A set of white furniture stands around the door to a briefing room in the middle levels of the Lorespire Complex. A red light shines over the automated door, along with a strand of scrolling red digital text: Please wait here for briefing. Enter when the light turns green.
|
Gabbers "Gab" McTalkington, a well-known ysoki comedian on Absalom station (particularly following his amusing appearance on Live Exploration Extreme!) is the first to arrive. He is dressed in a snazzy dark purple business suit today, with his starfinder backpack situated so that it hangs low, allowing him quick access to a couple of the side pouches should he need them. From his belt hang three guns and an assortment of grenades, looking out of place in contrast to the ysoki's laid-back demeanor.
He adjusts his hat slightly as he looks around, with a quick twitch of his whiskers, waiting for anyone else to arrive, but continuing a conversation into his Second Skin armor's communicator.
"Listen, Howie, you know me, I don't care about the money, but this venue is small potatoes, and we both know it. They're lucky to book me, right? So we gotta make sure we get a fair deal on the gig." He nods as he listens. "Yeah, see, that's what I'm talkin' about. Just tell 'em I'm not sold on the terms yet, and see how much they'll budge. Yup, you're a sweetheart. Love ya, Howie baby!" He listens again, then glances around once more. "You know how it is, I got no idea where they're sending me. Yes, I'll take pictures." He chuckles. "Well, you keep my schedule busier, Howie, and maybe I won't have time to scamper across the Vast, eh?"
Rising from her chair, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo proclaims, “Ah, these are the agents I spoke about! Starfinders, may I introduce to you Ulyapses, a new friend from the Vast.” A massive, six-limbed alien rises from its chair, barely avoiding a collision with the ceiling. She clears her throat, and in a deep, bellowing voice begins, “I am honored to stand in the presence of those as accomplished as you. I am Ulyapses, and it seems our past and your present have come together.” As she speaks, she retrieves a holographic projector from the folds of her simple robe. “This is our history,” Ulyapses continues, gesturing to the images appearing from the projector.
Over the next several moments, the projector displays an advanced society of creatures shaped like Ulyapses laboring under an opaque golden
sky. The creatures toil with obvious dissatisfaction, creating monolithic tributes to an unseen entity. At times, the shield fades, and in these moments the aliens quickly turn to the frantic design of rockets, starships, and other methods of leaving their world. Each time, the aliens fail to pierce the golden sky and must return to their toil. As the playback accelerates, the images speed past a myriad of failed escape attempts before suddenly slowing as the glimmering shield winks out of existence. As the barricade vanishes, the subjugated aliens swiftly escape aboard their highly sophisticated starships. The images then show the aliens arriving upon a fertile planet. They bury the majority of their ships and load the remaining few with relics that remind them of the world where they had been held hostage. A small group of custodians flies these ships, laden with reminders of their grim history and other technological advances, to a nearby, heat-blasted moon. On the newly settled world, the aliens live a peaceful, agrarian life for generations. Suddenly, a short golden obelisk descends from the heavens, igniting panic among the people.
With obvious sadness, Ulyapses shuts off the projector. With a tremble, she stammers, “Your brothers and sisters wait trapped behind the same barrier that once imprisoned us—Luwazi calls it the ‘Godshield.’ For us, escape took many generations and considerable luck. For you, perhaps, we have another path. We call the golden relic deposited on our world the Tear. We fear it heralded a return to our captivity, so we quickly deposited it on the same rocky moon where we sent our unnecessary technology and unpleasant reminders of our past. We call that facility the Repository. Perhaps the Tear is a key, or a beacon. But if it has answers, we don’t want them.” Ulyapses collapses back into her chair with a thud.
Elsebo steps forward. “We have permission to access the Repository and claim the Tear, on the sole condition that we take it far away from Ulyapses’s people and never bring it back. The key to pierce the Godshield awaits, and the Society needs you to retrieve it.”
|
|
Gab nods at the big guy, listening carefully to the mission briefing.
"Okay, so we're going to this Repository - basically, sounds like this is your junkyard - to reclaim this Tear. What do you know about it? It just fell out of the sky and you feared it? Did it, um ... do anything? Glow? Irradiate people? Turn them into chickens? That kind of thing? Any precautions we should take in handling it?"
