You guys beat me to the rolls. I'm capable of two of them. Wow, this place is awesome. And all that treasure Max will take a serum of healing as with 4, each person can hold one.
Turning to Therseis, Rahm says "Can you tell us more about what we are seeing here? With just the context of this place it would seem that some kind of civil war happened."
"Yes of course. Tabrid Minor’s unifying government arose after the Gap. The government has undergone numerous natural and peaceful transitions of power in the past few centuries. The flying cities were home to copaxis who ruled before the Gap. They defied the natural order and were destroyed in an act of divine wrath. Surface city-states arose from the ashes, and the unifying government brought them together decades later."
"What you are seeing here is likely when the copaxi created robots to assist in the construction of great cities. However, a gravitational fluctuation scrambled the robots’ computers, and they recklessly began attacking copaxis and destroying property. Ongoing robotic research—particularly that approaching simulated intelligence—takes place in controlled labs to minimize any destructive potential. The Signal, the god Triune’s instructions for using the Drift, reached Tabrid Minor, but its people could not understand it. They recorded the cryptic information, and only recently did copaxi technology allow them to create viable starships."
Male NG Elf Scholar technomancer 4 | SP 0/20 HP 20/24 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15 ; KAC 16 | Fort +1; Ref +3; Will +4 | Init: +2 | Perc: +2, SM: +0 | Speed 40ft | Spells: 0th: 6 1st: 4/4 2nd 3/3 | Spell ave DC 16 |Active conditions: None.
"Well, the Gap did cause panic, confusion and violence all over, perhaps it was worse here than most places. Are we ready to move on to the next location?"
I've lost track. did we have a destination after this one?
A shot rings out as Integrity adds yet another hole to the bullet riddled wall. Then, she leads up against it and spreads her arms. "You know, this is the kind of wall you die against. You know?"
She nods to the group. "Yeah, let's explore more. This place is really starting to grow on me!"
A small cluster of ruined buildings stands within a few hundred feet of the city’s edge. The only building with walls high enough to provide protection from the icy wind stands adjacent to a precarious stone tower some forty feet tall. The building has no roof, and much of its walls have collapsed, revealing signs of a makeshift camp within. As you enter the first ruined building you see two copaxi also in the building. They eye you suspiciously with Pact World weapons in their hands.
Integrity holds up a hand towards Jeen, giving him a playful eyeroll before pressing a finger to her lips.
At the front of the group, she gracefully spins on the ball of her heel, rotating 180 degrees before ending it with a bow, mimicing her diplomatic gesture from earlier.
The envoy watches the armed aliens closely, gauging their reaction.
Sense Motive:1d20 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + (2) + 5 = 9
The copaxi repeat the gesture from Miss and relax their hands away from their weapons. One of the speaks up confidently, ”You here too? We sell you rights to search area. 200 credits. For 100 more we show what we search.”
Integrity makes a gesture, pulling phantom pockets inside out. "Well, I happen to be pretty short right now. Just went shopping, you see." Her mock pout transmogrifies into a grin. "Buuuut, I just spent it on some party favors if you don't mind trading in goods."
The envoy reaches into her goodie bag, producing three doses of hyperleaf. Then, she glances back at the group, giving them an inquisitive glance. "Unless you guys want to chip in?"
As we are running low on time left I will give you a synopsis instead of conversation, to respect your time.
You learn that these copaxis are fed up with the widening gap between rich and poor on Tabrid Minor. They believe their people’s rapid industrialization has done more harm than good and are eager to earn enough credits to buy passage to other worlds.
The scavengers’ stash contains a journal preserved in a sealed container. You learn the “scientists” sxtationed here were servants of Tabantria’s magical aristocracy; they observed the planet to learn how best to manipulate and exploit its natural and magical resources, especially copi. Most of the notes concern the process of cultivating copi to make objects—and even cities—float high above the planet’s surface. In the journal’s final pages, several of the scholars stationed here, and many others across Tabrid Minor, received the revelation of Drift travel. Instead of being celebrated, they were shunned and eventually executed after a failed coup attempt. The unidentified author of the journal supported this decision and outed several colleagues to the government; they justified this action by predicting that the spread of Drift technology would cause rapid, irreversible, and damaging industrialization, violently disrupting the status quo. The final page of the journal states the author’s fears that further conflict seems inevitable, as the Signal could not possibly be passed off as insanity—a “Message of Madness”—forever.
Rahm's expression remains impassive, but internally he is starting to form grave doubts about Thersies's version of his people's history. Putting that aside for the moment, he says "Let's proceed to site 6 then."
I goofed a little, this location you are at was area #6. My apologies, this next one will be area #7.
