You've been summoned to a meeting with Fitch, leader of the Wayfinder faction, aboard the nearly-repaired Master of Stars. Your shuttle awaits.
The shuttle carries you from Absalom Station to the expansive congregation of ships known as the Armada. Among the numerous vessels, you readily spot the Master of Stars, the largest starship in the Starfinder Society’s fleet and the current base of operations for the Wayfinders faction of which the white-furred ysoki, Fitch, is the leader.
As you circle the powerful vessel, you can see that repairs on the ship are almost complete. Although a few rings of scaffolding remain visible around sections of the ship, its armor-plated hull, powerful engines, and sleek lines appear to be space-worthy. Your shuttle lands in a spacious hangar bay, where a drone greets you and leads you to a briefing room on an upper deck of the ship.
Fitch is standing before you, awaiting your presence. Behind him stands the briefing table adorned with a plate of bread, jams, and sweet pastries.
"Welcome, Starfinders. I trust that you--Vilkrith, Ashbree, those are not for you." She scolds a pair of ysoki, whose tiny fingers had been reaching for the plate. She pushes the plate a few inches away from the pups, before adding with restrained aggravation, "Those snacks are for the visiting Starfinders."
Fitch suddenly pounds the table when a hand from a third, ysoki pup reaches for the plate. "Out!" she demands. In response, the three young ysoki quickly flee past you through the doorway as Fitch hurls a doughnut to chase them off. One of the young pups nimbly snatches the hurled treat, takes a bite out of it, and grins triumphantly at Fitch. The Wayfinder responds with an exaggerated scowl, which she focuses towards the pups just outside the doorway until it shuts.
Once the door closes, Fitch's face suddenly exudes smug pride--that of a grandmother pleased in her cunning descendants.
"As I was saying," Fitch begins anew. "Welcome, Starfinders. Please get situated and let's make sure that you've all been introduced. Then, we will begin."
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A round summer triaxian in a Sovyrian shirt bounds toward the snacks. "Hey little boss lady! Thanks for the donut!"
"I mean, I'm sure y'all know me, but I'm Maximus. I like sun, summer, and chilling out. Being cool really helps you get in touch with what lives in here." He taps his chest where his heart would be. You think. Triaxian anatomy can be a little weird. "I'm all about peace, love, and--" he looks at his snack "donuts, at least for today. And Sarenrae, of course. So lean on me to keep your spirits up! I'm here for you, dudes, dudettes, and doodles."
He goes to envelop Fitch in an awkward bear-hug.
Maximus looks at V'lorus. "Bring it in! Bring it in." He holds his arms out wide.
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A large golden dragonkin smiles as they watch the children run out. Turning serious, they salute Fitch. "I'm ready when you are, ma'am."
They turn to the rest of the party. "I'm Kalvarnix. I'm a vet from the Scoured Stars. I don't like seein' people get hurt, so I'll do everythin' I can to keep y'all safe."
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A slender young kasatha returns the greetings. "The pages turn and a new chapter begins. I am Elisan Jurindah Solmali of House Noordib," he introduces himself, bowing. "May the Storyteller weave you tales of prosperity."
He is garbed in an outfit of dark shirt, trousers and a large coat cut in Idari fashion. Modest trimmings of what appear to be animal pelt detail portions of his garments.
Turning to Gava, Elisan adds, "I am recently arrived from Castrovel myself. A beautiful planet. I have never seen such wondrous wilderness!"
"Hey little boss lady! Thanks for the donut!"
"You are quite welcome. Just be sure to check them for any teeth marks first." Fitch smiles.
After extending greetings to each of you, she gestures for you to have a seat, then adeptly hops atop her des.
“Vabaimus is a planet in Near Space,” Fitch says, gesturing in the air as she paces atop her desk. “Green, lots of water, bright sunlight, beautiful, if you go in for that sort of thing. Plenty of animal and plant life, but the most intelligent species is a marsupial no bigger than my kids. Look kind of like sloths. I like them, but we’re leaving them alone till they advance enough to at least get a language. Could take a while."
