Although First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo intimated that you would be doing great things to enable a rescue mission to the Scoured Stars, you've been posted to Salvation’s End, a moon-sized satellite filled with innumerable artificial sealed chambers. VC Naiaj suggests you might as well get some real adventuring experience while plans are financed and set in motion.
The Starfinder outpost on Salvation's End is currently commanded by Venture-Captain Kunoris Vex, a drow. Most of the garrison are monstrous humanoids with unsophisticated tastes. Today you find yourself in the commissary....
A cheer erupts from a tightly packed group of gnolls and yetis huddled around a vidscreen airing a recording of a brutaris match. The abrupt noise settles into a persistent murmur of backseat coaching and boasting before being disrupted once more by the piercing sound of a voice over the loudspeaker: “Break’s over in ten! If you tell me what happened before I get to watch it, I’ll eject you into space.” The amplified voice belongs to Kunoris Vex, who flashes a playful smile as he switches off the loudspeaker microphone. He leaves the workers to their break and motions for you to follow him to his personal office, a compact but tidy room with walls covered in annotated paper maps of the false moon’s vault entrances. “Welcome! Nice to see a new batch of explorers. It’s been a while since we opened any vaults, and I was starting to worry First Seeker Elsebo might forget about us.” Vex traces a line on one of the maps, starting at a box labeled “lodge” before going through a short tunnel network to a circle of blue ink outside an unmarked vault. “This is where a ceiling hatch unlocked a couple days ago. We haven’t tried getting inside yet, and the signals coming from the outer computer interface were corrupted. Not encrypted like the rest of the signals we’ve intercepted from this place’s guiding intelligence, mind you. Corrupted. I had to restart my computer when I tried to run diagnostics because it kept opening duplicate windows.”
“We’re no closer to figuring out why this intelligence does what it does. This latest vault opening might be a fluke or by design. Either way, it’s a shot at some new intel. My assistant, Kashtee, can take you to the unlocked hatch. Your job is to explore the vault, take data on its
residents, and try to ascertain its purpose. Every vault that our agents have entered so far has been some sort of simulated social experiment, whether historical, speculative, or just plain weird. I have no reason to think this one will be any different. Keep your wits about you, and play nice with whatever’s in there until you can get a read on things. Feel free to hit up the commissary before you leave if you need anything. Any questions for me?”
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Stell arrives at Salvation's End wearing new armor, a flat black plexiglass bodysuit. She demonstrates an upgrade she got after being once too often without light, a collection of small light-emitting sources on the upper chest and shoulders of the armor. She can make them shine all around for 50 feet or as a 100 foot long cone of light. She also demonstrates how all her pistols, her survival knife, and a few other lightweight possessions can be hidden away in various secret compartments. Gone is the belt and holsters that used to clutter up her outfit.
She also seems lighter on her feet, the result, she explains, of a personal upgrade, a synaptic accelerator improving her reflexes.
She listens to the briefing and asks, "Why kind of beings inhabit the construct? Are they androids or a mixed group of biological types? Have any explorations encountered hostility to Starfinders?"
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Idir grimaces upon seeing Venture-Captain Vex. He'd heard rumors about drow, that their matron-executives were just the type of unscrupulous to buy dromada meat on the black market, inspired by rumors of their unique deliciousness and at the thrill of flaunting the taboo of eating a sapient being's flesh...but then he shakes his head. These were paranoid, unkind thoughts that a fellow Starfinder had done nothing to deserve. This should be a simple mission: exploration and data entry, both things that were relatively safe...relatively. And the admonition to "play nice" at least implied whatever they encountered could BE nice, so that was comforting at least.
He straightens up and nods to Stell.
"Yes, if there's been any minor probes into the vault that can give us some idea of what to expect it should make the mission go much more smoothly!"
Vex considers the questions momentarily before smiling and answering. "You probably know the End was infested with goblins, but we've chased most of them away. The vaults are sealed, and not of goblin make. Whoever engineered this rock was far more clever. You might find anything inside. Androids, robots, full biologicals. Go prepared for anything."
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Thundergun refreshed after few days off in a clean suit and even more ready to adventures than previously. After briefing he comes out with a question:
- Perhaps Pathfinders has a survey or a work frame for such experiments data gathering? Could be useful if we want to work with results more properly... And in support to Stell - what if we face hostile behaviour?
