|
Ba'hob puts a way their weapons. With a small bow, "I am Ba'hob. I appreciate meeting you and your community. Though I am surprised of your understanding of our language. We were not aware of any previous contact with you and the Pact Worlds."
Ba'hob take a survey of the natives and their community.
Some of the izalguun hunters look at each other in apparent, conclusion, but Naarma remains still and continues looking at you, blinking slowly and deliberately. "...why are you here? If you are not with the researchers, what brought your Starfinder Society to Izalraan?"
|
"Well, our purpose here is twofold, you see. One, we really do want to make contact with local sentient peoples. We're explorers and seek friendly relations with new species.
"And I admit, we have a second purpose as well that led us specifically to this planet. We're in search of a relic. We've received some information that a relic from a place we called the Scoured Stars may have been brought to this planet.
"Many of our Starfinder friends and colleagues went exploring in the Scoured Stars and then mysteriously disappeared. We're hoping that if we can find the relic, it may give us a clue as to what happened to our fellow Starfinders.
"I'm sure you can understand that if members of your tribe or family disappeared, you'd do all you can to find them, right?
"Do you happen to know anything of the Scoured Stars or of a relic from there?"
At Arratoi's mention of the relic and the Scoured Stars, all ambient motion among the izalguun hunters stops, and they stand perfectly still, their furs collecting some of the snowfall. After a long pause, Naarma turns to her comrades, who make a long moment of eye contact, then she looks back to the ysoki. "Come with us."
...
Naarma leads you to a hilly clearing, the ground peppered with both temporary shelters and permanent ones resembling earthen ziggurats. Numerous izalguuns populate the camp, wielding primitive-looking tools and wearing animal furs to resist the cold. Many izalguuns attend to chores geared toward survival— boiling frozen vegetables, fletching arrows, stitching tents, tanning animal hides, and the like—but others sprint through the campground while throwing an aerodynamic plastic discus to each other.
Naarma ushers you into an underground chamber beneath one of the ziggurats, which is inexplicably heated and illuminated. In the center of the subterranean chamber, a sweaty, unconscious izalguun is bound to a stone slab. Naarma walks past the izalguun to a worktable fitted with numerous chemistry implements and medical tools, opening a cabinet to reveal rows of neatly organized canisters and syringes. She retrieves a mortar and pestle, and places a small plant inside, while simultaneously lighting a burner underneath a partially-filled glass beaker.
Naarma begins grinding the plant into pulp. "The scientists' plants are addictive. Or worse, rather. Something in them replaces protein receptors in Izalraan organisms' cells, preventing them from metabolizing proteins from local plants and making them dependent on the synthetic ones. Those megzoloths we fought in the woods were not just addicts; without these new plants, they were literally starving."
She pours some of the fluid from the pulverized plant into three small chambers in some kind of electrophoresis device, then flips a switch. The three pools begin to separate out by density along the channels in the gel. "They are also manipulating the weather somehow, probably with that tall tower that blocks the way into their base. We are overdue for spring in this area, and the prolonged winter is limiting natural plant growth and making the animals ornery."
She takes a pipette from a rack and extracts fluid from one of the cels in the gel, depositing it into the beaker, whose contents have been brought to boil. "I have isolated the dangerous protein and devised a long term treatment. But making the medicine is time consuming and a strain on our resources. I do not have enough supplies to treat all my people, and we do not know what animals we hunt or plants we harvest might be corrupted. I cannot keep pace with the scientists' output of dangerous plants, especially if they come up with some new affront to this ecosystem."
The fluid gradually changes color. Naarma shuts off the burner and uses a set of tongs to move the beaker to basin of chilled water, which hisses and steams as the hot beaker is introduced. She grabs a syringe, removes its protective casing, and extracts some of the fluid. She walks over to the unconscious izalguun and injects him. A couple minutes later, his breathing slows and his muscles relax. Naarma turns to you. "He will need this medicine for the rest of his life. It is possible any children he has will need it too."
