| GM Fireclaw |
The Starfinders filter their way into meeting room to which they have been directed, summoned by the leader of the Wayfinders, Fitch. The meeting room is well stocked with various snacks and refreshments, and Fitch is standing by patiently as you take your seats.
He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust
|
A large Spider looking humanoid skitters heavily into the room. A gleaming white and gold suit of armor adorned with a sunburst covers his massive body, a crackling cold pike hanging from his back .
I am... He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust. An exile from my tribe and culture but an asset to this society and to the Exo-Guardians and Den I-wardens and Knights of Golarion. Anyone who wants to defend the life forms of the Pact Worlds counts me as a friend. To all others, I am the White Terror. I am not your friend. I am your ally. Never forget that and we will get along fine.
Chivix
|
"A pleasure it is for Chivix to meet you, Chivix is most certain. Chivix and Gravy do not see haan very often here."
The shirren in carbon skin armor nodded to the haan and looked around, taking what he thought was a sugar cake from the refreshments table. A greyish-green nodule rested against the back of his neck at the base of his skull.
Remi of Castrovel
|
"Good day, Fitch." The lashunta greets the leader of her faction respectfully, and then takes a moment to peruse the snacks. She snags a Castrovelian tartine and then munches on it as she gracefully makes her way to a seat, leaving plenty of room for the large haan. She looks curiously at her new teammates.
"Indeed, it's my first time working with one since I joined the Starfinders. Always nice to make some new... allies. My name is Remi."
Osuro
|
Walking into the room, Osuro shows off a little by greeting Fitch in perfect Yasoki, Remi in perfect Castrovellian, Chivix in perfect Shirren, despite the inability of the human throat to produce some of those noises, normally, and then stops and looks at the haan for a heartbeat. "I'm afraid I haven't learned Brethedan, yet. My apologies. But I am glad to see you are well and ready for our work."
She's wearing Freebooter I armor, open and casual as so many who choose it tend to, with a pair of mis-matched pistols and a close combat weapon or two visible, depending on your angle. There are also a pair of Aeon stones floating about her head.
Moxie Moon
|
Moxie strides into the room, talking loudly in Vesk to someone named 'Murray'.
Moxie disconnects from the call and looks around the room. She is dressed in a form fitting black jumpsuit with a sparkling gold symbol of Abadar running lengthwise across her body. Everything about her is immaculately put together; without a single blemish or hair out of place. She stands in the doorway with a hand on her hip, surveying the gathered Starfinders.
"Alright, alright. This looks like a good group. I think we'll work well together." She looks towards Osuro and her eyes narrow briefly before her face opens up into a huge warm smile. "You look familiar. Have we met?"
| GM Fireclaw |
There's a small twitch of Fitch's nose as He Who Grinds Blades to Dust speaks, but Fitch does not say anything directly to the Haan.
She does smile and return Remi and Osuro's greetings, glad to see members of his own faction among those he answered the summons. "We are waiting on one more before we begin the briefing."
Drei...
|
The door opens to reveal a halfling bedecked in thin, but sturdy armor. He has white hair that is loose and a bit unkempt. Below his eyes, on his face, is a covering of tight cloth. He carries a large (relative to the size of a halfling that is) rectangular case.
He quietly moves to the back side of the room, sets his case down, and hops up onto a seat.
| GM Fireclaw |
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Pardon Moxie, but since we're all here now, you can save the catching up for after the briefing if you please." Fitch says primly.
“I have a very important mission for you. You should be aware that the Master of Stars, the best ship in the Starfinder Society’s fleet, is undergoing extensive renovations. Well, we’ve hit a bit of a roadblock. We need some clophirium to complete the next repair, but supplies have been quite scarce in the Pact Worlds for the last forty years. Luckily, we searched our archives and found a planet in the Vast with substantial reserves: Arniselle.” Fitch’s picks up a datapad but stops suddenly and puts a hand to her ear.
She whispers with a hand to her earpiece, though in the quiet of the meeting room the voice carries. "Thank goodness. Keep the noise level to a minimum and maybe they'll stay asleep."
She clears her throat sheepishly and turns back to the meeting. "Sorry about that. They’re finally all asleep, you see."
