Phantom dot here when chosen. I'll get this going when we have the players.
After the former First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo had gotten the Starfinder Society back on its feet (or other applicable appendages), the normal course of initiation into the Society was for the prospective member to undergo a strenuous course of training, followed by a graduation ceremony with the other members of their cohort, and culminating in their Commencement exercise. This latter is a set of tasks assigned them by Guidance, the Society's compiled intelligence of uploaded personalities.
However, the past couple of years have been anything but typical for many Starfinders. Some, if their skill set is necessary elsewhere, find themselves snatched up before their graduation ceremony and sent on missions. If they are fortunate, they are able to enjoy their ceremony on their return, then participate with other Starfinders in their Commencement--already veterans of the Society, perhaps alongside novices who haven't left Absalom Station since their training began.
Some of you are among the fortunate ones. After spending time on various missions (some more fraught than others), you've been able to return to the Lorespire Complex for your graduation, together with one or two novices. Immediately following, you all receive an invitation to attend Guidance at your earliest convenience. So it is that the six of you find yourselves waiting at a door deep inside the Complex.
The doors slide open with a quiet whoosh. A green holographic image of a middle-aged human woman shimmers into view in the center of the room, next to a console with an open receptacle and a glowing panel. Next to the receptacle are six small paper parcels, each narrow and about eight inches long. "Greetings," the image says. "I am Guidance. Please take one swab each--" The image indicates the parcels, "--and swab the inside of your cheek or other applicable area to provide a genetic sample for Starfinder Society identification purposes. Place the swab in the receptacle. If desired, once you have done so you may place your hand or other manipulating appendage on the glowing panel to receive a subdermal implant further marking you as a member of the Society."
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The four-armed kasatha approaches and bows.
”I am Kaath. Kaath Novaflame. I am recently returned from my first mission and sent back to finish my training. Please explain how else the genetic data will be used and with whom shared. I generally do not trust technology used by others on my behalf. Is this entirely necessary and if I refuse, will I be banned from continuing with the society?“
He waits patiently for a response....
"The data gathered here are kept in the most secure storage available to the Society, in a system not connected to Absalom's infosphere. They are used to verify your identity in the event that someone attempts to imitate you and gain access to Society systems. This has happened more than once in the past, which is why submitting a sample is now required."
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A burly vesk half carrying half munching from a bowl of sushi salad walks up to the kasatha.
”umm.....Kaath, ya got an extra hand? I don’t want the sushi to spill. “
He requests that he put the swab in his mouth.
” I think I saw Vaal. He and I have been on a mission together.“
He speaks to the hologram
”my name is Laanok. What is yours? “
"Guidance is my name and function."
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Kaath looks at the vesk with surprise.
”I hope you are not trying to be a comic with the ‘hand’ comments.
This commencement is a very solemn ceremony and each of us is expected to act accordingly. “
He turns back to Guidance to provide his answer, trying to ignore the munching sounds next to him.
”Very well. “ and he submits the requested swab.
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An izalguun approaches, followed by a metallic skull that moves around on four spider-like legs. "Why, hello colleagues! I'm Vaal Noor, professional artist - if you can call art a profession - and this is my, hmm, sixth assignment with the Starfinder Society, probably. I lost track! So far, a bunch of them have been a marvelous source of inspiration for my master pieces! The Bone Drone here is based on eoxian technology, more precisely on a corpse fleet starship I’ve had the pleasure to do battle in! What an exciting time! I hope we run into astonishing things this time around!” he summarizes.
He takes the swab and drops a juicy sample in the receptacle. “Good luck analyzing that! Let me know if you find anything out of the ordinary - I have been exposed to very bizarre things since leaving Icefront!”
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His face shrouded by a hood, his body wrapped in a long coat, his hands covered by gloves even though the temperature is cool and comfortable in the Lorespire complex, Istilnar, cuts a strange figure. Just over 7 feet tall, his long slender limbs jut out from his lengthy torso like branches from a tree. His movements are slightly ungainly, again like a tree swaying in the wind.
His face is unrecognizable, hidden deep within the folds of his hood. He swabs his cheek, but declines to place his hand on the panel and receive the subdermal implant.
