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A slightly inebriated middle aged (or maybe he just looks middle aged) human wanders in.
Ha-ha-heya, is this where the party is? I just finished off my Commencement and I was told there was a big party. Wh-ere are the drinks. The man wears a black leather jacket and has a stupid grin on his face.
Ladies, the name's Gary...King of the Humans!
And I'm ready to Parrtay! Hey did I hear Strawberry Machine Cake was going to be here. I love that one they do, at least I think it's them.
He starts to sing, a bit off key. I'm free to do what I want any old time.
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Gunnz points to the vid screen
"Looks to me like we're going to be out on a Recovery mission for something that's gone missing."
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A masked elf dressed in rugged travelers clothes, already sitting in the corner of the briefing room, chuckles a little as the drunken human wanders in, his voice echoing through the material that covers his face. Auburn hair is splashed with grey but he seems lively enough.
"I haven't decided yet if I'm taking my Commencement, but if they serve drinks afterward, well I might be a little more in favor." He stands and nods to each of the others that have already arrived. "I struggle to understand all the clamour about Strawberry Machine Cake, but considering all the money they make Abadarcorp, I can't imagine how important this artifact must be. Hopefully Arvin arrives soon with more information. Rude to keep an old man waiting." He chuckles again to himself.
"You can call me Tech by the way. I specialize in machine repair but occasionally I disable things too." He points his chin towards the rifles slung across his back. "Last resort of course."
Purchases I'd like to make before we start:
Pulsecaster Rifle - 100 Creds
Data Jack (Standard) - 625
Serum of Healing x6 - 300
Battery - 60
Total: 1085
2335
- 1085
__________
1250 Creds Remaining
Also:
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A well armed Kasatha wearing an armored version of the traditional face mask that does not look very different from Tech's oddly enough, sits rigidly in the briefing room.
This seems like a serious endeavour. Perhaps it would be good if we all paid attention to it rather than speaking of intoxicants.
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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"What can you tell us of Talbot, his skills, his history, and what he looks like? Also Maro - do we have any contacts there, and what do we know of the place?" asks Gunnz.
"Am I allowed to carry openly, or do we need to keep weapons concealed? What does this artifact looklike and do? Is it likely to be used against us? Lastly, Talbot himself... " she leaves the question hanging with a menacing air to it.
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Right as the Venture Captain enters, Gary notices Markar after his remark. Oh hello there, I like your mask too, Mate!
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Upon entering Arvin's office, Gary gets way too comfortable to a short meeting, sitting in the chair backward and then tipping it forward.
Yeah I would also like to know about this City of Maro, do they have any decent watering holes there? He asks rather seriously. Then sits back and grins at Gunnz after her long list of questions. I'm glad we have her along. He thinks.
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Gunnz slips from the room, unnoticed. What is noticed is a large Vesk swaggering in. This one wears heavy armor, has a pistol at its side and wields a hefty looking battle staff in its hands.
The voice is not what you would expect however - well articulated and quite precise in it's works.
"I am Compucast. And I understand you are looking for someone. I can help."
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A human walks into the room looking exhausted. "...and you told me to make a turn at the junk shop. You're supposed to help me out M.I.C.H. Argh!" He looks at everyone in the room, sees his fellow Dataphiles comrade Vixi and takes a seat beside her. "My apologies for being late. M.I.C.H and I had a little misunderstanding as to the location of this meeting." He then turns to Vixi and whispers, "So, what did I miss?"
Tech knows some basic info about Akiton, mostly that the gravity is lower than usual, which mean syou can jump three times as high. He also knows Akiton suffered an economic crash when the revelation of Drift technology rendered the numerous pre-Drift fuels mined on Akiton virtually worthless
Gary adds that 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.
Vixi knows most about the people of Akiton. 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.”
Arvin answers the questions: About the artifact: 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 e ect is a potent illusion and only temporary. We think ancient con artists used to make false gold.”
Maro is a large city, so I'm sure you can find something to satisfy your need. Keep your eye on the mission, though.
I can give you the serial number of the shuttle he took, but I doubt it will do you any good, since Law enforcement isn't too stong on Akiton, and flight movements aren't centrally registered.
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Outside the observation windows oats 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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Vixi's jaw drops when she hears what he took, Can we keep it if we find it?
This is exactly why I don't do gigs here normally.
Well, either he's got friends here or a plan. And Akitonians don't have friends. Vixi will see what information she can scare up about any sudden golden fountains or other signs of the charlatan's stone's use.
Arvin looks surprised at Vixi's question: 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.
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Vixi starts asking around, until she finds a sun-burnt vesk rolling a heavy barrel down the street. Ain' heard of no fortunes in this city, shorty. There's all kinds of weird rumors coming out o' Tasch, though, the thasterone mines out there apparantly going back to business. If the rumours are true, that's where I'll be headed. Ain' nutting to do for an honest man down 'ere.
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On the ship, on the way to Akiton, Gary is decidedly drunk, and is generally a nuisance. At one point he finally observes, Where'd the smart woman go? Completely clueless that a last minute change to the team had happened. But as they near the planet Gary sobers up.