Naarma slowly and deliberately cleans her workspace, then turns to you. "You came here seeking a relic. I know what you seek, and I know where it is hidden. But if you want to find it, you must help my people and my planet. Send these scientists home, before they cause any more lasting damage."
|
|
Ba'hob considers the whole situation.
Ba'hob telepathically sends to the party (assuming everyone is still willing)
"Note the specific placement of the buildings. It was done with intent for defense. And there are advanced polycrabons laced with in the rock and their equipment. Specifically to improve its function"
"That group over there are actually involved in some team sport. The rules seem fairly straight forward, but still a somewhat tactical game and skill building."
Ba'hob does not notice anything else of significance yet.
Although they do not say anything yet to Naarma, Ba'hob does not hide a sense of guilt and anger about the research station and their meddling in the local eco-system. He waits to see where the more talkative members take lead.
|
|
Arratoi will also telepathically convey via Ba'hob, "Also, the equipment in this lab of his is of the same technological sophistication as our own. These people are not some stone age primitives..."
Turning his attention back to Naarma, Arratoi says, "If what you say is true, then the damage caused by those scientists are an affront to all life on the planet. We are not unsympathetic to your circumstances but I do have a few questions.
"First, how is it that you know our language and have such a high level of technological and tactical sophistication? The scientists believed you incapable of communication and also to be very simple primitives. What's the story of your people?
"Secondly, without revealing its specific location, can you tell us if the relic we seek is on this planet and what it is?"
Turning now to speak with his teammates as much as Naarma, Arratoi then says, "Back at the scientist base, I bet the head of security and operations know how much damage their research is causing the planet, but I'm guessing the doctor doesn't realize the extent.
"If we can convey to the doctor the extent of damage their work is doing to the planet's indigenous life, I bet he would stop and in fact try to spend resources to assist Naarma in producing more medicine as well as help Naarma quantify the amount of damage already done.
"However, I'm not yet sure how we can get through to the doctor without having to resort to violence versus their security... Maybe find some way of secretly communicating Naarma's medical data to the doctor for him to see himself while avoiding other prying eyes?
"Any other questions or thoughts, my fellow Starfinders??"
Naarma remains silent as she finishes cleaning her workspace. She finally responds to Arratoi without looking at him. "It is not a story we want told. If you want to find the relic, remove the scientists from our home. You may rest in our camp and make any preparations you need. Our people are friendly, but please respect their privacy."
She walks over to a floor-level cabinet and opens it, taking out two tactical knives and three mk 1 thermal capacitor armor upgrades. She walks over to your group and presents them to you. "A thank-you for helping our hunters with the megzoloths. I suspect you will need them to deal with the winged one."
|
set 1:
set 2:
Looking around Gunnz adds "This almost looks like the Pegasus's sickbay... with a few modifiction.."
She shakes her head "What winged ones?" she says, having missed bits of the coversations as she takes in that the whole place maybe a disguised spaceship.
[oopc]Sorry, running late for getting kids off to school, but wanted to get a post in.[/ooc]
|
|
"So... you want us to go back, convince the lead scientist that they are harming the local fauna with their ever-winter and the flora with their drug?" checks Gunnz.
"My understanding was that their cold didn't extend very far from the compound and was highly localised. Can the animals not just migrate away?"
|
Rocket looks at the knife offered him and thinks about the big though guy with wings that this is supposedly needed to deal with
"Thanks....I'm sure this will be of use"
"..when he's picking pieces of my flesh from underneath his fingernails.."
"Anyone happen to have a spare gun which doesn't fire lasers that I could borrow in case this knife isn't up to the task? The bigger the better."
Rocket looks at the others
"So..are we going to ask the base nicely to stop? Or try to scare them away?"
|
|
Ba'hob nods. "I doubt simple talking will be enough. Their interests do not lie with the planet itself. However, making staying here a greater expense the expect return on investment can cause their backers to remove themselves and take what they have learned with the sunk costs."