“But there is a research station on the southern continent," she continues. "The scientist in charge is Dr. Mora Motressi, a xenobiologist. She and her people have been checking out the local flora and fauna, and they’ve just starting a geological survey. Vabaimus is a resource-rich planet; we could do a lot with that, but we need to be careful to do it right. We don’t want to make decisions we later regret, disrupt the ecosystem, and create problems for ourselves and the locals.”
Fitch pulls a datachip from her cheek pouch and waves it around. “I was reading the first report from their geological survey, and apparently they’ve got a weird landmass down there. A plateau hundreds of miles across covered in a slick gray shell, like a giant lobster or something! No water or plant life at all— maybe it got blasted by some kind of curse, I don’t know. Mora and her people, they don’t have the equipment to do a proper survey, so I figured we could give her a hand. I’d like you to take some vehicles and survey equipment to Dr. Motressi and her people on Vabaimus, and help them get to the bottom of this mystery.”
Raising her hands and shaking her head, Fitch goes on. “I know, I know. This doesn’t sound like the sort of thing a bunch of super-stars like you usually go in for. There’s no first contact to figure out, no Swarm army to blast into smithereens. But this is how the hard work of research and science gets done, and besides, if this lifeless plateau is the result of a curse or a magical accident or something, Mora and those scientists will need help, maybe even an evacuation.
“So, what do you say?" she asks. "Can I trust you on this one?”
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"I ain't gonna be much help with the research and science and all, but I can certainly lug stuff around." Kalvarnix says as they pop two ysoki nibbled pastries into their mouth, chew twice, and swallow. Then they take a swig from a canteen.
"Like a giant lobster shell, huh? Is that real odd for a landmass, ma'am?"
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Now, this is more like what I expected from a Starfinder mission, Elisan thinks, hopeful after the debacle that was his first assignment.
"Yes, faction leader. I, too, am at home in the wilderness and respect the plants and creatures that inhabit it. It would appear we are just the team needed for this task."
Such a blending of cultures and skills, he observes, looking around at the eclectic crew. This should prove interesting.
Turning to Gava, the kasatha asks, "You brought a beast with you from Castrovel? What is it?"
"Like a giant lobster shell, huh? Is that real odd for a landmass, ma'am?"
Fitch glances at Kalvarnix for a few moments, then simply replies, "Yes."
The ysoki breathes a sigh, then turns to the rest of the party, "It is worth investigating. Feel free to purchase any special equipment that you think you may need from the ship's stores. We've packed up some towers, high-intensity scanners, and computers, which once you put them all together, will give you a 3-D map of the plateau's interior and do a chemical analysis of the ground."
An excited look comes across Fitch's face. "Oh, and I threw in some enercycles and buggies, to help you get around out there. You'll have a lot of ground to cover."
Glancing back at the dragonkin, she asks, "Any other questions?"
"Is there anything else you can tell us about Dr Mora and her team?" Elisan asks.
"Dr. Motressi’s team consists of maybe twenty people." Fitch replies. "Scientists mostly and some assistants. They’ve got half a dozen buildings not far from the plateau. As far as I can tell, the team is the first to explore the planet. I've found Mora to be friendly, professional and devoted mother. She also seems to have a particular affinity for the pre-sapient native species that inhabits Vabaimus."
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“How about them pre-sapients, they’ve got a name already? Sometimes a native might seem dumb to we technological folks, but have deep knowledge of their surroundings - they could even know already what our giant crabshell is!” Gava ponders.
Turning to Gava, the kasatha asks, "You brought a beast with you from Castrovel? What is it?"
“It’s a Yasakaja, from our breeding farm - a big beast. It’s almost a pup, but I’ve been training it for a while now”.
“How about them pre-sapients, they’ve got a name already? Sometimes a native might seem dumb to we technological folks, but have deep knowledge of their surroundings - they could even know already what our giant crabshell is!” Gava ponders.
"Mora can tell you more about the native, pre-sapient species when you meet her on the planet." Fitch replies. "I haven't noticed any instances of meaningful communication in any of the reports. This native species is a long way from civilization, but from what Dr. Motressi’s written in her reports, they’re definitely on their way. Check back with me in a few thousand years.”
