing to yet smaller units fastened to the knuckles and tips of some of his fingers. A collection of pulsing gemstones and the faintest hint of runes suspended in the air between his fingers suggests this device is more than purely technological in its construction. Next to the dwarf sits a rugged sack as wide and nearly as tall as he is, which clanks loudly whenever it is jostled.
“Thanks”, he says as he takes the glass from Dawn, sniffing it with just a hint of trepidation, “This’s all real excitin’. Ya know, as a kid, I always hoped t’ become a Starfinder, someday, but I never really thought I’d make it.”
He sips and the wine and seems surprised at the taste.
“Oh, ah, and me. Th’ name’s Thuldas. I’m from Akiton. First time on the Station. Is the whole place this… shiny?” he adds, vaguely gesturing to the room as a whole.
A small nuar man, well small for a nuar at seven feet tall, lumbers over to the bar. His white fur is contrasted by his long dark horns and grease-stained engineers coveralls. A large artillery laser hangs off his back along with a combat knife and engineer's kit at his belt. He stares at the drinks on offer before shrugging and heavily sitting down in a comfortable chair. He sits for a few seconds before it fully dawns on him there are others in the room. "Forgive my manners," he says in a deep rumbling voice while walking to the others, "I'm Iolas. Might know me as Skid if you're from the Spike. I'm...I'm pleased to meet you all." He's interrupted by an electronic voice, "Hostility levels low. Are you sure you want to initiate combat tracking?" If nuar could blush, Iolas certainly would've. He says somewhat abashedly, "Assisto-tron, off! Agh. My AI assistant still has some bugs. It seems to enter combat mode at random. I...I should've troubleshot it more. Anyway, it's good to meet you all." He extends a large four-fingered hand for whoever will shake it.
“Oh, ah, and me. Th’ name’s Thuldas. I’m from Akiton. First time on the Station. Is the whole place this… shiny?”
"No," says Rising Dawn. "Many portions of Absalom Station are decidedly less polished than this room."
She holds out her hand to shake Iolas' much larger one. "It is nice to meet you, as well. I hope you are able to work the bugs out of your assistant soon."
"Assisto-tron, off! Agh. My AI assistant still has some bugs.
"Ooph, I've run inna some dodgy AIs in my time. I remember this one occasion when I 'ad t' convince a tunnel borin' machine it t'weren't a vacuum cleaner!"
Thuldas stares down into his drink, his mirthful face briefly somber. "Not m' favorite day ever, I must say."
He looks up at the nuar, his grin back in place. "But y' look like a resourceful fella! I'm sure you'll iron out the odd proclivities of y' headbot b'fore we need to resort to, ah, 'percussive maintenance'."
"A tunneling machine thinking it was a vacuum. I´d love to hear that story someday. I can bet it won´t be boring," Iolas chuckles slightly before continuing, "I did some work on a ship where the onboard AI had been combined with the code for an industrial paint mixer. Tough getting on the ship, kept on spinning. Thuldas, you said you´re from Akiton? I have some kin there, scrappers near Maro."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know much about machines. But I do have a vacuum cleaner if that would help at all?"
Its pretty obvious that Wint hasn't been following the entire conversation, at least not completely.
"Akiton. I've never been there. In fact, the only place that I've been in this entire system is here on the station. Lots of strange people here but I've never seen another <unpronounceable>"
"Maro's a helluva town," Thuldas says with a wry grin, "I'm a trencher, born'n'bred. My folks got a repair shop right on th' lip, so we got all sorts comin' off the plains."
Thuldas looks down at Wint, pointing a thick finger at the Skittermander. "Free vacuum maint'nance tip for ya. If it ever needs a new bearing, don't take it t' an over-creative young dwarf wi' a penchant fer spellary!" With this, Thuldas raises his left hand and lightly clicks the tips of his computer-clad fingers together, sending faint sparks of technomanctic energy into the air. "It'll be a learnin' opportunity, but not fer you."
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"Oh, I'm sure the person was very glad to help you learn. Losing a vacuum cleaner is a very small price to pay if it teaches somebody a valuable lesson!!"
A short human woman walks in a little behind everyone else, since she stopped to jot something down in a notebook before entering the room. She has strawberry blonde hair (a little bushy and secured in a ponytail), a pleasant face (green eyes, a few freckles, fair complexion), and a trim figure. She wears a jumpsuit of a sort often worn by travelers over a Second Skin suit. On her back is a light pack with an extra sheath that contains what at first looks like an odd weapon, but on closer examination contains a synth-violin. The pack has patches suggesting she has been to quite a few Pact Worlds.
