Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
As the Starfinders discuss together about the clues they have been able to gather, a ring is heard through the lodge.
smiles and says It's time for the sermon!
Please, come and listen with us about the Weeping Knight! Oshessa is such a good orator and leader.
She seems quite excited to listen to the dayly sermon.
The novices in the room wake up and get ready.
As all the Morlamaw are gathered in the makeshift temple, and Oshessa arrives under a clap of flippers.
Oshessa takes the western stage and begins to speak — in Common, for the benefit of the sect’s new guests—.
You can tell that her persona in front of the crowd is magnetic. Her sermon is on the importance of loss to have meaning in one’s life, and she often repeat this scripture without pain, we would never appreciate the joyous things in life. As she speaks, she makes large, expressive gestures with her flippers.
DC 20 Mysticism (you can ask through your com unit another one of you about the significance of this phrase)
As the ends her sermon, the morlamaw seems to be silent in prayers.
After a short silence, Oshessa thanks the guests for their presence and the novices to follow their duties and adds May the Weeping Knight blessing be upon you my Brothers and Sisters.
Before she goes back to her quarters says I don't have time to talk right now, I need to prepare the Temple's Relics for your arrival.
moves next to you and says Isn't she great! and her speech... we need to have pain to appreciate pleasure, we need to have loss to appreciate what we have. Strong words don't you think?
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Whispering to his team through his PCU, "Looks like Teltham is not attending the sermon"
Again whispering through his PCU, "Looks like Oshessa has deep scars from either being attacked or possibly from a ritual."
Responding to Hinevera, "Yes, very strong words. Not sure I agree as I very much appreciate pleasure and what I have without having to experience the pain or loss. I take pleasure in being alive without the pain. I take pleasure in my life without losing it. If I did not then I wouldn't care any longer." He shrugs his shoulders.
"My beliefs are that Exploring the unknown is a sacred process that reveals as much about the explorer as about the star system or world being explored. The universe contains a wealth of wonders just waiting to be discovered. I take joy in making new discoveries. That is one reason why I am here. If I did not then why even come here and we would have never met. I believe in the right to freedom, unfettered by restrictive laws. Oppression takes all of those away."
looks around, pause for a second, and answers Oh? You're right. Not usual. I don't know. Sometimes he has other duties as Oshessa's right hand.
Then she smiles and says But it's dinner time! Will you join us?
answers Ashtif by saying The relics are our most precious and holy treasures. We can't let you just go and look. So Oshessa needs to pray the Weeping Knight before letting any one not a Faithful to enter and see the relics.
As it's also the place where we have learn all about Starfinder Society, the Pact World and the Veskarium she looks sideways at Chorizal before continuing we figure that you would want to explore this area also.
tries to remember and stays silent for a few second before answering.
I honestly don't remember. It's been several weeks now. I think they ask for them, but don't remember Oshessa doing the necessary prayers to let them see the relics...
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"No offense but it's as good as far as it goes. I mean, everything is relative so without suffering we wouldn't know pleasure but that doesn't mean that the more that we suffer the more we know pleasure," Chorizal chimes in on the philosophy.
Hinevera's final words set his tail to tingling. In a universe where there are lots of ways, both magical and technological, to erase and edit people's memories, it makes him nervous when someone can't remember something important.
Given their history lessons, he wonders just how old these relics might be.
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"NOT LOOKING GOOD 4 KALO. + MAYBE NOT LOOKING GOOD 4 US." Pan sends a quick text to the other Starfinders via his comm unit before smiling at Hinevera
"Would it be possible to meet with Oshessa now, over dinner, to discuss this matter? While we are not of your sect, we are famous chroniclers of the religions and philosophies of the universe. Perhaps our study of your ways could spread them to the Pact Worlds."
quickly answers Pan by saying Unfortunately you will not be able, she can't be disturbed when making prayers to the Weeping Knight and she needs rest after her sermon, so she doesn't usually attend dinner.
