Moving over towards Venture Captain Naiaj, Zephyr spots the curly-haired AV technician working on the electrical system and scans his work, worried that the Starfinder Society's enemies might have some electrical-based pyrotechnics to add to tonight's festivities.
Assuming he finds nothing, Zephyr continues on to speak with Naiaj, waiting respectfully for a break in the conversation and saying, "Pardon my interruption, Venture Captain, but I am a being of action, not a social creature. Is there anything I can do to be of service to your or our honored guests tonight?" As he speaks, Zephyr nods in Iteration-177's direction out of respect.
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Bidding a polite farewell to Jaeric, Wraith has some trouble scanning the room. Much of both her personality and programming are geared to focusing laser-like on a single problem, or person, so faced with a whole crowd of unknowns has her cortex in a red-scream.
With Jaeric on Royo, and Lorne on 177, and Zephyr...also on 177, Allie changes her targeting and stands motionless, examining the half-elf.
'Ummmmmm...probably,' her analysis comes back and she charges in.
"Hello! The indubitable Ykris I presume? I heard that CeriCore was trying to corner the market on Teryon control complexes. That's certainly a far-reaching paradigm!"
She wasn't that good with small talk.
Waiting for an appropriate opportunity to interject into the discourse surrounding Royo, Jaeric finally hears a topic upon which he might comment. "You know my ancestors on Castrovel still seek answers to the time before the Gap, as well" he offers, "Sovyrian elves live such long lives. One would think our ancients might still retain memories recorded before Golarion was lost...or, at least, that our history and songs would shed more light on it. I mean, we even have a dormant aiudarra which legend says created a gate between the two worlds, and our people were said to frequent Golarion. Some even permanently settled there and raised several generations. Unfortunately, even our records have failed to illuminate the mystery of the Gap, but it's one of my personal goals to see it solved in my lifetime."
Not feeling especially confident trying to address religious topics, Lorne was actually pretty happy to see Naiaj.
"Hey, Venture Captain, right? I'm Lorne Skyjumper, new Starfinder, at-yer-service. I was on the Skip Town. Kinda int'restin' havin' a generation ship come back like that, ain't it? Well, I understand before I was born they ran inta fight that was more than the Skip Town was built ta handle, so the crew turned around to get better outfit fer combat. We're never so strong we can't accept help, right? I figur'd that while we're waitin' for the refit, I should make myself useful. Been lookin' at the Starfinder ship specs, and I think there's a life support improvement made on the Skip Town a while back which can help improve the efficiency of our fleet. Now, what ya have to do is . . .."
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Moving over towards Venture Captain Naiaj, Zephyr spots the curly-haired AV technician working on the electrical system and scans his work, worried that the Starfinder Society's enemies might have some electrical based pyrotechnics to add to tonight's festivities.
The tech looks up checking wiring connections into a sound board. "Hey, Sparky! Leave that alone. This is delicate equipment." They shoo you away, and go back to their work.
Assuming he finds nothing, Zephyr continues on to speak with Naiaj, waiting respectfully for a break in the conversation and saying, "Pardon my interruption, Venture Captain, but I am a being of action, not a social creature. Is there anything I can do to be of service to your or our honored guests tonight?" As he speaks, Zephyr nods in Iteration-177's direction out of respect.
Naiaj has made no concessions to the formality of this event; she wears her usual carbon skin armor, datapad never out of sight and wrist-based comm unit constantly blinking with updates. She wears her gleaming white hair cropped close, and despite her small size, she looks as if she could stare down a team of hardened vesk mercenaries.
Naiaj pulls you aside and shakes her head. "Well you're right about not being a social creature. You couldn't fly your way into the hangar of high society if there was a tractor beam pulling you in. Look, kid, just make nice with the dignitaries. Tell Iteration-177 some stories about missions. He seems to like that stuff. I even trotted out one of my old stories about rock dodging in a race through the Diaspora."
...
Bidding a polite farewell to Jaeric, Wraith has some trouble scanning the room. Much of both her personality and programming are geared to focusing laser-like on a single problem, or person, so faced with a whole crowd of unknowns has her cortex in a red-scream.With Jaeric on Royo, and Lorne on 177, and Zephyr...also on 177, Allie changes her targeting and stands motionless, examining the half-elf.
'Ummmmmm...probably,' her analysis comes back and she charges in.
"Hello! The indubitable Ykris I presume? I heard that CeriCore was trying to corner the market on Teryon control complexes. That's certainly a far-reaching paradigm!"
...
Ykris appears as an iridescent, segmented insect clinging to the scalp of Jhireu, a cleancut, immaculately dressed half-elf man. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that many of Ykris’s spiny legs pierce the man’s skin and deeply into his flesh, particularly along the base of the man’s skull and down the back of his neck.