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"Oh man," says the large ryphorean. "This sounds pretty awesome! I'm totally geeked! I'm not kidding--I'm ready to go whenever y'all are."
"But wait, there's more?! Did you say something about a pre-sapient species? I bunked in a skittermander hostel for a couple of weeks last year so I know what a nufriend is, and this really sounds like an opportunity to meet a few! I wanna know what their deal is. Sounds like a great conversation starter once we get planetside."
Seeing that you have accepted the mission, Fitch happily thanks you and sends you back to your shuttle, where drones have already loaded the scanning equipment and vehicles that the ysoki had requisitioned.
You can get underway as soon as you wish.
As Vabaimus is in Near Space, so the journey takes just a few days of Drift travel.
When your ship arrives in planetary orbit, a cursory scan confirms what you’ve been told by Fitch: Vabaimus is a temperate planet with considerable surface water and a variety of native life. It looks like a perfect colony world. There is, however, a strange geological formation, a stony plateau which covers approximately 85,000 square miles on the southern continent. This is the feature you have been sent to investigate, and the Wayfinders’ research station is situated nearby.
As you survey the odd, planetary feature and within minutes of arriving in orbit, you receive an incoming message. Within minutes, you receive a message from Dr. Mora Motressi, the lead scientist at the research station.
"Welcome to Vabaimus, Starfinders." Dr. Motressi says over the view screen, which also allows you to see a sloth-like creature clinging to her torso and playing with her ears even while a human child plays with a datapad in the background. [b]"Please the frequency of the landing beacon to the landing site.
As you fly toward the landing site, you can see below the outpost, which is a simple affair on the grassy shore of a broad river, with two dormitory buildings to the east, two science labs to the west, and between them a common room for the staff to relax. All the buildings are white half-cylinders obviously assembled from prefabricated parts shipped to Vabaimus from the Pact Worlds.
A basic chain-link fence surrounds the compound, an improvised exercise track loops around the entire campus, and a pair of researchers in athletic clothes are jogging in the morning sun. The mysterious plateau looms only a few miles away.
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"It'd be pretty rad to own a bike, wouldn't it? If you were gonna buy a bike, what would you buy? One of the AbadarCorp models, something third party? Me, I'd go with one of the vintage bikes. Arcadia Motorcycles made some awesome rides back in the day."
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Maximus banters back and forth through most of the voyage. When you finally touch down, he gets outside as soon as he can.
"Ah, to feel the warmth of a star on your face again! It's getting me all pumped up! C'mon, want to go for a jog anyone? Let's do some laps!"
He sets off for the track at a slow jog. Approximately 24 seconds later, he's back in his previous spot, drenched in sweat, doubled over, and panting. "Oh man I shouldn't... have opened it up quite so fast. I'm beat!... Too much time on the ship... Good workout though. HIIT for lyfe!..."
"We supposed to meet someone here? Let's head inside... maybe... we'll find Motressi there."
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During the journey through the Drift, Elisan busies himself with his daily exercise routine and conversing with any of his companions so inclined.
He proves to be an attentive, if somewhat formal, conversation partner with a penchant for stories - both in telling and receiving. Given the chance, he speaks of life aboard the Idari, his visit to Castrovel and his recent arrival to Absalom Station. He agrees with Maximus that it would, indeed, be rad to own a bike, but that he doesn't have a preference for manufacturer. He is also particularly fascinated by Gava and his yasakaja.
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Upon arrival at Vabaimus, Elisan exits the shuttle with his companions and joins them in awaiting the scientists' welcoming party.
After Maximus completes his jogging circuit, some of the scientists and assistants can be seen emerging from the facility. Mora, carrying the sloth-like creature, leads the way. Her young and curious daughter follows close behind.
"Greetings, Starfinders. Glad you are here." says Dr. Motressi. "I'm Dr. Mora Motressi, but, please, call me Mora." she says, making a grin as the furry creature begins to reposition itself. "And this," she says, pointing to the young girl now tugging at the hem of her lab coat. "is my daughter, 'Little Mina'."
