[Outpost III / SFS] GMJones' 2-3 The Withering World (Inactive)

Game Master Jones228

Players, please dot in and delete

Bing

A chime from your comm unit alerts you to a message from Venture-Captain Arvin. While the Venture Captain appears to be addressing you in particular, his vague greeting and tone leads you to believe this is a mass message.

Starfinder,
Based on your experience and service record, you have been selected for an upcoming exploration and reconnaissance mission into the vast. You will be required to serve on a starship crew operating in a small fleet under my command, with possible operations on an unexplored planet surface. Please prepare for departure in the morning. You will be meeting your crewmembers at docking bay 13, aboard the Pegasus Class vessel “The Loreseeker”. I apologize for the short notice, but it is a rather time sensitive operation. Details of the operation remain classified for security.”

At that, the message abruptly ends, leaving you a few short hours to get your affairs in order before departing the station.

On your arrival to Docking Bay 13 the Stewards check your starfinder credentials and wave you past. The loading ramp to the Loreseeker leads you up into the small ship, and to the bridge.

Please feel free to introduce your character to each other, as well as finalize starship roles if you haven’t already. Just to be clear, this prologue is not part of the scenario. Mission briefing and official scenario text will begin on 30 March with the start of Outpost 3

Taking a walk in one of the public parks in the Eye on Absalom Station Rhys Dawnstep spookes a few passersby with a loud of happy excitement when she reads the message.
Thinking to herself "My first mission and at lest in near space or even father away! And i just finished my training and have not participated in the Commencement i heard so many rumours about." she heads straigt to to her quarters.

With great excitement Rhys is putting all her belongings, which will be needed on a missioin, on her bed. Putting the battery into her pistol she checks the number of charges, all green and at maximum. Ready to protect the Pact Worlds and my fellow Starfinders. she holsters her pistol. After putting on her battleglove and punshing an imaginary enemy she grins and continues to carefully pack her belongings into her backpack.
With the backpack ready she is praying to Sarenrae for a save return for her and her allies. And may our enemies when we encounter them are willing to walk on the path of redemption, as i am walking on that path and will continue to do so. she adds.

Checking her credstick, showing a low amount of credits, she shrugs and is taking a beeline to Docking Bay 13.

Rhys Dawnstep has the typical compact build for a female human who grow up in high gravity. Wearing the professinal clothes for a Counselor over her Second Skin she has a remarkable pale skin tone and her mouth seems to be wider then it's normal for a human. Her fingers are longer then normal and when she presses a finger against something her fingertips are bending like there are no bones in her fingertips.
When her teeth are visible you can tell there are more teeth then it's normal for a human. She has four incicors in her upper and lower jaw and who knows how many more back teeth then normal for a human.

Greeting everybody on the ship she goes straight to the bridge.
Eager for her first mission for the Starfinders and ready to do her duty as a member of the Exo-Guardians she enters the bridge and tries to sit down with her backpack still strapped on her back. Laughing she excuses herself and puts her belongings into her personal closet for her time on this starship. Carefully she makes sure her name is spelled right because most people write her name the same way as it is spoken as Reese but is is spelled Rhys.

Ready to fill her role as a bridge member she pulls up a game of cards using a digital harrow deck. I am ready to serve as a Magic Officer and don't mind me playing it serves the purpose to attune me to this ship. and she starts to deal a hand of cards on her screen.

I assume she is the first to enter the ship, she really has nothing to do right now.

There is a rhythmic tap, tap, tap from the gangplank. Tixylix moves in perched atop his drone.

Oh. Hi. Any sign of Ziamat yet? We travel together most of the time. I heard he was going to be here.

Also taking a walk in the Eye, a halfling sits rather carelessly on a park bench. Her expensive-looking dress, the carelessly wrapped red scarf, the expensive nose-canceling sonic hoops in her ears, and the almost completely decorative cane all point to her being some young Absalom socialite. The pained posture and expression, relative lack of movement, occasional groans and dark, dark sunglasses all give the impression of having had a little too much to drink last night.