“Now, back to the mission. We established a lodge on Arniselle about a century ago. It was abandoned when the First Seeker at the time decided to refocus Society resources closer to the Pact Worlds and abandoned several outposts in the Vast. Unfortunately, our scans show that Arniselle has undergone substantial seismic activity during the intervening years, and now the whole lodge is underwater. We assigned a special team to go investigate; they’re all kalos, call themselves the Manta Corps. Maybe you’ve met them. Anyway, a ship dropped them off, but the Manta Corps never reported back for their pickup.”
Suddenly, a shriek can be heard from Fitch's earpiece, and she winces and takes the piece out for just a second. Fitch holds up a finger and turns away from the meeting. “Put me on speaker," she says in a calm tone before bellowing: "Hey, you’re all supposed to be asleep for another hour! Back in the beds before I come home and duct tape you in and leave you to find a way out!” Fitch turns back to face the meeting. “Anyway, the current First Seeker agrees with me about the importance of this mission and has authorized me to mount a second expedition. We must finish repairing the Master of Stars, and to do that we need Arniselle’s clophirium. This could be dangerous, so I’ve selected you, some of our most experienced agents. Go to Arniselle and investigate the submerged lodge. See what it will take to re-establish our presence there. And try to find out what happened to the Manta Corps. Best case scenario, they’re just down there working, but it’s not like them not to report in."
“I’m sending you information on the planet now. Oh, and remember! There could easily be intelligent life on this world. The lodge wasn’t staffed long enough to really explore the oceans. If you meet any new species, be diplomatic! It’s not only our mission as Wayfinders, but locals might help us with getting that clophirium as quickly as possible. Any questions?”
Drei...
|
The halfling pulls out his personal comm unit and deftly taps on it for a couple seconds. As he sets it down a notification sound can be heard from Fitch's unit.
Will we be provided any underwater weapons or are we providing our own?
| GM Fireclaw |
Fitch glances at Drei and nods. "Unfortunately the Society is understocked and unable to assist with underwater equipment. The enviromental seals on your armour should allow you to breathe underwater well enough. Hopefully you all can swim. You have time to hit the markets before your ship embarks for anything else you need. I'd advise against laser, plasma and electric-based weaponry. Even a simple spear will probably work wonders."
Osuro
|
"Underwater? Any idea how deep? Was the outpost a generic model suitable for inhospitable worlds, with air seals and airlocks, or should we expect all the computer equipment to be fully submerged, too?"
---
"Were there mining operations abandoned as well that we could restart, or are we going to have to start from scratch? I'm betting any reserves they could bring back with them when they abandoned the post have already been used, so we shouldn't expect to find refined clophirium in enough quantity just sitting around, though I suppose there might be enough ore sitting out. Maybe."
---
I was going to roll to see if I recognized Moxie. There are no DCs to recognize either one of us until 6th level! More fun that way, for now, I think.
| GM Fireclaw |
Fitch nods. "Yes, at the time lodges were standardized and all were built with airlocks and enviromental protections. If we're lucky, the interior may yet be dry. The lodge was abandonned in a hurry and the staff were on the Station when the orders came to abandon, so much of the equipment and resources were also left behind, likely including the staff's personal effects. Even if there is no clorphirium, a survey and salvage operation is a good starting point to begin mining operations again if necessary."
"The depth is only a few hundred feet. It shouldn't be deep enough to cause noticable pressure problems through your enviromental seals, and your ship will be equipped with a small submersible as well."
| GM Fireclaw |
You guys can attempt the following Recall Knowledge checks as well. Please remember that untrained attempts are possible, but are capped at DC10.
The Manta Corps are all kalos. Kalos are an aquatic race from the Brethedan moon of Kalo-Mahoi known for their blue-green skin, batlike wings, and glowing, protruding eyes. These four kalos are quite tight-knit and go on assignments together, typically deployed to underwater locations.
The Manta Corps prefer action-oriented assignments, and have been known to avoid assignments with a lot of detail or paperwork. Because of this, they’ve earned a reputation as underwater commandos but also as a group that doesn’t do well in overly social settings.
Kalos often redesign weaponry to function much better underwater. A PC who learns this information knows where on Absalom Station to purchase underwater weapons. Underwater weapons are typically of kalo design and manufacture and work perfectly under aquatic conditions. While such weapons generally cost 10% more than a regular version of the weapon, a PC who succeeded at this check can purchase such weapons at the base weapon’s normal price—many kalo manufacturers on Absalom Station are on good terms with the Manta Corps and want to help however they can.
Both lightweight and thermally stable, clophirium featured prominently in many early Drift engine designs, but natural sources were limited, and Pact World planets with clophirium deposits quickly exhausted their supplies. Alternate Drift engine designs that do not require the mineral have become more popular in the last 40 years.
It would be possible to update the Drift engine of the Master of Stars with a more modern design, but the entire engine structure would have to be rebuilt, taking years. Finding additional clophirium supplies is the fastest way to get the Master of Stars up and running again, even if the Society must identify a new mine to do so. The substance is incredibly difficult to find, so any charts or maps identifying existing veins of clophirium would be invaluable to the repair operations.
He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust
|
The irrascible haan slowly clicks his mandibles as he takes in the information, an auditory indicator that he is taking on information.
This master of stars - is she a war bird? Will fixing her make an appresiable impact in the Society's ability to wage war against the threats of the Scoured Stars system? I trust this is not simply a vanity exercise? Assuming so, then I have no real questions. You have laid out reasonable mission parameters and given us a reasonable chance for success.
His expression is featureless but you sense...almost a sense of happiness coming from the highly pragmatic vesk after his last few outing prominently featured reality television, attending a pop concert and worse he had to see his faction head...Ziggy.
He slowly turns to respond to Osuro Do not bother learning Brethedan. The haan are the only species there worthwhile and I am the one of the only haan you will meet - exiled for embracing modern technology. Pity.
| GM Fireclaw |
Fitch frowns but nods at the sensible question from the Haan. "Indeed, the Master of Stars was once the crown jewel of the fleet. The only reason it avoided combat action at the Scoured Stars was that it was already in airdock for much-needed repairs. Repairs which are vital we complete as quickly as possible. Finishing these repairs will be a major boon to our spaceborne potential and is my number one priority."
Osuro
|
Culture: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
"Team? I think I know where we can find an assortment of underwater weaponry cheap. Anyone want go shopping?"
Remi of Castrovel
|
Remi glances at the shiny new plasma ring on her left hip and sighs gently. "I guess this guy won't be seeing much action on this mission then." She opens her bag to take quick stock of her pistol rounds and then nods firmly, deciding she has enough ammunition for now.
Culture: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14
Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15
She nods along with the explanation. "I haven't met these Manta Corps kalos, but I have heard of them. They're from one of the moons around Bretheda." Her eyes wander back over to the haan in their midst. "They're supposed to be a pretty tight-knit group - if we find any of them we'll probably find all of them together."
Remi leans back to remember whether she's learned about the material in her studies. "Clophirium... it used to be incorporated in Drift engines, right? These days engineers have learned a thing or two and prefer designs that don't rely on such a limited natural resource. But it's lightweight and thermally stable, good for working with."
At Osuro's offer, Remi's eyes brighten. "Sounds worth a look!"
| GM Fireclaw |
Fitch puts a finger to her headset once more, listening intently. "Do you know where I can find cheap duct tape as well? It sounds like I have a promise to keep." A ghost of a smile forms on the ysoki's lips. You're pretty sure she's joking.
Moxie Moon
|
Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 "Never heard of the Manta Corps, but we will do everything we can to bring them back home safe. Fitch, you mentioned there might be intelligent life down there. If we do run into someone down there, should getting the clophirium take precedence over establishing a peaceful first contact?"
Moxie realizes that her laser pistol and arc pistol are probably not good choices for this mission, so she decides to go weapon shopping with Osuro. She picks out a showy looking chrome plated sonic pistol and talks the merchant into engraving her initials, "MM", into the side of the gun.
Chivix
|
engineering: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
"Osuro, Chivix would definitely like to go shopping for some more appropriate weaponry. This laser rifle will likely not be as effective as something made by the Kalos."
"As for the Master of Stars' engines, they could be upgraded, but such and undertaking would be a massive endeavor. Chivix does not think that the Society would do such a thing unless there were absolutely no more sources of clophirium available."
Woohoo! New weapons to buy!"
| GM Fireclaw |
Once their shopping and prep work is done, the Starfinders head out and board their ship. The ship is question is a large freighter named Peregrination into Night and is captained and crewed by a lone Shirren named Zhast. Zhast is a delightful host, highly conversational. She painstakingly prepares meals and shares them with the Starfinders in her private quarters daily, and she has kept the mess well-stocked. All in all, the trip is somewhat long at two-and-a-half weeks but pleasant, and the Starfinders have time to get to know one another a little (or keep to themselves if they wish).
Travel to the Vast: 5d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 1, 1, 6) = 17
Early on, when the Peregrination into Night is travelling in the Drift, they pass by an organic arkship broadcasting Xenowardens ID codes along with offering free downloads of information packets regarding ecological concerns across the galaxy. While much of the packet is reports on growth rates of various flora and fauna across dozens of planets, one piece of information does stick out regarding plans to “cruelly place the last known feathered renkrodas into captivity in small Castrovelian wildlife preserves.” The arkship otherwise does not attempt to contact the Starfinders, quickly moving on to proselytize elsewhere.
The feathered renkrodas is an endangered hypercarnivore native to Castrovel, is reptilian in nature, and larger than it's cousins and more common whiskered renkrodas.
After the long journey through the drift, the Zhast instructs the Starfinders that he will drop them near to the location of the lodge in a submersible and return for them 48 hours after their insertion. She says she will stay in orbit until then.
(If anybody has a planet-wide comm device they can communicate with Zhast, since she is staying in orbit), otherwise make sure you make it to extraction!
The submersible splashes down into the oceans of Arniselle at long last. The surface is quite cold and there are icebergs floating by here and there. The Starfinders quickly guide the submersible underwater, and the scanners pick up the Starfinder lodge nearby.
By ocean standards, this one is pretty shallow, and it is a short trip to the bottom where the lodge slowly comes into view. The structure's northern edge appears to have fallen into a cluster of rocks and larger boulders. The exterior lights of the Lodge are on and shining brightly, there appears to be some haphazard patching on the outside hull, and the primary airlock is decorated with a symbol of a broken chain. There appears to be something or someone living here... or perhaps the Manta Corps is present.
The chain is being displayed simiarily to a holy symbol, but does not match any known religion.
The submersible is equipped with auto-park tech which will prevent it from being carried away with the oceans currents should the Starfinders all disembark. The main airlock appears to be the only way in, but they will have to swim there.
If you do not have a Swim Speed, you will need a DC10 Athletics check to swim half your land speed (since the conditions in the water are not hazardous, you only need to make 1 check to get all the way over to the airlock).
Remi of Castrovel
|
During the voyage Remi decides that their captain Zhast must be a lonely person, because why else would someone work so hard to feed and entertain a crew who have been assigned to do a job? So she spends quite a bit of downtime chatting with the shirren and expressing her appreciation for all the supplied food.
When they receive the broadcast about conservation concerns on her home planet, Remi absorbs the information with rapt attention.
Life Science: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
"Ahh, renkrodas... I've seen some of the whiskered variety on Castrovel, but I've only heard people talk about the feathered ones. They are quite endangered, but likely are dangerous as well. I'll have to look more into this when we get back." She has an image of a renkroda saved on her datapad, and she pulls it up to show to anyone on the team who seems at all interested.
(With the Wild Warden theme, and having received her survival training in the wilds of Castrovel... yeah Remi would care about this quite a bit.)
***
When the submersible splashes down on the water's surface, Remi gulps slightly. Seeing the cold ocean spreading out in all directions, knowing that they will be down there for two entire days, is an unnerving experience. She pulls out her datapad and makes a careful note of exactly what time they were deposited, and sets an alarm for a few hours before the deadline. "Can't miss this appointment," she can be heard muttering.
Mysticism: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
She smiles when they find the lodge with its lights on. "Hey, maybe this will be an easy mission after all! Someone seems to be home." She looks curiously at the icon of the broken chain. "That looks meaningful, but it's not the symbol of any deity that I know about. Well, maybe there are more clues inside."
Assuming nobody interrupts to propose some other course of action, she will go for the straightforward route:
Remi carefully closes the seals on her armor and tries to swim across.
Athletics to swim: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Osuro
|
"Looks like time to party! Everybody got your party favors?" Osuro asks nobody in particular while checking the charge on her pistols. She's carrying her disintegrator and the scorchgun.
Osuro leaves her armor loose, as she always wears it, but activates the field which forms over it and extends across the rest of her body before cycling through the airlock to go take a swim. The last thing she does before leaving the airlock is set a countdown timer for 47.5 hours.