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A runty shirren in the robes of a functionary of Ibra scuttles in, wringing his hands and hopping excitedly from one foot to the other.
He then takes a swab and sticks it in his maw, flinching in discomfort, before placing it in the receptacle.
He looks at the panel, considers his hands for a moment, then shoves his left hand onto the machine to be implanted. He turns to look at the others, and a few deformities become immediately apparent--most notably, his left mandible is shorter than the right, making his maw an odd shape. His mating arms also appear to be shriveled and mostly useless.
When he speaks, he doesn't use his maw. He speaks directly into the minds of those around him.
Call me Popper! I earned this name because I can explode heads with my mind! He then wrings his hands and adds sheepishly, Okay, not really. But I did give one particularly rude vesk a nosebleed.
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After bowing to the new comers, Kaath steps aside to give any others the chance to register as he meditates on the forces of gravity eminently involved in the station.
With four hands folded he waits for the registration to complete.
”Guidance. Once we conclude here, what will be the next step in our journey. “
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Popper's antennae writhe and he clicks his fingers together excitedly.
Oooh! I've never had sushi! Yes, please!
He eagerly stuffs a few between his mandibles, but it's clear he chews them with some difficulty and no small amount of discomfort.
Hmm. Kind of slippery and squishy. Fun texture. The flavor is blander than I expected, but I enjoyed that very much. His compound eyes and insectile features don't particularly convey emotion well, but he seems to radiate contentment.
At Kaath's words, he scurries to a seat and plops into it. Ooh, yes! What do you need of us?
The holographic image bows. "It is our pleasure to officially welcome you into the Starfinder Society. Today is the commencement of your new role as a Starfinder field agent. It is our tradition, at the end of the graduation ceremony, for new graduates to present themselves to the heads of our most prominent factions and complete a task at those leaders’ behest. This allows the leaders of these groups to become familiar with all new Starfinder agents, and it provides a constant supply of agents for handling situations in our holdings on Absalom Station. While these tasks were formerly symbolic, the heavy loss of Starfinder agents in the Scoured Stars necessitates that these missions become something more. Please treat any tasks given with the gravity you would grant any other Starfinder assignment."
Those of you with personal comm units receive a document .
"These are the four faction leaders on station at this time. Seek them out in whatever order you choose, and they will each give you an assignment. Once you have completed all four assignments, return here and report. While you are out, we advise you to keep your ears and minds open. There is much that can be learned by listening."
impaled a security officer with a harpoon-like natural projectile.
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"The overeating vesk, hello!" Vaal Noor addresses Laanok.
After reading the document, he voices his opinion. “Might as well go meet with Radaszam, the leader of my faction! Though I only chose it based on the name, I’m sure they are all wonderful people!”
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Popper's antennae twitch slightly toward Vaal. I wonder if we will get the chance to finish before Ratrod takes to the track! I have never seen a junkrace, but I hear they're quite wild. He makes a weird, wet splatty kind of noise that you suppose must be his attempt at a wistful sigh.
He seems to gather himself and adds, For my part, I would love to meet Historia-7 in person! Tales abound of her ingenuity. We could learn much from her!
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A disheveled kalo tears into the meeting place. Most of his features are obscured, mostly by clothing and a heavy fishbowl helmet filled with murky water and odd floating...bits. But he looks personable enough, if a bit winded.
"Sorry I'm late, my last mission certainly helped me sleep, if nothing else...hold on, is that Vaal Noor? It's been a bit, but we've had a few jobs together. About time we received this honor." The kalo grins, though it's hard to see. "Everyone else, good to meet you. I'm Benacu, junior member of the Manta Corps here with the Society."
Much more at ease upon seeing a familiar face, Benacu accepts the implant. His briefly exposed hand ripples and twitches slightly as he does so, as if trying to reject the foreign object. But he seems fine and nods in agreement with the izalguun about seeing Radaszam.
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Glad you like the sushi, Popper! Sorry it's bland, but we couldn't find any good flavoring in the middle of a Castrovellian desert that goes good with angry plant sushi. Wait....if it's a plant....Is it still sushi? It tried to kill us and plants don't usually do that...you think people would trade info for it?