Bluff, for the fun of it: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

A close observer might notice how her head seems to move in pain when a shirtless man across the park playing some kind of sport moves across the field. She gives a start as her comms goes off with a message. She pulls back her sunglasses and squints at her phone, watching the message. Oh, a mission, and one that needs to be classified. Finally! Arvin should have realized how competent I am from day one. He certainly can make a mass message sound personable, but he knows I'm good enough to deserve a personal one. It's been nice to spend a sunny day like this, but time to get to work I guess. Weydan's guiding hand let it be out of the Pact Worlds. I've been cooped up in them too long!

With an almost immediate change, the pained look and posture disappears as the woman jumps to her feet and puts away the sunglasses. She stretches, gives the man across the park one last look and then breezes out of the park to go pack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, the same woman floats into the security check point for the docking bay, giving the stewards a look of complete assurance that she should be there, and that if anyone was to stop her they'd face financial hell for it. After a tense moment she drops the facade, smiles and pulls out her Starfinder ID. "Morning, Fred! It's just me, Vyviane. I'm just messing with you, though you are still impossible to get to break. Are you positive you don't want a part time job on corporate security? They'd pay through the nose for someone with your nerves..." After a few minutes of chatting up the security, she heads for the ship.

With an bit of a smile she moves up and pats the ship on a part that has been clearly patched up. "It'll be fun to captain you again, and I'll try to make sure we leave less holes in you this time." She then heads up the gangplank.

In the ship she soon tucks her gear away and heads to the bridge. She extends a hand to the two members already there, giving either a bright, welcoming smile. "Vyviane Isafira, Corporate recruiter extraordinaire! Here have my card! Naturally I will be glad to serve as your captain, I mean, there's no better a captain than a halfling one. So, now, Rhys, is it? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you don't have the build of someone from Absalom station. Mind if I ask where you grew up? And Tixylix, I'm sorry I haven't met a 'Ziamet' yet. But that's an amazing drone you have there. Did you build it yourself?"

I did build it, yes. There is still a lot of work to be done on it. Upgrades and sidegrades and retrogrades but no tardigrades. Say no to water bears.

Hearing something is coming onto the ship, Rhys looks up. She is relieved to see it's a Gnome on a Drone. "Hello! Sorry i don't know who Ziamat is. So i can't tell you if i ever saw him." She apologies to the Gnome. Is your Gnome a Bleachling or a Feychild Gnome? I assume looking at the avatar and being a Mechanic a Bleachling but you never know.

Rhys extends her unusual hand to the newcomer a smiling female Halfling. "Oh so you must have read my name i already put on the closet then. Pleasure to meet you Vyviane. Since you already know the name of this Gnome i assume you two went on a Mission before? Yes my name is Rhys Dawnstep and i was born and raised on Aucturn." She eyes both of them when she mentions that corrupted thing called Aucturn. It would be much harder to work as a team when she has to work against prejudices. Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 "This will be my very first mission ever for the Starfinders. Exciting to be only Arvin knows where." Rhys offers her hand to the Gnome "My name is Rhys Dawnstep and you are?"

Oh, yes, I'm here, I just had to clean up, don't forget, being large means you spend twice as long in the shower to clean yourself.

Bleachling

Elwin was just feeling somewhat normal after that last disaster of a mission when he received the summons. Sighing, he grabs his kit bag, makes sure he has everything and goes to say farewell to the rest of the family.

The trip up from the lower bowels of the station was long and annoying as usual. The elf passes through security and boards the ship. Hearing voices he walks straight to the bridge.

A tall elf, slim of build and with bright topaz eyes walks in. His skin has a slightly grey-ish cast, like stone. He is young but completely bald. He wears light armor with a pistol at his side, a knife in a sheath by his lower back and packs bristling with various tool kits.

His face brightens as he enters.
"Tixylyx! Ziamat! Good to see you again. At least it does not sound like Zo! has anything to do with this mission."

A sad expression crosses his face for a second before he turns to the rest of the group. "Greetings. My name is Elwin. I am a technomancer by trade. It is nice to meet you all."

