There is no herbicide in the area. Apparently though Matt's friend had a decent idea, it is not one you can put into place at the moment.
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"Perhaps one of us could approach this creature with some of those vines some of you gathered earlier." As he continues to think about the problem, he unconsciously rubs one of his thumbs around one of his holstered weapons. "Or maybe we could leave a trail of vines leading to its cage? That one might be the safest option, but I don't know. I'm not really suited to this 'planning out what we're doing' part of a mission. I'm more better at the 'run in and do it' part of them. So once we get to that part, I should be more usefull."
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Yith notices Gletch looking at the runes. "Oh yes. I was so focused on the mission I just looked past the obvious runes. Good catch."
She then sighs. "Yes. It seems trying to lure it back to the enclosure with the food is our best option. I'll give it a try. Hopefully it isn't too aggressive or hungry! Let me know when everyone is ready..."
Tamed by years of captivity and exposure to the Curators, Vindurth is friendlier than your average ksarik. That means that when you finally did catch sight of him, it didn't immediately attack you. It seemed more curious than anything, especially about the vines you carried with you.
Gletch was too caught up in the runes to help much with the ksarik. He was certain they involved a spell of some type, but couldn't make out what kind.
Yith had much more success with teh plant creature. Calling its name brought the ksarik in close, and when it sensed the vines in Yith-naarin's hand, it bounded over to him and munched on one. Then, it licked the vesk full in the face with its 3-foot tongue. The joyful kiss burned as the acid ate into scales and the tender skin below. Still, the beast seemed friendly enough, almost as if it wanted to play.
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Yith grimaces with the pain but keeps a positive attitude physically. She plays with the beast as well as she can, trying to figure out how it likes to play, preferably something that doesn't involve licking.
As she does, she lead sit back to its enclosure.
"That's a good plant beast. Let's get you back safe and sound. You're just lonely, aren't you?"
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Matt joins Gletch in the attempt and so was unable to help with the initial lure of the ksarik. He scans and comms the runes back to Hubin for analysis, relaying results back to the team.
Once he catches sight of the team with the plant creature in tow, the smuggler gives a lopsided grin. "There's a good boy!" He stops himself for a moment. "Er... vegetable."
He follows along back to the enclosure, contributing the plant parts he picked up as well, to ensure they have enough to lead it all the way back. "There you go, Vine-rub! Back where you belong!"
Hubin relays that the runes are fire magic, and cautions Matt not to touch them or the walls they are placed on, unless he wants to suffer bad burns.
The ksarik plays with Yith-Naarin for a moment, then begins snuffling around. Obviously looking for more of the plants.
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When Azara sees that Yith has things at least somewhat in hand and that the ksarik is not easily spooked, he carefully comes forward, approaching from the side so that the wide visioned creature can see him clearly.
He doesn't offer up more of the plants, not wanting to distract him, but does start a soothing recitation of one of his own poems, "The Legacy of the Vine Beast," a 73 stanza piece about the mightiest ksarik to roam Castrovel and its strange friendship with a lost Formian child.
With kind words and lots of the vine snacks, Yith-Naarin was able to lead the ksarik back down the stairs and into its cage. With a playful yip, the ksarik bounded over to its sleeping pallet, fluffed it out, and curled up in a tight ball. One tentacle lifted a bit so a single black eye could watch you as you locked the cage behind it.
Your two tasks accomplished, Royo was more eager than ever to make his way to the top of the tower to the Vault that held the info you were after. Along the way, you passed several floors that showed obvious signs of acid and other damage that came from the ksarik. No wonder the Curators wanted the beast contained again.
The top floor of the tower is a single open chamber. A lone pedestal rests in the center of this space, with a small cube floating atop it. Complicated ridges cover the surface of the cube, forming a maze that somehow moves in on itself. The object glows with a faint blue aura.
The elderly ratfolk gazed at the cube, then said, "This is a mindmaze! I've never seen one before, but I have heard of them. A relic of a lost civilization, I think, that used them to store vast amounts of information. You access the information by entering the maze mentally, then wandering about until you find what you are looking for. Like the mythological labrynth, some areas of the maze are protected by challenges that would be dangerous to those without the mental fortitude or the keys to bypass them."
"Who is willing to enter with me? I may need some assistance in navigation or in bypassing the traps. It's okay if you do not feel comfortable entering the maze. You can still aid us from out here, if not directly."
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Azara is relieved when the Ksarik gets back to its enclosure without violence and does not seem to be particularly upset about getting into that enclosure.
He looks hopefully up then and gladly takes the stairs. His enthusiasm is not diminished in the least when he sees the mindmaze.
"Is life itself not a maze? Our journey through this can only inform our journey through this," he gestures at the cube then widens the motion to include everything.
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Yith makes sure Nidurtha is comfy before heading on with the group.
"We should tell the curators that Vundurtha needs a little attention and play. She's a good girl..."[/]
After quietly taking in the archives and listening to Royo Yith nods, [b]"How can I resist?"
Edit: Spelling is hard... Autocorrect is worse.
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After they coax the ksarik back into its cage, Matt gives Yith-Naarin a quizzical look. "Oh, was it a girl? How could you tell?"
Glancing around the team, Matt smiles sheepishly and steps back. "Unless you need someone to talk your way past... I mean... negotiate your way past some obstacles, I, too, don't think I'd be of much help in there. If you feel otherwise I'd be happy to join, though."
Royo had everyone that wanted to join him in the mindmaze hold hands, then he leaned in to touch his nose to the cube. Instantly, all of the travelers felt their insides squirm as the world warped about them. Then, suddenly, you were looking up at a set of metal walls, with some kind of shimmering force above them. The walls stretch out before you, with the occasional opening into other parts of the maze. Apparently you get to navigate your way through the maze, with the information you seek at the center. Royo shrugged and began to lead you on.
