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The Lorespire Complex bustles with activity as the doors to Venture-Captain Arvin’s private office slide quickly. The lashunta man jots down some quick notes on his datapad, and then he glances up and motions to sit down.
Welcome, Starfinders. We have just finished compiling some intriguing news. The Society’s magical archive for divining potential new finds, the Communion Vaults, houses a perpetually sleeping Liavaran Dreamer named Whisperer of Solar Winds. The Dreamer rarely rouses from its torpor, but when it does, it spins interwoven dream stories that point us to promising finds. It awoke earlier this week and has given us an elegant story about a fractured sandstone tablet that could point the Society to a great treasure.
Unfortunately, the three fragments of the tablet appear to be in very different locales based on the tales we’ve recorded. Luckily, each of these locations appears to be within the Pact Worlds. It’s your job to track each piece down and report back here so we can get everything pieced together and figure this dream out. Your first destination is the machine-driven world of Aballon. Based on the details of the first dreamspun tale, you’re likely to be looking for an android in a less-than-reputable city.
We’re sending you via shuttle to Towershadow, where you’ll have to figure out for yourselves what awaits. Time is of the essence, as things can change quite quickly. Any questions before you depart?
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"What can you tell us about this android? Do they have a name or description?" The speaker is a female android dressed in navy and merlot. The hair on the right side of her head is naturally wavy, with ombre red-violet roots to deep indigo tips just past the shoulder. The left side of her head is clean-shaven, the better to reveal the intricate indigo and violet tattoos in delicate scrollwork and flowers that highlight her pale violet glowing circuits, covering almost every bit of her visible skin. Expressionless amethyst eyes meet Venture-Captain Arvin’s glance.
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Based on the details of the first dreamspun tale, you’re likely to be looking for an android in a less-than-reputable city.
We’re sending you via shuttle to Towershadow, where you’ll have to figure out for yourselves what awaits. Time is of the essence, as things can change quite quickly. Any questions before you depart?
"Well, since you asked, Venture-Captain Arvin," pipes in a witchwyrd, wearing a finely tailored suit. "I am curious as to why you would choose me, Morvruul, a simple merchant for such a dangerous mission. Whatever makes you think that I would know the first thing about how to find an 'android in a less-than-reputable city'?"
Could it be that Arvin has suspicions about the true nature of my "business"? What does he know? How much has he figured out? Could this so-called "assignment" be some sort of scheme to catch me red-handed? Morvruul's beady eyes begin looking around warily.
A damai with a laconic look on his face asks, "What can you tell us about Towershadow?"
Morvruul reels back a few steps when the damai speaks.
Morvruul shrieks. "Just when did you arrive?"
The presence of that accursed lashunta can only confirm what I suspect about Arvin's suspicions! The two lashunta are in cahoots! Indeed, they are probably telepathically coordinating their scheme even now, as we speak!
Where is my goblin attaché, Drouf? He should have been here by now!
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Arven looks at Morvruul You're here because I know you are good at what you do. Speaking of here I seem to be short two Starfinders.
He presses a button on his desk. Will Starfinders Seggas Yakan and Sturmvanger please report to Venture Captain Arvin's office - on the double.
He then looks between Cha'mon Cha'mon and Morvruul. And both of you are assigned to this mission because it is believed both of you require a reminder of the third part of the Starfinder motto 'Co-operate'. Do I make myself clear?
Now ... as for Towershadow and Aballon. Aballon is a planet known for its machines and robotic inhabitants. It’s very difficult for biological life to survive with nonexistent atmosphere and other dangerous environs. Thankfully, its primary inhabitants, a machine race known as the anacites, have built self-contained megaplex cities. One of these megaplex cities, known as Striving, houses your destination region of Towershadow. As there is artificial atmosphere within the megaplex, you shouldn’t need anything more than your armour and whatever tools you already have.
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Twila-5 stares at Morvruul. "...Wow. If you act like that when we're close to our target, you'll scare them off. On our way there, I can coach you on functional behavior." Her voice is almost like warm honey. If only it wasn't so flat.
