Dot and Delete
Where in the Universe?
In Pursuit of the Scoured Past takes place on Athaeum,
a mysterious library world that constantly teleports
throughout the galaxy.
Introduction
“Greetings, Starfinders,”
Nominated First Seeker
Luwazi Elsebo speaks from
behind her cluttered office desk. An
elderly ysoki eagerly paces behind the First Seeker, adjusting
his glasses every few steps. Luwazi continues, “As I am sure
you are aware, I recently announced that the Starfinder Society
intends to continue its investigation into the Scoured Stars and
the incident that occurred there. I have chosen you to pursue
our first lead. Thanks to Royo here, we recently learned that the
library world of Athaeum could contain valuable information
related to the Scoured Stars—information that could prove key
to disabling the shield guarding the system. Royo is our resident
expert on Athaeum. I will let him explain the details.”
Taking his cue, the ysoki steps forward, adjusts his glasses
one final time, and continues the briefing, “Athaeum is one
of the great wonders of the galaxy. It has no fixed location;
rather, it disappears and reappears throughout the universe at
seemingly random intervals. It’s not random, of course. You see,
the planet actually has a powerful magical engine tha—”
“Royo,” Luwazi chides the elderly ysoki, shaking him from his
tangential explanation.
Royo nods before continuing, “Ah yes, sorry. Where was I?
Oh, yes! A group called the Curators controls and maintains
Athaeum, along with the world’s libraries that contain the
rarest of knowledge. In fact, all knowledge on the planet is
unique because the Curators actively ensure that every piece of
information stored on their world is the last copy in existence.
They have even gone so far as to destroy knowledge on other
planets to ensure that this is the case.”
“For long time we were unable to secure access to Athaeum’s
libraries,” continues Luwazi, “But recently, Iteration-177, a
member of the Aspis Consortium sympathetic to the Starfinder
Society, indicated that they have a relationship with the
Curators. Through Iteration-177, we have secured
passage for a small group to the library world.
Your mission is to escort Royo to Athaeum
and uncover whatever information you can
on the Scoured Stars. Additionally, try to
establish a good relationship with the
Curators, who could prove to be useful
allies in the days to come.”
He turns to Zero-Six-Eight-Nine, then to Spanner
“The
Curators are axiomites, outsiders
made from the pure lawful essence of Axis.
They often choose to look elven in appearance, but in their
true forms, they are clouds of mathematical symbols. These
particular axiomites exiled themselves from their home plane so
that they could better pursue their mission to preserve unique
knowledge. Since then, they’ve maintained the immense archives
on Athaeum.”
“It
is difficult to say. All knowledge on Athaeum is unique, and much
of it is stored on mediums other than books. All we know is that
one of the vaults on the planet is dedicated to the Scoured Stars.
What is inside the vault, we cannot say.”
I don't even know for 100% sure myself, but my intuition says it isn't.
"These Curators sound fascinating." Raia says, "Are they likely to be hostile? As Spanner here said, I suspect they will not give up the knowledge easily."
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Da'at looks up from his chair from the Yoski, to Luwasi and then to his fellow Starfinders. "So you're telling me we have to make nice with genocidal knowledge-horders on the off-chance they know where the off-switch is." He raises his upper right arm to scratch his head. "And make nice with them. Do you think that might put a dent in our brand name? No?"
ladies and Gents, I don't know what you'll run into, just be as you are, Starfinders.
Slot the High Society Influence (Royo) from 1-5 if you have it
You then meet up with Royo
A long dining table, low to the ground, fills the
center of the room. Dozens of colorful pillows
surround the table, and two roughly
human-sized individuals, each wearing
black armor, sit cross-legged at the far
end of the table. In the center of the table
sits a strange technological device made of silver
metal and curved glass.
“Everyone, please have a
seat around the table. Our
ship will be entering the
Drift shortly,” Iteration-177
announces in a calm voice.
“To keep us amused on our
trip, I have made arrangements
for a very special dinner. As
a connoisseur of unusual sensations and
experiences, I recently purchased a device from a deep-space
trader. It is a pencibiter, which you see on the table before you.
