”Yes, completing the delivery is our next stop now that the Radiant Fire has properly recovered. Thank you, Doctor Taeress, for making that a priority,” Flint nods at the scientist, obviously relieved to have “his” ship in proper working order.
”My contacts at the Radiant Cathedral tell me it will be at least a week until the Flamedancer is refitted, so we should have plenty of time to deliver the goods and escort you to the DCI, good doctor,” calculates Flint, smiling. ”We can be ready to leave within the hour if you like,” he concludes.
Separately, Flint finds the foreman of the repair crew that worked on the Radiant Fire and thanks him for the excellent work, giving him his choice of the three paintings Flint created over the last several days.
Ordyt can barely contain his excitement at finally getting to the Burning Archipelago. "This has been an interesting side trek, but the Archipelago is why I'm here in the first place!"
|
"I am merely Captain Conners' passenger, so it is his decision," Belmarniss replies with a shrug. "And it seems he's decided the answer's yes. I don't mind visiting your...institution, when we arrive. While the DCI's...reputation precedes it, I don't have much of a direction in mind after my House's shipment is delivered. That's the trouble with errantry. Unless you've got a 'quest' of some sort prompting it in the first place, you kind of have to wander around until you find one."
Mari grins, lets out a little "Yes!", and turns to Flint. "With your leave, Cap, I'll go start on our pre-flight checks." With that, Marisol turns on her heel and hustles out of the room, heading towards their ship.
Dr. Taeress nods, clearly happy that you're keen to go "Let me get some things and I'll be ready to leave. Stationmaster-" She passes a set of keycards over to Stationmaster Jori "Back in your much more capable hands they go. Thanks for letting me stand in for you while you were out."
The Stationmaster inclines her head and quietly says "Go. Discoveries are waiting." before making a shooing motion with one of her hands.
----
Taeress, true to her word, arrives at the Far Station's docks within half an hour, laden down with both a large traveling pack and a small satchel she carries over her shoulder. She ducks her head as she enters the Radiant Fire and pats the satchel protectively - leaving it clear as day that the bracelet must be inside.
You fire up the ship's engines to leave and see a small crowd of Station residents on the docks waving their farewells. Grateful scientists, including the lashunta that Sammad befriended, make up most of the crowd. But Flint also spots a few maintenance workers, including the foreman to whom the painting of the Radiant Fire fighting the Inferno Whale was gifted. The foreman holds up the painting and gives Flint a big thumbs up as you back out of the Station.
The trip from Far Station to the Burning Archipelago takes hours and ends up uneventful. Taeress spends her time working intently on a datapad to assemble a report on the myriad finds aboard the Breath of Embers. It's only when Flint directs the ship towards the sun once more than she sets her work aside.
Up ahead, you all see the glimmering golden white outline and dark orange inside of the ancient magical tunnel that leads to the Burning Archipelago. The tunnel bores through the outer layer of the sun's corona, providing an access path for normal starships to fly from space to the bubble-cities of the Archipelago. Standing guard at the entrance to the tunnel is a small but well-armed space station. Those of you with a passing knowledge of the Burning Archipelago immediately recognize it as Sunrise Station, a Sarenite-controlled military base that closely monitors all traffic in and out of the Burning Archipelago.
-----
"Blessings on you as well," responds Flint, saying, "This is the Radiant Fire, and I am captain Flint Conners, returning from extra-solar transport duty as assigned by the Radiant Cathedral. We are transporting cargo and passengers, and we can transmit the manifests over at your signal."
The Sarenite official pores over your manifest with a degree of concentration that seems unusual given the relatively mundane circumstances of your visit. Eventually, he responds "Passengers from Absalom Station? According to the logs of your trip out, you bore three crew members - Flint Connors, Marisol Welkin and Sammad Al-Fayir. Do you have ID for your... looks like three... additional passengers?"
Handling the situation diplomatically might help avoid any potential problems.
"They seem...tense. On edge, more so than I'd expect for a traffic control position. I hope we aren't about to cause you trouble, Captain. Would it help to tell them I'm here on a pilgrimage?"
Marisol tilts her head curiously at Ordyt's comment. "What makes you say that? They seem like your usual power-tripping customs official to me."
Flint nods to Ordyt in the affirmative, then says to the Sunrise Station representative, Indeed we do. Ordyt, Knight Lieutenant Rycast, Doctor Taeress, please introduce yourselves and state your business in the Burning Archipelago.”
Sammad leans towards the comms. He wonders why the customs officer is so on edge...