"We haven't cracked the encryption on the computer systems here. And once you're in the vault, you'll be on your own. Any data you bring back will help us figure out just what is going on here. If there's trouble, we don't expect you to lay down and die. We need you to report back. But do your best to minimize collateral damage. "
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Thundergun checks new equipment he bought recently. He holds an armored computer integrated with a Dousing Shield finding this convenient and safe.
-All I need is some food rations and I though about something to excavate and breach, like shovel or portable miner laser... Although Kuozar has one, right?
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Idir, nervously eyeing the others in the group, decides to stop by the commissary and get himself more securely kitted out. When he emerges, he's wearing what can be described, for lack of a better term, a navy blue carbon-fiber armored three-piece suit. A collapsing stock has been added to his trusty laser rifle, but otherwise he hasn't selected much more new gear.
"Smart-looking AND secure...what more could a dromada ask for?" he asks, seeming more to reassure himself than an actual question.
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-All I need is some food rations and I though about something to excavate and breach, like shovel or portable miner laser... Although Kuozar has one, right?
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Yes, Kuozar has one. And damn Kuozar is going to buy more batteries for this if we have to make a lot of holes in the walls. Nuar puffs his cigar sternly and stares at drow. I'm from Apostae myself, you know? A former slave, although they no longer use this word in official forms, so as not to anger the bureaucrats of the Pact Worlds. He looks at Vex like a bull before an attack. I hope you're not the type of drow I remember.Telepathically, Kuozar explains to the others what he is talking about now:
:: Indifference to the lives of subordinates, torture for the sake of torture, depraved feasts with drugs, senseless murders, sodomy and sometimes cannibalism - not each other, of course, but those intelligent races whose meat they consider exquisite... And so on... ::
Nuar (obviously) doesn't send this thought to Vex, but instead scowls at him.
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"Smart-looking AND secure...what more could a dromada ask for?" he asks, seeming more to reassure himself than an actual question.
-All I need is some food rations and I though about something to excavate and breach, like shovel or portable miner laser... Although Kuozar has one, right?
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Yes, Kuozar has one....
Nuar puffs his cigar sternly and stares at drow. I'm from Apostae myself, you know? A former slave, although they no longer use this word in official forms, so as not to anger the bureaucrats of the Pact Worlds. He looks at Vex like a bull before an attack. I hope you're not the type of drow I remember.
...
Nuar ... doesn't send this thought to Vex, but instead scowls at him.
Vex sighs. Of course I'm not like that. But if I were, wouldn't it be smarter to be nice to me?"
Beside his desk, Kashtee, the gnoll assistant straightens up and looks at Idir. She runs her long tongue around her canine teeth. She raises a hand to wipe something from the corner of her mouth.
Kashtee leads you all to a jeep-like hovercraft and whisks you down a series pf tunnels with interlocking metal pipes, wires, and screens. She stops at a dead end where a foot-wide screen flashes and repeatedly runs the same processing code.
She reaches up to a ceiling cover fitted with a twist‑open handle, and cranks it until it swings open, revealing a narrow vent with a metal ladder set into the side. "Up the ladder, through the open hatch. Mind Kunoris' instructions. And be careful. Bruised flesh isn't as good."
The party climbs the ladder until they reach a six-way intersection with two accessible portals: the one they climbed through and a maintenance corridor with its door stuck open. All other doors are locked and sealed. The open corridor ends in short stairway that leads up to a hatch emitting muffled music from the other side.
A three-bulb brass chandelier illuminates the room beyond the hatch, its light amplifying the tint of the yellow checkered wallpaper covering the walls. The room features several pieces of faux wood furniture: bookcases haphazardly packed with comic compilations, board games, and sports almanacs; a desk strewn with sketches of roof shingle designs and an incomplete jigsaw puzzle; a workbench displaying action figures surrounded by painting and craft supplies. The sound of an a cappella choir singing a retro, up-tempo tune emanates from a corridor opposite the entrance.
Everything about this room aligns with modern Pact Worlds- level technological amenities. Shortly after the PCs enter, a human wearing a short-sleeved collared shirt, pastel shorts, and white socks with sandals enters the room from the opposite entryway, sipping a mug of tea. They startle when they spot the PCs, spilling their tea in surprise, but then enthusiastically greet their visitors.
“Well hey, strangers! I wasn’t expecting company in the basement today. I’m guessing you’re here to sell me something? Since you came in through the cellar door, am I right?” The human cracks a wide smile, then calls over their shoulder. “Hey, roomie! We got visitors in the basement, came up from the hallway past the hatch! They must be a new batch. Bring some more tea, would ya? I’m guessing they’re all thirs-tea!”