"How thoughtful--Twila-5, is it?" Morvruul responds patronizingly. He glares at the android. You coach me on "functional behavior"?! I'll see to it that you cease functioning all together! I could always use a few spare parts for my tinkering.
As the Venture-Captain begins speaking, Morvruul remains lost in thought.
He presses a button on his desk. Will Starfinders Seggas Yakan and Sturmvanger please report to Venture Captain Arvin's office - on the double.
He then looks between Cha'mon Cha'mon and Morvruul. And both of you are assigned to this mission because it is believed both of you require a reminder of the third part of the Starfinder motto 'Co-operate'. Do I make myself clear?
Then, something Arvin says seems to jostle Morvruul's thoughts back to the present.
The DOCTOR is coming?! Morvruul ponders, instinctively reaching up with one of his many hands to straighten his mouth covering while pressing out any wrinkles on his suit with a pair of the others.
"And, yes, you make yourself quite clear, Venture-Captain." Morvruul responds with saccharine tone. "I will make recovering the three stone tablets my highest priority."
So, I can use one as headstone for your grave, Arvin, and still have enough left over for the two additional graves I am planning--each designed to hold a single 'Cha'mon'!
The witchwyrd erupts in a fit of laughter.
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Cha'mon Cha'mon, turns his gaze to Morvruul and gives him a sardonic look before he says, "Hello Morvruul." His words drip with sarcasm and disdain.
With a smug look on his face he says to Arvin, "Don't mind Morvruul. He's just mildly insane. I think because he has a mouth covering on he thinks that the words coming out of his mouth don't have to make any sense."
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"Will Starfinders Seggas Yakan and Sturmvanger please report to Venture Captain Arvin's office - on the double."
Sturmvanger? Could it be? A bittersweet memory of Twila-4's first mission with a dragonkin of that name surfaces in Twila-5's mind. She turns so she can see the door out of the corner of her eye, unsure of whether or not she wants it to be him.
So lost in thought is she that Morvruul's sudden laughter causes her to jump in her seat. She stares at him with wide eyes as Cha'mon Cha'mon throws in his two credits. 'Mildly' insane? If he behaves like this during a mission he could cause us to fail! Blinking once, she turns her head back to the door, replying emotionlessly: "I can neither verify nor contradict your statement, Cha'mon Cha'mon. Any advice you have on how to cooperate with him in a functional manner will be appreciated."
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A woman in a white lab coat over a red suit jacket and matching pants strides into the room. Her pointed ears, snake like pupils and thin bifrucaited tongue show her ancestors were more than just humans. Behind her follows a big burly golden scaled dragonkin. She seems to be deep in telepathic conversation with him when she comes in.
She stops in the room for a moment bowing deeply to Arvin. "Sorry for the wait, we were told to meet in Conference Room Omega-7 and not your offices." Apologies out of the way, she glances at the rest of the group assembled. So this is my next group of test subjects *ah* STARFINDERS to work with? More than a few familiar faces...
First she turns to Morvuul, a smile that has a faint predatory aspect to it revealing her long incisors. "Morvuul! It's so good to be traveling with you again! I forgot to give you something last mission." She leans in closer pressing something into his hand and then whispers something into his ear.
Giving the man a wink, she then turns to Cha'mon Cha'mon. "AH, the one who refused to help me test things. Are you sure you don't want my genetic aid? Anyways I'm glad you're here, you're about the only person I trust to keep Morvuul in line and I fear he might be extra... Himself this mission."
Finally she turns to the last person in the room. Her eyes narrow for a second as she takes in the andriod. Her face is too familiar... An instant later they widen as her pupils narrow to a slit, recognizing her from images she'd gotten from Sturm. She swivels on the dragonkin and stares at him intently.
After a few moments with the dragonkin she turns back to the new person and asks, "Are you who I'm afraid you are? Sturm told me you had died... Are you possibly a different soul in the same body? Anyways, I am Seggas Yakan Doctor of veterinary Medicine, Doctor of Medical Dentistry and you?"
