Your mission does not begin in the normal briefing room, docking bay, or starship deck that you are accustomed to. Instead, you all make your way a little off the grid, to unfinished area in the lorespire complex, under development and not exactly standard operating procedure. You are there after receiving a private message on your com.
This is First Seeker Jadnura.
You have shown yourself to be an exemplary agent. As such, I have need of you for an urgent and highly classified mission.
Do not speak of it to other agents, faction leaders, or even First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo.
I need you to meet me at the attached coordinates, inside the Lorespire Complex.
It’s under construction, but it is quite safe. The date and time have already been entered into your comm unit.
You all arrive to find the Kasatha Jadnura, one of the society's two current first seekers, waiting to greet you in a makeshift meeting room, empty but for a single table and yourselves.
"Query, First Seeker, what is so important that you contact us directly? What is so secret that it can not be discussed even with the other First Seeker?"
The android speaking is blue with a long blue stripe of hair splitting its otherwise bald head, cocked to one side. It wears metal studded armour made from a scaly leather. Pistols, one static arc, one old school lead thrower, hang from its belt. A variety of other gear hangs scattered around her body.
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A tall non-sexuated android, with yellow lights under dark synthskin enters the room, and looks around.
It is wearing a simple stationwear flight suit, with an Acquisitives patch on one shoulder, and an Obsidian Spiders one on the other shoulder.
Zeta has some notepads and mini-cams attached to its suit, for V-Logging.
It has a Starfinder Insignia pinned to its chest pocket, besides a PANGEA patch.
It points to a serum of healing and a medpatch fixed to its chest: ”In case of emergency", Zeta says.
On its belt there are a couple smoke grenades, a survival knife, and some kind of oversized revolver, with a really big chamber, and a super long barrel!
A few speed clips are attached beside it.
Zeta has a Starfinder pack on its back.
Seeing the empty makeshift meeting room, Zeta nods a greeting to the other Android, and to the Lashunta.
"As asked, I would not feel comfortable with anything like treason."
Thinks for a second: "Unless there is a good reason, we get away with it, and the price is right."
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A fairly sizable Kasathas swaggers in to the area. "Ahh. Blessings of the Drinkless God on you First Seeker. I see you are recovering well. Nasty place that area. I feel honored that you have bought me in to your confidence. Anything for the Glory of the Society!"
The loud figure has saber and pistol on either side of his hips. The subtlety of this meeting seems to be lost on him. You can also make out some folded wings off his back.
“I’m glad you could make it. I apologize for the secretive nature of this briefing.” Adressing Shohiraj's question concern directly, he adds “We will present the information to her once we have something to show for it. I also don’t want it to look as if I’m usurping her role. I’m still trying to figure out what my role will be in the Society.”
Jadnura paces the mostly empty meeting room, with only a single table in front of a force-field shielded viewing port. He looks each assembled agent in the eye. “I want you to know that I hold the fine work of First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo in the highest regard, but if she knew I was assembling Starfinder Agents for missions, it would complicate the already difficult situation of having two First Seekers. What I ask of you is of paramount importance to the Society, you see I—how do I begin?” Jadnura looks out the vast open port at the stunning view of The Eye of Absalom Station. His hand dances across the force field window before he continues.
“I have failed the Society. Over a year ago I discovered an artifact called a Tear on a small moon known as Kukanou-2b. It guided me to the Scoured Stars trinary star system. I dreamt of making impressive new discoveries, perhaps even some protected from the ravages of The Gap. In my excitement I had forgotten caution. For that, the Society lost so much.” He takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly. “Resources. Lives. So many of those under my command were trapped or killed behind the Godshield that enveloped the system."
“I need to make amends, that much is certain. But I also need to find out where I went wrong. What vital clue I must have missed. For that, I need you.” As he continues speaking, he looks at each Starfinder meaningfully. “You are the finest group of agents that I can assemble, each with an impressive service record. I need you to go to Kukanou-2b, where my folly began. Retrace my steps and find any clues to the Tear, the Scoured Stars, or anything else that can make sense of this catastrophe. If you find anything illuminating, return to me at once. Do you have any questions before you depart?”
Answering Spanner's question about this particular location they are meeting in, he answers “This is part an unfinished project—no doubt put on hold to preserve resources after the Scoured Stars Incident. Perhaps one day soon it will be finished and show its true potential.”