I did build it, yes. There is still a lot of work to be done on it. Upgrades and sidegrades and retrogrades but no tardigrades. Say no to water bears.

Vyviane gives a small sound of being obviously impressed as she looks at the bot. "Ehhh? It looks like it's pretty well put together as is. So what kind of 'grades' do you want to do to him? Also I'm not sure tardigrades would enjoy being in a drone, or vice versa."

"Oh so you must have read my name I already put on the closet then. Pleasure to meet you Vyviane. Since you already know the name of this Gnome I assume you two went on a Mission before? Yes my name is Rhys Dawnstep and I was born and raised on Aucturn." She eyes both of them when she mentions that corrupted thing called Aucturn.

"Nope I just met them today, but they have their name written on their flight suit." Yeah, I don't have a great in character reason. Vyviane's eyebrows do reach a bit higher on her face at the mention of Acturn. "That's not a name you normally hear. But I'm assuming the Society trusts you, so I will too... as long as you don't try sacrificing us to some cult that is!" Vyviane gives a bit of a laugh at the last comment and pats the other woman on the back.

Oh, yes, I'm here, I just had to clean up, don't forget, being large means you spend twice as long in the shower to clean yourself.

Vyviane turns around and looks up... and up and up. "Dang you weren't kidding about being big. Yeah, a shower would take some time for you. Are you Ziamet of until-recently absent fame?"

"Greetings. My name is Elwin. I am a technomancer by trade. It is nice to meet you all."

Vyviane takes the new man's hand and gives it a shake before handing him a card. "Vyviane Isafira, Captain, Starfinder Agent, and Corporate Recruiter Extraordinaire! It'll be a pleasure to work with you, Elwin. Here have one of my digital cards! If you're ever looking for some part time work, just give me a call. And I'll try guarantee you don't have to work with Zo! even. I take it something bad happened the last time you two met?"

Rhys follows the opinions about the drone, but she has to trust tech-savvy people how well something is made.

In response to Vyviane: "Ah, well i concentrated on remembering the faces and overlooked the name tags." she sighs "I am a follower of Sarenrae and i really don't want to go back there..." she shudders with disgust. Great news! At least a blunt response and not a knife in the back. Well my part was very tiny even for a human and still it seems i cannot do enough redemption. She thinks to herself.

Finally she really stands up and is offering her hand with the unusual long fingers for a handshake to all her fellow Starfinder Agents. Rhys is shorter then the average human woman and more compact build then humans whow grew up in standard gravity. Her build is not really athletic but also not someone doing a lot of work on a desk.
She wears professional clothes for a Counselor and you can spot her armour a Second Skin underneath. Holstered at her hip is the standard trustworthy Azimuth Laser Pistol and on her left hand she wears a Cestus Battleglove. She offers her right hand to every fellow Agent accepting a handshake.

All who accept her handshake could notice that her fingertips are weirdly soft like there are not bones but cartilages there, like a strange mutation added to here fingers. Oh and please read her description in my first post again. Especially about her face.

"Nice to meet you, Elwin!" Rhys looks him int his eyes and smiles her wide smile. Adressing everyone on the bridge "As i mentioned i am a follower of Sarenrae and i am what people call a Mystic. I'm not a priest, although i was offered to be become one. I learned that many people assume a Mystic must automatically also be a priest."

Pointing to her station she manned right away and her card game using a digital Harrow deck. "This card game is not there for kiling boredom but helping my work as a Magic Officer. I know how to pilot anything a pilot can steer, but i am not a very dexterous person so if someone is more confident to be a decent pilot feel free to set your station to Pilot role. I am not sure when Venture Captain Arvin will contact us again but in the meantime we can sort our roles for a battle situation while we are in the Docking Bay." She looks down to Vyviane "You already made it clear you want to be our Captain."

For the third time, the alarm on her comm unit blares. The sound echoes in the walls of the tiny sleep pod. With a start, Berith sits up, banging her head on the ceiling of the coffin-like room. She curses in Abyssal, checking her left horn to make sure she didn't chip it, too.