Athletics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Drei...
|
The halfling keeps to his quarters throughout the trip to the planet. Nothing is heard from his quarters.
Once they arrive in orbit, he appears from his quarters dressed as before with a slightly larger case than before and silently boards the submersible. He stands in that position as if a statue until they make it to the sea floor where he then casually seals his suit and swims to the main airlock.
Athletics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
He struggles a bit because of the case and his small stature, but manages to make it.
Chivix
|
"In Chivix's experience, easy missions do not come often. Chivix would relisht he chance to simply enjoy this underwater place for two days with no exertions, but Chivix doubts that will be the case. Does anyone know if shock grenades work underwater?"
athletics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
When the time came to leave the sub, Chivix sealed up his armor and swam out with the others. He struggled with all of his gear to swim to the airlock, but just managed it.
Moxie Moon
|
Moxie spends the trip trying to get to know the rest of the team. She actively tries to chat with Osuro, dropping names and pumping her for any useful connections she might have. She seems to be genuinely interested in her teammates experience and expertise.
Seeing that Drei deliberately tries to avoid talking to anyone, she puts an incredible amount of effort in getting him to come out of his shell, and when that fails, she tries to find out what she can about him by inquiring with other Starfinders who have worked with him.
Diplomacy:Gather Information: 1d20 + 1d6 + 12 ⇒ (5) + (5) + 12 = 22
I need to know if this guy is a liability. It's usually the quiet ones that go crazy and start fragging everyone.
Moxie dives into the water, swimming at a steady, competent pace. Athletics:Take 10: 10 + 5 = 15
Responding to Remy and Chivix, Moxie says "I don't think someone being home is going to make things easier. Whoever is here, they're probably not going to turn over all that clophirium to us for free. I'm sure we'll be able to come to a fair settlement in the end though."
| GM Fireclaw |
He-who-Grinds-Blades-to-Dust will also Take 10, botting him for this action.
It is a relatively simple thing for the trained Starfinders to swim across the distance to the airlock and activate it. The doors slide open and the Starfinders are carried into the airlock by the sudden rush of water filling the compartment. As the doors shut behind him, one of the crew triggers the airlock systems, and the room begins to slowly drain of water, until the Starfinders are slowly dripping dry as the last of the water exits the airlock. The airlock console give the all-clear and the inside doors slide open.
Two creatures await on the other side. One creature is a vibrant teal and the other a similarly bright indigo. Both are large creatures with an imposing presence, each with a stout body that ends in a single wide flipper. They have articulated side flippers with a surprising level of fine motion, brightly colored whiskers, gills, and four long tusks, two on each side. The tusks are lightly carved with decorative patterns. They both wear white robes that flutter with the movement of the ocean, and the indigo creature speaks in slightly accented but otherwise perfect Common. “Hello, and welcome! I am Hinevera, and this is Teltham of the morlamaw people. Welcome to our home. You must be more Starfinders, I presume? The last group left rather quickly, so we assumed another group would arrive soon. Greetings!”
A large curtain divides this room, and faint lines on the ground indicates that several walls were likely removed to make this space more open. A five-foot-high stage and eight rows of benches fill the northern half of the room, while the southern half has several large tables. An airlock on the eastern wall acts as a front door, and airlocks on the northern and southern walls lead to other areas. Steel doors lead to the north and south. There are several more creatures, at least a half-dozen ranging in shades from blue to green to violet, who appear to be either medidating or in prayer, or otherwise doing various chores. There are interested glances towards the newcomers all around.
There are slides available at the link under my name. A map of the lodge (with parts you have not visited blotted out), and a few NPC pictures can be found there.
Drei...
|
Your Gather Information is somewhat fruitful. You find out from other Starfinders that have gone on missions with him that:
"He showed me one time that his tongue was cut completely off."
"They say he works directly for Luwazi Elezbo."
"He is an impressive shot, I saw him take out some commander with one shot from something like 100 paces."
"If he's on the mission with you, it must be important to the Society."
"He's a cold killer. He shot a shirren through a window, behind a fridge when we were trying to convince her to surrender. Her head exploded."
"He's a nice guy. Quiet, but he always gets the job done."
While the water drains from the airlock, Drei moves into the corner and sets down his sizable case.