He glances at Luwazi. "Also, anybody else got their eyes out for this? Like more Hellknights with flamethrowers, if ya know what I mean?" He unconsciously reaches his hand into his starfinder backpack, finger reassuringly touching the fire extinguisher present there.
|
|
A gaunt and pale skinned damaya lashunta strides into the room looking a bit preoccupied. He runs a thumb against barrel of a pistol hanging on a golden chain from his well-fitted black business suit. To a casual inspection, he gives off the air of a corp executive. His long face, jet-black hair and waxed mustache seem perfectly in line with that assumption. At a second glance however, your eyes are drawn to his strange earrings, which seem to be made of the preserved eyes of some alien beast, his bracelets and necklace, which are made of jagged and rusty-colored bones, and his suit's tie which appears to be made of a patchwork of blood-stained military insignia from a variety of worlds.
He seems to realize that he's reached his destination as he locks eyes with Luwazi. In a flash, his whole countenance brightens "Ah my dear Luwazi!" He sweeps a bow, black coattails fluttering. "It is ever an honor to work with you. You are looking exceedingly radiant today, if I may say so."
He raises his head to inspect the alien. "And an absolute pleasure to meet you as well, Ulyapses. If I am not mistaken, you are quite the rarity indeed." He eyes her with a predatory gaze. "Well, welcome to Absalom Station."
----
He looks thoughtful as the holographic scene fades and the alien explains their slim lead to breaking the Godshield. "So, my dear Uly, your people saw this Tear arrive and you immediately disposed of it. I admit I'm left puzzled. How did you know it to be a key or beacon or even relic of your previous enslavement? As our adorable ysoki friend here asks, does it carry some inherent danger? At the very least it seems as though the Tear is mobile. Do you know with certainty that it remains on your moon?"
He pauses, considering the mission. "If it is there, we will be sifting among all your other technology to find it, will we not? Among the other technology stored there, what is there that we should be wary of?"
|
A pale armored humanoid moves into the room taking in everything behind a rune covered face plate. His long swept and pointed ears are visible behind the mask with a light blonde hair that is collected into a single braid that runs past his neck. Tattoos are partially covered on his arms and neck of skulls, plants, and weaponry along with elven script that slowly rotates around them. Across his skin are various aged signs of fights and barroom brawls that have been slow to heal.
The armor is a dark color that would seem to be at home within the shadows if not for bright highlights of red and green that would not aid in any form of stealth.
Turning toward Luwazi and the guest of the Society, Elminar gives a curt nod to both before acknowledging the First Seeker, "My fate is in your hands First Seeker. I will see this mission though."
He hovers near a seat for a moment before moving to place his back against a wall to watch the presentation before asking, "I think their questions are prudent. I have to ask if your people left anyone or anything to guard those relics."
"Is there a reason you didn't destroy them rather than place them within the Repository? Not that I disagree. It is rare to see others attempt to maintain such a strong connection to their history rather than try to erase it any more than time already has."
|
|
A grinning, cheerful little ysoki in the room says, "Hello everyone!! My name is Arratoi! I'm a writer and I find inspiration working various missions for the Starfinders and travelling the stars. Someday, I'll write the quintessential space novel that will be read across the entire galaxy!!
"Now I know that some may struggle to pronounce my name, but that's okay. It's pronounced ARA-TOI. But honestly, if you cannot say it, just call me 'A Rat'! I know you were thinking it! So now you can say it without fear of causing me any offense!
"Oh and by the way, I have quite a few dwarven novelist colleagues who've taught me how to throw insults like a dwarf. It's quite an art! And I daresay.... addictive!
"So if I say things such as, 'Why won't that incompetent harpy-faced decrepit fuzzpot light turn green already?!?!' then please don't take offense. I just get carried away now and then!
"So about this mission, my colleagues have asked all. I don't have any more questions....yet."
|
A kalo skulks into the room, water sloshing around inside her armor. The front of her armor is white while the backside is dark, and she wears a fishing net over her helmet like a widow's veil, peppered with fish hook accessories.
She looks around nervously.
"This repository sounds pretty dangerous, and I imagine we're all going to die, but it sounds like this Tear is pretty important, so I guess we have to try. I'm HeeNee, by the way."
|
|
Sovyal gives the rest of his team a thin lipped smile before licking his lips. "Ah. Ah, yes. We're all together now, my fluffy little sheep. Gab, Elminar, Arratoi and Hee Nee. A pleasure to meet you all." He manages a courtly bow that borders on ridiculous. "I am Sovyal. I look forward to seeing all your... delightful... talents... as we undertake this rather important mission."
"It does indeed seem important. If we're to pierce the Godshield, as you say."
Gab nods at the big guy, listening carefully to the mission briefing.
"Okay, so we're going to this Repository - basically, sounds like this is your junkyard - to reclaim this Tear. What do you know about it? It just fell out of the sky and you feared it? Did it, um ... do anything? Glow? Irradiate people? Turn them into chickens? That kind of thing? Any precautions we should take in handling it?"
He glances at Luwazi. "Also, anybody else got their eyes out for this? Like more Hellknights with flamethrowers, if ya know what I mean?" He unconsciously reaches his hand into his starfinder backpack, finger reassuringly touching the fire extinguisher present there.
Luwazi responds. “The izalguuns have been dumping technology and unwanted relics—godgifts, they call them—at the Repository for some time. However, they know very little about the Repository, as it was the purview of several izalguun custodians to store and study the materials sent there. Ulyapses knows which silo the Tear was sent to, but nothing more—communications with the izalguun custodians stopped decades ago. I’d be prepared for anything: advanced technology, radiation, or even strange magic.” She nods to Sovyal as well, hoping she answered his question in the process.
"So, my dear Uly, your people saw this Tear arrive and you immediately disposed of it. I admit I'm left puzzled. How did you know it to be a key or beacon or even relic of your previous enslavement? As our adorable ysoki friend here asks, does it carry some inherent danger? At the very least it seems as though the Tear is mobile. Do you know with certainty that it remains on your moon?"
Ulyapses lowers her head. "The Tear's powerful aura and golden coloration strongly indicated a connection to the force that imprisoned us for millennia. That was more than enough for us to seal it away before its powers could manifest. I hope it has not escaped its vault, but I suppose that's a possibility."
"Is there a reason you didn't destroy them rather than place them within the Repository? Not that I disagree. It is rare to see others attempt to maintain such a strong connection to their history rather than try to erase it any more than time already has."
Ulyapses looks to the elf. "If our fate were to be unkind and we were returned to our imprisonment, we would rather not have potentially offended the power that caged us. We learn from our history as best we can, and preferred to let the passing generations erode the power's influence rather than try to destroy it artificially."
"So if I say things such as, 'Why won't that incompetent harpy-faced decrepit fuzzpot light turn green already?!?!' then please don't take offense. I just get carried away now and then!"
"It does indeed seem important. If we're to pierce the Godshield, as you say."
Luwazi replies. “We don’t know if it will, but we want to find out. The Tear sent to the izalguun is a near-perfect replica of a similar relic that led First Seeker Jadnura to the Scoured Stars. I hypothesize they are related, and the Tear’s arrival among the izalguun was an invitation for reentry into the Scoured Stars. I intend for us to accept this invitation.”
|
|
Even behind the mask Elminar gives a clear incredulous look toward Sovyal as he offers his greeting. "Not sure what you are saying. I'm neither a sheep nor am I fluffy, especially comparing to the pageantry you put on about. Have no doubts myself of the weight this mission bears and will treat it like such. Lots of lives on the line."
The elf gives a nod of understanding to Ulyapses before asking the First Seeker, "I assume from the way you are speaking that we aren't looking to obtain other items from this complex. Are we to leave the other items of the complex as we find them or are we to recover anything on our way that may be useful to our goals?" He gives another look of consideration to Ulyapses, "Apologies if the question offends you, but looking to make sure the question is raised before we are deep within this vault of yours."
The elf gives a nod of understanding to Ulyapses before asking the First Seeker, "I assume from the way you are speaking that we aren't looking to obtain other items from this complex. Are we to leave the other items of the complex as we find them or are we to recover anything on our way that may be useful to our goals?" He gives another look of consideration to Ulyapses, "Apologies if the question offends you, but looking to make sure the question is raised before we are deep within this vault of yours."
Ulyapses replies. "The izalguun people have no desire for any of the things sent to the Repository. Anything of use you find there is yours to take."
