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"Captain Obvious, do you have any other orders? Should we adjust your high chair for you so that you are actually facing toward the forward view screen now?"
"Morvruul," stresses the witchwyrd. "My name is, 'Captain ,Morvruul'."
He crosses one pair of his arms indignantly, even as he shakes a fist his other pair. Conscientiously adjusting his seat with a fourth hand, he quietly acknowledges, "It is true, though, that this seat could use some adjusting."
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It is highly likely that the rest of the crew would either be sweat dropping or facepalming at this point as Cha'mon Cha'mon and Morvruul continue bickering. However, the Starfinders are able to get the second piece and head back to Absalom Station.
The next day, all of you are on a commercial shuttle bound for Verces. He has also provided you with tickets to get into Kozmos, a club run by an augmented verthani named Karelite Bogdin, whom you have heard of before. (see Handout #3)
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Twila-5 actually frowns at the mention of Karelite Bogdin, so intense is her loathing. "Bogdin. The android trafficker... Good thing my tattoos camouflage my circuits. I don't think I could play nice with that waste pile, so I'll try to keep my mouth shut."
A thought gives her pause. "Are we going in at night when the club is open? Unless there's a separate business entrance, we may have to dress like patrons." She doesn't want to be the first to say it, but she'd be totally down with sneaking in and stealing the tablet from that son of a brown brick, and dressing like patrons would be a convenient way to do it.
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Verces is a tidally-locked planet, with one side permanently facing the Pact Worlds’ single sun. The largest civilization is a sprawling metropolis spanning the circumference of the planet called the Ring of Nations, a temperate refuge lying between the scorching heat of Fullbright and numbing cold of Darkside. The most technologically advanced of the native species are the Verthani, eight-foot tall humanoids whose chameleon-like skin allows them to blend their pigments to hide in plain sight.
The mega-metropolis that spans the planet is known for its elevated level of technological advancement. Because of this, most Verthani use various cybernetic instruments to some degree to augment their senses and defenses.
Different nation-cities within the Ring of Nations operate with varying degrees of self-governance, with some being known for their rather lax rules on bodily autonomy. The city-state of Vanos is known as they place to do business if you’re looking to avoid scrutiny from the authorities. Casinos, clubs, and open black markets where the rich can buy and sell sentient androids abound. Laws, which are few and far between, are rarely enforced where they do exist.
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With a sidelong glance at Morvruul, Twila-5 deadpans: "Entering separately is an option." ... He may actually be an asset. I feel dirty for thinking that.
"Of course, it may be less complicated to break in during their off hours. Additional security, but fewer people to cause us trouble. Which do you guys prefer?"
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Searching the infosphere, Rilynn concurs with Twila-5's assessment and deduction. She nods to her android companion. "However you want to roll with this, I'm on board. I mean it - I'll go as far as you want dealing with this scumbag." She spends a few additional hours looking for holos of Karelite Bogdin so they can identify him and his associates on sight.
Midway through the trip, as the group is discussing how best to infiltrate the club, Rilynn excuses herself momentarily. A minute later, "Morvuul" re-enters and stops short, raising two arms on his left side and pointing at the other Morvuul.
"I demand to know what's going on! Who is this imposter!? How dare you plot with him against me!"
Then "Morvuul" squints and uses his right two hands to scratch his head and rub his chin. His eyes brighten and he redirects his left arms at Seggas. "You! Witch! I knew when you pricked me that you had some nefarious plan for my demise. But the joke's on you! Now there are two of me! HAHAHAHA!!! I WIN AGAIN!"
The witchwyrd then thrusts his arms rhythmically to either side, crosses his body and swivels his hips, sliding his feet on the floor while breaking into a series of dance moves to music that exists only in his own head. In the next moment, "Morvuul's" hysterical cackle morphs into a lyrical laugh, and the facade melts away, revealing Rilynn.
She winks at the real Morvuul. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to use that trick."