He turns to Captain Flint. "Captain, would you like me to talk with this officer? I'm certain I can set him at ease by explaining the situation."
Sammad leans towards the comms. He wonders why the customs officer is so on edge...
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+5
He turns to Captain Flint. "Captain, would you like me to talk with this officer? I'm certain I can set him at ease by explaining the situation."
”Of course, Ambassador, you are always welcome to jump in,” responds Flint, uncharacteristically confused as to why this is more difficult than normal.
Sammad steps forward, putting on his friendliest smile. "Greetings, Officer. I'm Sammad Al-Fayir, from the manifest you're reading. This crew has had a long and eventful journey to the Archipelago. We were attacked, had to stop and recuperate on Far Station, and now we'd like to continue and conduct our respective businesses. Could you please explain why we're being delayed?"
Dr. Taeress speaks up as well "Dr. Taeress Suloro, resident researcher at Far Station, employed by the Deep Cultures Institute headquartered in Asanatown. This crew is giving me a ride in to meet with my colleagues."
The Sarenite official takes a few notes, brow furrowed as he examines each person who speaks before tapping away at his terminal. Its not until Sammad turns up the charm that the official's demeanor brightens in turn.
He sets his typing aside for a moment. "You haven't come at the best time. Between all the chaos a few days ago and the suicide bombing in Dawnshore earlier this morning, the Dawn Patrol higher ups have increased care and scrutiny all across the board. I can't imagine any of you have anything to do with recent events, but I'm not to let a single life sign in without a reasonable degree of scrutiny." He pinches the end of his nose and rubs it.
"Alright. You're all clear. Please exercise caution during your stay, and report any suspicious peoples or activity to the Dawn Patrol hotline or on our infosphere page. Thank you." He goes to break the connection, then adds "Oh, and Dr. Suloro, please check the news on Asanatown when you arrive at the Spaceport. Before I came in this morning, there were some reports of... I think some kind of protests going on."
"Thank you for the clearance and the information, Sunrise Station, proceeding as ordered," says Flint to the officer on the viewscreen, motioning to Mari to resume course.
Speaking more quietly to Sammad once the connection is cut, he says, "Thanks for the save, Sammad, it seems like we may be dealing with more than just the psychic wave aftereffects once we dock. Please tap into the news datafeeds so we can get an idea of what is waiting for us at the spaceport."
Flint goes and sits in the captain's chair, pulling up his personal viewscreen to see what he can find about the unrest in the Burning Archipelago.
"Did he say there was a suicide bomber?!" Ordyt's shock and horror are obvious. "I may need to reconsider my previous belief that the psychic wave wasn't an attack...Merciful Light..."
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"Did he say there was a suicide bomber?!" Ordyt's shock and horror are obvious. "I may need to reconsider my previous belief that the psychic wave wasn't an attack...Merciful Light..."
"I'm concerned as well, Ordyt. That, and the implication that there's trouble in this "Asanatown" as well makes me suspicious. Maybe the wave's purpose was indeed an attack, if only to cause chaos," Belmarniss replies. "It seems the Burning Archipelago might NEED a Knight of Golarion after all...I imagine I'll be busy sooner than I expected."
You take the Radiant Fire past Sunrise Station and on towards the ancient tunnel that bores through the sun's corona. The golden rings that hold back the fiery fury gleam with arcane symbols as you coast through towards Dawnshore.
As you emerge from the last ring, the view opens up and some of you have your first look at Dawnshore, the first city within the Sun. Vast metallic towers rise up from the central platform, reaching up toward the golden orange field of light that arcs above the structures - the "bubble" of energy that allows this city to exist where it really shouldn't.
Flint and Marisol direct the ship straight down through a series of huge metal tubes into a sprawling facility of landing pads, launch rings, maintenance bays and other structures that service the numerous spacecraft that visit the Archipelago. You settle down on the pad that Flint has reserved for his use. As you wait for Marisol to finish the post-flight checks, you take a look at the local infosphere for more information about recent events.
> Renewed unrest in Asanatown following this morning's event. Dawnshore citizens are encouraged to reschedule trips to the bubble until safety is restored by their local law enforcement. <
-----
When you exit from the Radiant Fire, a shirren carrying a tool kit and wearing coveralls with the words "Dawnshore Spaceport" emblazoned on them waves to you. A four-foot-long dragon-fly shaped robot hovers over his shoulder. A ratty purple top hat with holes for his antennae rests atop the shirren's head and he tips it in greeting.