"That's supposed to be a corporate secret. Where did you hear that?" the half-elf deadpans, then smiles. Please, no corp-talk tonight, let's talk about science and exploration....
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Waiting for an appropriate opportunity to interject into the discourse surrounding Royo, Jaeric finally hears a topic upon which he might comment. "You know my ancestors on Castrovel still seek answers to the time before the Gap, as well" he offers, "Sovyrian elves live such long lives. One would think our ancients might still retain memories recorded before Golarion was lost...or, at least, that our history and songs would shed more light on it. I mean, we even have a dormant aiudarra which legend says created a gate between the two worlds, and our people were said to frequent Golarion. Some even permanently settled there and raised several generations. Unfortunately, even our records have failed to illuminate the mystery of the Gap, but it's one of my personal goals to see it solved in my lifetime."
"Oh! Do tell ... ," one of the tweedy guests gushes. Royo scowls at the gushing tweed, but then looks at Jaeric with new interest.
"Thank you, Naiaj, I will try," replies Zephyr, moving back to engage Iteration-177 with conversation.
"The venture captain was just telling me about dodging rocks in the Diaspora, and it reminded me of the time I narrowly avoided a mishap in one of the older Zeta-class interceptors used for pilot training in Alluvion," Zephyr commented to his fellow android.
"You see, it was my first time running the Gamma course through the yellow zone of the accretion disk, when the sudden appearance of a heavy gravity world in the planar fabric threw us off course--towards the more tightly packed red zone where only the advanced pilots were allowed," he related, growing excited as he remembered the experience.
"Weaving back and forth between the gravity wells, I realized the interceptor didn't have the power to pull out to a higher orbit, and I was getting pulled towards the event horizon. I didn't have any other option--I looped back towards the heavy gravity world, which was now quickly approaching the event horizon itself, followed the neutral gravity zone between the planet and the black hole, and used a slingshot maneuver around the back end of the planet as it crossed the threshold. That gave me just enough of a boost to get back to the yellow zone and back on course, but it was touch and go there for a while," Zephyr concluded, eyes glowing with enthusiasm as he recounted the day he realized he wanted to be the best pilot in near space more than anything else...
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...
Not feeling especially confident trying to address religious topics, Lorne was actually pretty happy to see Naiaj."Hey, Venture Captain, right? I'm Lorne Skyjumper, new Starfinder, at-yer-service. I was on the Skip Town. Kinda int'restin' havin' a generation ship come back like that, ain't it? Well, I understand before I was born they ran inta fight that was more than the Skip Town was built ta handle, so the crew turned around to get better outfit fer combat. We're never so strong we can't accept help, right? I figur'd that while we're waitin' for the refit, I should make myself useful. Been lookin' at the Starfinder ship specs, and I think there's a life support improvement made on the Skip Town a while back which can help improve the efficiency of our fleet. Now, what ya have to do is . . .."
[dice=Engineering]1d20+12
Initially Naiaj looks a little annoyed to have another junior Starfinder bothering her, but she quickly becomes more interested. "Anything like that could give us an edge, " she says softly. "You've made your point, Skyjumper. Come see me tomorrow. If I don't remember say that Ducky sent you."
"Oh! Do tell...," one of the tweedy guests gushes. Royo scowls at the gushing tweed, but then looks at Jaeric with new interest.
"Indeed," Jaeric continues, "I left Castrovel in order to follow in my father's footsteps. And my faith in Desna, of course, led me to a desire to explore the stars in an effort to see what more I can learn about the universe. There's got to be an explanation for how something like an entire planet can just disappear, after all. And, beyond that, how no memories of the event reside in anyone left behind, including our ancestors."
"Perhaps, it was magic?" he says, "I've done much to learn the mystic paths of the goddess of dreams and stars, but I daresay there's even more that I don't know. And there's such a reliance on technology to try and explain things, but sometimes science can't explain them. And, in those times, all the better to examine more esoteric solutions. Like magic or faith. If the elves had an aiudarra gate to Golarion on Sovyrian, it had to invoke far more magic than science to establish that connection. So, perhaps to solve the mystery of the Gap, we just need to return to our mystic roots to start investigating it. That's why I've got as much interest in the books, music, and art of my elven ancestors as any new advancements being pursued in bio-augmentations or technical science. I suspect there'll be clues provided by both paths if we're to be successful in such endeavors. We live in a new age, but best we don't forget the prior ones."