"I'm Roofer Joro. You guys must be from away. What are your names?
Where are you from? You're a human. You're a nuar. But what are you two?"
Joro is friendly and enjoys making goofy puns. They speak adoringly of the vault—recognizing it as an artificial structure the same way a Pact Worlds native would recognize their home planet’s climate—and enthusiastically gush about their various interests. They share extensive knowledge of the nutritional foods they prepare and eat, show off recordings of their community choir music (their ensemble is called “Jig is Up”), and provide effusive analysis of whizdisk—a local sport that entails formations of players passing an aerodynamic disk across a stadium field while opposing players slow their advance by pulling off flags attached to their uniforms, signifying a “knock out.” Joro intimately knows the idiosyncrasies of the deceptively complex sport as well as the latest drama surrounding a twisted ankle taking out the star player on their favorite team, the “Thumbs-Up.”
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Kashtee leads you all to a jeep-like hovercraft and whisks you down a series pf tunnels with interlocking metal pipes, wires, and screens. She stops at a dead end where a foot-wide screen flashes and repeatedly runs the same processing code.
She reaches up to a ceiling cover fitted with a twist‑open handle, and cranks it until it swings open, revealing a narrow vent with a metal ladder set into the side. "Up the ladder, through the open hatch. Mind Kunoris' instructions. And be careful. Bruised flesh isn't as good."
The party climbs the ladder until they reach a six-way intersection with two accessible portals: the one they climbed through and a maintenance corridor with its door stuck open. All other doors are locked and sealed. The open corridor ends in short stairway that leads up to a hatch emitting muffled music from the other side.
Idir's eyestalks narrow at Kashtee's parting words, but he says nothing. He follows the group into the Vault, trying his best to breathe and not hyperventilate. He'd been in much more dangerous situations already, after all...he should be calmer about this, right? A big-shot Starfinder who'd helped save the First Seeker's life! He wasn't doing a good job of convincing himself of that fact.
A three-bulb brass chandelier illuminates the room beyond the hatch, its light amplifying the tint of the yellow checkered wallpaper covering the walls. The room features several pieces of faux wood furniture: bookcases haphazardly packed with comic compilations, board games, and sports almanacs; a desk strewn with sketches of roof shingle designs and an incomplete jigsaw puzzle; a workbench displaying action figures surrounded by painting and craft supplies. The sound of an a cappella choir singing a retro, up-tempo tune emanates from a corridor opposite the entrance.
Everything about this room aligns with modern Pact Worlds- level technological amenities. Shortly after the PCs enter, a human wearing a short-sleeved collared shirt, pastel shorts, and white socks with sandals enters the room from the opposite entryway, sipping a mug of tea. They startle when they spot the PCs, spilling their tea in surprise, but then enthusiastically greet their visitors.
Then he heard the music and the fear gave way to...confusion? He was expecting the roars of beasts or screams of monsters, not something pleasant! Entering the room and finding it downright COZY of all things made his jaw drop. And then when the inhabitant turned out to be HUMAN Idir's eyestalks began shifting towards the others to make sure they were seeing what he was seeing.
“Well hey, strangers! I wasn’t expecting company in the basement today. I’m guessing you’re here to sell me something? Since you came in through the cellar door, am I right?” The human cracks a wide smile, then calls over their shoulder. “Hey, roomie! We got visitors in the basement, came up from the hallway past the hatch! They must be a new batch. Bring some more tea, would ya? I’m guessing they’re all thirs-tea!”
"I'm Roofer Joro. You guys must be from away. What are your names? Where are you from? You're a human. You're a nuar. But what are you two?"
"Um, my name is Idir, of the Herd Fernas and field agent of the Starfinder Society," he says, showing the Societal Subdermal Graft on his hand. "As for what I am, my species is called 'dromada,' 'dromadas' collectively, from the world Dromaritia."
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Stell felt at ease as soon as she heard music. Any culture that enjoyed music must be civilized, unless the music was purely to drive warriors into battle or some other dark purpose.
When the inhabitants turn out to be human and to have knowledge of the outside world made her feel more at ease. She had half expected androids or everyone a clone of the same individual with a hive mind or something exotic like that.
"Pleased to meet you, Joro! I am Stell. We are all Starfinders, agents of an organization that strives to understand our universe. We seek out allies in our peaceful missions and warn others of threats to the peaceful cooperation of the Pact worlds and beyond. Do you mind if I record our conversations?"
Once introductions are made, she asks to hear some of their favorite music.