"No more 'fan' parties," she thinks, crawling out of the unit and into some work clothes. She reads the note. "Wasn't Arvin a librarian?" Lurching and obviously hungover, she walks to the end of the row and activates a mechanical mule who's head appears to have been replaced with a large gun. As it rises from its folded 'off' position to fully alert she awkwardly climbs onto it.

After checking its status and confirming nominality, she pats it lovingly and plugs the dock number into the guidance system and falls back into half sleep as the drone carries her out of the Lorespire Complex and into the Arms and the docking bays.

A few grunts and a waived id-stick at the guards gets her into the ship, where she promptly heads to engineering, scribbles something on a sheet of loose leaf, tapes it to her drone, crawls under the desk, and goes back to sleep.

If anyone checks, the note reads.

"Hungover. Need a nap. This is Shai. I'm Berry. Can fly, shoot, scan or fix anything. But only after nap. Don't get too close to my tail, it has a mind of its own and is mean. See you in the morning."

Description: Berith Azazel is a female tiefling with red-brown skin, black eyes, and bleached orange hair coiffed in a mohawk. She has a pair of small horns on her forehead, though the right one is chipped, and a devil tail. She stands tall at 5'10" and has an athletic but not muscular build. She wears the typical gear of a low-level starfinder: second skin, everyday clothing, industrial backpack, laser rifle, static arc pistol, survival knife. The drone is a pretty standard combat drone with a riding saddle and appears to have a large plasma rifle, instead of a head. I'm basically out of pocket until official start time. I may chime in with an occasional grunt though.

Elwin shakes Vyviane's hand and accepts her card.
"Thank you for the offer. I shall keep it in mind,although the Starfinder society has kept me very busy since I joined. Sadly on our last mission we lost a team mate to a game Zo! was running..."

Elwin replies to Rhys with a smile, "I try not to assume anything in this organization. I have met all kinds of people and I am sure I will continue to be surprised by them!"

As they are getting settled Elwin takes a look around the ship and returns with a handwritten note.
"It seems the last member of our crew has arrived and gone straight to her bunk! I'm sure there is a story behind that we'll here on the journey. Unless we are going to one of the nearby planets we'll be on this ship together for some time... Oh! there's an odd shaped drone in Engineering too!"

Two riding drones with rifles attached. YAY.

A chime alerts the bridge crew to an incoming message.

"Venture-Captain Arvin to fleet. Make final preparations to depart. Rendezvous point coordinates are already in your ship's navigation. Form up for drift travel. Arvin out."

Over your heads, a thump and a small crash sounds. A small access door opens and a ysoki swings out of an engineering crawlspace. He is wearing the jumpsuit of a Starfinder mechanic, carrying a satchel of tools and diagnostic equipment. He twitches his nose at you and squeaks "Don't worry. Issa fix de gravity. It shouldnta happen again", and turns to scurry off the bridge.

Elwin looks at the receeding Ysoki
"Anyone know who that was?

Giving back the smile with her too many teeth for a human to Elwin, Rhys nods.

"So where exactly is our newest crewmember sleeping? Let me guess Hungover?" Rhys work as a Counsellor let her make this guess. Why else would a Starfinder Agent sleep at this time of day and shortly before a briefing?

Pointing to the hole in the ceiling.
"Any more surprises out of there?
I have no clue who that was. And with drift travel ahead we can hear that story from our newest crew member soon.
My guess the ground crew who keeps our fleet afloat could be still around and inside The Loreseeker. So our last preparations should include to sweep this ship and make sure the ground crew has finished its work and only we are left on board!" Eager to start her first mission Rhys reaches the door leading out of the bridge to start this search when she turns around. "So in which area should we be quiet because a fellow agent is sleeping?"

Rhys' check of the ship locates no further docking bay crew on board. The rest of the Pegasus class ship is fairly spartan. There is a small tech workshop and science lab, a cramped but comfortable crew quarters, an empty cargo bay, and a small engineering section to the rear of the ship where the sounds of soft snoring can be heard.