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Rilynn continues to prep, searching for any audio of Karelite Bogdin, and then also planning the trip from the docking port to their destination, the Kozmos. They will need a top-flight limousine, of course. She further books hotel rooms at the most luxurious hotel in Vanos for the party, with no plans whatsoever to either check in or pay for the stay, then calls the hotel concierge to let them know they expect to arrive late and will require excessive amounts of fermented drinks and private use of the rooftop pool and spa, and to put all expenses on the room. For this bit of subterfuge she gives an assumed name, Aletta Vargas.
Assisting Cha'mon with the disguises, Rilynn augments the digital identification with multiple aliases and holos, encrypted so that each individual user could choose from an array of personalities, and discard any that may become undesirable, or perhaps wanted for a serious crime.
Among the aliases she chooses for herself is the daughter of a prominent Castrovellian collector of art and antiquities, Biviano Vargas. Then she communicates back to Lady Kesh' office on Castrovel to create the fake profiles, contacts, associates, noteworthy collection pieces, etc., on the infosphere, with all the usual protocols to fool even the most determined sleuths.
She spends the remainder of the trip buffing her second skin armor and ornamenting it with lavish flourishes of colorful fabrics, sequins, and a tail. Eight hours before arrival, she works on hair and makeup, meticulously painting her nails while going for a provocative look with big hair, which she dies white and purple, and empties her kit on her face.
Rilynn assists any of the other members of the team with their outfits, should they choose to make the most of it.
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Twila-5 stares at Morvruul II like a deer caught in the headlights. Once Rilynn drops the disguise, she shakes herself and meanders out of the room, muttering: "That's an awful lot of a very strong flavor."
Flopping down beside her bunk, she digs through her bag to try to come up with a disguise. Of course, she has no clubbing clothes in her pack with her. With a mental sigh, she returns to the group.
"I'm going to need to pick up my disguise once we land. I'll order it now so it's ready for us." She selects a silky indigo outfit with a high collar, an open back, and a short skirt, finishing it with navy gladiator sandals (there's no way she's going to be tottering around in stilettos on this mission) and a violet hat to cover most of her hair. Once she's ordered her outfit, she lets Rilynn help style her hair and do her makeup. Loose curls cover half her face, and the colors of her makeup pull out the warm red-violet of the roots of her hair.
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She winks at the real Morvuul. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to use that trick."
"Please, you look nothing like me!" Morvruul huffs. He looks pleadingly over at Doctor Seggas and whimpers,"Nothing like me. I swear.."
Crossing a pair of his arms, he activates the holoskin on his belt buckle with a third.
He takes the form of a verthani. "You may call me Kogdin, Barelite Kogdin."
The not-a-verthani then dons a set of his finest, formal clothing. "Ready for a night at the club."
He glares at Cha'mon Cha'mon and Rilynn. "You would do well to follow my lead."
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"... I am not opposed to it, if we encounter Bogdin. Though there would be satisfying justice in seeing him thoroughly ruined for the rest of a very long life, with all the degradation that slavery brought to the androids he sold." Her face remains completely expressionless, but she bites off the words with a touch of venom.
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Sturmvanger really has no talent at disguising himself or any clothes that would aid in a disguise. He'll just have to pass for a bodyguard. Though he does his best to not be too recognizable.
He is just as nonplussed by the existence of 2 Morvruul's as anyone else, though he looks at both witchwyrds suspiciously, unsure of which one of them is the real one who is trying to trick them all.
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Searching the infosphere, Rilynn concurs with Twila-5's assessment and deduction. She nods to her android companion. "However you want to roll with this, I'm on board. I mean it - I'll go as far as you want dealing with this scumbag." She spends a few additional hours looking for holos of Karelite Bogdin so they can identify him and his associates on sight.
Midway through the trip, as the group is discussing how best to infiltrate the club, Rilynn excuses herself momentarily. A minute later, "Morvuul" re-enters and stops short, raising two arms on his left side and pointing at the other Morvuul.
"I demand to know what's going on! Who is this imposter!? How dare you plot with him against me!"
Then "Morvuul" squints and uses his right two hands to scratch his head and rub his chin. His eyes brighten and he redirects his left arms at Seggas. "You! Witch! I knew when you pricked me that you had some nefarious plan for my demise. But the joke's on you! Now there are two of me! HAHAHAHA!!! I WIN AGAIN!"
The witchwyrd then thrusts his arms rhythmically to either side, crosses his body and swivels his hips, sliding his feet on the floor while breaking into a series of dance moves to music that exists only in his own head. In the next moment, "Morvuul's" hysterical cackle morphs into a lyrical laugh, and the facade melts away, revealing Rilynn.
She winks at the real Morvuul. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to use that trick."
Seggas blinks a few times as she takes in the new Morvuul. She seems taken aback for a few moments at the spectacle, before she relaxes some at the sight of Rilynn. "That is pretty convincing! You had me fooled for a moment, but if I may point out something..." She pauses as she catches sight of the blushing, pleading real Morvuul. "... the real one tends to melt when it comes to me."
She moves a bit closer to the lashunta, and gives her a flat serious look, "But, please, NEVER call me a 'witch' again. I've had too many people call me that as a child and try banish Asmodeus from me. It hurts, deeply." Then with a smile and a wink, she says in a low coy, voice, "Though, to be honest, I'm not sure which look of yours I like better, cute Morvuul or your regular form." She gives a small laugh and moves on, starting to set up her disguise as she sheds her lab coat and orders a set of party clothes.
"Rilynn, could you also help me with making sure this is a convincing disguise? I'm not that great at changing up my look." On the planet, she goes with Twila-5 to get her own party dress, choosing a flaming red china dress that stretches to show off her curves. I nearly reaches the floor, but the slit up one side comes to her mid thigh. She adds a set of short gold pumps and black long haired wig she does up in a bun, but casually hides her longer than normal ears. She finishes the look with a small purse that's just big enough to hold Bii.
"Now tell me, if I went as Saliss Serendipity, some ditzy piece of arm candy for Barelite Kogdin, would that work? Not sure how to do the make up for that either."
Seems that she failed to account for her biggest identifying features, the snake slit eyes and tongue... and the fact that Saliss Serendipity is a very famous media personality who looks nothing like Seggas.
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The city-state of Vanos lies in a perpetual twilight, and the appeal of the city lies mostly in the traditionally nocturnal activities found there. The club is a short distance from the port, down a busy boulevard. Neon lights flash above various storefronts, advertising everything from virtual reality shows to high-end pet shops selling imported animals of dubious legality.
All around, people of various species, dressed in expensive clothing, laugh as they make their way beneath the pulsing lights. Many are accompanied by androids dressed in similar black uniforms, all with red collars around their necks.
When you arrive at Kozmos, a line stretches around the block, filled with eager concert-goers awaiting admittance. Gaining entry is easy; the tickets provided by Arvin are legitimate, though the large vesk bouncers do eye any of the PCs in shabby outfits as they pass by. As with most locations in Vanos, weapons are permissible within the club.
The main dance floor of Kozmos extends almost eighty feet from north to south. Two raised bars, tended by clearly augmented verthani, nest within raised platforms in the northwest and northeast corners, while two large vesk guard a door in the middle of the northern wall. Two androids with red collars tend a central bar, which serves as the main drinking station. Throngs of verthani and a handful of other species fill the dance floor, and the 10-foot ceilings barely rise two feet above most of their heads. A large stage covers the southern section of the room, flanked by ramps leading up from the east and west sides. Each ramp leads to a door, with the southern one guarded by an intimidating vesk who stands under a sign marked “Dressing Room.” A double door marked “Fire Exit” lies in the middle of the eastern wall, and the club entrance is the sole door along the western side.
((Map on slides))
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Rilynn locks an arm with Twila-5. "Let's dance." She leads the way out onto the dance floor, enjoying herself despite the importance of the mission. She flags down a round of drinks for herself and any of her companions that wish to join her. <Keep up appearances> she offers telepathically to the team.
Meanwhile, the lashunta keeps an eye on the guarded exits, especially the one with the pair of meatheads on the north wall, paying attention to anyone coming or going, including android servants, following their movements throughout the club. Specifically, if there is a regular cadence to the operation, and if anyone matches a description of Bogdin and his associates from her investigation during transit.
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Twila-5 orders an Aviation in honor of her predecessor, gritting her teeth at the collars around the andriod barkeep's neck. When Rilynn gus her along, she follows her onto the dance floor. Might as well. It'll give me an excuse to keep turning around to scope out the place.
She notices some things, and wants to subtly check in with the team. Rilynn's telepathy would be handy now. She raises her voice to be heard over the din: "So what's on your mind?"
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Cha'mon Cha'mon, sidles up to the central bar and tries to blend in with the crowd while also looking about to see what he can see.
"Bartender, I'll have a glass of Akitonian whisky. My friend the wytchwyrd over there is starting a tab. Charge my drink to him."
He proceeds to give the bartender Morvruul's credstick number.
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Sturmvanger has to duck to enter the place and keep partially crouched to avoid scraping his head on the ceiling. In his normal posture he's a couple feet taller than the Verthani and he could probably stretch up another foot if he wanted to crane his long neck.
For the moment he stays behind Seggas and Morvruul actually being and appearing as a bodyguard.
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Seggas hangs on the arm of Morvuul, fawning over him with her hands, but trying her damndest not to say anything and ruin her disguise. But her eyes do rove the place up and down, looking for places that might lead to the actual underground rooms.
Still disguised as a verthani, Morvruul seems to relish the attention. He, too, scans the scene.
If he sees no sign of Bogdin or where he may be located, he whispers to the doctor, "Presumably, the vesk serves as security. Shall I approach the reptile and attempt to draw out Bogdin by telling the vesk that I demand that the owner meet with me?"
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<Check out the bartenders,> Rilynn extends telepathically to the team for those that have not noticed. <They're keyed up about something. It could just be that they are slaves, I suppose.>
"Come with me," she says, pulling Twila toward the bar. "Let's make friends."
Rilynn strides up the to bar in the northeast corner of Kozmos. She flashes her most sophisticated smile at the android. "I need to get a message to the boss. I want to meet him about his collection. Can you do that or who do I need to talk to?" Showing her datapad, she brings herself up on the infosphere, as "Aletta Vargas," daughter of the renowned art and antiquities collector.
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Seggas leans over to the verthrani next to her and whispers into his ear, giggling as she does. "Not the best place to demand something... And seems that Rilynn is on that route already... Perhaps if you caused a row at the bar, it might give me and Twila enough time and cover to work no removing those collars. I can't hack from a distance and I'm not sure that she can either..."
She then frowns at Morvuul in disguise and in a sccrine sweet voice comments, "Sweetie, I'm thirsty... Won't you buy me a drink?"
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Rilynn responds to Twila-5 telepathically: <If we can't get an audience with Bogdin this way my plan B is to offer to sell you, but I'll understand if that goes against every circuit of your being. We wouldn't really sell you, of course. We'd kill the bastard before he could put one of those collars anywhere near you. And speaking of the collars, what happens after you hack those?>
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The two corner bars are manned by Verthani, not androids. There are two androids at the central bar. They speak only when spoken to, and then only to confirm drink orders etc. To get them to open up, you need to make a successful Diplomacy or Intimidate check. It is also possible that those collars are booby trapped if tampered with. And how do you plan to hack them anyway?
As for the Vesk, it looks like they're guarding entrances to the back rooms. The only other exit is the fire escape.
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She then frowns at Morvuul in disguise and in a sccrine sweet voice comments, "Sweetie, I'm thirsty... Won't you buy me a drink?"
"Very well," disguised Morvruul sighs before heading to a corner bar.
Approaching the bartender, he says, "As one verthani to another verthani, what does one have to do for a drink or two around here? I would think this Bogdin would do a better job of tending to his clientele, would he not?"