This most unique machine can transmute thoughts and psychic
energy into food for consumption. I ask that each of you
contribute one thought or memory to our feast for this evening,
and in this way, we will get to know one another a little better.”
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Da'at looks at the device dubiously as he takes a seat at the table, looking up at the two black clad figures. "Aaaand... Who are these guests? Mr and Mrs Black? If this is a meet, greet and eat, we shoudl introduce ourselves. I'm Da'at, and you really can't shorten my name that much more so if you have a nickname for me you're going to be wasting your breath." He winks as he adds: "If you hadn't guessed, I'm probably the resident smartass. And you are...?"
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A stubbled human in freebooter armor smirks through the First Seeker's briefing. "So...we're doing homework? Joy. Just what I was hoping for from being an intergalactic explorer. Should be fun."
For Iteration-177's device, Reynold offers a vivid memory of fleeing a battlefield back on Akiton as his platoon was being gunned down; the deciding moment that led him to desert the military and flee to Absalom Station to start anew.
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"No need to be so rude, Da'at. I'm sure these sentients already know of you and, now that they've met you, are even less impressed." Spanner does not offer his name, but says to the dark dressed pair before sitting down. "Greetings and salutations. I look forward to our interactions."
He offers up the pleasant memory of working on a junk racer with his fellow Starfinders and the excitement of helping their team win the race.
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"I'm just trying not to share the wrong kind of memory here buddy. I'm sure noone wants to see my time spent on that Lashunta pleasure-barge."
And with that Da'at pauses a couple seconds, nods and shares his own memory.
The air is still slick with the tang of ozone, the kind you get with heavy plasma and laser fire. The ground is dark, heavy with acid rain, making the effort to pull his companion all that more difficult. "Don't you let go now, daisy-picker. Stay with me a little longer." Da'at doesn't know if his companion can even hear him through the armor's comms, but at this point it might be more for his own benefit than from any vestiges of medical training he might have once received. He looks up and around, high on adrenaline, his remaining two free arms brandishing his heavy weapon as a cleric might brandish a holy symbol to keep the darkness at bay. "Captain's gone, Roxx is gone, Bestila is gone, the others are gone, no clue who these fraggers are, but it'll be OK for now as long as I can get you to the med bay. One step at a time." Finally, around one of the many dark granite rocks that dot the desolate landscape of their rendez-vous point, the ship. "Only a few dozen more meters, and it'll be fine. We can figure out who in the hells those aliens are once we got you nice and tight in the medbay, get you some warm serum and then I can go blow up those critters. And get them back" If I can even make it that far.
Suddenly, the ground shakes, and Da'at and his charge fall on the ground. The mud is slippery, and offers little purchase even with six points to find one's gravity center. He looks up, to the near horizon as a cluster of hills disintegrates into nothingness and another ship, unlike that of their contact, or really anything he has previously seen, slowly elevates itself into the air. That thing is HUGE! How didn't we pick that up? What? What in the nine hells is that thing? It slowly rises into the sky, with eerie tranquility, not even the roar of thrusters to be heard, before finally engaging another mode of propulsion which lets loose a blast of air that fries his armor's audio receptors and partially deafens him, knocking him over again.
By the time he looks into the sky again, time has passed. How much? Unknown. The timepiece inside his armor has just... ceased to display anything meaningful. But ironically, there is no time for that, not in the kasatha's mind. He reaches for the other man's armor, and begins to steady himself up. The ship awaits.
Raia rolls her eyes at Da'at's mention of "lashunta pleasure-barges", but settles to taste of the meories being offered up, most of them bitter, lonely, and filled with death.
Following Spanner's example, Raia instead offers up a memory of joy - of attending university. Long hours peacefully studying, learning, and experimenting with technomancy. The joy of young love with a ryphorian.
There's a slight bittersweet aftertaste, as the Ryphorian goes off to join the Skyfire Legion.
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Da'at tastes of the memories shared by his companions, and his gaze travels across all of them slowly, with a solemn, more serious glint that has not shone in his eyes thus far during this trip. "Well. That's... Well." He coughs, awkwardly. "I hope someone can share their memory of doing taxes or something to balance us out."