A preflight systems check shows green lights across the board. The ship appears to be fully operational and ready to depart from the docking bay.

The radio crackles to life.

’Loreseeker, this is Absolom Transit Authority. Prepare to taxi.”

A Vesk wearing a high-visibility vest that (despite being one-size fits all) is comically too small begins waving orange glowing batons in front of your ship. His wild gesticulations indicate the path to leave the docking bay, as well as how seriously he takes his job.

Ziamat I presume takes the pilot seat and brings the ship’s guidance thrusters online and slowly edges the ship up off it’s landing pad and follows the Vesk’s signals to the launch ramp.

”Loreseeker, Absolom Transit, you are clear for departure”

The loreseeker’s thrust engines ignite and propel the ship forward and through the energy curtain into the blackness of space. Around you from other docking bays, several other pegasus and drake class ships exit the station, all making for the same rendezvous point out of the station's orbit.

Venture Captain Arvin signals the small fleet from his lead Drake. ”Form up on me, slave your drift engines, and prepare for drift travel. Arvin out”

From the vidscreens of Absolom Transit Authority, the duty supervisor watches the Starfinder vessels form up in a V pattern. Once they are safely out of the station’s trafficking zone, he keys his comms. ”Starfinders, you are cleared for drift entry. Good hunting”

With that, a tear in the fabric of space opens and the group of small ships enters as one. The tear seals itself again, leaving no trace of the ships. The duty supervisor returns his attention to his personal vidscreen and resumes a card game.

Drift Time, in days: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 2) = 6

You are on route! We start official content tomorrow morning. I have an early start tomorrow for work, and will be posting our opening to the scenario at approx 4am EST (Toronto) before I leave.

As Ziamat notices it takes them six days when it would take an average of nine. Sweet, I made good time. With the help of all of you, thanks to my science officer for all those mathematical calculations and angles to cut down on the time. And others for keeping us safe.

Vyviane gives a smile as the ships arrive days earlier than might be expected. "That's what happens when you have a halfling captain after all. We're lucky to have around!" She heads back to the mess hall and makes up a cup of coffee and brings it up to the woman in engineering. "Cuppa joe forya Berry. Must have been one doozy of a bender to leave you hungover for a week."

She then pours coffee for everyone else and hauls the cups into the bridge. "Who wants some caffeine? I even brought the large mug for you Ziamet!"

Rhys looks up and winks to Vyviane "Well we may be lucky to arrive earlier but your halfling luck did not make me beat my highscores in my card games on this journey."

Rhys points to the place with a few rings of dryed coffee at her station. "Coffee right there would be lovely! A fellow Starfinder mentioned he was able to use the splatter of a drink he was able to see on the bridge, i like to test that in addition to the use of Harrow cards. I will clean this mess up when we leave this ship. I will use my magic to do that. Always works! assures Rhys.

"So Venture-Captain Arvin... has anybody already done a mission for him? How is he normally i take it this mission is somehow special because normally we only have one team on a mission and not many teams heading to the same location in space." Taking a sip from her cup she makes eye contact with the bridge crew.

During the flight she avoided to stare for longer outside a window into the drift, like all the people used to travel by the drift. Because staring for too long into the drift is not good for anybody. "So when i can see the stars again i will know exactly where we are." her tone is stating a fact.

Vyviane smiles right back at the woman. "There's things you can achieve with luck and things you can achieve with hard work. I'd say beating a high score is one of the later."

The halfling moves to set down the cup of coffee, before stopping, "Wait is this something I'm supposed to do or will you spill it when needed? I never could wrap my head around divination."

After getting the woman her coffee, Vyviane moves on, adding, "Did a few missions for him before. Tracking down some Starfinder badges that had turned up. Finding a crashed ship. He's normally pretty personable, I think he's either just stressed or rushing. Especially as we've got quite a few teams here."

Tixylix slides out of the saddle of his drone. He moves across the deck on his misshapen legs, hobbling slightly. Taking a cup he sips at it, burning his mouth. Bah, hot. Impatience will be the death of me one of these days.