Guess they weren't hungry. we can go wherever. It dosen't really matter to me.
The consensus converging on the Acquisitives, your group makes its way to the office suite belonging to Radaszam, "The Dealmaker," the vesk who leads the faction. His office--at least the one that everyone knows about--is in the Nyori Palisades, a luxurious neighborhood located in Absalom Station's transparent central dome. You find the suite without any issue.
The plain white doors of the office slide open to reveal a stark, dimly lit room. The chamber is bleak and expressionless in its emptiness--no vanities line its smooth black walls, and no signs of use mar its smooth black furniture. The only occupants of the suite are a bug-eyed tadpole wriggling in a glowing blue aquarium and a reptilian vesk seated behind an onyx desk. The vesk gestures to a number of chairs in front of him, his features sharply illuminated by the light of his desk’s green holoscreen. “The new graduates,” he greets, in a low and pleasant voice, with only a hint of the usual guttural accent common to vesk. “Good day. I am Radaszam, though since you are here, I should hope you already knew.
“I trust you are aware of our Society’s traditions, so I will cut to the point. I have a minor situation that needs resolution. One of our members, a human named Laboni, had a rather public altercation with a junk scavenger from the Spike. You might be more familiar with the scavenger than I, actually; he is a ysoki who fancifully calls himself Ratrod. I am told he runs a popular racing competition that has, hmm, several hundreds of thousands of viewers on the station’s infosphere. For some reason, Laboni felt the need to tell him that any ‘real’ mechanic could easily beat the garbage that Ratrod and his associates slap together. Now that Ratrod has issued an infosphere-wide demand that she race him and prove it, Laboni doubts she can back that claim up.
“Embarrassing, isn’t it? Not really the sort of troublemaker that suits our Society. Perhaps she would be better suited to the bottom of a trash compactor... Well, we cannot afford to throw her out, not after so many Starfinders were lost in the Scoured Stars. Besides, after what Datch did to our reputation we can’t let people think we are so weak that we can’t control our own members, or that we cannot stand up to a scrapyard junker. No, I would like you to assist Laboni in winning this race. Show our detractors that even the least of our Society is not someone to be trifled with.”
The vesk provides you with directions to the race's location in Botscrap, as well as badges marking you as Laboni's official pit crew. “It would be best if you were on your way quickly. You'll need time to prepare.”
Ratrod’s racing circuit is a hollowed-out section of a mountain of spare parts in Botscrap. The track is sanctioned by the Salvage Union, the syndicate that controls most of the yards. On arrival, a small robot scans your badges and informs you of the basic rules of the race: you have a set amount of time before the race to build and improve your vehicle from the scrap around the racetrack, and then comes the actual race. Racers can fire on their competitors during the race, but firing into the audience is grounds for immediate disqualification; weapons must be nonlethal and only affect opponents' vehicles.
Laboni is easy to spot in the crowd--she's a human in a white lab coat over paisley clothes. She waves a little tentatively when you arrive. “Hey, ah, thanks. I stuck my foot in it, and I'm glad you're here to help me out.”
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Popper is practically vibrating with excitement at the realization he's going to participate in a real live junkrace! This is the best day of my life, he squeaks mentally, even better than the rousing conversation I had once with a real live zombie!
He doesn't elaborate, simply bounces on his heels as the group hustles down to Botscrap.
When they reach Laboni, Popper waves excitedly. Hi, human! We're here to save you! He pauses, then looks around at the scraps uncertainly. Erm. I'm not exactly sure just how, yet, mind you. What exactly are we supposed to do here?
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Benacu sloshes about in agitation at hearing about Datch. "I had the poor fortune of having to help deal with too many of her schemes. By comparison, this doesn't sound too bad, at least." Before being instructed to leave, he has questions. "Is this a one-on-one race? And how'd Laboni get into this situation in the first place? Never mind, that one doesn't matter."
