Dot here.
By the conclusion of “Incident at Absalom Station,” the PCs
should have explored the contested Drift Rock in service
of the Eoxian ambassador Gevalarsk Nor, learned how the
Acreon’s crew perished fighting akatas, and secured a fully
functional ship, the Sunrise Maiden, to call their own. They
are also likely in possession of Ambassador Nor’s package
from the Acreon, and they may well have discovered that
his “cargo” is actually a Corpse Fleet officer named Hebiza
Eskolar. In addition, the observer bot that Nor sent with the
PCs has transmitted their findings, and the ambassador has
made the feed public (after editing it to hide any evidence of
Commander Eskolar) to all of Absalom Station. As a result,
the station is abuzz with the news of the Drift Rock’s ancient
origins, and opportunists are already maneuvering to find
some way to profit off the discovery.
You are here!
The adventure begins with the PCs leaving the Drift Rock
in their new ship, the Sunrise Maiden, to return to Absalom
Station.
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Android Sigma-4 sits at one of the consoles on the bridge of their beautiful new ship, the Sunrise Maiden. He is tall and well built with perfect symmetry and proportion. He knows of many who would kill to have such a body, but he hates it. It reminds him of the control the pact worlds expect to have on an Android. We gave you life, now you owe us. The words of his long dead creatures still echo in his head so many years later.
At the console he insures that all the systems on the ship are functional before they start their voyage. Once that is confirmed he says Systems are functional. Pilote set a course for Absalom Station. Let’s return this corpse to the Ambasador and get our credits. This old rock has left an itch that only a good shot of joy juice will scratch.
Once they are on their way he will try to figure out the history of the ship. He looks through all the data logs hopping to glimpse into the past of its crew and their lives.
I'm lookin' forward to bein' on Absalom again. I got a cousin who makes the best Akitonian flüürgâ in all the Pact Worlds. It melts in your mouth, then warms yer tummy for hours afterward. 'Course, that may be because the flüü worms are still alive for that long, but still...
"By the Forever Queen, a starship that I can personally modify and maintain. What delight!" cries K'Klacklun as he takes up one of the engineering stations aboard the ship. The shirren rubs his limbs together with excitement.
Behind him chirps, his drones, which has dubbed his "Battle Utility Golem" or "B.U.G." for short.
Heroes are driving their vehicle around and they come in contact with the THAUMTECH CAIRNCARVER
It is headed straight for them, 20 hexes away north of you, you are facing directing at it. There is an asteroid 2 hexes wide by 1 hex long, 8 hexes east and 3 hexes north of you, you can hide behind.
Sanjaval Vagabond, Medium explorer
Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 16; TL 14
HP 65; DT —; CT 13
Shields Medium 120 (forward 30, port 30, starboard 30, aft 30)
Attack (Forward) (long – 20 hexes) twin laser (5d8)
Attack (Port) (medium – 10 hexes) heavy laser cannon (4d8)
Attack (Starboard) (medium – 10 hexes) heavy laser cannon (4d8)
Attack (Aft) N/A
Attack (Turret) (long – 20 hexes; 8) heavy antimatter missile launcher (10d10)
Power Core Pulse Blue (200 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic
Systems basic short sensors, crew quarters (good), mk 6 armor, mk 4 defenses, mk 3 duonode computer (tier 3, artificial personality “Sunny”)
Expansion Bays cargo holds (2), escape pods, trivid den
Modifers +3 to any 2 checks per round, +2 Computers (sensors), +1 Piloting; Complement 1–6
Round 1 Go
"Under attack? Oh, it is my lot in life to suffer. Perhaps, we should just outrun it." says K'Klacklun as he attempts to divert power to the engines.
He had bad piloting, so he will turn and run, 3 hexes to turn as he has good maneuverablity, and then 7 hexes to run as he can move 10 hexes, now 27 hexes away from you running.
I'm attacking you, cause you are unworthy of life. Undead rules.