She looks emotionally exhausted but has a slightly goofy grin on her face as she strides in to see who else made the cut. She observes the others talking for a short while before introducing herself.
"Hello, fellow Starfinders!" the young woman says, sounding very self-satisfied. "My name's Stell. I'm pleased to meet you all." She accepts the proffered drink and sips it cautiously.
"That was some test, hey? I barely made it through the combat and survival parts. My dad taught me to shoot," she slaps a semi-automatic pistol attached to her backpack, "but I think what I learned from my mom put me over the top. She was very good at reading people and could usually get what she wanted either by making friends, lying, or acting real scary."
She sips her wine and sits down, staring at the streams of bubbles rising in the amber liquid.
Mentioning her parents seems deflate most of the cheer out of her. She's trying not to show it, but Stell is sad about something, as if she is grieving.
As the group gets comfortable, a green holographic image of a middle-aged human woman shimmers into view in front of the electronics console that dominates one wall.
“Greetings,” it says. The feminine voice is the same voice you have heard throughout your visit, though this is the first time a face has been presented to match the voice.
“I am Guidance. Congratulations for completing our entrance exam. We are pleased to offer you a position within the Starfinder Society. All relevant contracts have already been sent to you when you first applied. Should you wish to accept this offer of membership, please use the cheek swabs in the open receptacle to provide a genetic sample for Starfinder Society identification purposes. This constitutes acceptance of the offer of membership. If desired, you may place your hand on the glowing panel to receive a subdermal implant further marking you as a member of the Society.”
Two panels open on the console wall. One contains a set of swabs and a receptacle to place them in, while the other contains a panel with a glowing hand shaped outline.
SYSTEM: Hand
This implant rests underneath the skin of the palm of one hand, or at the end of a tentacle or similar appendage in species that lack hands. The augmentation can be activated or deactivated mentally as a swift action. Activating the implant causes a rendition of the Starfinder Society’s symbol to glow underneath the skin. This augmentation acts as a mark, letting others know you are a member of the Starfinder Society. It also increases the light level within 5 feet by one step while active.
As the group lines up to access the panels, the hologram continues speaking.
“It is our pleasure to officially welcome you into the Starfinder Society. Today is the commencement of your new role as a Starfinder field agent. It is our tradition, at the end of the graduation ceremony, for new graduates to present themselves to the heads of our most prominent factions and complete a task at those leaders’ behest. This allows the leaders of these groups to become familiar with all new Starfinder agents, and it provides a constant supply of agents for handling situations in our holdings on Absalom Station. While these tasks were formerly symbolic, the heavy loss of Starfinder agents in the Scoured Stars necessitates that these missions become something more. Please treat any tasks given with the gravity you would grant any other Starfinder assignment.”
“If there are any questions I will be happy to answer them.”
The hologram looks at the group expectantly.
Stell rises when the voice activates and listens intently, a serious look on her face. Her hand goes to her face to wipe something off her cheek and she moves toward the stations as if participating in a solemn religious ritual. She swabs inside her cheek and deposits the instrument in the receptacle.
She looks over the holograph explaining the implant and watches a short tri-deo of what it looks like when activated. She rests her hand on the mold and flinches slightly as the implant process begins.
She steps away from the station and holds her hand in front of her face. A moment later the emblem glows. She leaves it on for a while, glancing at it frequently. She says nothing throughout and remains silent while others follow the same steps.
When questions are encouraged, she is thoughtful but says nothing immediately.
Thuldas rises without hesitation and arrives second, behind Stell. After swabbing his cheek and matter-of-factly placing sample in its receptacle, he watches the same demo as Stell, and continues to watch as she rests her hand on the mold and receives the implant. As she activates her new graft, he studies her face briefly, then quickly slips his computer off of his left hand just enough to place it on the mold, grunting softly as the implant is injected under his skin.
After verifying the functionality of his new augmentation, Thuldas slips his computer back over his palm and straps it down tight. Turning to Stell, he grins and extends his right hand, saying "looks like we're teammates now, eh? Fancy glowin' hands an' the lot. Spiffy!"
When questions are encouraged, Thuldas steps forward.
"Guidance, what is th' current personnel status o' th' Society, as is pert'nent t' new recruits? Seems a bit short-staffed 'round here."
Wint waits until all the others who want the insignia go first, and then steps up and swabs his cheek and deposits it and then puts his hand in the space provided.
He then immediately tries to activate the insignia, quite curious to see how well it can be seen under his fur. Satisfied that it can be seen, he smiles and relaxes.