"I recognize the confidence you must have to entrust this mission to us. Thank you, Jadnura."
"Are there natives on Kukanou-2b? What are their characteristics? What is a tear?"
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When the starfinders ask a bit about the Tears, Jadnura explains a bit. "This Tear was what originally led me to the disaster at the scoured stars, and First Seeker Luwazi was able to locate another which allowed her to pierce the protective veil - the Godshield - to enact our rescue."
"They are about 2 feet long and resemble an obelisk or prism made of some golden material. I’ve now seen two of them, and they each look similar, but unique. As if they were custom made to fit some purpose."
"We think there are as many as eight such Tears, one for each civilization known to have departed the Scoured Stars."
Jadnura uploads some coordinates to a landing site and mapping out the path he traveled. "The destination star system has only two planets orbiting around
a blue star. The first is almost entirely molten rock, the second is a gas giant with various moons. You’re heading toward one of those moons. Kukanou-2b once had a liquid core but met some seismic catastrophe that rendered it lifeless. I found the Tear in a carved-out chamber near the surface, perhaps left there by smugglers or, as with the Tear Luwazi found, hidden away by the civilization it was intended for." Jadnura had encountered no life, the moon seemed devoid of any.
"The atmosphere is breatheable for a short period by most, it's thin and slightly toxically heavy with carbon dioxide and thick with ash. Over a day without some kind of respiration assistance would probably be detrimental. Rain is rare but regardless you will be heading underground to retrace my journey."
You've covered a lot, but Jadnura will answer any other questions you may still have before seeing you off. "I have prepared a Pegasus class ship. Again please use discretion. If you need any other purchases or preparations, you can make them on your way to the ship, which stands ready for you now."
"Thank you First Speaker."
"You may all call me Sho, a single syllable designation will be most efficient. I am surprised to be chosen for a mission of this importance. I hope not to let the first speaker or you all down."
The First Seeker thanks you again as he sends you off. Pangea picks up 6 healing serums to be ready in case they find something dangerous. You all get aboard the pegasus class starship and set a course for the moon Jadnura directed you to, all the way out in the Vast.
However, 4 days into your journey, still in near space, you detect a strange encrypted signal.
You can try to decrypt it with Computers or Culture , not necessarily tied to any starship role here.
Pangea is quite fearful of being captain: "I sure hope I will not let you down, Sho!"
"I am confident that you will not let us down."
"Does anyone need to carry a serum? All have at least one?"
"I am well-supplied with repair supplies."
*** Strange signal ***
Shohiraj looks over Kane's shoulder. "Perhaps applying a Neumann algorithm will help."
The message is harder than expected to decrypt, but maybe with a little more help the team can manage it.
The message prooves too tricky to decrypt, and the ship continues its way through the drift.
The rest of the trip is uneventful, and remarkably short to get to the Vast. When you emerge from the drift at Jadnura's coordinates, you find small system around a blue dwarf star. After heading toward the blue-and-green gas giant, you locate the second moon, Kukanou-2b. This black and grey rock spins silently with ash storms marring its lonely surface.
To scan the surface, the science officer (Kane) can make a Computers check, with +2 for the ship's computer and also an aid from the captain (Pangaea) either from a computers check or Dimplomacy / Intimidate like in starship combat.
Kane's scans manage to get a lot of useful information about the moon:
Kukanou-2b’s atmosphere is thin, humid, ash filled, and contains a toxic level of carbon dioxide, so spending more than 24 hours on the planet would be unhealthy. The high heat is intolerable for most creatures. The ambient temperature on the landing zone is 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Underground the temperature drops to a cooler 110 degrees. Environmental seals on armor are necessary to sustain the wearer. Scans detect no other starships.
Most of the moon’s surface is made of volcanic rock such as basalt, andesite, and obsidian. The ash-filled atmosphere makes it nearly impossible for plants to survive; the surface has no life signs and no active energy or magical signatures. Fault lines on the surface suggest a catastrophic seismic and volcanic event. All volcanic activity has ceased, though quakes continue to ravage the surface, and the core of the moon is cooling rapidly.