"Also, what kinds of terrible things will try to kill us there? There are always terrible things trying to kill us."
Luwazi answers. "As I mentioned, our best bet for what might be lurking within is advanced technology, radiation, or even strange magic, but we don't know for sure. Being experienced Starfinders, we expect you to be prepared for anything."
|
|
Gab nods. "You got it boss. Meeting at the spacedock then?" He glances around at everybody to confirm, then begins sending text messages on his comm unit as he heads out.
He arrives at the spacedock with a hovercart in tow at the appointed time. He brings a couple of backpacks full of personal materials onto the ship, then glances around and calls out to the rest of the crew, "So, I got this load of nukes here? Where do we want to store 'em, in case we gotta blast anybody?"
|
|
"Everything is ours to take? Why, how generous!" Sovyal smirks at the izalguun. "If there are any of your custodial fellows there, I will be certain to spirit them away." He lets out a throaty laugh.
"If we do end up meeting your custodians, is there something you would recommend to help us show them that we mean no harm? Some kind of sign, or something we could say?" He frowns "I can already imagine angry custodians trying to eradicate us for some perceived slight."
----
At the starship docks, Sovyal peeks into the hovercart with its 'nukes'. "I suggest you store them in your cabin. That way if we're attacked in transit, you'll be able to personally deliver them to our enemies." He winks at the ysoki. "Are you really expecting to need them?"
To Arratoi, he adds "Ulyapses seemed to speak common well enough. Perhaps we'll not need any particular capabilities beyond what your tetrad device can accomplish."
|
|
"Do you have any other weapons in case we aren't in need of reducing someone to a broken bits of slag Gabbers? What are you getting ready to fight with out there?"
Elminar acknowledges Arratoi, "I know a few languages, but I have magic that will let me get an understanding of anything we find. I won't be able to speak the tongue, in that case I don't have anything that matches your translator."
|
|
He shakes his head at Sovyal. "Not really, but you never know when you'll get in a space battle. Better safe than sorry. Probably makes more sense to put them near the missile launchers, though, right?"
He smiles at Elminar. "If we're shooting missiles, then I'm assuming we're already past that point, right?" He sits down. "So, we got a pilot in this crew, or you guys want me to helm this thing? I'm tolerable, but no sky jockey, if you know what I mean."
"If we do end up meeting your custodians, is there something you would recommend to help us show them that we mean no harm? Some kind of sign, or something we could say?" He frowns "I can already imagine angry custodians trying to eradicate us for some perceived slight."
Ulyapses nods. "The custodians have had no contact with non-izalguuns since we left our ancestral star system. If you encounter them and mention our tribe, they should refrain from attacking, assuming they are still in any way connected to their heritage."
***
The journey to Izal-4 is uneventful, but the moon itself is blisteringly hot with almost no atmosphere. You touch down on the outer crust near an artificial silo made of advanced nanocarbons. The silo is a deep, conical depression in the moon’s surface into which passing spacecraft could theoretically dump their payloads. Steep stairs curve around the interior of the cone beneath the silo, descending to a small platform that overlooks a smog-shrouded region below. The platform ends with jagged metal and torn struts, obvious clues that it once anchored a bridge to an airlock across the cone, dozens of feet away. Only a single small ledge remains in front of the airlock. Next to the airlock is an unlit computer terminal.
|
|
"No landing pad. Not even wanting to stop for a moment here." He runs a finger across his wrist mounted datapad to draw a hastily drawn rune that slowly glows until several lights erupt from the device into the air. He lets the lights run along the fog for a moment as he asks, "It would be too easy if we found it at the bottom of this pit. Still if they are as hasty as it seems, there might be something of note at the bottom."
While holding his position on the entry platform he moves the lights over to the airlock's ledge offering advice as he looks over for any approaching monstrosities. "Be careful accessing that terminal. Crossing that length may just leave you lying at the bottom with whatever is left down there."
|
|
Gab reaches into his starfinder backpack and extracts a metal spool of titanium cable. He holds it out to Arratoi. "If someone can get over there and find a place to tie this off ), we can clip to it to be sure no one falls in the pit. Making me wish I had this portable gangway I found a couple of missions back ..."