The kalo nods in greeting to the woman upon meeting her. "Hello! Don't sweat it, this is what we work together for. Talking of which, do you have any groundwork already done? I guess it'd help to know the usual shapes and sizes of these things."
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“Lovely minimalist style of decoration, faction leader! If you don’t mind, I will send over a couple of duplicates of my earlier works - back then miniaturization was the hot thing! - they would look great in this dark and gloomy room!”
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“Why, hello there, Laboni! Don’t you worry - to be young is to be brazen and bold! Let’s see what we can about your racing vehicle - if anything, it will turn out quite artistic!” Vaal Noor approaches the vehicle, or the scrap pile they have to work with.
Laboni has a bottom-of-the-line vehicle, not terribly fast, minimal defenses, and only a single energy weapon. However, it's set up so that the party can control it remotely--one of you can pilot, and if you install more weapons you can use those as well. "There are going to be five other racers in this--Ratrod, a gnome named Lemgem; Nyizin, a Ryphorian; Orsis, a damaya Lashunta; and Velocity, an android. I've only talked to Ratrod...but you knew that."
Speed: 40 feet; full 400 feet
EAC 10
KAC 12
Attack: energy weapon (-4 to Piloting for the target)
Modifiers: +2 Piloting, -3 attack
-increase base vehicle speed by 5 feet
-increase Piloting modifier by +1
-increase attack modifier by +1
-increase KAC by 2
-increase EAC by 2
-install a basic energy weapon (imposes a -4 penalty to target's Piloting check on a hit)
-install a basic kinetic weapon (same effect as the basic energy weapon)
-upgrade an existing weapon to impose an additional -2 penalty to target's Piloting check on a hit
Kaath observes Ratrod from a distance. The ysoki is something of a showman, and is very good at playing to the crowd. If he's half as good as he talks, he's going to be a very tough opponent.
Over the course of the allowed preparation time, Vaal digs through the scrap and comes up with a fairing that will improve the aerodynamics of Laboni's racer, a supercharger for the engine, a discarded jug of high-performance fuel additives, and a gyrostabilizer from a small scout vessel that he can bash into shape to keep the vehicle from tipping over at high speeds.
Benacu has rather less success tweaking the onboard computer, though the kalo still has three actions remaining.
Popper sets to work on the vehicle's defenses, pulling hull plating and a grounding network out of the scrap heap. Unfortunately, only about half the plating can be used, and likewise the grounding cables.
Laanok uses what he thinks are his best sneaking moves to skulk up to one of the other racers. The vesk is, however, less than inconspicuous, and is caught before he can apply his seafood sabotage.
Speed: 60 feet; full 600 feet
EAC 12
KAC 14
Attack: energy weapon (-4 to Piloting for the target)
Modifiers: +2 Piloting, -3 attack
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"If we're controlling it remotely, more guns wouldn't hurt, I suppose." Undeterred, Benacu keeps trying to tack things onto the junkracer.
The kalo isn't sure how Laanok's ejection will reflect on the other members of the team. He deflects wildly if anyone tries to ask, though they likely won't. "I only just met the vesk, didn't know he was on the same crew. Do I look like I eat sushi?"
Try as he might, the kalo is unable to find anything appropriate in the scrap heap.
Ratrod is simply the best overall racer of the lot. Istilnar is sure that he's really angry with Laboni, and will be focused on making sure she loses.
Nyizin comes across has having a death wish. Istilnar notices that she's got extensive scars, and based on his knowledge of ryphorians and the absence of a dragonkin near her he suspects that the dragonkin died not long ago.
In appearance, Velocity is a beautiful android with silver hair and skin. They appear androgynous, with both male and female attributes. They seem to be quite a capable pilot, but they've never won a race. Istilnar gets the idea that an offer of an upgrade to speed would be taken well by the android.
Kaath corroborates Istilnar's read on the android. He also gets a good read on Lemgem. She's a blue-haired feychild gnome with numerous piercings, tattoos, and augmentations. If she takes the same tack with her vehicle and racing style, she's going to be a pretty gonzo contestant. She may be open to discussion, though.
Neither Kaath nor Istilnar were able to get anything of interest about Orsis, a male damaya lashunta.