Quest 1:Contact

A tear in space opens, pouring out several Starfinder vessels from the drift. On your forward screen, the view is quite unique. A single grey-blue world orbits a sun, and just past that, a giant black hole swallows all light and objects trying to escape it’s gravitational field. As you take in the view, the comm unit chirps the familiar notification of a fleetwide message. Venture-Captain Avrin, aboard his own vessel leading the formation, begins to speak.

Starfinders, welcome to Enereth-7, a world that by all logic shouldn’t exist. The planet is the sole survivor of this solar system, precariously balanced between the sun and a black hole. Yes, you heard that right: a black hole maintains relative orbit in sync with Enereth-7, but appears to have no adverse effects on the world or the distant sun. As you might suspect, this is of extreme interest to the Starfinder Society, and I hope you understand now the need for secrecy surrounding this mission. The Society has spent a lot of time and money obtaining the exploration rights to this system, we can’t allow the secrets that may be discovered here fall into the wrong hands. Your assignments are being relayed to your ships now. Avrin out”

With that, the comm line closes, followed by another chirp of an incoming assignment to each of your stations that reads:
Loreseeker - Proceed to the following coordinates over the northern hemisphere. Scans discovered intermittent low frequency radio emissions. In order to distinguish these transmissions from the background noise of the black hole, plot a course into the planet’s atmosphere. From there, your objective is to investigate these mysterious signals and report any finding to command. Orbital scans haven’t detected any technology on the surface, but this could lead to a discovery about geological events, a distress beacon from a crashed ship, or even some clue about how this strange world works. In other words, keep an open mind and be prepared for anything

Each starfinder vessel breaks formation and moves apart to begin their scans, spreading out around the entire planet. Your ship, under the competent hands of Ziamat, turns and makes a slow burn towards it’s assigned sector.

As you arrive at the coordinates VC Avrin gave you, your ship’s computer begins to receive one of the radio blasts. The nearby singularity and the signal’s low intensity make it difficult to isolate from radio echoes.

Challenge time! These challenges are to be completed in order. Make the appropriate roll, and if you beat the DC, open the spoiler & roleplay the results before moving onto the next challenge. If three unsuccessful attempts are made on any challenge, I will step in again to let you know the result. Remember to pass the ball and let other players try!

"Well. That's odd... Let's scan that, see what the source might be.."
computers-challenge 1: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 9 + 2 = 19

"Well. We have a source area but no idea what it is yet. It's that island chain. I don't think it's natural but out here.. he looks out at the black hole staring ominously at them, You never know.."

Berith wakes up from her nap and thanks the captain for the cup of cofee. Realizing she's not the engineer, she familiarizes herself with the ship's layout and the gunner station, the entire time remarking about the new design. After a few days, back to normal, she preps for the mission. Over the course of the trip, she doesn't do much except play on her computer, and fiddle with the gunners controls in simulated battles.

When Elwin finds the signal, Berith attempts to look it over. "I got your back," she says, attempting to use the ship's communication array to filter the data.

Engineering Check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20 Attempting preview trick. Preview showed a 20, I think that number holds through, but we'll see.

"There's some kind of song in a language I've never heard before. It sounds backwards." Isolating the sound, she plays it over the ship's internal speakers.

Sitting intently in the captain's chair, Vyiviane nods at the actions of her competent crew. "Elwin swift work there. And Berith, I love how you jumped right on that." She takes a moment to listen to the music humming along with it unconsciously for a moment.

Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 She pauses for a second. "That sounds less like a proper language and more like a mathematical formula... See right there, the third chord and fifth chord are such sharp and precise sounds, most languages would have moved past such complex sounds in the first hundred years of development. Someone want to take a crack at decoding this?"

Ziamat is not good at any of these things. I hope my crew can help us out here, I'm only good at flying and fighting.

Ziamat is doing the most important job, keeping the ship from drifting into the black hole while the crew investigates. Great job so far team, crushing it.

Rhys shakes her head. "I usally make a mess when i absent minded drink my coffee. That should be enough." is her answer to Vyviane.