He then asks guidance
"You're the leader of the Society? After we finish this Commencement, who replaces you as the Leader? I'm assuming that you're just the leader for commencing us recruits, right?"
"Guidance, what is th' current personnel status o' th' Society, as is pert'nent t' new recruits? Seems a bit short-staffed 'round here."
"You are correct in your assessment," says the hologram placidly. "Recently the society launched a major expedition to a star cluster known as the Scoured Stars. This expedition took with it the vast majority of Starfinder field agents and starships, and was led by the First Speaker himself."
"Some unforeseen event which we do not yet understand created a barrier around the scoured stars after the expedition arrived. Since then, no drift travel has been possible into or out of the cluster. As a result we have lost all communications with the expedition, and they have not returned. We do not know what has happened to the expedition, and it is possible that they are perfectly unharmed and simply unable to return."
"As a result, the Starfinder Society finds itself short of field agents at this time. We have initiated an aggressive recruiting drive in which you are a part. We have also retrained many administrative staff to act as field agents in the meantime. Though the Society has lost much of its personnel, it's financial resources remain strong, so we anticipate that we will be able to rebuild our complement of field agents given time."
"You're the leader of the Society? After we finish this Commencement, who replaces you as the Leader? I'm assuming that you're just the leader for commencing us recruits, right?"
"I am not the leader of the society. I am an artificial personality created to administrate the Society's network resources and provide assistance to the society's agents."
"The title of the Leader of the Starfinder society is 'First Speaker.' The current First Speaker is a former field agent by the name of Luwazi Elsebo."
Rising Dawn exchanges pleasantries with Stell when she introduces herself.
After Guidance speaks, the android follows the others' example, swabbing her cheek and then holding her hand out for the implant. She seems unperturbed by the augmentation.
"Guidance, can you tell us more about the factions and their leaders?" she asks.
"Guidance, can you tell us more about the factions and their leaders?" she asks.
"I would be happy to," the hologram says as it smiles.
"The term faction is perhaps unfortunate, since it implies a competitiveness where none actually exists. Were the Starfinder Society a typical corporation, the factions would probably be called 'divisions' or 'departments.' But because the Society has a much more loose structure, the term 'faction' persists."
"The Society has many goals, and as a result it is possible that none of those goals would receive the attention they need if everyone were trying to fulfill all those goals at once. Thus, some members of the Society Leadership have decided to specialize and focus on specific goals, leaving the other goals to other groups. This is more efficient. Each Faction therefore represents specific goals of the Society and concentrates on achieving those goals. Understand that there is no obligation for field agents to join any of these factions, and assignments can come from any faction."
In alphabetical order, the first faction is the '.' The Acquisitives seek to improve the financial and economic position of the Society. The Society is funded partly through donations but primarily through the sale and licencing of its various discoveries. The Acquisitives seek to find ways to monetize these discoveries and to pursue exploration which has a good chance of turning a profit. They also seek to enhance the fame and reputation of the Society, since these things affect the value of the Starfinder Society brand."
"The leader of this faction is a Vesk male by the name of Radaszam. He often is referred to colloquially as 'The Dealmaker.'"
The second faction is the '.' The Dataphiles seek above all to expand the body of knowledge within the Starfinder Archives. While Starfinder expeditions go out and make discoveries directly, it is often the case that information pertaining to these discoveries has already been uncovered by someone else and has been kept secret. The dataphiles seek to uncover such knowledge within other organizations here in the Pact Worlds and elsewhere."
"The leader of this faction is a female Android that goes by the name of Historia-7."
The third faction is the '.' The Exo-Guardians seek to use the resources of the Starfinder Society to aid in the defense of the Pact Worlds themselves. While the Starfinder Society earns a profit, its goals are inherently altruistic and beneficial to the Pact Worlds. The Exo-Guardians interpret this by focusing on discoveries that can assist in the defense of the pact worlds, such as technology that can be used by military forces, or intelligence about potential enemies of the Pact Worlds. Though the Stafinder Society is not an arm of the government, thanks to the work of the Exo-Guardians we have a good working relationship with the Pact Worlds government."
"The leader of this faction is a Shirren that goes by the name of Zigvigix."
The fourth faction is the '.' The Wayfinders concentrate on the primary mandate of the Society, which is exploration. The Wayfinders recognize that the greatest discoveries of the Society come through exploration and understand that despite recent setbacks this exploration must continue; this exploration for its own sake guarantees the Starfinder Society's place as an independent and neutral agency, and without it the Starfinder Society would inevitably become just another corporation."
"The leader of this faction is an Ysoki female by the name of Fitch."
"There is a fifth group that refer to themselves as the '.' Since every new First Seeker embarks on a project to establish their legacy, the Second Seekers are a group which hopes to assist the First Seeker in their personal goal. But since the goals change with every new First Seeker, so does membership in this group. And the group has no official leader since they answer to the First Seeker directly. As such they cannot be called a 'faction' in the sense that the others are."
"I hope that satisfies your curiosity. Are there any other questions?"
The hologram looks around the room expectantly.
Rising Dawn listens attentively to Guidance's descriptions. Once the AI has finished, she bows her head.
"Thank you, Guidance. I have no further questions to ask." The android looks to her companions. "I have no preference as to which faction we assist first."
When Guidance begins to explain about the Scoured Stars incident, Stell's eyes begin to brim with tears. She wipes them way and blows her nose as descreetly as she can, but can't really hide the fact that she is crying.
She keeps her composure as the factions are described and seems to have her emotions under control by the time Guidance asks for other questions. "If we wish to join a faction, do we contact the leader you mentioned? I'd like to join the Wayfinders, please."
Rising Dawn senses the sadness coming from Stell. She glances over to see the woman wiping away tears. Stepping closer, the mystic puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright? If you wish to talk about the cause of your sorrow, I am willing to listen and attempt to provide solace," she says softly.
Unaware of Stell's compromised emotions, Thuldas looks about the room. Explorin' is why I applied. Unless anyone's got any strong objections, I'd be most in'erested in chattin' with th' Wayfinders, as well."
"Guidance", he says, turning back to the hologram in front of the console, "Ya got any tips o' tricks for new Starfinders that are less'n keen t' get mulched b'fore their first paycheck?" He turns to whomever is standing near to him and grins slightly, whispering, "Ya always gotta see how far you can push these AI b'fore they stumble."
Wint finds the descriptions of the factions totally and utterly incomprehensible. It makes absolutely no sense to him at all.
He puts that all aside as irrelevant.
He nods towards Stell
"Yes, you're right. We should all join the Wayfinders. And all the rest as well, of course. We should help everybody!"
"Would you like a cookie Stell? It will make you feel a little better. I've got Oatmeal with chocolate chips or peanut better and rasberry"
Iolas swabs the inside of his cheek and extends his hand. He smiles at the implant and says, "A new cybernetic. Cool!" Once Guidance has finished speaking about the factions he pipes up, "I would be interested in speaking to the Wayfinders. Fitch, their leader, was to one who recruited me to the Starfinders in the first place. It would be good to speak to her again. I'm glad the rest of you want to as well."
Stell's face begins to light up a bit with the offer of a cookie, a gentle touch, and a listening ear. She brushes back another tear and takes a cookie. "Thank you. I'll be all right. It's just ... my parents ... they were ... are Starfinders. They were on the Scoured Stars mission. It's why I interrupted my music career. I want to help ... to do what they were doing." She pauses to eat the rest of her cookie. "Good cookies! Mom always said they were the antidote to every bad thing." Remembering her mother seems to bring on another rush of strong emotion, so she shuts up.
Eventually she asks, "Guidance, has the memorial to those on the Scoured Stars mission been completed yet?"
"I understand. They weren't my parents but I had some VERY good friends on that mission. The crew of The Forethought. I miss them.
Lets not give up hope though. Its quite possible that your parents and my former crew mates are alive."
With that, Wint also eats a couple of cookies.
"If we wish to join a faction, do we contact the leader you mentioned? I'd like to join the Wayfinders, please."
"As I said earlier, membership in a faction is not a requirement, as assignments will come from all faction leaders as well as other leaders within the society. Membership in these factions is informal, so speaking to the leader directly is a good way of doing that."
"Guidance", he says, turning back to the hologram in front of the console, "Ya got any tips o' tricks for new Starfinders that are less'n keen t' get mulched b'fore their first paycheck?"
"If, by 'mulched' you mean harmed or killed, I can offer you a few pointers, though your examination has proven that you have the necessary skills to function as a field agent generally."
"Firstly, you are a team, and teamwork is a great asset. The Starfinder society doesn't send individual agents on assignments for a reason. Be aware of the abilities of your team and work together to achieve goals."
"Secondly, it is useful to keep a stock of supplies, particularly medical supplies, in case of energencies. Things like serums of healing and medpatches can be life savers."
"Guidance, has the memorial to those on the Scoured Stars mission been completed yet?"
"It has only been 81 standard days since the incident was first detected. While we do not know the fate of those beyond the barrier around the Scoured Stars, there is no particular reason to believe they have specifically come to harm, though it is certainly possible. We simply have no data. Right now the operations of the Society are based on the premise that the expedition is simply trapped and in need of our assistance. The current First Seeker's primary agenda is to investigate the incident to try and find not only the cause but also a way to penetrate or bypass the barrier."
"As such, she considers a memorial to be premature. Construction has therefore not yet begun."
"Are there any other questions?"
"Nope, no questions. We go and talk to the faction leaders and they tell us what to do. Oh, one question. Where can we find them?"
Stell's mood improves with the encouragement of her peers and with the optimism of Guidance that the lost Starfinders might yet be found.
"Do we have an assignment right now? Or do we wait for notification that we have a mission? If we have to wait, I suggest we find a place to celebrate." She pulls out her violin and checks the tuning, then waits to see if Guidance has any further instructions.
"Do we have an assignment right now?"
"Each of the faction leaders has an assignment for you, but you must visit each one in person to receive your assignment. There may be time to undertake some activities beforehand but I would not wait for too long. Assignments are usually time-sensitive."
"Nope, no questions. We go and talk to the faction leaders and they tell us what to do. Oh, one question. Where can we find them?"
"Radaszam can be found at his office in the Nyori Palisades, in the central part of the station. He runs a company called 'Obsidian Spiders' and the office is under that name."
"Historia-7 has an office here in the Lorespire Complex, in the Archives compound."
"Zigvigix does not maintain an office, and resides in the Downlow district. He will likely prefer to meet you somewhere other than, but nearby his residence, so I will provide you with his comm code."
"The headquarters of the Wayfinder faction is on a starship called Master of Stars which is a part of the armada in orbit around Absalom Station. Contact Fitch at his comm code and he will send a shuttle to transport you there."
"I am now sending you a file with precise locations for Radaszam and Historia-7 and comm codes for Zigvigix and Fitch."
"It is up to you in what order you wish to contact these leaders. They are expecting to hear from you."
"If there are no further questions, then I will wish you good luck! Contact me after all four assignments are done, or earlier if you have more questions."
"Thank you, Guidance," Rising Dawn says to the AI. She turns to her companions. "Since many of you are eager to seek out the Wayfinders, we should contact Fitch and arrange transport to the Master of Stars."
"...we should contact Fitch and arrange transport to the Master of Stars."
"Aye, I think that's a good idea. We'll start out in th' Armada, and work our way back to the 'Spire. Now, if we're fixin' to go galavantin' about space..."
Thuldas walks to his over-sized sack, and starts pulling out various sections of plate armor, sounding an array of clanks and clatters.
"...I had best get dressed for th' journey!"
A series of grunts and bitten-off epithets sound from the dwarf as he struggles into his armor.
"While I fight th' noble fight here, would one o' ya give th' Master of Stars a ring and let 'em know we're on our way?"
"I'll do that!"
Wint quickly accesses the datapad in his armour and calls Fitch
"Hello there Pathfinder Faction Leader Fitch. This is Wint here. I'm one of the new recruits!!!. We're supposed to come do a job for you!!. I'm SO looking forward to helping you.
Here is a group picture of us so you'll know us!!
Oh, could you possibly send a shuttle for us? And tell us where to go?"
"I guess bar hopping will have to wait," Stell quips, returning her violin to its sheath.
Stell only needs a moment to change into her travel clothes and attach her weapons: a semi-auto pistol, a needler pistol, and a survival knife. While she waits for Thuldas to get ready, she sneaks a look at her reflection in a large window.
She rocks back and forth as if to music only she can hear, a smile on her face.
"I'm glad to get a change to be on the Master of Stars. I might be able to show you all the battery of mass drivers that I helped fix. What I'd give to have a mass driver like that."
"It is very, very impressive that you helped to fix a mass driver. You must be truly skilled to have been allowed to help on such work"
"Hmm. What the heck is a mass driver? Something that drives masses? Or a ceremony that drivers go to? Have to look it up when its convenient"
Wint quickly accesses the datapad in his armour and calls Fitch
"Hello there Pathfinder Faction Leader Fitch. This is Wint here. I'm one of the new recruits!!!. We're supposed to come do a job for you!!. I'm SO looking forward to helping you.
Here is a group picture of us so you'll know us!!
Oh, could you possibly send a shuttle for us? And tell us where to go?"
A small white Ysoki appears on the comm screen.
"What? Oh, hello. Yes. Right, um... yes, I can send a shuttle shortly."
"The docking bays are all around the rim. You'll need to take a tram to Docking Bay A-37. Should be about 45 minutes. I'll tell the pilot to wait for you. But don't take too long. Let me know if you can't make it."