"Welcome to Dawnshore!" he says "I’m Nikkost, a mechanic for the port authority. Lux, my drone here, and I need to take a quick look at your ship to make sure there are no unshielded reactors, illegal mods—stuff like that. Don’t let me get in your way, though! You’re welcome to be about your business. I can lock up behind myself and leave a log, or give you a call if I find any issues."
”Hello Nikkost, I’m Flint, captain of the Radiant Fire. Show me your identification and work orders, and we will welcome you aboard.”
Realizing that there is no way Sammad and Belmarniss are going to let their cargo out of their sight, especially with a stranger aboard ship, Flint adds, ”I can stay aboard of course, so as to better answer your questions if you have any.”
Concerned because of the recent events, Flint doesn’t want to make it easy for some splinter group to plant contraband or explosives on his ship, so he wants to keep a wary eye on things until the inspection is done, the cargo is offloaded, and the ship is locked down.
He also has a thought when the prospect of illegal items or unsafe conditions is brought up...”Could that irritating Lorix have followed us here, stowing away on shuttle and ship?” Looking back at the ship, he tries to dismiss the thought, but it still lingers at the edge of his consciousness, a worrisome unsolved mystery.
Sammad smiled broadly upon exiting the Radiant Fire. It had been so long since he'd been back home, on the Archipelago, and just being under the Sun's light was refreshing.
His smile breaks as he watches the shirren approach. After reviewing the troubling infosphere bulletins, he's even more suspicious than usual of a stranger gaining access to their ship.
|
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Belmarniss makes a surprised gasp as she steps out of the ship, covering her face with her hand.
"Holy Spirit of Golarion! Okay, first item of business after getting this cargo dropped off is SUNGLASSES! I'll be useless to everyone if I'm stumbling around squinting."
When Nikkost introduces himself, she bows to him.
"It's an honor and a pleasure, Nikkost. I'm Belmarniss Rycast, Knight-Lieutenant of the Knights of Golarion."
When she sees Lux, as much as she can see in the bright light of the Burning Archipelago, she tilts her head.
"Fascinating...did you model Lux after an anacite wingbot?"
Mari is likewise fascinated by the drone, and she circles around it, taking in its details and trying to learn anything she can from a polite distance. To the shirren, she says "This is a very clever design, did you build it yourself?"
Distraught and distracted by the infosphere updates, Ordyt glares at the shirren. "Do you have some sort of identification?" the oread snaps, voice uncharacteristically harsh.
Sammad's first impression of Nikkost is that he seems rather nervous for someone who is doing their normal routine job. That nervousness clashes sharply with the outwardly friendly and approachable demeanor he seems to be projecting.
Nikkost slips an ID out of a pocket on his overalls and flashes it to Flint. "No work orders of course, this is standard stuff. And no need to stick around, if the port authority needs to get in contact with you with any questions, they'll be able to get a hold of you. No problemo." The ID he extends seems to be a legit Dawnshore Spaceport ID with his picture on it.
He shakes with visible happiness at Bel's and Marisol's comments. "Oh yes, Lux is my masterpiece! He does give off that wingbot vibe, doesn't he?"
Sammad squints at the shirren, picking up on his uncharacteristic nervousness. He forces a small smile as he speaks, "Is something the matter, Nikkost? I assure you, none of us mean any harm."
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He shakes with visible happiness at Bel's and Marisol's comments. "Oh yes, Lux is my masterpiece! He does give off that wingbot vibe, doesn't he?"
"He's adorable!" Belmarniss replies. "How long have you been working on him? What kinds of things do you have him do? Are there any special modifications you've made to him?"
"Ah, ah, ah, hmmm." Nikkost nods a couple of times, looking even more nervous to Sammad's keen eyes. "Nothing at all's the matter, just the normal. Normal everyday work. Ha. You go along now." He shoos you down the path towards the city, then beckons towards his drone. "C'mon Lux, work to do, work to do."
Lux bobs around Bel for a few moments, wings fluttering at a blinding pace as it hovers. At Nikkost's gesture, it hesitates, then follows after him towards your ship.
No way is the captain going to let this nervous guy with no work orders on his ship unsupervised. Flint will follow back onto the ship, asking Sammad as an aside, ”Can you call this in to the port authority and make sure this guy is supposed to be here?”
Sammad nods to Flint. "I'll do that at once, Captain."
He then draws his datapad from a pocket, activating its personal comm unit and keying in the number for the Dawnshore port authority.
Mari's attention is pulled away from the drone by Ordyt and Flint's tones and questions. Stepping up next to Flint, she whispers. "Cap?"