He is wearing a pair of Estex Armor III, a heavily padded flight suit with prominent AdabarCorp logos. His helmet and environmental shields are up
He also pulls put a pair of binoculars, offering it to Elminar.
He turns his attention to helping HeeNee with the terminal.
|
|
Sovyal peers off across the chasm. "So that's our way in, is it?" He pulls out a 50ft long titanium cable line. "Arratoi, if you'd like to do the honors of flying Gab's tightrope over? I'll see if I can make this a little safer for the rest of us." He takes out his engineering kit and fashions his length of cable into a crude harness, looping it around Gab's cable to catch anyone who loses their grip. He leaves about 10 ft of slack.
Elminar's dancing lights bring into focus the vastness of the conical silo: the magical beacons illuminate the dusty air around them, but cannot even reach the walls of the enclosure, even aided with the elf's keen vision. Not even the ysokis' darkvision stretches far enough to see each other once HeeNee and Arratoi make the first foray over the gaping pit. You notice wafts of pale mist obscuring the lower stretches of the silo just at the far edges of the dancing lights' illumination.
Arratoi takes one end of Gab's cable. Arratoi and HeeNee then power up their jetpacks and fly toward the airlock, visibly through the darkness from the light of their thrusters, while Gab, Elimnar, and Sovyal work together to set up a harness using the second length of cable. Only a narrow ledge slick with oil remains of the airlock's bridge, so Arratoi and HeeNee hover while they work with the dilapidated computer interface. Despite its age and disrepair, HeeNee easily navigates the security system and hacks in. The airlock opens with a hiss, and a wave of heat rushes out into the thin atmosphere. Arratoi's radiation badge suddenly starts rapidly pinging.
Gab (level 7 armor, immune)
7 HP damage exposure, weakened (Constitution)
7 HP damage exposure
7 HP damage exposure
Gab and HeeNee don't notice anything unusual, but Arratoi, Sovyal, and Elminar all suddenly feel their skin start to itch and sting, like a sudden onset sunburn. Arratoi, catching the full blast, also feels his muscles spasm and his stomach become nauseous for a moment.
HeeNee shines her limited flashlight from her comm unit into the open corridor. She can only see so far inside before the light gives out. Arratoi's darkvision lets him see a bit further. A short set of stairs to the north and another set to the south flank this long hall. Each set of stairs terminates at double doors, although the doors to the north swing audibly on neglected hinges. At the west end of the hall stands a massive metal storage locker. Debris and trash are scattered across the hall. Arratoi spots a chunk that he can secure the other end of the cable to.
|
|
Gab glances down at his own flashing radiation badge. Once checking that his suit is holding up, he looks over Elminar.
"You aren't looking so good. You go across first, and I'll follow ..." He glances down at the AdabarCorp logo on his armor. "Guess this armor lives up the marketing, huh?"
He helps double check that Elminar is secure, concerned he might pass out or something. Once Elminar is safely across, Gab crosses next.
Prior to his attempt to scale the cable, Gab takes a look at his irradiated comrades. Given this scope of deterioration, he suspects this radiation is magical in nature, and has a slower rate of damage than normal. Checking out the two beside him, he sees none of the conventional signs of radiation sickness or poisoning beyond some surface damage. He makes an educated guess that this radiation might cause further damage from prolonged exposure over minutes or hours, rather than seconds.
|
|
Elminar staggers for a moment as the waves of energy tear though his body. He grips the binoculars with his remaining strength as he stays on his feet. "I'm fine." His response to Gab's is near instant and without thought before he takes a longer moment to appraise himself more adding, "I'm fine for now. Thank you. I don't think I will be able to take this too long, but hopefully enough to hamper this mission." He looks at Gab's armor with a mixture of envy and disdain, "At least they are able to make something of worth."
Withdrawing spell gems from their sockets he begins to channel his magic through them to activate their dormant potential. "I was hoping to save this for a better moment, but I'm not going to try to save credits and test my lacking strength." He moves to the wall and clambers on the side on all fours, moving down toward the source of the radiation. "We don't have time for me to be playing games."