If you want to discuss with her, you will need her invitation. I'm very sorry, but that's the rules.
But you will be able to talk about religion during dinner! With us all!
Dinner is served in the main room, next to the kitchen, where Zavlig activates himself to serve dinner for all the community!
Teltham gets out of Oshessa's quarter. It seems that he is the one who will give the blessing of the Weeping Knight before dinner.
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Chorizal is about as good at sneaking as a tank...and not one of those fancy, hovering tanks, an old fashioned, rumbling tank with treads. Trying to get out of dinner without being noticed would be a sure way for him to get everyone noticed.
Besides, he likes a good meal, so he stays behind and eats and makes conversation. "So, the Weeping Knight is a knight? Are there military or martial traditions associated with your religion? Forgive me for saying so but none of you seem as though you know one end of a gun from the other."
starts doing the blessing.
Oh Weeping Knight. We appreciate your blessing upon us. Bless this food that we share, Bless this hour that we share. Without pain, there is no pleasure, Without loss, there is no love.
We are your servants of midnight as we rise through the night of the life to be reborn in the day.
Ease our pain, Ease our loss so we can appreciate and love what we have today.
You recognize the phrase "Servants of Midnight" as referring to priests of Zon- Kuthon!
After the blessing everyone enjoy the meal, even if it is not necessarily to the tastes of non-aquatic creatures like you, and chat.
One of the disciple answers to JYD Morlamaw society is very rigid, very "orderly". There is no place for those who doesn't follow tradition and what they are supposed to do. We have a variety of gods but when Oshessa's starts to have visions and talk about loss and pain we all recognize yourself in what she was saying, even if it contradict the way it's done at home. That's why we were forced out of our home, because it was new and not "in the order of things".
Luckily, we found this abandoned place, thanks to Oshessa's visions! And we've been able to learn so many things from it! That people are able to get to the starts! That there is a war going on between a nation called the Pact World and the Veskarium and learn how to speak your common language. This place is amazing and I don't regret quitting home to find a better life here.
Even if a little bit intimidated by the Vesk presence, the morlamaw's natural desire to know more about their new guest is enough that they quickly become chatty with Chorizal.
One of the novice says to the vesk. Not really. We don't trained as knight, we pray and call for His blessing. Our life are simple, prayer, daily tasks, prayer and sleep.
As we are the only one we know praying the Weeping Knight I don't know if there is an military order or some martial tradition linked to Him. You will need to ask Oshessa's for that, as she's the one having visions. But, we don't need weapon, per se, as we have our tusks if needed. But we are using it only for self-defense.
Another one intervene and says We also like to call it the breaker of chains and He has free us from our previous life! But Oshessa's doesn't like it when we call him that.
The door is not locked and open to another room.
A large portrait in the northeast corner displays an intense-looking ysoki in an official uniform, while a painting on the wall nearby depicts the image of a broken chain. A bookshelf on the eastern wall contains several antique books, while a second shelf displays various pieces of broken chain. A stack of boxes has been tucked into the corner between the door to the south and the airlock to the west.
Another morlamaw is inside and smiles at you as you enter.
Welcome to our Library and Museum Starfinder! I'm Irtrine. Don't hesitate to take a look, but know that you can't go there without Oshessa. her flipper shows the tight airlock on her right.
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JYD listens to the disciples. He asks, "Now that everyone is here, has anyone else seen the other Pathfinders, the Manta Corps or do any of you have any idea where they went? Also, do any of you know of a substance called Clophirium or where we can find some?" He proceeds to give a description of the Clophirium.
As JYD asks his questions, the morlamaws starts talking to each other, switching from their native language to common to try to be understood by the Statfinders.
One of them says They have not stay for long, they look around share a meal and took off. Another adds Yes, It wasn't cool from us to not say even goodbye!