"Please, come join me in the common room and I will bring you up to speed. My staff will tend to your luggage." she adds, even as the other scientists and assistants begin helping to unload the vehicles and survey equipment.
Mora sees to it that you are comfortable within the modestly furnished common room before activating a handheld control that conjures the holographic image of an imposing, gray plateau.
"This is 'Big Mina'." Mora says as she gestures to the image of the plateau. "You probably saw it as you came down from orbit. The plateau’s covered in a gray calcium compound, somewhat like a shell or a bony crest. There’s nothing like it anywhere else on Vabaimus and, frankly, we’re not sure what to make of it. But that’s where you and the equipment you’ve brought us come in.”
The image of the plateau rotates to a top-down perspective, and three circles of light appear. “The survey equipment will allow us to construct three towers, one at each of the these locations: Forsaken Canyon, the Windy Cliffs, and this dry riverbed." Mora explains. "Once the scanners on the towers are calibrated to the computers we keep here at the station, we’ll perform a deep scan of the entire plateau, going down thousands of feet. We’ll have a three-dimensional map of Big Mina’s interior, we’ll know the chemical composition of the soil, and hopefully we’ll figure out whatever caused this formation to appear in the first place.?
She grins. "We have an office pool going, and right now the popular choice is some kind of magical accident, but my money is on an anomalous weather pattern. Anyway. Those enercycles and explorer buggies you brought will be handy to travel across the plateau, so use any combination of them you want. We’re currently loading them up with the equipment you’ll need to raise the towers, plus some climbing gear just in case."
"Once you arrive at each scan location, you’ll need to assemble the tower and calibrate the computer." she continues. "I can help you with that last bit from here. We have twelve hours of daylight left, and while I’d love to knock this out in a day, you don’t need to be reckless. You can bunk on these sofas for the night if you need."
“There’s one other thing." she discloses. "It’s probably not important, but just in case—we found a small, abandoned starship a few months back. It was centuries old and clearly kasathan in origin. It didn’t crash; we think its pilot landed safely. But there’s no sign of what happened to them. Whoever it was must be long dead."
She pauses for a moment, as if going through a mental checklist, then adds, “So, I think that’s everything. Any questions?”
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During the trip, the android introduces herself as Dr. Rosilia-14. During the trip, she mostly keeps to herself, working on various experiments in her room.
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During Dr. Mora's explanation, Rosilia busies herself with writing down notes. At the end, her hand immediately shoots up. "Do you have any surface samples to study? I would be extremely interested to look. Also, is there anything you've ruled out yet as an explanation? Is there anything that seems to support one explanation over another?"
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“Naw, let’s get cranking. I want to see the local fauna up close when we have some free time, and I’m also curious about the shell - I’m betting on some gargantuan beast sleeping, or dead. And how far away are each of these locations? I want to calculate if my beast here will be able to carry me all the way or if I should take a vehicle”
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"Greetings, Dr. Mora," Elisan returns, unable to dispense with formality entirely. "May the Storyteller weave you tales of good fortune."
The kasatha listens intently to the briefing and the queries of his fellow SStarfinders.
Elsian's attention is piqued. "A Kasatha ship? I would like to see it. How far away is the site?"
"Do you have any surface samples to study? I would be extremely interested to look. Also, is there anything you've ruled out yet as an explanation? Is there anything that seems to support one explanation over another?"
"We have a few samples from the plateau. The main mineral is calcium, but the rest of the composition does not match anything else that we have seen elsewhere on the planet, which has led me to suspect some sort of magical blight. An intrusion from another planet, perhaps?" Mora speculates. "However, our research outpost lacks the equipment and vehicles necessary to undertake a proper survey of the calcified area. Which is why, you may have gathered, I was eager to have you Starfinders get involved in the efforts."
“And how far away are each of these locations? I want to calculate if my beast here will be able to carry me all the way or if I should take a vehicle”
Mora highlights each of three the locations on the projection. “The canyon and riverbed are both about 60 miles away and a fair distance from one another. The cliffs are about 75 miles away. Once you get out there, all three of the sites are roughly equidistant from one another.”