Once grounded again he activates the other spell gem and open his eyes to detect dangers further into the base.
|
|
Gab comes over the comms, as he's about ready to cross the cable. "This radiation doesn't look like your garden variety. I suspect something magical is in the mix. Wonder if it could be coming from the Tear?" He shrugs. "Anyway, looks like it's acting a little slower than normal, but we need to find someplace that's secure from it or maybe go back up to the ship for some rest after an hour or so of looking around." He switches his radiation badge to silent mode. Though still flashing, the annoying beep ceases.
With magical assistance, the elf easily scales the route to the airlock, while Sovyal climbs along the taut cables to the platform, Arratoi and HeeNee scootching into the dark corridor to make room for the two of them. Gab tries to zipline down to the platform, but the point where the two cables were tied together comes undone, dropping the ysoki into the dark, misty abyss below!
Gab peers around and sees nothing but refuse in this large chamber. He can't quite see the southern walls due to the limits of his darkvision. All the trash appears slick with oil and other foul fluids, and irreversibly damaged as though it were ground up in some kind of crusher. The junk mostly appears too beat up to recognize what it might have once been, although they are all clearly advanced technological items.
|
|
Gab stands up, brushing himself off as best he can. Over the comms, he says, "Okay, so, a little concerning, looks like some kind of crusher has pulverized the trash in here." He holds up his hand, and the Starfinder emblem embedded in his palm begins to glow, providing him faint light, as he also clicks on the lights on his suit, moving toward the southern door.
[dice=Acrobatics]1d20+8
Gab stands up, brushing himself off as best he can. Over the comms, he says, "Okay, so, a little concerning, looks like some kind of crusher has pulverized the trash in here." He holds up his hand, and the Starfinder emblem embedded in his palm begins to glow, providing him faint light, as he also clicks on the lights on his suit, moving toward the southern door.
|
|
Sovyal calls out to Gab over comms. "Ah, you didn't die from that! You are quite the rugged little fellow. Here, rather than wandering about among all the trash, why don't you join us here where we're slowly being burned to death by radiation. At least we can then all stay together when the inevitable mutated monster pops up to give us a hug." His voice is filled with sly mirth as he lowers down the remainder of the cable line so that Gab can grab hold.
To give the ysoki some insurance against additional falls, Sovyal instructs him to just cling to the rope as the rest of the party combine their strength to lift him up.
----
Before advancing, Sovyal surveys the hallway to the west for any traps or additional hazards.
Sovyal doesn't notice any immediate hazards in the new chamber, so he returns to the ledge and tosses the cable down into the darkness, where Gab sees the other end dangle down into the piles of refuse. The ysoki sifts through the trash to the cable, secures it to his belt, and gives it two gentle tugs to cue the others to hoist him up. The combined strength of the other Starfinders easily lifts Gab up 30 feet in a few seconds, but ominously the trash continues to surge and pulse toward the rising Gab. Eventually he sees a crimson mound of goo encased in a kitbashed shell of mechanical detritus slither forward through the garbage. What appears to be an artillery laser protuding from one of its pseudopods takes aim at the ysoki piñata and fires a shot that lights up the entire silo!
The laser catches the hanging ysoki's shoulder, burning right through his armor to his furry skin!
Elminar (-7 HP)
Arratoi (-7 HP, weakened)
Slime
Gab (-42 SP, -5 HP; hanging 30 feet high)
Sovyal (-7 HP)
HeeNee
|
|
"Gabbers!" Elminar jumps off the edge relying once more on his magic to move along the wall next to the line while still barking commands at the party. "Keep pulling! I'll take on the fire!"
He forces himself to an abrupt stop after becoming level with Gab. With his other hand occupied clinging to the wall, Elminar gives a terse command to his arm mounted pad, "Istea, initiate invisibility routine." The pad projects the a new series of magical rune and the elf channels magical power through them. "Keep going. I will be right behind." With a swift motion he reaches for Gab and, with a shimmering distortion, causes the ysoki to vanish.
|
|
Feeling the burning, itching sensation, Arratoi says, "I really don't feel so good. It's kind of like when I had that wonderful evening with this lady who was a big, big fan of my novels and.... uh.... Nevermind! But I really don't feel so hot... Or I feel unusually hot, rather."
----------------------------------------
"Oh no!!! GAB!!!!" Arratoi immediately grabs the line and begins to pull him up as best as a lil ysoki (who never touches gym weights) can!
----------------------------------------