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Status, Social Round 1 end
Never -- impressed Zo! acrobatics
Lorne -- impressed Naiaj engineering
Jaeric -- impressed Royo
Alison -- small talk Ykris below
Zephyr -- small talk Naiaj noted below
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/0) mission oriented profession (0/0)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (0/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (1/0)
Status, Social Round 2 in progress
Never --
Lorne --
Jaeric -- impressed Royo mysticism
Alison --
Zephyr -- impressed 177 piloting
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Status, Social Round 1 end
Never -- impressed Zo! acrobatics
Lorne -- impressed Naiaj engineering
Jaeric -- impressed Royo
Alison -- small talk Ykris below
Zephyr -- small talk Naiaj noted below
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/0) mission oriented profession (0/0)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (0/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (1/0)
Status, Social Round 2
Never --
Lorne --
Jaeric -- impressed Royo mysticism
Alison --
Zephyr -- impressed 177 piloting
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Never tips her head to Zo!, mischief on her mind. "The show is just getting started."
She hails a waiter carrying a tray of champagne glasses and quietly makes a request of him. The man furrows his brow but as Zo! appears to be entertained, he relents, and a minute later returns with a full bottle of bubbly, cork still firmly in place. An array of empty glasses complete the tray.
"Hold it there," she says to the waiter. "A little higher."
Never unhooks the singing disk from her waist belt and turns toward the stage where Luwazi stands. She makes eye contact with the Seeker, who returns a skeptical look. Never winks.
With a flick of the wrist, the disk spins through the air, operatic tones ringing through the Skyreach Room as the bladed weapon arcs toward the head of the Starfinder leader.
But just feet from its target, the singing disk halts in mid-air, then reverses course, speeding back toward Never and Zo!
The Vanguard faces Zo! and smiles, then raises her hand. The disk slices through the champagne bottle cork and she catches both; a fountain of bubbly rockets into the heights of the room, splashing the glasses and also the poor waiter.
Affixing the disk to her side, Never grabs two glasses from the tray and hands one to Zo!. "I have a proposal for you..."
"Thank ya fer yer time, Cap'n. I should at least speak with this It'-177 'droid, here, too, right?"
He turns his attention to the 'droid.
"I hear you like stories 'bout things we've actually done, preferably about things that were a bit unusual? I've got a little sumthin' fer you, if you want it. We were in the bowels of Absalom, tryin' ta make nice with some of the locals, when it became very clear that the two groups weren't the only groups there, and the third group had a serious dislike for at least one of our groups. The locals, I'm thinkin', 'cause none of the team really knew who this third group were. We were pretty much surrounded in a big courtyard kinda space, and the team was working hard to give better than we were gettin', but I was thinkin' about how we were gonna get out of there. You can only hold an open, surrounded position fer so long, ya know? One o' the pieces we were using fer cover turned out to be an old hover truck. Looked like the thing hadn't moved in a dwarf's lifetime. I popped the hood and climbed in. Took me a bit, longer than I had hoped, as one of ours went down from enemy fire first, but I tore the guts out of a laser rifle and a laser pistol in order ta replace the control system rodents had eaten through, then jump started it with the power cells from those weapons. Team and our new companions climbed in, I moved to the cabin, and we got out o' there. I even managed to keep our fallen companion alive till we could get back to a real medic. Kinda wish I had kept the laser rifle, but, I think I'm happier still havin' my own kidneys and spleen, ya know?"
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'Awesome! What are the odd that I get the one that wants to talk about the best stuff ever!' she thinks.
Ever since she could remember she's been interested in cybertechnology.
'Tech. 'Ware. 'Chrome. Call it what you want, but she developed most of her quasi-legal skills just to keep up to date on the mostest latest bleeeeding-edge 'ware. That she ended up in an android body really surprised no one.
"Wizard!" she squeals in delight when he mentions his interest in 'tech. "You wanna know what I heard?
Shiawise--you might not know them--just published in Apex Lumination Focus Weekly that they overcame the magnetospheric iconic subfusion problem when integrating induction cerebral boosters with encephalographic mnemonic enhancers! Isn't that just the best?!?
Apparently they were able to coil-evacuate the mobile polarity inducers with self-sealing shunts. I guess it has something to do with their new rubindium prefix code and the polarity co-processor."
This? This right here? This is what she's good at.
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Iteration-177 listens raptly to Zephyr's story. "I do a little piloting myself -- solo trips out of the Pact Worlds, but it's all very pedestrian compared to your tale."
The conversation in the corner coalesces as the tweed crowd hangs on Jaeric's every word.
Then sonorous sounds rebound from the walls as Never makes her second bid to impress Zo! A few in the crowd gasp when she heaves the disc at Luwazi and a smattering applaud when she makes her catch. One man even cheers. "Please my dear, I'm all ears," Zo! says, and waits for her to continue.
Status, Social Round 2 in progress
Never -- impressed Zo! athletics
Lorne --
Jaeric -- impressed Royo mysticism
Alison --
Zephyr -- impressed 177 piloting
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/0) mission oriented profession (1/0) (piloting)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0) mysticism (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (0/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (1/0) athletics (1/0)
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Never manufactures a sly grin and lures Zo! closer to the stage. Then she springs into the air and backflips onto the raised surface.