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As the team tries to get a lead on the missing ex-Starfinder, Gary somehow quickly finds a bar. Give me 30 minutes!
He heads in and doesn't return for several hours.
But when he returns he's arm in arm with a ysoki and another rough looking human, they are singing some Strawberry Machine Cake song, but really badly. He starts talking some crazy stuff and it appears he has come up with little useful information.
It's easy to catch a ride to Tasch, a mining town a few miles outside of Maro. An elongated dune buggy transports the group to Tasch, and stops 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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"Well, this looks like a one horse town." sighs the large Vesk.
"Best we check out the watering hole and see what we can learn there."
Compucast strides down the street like he owns the place. Climbing the steps into the bar, his staff strikes each step as he mounts them. "What is the best thing you have to drink bartender?"
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When Gary sees the Digger's Dive he gets a wide smile on his face. It's time for some liquid refreshment!
When he walks through the door he announces loudly for all to hear.
Gary King is here!
He grabs a drink and begins to work the crowd finding out what's going on in the town.
But apparently the people of Tasch are not that enamored with Gary.
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 slightly inebriated man walks up to Gary and responds King Gary! Welcome! There's no for that here he says, pointing at Gary's credstick, because I am buying. Or, if you want to be accurate, Reynald Talbot is buying! Talbot, the hero of Tasch! They should make a song for him, you know. He's buying drinks, for EVERYONE!
A loud roar fills the bar, with only the Ysoki bartender a dissonant, saying Yeah, 's all fine, Skeeter, just try to aim for the floor next time you puke, after which she proceeds to pour Gary and Skeeter a drink.
Gave us our lives back, that's what he did. Our hopes and dreams, and our jobs! Nobody bought thasteron after all them fancy drift ships got introduced, until he came by! Turned thasteron into something new, has been bringing in new riches for the whole town! Soon we'll be the center of the Solar system again!
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"A hero, eh?" Tech says, after ordering one of these free drinks and carefully drinking it under his mask.
He listens as Compucast inquires about Talbots whereabouts while he considers the implications. After they get their answers he waits until all the Starfinders are alone.
"Sounds like Talbot isn't yet aware that the artifact isn't making real gold. If we find him quickly, we might be able to fix this before it gets any worse. These poor people though...." He sounds like he's frowning behind the mask. "They're placing all their hope on this mine revival only to be let down."
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Free Drinks! I'm starting to like this planet. I'll take two! With two drinks in hand Gary seems to be in heaven, but for the first time he let's on that he understands the gravity of the situation. Chatting in a whisper to Tech.
You are right, Mate, I'm afraid we might be about to walk into a feces storm, once these miners find out the truth. We better track down Talbott quickly.
A shirren and two large vesk are at a table in the corner of the bar, and they look somewhat out of place here.
Gary fuels the enthousiasm of theminers, and turns the place has turned into a full-fledged celebration of the hero that is Talbot, including an epic song
....yeah Talbot saw the miners' suffering...
From a corner table, a hulking vesk comes up to Markar and says My employer would like to have a word with you guys. as he point a muscular hand toward a table with a second vesk and a shirren.
Both the two vesks - obvious bodyguards - and the shirren wear wear dark armor trimmed in silver. Investors. The name is philt, and I represent Abadorcorp
Only the largest corporation in the pact worlds. Strawberry Machine Cake is signed with Abarcorp Entertainment.
In a calm, business-like voice, Philt continues In the interest of the company I represent, may I ask what your stake with Talbot is?
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Well, we're hoping to have a chat with him. It seems he may have, probably accidentally, taken something that doesn't belong to him when he left Absalom. We're here to help remind him, and make sure it comes back. So investors? Are you a part of this recent boom here in Tasch? No one seems to be writing songs about you. Y'know I happen to have a stable of songwriters back on the Station. Maybe there could be a ballad of Philt?
We have business with Talbot, and I ask that you do not interfere. Philt explains in the intimate setting in the corner of the pub. He is wanted, by the Abadarcorp, for running a scheme of fraud against the corporation. Talbot approached some of our corporate procurers in Maro with a new, alternative fuel for Drift engines. We purcased the fuel for analysis: if it checked out, would have been evaluated as a new commodity on the galactic markets. Much to our chagrin, the fuel reverted to common thasteron not long after AbadarCorp' ships made to depart Akiton’s orbit.
The fuel was purchased in good faith. Abadarcorp does not tolerate outright fraud. Therefore, we stake our claim on Talbot, for him to be taken into custody and his possession confiscated.
Very well, our business purpose aligns. We will allow you to settle the matter on our behalf, though we will not hesitate to intervene if we believe things are no longer in our interest. I would prefer to see Talbot in our custody alive, though that is not a strict requirement.
As soon as the business meeting concludes, there is suddenly a disruption from outside.
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.”
The customers flee through the entrance, while the bartender rushes out the back door. Philt and his bodyguards also departs, leaving the adventurers with his wishes Best of luck, I will await my deliverable.