"Any dangers in those areas?"
"We’ve seen some native life in the canyon, resembling birds." notes Mora. "I don’t know how anything survives on the plateau, where there’s no plant life or water. Maybe you can get a closer look at them when you’re setting up the scanning tower?"
"The second site is along the cliffs." she continues. "Try to get a tower up anywhere along the ridgeline, but be careful: the wind can get pretty intense up there, and it’s a long drop."
"Finally, there’s the riverbed." she says, indicating on the projection. "We tried to set up a scanner there when we first arrived, but it stopped functioning after a few days, and we eventually found it knocked over and smashed up. It looked like it had been hit by a meteor or something!”
"A Kasatha ship? I would like to see it. How far away is the site?"
"The wreck of the kasathan ship was found on 'Big Mena'." Mora replies. "We were you able to salvage a few things of value from the kasathan starship. If you want, I’ll be happy to show you. Maybe you can make more of it than we can.”
"Have you had any mancers or mystics check it out yet?"
"Mancers?" Mora responds, clearly unfamiliar with the term. "You mean, like, people skilled in magic? No. We are scientists here. However, I assume that some of you have some experience with magic as I am sure that I had mentioned my magical blight theory to Fitch."
"Oh, and isn't that a cute little thing! What's up with the sloth dudes?"
"This is Bud." says Mora as she points to the creature she is still carrying around her neck. "He and his mate Beky are visitors from the northern continent. Their species aren’t yet sapient, but they’re on their way. Right now, Bud’s pretty good at using a stick to get insects out of the ground, but eventually he and the rest of his species could be farming, building towns, or doing whatever else expresses their evolving culture."
"We have avoided interfering with the species overall, but we do want
to know more about them and maybe find a way to communicate, so we brought Bud and Beky here for a closer look." Mora explains "They’re easy to get along with, and my daughter likes them.”
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"The canyon and riverbed are both about 60 miles away and a fair distance from one another. The cliffs are about 75 miles away. Once you get out there, all three of the sites are roughly equidistant from one another”
“Yeesh, that’s pretty far away for this big mongrel. Unless you have a large cart of sorts we can attach to the vehicles, it’ll be staying here!”
Gava smacks the behind of his yasakaja. “Don’t worry, you beast! I’ll leave plenty of eating for you, and I’ll be back soon enough!”
"Dr Mora, would it be possible to see the salvage from the Kasathan ship before we go?" he asks.
"Certainly, follow me." Mora replies as she directs you to a table in a workroom. On it are three large, gray pearls (each worth about 50 credits), three mk1 serums of healing, two doses of zero, and a holy symbol, which Hef recognizes immediately as that of Talavet.
Mora explains that she and her team found a small kasathan starship on Vabaimus, on the calcium-rich plateau. "You are welcome to take with you anything that you would like." offers Mora.
A number of explorer buggies and enercycles are available for when the party is prepared to depart. Each enercycle comes equipped with the following gear: 100 feet of titanium alloy cable (1 bulk), an engineering kit (bulk L), a grappler (bulk L), and a handheld geological scanner (bulk L). Each buggie is equipped with two sets of the same gear. The scanners are specialized tools that can identify chemical compounds and parse geological phenomena.
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Elisan takes the holy symbol, holding it before him reverently. "The Storyteller's sigil! Thank you, doctor," he breathes.
He gathers the rest of the cache, bowing his head gratefully. "These may help us to understand more when we investigate he starship. To think, we may find a piece of the missing puzzle that is the Time of Silence!"
After helping with the necessary preparations, Elisan swings up into the buggy behind Gava. "With you at the wheel, I'm sure we're in good hands."
Having selected their vehicles and stowed their gear, the party heads out toward the dry river bed location. The trip, lasting tens of miles, involves driving off-road over the bleak and challenging terrain of the Big Mina Plateau. Navigation is made easier as Dr. Motressi has provided digital maps of the plateau, though, she notes, the maps include neither the means to track your global position nor any automated pathfinding function. "Don't get lost." she cautioned.