Amazed by that view and having a look a their position in space once she got a glimpse of the stars, Rhys also gets to work.
Mysticism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Just in case it applies: Reduce the DC of Culture and Mysticism checks to recall knowledge about hidden cults and secretive religions, including knowledge about their beliefs, hierarchy, and symbols, by 5. Snip to shorten it.

"Sorry i can't think of anything related to Mysticism right now. But i can tell you our exact position in space. We are... wait my magical sense from my connection let me give you exact lightyears or even meters away from Absalom Station but that's confusion if you don't have that yourself. I can't shake this feeling there is a connection to Mysticism but i can't see it right now." She thinks how to translate her precise sense of loaction in space as long as she can see the stars. "More ideas how to understand this formula?"
So where in Universe is this adventure?

"No worries, Rhys. I thought there was something mystical about it too! Let me try a little science here though.."

physical science: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

well crap, physics is NOT my emphasis, of course. :)

"Well. I was sure I was going to figure that one out. Anyone else have any ideas?"

So where in Universe is this adventure?

Rhys would infer from the stars that this operation is a distant point in the vast. The Starfinder society must have been secretly planning this exploration for some time to have navigated the drift so quickly.

"So how to put it... We are at a distant point in the Vast Space so a drift travel of only 6 days is even more impressive. Arvin already made it clear this was planned in advance."

Looking back at Elwin "So you have no clue about the science, but am i really the only one with knowledge about Mysticism?"

Seeing how Ziamat is more tense and recognizing the movements of corrections more often then usual as a fellow pilot "Anything off Ziamat? I can imaging she is a bit unsteady near a black hole."

"hmm... well, our first thought could still be correct. Let me see..."
mysticism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Not quite. Can folks aid on this?

Berith looks over the data to see if she can resolve the confusion.

Physical Science Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

"Sorry guys. I'm at a loss, too."

Deciding together that they are stumped about the details of the formula, the crew opens a frequency back to Venture-Captain Arvin.

The Damaya Lashunta appears the main viewscreen in the bridge, seated aboard his command ship. He sets a vidscreen down and leans back in his chair. A thermos can be seen tucked into the side of the station indicating he is intending to spend long hours at his post. "Yes, Starfinders? What do you have to report?"

Tixylix looks on, a bored expression on his face, as the crew races about.

I take it Vyviane can't use the captain's Encourage or Demand options, eh? Sigh, we were so close!

Vyviane turns down the music as it's clear her crew are stumped. "Venture-Captain, we were able to isolate and analyze to a degree a song that this planet seems to be giving off. The song seems highly formulaic" She pauses for a moment not quite wanting to admit it, but after a deep breath plows on ahead. "but it sadly seems none of my crew can wrap their heads around what the formula might mean or entail. Here we'll send you our findings and maybe you analysts will have a better perspective on it? If not, the music is hauntingly beautiful, and well worth a listen by itself. It's not Star Sugar Heart Love but it's good."

Arvin nods at your report, and picks up his vidscreen to review the information you've sent over. "Fascinating, good work Starfinders. I've recieved reports of other transmissions like this from the fleet, as well as some encrypted traffic. I'll pass it onto my science team here to begin working on immediately. While we don't have all of the information yet, we've got a place for you to begin your search. Take your ship down to the surface to investigate the source of the transmission, and report back to me. Arvin out"

The tracked signal leads to an island with a smoldering volcano. Thick foliage covers most of the island, save for the swath of smooth black rock formed from a recent lava flow. The signal originates near the rock formation that rises above the tree canopy about two-hundred feet up, where a great stone menhir partly rises up from the flow. It's form is cracked and broken.

Ziamat brings the ship down on the rock cut a short distance from the menhir. Scans of the outside atmosphere show a hospitable climate, with no toxic gases present. Opening the airlock, a fresh but humid breeze fills the ship with tropical air. The air has a smell of rain, and a distant thunder rumbles.

As the ship drops out of orbit, Berry scans the targeting computer for any hint of trouble, occasionally making the pew pew noises of mock combat at stray bits of debris.