After a few moments she produces a couple of digital papers and hands one to everyone but Sturm and Arvin. "Due to some pesky laws and basic ethics (apparently), I have to ask permission to experi- *cough* use my 'medical supplements' on you. I have all of the legal documentation because someone insisted on it, and can promise there will be no lasting side effects. Once you sign these, I'll also need to take a baseline scan to see if my 'supplements' haven't had any adverse effects."
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First she turns to Morvuul, a smile that has a faint predatory aspect to it revealing her long incisors. "Morvuul! It's so good to be traveling with you again! I forgot to give you something last mission." She leans in closer pressing something into his hand and then whispers something into his ear.
The witchwyrd seems to blush. "I will most certainly--be myself." Morvruul seems to flex three of his scrawny arms as if for emphasis. The fourth arm, he submits for a genetic sample. "I have more genetic material where that came from."
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Twila-5's blank stare doesn't seem to register with Seggas. "You are mistaken. My predecessor, Twila-4, nearly died multiple times on her first mission. There was a dragonkin on that mission named Sturmvanger, who was bonded with an android named Sam-12. Sam-12 died on that mission. Twila-4 died more recently, on her third mission with the Society. I would like to inspect those forms. If everything is in order, I will sign them and permit a baseline scan."
Once that's all taken care of, she turns to watch the door out of the corner of her eye again.
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The promised Dragonkin does, indeed arrive behind Seggas, though a few extra seconds and he is looking back down the hall he came from.
"Oh...you again," he says when he catches sight of Morvruul and with about as much excitement as Cha'mon Cha'mon had in seeing the man.
He gives THAT man a nod as he also catches sight of him.
Then he sees Twila-5. She's not the same yet she's unmistakable. The giant man takes an involuntary step back, wings, neck and arms crumpling like paper in water.
It is with obvious effort that he composes himself.
"Twila-5, is it? Yes, I knew your predecessor. She stood with me during a very...difficult mission. I'm sorry that she is no longer with us, though I look forward to getting to know you," his words are carefully chosen and as flat as though they were spoken by the person he is speaking to.
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"Thank you. I feel the same about your predecessor. And I am sure that I will feel the same about you before our mission is through," Sturmvanger says to Twila-5.
He stands straighter, at rigid attention as Arvin directs their attention back to the task at hand.
"Of course. We'll be on our way," he says, on his way out of the man's office and toward their shuttle.
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Twila-5 follows Sturmvanger out, her mind swirling. How much to I tell him about Twila-4's death? Or her fascination with it? How her death has affected me? That she died on her third mission, and this is my third mission? That seems momentous, but is likely merely coincidental. --Stop. Don't overshare. Don't overthink. She checks herself and begins a well-practiced mental exercise. Be in the moment. Life is precious. Live it now. What has gone before is only useful if it enriches the lives that continue.
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After they left, Arven puts in a call in to Naiaj.
It is done. They are on their way. I hope this works. he says.
After a few days, the shuttle reaches a blasted wasteland of a planet that—despite its dark and barren appearance—quickly shows itself to be covered in glittering metal cities under the full brightness of the Pact World’s sun. The shuttle goes through a set of blast doors into a city built inside and around what was clearly once a massive silver tower.
To find information you may do the following: Computers (to review the local infosphere), Diplomacy (to gather information), Survival (to track), or a relevant Profession skill.
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En route to Aballon, Morvruul obsesses over the mission assignment.
"'Made real one'? 'Piece of prize'? 'Shadow of a false-made tower'?!" Morvruul muses aloud. "This is all utter nonsense! Arvin isn't sending us on a mission. He is setting us up for failure! We have to somehow locate a singe 'anacite or android' that has 'legal woes' somewhere on an entire planet?!"
He turns to Twila-5 and asks, "Tell me, do you have any 'legal woes'?"
He glances the android with suspicion. Deciding, however, he will not get a satisfying answers from her, the witchwyrd's multiple hands fly across multiple keyboards as he conducts multiple computer searches, each bringing up multiple hits.