He looks to Reynold, the only Starfinder on board he has previously worked with. "I didn't know you had actually been in an army. Mind if I ask you questions later on? I'm serious." He looks at their guests quickly before adding, almost with an air of embarrasment: "My people haven't actually fought a war in ages. I mean sure, there's the drilling, the practice engagements in the Idari's corridors, but that's all just playfighting. And with my ... Enthusiasm for large yield explosives and other heavy weapons, I haven't actually managed to get an idea as to how that parses with a real large-scale tactical engagement.
Closest thing I've gotten was the Scoured Stars rescue ops, and that... Wasn't as informative as I might have liked it to be."
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Reynold pales a little in response to Da'at's request. "Uh, sure. I was infantry, mostly deployed against insurgents camped out in the foothills. Other Akitonians. It was not a good look. Not sure I made the wrong call deserting. The Society has much more togetherness than my division ever had. Plus an equal amount of big gun shooting, in my experience."
Royo, the ratfolk strokes his beard and answers your questions. Don't worry, the guests will be here soon enough. Be patient Da'at
He then turns to the rest of you glad to know you are interested in him and his stories. Yes, thanks for being so interested in all this, I will have more stories to tell over dinner.
Iteration-177 goes on to introduce the two sitting individuals:
Paralictor Kelria (LE female vesk soldier) and Maralictor
Loomarch (LE male unique devil), of the Hellknight Order of the
Pyre. The two Hellknights and their small contingent of soldiers
currently stationed in the ship’s quarters also have business
on Athaeum. Iteration-177 explains that it’s fate that both
organizations had business on the world when they did and
that the android is eager to assist however they can. When the
PCs enter, Kelria slides back the visor of her helmet, revealing a
stern-faced middle-aged vesk with dark-green scales accented
by bright orange markings in swirling patterns that resemble
fire. Loomarch, who sits next to Kelria, does not raise his
visor, but PCs who look at the Hellknight carefully can see
flames dancing behind the glass of the helmet, as if flame fills
Loomarch’s entire suit.
Iteration-177 passes around a fist-sized psychic
node from the pencibiter, asking each PC to attach the node to his
or her forehead and recall a powerful memory. Once the recipient
attaches the node and recalls the memory, the pencibiter emits
a flash and creates a colored disk about 1 foot in diameter. Each
wafer-like disk has a unique taste determined by the memory
implanted into it. Moreover, creatures that eat some of the disc
can experience the memory in a distant way, as if they were
remembering it as their own memory. Once everyone has
contributed, Iteration-177 breaks apart the disks so that
everyone can sample each one.
At this point, go around the table and ask each PC to
describe what memory they contribute to the pencibiter
and how they think it would taste. There are four different boons for this. Choice one you can give an angry or violent memory. You can give an analytical, quiet or wise memory. You can give a relaxed or peaceful memory. And the fourth choice active, enthusiastic, or social memory. You can just say I give a violent memory, but I prefer if you roleplay or describe it then say I'm going for a violent memory.
Raia looks distinctly uncomfortable with the presence of the Hellknights, but remains personable and calm.
They go through you stories one by one.
First with Da'at Taxes, I mean Taxes, man that has to be the most boring and hardest thing ever. But hey you look smart and you must have enjoyed doing it too. Oh, that was a joke. And as far as war go, it is worse than you think, not to mention you might be holding your position for days just waiting for the enemy.
He then goes over Reynold's story A deserter? He gasps. How could you? He gasps further. Nah, just kidding, in the some places that was a felony long ago. But hey an infantry surviving it all and living to tell the tale. It must have been hard seeing those close to you get hurt.
He then goes over to Raina curiously So, what was your field of study? Did you ace all your tests?
He then looks over at Spanner A race. Say you must want to be a Nascar Racer someday! Or in this day in age a pod racer, they make good money and it is a good sport.
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0689 who spaced out during the exchange of memories, finally allows his to come forward.