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Rilynn responds to Twila-5 telepathically: <If we can't get an audience with Bogdin this way my plan B is to offer to sell you, but I'll understand if that goes against every circuit of your being. We wouldn't really sell you, of course. We'd kill the bastard before he could put one of those collars anywhere near you. And speaking of the collars, what happens after you hack those?>
Twila-5 freezes in shock with her glass on her lips. With effort, she forces herself to continue taking her sip and maintain a neutral expression. <THAT is a breach of trust to shove at me now! When we can't openly debate it with the entire team?! And you have the GALL to say it's *already* Plan B! You didn't even ASK me first!> Realizing she's working herself up, Twila-5 cuts off her tirade and turns to watch the other dancing patrons as she takes the most subtle calming deep breaths she can manage.
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<I thought that might go over poorly. If you are morally opposed, which is understandable, then I also have a plan C where I take on the guise of an android and Morvuul offers to sell me. There's also plan D, where I take on the guise of Bogdin himself, but I consider that plan the highest difficulty to pull off. Hopefully we don't have to resort to plan E; those vesk look capable, and I'm sure there are more of them. Let's see what this android says first. This ruse about being an art collector has the lowest risk when all we really need is access to Bogdin's office.>
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While Twila-5 and Rilynn are telepathically debating. the verthani bartender looks rather oddly at the disguised Morvruul. I beg your pardon sir? You do what everyone else does - pay for it. And why are you casting aspersions on the owner? He glances over towards one of the Vesk guarding the nearby door.
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The android looks very nervous when Rilynn says 'the boss', but Rilynn's winning smile managed to get the information that the two androids are designated as Kozmos-13 and Kozmos-14. They are timid, scarred by brutality they have witnessed Bogdin impart on androids. She also learns that that the red collars are placed on the androids to ensure compliance. While online, the collars can be remotely activated and will render the
androids unable to move. Kozmos-13 and Kozmos-14 have both seen androids scrapped after having their collars activated. Bogdin controls the androids via a computer in his office.
The androids would jump at the chance at retribution against Bogdin and his cronies, but they fear the control he has over them via the collars.
All this, they tell you in whispers while looking nervously around.
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Rilynn maintains her smile and nods as if nothing is amiss, then replies to the androids telepathically, but also sends the conversation out to her teammates. <My friend and I are sympathetic, and there are more of us here than you know. Bogdin has something we need in his office. If you know of a way we can get in there quietly, I promise you we'll destroy that computer and give you a chance to escape to freedom. Now pour us some drinks before the eye in the sky wonders why you're just staring at me.> Rilynn reaches for her cred chip while she waits for Kozmos-13 and Kozmos-14 to decide their fate.
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Rrrgh! All this talk of selling, or pretending to sell, *real people* is grating on Twila-5's nerves. She takes another sip of her drink, realizes she should slow down, and casts about in her mind for a more palatable solution. <Or we could see if we could hack into Bogdin's schedule and put us down for a meeting with him. Then the guards should let us back there and we won't have to 'pretend to sell' anyone!> I have GOT to get myself a datapad so I can do these things myself! Hopefully after this mission I'll have enough credits. Absentmindedly, she takes another sip of her deep violet drink as she fumes about Rilynn's proposition.
But then Rilynn promises to give Kozmos-13 and Kozmos-14 a chance at vengeance and freedom. So maybe she's not callous. Just thoughtless. Remembering that she has to act the part of a patron, she leans in to Rilynn and bumps her with her hip with a flirty smile.
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The Verthani laughs in Morvruul's face. Only if you want to work here. And I don't think the boss is hiring at the moment so you're stiff out of luck. Besides, we're not allowed to drink on the job anyway, so you're outta luck there too. So pay up like everyone else or you're out.
Cha'mon can see that one of the Vesk guards is looking in Morvruul's direction as if waiting for a signal from the bartender.
Meanwhile one of the Kosmoz androids tells them that to get to Bogdin's office, they'd have to get past the Vesk guards.
Or there's the so-called Fire Escape the other android whispers But it is locked and alarmed
Evidently Bogdin doesn't care about fire or safety regulations.