A round, open arena stands at the edge of the city’s abandoned university. Tiered seating areas looks to have once provided space for hundreds of people to observe the spectacles that took place in the large central playing field. A faded mural at the entrance to the stands depicts a dozen copaxis flying among black spheres; some of the copaxis carry short rods, and others pass fist-sized cubes to one another. Detritus litters the outer stands, but all the litter closer to the center has been pulled into the field by ten floating black spheres, each five feet in diameter. The spheres float in erratic patterns, crisscrossing the arena in a series of ellipses. As they float and spin, debris orbits the spheres, lazily flowing from one to the next. Several intact objects float amid the debris, including a few books, weapons, and other items.
"There is one area our team has yet to explore. It is a massive open-roofed stadium on the north side of the campus. Whenever our people approach the arena, we experience unbearable headaches that force us to turn back," Thersis states.
To retrieve the objects that now float above the field, you must enter the playing field and navigate the arena to retrieve the objects.
Navigating the playing field requires a successful DC 18 Athletics or Acrobatics check. To retrieve the objects, you must collectively accumulate three successes before failing three times. Each time you attempt an Athletics or Acrobatics check, other PCs can attempt to aid the check using the same skill or Physical Science; a failed attempt to aid another does not count against the limit of three failures for the group as a whole.
Jeen looks at the spheres for a moment
they seem to be generating some sort of gravitational pull, might be similar to the anti grav engines I made for AGE, but I don't think it would be a good Idea to send him in. he says before entering.
engineering:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Male NG Elf Scholar technomancer 4 | SP 0/20 HP 20/24 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15 ; KAC 16 | Fort +1; Ref +3; Will +4 | Init: +2 | Perc: +2, SM: +0 | Speed 40ft | Spells: 0th: 6 1st: 4/4 2nd 3/3 | Spell ave DC 16 |Active conditions: None.
"Ah. A sporting event. Not one of my favorite things but I beleive I can assist for sure. Wait, is this the one that uses a snitch or something like that?"
By successfully navigating the parabolas playing field, you discover that the black spheres are made of highly concentrated and graviton-enhanced copi. You recover several items of interest to their investigation and to the research team. One is a rules manual and playbook for "parabolas"; Theris can translate it. You learn copaxis played parabolas to hone their gravitational influence. you also discover the basics of how the game was played—though coming to a full understanding of the rules would take several hours. Thersis reveals that the copaxis have known how to manipulate the gravitational properties of copi for millennia. In fact, their starships’ hulls and engines are made of a highly processed form of copi, a sort that is mostly inert but durable, malleable, and space-worthy. What most copaxis do not realize is that all copaxis—not just those who lived in the cities— could once harness their connection to copi and produce magic.
"Fascinating" Rahm remarks, learning about the game and the copaxi's innate gravitational abilities. Focused on the mission still, he adds "Let us proceed to area 5 now."
"Our research team discovered a gaping hole excavated in an otherwise mundane residential neighborhood. They detected the presence of dangerous creatures within the tunnels and have yet to explore further."
It is a simple matter to travel to this district and locate the tunnel. The tunnel leads beneath the surface to a long-abandoned mining operation.
This is one of countless copi colonies nurtured by the city’s original architects.The city’s lower sections and arms are crisscrossed by vents and tunnels. The area’s walls are worked stone; the rooms have no natural light. Carts, tools, and digging machines lie dormant in this massive cavern, the walls of which are covered in impressive coral-like organisms. Several of the carts are partly filled with decaying chunks of coral.
Engineering 16+:
You notice that the digging equipment and rusted machines are of a technology level far surpassing that found throughout the city. While still centuries behind Pact Worlds’ technology, the machines are an anachronism in this ancient place.
You also notice in area B1 that the metal debris had been hastily welded to the entrance to this tunnel, but something ripped it off with brute force.
A pile of rusted metal and debris lies outside an out-of-the-way tunnel. That tunnel leads north from the mining operation to a small room (area B1).
B1: The partial barricade (leading to area B1) is wide enough for Medium creatures to walk through, or Large creatures to squeeze through. Stone-carved stairs rise to a room further north.
Male NG Elf Scholar technomancer 4 | SP 0/20 HP 20/24 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15 ; KAC 16 | Fort +1; Ref +3; Will +4 | Init: +2 | Perc: +2, SM: +0 | Speed 40ft | Spells: 0th: 6 1st: 4/4 2nd 3/3 | Spell ave DC 16 |Active conditions: None.
"We're still seeing this disparity in technological levels. I still don't know what to make of it. Of course, our first concern should be what made that hole..."
Rahm is more focused on the potential danger than interesting engineering, and he moves up to take point between the chamber they are in and the space beyond.
Seeing the movement, he says
maybe I should send AGE in first.
He pulls out the little drone and sends him in, looking through the camera on his custom rig tone connected to the drone.
perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