He and his companions make entry into a ship and attempt to repel multiple enemy boarders. They are surrounded by both sides. Both sides exchange fire, 0689 begins to run low on batteries. Luckily, just as things look dire, an emergency re supply comes in, granting enough resources to repel the invaders.
0689 look around, "Now that was a fun fight"
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Da'at looks to Reynold as he digests the latest wafer and its memories. "Well, maybe that new cologne is working out for you. And us." Turning to 0689, he continues, genuinely curious: "So, what was that? A trid game memory? Actual boarding action? Where? Don't leave us hanging; that wasn't a dish, that was more of an appetizer."
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"That was a real mission. When we went to investigate the location of the scoured stars. We had just got done some ship to ship combat when we got a distress beacon coming from one of the frigates. We boarded the friendly ship to help repel some unwanted visitors."
"By the time we got there, they had already set up shop in one of the engine rooms. We took care of that lot, that's when another group came in from our blind spot. Luckily we had a good group of soldiers with us and covered our flanks."
He then looks over at 0698 and smiles as he says then asks curiously. Sounds like you had a superior group of fighters and warriors on your side. So where there any survivors on the friendly ship you boarded? And I'm also curious, which sector was that in? Were you near a habital planet when this happened?
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Da'at sinks back into his chair, attempting as best he can to relax. "Spanner, were you working on one of the racers that does the circuit on Absalom station? I've been to one of those; messy kind of slugfest, especially when the pilots decide that letting the guns go is better than just flying straight." He kicks up his feet onto the table. "My kind of party."
As the heroes tell there stories Iteration-177 says to you all and claps Thank you all for those entertaining stories. Dinner would have been boring without them, here is a reward.
Plenty of credits and 2 MK2 Healing Serums.
Following a brief stop, the Diligent Forerunner drops out of the
Drift. Through the windows of the spacecraft, the Heroes can see an
empty expanse of space, into which a planet suddenly appears,
crackling with arcs of ivory energy. Iteration-177 speaks Come-on folks ship leaves now, no time to waste and he hand signals you to move fast. Royo and Hellknights, that means you too. Time's a wasting.
A nearby cracked stone pavilion is visible from outside the shuttle windows, nestled between towering skyscrapers. A stone door slides open in one of the nearby vine-covered towers, and three clouds of glowing, crystalline dust emerge. These clouds float and form into a series of formulae and mathematical symbols in midair before suddenly coalescing into the image of three elven humanoids that patiently wait for the shuttle to land.
These are the Curators of Athaeum—creatures called axiomites
who are comprised of pure mathematical law. The first Curator
approaches the Starfinders and leads them away from the
shuttle. The second axiomite What up dude as he speaks to Iteration-177, and the third Shakes hands with and smiles Hellknights. The Curator greeting the Starfinder contingent, named Albryan (LN male axiomite), politely conveys the following information while he walks with the Stafinders and leads them inside.
“Greetings, esteemed guests from the Starfinder Society. I am Albryan, and I am tasked with guiding you to the Towers of Recondite Lore, where the information you requested resides. Before I do so, I would like to remind of the rules of research on Athaeum. All the information stored on Athaeum is unique. Visitors are welcome to read from our manuscripts, but copying or recording them in any way is forbidden. Should you choose to reproduce any acquired knowledge after leaving Athaeum, know that you do so at your own risk. We Curators will actively punish such transgressions. Know that there is no corner of the cosmos safe from us.
“Additionally, violence against the Curators or other visitors
is strictly prohibited. Finally, visitors to the libraries will be
charged a substantial research fee. Fortuitously for you, during
our recent shift to this corner of the universe, Athaeum passed
through a dangerous energy field that has greatly damaged our
systems. We are correcting the problems, but our resources are
spread thin. We have flagged two issues in the specific tower
you are traveling to. If you can deal with these problems, we are
prepared to greatly reduce our usual fee.”
Raia takes careful note of the rules of the Athaeum as she looks about somewhat starry-eyed before the mention of issues in the tower come about. Nodding to Spanner's practical questions, Raia adds one of her own. "And most importantly, will it be dangerous?"