Scans show a vast series of tunnels in the crust, but indicate they were flooded with magma and sealed with volcanic rock. Some traces of alloy metals and complex compounds in the volcanic rock suggests modern technology was on the surface and in the tunnels at the time of the catastrophic event. No active settlements or vehicles can be detected.
Penetrating scans show clusters of dense metals buried within the volcanic rock, indicating large underground settlements that are now buried. Scattered debris or alloyed metal embedded in the surface’s volcanic rock suggest technology that was buried in sudden eruptions. Extensive excavation would be required to gain more information.
After scanning successfully you take the ship down for a landing. Jadnura’s information provides you with a safe landing zone, which is trivial to navigate. The descent must be done blindly, using only sensors to navigate as the ash in the air reduces visibility to 50 feet. The directions to the chamber where Jadnura found the Tear are easy to follow and are about an hour away by foot.
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Sho regards her fellow android. Continuing to stare at Zeta, Sho says to Kane. "Is Zeta demonstrating a sense of humor?"
You make you final preparations, verifying your armor protections are operable, and getting any lights or vision sources you need activated.
After you depart the ship and walk about an hour along the path provided by Jadnura, you come to a cave entrance as expected. Once underground, the air is no longer full of ash, but it is completely dark. The ceilings average about 15 feet high.
You follow your directions within the cave, and come to Jadnura's next indicated waypoint, his old camp. The plain rocky walls are occasionally highlighted by black mold that emits a pungent musty odor. The remnants of a camp indicate the former presence of sentient life, including a portable self-pitching tent. A single set of humanoid foot prints stand out starkly against the undisturbed dust and ash.
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Given a moment Dart will happily talk about Kayden Kalin, a Lashunta Hero God of Pre-Gap times. Known for being a teetotaler but a adventurer to "right the wrongs" and "free the oppressed." He show that his blade is the god's divine symbol and that the mug of gold and red was his weapon of choice. He goes on about "Put down the Drink and Take Up the Sword" as to not be distracted with such things while fighting injustice.
"Let me get close to clear the area" Dart jump/flies across the chamber towards the ten, landing back on the ground. His mote shines and illuminates the area.
You guys can tell from the tracks that the person who left them was Medium sized and walked quickly, as if they knew where they were going. The tracks are also very recent.
You can also tell some more about the area with Engineering or Physical Science.
Karn spots some cracks in the cave walls without any settled dust, indicating very recent seismic disturbances.
As you all look around the camp, something unexpected occurs, and several of the rocks form into monstrous shapes, held together with some sort of green energy. They appear both spiritual and elemental in nature.
They appear unhappy with the party's foray into the caves, and are obviously poised to attack.
Round 1 - *bold may go (everyone)
*Dart
*Spanner
*Pangaea
*Shohiraj
*Kane
Rockies
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"Are these drinkless rocks?"
Pangea calls out, pointing to the orange colored rock formation: "Get that rock pile! Turn it to dust!"
Then Pangea calls out: "Anyone need to move fast?"
You can use that move action during your next turn to take a guarded step, move up to your speed, or draw or sheathe a weapon.
You can use your extra move action in between your other actions, and can even use it before or after a full action.
Sho steps forward, drawing his pistols. He leans onto an out-cropping of rock and peeks around the edge at the two creatures.
Spurred on by Pangaea's direction, Spanner's laser splashes into the orange rocky creature and it flinches as chunks of debris are thrown free of it.
Shohiraj gets ready to unleash on it next turn.
Round 1 continued - *bold may go (Dart, Kane)
*Dart
Spanner
Pangaea
Shohiraj
*Kane
Red Rocky
Orange Rocky (-5 HP)
Dart swings in and hits red, which seems somewhat resistant to his physical attack.
However, they seem to have no defense against Kane's spell as his missiles slam into orange.
The creatures return attacks against Dart and Shohiraj, dealing the same 13 damage to each. When they attack, a small flurry of rock from the ground flies with their blows, and you can tell that their attacks are strengthened by being in contact with the same ground as their target.
Both foes are damaged, but not particularly severely yet.
Round 2 - *bold may go (everyone)
*Dart
*Spanner
*Pangaea
*Shohiraj (-13 SP)
*Kane (-13 SP)
Red Rocky (-17 HP)
Orange Rocky (-14 HP)