"I would also like to prevent any unnecessary costs from either side." Ba'hob sets his arc pistol to stun. "Given the current condition of their tower, I doubt they have any resources available to replace it. It is already in a strained condition. I suspect it would take little effort to overload it completely and damage it enough that the balance would recommend ceasing current operations and returning to corporate with the current data"
"Might I suggest using the megzoloths to cause a distraction for the guards at the tower, while a few of us sneak in to commit an act of unmitigated expense?"
|
|
"Oh?" says Gunnz. "I didn't notice anything about their machine straining. I mean it make a racket and all. But I guess if the planet is warming up their cold device will have to work harder..."
She thinks. "I wonder if they could be convinced to take their research off planet, if this planets natural warming is going to cause them further problems."
Naarma responds to Gunnz's question first. "Localized climate manipulation is difficult, not attainable by the device the scientists are using. They may think their actions are harmless, but the consequences of their interference reach farther than they comprehend." She then turns to Ba'hob. "If you have a report with the lead scientist, that leverage might be more expedient than provoking any more wildlife toward the station."
She listens to I-5's question, but merely falls silent.
|
|
Ba'hob nods in agreement with Naarma. "This true. Maybe convincing them that their current operational costs will get more significant soon will help them consider the proper course of action with out the need of any material damages on the part of either party. However, It is still a good contingency plan to help them realize any additional unforseen costs."
|
|
"So the options I'm hearing are one, we sabotage their weather machine then try to convince them it's not worth repairing so they'll pack up and go away...
"Or two, appeal to the doctor with information about all the damage they are causing then fight off their security because security knows they're a front for Frozen Trove and they won't stand for shutting down even if the doctor orders it.
"Did I miss a third option?"
|
|
"I can be pretty sneaky if push comes to shove.." admits Gunnz.
"If you could suggest a way I could sabotage the machine... preferably without it being obvious sabotage... I could maybe sneak in and do that. It would certainly help with trying to convince the dr that this planet is not the best place for her research."
|
|
"The two problems I see with option one is first, if we get caught, we alienate the doctor and the whole research station will be against us, which doesn't bode well since they have our ship.
"Second, even if we're successful, they're backed by Frozen Trove - a corp with deep pockets. Maybe they'll just shrug their shoulders and fund a new weather machine.
"The problem with option two, I believe, is that we're guaranteed to get into a violent encounter with the security and ops guys. But at least the doctor will likely be on our side."
Prepared to confront Dr. Monsylkis on the izalguuns' behalf, you return to the Winterharvest camp. As you approach the scaffold tower, one of the rhyphorian guards spots you and waves to you, then starts circling his arms in a beckoning motion. As you approach the walls, he shouts down from over the racket. "Starfinders! Dr. Monsylkis went off campus looking for you, she wanted to talk about your ship! She said you should come wait in here until she gets back!"
|
|
Arratoi says quietly to the party, "Well, that seems suspicious..."
Arratoi listens to the guard's tone of voice and examines his body language, trying to determine if there's anything untoward going on...
Arratoi yells back in response, "Did the good doctor wander off alone or with some guards? Any idea which way he went??? It's not exactly safe out here off campus!"
"Uh, she just went out. She'll be back soon, just come inside and wait for her here."
|
|
Ba'hob also attempts to get a read on the guards intentions.
Keeping an eye on the guards, and with them distracted with talking to the rest of the party, Ba'hob slowly pulls out his static arc pistol. Without looking sets it to "stun", then quietly moves to a position to get a bead on one of the other guards within 50 ft.
Round 6
The far guard hustles along the wall toward you and takes a shot at I-5, narrowly missing the android's shoulder.
[
Rocket
Ba'hob
Arratoi
Red guard
I-5
Blue guard
Delea
Gunnz
Green guard