They laugh at Raia question, really hard with a hand to their stomachs. Will it be dangerous? they all say laughingly. Then they calm down and one of them speaks Since when is Starfinder missions ever not dangerous. Okay, you won't be dealing with Dragons or anything like that, but everything Starfinder related is dangerous, though the risk level should be low.
As you ask about the issues. Good, I'm glad you are all interested, and no the Hellknights have their own duties today. And that is on a need to know basis.
First, our lore warden constructs in the Tower of the Oma have been infected by malicious data and are malfunctioning. Long ago, a group of doomsday cultist hackers created a prophetic virus, believing that once enough machines were infected, a new age would dawn throughout the universe. We eventually isolated the virus and brought it here for safekeeping. The recent damage to our systems, however, allowed part of the code to transmit to nearby devices, which happened to be a group of passing security machines. The machines are now roaming the halls of the tower, infected with delusions of grandeur. If you destroy these machines and recover a copy of the virus, we can return it to storage safely.
Second, a special ksarik specimen named Vindurth has escaped from its cage in the tower. We captured an ancestor of Vindurth some years ago on the planet Castrovel because the hide of the beast was covered with indecipherable runes. Since then we have bred several generations from the beast, of which Vindurth is the most recent. Each has produced a new series of runes for us to record. Although relatively tame, Vindurth become dangerous if allowed to wander free. If possible, find a way to bring the ksarik back to its cage
Raia ignores the laughter and listens as their hosts describe the dangers ahead. She draws her pistol and ensures all in order - that it is loaded and ready for combat, before doing a number of other cursory checks - making sure all of her tech is in optimal condition. Once this is done, she waits patiently for the answer to Da'ak's question.
It is a plant that can move, and spit acid. It can mimic abilities, and it is faster than the normal person. These things will attack and eat you if they are hungry. It also heals itself quickly, so you would need to kill it quickly. Sometimes they can understand what you say to them, if they mimic your language, though they can't speak back. Good luck getting it to listen to you though.
It should be under control now. Just let us know if that happens, and all should be well.
The shuttle whisks the PCs across the surface of Athaeum for
roughly 15 minutes before stopping at the feet of the Towers of
Recondite Lore. There are nearly two dozen towers in all, each
named after a different magical beast and filled with individual
vaults of unusual lore. Hundreds of bridges connect the towers at
varying heights, meaning the PCs can move from tower to tower
without ever touching the ground, if they wish.
Magic enhancements keep the stone from deteriorating, though
pernicious vines and other flora creep up the sides of the towers.
Glowing runes cap each tower’s entryway to the individual towers
of the area, with each rune representing the creature associated
with the individual tower. A creature inspecting any of these runes
for more than 1 round can perceive the meaning of that rune and
know the name of the associated tower. However, the only one of importance is the Tower of Oma.
The Tower of the Oma lies near the center of the Towers of Recondite
Lore. This soaring 40-story-tall structure is made of black, glassy
stone lined with beautifully carved frescoes. Eight bridges lead to
the tower, each at different heights, and four looming archways
allow visitors to enter the tower.
The Hellknights all speak to you before you enter the tower. Though you can explore from the middle or the top, I suggest working your way from the bottom up to the top. After all, we didn't become Hellknights in a day. Besides it is good exercise and all people start life from the bottom, not from the top, unless you were born from a millionaire, even then don't ride the gravy train.
Raia nods, agreeing with Reynold and Da'at's assesments. "Should be straightforward enough."
Heroes come to A1 The Delusion Virus
Pallid green light fills this area. Ten large glass containers, each
filled with translucent green slime, are arranged in a half square
in the middle of the room. Scrolls of parchment float lazily inside
the slime of each container.
(2 Constructs, roll knowledge if you wish to id them) They are 30 feet from the party, spread out 15 feet apart.
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Da'at, spotting the two robotic guardians, grins underneath his facemask. "Didn't think I was going to need to use it this soon" he voices, as he reaches for his belt, where an amalgam of electronic parts, a can of compressed air and what looks to be a plastic cup of Tian "Instant" noodles are combined in an object that look a little too long for anything meaningful, except perhaps as a strange sort of explosive device.