Still debating the prospects, the party crosses the avenue into the park, heading roughly toward the Lorespire. Just as you enter the shadows under the boughs of the trees, Celly notices a pair of squoxes scrambling head first down the rough bark of a large tree. Almost simultaneously Shorpahlich notices a faint track through the grass that ends in a hole between two exposed roots.
The two descenders disappear into the hole, but another squox' head soon pops up over the edge of the hole.
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Shokil blushes. "I get hungry. I have a fast metabolism..."
"I would grab something." speaks Makai taking one of the sandwiches
"It is even better than at the buffet."
She looks at the squoxes and says
"I know nothing about those animals but let us come closer and have a look. Maybe we can lure them on the food. Shokil, stay alert! Squoxes might swarm you any minute."
she chuckles
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Shrugging, Venari strolls to the park with the rest, remembering the little scamp that had playfully skittered at them what seemed like an age ago. Watching Absalom Station's day cycle begin as they stroll through the artificially grown and imported wildlife marvelling at the beauty - such a stark contrast to their grey a dreary homeworld or the desolate rocks of the Diaspora belt.
Suddenly, Venari stops in their tracks as a purple wyrm like beast with a vibrant green ridge bursts from one of the many burrows and launches itself at Celly, moving quickly they are about to tackle the dancer out of the way when they realise that the beast can't possibly be native to the station as in fact a tad hazy - meaning that it must belong to a different reality.
Stopping dead at Celly's side they smile "Sorry, must be tired, can't trust the ol' senses - what were we doing?" they look around, seeing the small critters. "Oh yes, Squoxes -ermm I'm not particular up on trapping animals i'm afraid..."
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"Celly, I will be honest. I did not like these Squox-things when we first encountered them today. Yesterday. Whenever," Skorpahlich admits shaking his head at how long they've been up at this point in the morning, and remembering his previous encounter with them.
"But maybe I can help this way."
He begins flipping through the realities until he finds one with a glitch in the station's gravity controls. He carefully overlays that underneath one of Shokil's half-eaten donuts and begins moving it just above the ground toward the vermin's creatures' hole. He makes sure to keep it far enough away to entice it out, but not so far as to have it ignored.
"You were finished with that one, yes?" he asks Shokil by way of permission, but after he'd already taken it.
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Shokil puts a concerned expression on his face. "Swarms of Squoxes... now there is an idea for a murder!"
STuffing the bun into his mouth, the halfling frees up a hand for a pen where he quickly scribbles down the idea.
"Now I don't mind a small sacrifice of emergency provisions... for the greater good... but the tuna roll.. it is a treasure!"
He fishes out some food and offers it to the nearest squox to see if it might be interested, and then watches in amazement as Skorpahlich floats it over toward the den.
"You know any of you could have also laid in provisions from the buffet.."
The squox looking out the hole chitters and jumps smoothly over the edge to trot haltingly toward the floating morsel. Three more heads pop out the hole. A pair of squox on a branch overhead cough and bark hoarsely. The curious squox stops and looks up at them, then continues stalking the morsel until it can bat at it with a paw.
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Skorpahlich continues concentrating on the variant reality he's channeling, but diverts just enough attention to reply to Shokil.
"Not all of us have such 'high metabolisms' that we need it. Though more coffee would not be unwelcome at this hour."
He shears gravity just enough that a small chunk of the donut falls to the ground as the curious squox bats at it. Then he continues pulling the rest of the tasty treat towards the team, hoping that the Hammer will not freeze up or freak out when it gets close enough.
" Oh, that's very good, very clever, Skorpahlich." Like the writer, the ambassador seems very impressed with the vesk's control.
The squox also seems impressed, or at least interested in the floating snack. It dips down to scoop up the fallen bit, then continues loping after the floating remainder. In its pursuit, it approaches Makai quite closely.
Behind it, its fellows emerge from the burrow and watch curiously.
From the tree to your left, the two squoxes on the brac=nch bark softly again.
A PC can attempt to calm a squox within 30 feet by spending a standard action and succeeding at a DC 15 Survival check. Succeeding at this check causes the targeted squox to stop moving if the PC who performed the check spends a move action on subsequent rounds continuing to calm it. After spending 5 rounds doing this action, the PCs earns the squox’s tentative trust and the creature follows that PC unless directly threatened.
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Skorpahlich brings the morsel as close to himself as he dares, then lets it fall to the ground. He follows Celly's example and squats down, realizing that his 7 foot frame might be scary to such a tiny creature.
He keeps himself from smiling, to hide his razor sharp teeth, and extends his hand palm down to let the squox come sniff it perhaps.
Unbelievably, the squox creeps a little closer to Skorpahlich, but doesn't go so far as to lick his hand. It stays out of reach.
It also be listening to the tone, but not the content of Makai's speech. Or maybe it is her new hair cover. The squox creeps closely by the dwarf.
The other squox on the ground also creep closer, following and observing their auburn-colored fellow.