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Twila-5 doesn't even bother to look up as she replies in her best bored-Twila-4 voice: "No." Normally she deliberately avoids channeling the personality traits of her predecessor, but it seems like the best way to handle the volatile crewmate. She hopes it doesn't discomfit Sturmvanger too much, but as she has trouble reading dragonkin emotional cues there's little hope of her noticing unless he makes it blatantly obvious. (Okay, maybe it's not just dragonkin who stump her. It's everyone.)
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Seggas raises an eyebrow at the information. "Hrmm. Maybe we can find some information about this from the local infosphere. I wonder if there was any recent news stories about a robbery?" She then looks over at Morvuul and gives him a smile. "I'm SURE you could find them though, Morvuul. You're just complaining to make it look good when you actaully find them."
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Twila-5 isn't having much luck with her deep dive into the Aballon Infosphere as several references lead to Verces, where he came from. Perhaps she'd have more luck tapping into the Verces Infosphere - but one needs to be on or orbiting Verces to do that.
She does find out that he came to Aballon hoping to get a fairer trial.
However, Sturmvanger and Cha'mon, working together, are able to locate the android's location in Towershadow and you all head there, finding him outside a convenience store while dressed in worker's clothes.
Before talking to him, make diplomacy checks to put him at ease.
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"I'm SURE you could find them though, Morvuul. You're just complaining to make it look good when you actaully find them."
"You always have been quite observant, Doctor," Morvruul replies, smiling with his beady eyes.
Once the ship lands, Morvruul heads towards one of the airlocks. "Oops," he says upon realizing that the exit ramp had been dropped from the airlock on the other side of the craft. "It would have been a shame if I had ended up going through the wrong air lock."
Grudgingly following the others, he spies an android outside a convenience store dressed in workers' clothes. "Lerecti, I presume?" he begins, waving several of his hands.
"I am Morvruul. Though I am a simple merchant, I believe that my lackeys and I can help you address some possible legal woes. Do you know of a more discreet location where we could discuss such matters?"
"Oh, and don't mind the lashunta," he adds. "He recently ingested a crate of narco-imitators having mistaken them for patches of much needed grooming moss."
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"I'm SURE you could find them though, Morvuul. You're just complaining to make it look good when you actaully find them.""You always have been quite observant, Doctor," Morvruul replies, smiling with his beady eyes.
Seggas gives Morvuul a slightly devious smile. "Or you're just easy to read." She then heads out through the right airlock and down the ramp. After a moment she realizes that she has no idea what the social situation outside is like or what role she would be expected to perform and clams up, she instead leaves the talking to the more laid back members of the crew instead.
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When the time comes for talking, Sturmvanger hangs back with Seggas, standing behind her like some oversized golden shadow.
Though he keeps his expression largely neutral, there is a gleam of admiration for Morvruul's skill in chatting people up. He doesn't even get riled up at the "lackey" comment.
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Lackeys? Oh, how I would love to find some way to flabbergast him. What would it take to render Morvruul speechless? Despite how entertaining such thoughts would be, Twila-5 forces herself to set aside such fantasies and focus on the moment. Specifically, on avoiding undoing the progress Morvruul has made so far in talking to Lerecti. She begins by standing silently like Sturmvanger and Seggas, but realizes that a bunch of silent body guards may send the wrong message. Morvruul keeps talking though, so she settles on an awkward-feeling wave, hoping it comes across as friendly.
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Somehow Morvruul is able to put Lerecti at ease enough to talk to him. He looks around and asks you all to gather around.
I ... guess ... here will do. And yes. I was framed for murder on my home world, Verces, for finding out some scumbag of a club owner was engaging in android trafficking. Had to come here to get a proper trial from the anacites. If only I had my evidence .....
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Seggas's eyes light up at the mention of evidence. Now there's something I can help with. She steps forward, her tongue flicking out the only thing betraying her nervousness. "Evidence? Do you know where it is, and is it something we could perhaps retrieve for you?"