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Matt and Senesdar watched as their companions fell into a trance of sorts, with Royo looking kind of silly with his nose touched to the cube. Then, Senesdar poked Matt and pointed to a small group of figures that had appeared on the surface of the cube - your companions! As they approached the first intersection, Senesdar said, "Go straight ahead!" With some hesitation, Royo turned away from the turn and continued to lead the group along the straight path.
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After thinking to himself for a moment, Matt then confers briefly with Senesdar.
"I think I've heard of these. They can be entertaining... or dangerous." He glances at the team. "Usually a bit of both. Particularly if you get trapped inside."
Recalling their interactions over the course of this job, er, mission, Matt rationalizes his thoughts aloud. "Yith-Naarin seems pretty tough and well trained, she can probably handle herself."
He rubs his chin. "Gletch is super smart; no help needed there!"
Matt studies the game board, for lack of a better description, then finally points to one figure. "That leaves Azara. Clever but sometimes overthinking things a bit much." He focuses his effort on Azara.
Yith-Naarin though she heard Senesdar calling out in her mind, and so decided to follow his lead. Unfortunately, keeping the right hand on the wall just led to a series of loops, and a lot of time was wasted before Azara figured it out and led you down a different path. As you came to the next intersection, Gletch feels that the left hand turn is correct, and encourages the group to head that way.
Turning the corner, you found two sphinx blocking the path you were to take. The ancient myths speak of the fondness these creatures have for riddles, and you feel that this is your first security gate. It is good, as it means you must be on the right path. After several moments thinking about the posed riddle, Gletch guesses correctly, and you proceed further into the maze.
Then Azara, responding to a voice only he seems to be able to hear, throws all of his mental energies into navigating further towards the center of the labyrinth.
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"We're not strange!" Matt protests. He stops himself, glances thoughtfully for a moment at Senesdar and then back to the virtual game board with people touching their foreheads to it and their bodies represented as mini avatars like rats scurrying in a maze.
"Well... OK."
He switches it up to guide Yith-Naarin this time, though he does respond to Azara's comment somewhat diplomatically. "I never said you weren't smart. I just meant you are sometimes too smart."
Yith-naarin was about to take a turn that would lead to a spiraling section of the maze with no way out. Fortunately, Matt spotted the trap ahead and managed to encourage the vesk to take the left-hand route instead. From the external viewers' reference, the party was nearly at the center. Only a little bit left to go...
With a little more guidance, and some backtracking, the explorers round a corner. To the external observers, it was clear that they had reached their goal at the center of the mindmaze. To those within the maze, it was so, so much more.
A trinary star system — a place you instinctively know to be the Scoured Stars — floats in the center of the maze. Many of the planets around the three stars grow green, representing an abundance of life. Suddenly a dark presence, felt more than seen, descends on the room and hungrily encircles the stars. One of the worlds pulsates with a golden aura that continues to grow. Eventually, this vast golden shield covers all the worlds of the region. The clawing darkness recedes.
Time passes, generations come and go in the blink of an eye. Gradually, the golden shield lowers. Soon after, eight groups of ships, their shapes too intangible to make out, depart into the cosmos beyond. Each fleet travels through the void on a different path. The home of these eight fleets soon goes dark, and over the coming generations the last vestiges of life in the Scoured Stars disappears.
Sometime later, eight small objects hurtle out from the lifeless planet that summoned the shield. Each object, a relic of immense magical power, follows the course of one of the previously departed groups. The objects disappear along their trajectories, and the vision abruptly ends as the worlds of the Scoured Stars fade to black.
Royo said, "The object found by former First Seeker Jadnura resembled these objects. That's what encouraged her to mount that ill-fated expedition into the Scoured Stars. With some additional research and using the star charts available here, we might be able to track the path of the other relics. This could be huge, and could definitely place the Starfinders' star back in ascendancy..."
His words were cut off as a dozen green gems lifted from the walls of the mindmaze and settle in your outstretched palms. You blink, and then the trance is lifted. Once more you stand outside the mindmaze, looking down in disbelief at the large green ovals you hold in your hands. Ten of the gems are simply that, precious stones. The other two are magical spell gems, one holding a hologram memory spell and the other synaptic pulse.
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Azara watches the display in unabashed wonder and awe, reacting obviously as it continues, flinching as the darkness comes, turning to watch the receding 8 fleets as they disappear then watching again as the 8 objects follow suit.
He gasps faintly as he is forced back to reality and looks thoughtfully at the gem in his hands.
He stays that way a couple moments then exclaims "Oh!" and pulls out the bit of vine he stashed. He quickly eats it, focusing on the taste and the memories he can still conjure up of what he's just seen in hopes that they can use the machine back on Iteration's ship as more than just a gimmick.
He hands some to Yith, Gletch and Royo, as well. Their memories may be clearer than his own.
You discuss the needs of the mission, and how best to handle the memory of the scene you just witnessed in the mindmaze. It is clear that though the Curators don't want you taking exact copies of anything out of the Vault, your memories and knowledge may well pass that threshold.
You were on your way back down the Tower of the Oma when a small flying clockwork drone buzzed to a halt in front of you. A holographic projection of Albryan the Curator emerges from the top of the drone and begins to speak.
“Starfinders, I am glad that I have reached you. The Order of the Pyre Hellknights who accompanied you to Athaeum have destroyed the lore wardens in a nearby tower and are burning one of our most ancient book collections! We have more wardens on the way, but they will arrive too late to save our books. Please, hurry to the Tower of the Ellicoth and stop the Hellknights from causing further harm! If you do so, the Curators will waive your research fee entirely and offer whatever assistance we can!”