After the airlock opens and the Starfinders exit the airlock, Drei does not bring the case with him.
Drei stays to the back of the group and stays quiet.
Remi of Castrovel
|
Remi is a little taken aback by the gracious welcome they receive. "Oh... er, thank you. You were expecting us? Which other group are you talking about? And why did they leave?" She stares for a moment at the tusks of the one named Hinevera, and then looks around at the brightly colored beings around the room. Then she blinks and suddenly remembers their instructions to be diplomatic. She stammers, "Um, my name is Remi. It's nice to meet you. Hello."
| GM Fireclaw |
Hinevera happily responds, obviously uncaring about Remi's slightly awkward delivery. "“They were quite funny, weren’t they? With their… wings? Is that what they’re called? The other Starfinders visited for a little while, and we offered to let them inventory and take back all the Starfinder-marked property. We certainly have no need of your weapons and armor; it’s hard for us to use them!” Hinevera waves one of her flippers to demonstrate. “They left quickly though; I don’t think they were keen on inventorying.”
He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust
|
Grinds looks a bit irritated at the maralmaw's undaunted cheerfulness. He distrusts their story - he cannot help it. They so resemble a prey species and besides this was a little bit more than convenient wasn't it?
They...left to go where exactly? We were not expecting a second group of Starfinders so this is most curioussss. The quiet hunter seems annoyed by the social niceties.
Sorry, sheet is FINALLY updated
Moxie Moon
|
Moxie steps forward to greet the Morlamaw. "Greetings Hinevera and Teltham. We appreciate your hospitality."
After entering the room, Moxie shows the Morlamaw the Starfinder implant in her hand. "Did any of the Starfinders who came before have a marking like this?"
Moxie tries to get a read on the morlamaw, seeing if they really are what they seem.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 7 + (5) = 24
Remi of Castrovel
|
"Ahh, wings, I see. Did they have green-ish skin, and big eyes like this?" Remi makes a gesture, and tries to describe the appearance of a kalo. "And did they tell you what they were looking for when they came?"
She takes a moment to telepathically send a message into the minds of her teammates: {We should find out if the question of the clophirium has already been raised with these people, before we start asking about it ourselves.}
| GM Fireclaw |
Hinevera nods along happily as Moxie first shows the Starfinder insignia, and then smiles at Remi's description. "Yes exactly! That was them! I think they called themselves the Manta... something. I think they were surprised that we were living here, but no they only stayed a few hours before they left again. But come in come in! Dinner is soon, if you would like to stay?"
As far you can tell, Hinevera is being completely honest and open with the group. The other fellow, Teltham, is decidedly more taciturn and has yet to say anything. He is more difficult to read, since he's not wearing his emotions on his sleeve. You've met similar types in your work - always looking to come in at the last moment and claim responsibility for the endeavour's success.
He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust
|
Grinds insectoid visage may be mostly featureless, but a faint musky odor and a slow clacking of mandibles make his impatience known. That is until Remi's message.They would sadly have to make nice.
I have been told itssss the height of rudeness to refuse a meal offered in friendship. You all seem to be taking to the rather seismic changes to this planet quite well. Does this happen often?
Moxie Moon
|
Moxie tries to reach out mentally to Chivix and Remi.
Moxie winks at He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust and whispers to him.
"Just follow my lead and I'm sure you'll be alright."
Moxie turns towards Hinerva and replies, "We came a long ways to visit you and we would appreciate a good meal. I am kind of curious; your Common is quite excellent for a species who have had such limited contact with the Pact Worlds. Is it your native tongue?"
Remi of Castrovel
|
Remi nods subtly to Moxie, and then gets into the spirit of being friendly towards a new group of people. "Yes please, and thank you! Do tell us about yourselves. How long have you been living here?"
| GM Fireclaw |
"Oh wow, so many questions! Now let me think a moment." Hinevera holds up a fin and smiles a little awkwardly, finding a way to succinctly answer all the Starfinder's questions.
"Well, the seismic activity actually caused a bit of trouble back home. You see, us morlamaw make our cities in the ocean trenches, usually quite deep down. Our group," she waves a fin to encompass the whole building, "dedicated ourselves to a new faith during the troubles, and were cast out for that. Luckily, we stumbled on this structure to shelter us from the local predators, and we've spent the last 10 years repairing it and making it our home and temple." The meaning of that should be clear to any with sense - while the Starfinders have been welcomed as guests, the morlamaw consider this their home now.