With two powerful women standing atop the stage, Never turns again to Seeker Luwazi. "Some light sparring?" She engages the Starfinder leader in a series of low-impact throws which look more dangerous than they are.
"Starfinders represent a diverse set of skills. While many of us can fight--" Luwazi steps in against her and executes a takedown into an armbar. Never spins, trying to free herself, but she's no match for the elder warrior, and she taps out and resets. "Many more are diplomats, scientists, and engineers." She feints, but once again Luwazi anticipates her movement, and Never lands on her backside. She attempts to kip up, but Luwazi pursues, on top of Never almost before she regains her feet.
This time, however, the Vanguard has a trick up her sleeve. Never raises her arm against Luwazi's strike, and forms her entropic shield, blocking the blow and sending the Seeker back a step.
"Feature us in one of your shows. A team of Starfinders against a team from a different organization in a battle of wits and combat. You're already committed to supporting us; you should get a better return on that investment."
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The gnome nods in blessing to Lorne moving on.
Iteration-177 is very pleased with the dwarf's tale. "You all lead such exciting lives! Please, go on."
Alison and Ykris hit it off. " Oh that is news. I wonder if it's related to work at Cerebral, using net modulation filters to improve the low pass characteristics of their neural implants...."
Status, Social Round 3 begin
Never -- impresses Zo! at DC 19,
Lorne --
Jaeric --
Alison --
Zephyr --
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/0) mission oriented profession (2/0) (piloting, mechanic)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0) mysticism (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (1/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (2/0) athletics (1/0)
Jaeric sticks with Royo briefly, if only to introduce himself before moving on. "Master Royo?" he says, reaching out a hand to the ysoki, "Jaeric Kem. So nice to make your acquaintance. I don't believe we've had a chance to get to know one another since I joined the Starfinders. But, perhaps you knew my father...Norio Kem? He's been in the Society far longer, and he always speaks so highly of you and your library. Nothing beats a good book. Perhaps I can call upon you for a visit sometime?"
After smiling and shaking the ysoki's hand, he then nods towards the rest of the room. "Well, I'd better keep mingling. Lots more people to meet and greet. Thank you, everyone. I might cirlce back and rejoin the discussion once I've made the rounds."
Once he's stepped away, Jaeric taps his comm so he can contact the rest of the team. "How's everyone doing?" he asks, "Anyone having trouble breaking the ice with our guests? If so, let me know and I'll make it a team effort. Also, if you've seen anything out of the ordinary that we should bring to Radaszam's attention, let me know."
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Never affects a smile that Zo! is incapable of returning, but she suspects she's done a good job with him so far. But the stage performance was her big finish, and she's run out of ideas for how to impress the media mogul.
She excuses herself to fetch anther drink, then replies to Jaeric. "Take a shot at Zo!, if you like. I need a breather."
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Never gives a tight nod to Luwazi and jumps down from the stage. "Well, Zo!, what do you think of my proposal?"
...
"My dear, I think I have just the vehicle for you. I'll have one of my assistants get your information from Luwazi. We'll be in touch soon."
She excuses herself to fetch anther drink, then replies to Jaeric. "Take a shot at Zo!, if you like. I need a breather."
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Jaeric sticks with Royo briefly, if only to introduce himself before moving on. "Master Royo?" he says, reaching out a hand to the ysoki, "Jaeric Kem. So nice to make your acquaintance. I don't believe we've had a chance to get to know one another since I joined the Starfinders. But, perhaps you knew my father...Norio Kem? He's been in the Society far longer, and he always speaks so highly of you and your library. Nothing beats a good book. Perhaps I can call upon you for a visit sometime?"
After smiling and shaking the ysoki's hand, he then nods towards the rest of the room. "Well, I'd better keep mingling. Lots more people to meet and greet. Thank you, everyone. I might cirlce back and rejoin the discussion once I've made the rounds."
...
The ysoki pulls his pipe from his mouth and tamps the tobacco with a dull claw. "Norio Kem? That's a name I haven't in a long long time. A being of science, but from a properly organic perspective. A good tree for the apple to land close by. Remember me to your father when you see him next."
Stepping away for a moment, Zephyr says, "Excuse me for a moment, Iteration-177," and answers Jaeric saying, "Jaeric, I could use someone with smooth talking skills over here talking with Iteration-177. Come on over and help me out if you would."
Stepping back, Zephyr says, "That was my companion Jaeric, much more the face of our group than I am. I can talk about starship battles and daring piloting escapades all evening, but Master Kem can spin a tale with much more aplomb."
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Alison and Ykris hit it off. " Oh that is news. I wonder if it's related to work at Cerebral, using net modulation filters to improve the low pass characteristics of their neural implants...."