The computers scan the ship
Small light freighter
Speed 12 (nerfed to 10); Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 15; TL 15 (nerfed to 14 and 14)
HP 40 (nerfed to 35); DT —; CT 8
Shields basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Attack (Forward) light particle beam (3d6), light plasma torpedo launcher (3d8)
Attack (Port) coilgun (4d4)
Attack (Starboard) coilgun (4d4)
Power Core Pulse Black (120 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems basic computer, budget medium-range
sensors, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo holds (2), sealed environment chamber
Modifiers +1 Piloting; Complement 6 (minimum 1, maximum 6)
CREW
Captain Diplomacy (nerfed to +6 to each) +7 (2 ranks), gunnery +7, Intimidate +7 (2 ranks), Piloting +7 (2 ranks)
Engineer Engineering +7 (2 ranks) (nerfed to +6)
Gunners (2) gunnery +12 (nerfed to +11)
Pilot Piloting +8 (2 ranks) (Nerfed to +6, should have rolled 6+1d20 last time)
Science Officer Computers (Nerfed to +5) +6 (1 rank)
Hang on. I feel the need...the need for velocity!
Hey, Engineeering, ya think ya can pull a few more Thrusties out of the engines?
Gunner's turn
Hey, Engineeering, ya think ya can pull a few more Thrusties out of the engines?
"Well, I never! Quite demanding isn't she?" K'Klacklun remarks.
His drone responds with a series of chips and whistles.
"It was a rhetorical question, you bucket of bolts!" the shirren responds. And I thought I had adequately diverted power at least."
Time for botting. Wheeler fires the heavy turret and twin laser at the ship
and the missile launcher hits the enemy ship
And in one hit the enemy's shields are depleted and it is disabled. 36 dmg above the shields, so 4 crit thresholds
Sensors Malfunctioning, Life support glitching which doesn't matter on undead and Engines Glitching.
The enemy ship then blows itself up, it is clear they didn't want you boarding them and asking questions.
Return to Absalom Station
When the PCs arrive back at Absalom Station, they find
their fame has preceded them—their images have appeared
on countless video screens thanks to Gevalarsk Nor’s
broadcast, and the PCs find that they have become minor
local celebrities—at least while the buzz lasts. Their newfound
popularity earns them priority docking from Absalom Traffic
Control and temporarily waived docking fees. Once the PCs
disembark, a small crowd of onlookers and reporters quickly
tracks them down, asking for statements, autographs, and
confirmation of conspiracy theories. Partaking in a few
short photo opportunities and drinks on the house is fairly
harmless, though using the media attention as a platform
to make any inflammatory accusations could make enemies
of any number of power brokers and gangs on Absalom
Station. In any event, the PCs should probably meet with
those on Absalom Station responsible for their most recent
adventure: Chiskisk and Ambassador Gevalarsk Nor.
The Ambassador and the Officer
As the person who hired the PCs to explore the Acreon and
the Drift Rock, Ambassador Gevalarsk Nor (LE male elebrian
necrovite) is eager to meet with them, though his disposition
depends on what the PCs have done with his “cargo.” Once
back on Absalom Station, the PCs have only a short window
in which to contact someone regarding Commander Eskolar,
should they wish to do so. If the PCs notify the Stewards,
station security, or another legal authority, a squad of
security personnel meets the PCs when they dock to confirm
the nature of their captive, take her into custody, take the
PCs’ statements, and record their contact information. Due
to the nature of the prisoner, the security officers request
that the PCs avoid publicizing their discovery and allow
the Stewards to handle the matter to avoid political fallout.
Commander Eskolar goes quietly, though she once more
claims diplomatic standing and demands legal representation
while being escorted away.
If the PCs contact Ambassador Nor instead, he
acknowledges their update and sends a team to quietly
convey the Acreon’s “cargo” to a safe location; alternatively,
the PCs can bring Eskolar to him directly. If the PCs sent
Commander Eskolar back to Absalom Station separately, such as on the Hippocampus, Nor’s agents have already recovered
her. Whichever decision the PCs make will have repercussions
later in the Adventure Path, so note their actions.
When the PCs meet with Ambassador Nor, he congratulates
them on the success of their mission. Even though he
recorded the PCs’ activities on the Acreon and the Drift
Rock, Nor would still like to hear the PCs’ report firsthand.
If the PCs successfully delivered Commander Eskolar to the
Eoxian embassy, Nor thanks them and upholds his end of the
bargain, paying each of the PCs 500 credits as payment for
the task. He adeptly deflects any questions about Eskolar
and his interest in the commander, and he absolutely denies
any connection, official or unofficial, with the Corpse Fleet. If
pressed, the ambassador suggests that securing a renegade
officer is an act of interplanetary safety, not some indication
that he is in league with the Corpse Fleet.
Nor has a keen mind and can quickly help piece together
any of the clues that the PCs unearthed on the Drift Rock
but failed to interpret. Most importantly, he can decipher
the complex alien computer code the PCs found in the
Drift Rock’s ancient control room (see page 35 of “Incident
at Absalom Station”), allowing the PCs to identify the
approximate age of the technology, interpret some of the
phrases, and recognize that the Drift Rock represents only a
fragment of a much larger structure. The ambassador does
not recognize the alien language, however. Nor also suspects
that any device that large might have incredible destructive
potential; he does not share these suspicions with the PCs,
but he does convey that information to his Eoxian contacts
after the PCs depart.
"Thank the Forever Queen that it was all over so quickly." K'Klacklun notes as the Eoxian ship flies away.
The shirren cringes when Nor insists the party deliver the "cargo". However, he then becomes rather delighted when he realizes that he has a choice to make.
"I certainly don't want any trouble. There does not appear to have been any crime committed." he concludes, "And I suppose that legally, the Eoxian ambassador has responsibility for Eoxians found outside the Station."
The hovering drone responds with a down-turning whistling sound.
"Nor did anyone ask you!" the shirren responds, reaching up to smack the drone, which now hovers slightly higher out of reach.
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Sigma-4 is overjoyed to be back in the hustle and bustle of the Station. Feeling sympathy for the challenges of being undead in living society Sigma-4 will second Wheeler’s plan to take Nor to the Eoxian Embassy. We cannot turn her in without more evidence. She claims to be with the Corpse Fleet but that is not enough to turn her over to the just Station authorities. We must bring it up to the Chiskisk, however. Perhaps they will know what to do.
While at Nor’s We don’t seem to have found any information as to who is the rightful owner of this rock on out voyage. What we do know is that somehow some Akata’s found their way on the ship and killed the whole crew. Hopefully this helps in the mediations. But Ambasador, what are you doing smuggling Corpse Feet officers into Pact World space without going through the proper channels?
Thanks for the report and thanks for talking with you. And no, nobody asked me, though that doesn't mean they secretly didn't think it, still I doubt it. As Nor is glad for it all and shakes your hands.
They then go to meet Chiskisk “There is some good news. The Starfinder Society’s linguistic
database recognized many of the symbols you found on the
Drift Rock, because this is not the first time they’ve appeared
post-Gap. The bad news is that the source is… highly
unreliable,” Chiskisk notes, as segments of their chitinous
body scrape together in agitation. “All that we have about
these earlier texts comes from Halkueem Zan nearly three
centuries ago, and it seems that no published studies of those
texts have appeared since. According to these records, Zan’s
original findings were donated to the Qabarat University
of Xenoarchaeology and Xenoanthropology on Castrovel
shortly after his—“ The shirren pauses while contemplating
how best to phrase the sentence. “—disruptive expeditions.
“Fortunately, the Society has numerous alumni from that
university, and I can readily secure you a contact there
and forward my personal recommendation to a few faculty
members. Perhaps they can show you Zan’s notes and even
take you to the original site so that you can search for more
clues about whatever this Drift Rock once was.”
Chiskisk looks over at Sonny and with a deep voice. No, we just can't send you a scan of it, it ain't that simple. And sorry, no lodge, tough it out Starfinder. And I hope you enjoy Castrovel, ah the great outdoors.
Hey, whaddya mean..."disruptive expeditions"? Was this Zan guy some sort of loose cannon?
"At least, with our newly acquired vessel I won't have to cram myself into yet another transport shuttle." K'Klacklun moans.
When Elene asks about Zan, he gives him a good response, pleased to see you want to know more Heck, yes he is a loose cannon. Different planets have different regulations for explorers. Zan wanted to explore a site on the restricted continent of Ukulam, but when the authorities denied him passage, he went anyway. I believe they confiscated most of his findings, and the whole incident spurred a decade of restrictions on offworld explorers. Now that is rash, he doesn't obey authority and does his own thing. He is also not a Starfinder, thanks goodness, he did most of the work the same time Starfinder society formed, but was never associated with us, he'd be an embarrassment sometimes if he was.
He then points to the rest of the group. Well if there are no more questions, off to the university. Get in your ship and travel.
K'Klacklun settles in for the flight.
"By the Forever Queen!" K'Klacklun says in response to the android producing a game. "I have heard much about these rituals, learned everything I need to about them from the news media holovids! They lead to mazes and monsters and madness!"
The shirren begins to quiver.
Meanwhile, the insect drone hovers close to the board and with one its mechanical claws, grabs hold of some polyhedral dice to give them a roll.
The heroes touch down and enter the University
Good afternoon, the name's Whaloss You see before you a Lashunta with fine silk clothes and a cool pair of sunglasses. The University is enormous. Nice one filled with carbon, glass steel, fine seats and what, clean marble floors and nice trees outside. And this is Just one of 10 buildings.
Whaloss does not have the background to decipher the
Drift Rock’s writing and technology, but he offers to introduce
the PCs to Professor Muhali, the head of the linguistic
anthropology department. Her office is in the Alsima-Karei
Hall, an eight-story building whose lobby is currently home
to a small pack of journalists insistently trying to convince a
receptionist to let them upstairs. Whaloss is unfamiliar with
any news that would warrant this level of attention, and if the
Starinders inquire, a journalist can convey that Dr. Ailabiens 21:2
gave an incendiary lecture that some interpreted as a defense
of violent xenophobia; the media is here primarily to secure
interviews and comments from ranking academic staff.
Ikimsi enters the building, you see this Male Lasunta covering up his face. Then he uncovers it, with his hands. We have a situation. The annoying media is out there, make them leave. They want to know about the drift rock and they ain't leaving for about another hour. Starinders! As he points and gets a fantastic idea. Maybe you can all make them leave. Lie to them, bribe them, impersonate security, Intimidate them, do whatever you have to.
Elene bustles into the room, talking to a nonexistent caller on a blank communicator line.
...no, of course I didn't confront him. He had a satchel of something and three military-style firearms, and...no, I'm not kidding...are you ready for this? He said he had, quote, "a pick to bone", end quote, with the university president.
(Pause)
Well, I don't know what it means either! But he's heading toward the administration building right now. I'd get out of there if I were you.
(Pause)
Yes, that's wise. Keep safe. I'm going home. I've had enough excitement for today.
Elene wonders if she laid it on too thick to be believed.
{{If you are capable of fooling the media with a holographic image of the doctor, then there is a good chance that this dreadful situation can be resolved without need of bloodshed, threat of violence, or unnecessary, expensive insurance premiums.}} K'Klacklun suggestion to Sigma-4 telepathically.
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Sigma nods at the Shirren and smiles. Clever He carefully tucks behind his fellow starfinders to stay out of sight and casts a spell. A copy of the doctor appears coming out from around a corner and walks briskly down the hall until he disappears around another corner. Before he disappears Kato casts ghost sounds creating a voice of someone in the crowd of media saying Look there he is! Go after him!
While the media doesn't budge for most of the Starfinders, they do budge for Sonny. The head camera man speaks to the rest of them. Okay, everyone leave, we won't get a good report, if we do this. Let's come back later.
Ikimsi speaks That was impressive. All upstairs to my office please.
K'Klacklun shrugs and heads upstairs.
Yes, let's go before that unruly crowd returns.
The heroes head upstairs
This office is clean, roomy, and orderly. A large desk stands
imposingly before a broad window that offers a charming
view of a nearby park, and a small table in one corner has a
quartet of chairs arranged evenly around it. Near the
door is a wide examination table covered with broken
fragments of stone, many of which bear incomplete
words or letters written in a spiraling text. Several tiny
fountains throughout the room burble soothingly
and shimmer with soft light.
Ikimsi and Professor Muhali (LN female damaya lashunta) both speak you So you all probably have questions, or maybe you want to know about the drift rock. As he takes his pipes and smokes it, though he exhales toward the wall as not to blow the smoke in your face.
"Oh yes!" K'Klacklun replies. "I would very much like to know about the 'drift rock'? Do you know of its origins? Its unusual nature? Anything you could tell us what be greatly appreciated!"
He smiles then laughs Ah, I thought you'd might ask, but I'm sorry I don't have the valueble info you are looking for right now, just trying to lead you into conversation is all.
“I’m not in any position to assist you or instruct my department to
assist you—not until I can resolve the current debacle.”
He pauses and sighs for a moment then takes another puff of his pipe, cracks his knuckles. Any more questions? Maybe you want to know about the journalists, Zan's expedition or, maybe you are interested in helping?