tt's The Elsebo Way

Game Master therealthom

"I don't get why ev'rybody keeps thinkin' the lab coats are innocent. Somebody's noticed."

Jaeric nods. "We'll see what Monsylkis has to say once we lay everything out. Get whatever read you can on her to gauge her reaction. If necessary, I'll offer to give her the memory of our conversation with the izalguun as proof of the impact their weather station is having on the ecosystem."

After talking with Therenger -- Spinjack would have been caught in Never's breath weapon and that would have finished him. Not to worry though. In the scenario as written capturing Spinjack or Farvenzi provides no real advantage in evicting the research station.
So retcon after combat actions for Spinjack being an ex-Ryphorian.
Lorne, I did like the sled. Take a +2 bonus on your next attempt to jury-rig or repair something.

A brief respite to plan your strategy in confronting Monsylkis.

I'm in favor of the direct approach. Reveal everything and then let Monsylkis choose whether to do things the easy way or the hard way.

Kinda. I would like to have our face spend some time making it more palatable and less directly accusatory than either Never or Lorne are likely to.

Zephyr is good with laying their cards on the table with the scientists, but he is already pretty upset about getting attacked by the soldiers as he and his friends were peacefully returning…

"Alright, load up...leave the bodies. We need to take Monsylkis alive so we can explain and hopefully get her to de-escalate everything. She's bound to be the highest ranking person left. Never? Watch our backs. Don't let anyone sneak up on us from behind in case any of those guards come back. Zephyr? Lorne? Get to either of side of me and look for the same as we approach the science building. I'll do the talking if anyone tries to stop us. We can bring in Sparky and the ship if we need stronger firepower. And then. I'll have a few memories to share with the good doctor if we can get her to surrender and listen."

OOC: Jaeric plans on using his mindlink ability to share his memory of the discussion with the izalguun leader about the ecological damage the weather station is causing on their habitat, but he'll leave out any plan about an uprising to drive out the offworlders just yet. He'll also share his memory of the unprovoked attack by Spinjack, Farvenzi, and the guards at the weather station. Hopefully, that'll be enough to convince her that we didn't start things. Then, we'll need to interrogate her (as Jaeric uses charm person or detect thoughts) to determine if she had any role in it. Sound like a reasonable plan? Anything else we should consider?

Sounds like a plan. Let's roll.

”Sounds good, Let’s go,” responds Zephyr, taking up his position and moving forward.

You're in the fields about halfway back to the main complex when you meet, Dr. Monsylkis and two assistants driving out toward you in a glorified golf cart. They stop in front of you. Dr. Monsylkis exits the vehicle and walks toward you while the driver insures the vehicle is off and parked, and the other assistant unfolds themself from the small cargo bed.

"We heard an explosion at the station. Is anyone hurt? Do you know what happened?"

None of them are armed, although all wear tight, light environmental suits, probably equivalent to stationwear flight suits.

Never looks like she got put through a blender. Blood is everywhere. "Whadda you think, genius?"

Lorne laughs. "Corporate greed." He starts to say more, then catches himself. "But, Jaeric here'll make it easier ta understand."

"Oh dear. Poundsworth, take a look at her." The assistant returns to the cart and draws out a large white box. (A rather well-stocked medkit.) Poundsworth approaches Never, looks around, lays the box on the ground and opens it. It's immediately apparent that whatever his day job is, it doesn't qualify them as a nurse at all.

Dr. Monsylkis moves on to Lorne and Jaeric. "That's cryptic. An easier explanation would be helpful."

Reminder, the battlefield is out of sight.

Jaeric takes a long hard look at Doctor Monsylkis, attempting to gauge her sincerity in case her arrival might be a ruse. Inwardly, he imagines the security guards would have radioed ahead to alert the scientists, but if the guards were acting solely on Farvenzi and Spinjack's directions, maybe the doctor really was in the dark.

Sense Motive check with Expertise die: 1d20 + 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + (5) + 9 = 20

"It's complicated," Jaeric offers, "And, clearly we're all injured. Some of yours, as well." He looks around and then behind them. "This area still might not be safe. If possible, we should take shelter in your lab for a more extended conversation. Also, if you're open to briefly linking our minds...safely, I assure you it's a common bit of mysticism practiced by the Desnan priests of Castrovel...I can share my complete memory of what happened with you. Afterwards, I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. And we might need to ask some of you, as well. Honestly, I fear there are a great many mysteries here, and maybe certain truths have been kept from you about this planet, its people, and your security detail."

Diplomacy check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

OOC: If the Diplomacy check fails, Jaeric will use his Cultural Chameleon ability to reroll it.

Diplomacy check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

"Of course we can return to the base. You mentioned other injured. Where are they? I have more people on the way."

Monsylkis seems sincere and intrigued by the idea of the mindmeld.

The dwarf address Poundsworth. "Let's get inside, where it is warm, and it won't hurt Never just to show us the injuries. Then I cin take yer kit and use it better than you will, I think."

Poundsworth surrenders the kit to Lorne. "I'm a scientist, not a doctor."

Monsylkis awaits an answer.

"Thank you." He accepts the kit, but tries to push people back towards the buildings. "Problem is that answer will make more sense after Jaeric gives you the specifics. How's 'bout we say the other injured are the people who injured us? That make enough sense we cin get in outta the cold?"

"Of course we can return to the base. You mentioned other injured. Where are they? I have more people on the way."

"The injured are out by the weather station," Jaeric answers truthfully, "But it's entirely possible that area may not be safe for your people. I think it's best we all take shelter inside first and let your security team address what they can. In the meantime, we'll ensure your safety even as we look to our wounded. And you and I can have a complete conversation about the izalguun natives on Icefront, as well as your security team's interactions with them in the past."

"That's part of the problem. I can't get in touch with Farvenzi. No one will tell me where she is. Spinjack is incommunicado also. " The scientist frowns.

"I don't think anyone is scheduled to be out at the tower today, but Spinjack doesn't tell me everything about the maintenance schedule. Sterling, drive out to the weather tower and check on our people there. Poundsworth stay with us."

The nearest building is a greenhouse a few hundred yards away. You can adjourn to there for recovery and further discussion.

Never throws Jaeric a sideways glance. This isn't going well. She wishes she had dragged Farvenzi's head along with her like she wanted to. At least then there would be no deception. It's not like these eggheads weren't going to find out.

Jaeric catches Never's glance and nods before gesturing towards the greenhouse to follow Monsylkis and Poundsworth there. Once inside, he asks the vanguard to ensure it's secure, quietly requesting Never also keep an eye on the latter scientist in case things don't go well with his explanation of what happened. After satisfying himself they're in a controllable situation, he then takes the doctor aside to converse with her directly.

"Doctor Monsylkis, I apologize for hesitating in sharing everything that's happened here. If you'll allow me, I'll share my memory with you." He slowly and reassuringly puts his hands to either side of her head and intones the elvish chant of his Desnan faith.

OOC: Jaeric uses mindlink to share the key events of the team's foray into the wilderness and return to the station. This includes their conversation with the izalguun, their concerns about the environmental damage being caused by the weather station, and their willingness to allow the Starfinder team to share that information with the Winterharvest science team in order to avoid a conflict. He then shifts the memory forward so he can cover their approach towards the compound in the snow-dragons, the radioed messages they received from the security guards, and then the unprovoked attack when he refused to alter course before coming to speak with her. And, lastly, he allows her to view the fight against Spinjack and Farvenzi, the disabling of the team's vehicles to slow down any ability to reach her, as well as their deaths.

He draws back to give Monsylkis a moment to recover from the experience before verbally continuing. "Your team attacked us," he explains, "I'm sure that's difficult to believe. And, even now, I imagine you're probably thinking this is some kind of magic trick or nefarious ruse to convince you. I assure you, it's not. We are well-intentioned explorers...members of the Starfinder Society who are just trying to learn more about the izalguuns' past in order to save our friends and colleagues. That was all we cared about when we came here..."

He looks back at Poundsworth to get a sense of the scientist's loyalty. Could he be just as supportive of the guards' decision to attack? Was Doctor Monsylkis in on it from the beginning. With those thoughts in mind, he presses on. "Spinjack and Farvenzi joined the fight. They disabled our vehicles and wanted to gun us all down. I believe they were trying to prevent us from reaching you, to stop us from sharing what we learned from the izalguuns about your presence here. And, it's also my hope that you had no part in it. That you're not intentionally ruining this planet for profit, threatening the livelihood of this native civilization, and willing to kill any outsiders who learn about it."

OOC: Jaeric will cast charm person on her at DC 15 to resist.

"So, tell me, Doctor. Did you have any idea about what's really going on here? What is Winterharvest's true goal...or more accurately...what is Frozen Trove trying to accomplish here? That's the parent company funding your research, is it not? And it's owned by a fairly ruthless dragon from what we know already. The time for transparency is now. Otherwise, I fear you'll face an uprising from the natives and we won't be able to protect you."

Diplomacy check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Never nods approving and pats Jaeric on the shoulder. Then she gets ready to cut these scientists in half if they get uppity.

Funny thing is, they can plainly see Never has Farvenzi's dragonglaive.

...

He draws back to give Monsylkis a moment to recover from the experience before verbally continuing. "Your team attacked us," he explains, "I'm sure that's difficult to believe. And, even now, I imagine you're probably thinking this is some kind of magic trick or nefarious ruse to convince you. I assure you, it's not. We are well-intentioned explorers...members of the Starfinder Society who are just trying to learn more about the izalguuns' past in order to save our friends and colleagues. That was all we cared about when we came here..."

He looks back at Poundsworth to get a sense of the scientist's loyalty.

The doctor seems a little stunned. "I can't believe it. They weren't likable, but I didn't think they were killers."

But tone indicates maybe she could believe it.

With those thoughts in mind, he presses on. "Spinjack and Farvenzi joined the fight. They disabled our vehicles and wanted to gun us all down. I believe they were trying to prevent us from reaching you, to stop us from sharing what we learned from the izalguuns about your presence here. And, it's also my hope that you had no part in it. That you're not intentionally ruining this planet for profit, threatening the livelihood of this native civilization, and willing to kill any outsiders who learn about it."

OOC: Jaeric will cast charm person on her at DC 15 to resist.

Jaeric knows the spell didn't go well.

"So, tell me, Doctor. Did you have any idea about what's really going on here? What is Winterharvest's true goal...or more accurately...what is Frozen Trove trying to accomplish here? That's the parent company funding your research, is it not? And it's owned by a fairly ruthless dragon from what we know already. The time for transparency is now. Otherwise, I fear you'll face an uprising from the natives and we won't be able to protect you."

Doctor Monsylkis stiffens; her mood turns. She narrowly regards the half-elf. "I don't know anything about Frozen Trove, or dragons. Winterharvest's research here is completely legitimate. I will investigate our interactions with the natives and any incidental environmental effects that our research might have."

Poundsworth looks sharply at Jaeric when Frozen Trove is mentioned.
That's a tell.

Here's what you need mechanically to finish the scenario:

The PCs must succeed at three out of four different skill checks to convince her to abandon the planet and her work:

Bluff (DC 27-5-5 = 17) (to weave conspiracy theories or make claims without evidence), (Never had evidence from Ykris (Go Social boons from 1st scenario) and research prior to departing on mission -- (can't remember who rolled it)

Intimidate (DC 27-5 -5 = 17) (to threaten Dr. Monsylkis with legal or physical repercussions for her work), above evidence!

Diplomacy (DC 27-5 -5 = 17) (to appeal to Dr. Monsylkis’s benevolent intentions or convince her to see reason), Evidence: Tower, izalguun data

Life Science (DC 27-5 -5 = 17) (to point out the negative consequences of her experiments). , Evidence: Tower, izalguun data

Never draws the dragonglaive and loudly cranks the point against the floor.

"Wrong answer."

Intimidate: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

But the blade slips from her hands and falls with an embarrassing clatter. She picks it up but her attempt to act tough is a total miss.

”But how can you ignore their sickness, their disease? Surely you must see the work you are doing here is killing them!” says Zephyr.

Zephyr will aid with Life Science.

Life Science Aid: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Doctor Monsylkis stiffens; her mood turns. She narrowly regards the half-elf. "I don't know anything about Frozen Trove, or dragons. Winterharvest's research here is completely legitimate. I will investigate our interactions with the natives and any incidental environmental effects that our research might have."

Jaeric appears undaunted by the setback of his spell not taking effect. "Doctor, perhaps you misunderstand my meaning. The natives have reached their breaking point. They made that clear to us. We right here are your only hope of getting out of this with your life and career intact. Your security team, including its leaders, is now in shambles. You'll be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the izalguuns if they come here in force. You won't have time to conduct an investigation. The evidence is clear. Not just to them, but to us, as well. I'd like to believe you had nothing to do with this breach in ethics...I really would...but your demeanor given what I've just shared with you is less than convincing, especially since your colleague over there...Poundsworth, was it?...clearly knows about Frozen Trove given his reaction. So, maybe you were in on it, too? No?"

Intimidate check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

"Now you may think of us as just a group of Starfinder explorers, if you want...but we did our homework before coming here. So, we already know plenty about Frozen Trove's connection and their true purpose. We can turn that evidence over to the Starfinders and they'll be only too happy to expose you. After all, the Society is quite noble-minded and well-connected, especially back on Absalom Station where politics are shaped. Once we give our full report upon our return, you can bet they'll raise this situation with the Stewards. The lawbringers will fully expose Winterharvest's connection to Frozen Trove and the nature of your research. Then, they'll bring the full might of interstellar law down on your corporate sponsor. And when they do, what do you think will happen to you and your colleagues here? I don't know about you, but I imagine they'll see you as nothing more than a loose end and cut you free...probably quite literally. At best, they'll simply declare you a rogue operation and sacrifice you as a scapegoat to deny their involvement. That'll put all of you in prison, and I seriously doubt you'll have any kind of career following that."

Bluff check with Expertise die: 1d20 + 9 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 9 + (5) = 18

Never stands shoulder to shoulder with Jaeric. "Yeah. What he said."

...

Jaeric appears undaunted by the setback of his spell not taking effect. "Doctor, perhaps you misunderstand my meaning. The natives have reached their breaking point. They made that clear to us. We right here are your only hope of getting out of this with your life and career intact. Your security team, including its leaders, is now in shambles. You'll be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the izalguuns if they come here in force. You won't have time to conduct an investigation. The evidence is clear. Not just to them, but to us, as well. I'd like to believe you had nothing to do with this breach in ethics...I really would...but your demeanor given what I've just shared with you is less than convincing, especially since your colleague over there...Poundsworth, was it?...clearly knows about Frozen Trove given his reaction. So, maybe you were in on it, too? No?"

Clearly distraught, Monsylkis staggers a step back from Jaeric. She raises her hand to her chest. " I know nothing about Frozen Trove," she repeats. "And if what you're saying is true, then everyone here has been lying to me. But how can I trust you? I felt something pull at my mind while you were talking to me. That kind of manipulation is worse. "

Poundsworth smirks outright but says nothing.

...

"Now you may think of us as just a group of Starfinder explorers, if you want...but we did our homework before coming here. So, we already know plenty about Frozen Trove's connection and their true purpose. We can turn that evidence over to the Starfinders and they'll be only too happy to expose you. After all, the Society is quite noble-minded and well-connected, especially back on Absalom Station where politics are shaped. Once we give our full report upon our return, you can bet they'll raise this situation with the Stewards. The lawbringers will fully expose Winterharvest's connection to Frozen Trove and the nature of your research. Then, they'll bring the full might of interstellar law down on your corporate sponsor.
And when they do, what do you think will happen to you and your colleagues here? I don't know about you, but I imagine they'll see you as nothing more than a loose end and cut you free...probably quite literally. At best, they'll simply declare you a rogue operation and sacrifice you as a scapegoat to deny their involvement. That'll put all of you in prison, and I seriously doubt you'll have any kind of career following that."

"But I'm innocent. I'm as much a victim as these izalguun. I was only trying to feed people. And there must be others here who were also duped. How can we fix this? There has to be a way to make this right."

You won the bluff. I'll give you a retry on the intimidate, 'cause -- which you also won. And I'll take Zephyr's life science roll as the real attempt, not an aid. That's 3 of 4. Victory achieved. You probably would have overkilled a diplomacy roll anyway.

The security team is also relieved of duty and weapons. Perforce the Starfinders find themselves filling the role of security. In the next few days Dr. Monsylkis relieves many of her staff of administrative duties and replaces them with scientists she feels are more trustworthy.

Dr. Monsylkis has not gone completely spineless however. She simply can't take your word for anything. She has you facilitate a trip to meet with the izalguun. Only after she's met them and examined the izalguun data herself, does she share any of it with her colleagues. And often those colleagues are removed from or given more administrative power after those discussions.

The weather tower is deactivated and disassembled almost immediately. And soon enough arrangements have been made to remove the station's personnel entirely from the planet.

Monsylkis avoids Jaeric as much as possible and treats him with cold courtesy when they must speak.

Naarma, the izalguun elder, is grateful. After the tower comes down and the fields of addictive plants have been burned, she comes to meet with the Starfinders. She provides you with a handwritten star chart bearing a black X over a small moon four planetary orbits away from Icefront’s sun and tells you that they will find the relic they seek on a secret facility hidden inside the moon, including specific details on where the installation is located. She warns the PCs, however, that the facility was designed to ensure the relic was never found, and they should proceed with caution.

She refuses to elaborate further but does mention that she hopes
the izalguuns technologically advanced status can remain a secret.

Feel free to describe anything you'd like about these days. And let me know what goes into your report to Luwazi Elsebo when you return to Absalom Station.

Zephyr lets the others describe most of their discoveries, but he volunteers his puzzlement to luwazi that organics would poison their own environment for personal or corporate gain, though the scientists did indeed eventually see reason. He mentions nothing about the natives and their technology, but he makes sure the star chart with the legend about the relic are discussed so they can move on to their next mission.

As per usual, Never does not file a report, leaving that bookwork to the more capable members of the group. While the eggheads are attending to stuff at the outpost, Never catches up on her reading. Somebody had recommended she read Maxim Petrovich's best-seller, How to Spend Summer Vacation in the Afterlife, and sure enough, it is a page-turner. She becomes a complete recluse during the days before they depart the planet.

Later on she corners Jaeric on the ship. "Hey Jaeric! How much do you know about Eos? That planet is f#@+in' bizarre! Let me tell you..."

Back on Absalom Zephyr gets an automated report receipt. "... Your report will be recorded and reviewed in the order received. Stand by to answer further queries regarding your mission."

Never receives an automated reminder to file her report. No doubt she consigns the reminder to junk mail.

Lorne's report is really pretty simple and straightforward, even if the story is more convoluted than one would hope.

Mission accomplished. We have received information about the location of at least one of the artifacts is question.

Potential long-term allies available with the "natives." They are imports from an undetermined period in history, and have regressed to communal longhouses and archery, but are friendly.

The corporate facilities here were destroying the environment and native flora and fauna. Local security was adamant that nobody find out. The lead scientist has stopped all related work and is attempting to restore ecological balance.

Monsylkis avoids Jaeric as much as possible and treats him with cold courtesy when they must speak.

Jaeric does his best to stay out of the doctor's hair for the duration of their stay, quietly observing both her demeanor and activities to ensure no further duplicity on her part. After facilitating the meeting with Naarma and the izalguuns, he keeps a closer eye on things to ensure the Winterharvest scientists do the right thing, while privately confiding in Zephyr that he's prepared to force their hands, if necessary. "We take ecological and environmental impacts very seriously on my homeworld of Castrovel," he shares with the android, "There are some pretty strict laws to enforce it among the lashunta, but the elves are even more protective of the land."

Naarma, the izalguun elder, is grateful....She provides you with a handwritten star chart bearing a black X over a small moon four planetary orbits away from Icefront’s sun and tells you that they will find the relic they seek on a secret facility hidden inside the moon, including specific details on where the installation is located. She warns the PCs, however, that the facility was designed to ensure the relic was never found, and they should proceed with caution.

"We are tremendously grateful for this information and truly sorry for any damage caused by the offworlders. What took place here will be reported to those with the authority to curb their activities. And, with your permission, I'll also suggest to the leaders of our organization that they check on you periodically to ensure your continued peace and prosperity. If you ever need anything, you have friends among the Starfinder Society." He then gives her a small token bearing the Starfinder emblem for her to present to any of his colleagues who might wish to make further contact with her people.

She...does mention that she hopes the izalguuns technologically advanced status can remain a secret.

"We shall honor your request. To the outside world, any descriptions we share of you will simply describe how you live today. Comfortably in tune with the land...as it should be."

Feel free to describe anything you'd like about these days. And let me know what goes into your report to Luwazi Elsebo when you return to Absalom Station.

Unsurprisingly, Jaeric's report is as thorough as he can make it. He outlines everything about their visit to Icefront...from the alien craft that attacked them and then self-destructed...to the duplicitous Winterharvest security and their connections to Frozen Trove...to the ecological and environmental damage caused by their experiments...as well as their encounters with the izalguuns and their leader, Naarma. He leaves out any description of their disguised, but advanced technology. Instead, he focuses on the information they shared about the moon-based facility present within the same star system, advising that he believes an expedition should be mounted to ascertain its nature and retrieve the ancient artifact for a possible means to rescue their colleagues among the Scoured Stars. Lastly, he cites the incredible contributions and bravery of his fellow teammates to the success of the mission. He then submits his report via the comm-systems on the Pegasus, waiting for a reply on next steps.

Culture check to Recall Knowledge: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Later on she corners Jaeric on the ship. "Hey Jaeric! How much do you know about Eos? That planet is f#~+in' bizarre! Let me tell you..."

"You must mean Eox?" Jaeric replies, "The undead world? I know enough that I put it up there with Apostae as the two most inhospitable places in the Pact Worlds that I'd never want to visit. While Apostae has the dark elves known as drow, who have a long history of conflict with my people, Eox is home to the unliving elebrians...a people of such historical hubris their ancient attempts to conquer other worlds ruined their own, burning up the atmosphere and creating so much radiation and ecological destruction that they turned to necromancy just to save their civilization. And when they finally sought peace to become one of the first worlds to sign the Pact, much of their military disavowed their leaders and went rogue to form the Corpse Fleet which is a continued threat to everyone and everything."

"It's sad that such 'civilizations' exist. And that we continue to see people willing to threaten the very environments that sustain life...just like Winterharvest and Frozen Trove on Icefront. But something always blinds them to such folly. Greed. Power. Or rank stupidity. We amass these great technological advancements with the power of our intellect, but often lack the wisdom to avoid turning them into weapons of mass destruction that destroy the lives of others as well as our own."

"But those are just my philosophical thoughts, Never. Was there something more specific you wanted to know about them? What's got you thinking about such a place? You're not planning on acquiring a necrograft or something equally hideous, are you?" he teases.

"Right, Eox. Wow, you really do know a lot. Yeah, that Corpse Fleet is really bad news. Okay, well, nice talking to you, Jaeric."

Never returns to her bunk. She's suddenly exhausted.

...He then submits his report via the comm-systems on the Pegasus, waiting for a reply on next steps...

Luwazi recalls you all to Absalom Station. The First Seeker is elated that you discovered a new lead. She immediately begins preparing exploration teams to investigate the moon from the izalguun’s map, putting your names at the top of her roster.

Then Luwazi turns a little more somber. She waves a hand over a virtual console. "I've got your reports here. Is there anything else you wish add? " She cocks an eyebrow. "Off the record, perhaps?"

"Off the record? Hmmmm..." Jaeric repeats aloud. "Honestly, ma'am...it feels like we're messing with something we don't fully understand and it could still all backfire in our faces. I think our colleagues discovered that when they took almost everyone to the Scoured Stars and who knows what happened to them as a result of the artifact they brought along?" He pauses and looks around at the rest of the team.

"From what we've been piecing together thru these missions, it seems like an ancient civilization once lived there and shielded themselves from something dangerous. Then, they broke out and ventured...or fled?...to other worlds. I believe Naarma's izalguuns are the descendants of at least one of those groups. And they chose to regress in some ways...to abandon what had to have been the height of their power and technology in order to live more closely with the land and one another. They're peaceful. I think they found that peace and they don't want anyone to disrupt it."

"For our assistance with the polluters on Icefront...and in order to help us reach the lost Starfinders...they gave us this information. But it came with a warning, too. They sealed that artifact somewhere on that moon. And I believe they did it for a reason. It's got to be just as dangerous as the one held by the last Speaker. If we go and retrieve it, I'm worried we might just be following the exact same path as before. And if we disturb it, I'm worried it might attract whatever danger threatened the izalguuns before they left their homeworld."

"Bottom line, there's a lot we still don't know. Maybe we'll find out more on that moon. Maybe we'll make better progress in assessing this artifact than the last one. And maybe we'll be better prepared if we try to use it to reach the others. But that's a lot of maybe's...and we need to clear-eyed about our prospects. We have less resources now than any other time in the Society's history. Is it going to be enough? Or do we need to bring in more allies to assist with this undertaking?"

"That's all true, Jaeric Kem. Before I even took this job, I was going to try to mount a rescue mission. I'm not leaving any Starfinders in the Scoured Stars if there's a chance to save them.

"You've done very well. I've set aside some special equipment for you with the Quartermaster. Now rest up and get yourself prepared. No doubt you'll be shipping out again soon."

Naiaj gives you all a tight little smile and nod as you filter out. In contrast to the bleached gnome, the lashunta Arvin remains sternly silent and tight lipped.

After a few weeks of downtime, you are summoned to Luwazi Elsebo's office. The First Seeker is waiting for you. Rising from her chair, she proclaims, “Ah, these are the agents I spoke about! Starfinders, may I introduce to you Ulyapses, a new friend from the Vast.” A massive, six limbed alien rises from its chair, barely avoiding a collision with the ceiling. The alien is, of course, an izalguun.

She clears her throat, and in a deep, bellowing voice begins, “I am honored to stand in the presence of those as accomplished as you. Your visit to our world caused a great stir amongst the izalguun, but we believe that we and your society can help each other."

"I am Ulyapses, and it seems our past and your present have come together.” As she speaks, she retrieves a holographic projector from the folds of her simple robe. “This is our history,” Ulyapses continues, gesturing to the images appearing from the projector.

Over the next several moments, the projector displays an advanced society of creatures shaped like Ulyapses laboring under an opaque golden sky. The creatures toil with obvious dissatisfaction, creating monolithic tributes to an unseen entity. At times, the shield fades, and in these moments the aliens quickly turn to the frantic design of rockets, starships, and other methods of leaving their world. Each time, the aliens fail to pierce the golden sky and must return to their toil. As the playback accelerates, the images speed past a myriad of failed escape attempts before suddenly slowing as the glimmering shield winks out of existence. As the barricade vanishes, the subjugated aliens swiftly escape aboard their highly sophisticated starships.

The images then show the aliens arriving upon a fertile planet. They bury the majority of their ships and load the remaining few with relics that remind them of the world where they had been held hostage. A small group of custodians flies these ships, laden with reminders of their grim history and other technological advances, to a nearby, heatblasted moon.

On the newly settled world, the aliens live a peaceful, agrarian life for
generations. Suddenly, a short golden obelisk descends from the heavens,
igniting panic among the people.

With obvious sadness, Ulyapses shuts off the projector. With a tremble, she stammers, “Your brothers and sisters wait trapped behind the same barrier that once imprisoned us—Luwazi calls it the ‘Godshield.’ For us, escape took many generations and considerable luck. For you, perhaps, we have another path. We call the golden relic deposited on our world the Tear. We fear it heralded a return to our captivity, so we quickly deposited it on the same rocky moon where we sent our unnecessary technology and unpleasant reminders of our past. We call that facility the Repository. Perhaps the Tear is a key, or a beacon. But if it has answers, we don’t want them.”

Ulyapses collapses back into her chair with a thud. Elsebo steps forward. “We have permission to access the Repository and claim the Tear, on the sole condition that we take it far away from Ulyapses’s people and never bring it back. The key to pierce the Godshield awaits, and the Society needs you to retrieve it.”

The First Seeker pauses for questions.

"Hunh." Another people driven to leave their place of origin and find a new home. I wonder how common that drive is? How many other peoples are seeking a new home?

"So, we're s'ppos'd ta figure out what this 'Tear' is s'ppos'd ta do, 'n' how the tech behind it works? This could be FUN!"

"So, we're s'ppos'd ta figure out what this 'Tear' is s'ppos'd ta do, 'n' how the tech behind it works? This could be FUN!"

"And dangerous," Jaeric adds, having remained silent and thoughtful throughout the presentation as he listened to Luwazi's explanation of their future mission. "Something sent that golden 'Tear' to the new world the izalguun inhabited...or Icefront, as we call it. So the question that's unasked or unanswered is how and why did that happen? Has the entity or 'God' that created that shield over your original homeworld returned to plague your people? And, if we take that artifact away with us, what might result when it turns its attention to us because we interrupted whatever plan it had for it in sending it back to you again? I can't help but remember that alien ship that attacked us when we arrived at Icefront. It wasn't associated with Frozen Trove or the izalguuns so far as we were able to ascertain. Might it have been a harbinger of this 'God' as well?"

He nods to Lorne. "Regardless, we'll need every possible resource among the Starfinders to assess the technology behind the 'Tear' when we retrieve it. And, if an actual 'God' is involved with it, we may need to draw upon divine mysticism as well. Let's just hope that Desna smiles on us."

He then turns back to Ulyapses. "Logistically-speaking, what can you tell us about this Repository where you sent the artifact? How can we access it? And what can we expect to find inside? What kind of security is in place and how do we gain safe passage? Will you be sending anyone with us?"

Luwazi calls it the Godshield? Never shakes her head. She wants to ask if it's a shield that works against gods or a shield wielded by gods... But it doesn't matter. It's just the name of the thing and probably just cuz it's really big and the First Seeker wanted to make it sound important without putting a lot of thought into it.

The golden Tear sounded like another giant phallus. Never had long ago started wondering who was behind all of this stuff, and now the picture was taking shape: Some godlike male adolescent with too much time on his hands. Boys do dumb things like pull the legs off insects, or izalguun, which were kinda like big insects.

Yes, of course there were some logistical hurdles; Never was surprised Jaeric hadn't already assigned her to that. Besides that he asks some good questions, as always.

Never keeps her trap shut for the time being.

Zephyr looks at Ulyapses with some confusion. He says, "When we left your world, your people asked us not to reveal your history of technical advancement. That you come here and describe it so openly to the Starfinder society speaks of great need."

Elsebo nods in response to Lorne's comments, and smiles.

Ulyapses rises again to answer Zephyr first. "It was not for Naarma to change the policy of centuries by her sole judgement. In the weeks since your visit we have debated our place in the universe, and have received a delegation of Starfinder ambassadors. We have considered your Society's need, and our own position vis a vis the Tear. We believe transferring ownership of the Tear to you will be mutually beneficial. As part of the agreement, the Society will respect our privacy, and will not make public news of our technological background."

The izalguun doesn't address Jaeric's philosophical questions, only the practical ones.

"The Repository is on a moon orbiting Izal-4, in the same system as the adopted planet of the izalguuns. It’s blisteringly hot and has virtually no atmosphere, but clay in its crust acts as an insulator that makes subterranean chambers habitable. Generations ago, the izalguun built a vast, interconnected network of silos and storage facilities underneath the moon’s surface.”

“We have been storing technology and unwanted godgifts, at the Repository for some time. However, we know very little about the Repository, as it was the purview of the custodians who lived there to store and study
the materials sent there. The last god-gift was dispatched there several generations ago, and communication with the custodian izalguuns stopped decades ago. I can tell you which silo the Tear was sent to, but nothing more. Prepare for anything: advanced technology, radiation, or even strange magic.”

Luwazi speaks again, “We don’t know whether this Tear can pierce the Godshield, but we need to find out. The Tear sent to the izalguun is a near-perfect replica of a similar relic that led First Seeker Jadnura to the Scoured Stars. Royo and I hypothesize they are related, and the Tear’s arrival among the izalguun was an invitation for reentry into the Scoured Stars. I intend for us to accept this invitation.”

"Wait..." Jaeric holds up a hand, "You said godgifts...as in, plural. You've received more than one of these Tears in the past? Or other artifacts and relics? How does the entity or 'God' send these things and how do they find you? And, I guess, more importantly, if there are more than one, how will we know which to take?" He looks from Ulyapses to Luwazi.

"Also, if you lost contact with the custodians of your Repository...whom I assume are other izalguuns?...how do we even know they received the Tear? Was it just sent there by an automaton? Did no one ensure it was placed in the hands of someone who would secure it for safekeeping? And, if it's on a moon in the same star system as Icefront...and we already know such things can activate a Godshield across an entire star system...what's keeping it from triggering one when we interact with it, thereby leaving us and you caught in yet another Godtrap like the one imprisoning our colleagues on your original homeworld? The more we learn about these artifacts and your people's history with them, the more they sound cursed."