"Sure. You can record. Are you gonna post it on the info sphere?" Joro continues on in the same friendly vane, asking questions and volunteering minutia about his life.
During the conversation, Roofer Joro’s roommate enters with a tray of assorted mugs steeping various healthy teas along with some homemade, high-nutrition pretzels fresh out of the oven (the Joros calls them “tasty twisties”). The newcomer is a human who appears identical to Roofer Joro, except wearing a light blue blouse spotted with yellow flowers and sleek, khaki pants. They introduce themself as Baker Joro, clearly recognizing that they’re the same person save for a few differences. Baker Joro backs the “Bunny Ears” whizdisk team (a source of playful rivalry between the two roommates), prefers puzzles and drawing cartoons to singing, and bakes professionally while Roofer Joro builds and repairs roofs. Baker Joro asks all the same questions and uses all the same kinds of jokes to welcome the PCs, creating a palpable sense of déjà vu.
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"Sure. You can record. Are you gonna post it on the info sphere?" Joro continues on in the same friendly vane, asking questions and volunteering minutia about his life.
"If you want. You'll have to show me how. This is mainly for our report on what we find here."
Stell notices the resemblance and of course assumes they are clones, but doesn't want to ask about that directly. So she says, "So tell me your life story, if you don't mind. How did you come to exist, and how did your life go from then to now?" She addresses both Joros.
The Joros are forthcoming about the fact that they’re clones. They have only fuzzy memories of their creation, like an adult’s memories of early childhood, but they know they emerged as adults with fully formed tastes and personalities and that they all worked together to build this community to their liking using materials from a network of food, water, metal, and chemical synthesizers located throughout the vault.
The Joros encourage the PCs to explore the area and experience the Joro lifestyle. They also mention that the PCs might be interested in speaking to the handful of divergent clones scattered throughout their community. They assume the PCs are a new batch of clones and hope that if they can’t integrate them into the Joro community, they can introduce them to the other clones.
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Thundergun shortly introduced as a representative of izalguun specie but generally use much more time inspecting surroundings rather than actually participating in speaking with Roofer Joro. Nevertheless Idir and Stall are good in talking...
As far as another human appears, TG starts hesitating..
- Are you brothers or relatives, Roofer and Baker? I see some similarities in your appearances.
Recieveing clone explanation, TG became thoughtful again...
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Stell records all this, feeling some relief that there does not appear to be any serious physical threats. A harmonious community of clones seems a reasonable project for some intelligent social scientists.
"Thank you for tea and tasty twisties. We've learned a lot. We will explore further. The most interesting place I'd like to visit is where the new residents arrive. Can we observe the place where you and your fellows are born?"
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Idir watches and listens to the conversation, initially stunned at Baker's similarities to Roofer before the fact that they are clones is explained.
Even as he partakes of the refreshments, and feels some relief at the apparent safeness of this mission, something in the back of his mind won't let up. Even if the rest of these Joros were indeed as friendly and welcoming as their two hosts, they seemed oddly unfazed by the fact that alien visitors just showed up in their basement and started asking questions. And that they seemed to immediately assume the group themselves were newly-born clothes only added to the unease. He'd been a Starfinder long enough to sense when something seemed too easy.
"Born? We just show up. " The Joros seem confused, but quickly regain their sunny disposition. "I guess we've never thought about that before. We must come from somewhere." They look at each other. "We were just kind of here, and we all built the town. It's a great town. Everything's just the best. You should check it out."
Baker Joro frowns thoughtfully, then asks the party, "Where did you come from?"
Meanwhile Thundergun's inspection takes him upstairs. He can look out into the rest of the vault, and sees an entire suburban neighborhood populated by copies of the same human distinguishable only by surface-level differences in hair and clothing. All the homes, stores, advertisements, and other details share the same aesthetics, tacky fashion, positive attitudes, and corny humor. The entire neighborhood appears like a utopia for this singular personality: food markets and restaurants all feature overtly healthy offerings, sports coverage of whizdisk dominates the media, jigsaw puzzle motifs decorate all the windows and many business signs, and most domestic drones look like cartoony whizdisk team mascots.
The izalguun estimates that the vault’s interior covers 1 square mile and mostly consists of residences with a few communal buildings and sports fields, surrounded by simulated greenery. The vault emulates an outdoor atmosphere with normal passage of days, (right now it looks like it's about noon) and it largely provides the materials for nutrition, construction, and technological development at various production sites.