Then The two squox in the tree flatten themselves against their branch. The ones on the ground, except the auburn one approaching Skorpahlich, sit back on their hind legs and look around.
Celly and Shokil can hear it too. Someone is coming along the path from the northwest.
Three civilians approaching carrying a variety of gardening tools. Roughly 60' away, they'll be at your position very soon.
They look somewhat veg-tibular.
"Yes we do," replies the lead alien, who is clad in a tan jumpsuit, as he steps off the bridge across a small creek. "We've volunteered here for more than a dozen seasons now. If we didn't, the park would be an overgrown mess or a barren wasteland. "
His gaze drifts past Celly to the others "And what's going on here?"
The three are about Shokil's size, and seems to be mobile, sentient plants. Their limbs are apparently composed of twisted vines.
A second, clad in lilac, follows him closely. The sky-blue clad third accidentally drops its awkward pile of shovels, shears and pruners and stops short of the bridge. He stoops and starts gathering the tools again.
Apparently enthralled by the attempts to coax the squox closer, the Hammer doesn't even notice the newcomers.
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"Get rid of them, if you can," Skorpahlich whispers into his comms.
He continues to try to coax the nearest squox closer, hoping to get it in range of a grab. Though, honestly, he'd rather not have to grab it. He's never really handled an actual wild animal before, and isn't sure he knows what he'll do if he catches it.
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Oh ... yes .,... that Celly replies. You see that Trox over there? That is the Hammer of Hylax, a visiting ambassador from AO-668 here tgo establish diplomatic relationships with the Society and one of their requests was to obtain a sample of our station's wildlife. Please be assured the sqoux will be well looked after, and maybe even have a better life than it would here.
The squox closest to Makai halts and backs a few steps. The two in the tree above her chitter a scolding.
The red squox now approaches Skorpahlich quite closely. Looking alternately between the food and the vesk, it reaches out a paw to gently probe the floating food.
Two other squox skirt around the dwarf, and in the process come quite close to Shokil. A third, drawn in by the food, behavior of its fellows, and the general air of tranquility, approaches the vesk and halfling from behind.
The Hammer is quite enthralled, she whispers to Vanari, her nearest companion. [b]"I'd never have thought that he'd be so good at this. He must have a good heart for the creatures to trust him so."
Meanwhile near the bridge, the ghorans continue the conversation with Celly.
"Visiting dignitary, eh? It seems like they all want a squox. I suppose there's no harm, if it will be well cared for, right, Bran? "
The second ghoran nods his agreement, but doesn't speak. The third gathers up his gear and crosses the bridge. Blocked by the others, he lowers his gear to the ground, and joins them in watching events unfold.
The red squox leaps backward 6 feet, and dashes another 12 away. Its companions scatter. With a last plaintive look at Skorpahlich, or perhaps at the still floating morsel, it dashes for the nearest tree and climbs into the foliage with a series of jumps straight up the trunk.
The Hammer, who had been leaning forward to better see Skorpah's technique and vistory, sniffles a little in disappointment, but despite that, she tries to console the vesk. "An excellent try, Skorpahlich. I thought you had it, but these wild mammals are so nervous and unpredictable." She brandishes her comm unit. "My niece will be very interested in the moving image anyway. Maybe one day she can come here and try to catch one herself."
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The ghoran have a quiet laugh before the leader explains to Celly and Venari. "It's not easy. Almost everyone who tries to snare a squox fails like that. I think they get warier once they're in arms reach."
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"I am sorry, Madam. But perhaps the video will serve as motivation for her to travel here. And elsewhere. Perhaps she too, could someday become an Ambassador."
Skorpahlich sneezes one more time before it seems to subside. As he follows the rest of team back to the Hammer's residence, he wonders what it might be like to have a pet.
No. I do not think I could keep a pet. It would feel too much like how the bones kept me. I would always wonder how it really felt about its captivity. No, let the little vermin remain free.
The Hammer absorbs your well-meant comments and replies kindly. You all regain your packages and stroll conversationally into the Lorespire complex. The elevator ride to the Hammer's floor is long.
"I sincerely want to thank you for this evening. It's been most helpful, entertaining, and illuminating. Celly, please forward me footage of your next performance. Oh and keep the faith. Makai, thank you for your help on the sound board. I'm sure that I wouldn't have sounded half as good without you. Shokil, I will await your next opus grande with interest. I'll pass it on if I deem it appropriate. Skorpahlich, I hope you find a clear path. I believe you have a good heart, that's been much abused. The squoxes could see it. Venari, you've been so very -- dependable. But quiet. I don't feel we've gotten to know each other as well as we might."
"If you don't mind. I have had a delicacy from your world put aside for a final toast. It's a bottle of Vinter's Press Sauvigni Blan. I understand it's grown on a Near Space world from stock that can be traced back to lost Golarian. At least as well as can be determined through the Gap. I hope you'll all enjoy a glass with me."
The elevator doors open, lush hallway. The consierge looks at you all expectantly. "Madam, so good to see you returned safely. Mr. Craterheim, please take their packages. Is there anything we can do for you?"