Allie laughs gaily, like rubies whistling, truly enjoying herself.
Alas, the price of immortality is omniscience. She sees her friend Stormfox nail a show-stopper, but she senses that the double-whammy has been played and a fresh offensive is needed.
"Ha! Actually I think that when they integrated the ultraviolet transceiver with the Cerebellum Magnaspanner...oh, hey! There's Never, she's a realy whiz with this. Hey, let me get over here so she can join us. 'Scuse me for a nano. Hey Never!"
Allie spritely jaunts over to where Never is restoring nature, and takes a drink for herself.
"Oy. I could use a second front with my BFF Ykris. Care to set him up so we can knock 'im down? I'll give you a tic of alone time while I do a quick run on Zo!, yeah?"
Having recruited a fresh assault for Ykris, Allie's path "accidentally" takes her past Zo!.
"Oh, hey! There you are!," she chirps as if the two are old friends. "I've been totes -dying- to tell you what a mega WIN that show Wyrm Talk was. A lot of people were saying such a divergence from the normal paradigm for that genre was sure to fall down, turn over, and then start on fire but YOU sir! You were able to steadfastly and unceasingly continue to evolve, helping to enable virtual knowledge products for today’s new audience.
Props unto you!
So what's your next idea?"
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The android looks quizzically at his fellow android. "Jaeric?"
Zo! raises his hand and, palm inward, taps his fingers against a yawning mouth. "Common flattery? Really sweetling, you'll have to do better than that. "
Status, Social Round 3 begin
Never -- impresses Zo! with acrobatics at DC 19, (Round 4 small talk fails)
Lorne --
Jaeric -- waiting
Alison -- fails small talk with Zo!
Zephyr -- Fails aid diplomacy attempt to aid Jaeric v 177
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/0) mission oriented profession (2/0) (piloting, mechanic)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0) mysticism (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (1/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (2/0) athletics (1/0)
She excuses herself to fetch anther drink, then replies to Jaeric. "Take a shot at Zo!, if you like. I need a breather."
"I see Allie's got that covered already...and she's probably better suited for it."
"Jaeric, I could use someone with smooth talking skills over here with Iteration-177. Come on over and help me out if you would."
"On my way..." Jaeric replies, "Just gotta get past all these people."
The android looks quizzically at his fellow android. "Jaeric?"
"One and the same..." Jaeric offers as he finally slips past the final guests between him, Zephyr, and Iteration-177. He carries a drink in one hand that he picked up along the way and takes a small sip before offering his other hand to shake hands with the android. "I see you've met Zephyr already. He's our pilot and I'm the captain of our crew. So glad to meet you. The Society really appreciates all you've done to support the Starfinders in our time of need. We're all still trying to recover from the Scoured Stars situation, and benefactors such as you and those you represent go a long way in sustaining our mission across the Pact Worlds and beyond."
As Jaeric moves in to talk to Iteration-177, Lorne sees the opportunity to move on. He's really not sure about telling a similar story, it just seems too . . . boring. "Cap'n Jaeric is good people. I think he'll come up with somethin' you want to hear." And Lorne bows out of the conversation, moving about the room.
He moves to the dark-haired half-elf with something attached to his head. "Ykris, I'm guessin'? I'm Lorne Skyjumper, one o' the new crop of' Starfinders. I hear your company provided a very solid amount of support to helping the Starfinders get back on our feet. I want to make sure you know we appreciate the assistance, and I'm curious if there's somethin' we can do to help return the favor? I mean, we both know that the right biosphere can provide thousands of pharmac'logical breakthroughs. You just have to get to it and start working with what nature provides in order to find 'em. Might yet find a cure for the cold, right? Now, I'm positive there's no formal agreement in place to give anybody an advantage in that race, but it would be a huge win, wouldn't it?"
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Wraith's eyes narrow at so base a dismissal. 'You doubt my power?' she thinks, her eyes narrowing and her entire body going absolutely still. 'You just graduated to the Big League! Imma do the thing!'
"Oh no," she coos, internal servos powering, "I simply meant..."
She trails off...as her spine doubles back on itself, back back, back and down, until both feet and both hands are on the floor.
He feet come up in a flawlessly executed and perfectly balanced splits. While holding her body aloft she raises one hand. And then pops up, just a little, balancing the whole of her body on a single finger.
The maneuver would be excruciating, were she not now well passed such primitive concepts.
The point made, she lowers her hands, folds her feet back to the ground, and stands up.
"...that _you_ should be more FLEXible! Laters!"
She turns and walks back toward Ykris, never looking back.
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Jaeric and Zephyr can't gain any traction in conversation with Iteration-177. The android also seems adrift in the conversation. He finally offers, "How was your last mission?"
Lorne and Ykris reach a similar impasse. "I'm not sure the cold has a sufficiently negative impact to warrant extensive research for a cure. An incontinence cure with fewer side effects might become a major seller."
Alison crushes Zo!'s indifference with her pliability. The undead follows after her, "Wait! I have an idea. You and Never .... "
Status, Social Round 4 begin
Never -- Round 4 small talk fails
Lorne --
Jaeric --
Alison -- IMpresses Zo! with acrobatics
Zephyr --
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/1) mission oriented profession (2/0) (piloting, mechanic)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0) mysticism (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (1/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (3/0) athletics (1/0)
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After listening in on the deep medical conversation between Ykris and Lorne, Never decides to try her luck. Alison had encouraged her, so maybe she had something to offer this brainiac.
Intercepting a drink tray, she swallowed the contents of three glasses in quick succession, then pivoted and flipped the curls to either side of her square face.
She pretends to understand what her dwarven teammate just said, but she's not an idiot, and she picks up enough to add something personal. Ignoring Ykris, statement about incontinence, she picks up the thread started by Lorne.
"Good point, Lorne." She activates her entropic shield, replacing her arm with a supernatural force. "I don't know how I came to possess these powers, but they are natural to me, and damn right it gives me an advantage."
Jaeric and Zephyr can't gain any traction in conversation with Iteration-177. The android also seems adrift in the conversation. He finally offers, "How was your last mission?"
"Oh?! Well, if it's tales of our exploits that interest you, I could go all night on that," Jaeric responds, "Maybe not our last one, though. It was cloaked in all kinds of secrecy. Purely an in-and-out escort. So, stealth and discretion were the buzz words of the day. We just got back from it earlier today when we received our invitations to the gala here at the Lorespire complex." The half-elf taps his chin thoughtfully for a moment, playing up the possibilities in his mind before launching into an outright fabrication sure to dazzle Zephyr just as much as Iteration-177.
"Yeah, yeah! I've got another one I can talk about, though..." he announces before leaning in with a still somewhat conspiratorial tone, "It was a month or so ago. We got called up to visit my homeworld, Castrovel. Apparently, the Dataphiles picked up some chatter that a group of mercenaries had slipped past the restrictions on visiting Ukulam, a continent that's still a vast expanse of wilderness which the local government has sought to preserve from exploitation. But these mercenaries had designs on trying to find Caliria, which some say is nothing but myth, but others believe to be a sacred city in the woodlands hidden even from satellites overhead. Well, those outsiders were carrying some kind of treasure map...a real artifact of its own...which they apparently put a lot of stock in. So, they believed it was real, and the Starfinders wanted to know, as well. We got called in because of my background, being a native of Castrovel, of course. And we tailed them."
"Boy! It was quite the adventure!" Jaeric gushes, "There's all kinds of dangerous flora and megafauna on Ukulam. We avoided most of it, because I still have an elven connection to nature, right? But those mercenaries were out of their depth! They'd crash into one hazard after another, firing their weapons all around and making a mess of everything. It was enough that I started wanting to simply take them down myself as punishment for laying waste to such natural beauty. But, eventually, they made it to some sort of ruin...ancient formian by the looks of it, I thought. But the leader of the mercenaries wasn't so sure. We used a parabolic microphone to listen in on their discussion, and they were saying whatever built those ruins was from off-world...made by another insectoid species like the formians or maybe the shirren. Either way, they were having trouble interpreting that treasure map of theirs. I guess it got them to the ruins, but it offered no insights on how to open them up."
"That's because there was magic involved!" Jaeric plays up the word, but gestures with his hand as he does so. A soft puff of harmless multicolored sparks and smoke emerges from his fingertips (). "There were these wards they couldn't get past, and it prevented them from getting into some of the more interesting structures. They were arguing over it all day, eventually saying they'd call in their benefactor and some kind of mystic expert. Of course, we couldn't wait around for that, and the Starfinders didn't want a bunch of novices opening anything up before we got a crack at it. So, we waited until nightfall, slipped into their encampment and made off with the map, as well as the books they'd been using to decipher the alien script on it. They never even knew we were there. And, by morning, we were halfway back to the landing zone for pickup."
"It was a race from that point on, as they picked up our trail after searching the encampment for what we'd stolen. I thought we'd get away with no fuss. But things got more dramatic when we ran right into a renkroda on the way back...this really large reptilian carnivore! We couldn't outrun it, so we had to fight our way past it. And that let the mercenaries know exactly where we were. So, it was nip and tuck there for awhile. Zephyr here got scratched up and I had to help him hobble along until we could call in an airlift. By the time the transport arrived, we started taking fire from the mercenaries who caught up to us. Luckily, our team held'em off until everyone could board."
"After that, we turned back for the capital and brought the map straight back to Absalom Station for analysis. Turns out it wasn't Caliria those guys had found...if that place even really exists. But it was an alien outpost, and the language on the map matched something in our own archives, so it's undergoing analysis now. I suspect they'll send another Starfinder team back to those same ruins, armed with enough knowledge to bypass whatever magical protections are still in place. And, who knows? Maybe they'll send us to do it? I'd certainly like to know more about how it got there. And, if it pre-dates the Gap like they're saying, maybe it'll have some clues for us to unravel that mystery, too? Wouldn't that be awesome?!"
"Ah yes, the renkroda," chimes in Zephyr. "Though I prefer to fly and use ship-mounted weaponry to dispatch the enemy, such options are not always available, as I am sure you know, Iteration-177. That was quite a scrape, with the hungry beast just irritated by my artillery laser shots. It came in close and nearly trampled me, but I stabbed its gut with my bayonet before it could finish the job. Jaeric did indeed patch me up enough for us to both get to the transport--good thing we didn't need any fancy flying that time--I was too busy plucking renkroda teeth out of my sternum," Zephyr finishes. Showing a wicked-looking tooth with a notch broken out of it held in a small display cylinder, he adds, "I kept a souvenir, just to remind me how tough that battle was."
As he speaks, Zephyr moves around smoothly, gesturing with his backpack as if it were the powerful weapon in his story, describing the pivotal combat during the mission with acrobatic flair.
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Status, Social Round 4 in process
Never -- Round 4 small talk fails (Round 5 will impress Ykris in life science)
Lorne -- ??
Jaeric -- IMpresses 177 with bluff
Alison -- IMpresses Zo! with acrobatics
Zephyr -- ??
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (0/0) diplomacy (0/1) mission oriented profession (2/0) (piloting, mechanic)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/0) mysticism (1/0)
Ikris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (1/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (3/0) athletics (1/0) [ooc]Victory acheived
Lots of options left, and some skills checks yet to discover.
The dwarf moves on to Royo, feeling kind of dejected about his failure with Ykris. "Hey. Lorne Skyjumper, onna the new Starfinders. I hear you've been kind 'nough to help us out. 'Preciate that. What could we do fer you in return?"
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Although not very excited by Zephyr's display, Iteration-177 does lean forward to better view the tooth. "Many religions attribute great power to such talismans, and lately ancient artifacts have been on my mind. Do you, or are you merely nostalgic?"
Royo finishes laughing politely at a bon mot, before facing Lorne. "Discovery by real people. The data that you bring back is very interesting, but context is so important, and that can only be provided by organic observation, including emotional and spiritual reactions. "
Never -- Round 4 small talk fails (Round 5 will impress Ykris in life science)
Lorne -- Fails to impress Royo with culture
Jaeric -- IMpresses 177 with bluff
Alison -- IMpresses Zo! with acrobatics
Zephyr -- Small talks Iteration-177 (mysticism)
Guest _________ Subject (successes/fails)
Iteration-177 _ bluff (1/0) diplomacy (0/1) mysticism (0/0) mission oriented profession (2/0) (piloting, mechanic)
VC Naiaj ______ engineering (1/0)
Royo __________ culture (1/1) mysticism (1/0)
Ykris _________ life science (0/0) medicine (1/0) culture (0/0)
Zo! ___________ acrobatics (3/0) athletics (1/0) Victory achieved!
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Luwazi drifts past Never to whisper, "Meeting by the stage."
A subtle nudge in Lorne's back, catching Alison's eye, guidance deftly applied by taking Zephyr's elbow, and a quick text to Jaeric, serve to alert you all to the meeting.
She starts by congratulating Never and Alison. "Well, you've corralled Zo! He can't stop talking about a new trivid series starring Never, Alison, and me. I think he wants me for comic relief. That ain't gonna happen. But good work.
Iteration-177 seems very impressed as well. Another story or bit of legerdermain might put him over the top. He's a sucker for that kind of thing.
Royo's pretty reserved, but he did say something unusually nice about Norio's boy. Unusual is that he said anything at all. I think he's still receptive.
Somebody should tackle Ykris. It looked like Alison had a rope on for a few seconds. How'd you do that, girl?
Now go out there and get them!"
Her last words as you return to the social fray are, "And to make your future career easier, be nice to Naiaj. She's quieter than most of the other VC's , but she's got a big hand in making assignments. Wouldn't want to find yourself on escort duty to an Aballoninan seedship."
An inspired Never figuratively tackles Ykris on life science using her own abilities as a conversational wedge. The half-elk/symbiote engages. "One might commonly assume such powers were a divine gift, or psychically initiated. But what if you were manipulating electric fields on a cellular level? Some creature have a crude ability to do so -- to shocking effect..."