"The captain is just being cautious, I'm sure you understand. Given recent events none of us can be too careful." Ordyt's words are conciliatory, but his tone isn't, and he gives the shirren a smile that doesn't reach his multifacted eyes.
Flint nods at Mari, indicating he is listening, but keeps his attention focused on the “worker”.
Nikkost doffs his hat, rubs one claw against his antennae as Flint and Sammad talk about contacting the Port Authority. His faceted eyes flick to Ordyt when he makes his comment. When Sammad begins accessing his datapad, Nikkost quietly says "I think... that's my cue." and immediately starts to dash for your ship!
---
---
Sammad looks up from his datapad and sees the shirren turn and start to run. His drone look like its about to follow him!
|||| INIT ||||
Sammad
Nikkost
Lux
Ordyt
Belmarniss
Flint
Marisol
Bold are up
Sammad is the quickest to react as the shirren bolts towards the Radiant Fire. He draws his pistol and aims at the fleeing shirren. He yells in his most commanding tone, "Stop right now, or I'll shoot!
Lux lets out a shrill trilling noise that sends a vibration through your bodies.
While the noise was obviously intended to disable you, the little bot doesn't have the kind of power output necessary for such a task. Instead, Sammad, Flint and Belmarniss briefly feel woozy as the trill muddles their senses. Lux zips through the air after Nikkost.
----
|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt
Belmarniss (sickened 1 rd)
Flint (sickened 1 rd)
Marisol
Sammad (sickened 1 rd)
Nikkost
Lux
Bold are up
Flint snarls in anger and sprints back to his ship, drawing his solar dueling blade as he goes (double move for 60 feet total, should get to 2 squares south of Nikkost, on the ship’s ramp—token assist please).
Mari blinks once in surprise as the shirren's wild shot flies past her head, and then her rifle is in her hands as she chases after the fake inspector. She snaps off a quick shot at him from behind a nearby crate, yelling after him. "Get the hell away from my ship!"
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Belmarniss is taken completely by surprise when Nikkost makes his move, the noise making her open her eyes too wide and get disoriented even further by the brightness of the sun.
"Not as cute when it does that," she manages, before noticing everyone going after Nikkost.
She begins moving after Flint to catch up with Nikkost.
"You might be willing to risk that, but are you willing to bring the wrath of House Rycast down on your head? That's what'll happen if you lay a finger on that ship or her cargo!"
Sammad's head swims, and his pistol wavers in his grip. He keeps it in hand as he takes up a position near Marisol, waiting until he can get off a shot.
He calls after the shirren again, "You'll be sorry, Nikkost! Don't say I didn't warn you...!"
Ordyt turns to give pursuit, planting his feet in a wide stance and pointing at the back of the retreating shirren.
"In the Everdawn's name, halt or be halted," the oread intones, his eyes gleaming with golden light.
-
-
With his way forward barred, Nikkost takes a careful step back and fires directly at Belmarniss. "Outta the way bluebird!" The electric pulse catches Bel in the gut and spreads a wave of numbness through her body.
Lux zips around in a wide arc and discharges a feeble laser beam at Bel from the other side. Her armor deflects it without issue.
|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt
Belmarniss (5 dmg)
Flint
Marisol
Sammad
Nikkost (11 dmg)
Lux
Bold are up
Drawing his frosthammer, Ordyt glares at the shirren and his voice rises in commanding tones. Striding towards the shirren he raises the hammer high.
"Stand. DOWN!"
Did he just refer to himself in the third person? With a nickname? And he shot Bel! I can't believe this guy!
Faced twisted up in disgust, Mari chambers another round, activates her combat tracking, and fires again.
Sammad recovers his wits just in time to see the shirren shoot Belmarniss. He sights his pistol and calls out to the others, "End this quickly, before he hurts the ship or Dr. Taeress!"
He then fires at the shirren!
Flint strides forward with his dueling sword set to “stun” and swings at the con man’s torso, saying with surprising calm, ”You chose...poorly,” as his eyes light up with the fire of battle .
Nikkost takes bullet wounds from Marisol and Sammad with a pair of pained yelps, but somehow manages to duck and dive around the other attacks. His antennae wiggle for a moment before he looks westward and shouts out "Chet, take them down!"
Lux's feelers touch the access panel for the Radiant Fire and the doors open. While you're all momentarily distracted, he tries to dive past Ordyt, Flint and Bel to get into the hatch door... But while he might have a quick tongue, he's not nearly as quick with his feet.
|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt
Belmarniss (5 dmg)
Flint
Marisol
Sammad
Nikkost (21 dmg)
Lux
Bold are up
Opportunity Attack: