"To show my appreciation, you'll find a basket in your staterooms. The gifts are from my personal collection."
"That wasn't necessary," Jaeric responds, "But we do appreciate your continued generosity and support for the Starfinders. I'm sure we'll find a good use for whatever you've provided."
After returning to the shared common space between their respective bedrooms, Jaeric leaves the ring and serums to Never and pays more attention to the aromatics. "Quite the collection here. Exotics from all across the Pact Worlds...and possibly beyond. It seems our host is quite well-connected to have come by so many of these. I don't see a need to open them, though...unless one of you wants to give them a try. They'd fetch quite a price on the open market. Enough to constitute decent bribe or addition to our traveling funds. I wonder if these axiomites favor such things?"
"Yeah. Don't think any o' this could stand up to a good day's work. Nice present, but about as useful as the memory snacker. Pattern, there?"
"I don't know. I get the sense this Iteration-177 has a purpose behind everything. We should keep our wits about us while aboard the Forerunner...and when we get to Athaeum. I know Luwazi implied a great deal of support from the android, and this opportunity to learn more about the Scoured Stars incident could be huge for the Society. But it does seem odd that our host is currying favor with Starfinders and Hellknights alike. Our fellow dinner guests struck me as quite odd. I wonder what knowledge they're seeking from the axiomites? And what Iteration-177 gains from helping them in addition to us?"
Jaeric nods. Between his reservations about Radaszam and now Iteration-177, he can't help but feel a gnawing doubt over who can be trusted as the Starfinders try to rebuild. An opportunist could no doubt seize upon the Society's vulnerability to carry out their own gambits at a time like this...
He looks around at the rest of the team, meeting each person's gaze in turn. "We put our faith and trust in one another," he tells everyone, "Outside of our circle...which includes Royo for the purposes of this mission...I advise that we keep our eyes and ears open. You see anything unusual or out of step, share it with the rest of us so we're not caught unaware."
Zephyr nods and says, ”Understood. Let us hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”
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While you're in transit, Iteration-177 provides more mundane entertainments than the memory dinner: fine food, comfortable accommodations, an eclectic library.
The tour reveals Never's estimate of the ship to be correct in at least one aspect -- it's ostentatious. The bridge is as spacious as the lounge and is appointed in red and gold. The machinery in the machinery spaces is always hidden behind gleaming white walls, floor and ceiling panels. No tubing, piping, conduit, and wiring is to be seen.
The ship does have some unusual features for a luxury vessel. Both the real space thrusters and Drift drive are highly powered; this is a fast ship. Iteration-177 openly discusses the ship's stealth capability.
And the racer in the shuttle bay is an entirely different kind of ship. It is spare and minimalist, not a gram of unnecessary mass. The quarters are extremely spartan. The only trait it shares with its mother ship is it's overly developed engines. It too is a fast ship.
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"I hate it," Never mutters to herself as corridor after repulsive corridor unfolds in front of her. At one point she steps into the latrine and almost hurls herself at the thousand-fibre count crimson carpet. The cleaning bill alone would pay for a dozen street urchins' meals for a decade where she came from. She consoled herself by estimating the scrap value of every room.
When the moment presents itself to retire to her chamber, or whatever, she steals away into the racer shuttle and sprawls out on the cold floor, falling fast asleep.
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After several days of travel and a precisely timed stop, the Diligent Forerunner drops out of the Drift. Through the windows of the spacecraft, the PCs can see an empty expanse of space, into which a planet suddenly appears, crackling with arcs of ivory energy.
Iteration-177 addresses the ship’s occupants over the speaker system and ushers the PCs, Royo, and the Hellknights into a spacious shuttle, which departs for the planet immediately.
Most of the surface of Athaeum is spotted with vine-covered stone domes and towers, creating the impression that the ship is landing in some ancient and long forgotten city. Many of the city’s buildings incorporate massive gears and timekeeping devices, each slowly winding with inscrutable purpose.
You land on a wide circular cobblestoned surface. Nearby a cracked stone pavilion is visible from the shuttle windows, nestled between towering skyscrapers.
A stone door slides open in one of the nearby vine-covered towers, and three clouds of glowing, crystalline dust emerge. These clouds float and form into a series of formulae and mathematical symbols in midair before suddenly coalescing into the image of three elven humanoids that patiently wait for the shuttle to land.
These are the Curators of Athaeum—creatures called axiomites who are comprised of pure mathematical law. The first Curator approaches the Starfinders and Royo, and leads them away from the shuttle. The second axiomite greets Iteration-177, and the third meets with the Hellknights.
The Curator greeting the Starfinder contingent, named Albryan, politely conveys the following information while he walks with the PCs and leads them inside.
“Greetings, esteemed guests from the Starfinder Society. I am Albryan, and I am tasked with guiding you to the Towers of Recondite Lore, where the information you requested resides. Before I do so, I would like to remind you of the rules of research on Athaeum.
"All the information stored on Athaeum is unique. Visitors are welcome to read from our manuscripts, but copying or recording them in any way is forbidden.
"Should you choose to reproduce any acquired knowledge after leaving Athaeum, know that you do so at your own risk. We Curators will actively punish such transgressions. Know that there is no corner of the cosmos safe from us.
“Additionally, violence against the Curators or other visitors is strictly prohibited.
"Finally, visitors to the libraries will be charged a substantial research fee. Fortuitously for you, during our recent shift to this corner of the universe, Athaeum passed through a dangerous energy field that has greatly damaged our systems. We are correcting the problems, but our resources are spread thin. We have flagged two issues in the specific tower to which you are traveling. If you can deal with these problems, we are prepared to greatly reduce our usual fee.”
"Lucky fer us. What 'r' these problems? What cin we do fer you?"
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Royo beams upon Lorne for his quick response.
Albryan nods to the dwarf slowly before answering, “First, our lore warden constructs in the Tower of the Oma have been infected by malicious data and are malfunctioning. Long ago, a group of doomsday cultist hackers created a prophetic virus, believing that once enough machines were infected, a new age would dawn throughout the universe. We eventually isolated the virus and brought it here for safekeeping. The recent damage to our systems, however, allowed part of the code to transmit to nearby devices, which happened to be a group of passing security machines. The machines are now roaming the halls of the tower, infected with delusions of grandeur. If you destroy these machines and recover a copy of the virus, we can return it to storage safely.
“Second, a special ksarik specimen named Vindurth has escaped from its cage in the tower. We captured an ancestor of Vindurth some years ago on the planet Castrovel because the hide of the beast was covered with indecipherable runes. Since then we have bred several generations from the beast, of which Vindurth is the most recent. Each has produced a new series of runes for us to record. Although relatively tame, Vindurth may become dangerous if allowed to wander free. If possible, find a way to bring the ksarik back to its cage.”
Zephyr listens carefully and nods as Albryan speaks. He asks two questions...
"Albryan, what constitutes a prohibited reproduction of your data? Obviously, our personal knowledge of it cannot, whether we are biological or mechanical in memory. We can act on this information, yes? May we discuss it with others in general terms or specific as long as we do not write it down or record it? I do now wish to run afoul of your rules, but I do not fully understand them," says Zephyr when the rules for data recording are introduced.
"As I am sure you know, my people were at one time considered to be property, to be enslaved and held prisoner in many ways. Tell me of this Ksarik beast--is it an intelligent life form that deserves to live its own life free from imprisonment?" he asks as well once the two tasks are stated.
"Destroy yer security 'bots? Given yer strength 'n' power claims, that oughtta be a pretty difficult thing ta do. Unless the virus has managed to write itself to permanent memory, getting a copy will require doing so BEFORE destroying the 'bots, too. This price don't seem cheap at all, but it only nets a discount? If the one task is p'tentially this hard, makes me worried 'bout what that critter cin do."
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The inevitable replies flatly. "We calculate that the tasks are within your capabilities. The lorewardens are multipurpose technological constructs. They are able to carry out clerical, maintenance, and low-level security tasks. They are not optimized for combat. However, we understand that probability will not always predict actual outcomes. Therefore, you have the choice. Pay the full fee and wait for us to resolve the issues, or help us, claim the discount, and expedite the matter yourselves."
Royo looks up at the party members. "This seems like a great opportunity, to save the Society valuable resources, and to ingratiate ourselves with our hosts. I think we should accept the offer." He pauses. "Although I will defer to you as field agents. This is not really my area of expertise."
* Bleed, death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, and stunning.
* Ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, exhaustion,fatigue, negative levels, and nonlethal damage.
* Any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect works on objects or is harmless).
A typical ksarik is a 12-foot-long quadruped made up of dense plant matter, including specialized tissues such as powerful tendons, woody internal supports that resemble bones, and flexible sheets of lignin that serve as a form of armor. Its head is immense and stocky, comprising approximately a dozen feeding tendrils that obscure its underdeveloped mouthparts. Its eyestalks project from either side of its head. A ksarik’s feeding tendrils are covered in an array of unusual sensory organs: some can discern the source of smells, while others sense movement and changes in light.
With Royo's blessing, Jaeric wastes no time in turning to their host, Albryan. "We'll happily deal with these issues. Just point us in the right direction." He then turns back to Royo. "Given this is more of a field task, would you prefer to wait somewhere safe until we've addressed things? I'd hate for you to get injured before we even reach the archives to do our research."
As the team starts to prepare their gear, Jaeric circles among them helping to check ammo loads and just generally getting a sense of their readiness for what might lie ahead. He gives a nod to Zephyr and Lorne, then checks the action on his pistol to ensure a round is already in the chamber before pulling everyone together for a quick debrief and mission planning.
"So, I don't know what to expect with these warden constructs, but the ksarik is native to Castrovel. Normally, they'd be found in packs, but they're mobile plants, not animals, and not particularly sentient...just clever hunters. If the Curators captured and tamed one, it should be a little easier to deal with. Even so, they're about 12 feet long, densely armored, and they've got a bunch of feeding tendrils that can smell prey and sense movement. Bottom line, they can be pretty dangerous, so we'll need a tactical plan for recapturing it if we're going to get it back into its cage."
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They can move quickly and climb very well.
"Oh...and before I forget..." Jaeric adds for everyone, "Ksarik can spit acid, climb really well, and they can shoot sharp darts that contain spores. If any wounds from those darts are left untreated, they can germinate inside of you to grow more of them. It's a horrible disease, because the younglings will burrow their way out, inflicting further damage, up to and including...death."
He pauses just a moment for dramatic effect, then gives a grim smile.
"So...you know...we all need to watch one another's back on this one."
"We accept the deal." Jaeric nods at Royo and then relays their decision to Albryan. "One concern, though..." he adds, "Being from Castrovel, I know the dangers posed by a ksarik. They're considerable. So, the fact that we're going to be dealing with this problem on your behalf...and trying to save the creature rather than put it down...I expect you do all that's necessary to treat any spore infections our party might suffer...in addition to the discount you've offered."
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"Your conditions are acceptable. I assent to this contract on behalf of Athaeum."
Albryan escorts the party to the far side of the plaza,where a stone shuttle attached to magically powered stone rails awaits. He explains that the shuttle will transport the party to the Towers of Recondite Lore. Once there, you should seek out the Tower of the Oma; the top floor of this tower holds Athaeum’s information vault on the Scoured Stars. The malfunctioning lore wardens and Vindurth the ksarik are somewhere in the tower. Normally Albryan would accompany the PCs on their visit, but due to the crisis with Athaeum’s systems, his presence is required elsewhere.
As you move to enter the shuttle, they notice that Iteration-177 and the Hellknight group each board shuttles of their own on the other side of the plaza. Iteration-177 seems to be on cordial terms with their Curator emissary. Kelria is gesturing angrily and berating her emissary while flanked by a contingent of her soldiers led by Loomarch.
Zephyr considers all that is being said, then adds a question, "Would you happen to have a weapon capable of tranquilizing the Ksarik beast? I'm afraid all my armaments are decidedly lethal, though my bayonet can hold a dose of tranquilizer if you have one available."
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Albryan faces Zephyr and considers the android. "The terms of the contract are set. Please board the shuttle. "
The shuttle whisks the PCs across the surface of Athaeum for roughly 15 minutes before stopping at the feet of the Towers of Recondite Lore. There are nearly two dozen towers in all, each named after a different magical beast and filled with individual vaults of unusual lore. Hundreds of bridges connect the towers at varying heights, meaning the PCs can move from tower to tower without ever touching the ground, if they wish.
Magic enhancements keep the stone from deteriorating, though pernicious vines and other flora creep up the sides of the towers. Glowing runes cap each tower’s entryway to the individual towers of the area, with each rune representing the creature associated with the individual tower. As you stare at the runes, their meaning resolves in your mind, indicating the namesake creature of each tower.
The Tower of the Oma lies near the center of the Towers of Recondite Lore. This soaring 40-story-tall structure is made of black, glassy stone lined with beautifully carved frescoes. Eight bridges lead to the tower, each at different heights, and four looming archways allow visitors to enter the tower.
"If we have supplies, time, and a lab, I could probably make you some."
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A strange, creeping ivy fills the first floor and crawls 100 feet up the sides of the tower. Faint green striations mark the xylem tubes in the broad succulent dark-red leaves.
"The Towers of Recondite Lore! The Tower of the Oma! Could will power be so weak anywhere else in the galaxy? Stop me before delirium sets in!"
A suddenly whimiscal Royo strides forward rapidly, but stop at the entrance to the Tower of the Oma. The ivy doesn't exactly block the doorway, but rings it densely enough that you must brush it aside to pass through. Behind the ivy there is strong sun-like lighting. It appears that the ivy is rooted inside, and has overgrown the first floor chamber , spread out the door and begun it's ascent up the tower from there.
The plant is Atienus, a protein-rich plant native to Castrovel that locals use to feed livestock.
"What sort of plant is this? I have never seen its like," says Zephyr.
"I t'ink it's Atienus. Feedstock. Could eat it if we need to, but I don't plan to be in the tower that long, do you?"
He looks at Royo with obvious shock on his face. "Rogue security bots and rampaging wild beasts loose in the tower? Yeah, it's safe ta go in. Of course it is." He rolls his eyes as he talks. "After you?"
"I'm not sure I can place this particular species..." Jaeric adds, "But I trust Lorne on the matter. As invasive as this plant appears to be, I fear the greater threat will come from the ksarik." He turns to look back at Royo. "So...no. It's not safe, but we'll do our best to make it so. Just stay behind us and say something if you see anything we might miss as we go along." The half-elf then follows after Never, his firearm in hand.
Pulling out his artillery laser, Zephyr moves in as well, keeping a lookout for rogue robots or carnivores.
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It's dim, but not as dark as you might have expected. Large windows let in a bit of light, colored crimson from the sheath of leaves inside and out.
Moving inside the vine-choked ground floor is like walking through a thick jungle. Here and there the foliage is fresh and tender; small leaves and stalks fill in torso-sized regions where older plants have been grazed away. The broken ends of stalk and ragged bitten edges on leaves are strangely softened.
At some point in the past, the ground floor was cleared and beds of soil a quarter meter high, contained by low masonry walls, were instilled. The Atienus grows from the soil.
Overhead pipes which sprout showerheads at intervals are mounted to the ceiling with rectilinear precision. At the back of the room, a cart with shovels, rakes and clippers waits beside a closed door. Stairs wind counterclockwise up the wall to the next floor.
Walking in front, Never is the first to spot the tiny splatters of acid on the floor below the grazed areas.
Zephyr is too distracted looking for active threats to puzzle out the implications of the acid damage to the Atienus plant.
"Not all plants," Jaeric explains to Never, "It really just depends on the biome. Given the right conditions, you can get a veritable jungle like where I grew up. But on an arid world like Akiton, you'd be lucky to find a few cacti out in the otherwise barren slopes." He kneels down to visually examine the acid. "As for this...well, I did say the ksarik can spit such stuff. Best to avoid it, but in this case, it might serve as a trail for finding our quarry..."
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Never kicks around the ground floor for a while, trying not to touch the icky plants. After some time she realizes that the acid isn't randomly sloshed around, but appears to head up the stairs.
Tidbit chirps at her from her pocket.
"They go up," answers Never. "Anyone want to go up these creepy stairs with me?"
"Yeah...we go up." Jaeric surmises, "Never? Lead the way. I'm right behind you. Lorne? Zephyr? See to it Royo is protected from the sides. Alison? You bring up the rear and watch for anything that tries to circle behind us."
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On the next floor the stairs continue to ascend along the outer wall. A small landing has a door through transparent inner walls. Frost rimes the transparent aluminum through which you see rows of obelisks carved from solid ice. Strange indecipherable formulae shift and float inside each obelisk. The obelisks stand some 20 meters tall, and the stairway completes three circumferences before you rise above them to the mext floor.
The transparent walls are cold to the touch.
Right next to the obelisk you can see a large reptile person in combat armor, a large rifle strapped to their back, standing.
As they notice you, they begin to wave towards you.
Hey you! Over here! You must be the ones Iteration-177 brought with them, right? Iteration-177 sent me to lend you a hand. Just in case...kind of a security measure. My name is Atharvaveda, nice to meet you.
The dwarf gives Veda a quick look of disbelief, before turning to see how Jaeric responds.
"Iteration-177 sent you? Why? When we parted ways at the landing site, the android seemed intent on their own task. How did they know where we were...and what we're about to do?" Jaeric asks the vesk.
Zephyr hangs back and quietly connects to his comms, sending a message to Iteration 177, ”A vesk solider has greeted us here and claims to work for you, Iteration-177. Can you confirm?”
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Zephyr hangs back and quietly connects to his comms, sending a message to Iteration 177, ”A vesk solider has greeted us here and claims to work for you, Iteration-177. Can you confirm?”
An image of I-177's face fills the screen. "Agent Zephyr, yes. I sent Veda to help when my host Albrandon informed me that Albryan had struck a bargain with you. I was hoping that you could send Ms. Whiteangel to the Tower of the Shadows. I believe her skillset could be very useful in my investigation here."