She also glances at Morvuul and then back at Sturm.
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Ah, some thugs stole it from a coworker. I don’t want to risk making a bad name for myself while trying to clear my name already. The evidence is on a datapad with a red sticker that some verthani thug took to the slums.
If you can get it back for me, I got this sandstone tablet that I ... erm ..... purloined from that scumbag club owner that I was hoping to use as a bargaining chip but ... that didn't work out so, you guys may as well have it as payment.
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"Sometimes other ways of talking to people are more effective," Sturmvanger points out, drawing himself up to his full, imposing height.
"In any case, our next step is to find these thugs and this datapad."
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"Verthani thug. Slums. Got it. Anything else you can share to help us locate your evidence? And how do you prefer we contact you once we've retrieved it?" Twila-5 is all business now that there's enough to work with. I thought this part would be harder. Then again, the rest might make up for it. She deliberately refuses to follow the dark thoughts that loom up from the back of her mind about the potential lethal nature of third missions.
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VC Arvin requested a team from your organization, the Lady expressed telepathically while offering a datapad with the dossier.
Rilynn nodded and left the office, and an hour later was on a shuttle for Towershadow.
Unfortunately, she would be late joining the team. They would be bonded by now and she would enter as something of an outsider; the chemistry would be awkward, but the mission didn't care. VC's demanded results, not interesting personal connections. Still, Rilynn was damaya lashunta, and her feelings were never far below the surface.
The team proved relatively easy to track down. Aballon is a significant Pact world, but in no way cosmopolitan. The diverse group of lifeforms traveling together tickled the Infosphere.
A tall and slender lashunta arrives at the impromptu meeting with the Starfinders' quarry just as they are about to depart. She's wearing matte black second skin armor that fits every subtle curve perfectly, and carries a slightly aristocratic air in her pose which she often forgets to conceal when she's nervous.
She waits for the interview to conclude before introducing herself to the group.
"Apologies for my delay. I'm Rilynn Rae, final member of this mission team. I caught the end of that exchange. It seems you all have quite a repoire already."
She smiles at Seggas. "I completely agree, although these encounters rarely end peaceably, almost as if by design! We can hope for the best."
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You also have an extra addendum from both VC Arvin and Naiaj attached to your briefing. It basically says, Observe this group, encourage them to co-operate, and try to stop them from killing each other
Lerecti’s information leads the PCs to a grungy section of Towershadow’s interior slums. The ground here is a grimy mix of soot and dirt, created from the runoff of various industries on Aballon and entirely unnatural to the normally sterile planet. The buildings in this particular area are abandoned, with doors hanging open and interiors ransacked by gangsters and vagrants.
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"Don't mind Morvruul, he's clearly a little bit loopy. Everyone knows lashunta have antenna's coming out of their heads and I clearly don't, being that I'm a damai."
A tall and slender lashunta arrives at the impromptu meeting with the Starfinders' quarry just as they are about to depart.
If you can get it back for me, I got this sandstone tablet that I ... erm ..... purloined from that scumbag club owner that I was hoping to use as a bargaining chip but ... that didn't work out so, you guys may as well have it as payment.
So, this 'club owner' might be bargained with, eh? Perhaps, I can confront this individual on my own and secure a deal that benefits my own business--and all on the Society's credsticks!
"Bwahaahahahhahahahahahahahaha!" Morvruul laughs. "Let us find this verthani, quickly."
Morvruul follows the others to the slums, trying to position himself behind Cha'mon Cha'mon--just in case!
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Sturmvanger eyes the newcomer suspiciously and lets Seggas make the introduction for them both.
When they get to the slums the takes a position up front, making sure to block Seggas from trouble and, incidentally protecting Morvruul as well.
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Twila-5 slides into position behind(ish) Sturmvanger, hoping to avoid the notice of whoever's out there. Maybe if no one notices me I can peel off to snipe at them from the side if this goes badly. She stays close to the group for now, eyes darting around in an attempt to discern whether or not anyone is watching them from a hiding spot.