A greenish morlamaw says Before you, except for the one you call "manta corps" it's the first time we see a Starfinder! Only in the books or on the computer have we learned of your exiting existence!. The one next to him adds We don't know where they went, but we were hoping they regal us with new Stars stories from our Pact World!
starst talking after JYD explained what is the Clophirium I have no idea... but I think I've read the name on one of the computer. If you're looking for such thing, you will need access to the computer, in the Reliquary. after a short silence she adds May be your friends have got this info and went to check for this Clophirium?
smiles and says Of course! That's one of the reason that Oshessa is not here. As the computer is in the Reliquary, she needs to perform some ritual to allow non believer in.
We just have to wait! It should not be too long.
waves with his flipper and happily says My pleasure! First time I cook for non morlamaw. I hope your palate was not too suprised by our food.
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JYD responds to Hinevera, "You say not long. Do you know how long it will take to complete the ritual? By the end of the day? A couple of hours or minutes?"
To Zavlig, "No, the food was good. Wait, did you say you also fed the Manta Corps?" JYD is a little alarmed by this. "Who else has had access to the computer?"
There are many religious treatises still on the shelves here.
The boxes include datapads with applications for learning Common and the history of the Starfinder Society and Pact Worlds from roughly 100 years ago. The books are boxed up with a few credsticks, which the morlamaws have no way to use.
The museum is largely a display of holy symbols, all broken chains like the one seen on the front door.
Mysticism DC15
thinks for a time before answering JYD It's a matter of minutes now, so I think.
says No, I wasn't the one of cooking duty this day.
Other morlamaws answer the last question of the Ysoki We all have access! That's how we've learn your language! We don't go often now, because we all know your language and your history!
Now we only go with Oshessa to see the relics.
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As one of the novices describes the life they've chosen here to him, Chorizal says "That sounds terrible. Just praying and working and sleeping and eating. What do you do for fun?"
He's growing increasingly suspicious about this ritual. It feels a great deal like stalling for time, either to set a trap or purge data.
"Any reason why the room with the computer was the one chosen to be your reliquary? Would she let us in faster if we said we were believers?"
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Ashtif looks down at the scanner, frowning. "No, no, no ... got a bad feeling about this ..."
He thinks for a moment then shrugs. "But, for the life of me, I can't figure out where I've seen that before ..."
He pulls up his comm link to the group, speaking quietly so that Irtrine can't hear. "Hey, guys, so ... I'm wracking my brain here, but it looks like there used to be an older symbol here, where that broken chain was coming out of the eyes of a skull. I'll be darned if I've ever seen anything like that before. Have any of you?"
The morlamaw answers We are creatures of habits, and traditions. Even if we are outcast from our people, we don't derogate in that from our brothers and sisters.
As the dinner is finished, the Starfinders moves to where Ashtif is.
Ashtif sends the description of the symbol he discovered on the wall, behind some paint.
Before his comrades join him, Ashtif sees that Irtrine seems concerned, then alarmed! Something's wrong in the Reliquary.
She opens the airlock and closes it behind her. Ashtif her water flooding inside it before it opens on the other side. A few seconds laters Irtrine came back, wet and says Serpents insides!
They starts destroying things inside! We need to act quickly!
As the other Starfinders are already there, joining Ashtif in the museum, Irtrine says We need to act now! Go in Starfinders, I will inform Oshessa about what's going on! Quick!
You move in the airlock who starts to be fill with water. Once the airlock is full of water, it opens to a large room.
An airtight semicylinder of glass protects various decrepit tomes, a handheld computer, and a blood-encrusted, rusty spiked chain from the water that fills this chamber. An airlock exits to the east, while a steel door goes on to the west. A noticeable crack, almost the size of a human child, mars the northern wall here.
You see two small ]serpents that easily slipped in through the crack and into the Reliquary, but a larger serpent is stuck in the crack and thrashes about wildly, trying to pass through.
Each time it tries to get out, it strikes the glass, adding more cracks along its surface, endangering the morlamaw's relics as well as the Starfinder's records.
JYD is able to move and hit the serpent but his weapon is not very efficient in this environment.