By Pact Worlds standards as well, the morlamaw ARE the owners of the lodge now.
"As for Common, well! We learned it all from the educational materials kept here in your former lodge. It must be so exciting to travel among the stars, as you do! I don’t think any morlamaws have ever left this world." Hinevera's smile turns a little questioning though, and she moves forward a touch, looking squarely a Chivix. "I don't think there was any mention of your kind though. What are you? If that's not too rude?"
During the course of the conversation, one of the morlamaws doing chores in the room set aside their work and went into the airlock at the back of the room on the right-hand side.
Osuro
|
10 years? I didn't get the impression the station had been abandoned THAT long. Not enough Starfinder Lore in the player's head, yet, I guess.
"You seem to have made very good use of the educational facilities, then! Quite a bit has happened since our people left. They sent us back here to look for some material that might have been left behind. If there isn't any available, though, maybe we could teach you more about the purpose of this outpost, and set up a long-term trade agreement?"
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Diplomacy ?: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
And I'm really NOT bluffing. Seems like a potential good deal for everyone, lowered value of the mineral included.
He-who-grinds-blades-to-dust
|
He-Who-Grinds-Blades-to-Dust gives a grunt. He seems to be a bit disturbed at the sheer audacity of this group thinking they could claim what belonged to the society.
He hulks menacingly behind Osura, ready to make a more forceful offer should hers fail.
Moxie Moon
|
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Moxie notices that one of the Morlamaws has moved into the airlock and while talking with their hosts, she attempts to alert her allies with a few subtle gestures with her hands and eyes.
Bluff: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
"As Osuro says, we have been empowered to negotiate with any sentient life forms that have taken up residence in our abandoned facility. We're not really interested in the facility itself, but there are some materials here that we do need. While these materials were Starfinder property at one point in time, we understand that they are now in your possession and that you deserve to be compensated for turning them over to us. You may even be able to assist us with acquiring these materials. We are open to discussing terms if you'd like."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1d6 + 12 ⇒ (9) + (4) + 12 = 25
| GM Fireclaw |
"Well, that all sounds lovely." she beams at Osuro, sliding backwards a bit as she welcomes them inside. She nods to Moxie as she offers to negotiate terms. "Yes of course, you are welcome to take inventory and we can discuss further when you have. I--"
The sound of the airlock at the back opening again can be heard and Hinevera stops talking and all the morlamaws in the room turn, and bow to the somewhat resplendent looking morlamaw who emerges from the airlock. Her purple coloured skin is shiny and slick, and her clothes are wet. Clearly there is water on the other side of the airlock from which she emerged.
A picture of Oshessa can be found on the slides.
"Welcome! The Weeping Knight blesses our meeting," she says clearly, her voice warm and inviting, "My name is Oshessa, and I am the leader of this sect. Blessings upon you." She moves towards the Starfinders slowly and deliberately. While the other morlamaws in the room are not longer bowing, there is clear admiration on their faces.
Once she is within comfortable speaking distance, she sweeps her gaze across the Starfinders, in particular she seems interested in Moxie, Remi, and Osuro. "Thank you, Hinevera, for greeting our guests."
"We had been expecting more Starfinders, I am glad you have made it. Before you begin with your search, please could you introduce yourselves and tell from where you hail?"
Chivix
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I'm back! Hope everyone had a good weekend. Looks like you've been busy while I was away ;)
Chivix broke from his staring and seemed startled to have been asked a direct question by the morlamaw.
"Chivix is a shirren. We were once part of the great host of the swarm, but Chivix's ancestors desired a break from the simgle-minded purpose of destruction and fled the Host. Now Chivix is free to pursue his own interests of mechanical things and exploration. Chivix also dabbles in exotic dancing, and has become quite proficient!"
To Moxie, Chivix replied mentally,
{Chivix also believes that this one is on the up and up. But what about he one leaving in the back there? Oh, never mind. It just went to get its leader.}
Chivix inclined his upper thorax slightly to Oshessa, and introduced himself.
"This one is called Chivix. Chivix is a shirren from Akiton. Gravy and Chivix have been traveling the Pact Worlds for a few months now as part of the Starfinders. It has been most illuminating, though sometimes dangerous."