[ooc] Status, Social Round 5 start
Never -- Impresses Ykris in life science
Lorne --
Jaeric --
Alison --
Zephyr --
Zephyr, unsure of what to do next, goes back to speak to Venture Captain Naiaj, saying, "I hear you are in charge of much of the agent assignments. Are there any upcoming missions that require the services of a skilled pilot? I'd jump at the change to fly something new and maneuverable, for the benefit of the society, of course."
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Naiaj looks up at the android quite seriously. "We can always use skilled pilots." She kind of sniffs and adds, " but until we get more resources, we won't be getting anything new and maneuverable. The T-16 Skyhopper's going to be the best flying ship in the fleet for a long time. But you know those little trainers are too small and fragile for field work ...."
Listening to the pep talk, Lorne feels a little more depressed, really. It just seems so silly, trying to impress these people with words instead of deeds. Then he gets an idea, and heads back to Ykris.
He waits until there's an appropriate lull in the conversation before butting back in. "Ya know, not ev'rything the Starfinders do is as risky or flashy as going out fighting bad guys and trying to find out about the Gap. We do other things, too. Things that matter for the community, but aren't always as obvious. You 'member that outbreak of Necrotic Spleen Rot? Starfinders with medical backgrounds helped with the vaccination and treatment needs, of course, but the rest of the team helped with transportation of required medicine and supplies, and even some small batch replication of medication in our research labs. The team focuses on learning more, on finding more, of course, but we don't ignore the needs of those around us. We work to contribute to day, too."
After gathering with the others and Luwazi by the stage, Jaeric does what he can to share the insights he's obtained into their guests so far. "I feel like I've made good progress with Royo and Iteration-177," he tells everyone, "What's more, Zephyr and I just heard the android mention an interest in religion. I've got a background with that as a practitioner of Desna's faith, so I'll circle back and see if I can close the deal. After that, let me know if any of you need help with someone. I can either chat with Royo some more or come your way if you reach me on comm."
The half-elf then slips back into the crowd, smiling graciously and nodding to those he recognizes from the Starfinder Society, and even the servers moving among the crowd to acknowledge their contributions to the event. When he finally reaches Iteration-177 again, he smoothly steps back into their conversation.
"So, before I left you, I believe you mentioned something about religious talismans? And, while I don't believe there's anything mystical about my friend Zephyr's renkroda tooth, I do have a fair amount of experience in the faith of Desna. In fact, it was part of my religious studies back on Castrovel that led me to believe my destiny lies somewhere among the stars. It's what brought me to Absalom Station to seek out my father, Norio, seeing as how he was a Starfinder before me. And, while he doesn't carry any of the magic of elven blood...and I only have half what my mother possesses...I hold a great interest in the magic and divine purpose that seems to span our universe. In fact, I was chatting with another group earlier about the aiudarra artifacts on my homeworld. Built by the elves to instantly transport our people across continents and to open gateways to other worlds, they're some of the most amazing creations I've ever seen or experienced. In fact, our histories say there was once such an aiudarra that led to lost Golarion, but it lies dormant now. Is there any faith in particular that you adhere to, if my ask?"
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Having succeeded in bringing in badly needed reinforcements onto the Ykris front, Allie joins the small crowd and keeps spring-boarding off the running conversation.
"But we must think of the poor unfortunates that do not have psikic powers. Those low dears only have the magic of technology to turn to, and need to keep up by getting the latest upgrades and gadgets, such as Cerebral's newest dermatiraelian neuro-plate, now on sale for a low-low price that every modern-day family on the go can afford!"
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...
He waits until there's an appropriate lull in the conversation before butting back in. "Ya know, not ev'rything the Starfinders do is as risky or flashy as going out fighting bad guys and trying to find out about the Gap. We do other things, too. Things that matter for the community, but aren't always as obvious. You 'member that outbreak of Necrotic Spleen Rot? Starfinders with medical backgrounds helped with the vaccination and treatment needs, of course, but the rest of the team helped with transportation of required medicine and supplies, and even some small batch replication of medication in our research labs. The team focuses on learning more, on finding more, of course, but we don't ignore the needs of those around us. We work to contribute today, too."
...
"Very noble, I'm sure we all applaud the efforts of the Starfinders to help people across the galaxy. " The words are a yawning mouthing of platitudes. It would appear that philanthropy isn't really what interests Ykris.
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... the Ykris front, Allie joins the small crowd and keeps spring-boarding off the running conversation.
"But we must think of the poor unfortunates that do not have psikic powers. Those low dears only have the magic of technology to turn to, and need to keep up by getting the latest upgrades and gadgets, such as Cerebral's newest dermatiraelian neuro-plate, now on sale for a low-low price that every modern-day family on the go can afford!"
...
"I suspect that product will be a tremendous commercial success. Personally, I think it is a solution looking for a problem." Could that be a trace of jealousy coloring Ykris' comments.