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Kuozar sends you a telepathic message:
:: I saw one movie about virtual reality... There, in the second part, one guy became, let's say, a virus and began to turn all the inhabitants of this virtual reality into himself. So that in the end only he remains. ::
He doesn't finish the thought. And then he says out loud:
Well, let's go look around here? Thank you hosts.
Kuozar clearly does not consider the question about where he came from to be significant in a conversation with a clone and pretends that he did not notice it.
"Before I can tell you where we're from, do you know what a planet or a star is?"
"Sure we do!" says Roofer Joro. "They float in space, where there's no air to breath and they're really far away."
... And then he says out loud:
Well, let's go look around here? Thank you hosts.
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-Impressive polygon, or simulation. We'll see. We appreciate hospitality anyway!
TG shares some results of his short inspection.
-Thats wise. A lot of public info at one place - BOard Meeting. if they invent something. Or how many people live here to sustain...
"Oh you're very welcome. We hope you like staying here." says Baker Joro.
"Be sure to stop by the whizdisk stadium. The Thumbs-Up are holding a practice! It's the best whizdisk that you'll see anywhere!" adds Roofer Joro. Baker Joro gives him a look.
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"Born? We just show up. " The Joros seem confused, but quickly regain their sunny disposition. "I guess we've never thought about that before. We must come from somewhere." They look at each other. "We were just kind of here, and we all built the town. It's a great town. Everything's just the best. You should check it out."
Baker Joro frowns thoughtfully, then asks the party, "Where did you come from?"
"...Dromaritia," Idir replies matter-of-factly.
He takes a moment to follow Thundergun upstairs and upon seeing the rest of the Vault, his jaw drops.
"As a Starfinder, I should be less fazed by this than I am."
Kuozar sends you a telepathic message:
:: I saw one movie about virtual reality... There, in the second part, one guy became, let's say, a virus and began to turn all the inhabitants of this virtual reality into himself. So that in the end only he remains. ::
:: That isn't very reassuring. :: Idir replies mentally.
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"Sure we do!" says Roofer Joro. "They float in space, where there's no air to breath and they're really far away."
"There's no air in deep space but planets have air kept close by the pull of gravity. We all come from planets where living things reproduce and make new beings to carry on when the elders die off. Anyway, thank you for your help. We'll look around. Bye."
Stell catches up to the others and follows along to the board meeting, making a video record of the vault's appearance.
BOARD MEETING
This wooden building functions as a public library, except that instead of books, the Joros share board games, card games, puzzles, and similar hobbies. The aisles are quiet to allow for concentration, but conversations commonly occur in the central area, where Joros staff play games and discuss strategies. The community is abuzz about the upcoming Imperial Conquest match between Gamemaster Joro and Assistant Editor Joro that will decide if the latter can dethrone the former and earn the title of Gamemaster.
A number of Joros are seated at tables throughout the area, engaged in games. Just inside the door is a central kiosk where a Joro clad in a black robe is placing game boxes on a cart. The Joro turns to face you. "Welcome to the Board Meeting. How can I help you?"
"Would you like to play a game?"
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Thundergun stands up at his lower limbs observing Joros from above. After thinking a bit he removes helmet showing his strange and some how scary jaw anatomy and a hammer-head.
After looking at Joros he het back down at his 4, and say to a response:
- Yes, I want to play. You have only analog games? No digital, or spirit games? Or magical? Please, make me familiar with Strategic board games than..
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Idir quietly follows and his eyestalks shift and move all over the place, taking in the sights. He records notes on his computer as he walks. When they reach the board meeting, he nudges Stell a bit.
"Do you...think they treat the phrase 'board meeting' literally in this community? As in a meeting to play board games rather than a meeting of a board of directors?" he asks quietly.
The game-brarian recoils from Thundergun's unexpected anatomy, for just a second, before continuing cheerfully. "We have a large assortment of games ... " Game librarian Joro lays out a number of games you might try and breifly describes each.
From across the room a small group of Joros calls out, "We could use three more for Imperial Conquest! It's the best game. You've got to have an expansive outlook to be successful. "
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The game-brarian recoils from Thundergun's unexpected anatomy, for just a second, before continuing cheerfully. "We have a large assortment of games ... " Game librarian Joro lays out a number of games you might try and breifly describes each.
From across the room a small group of Joros calls out, "We could use three more for Imperial Conquest! It's the best game. You've got to have an expansive outlook to be successful. "
TG looks at mates suggesting someone also join him as the players need 3 more participants. Anyway he is interested in tryin the Imperial Conquest!