"I guess we're heading up there, huh?" She asks the group as she climbs onto her riding drone. "Who has point?"

"Not me!" Elwin replies with a grin as he also pulls out some scanning equipment and checks the area.

Nodding to Berry's first question, Rhys quickly picks up her backpack with her few belongings.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to take point. I can use healing magic for severe cases in combat but not very often. So don't rely on my limited healing abilities. I would prefer to have one spell ready to share the language we all speak to inhabitans should we encounter any." avoiding a blunt no and giving more insight to her abilities.

With a grin she breathes in the fresh air. "At least it looks like we don't have to close our enviromental seals for now. Smells good!"

As the crew prepare to depart from the ship, a rustle in the foliage can be heard. From the direction of the menhir, a small creature scurries into the clearing towards the ship. Rushing forward on three legs, it waves it’s three arms excitedly, looking at the ship and all of you with it’s 3 eye stalks.

”CHUMBAWAMBA! CHUMBAWAMBA!” It calls out in a beautiful, song like voice.

As the ship touches down on the surface, Vyviane's face and hair seem to start shifting. Feeling inspired by the natural greenery and seas all around, she settles on a sea foam green hair and what looks like almost purple skin. The new form is clearly halfling, though one with some unusual coloring. Styling her hair up in a bun and adding some decorative gold earrings from her disguise kit, she asks, "What do you think? I thought for such an unnatural world but still full of nature, that it'd be fun to show that dichotomy in my form as well." She hums to herself for a bit as she puts some finishing touches to her new outfit.

She then heads to the head of the line. "Well, if no one wants the front then I guess I shall have to lead you."

She pauses at the new life form not sure what the thing is saying to her. She raises both hands and says in all languages she speaks*, "Hello! We don't want to hurt you. Can you understand what I am saying?"

*Common, halfling, Vesk, Brethedan, Lashunta, Kasatha

She pauses at the new life form not sure what the thing is saying to her. She raises both hands and says in all languages she speaks*, "Hello! We don't want to hurt you. Can you understand what I am saying?"

The bizarre looking creature stares blankly at your words. ”Tubthumper?” It asks quizzically.

I would prefer to have one spell ready to share the language we all speak to inhabitans should we encounter any." avoiding a blunt no and giving more insight to her abilities.

As the captain tries in multiple languages, Rhys steps forward and casts Share Language . Those of you who do not speak Brethedan all pick up on what the Viviane is saying and the creature stirs with excitement.

”Ah! What wondrous magic! Can you understand me now? Good, good! My name is Cantor Alvreein. I am a priest of Yaressa, out studying the markers. Have you come to study the markers? Where do you come from? And what a mighty vessel you’ve arrived on! What magics propel you through the sky like that? While I’ve noticed more lights in the night sky as of late, I’ve never seen anything like that up close.
The questions come in rapid fire, one after another as the creature is overjoyed to communicate with you.

While it seems friendly, please make a DC 10 diplomacy check as well.

"Friendly locals? Why do I get the feeling we're about to get attacked by a giant lizard?" Berith says, in Common. She lowers her rifle and has Shai (her combat drone) fold theirs back down. "Who wants to tell it we come in peace?"

Elwin smiles at Vyviane, "Looks great! I bet that makes getting ready for parties much faster!"

As the creature approaches in an obvious non hostile fashion Elwin makes a quick check to see if any records of this species have been recorded.

Once the spell has been cast, "Fascinating. Yes, we are here to study the sounds coming from here. You called it a marker. Can you describe it?"

Vyviane laughs at the party reference, "Only when it's on a new planet!"

~~~~~~~~~

She gives a smile as Rhys casts her spell. "Good I was afraid I was going to have to pidgin something out of my languages there." She puzzles a little over what the creature is still saying. "Sadly our ship is less magic and more technological in nature. Though Rhys has been messing around with things so some of it might be running on magic right now! But more importantly, we found this place and wanted to explore what curiosities it might hold. We don't want to harm anyone if we can!"

Diplomacy, Don't think she can fail this: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15