As Mahari too decends and begins poking around in the studio space, she sees the cups on the desk are all empty and coffee stained. There are printouts are an inventory list of construction materials and construction components which someone has gone over, circling necessary parts and supplies. The stains appear years old, but the lesser level of dust implies someone has been here more recently.
A computer also sits on the desk, though if touched the monitor jitters to life displaying the lock screen.
The room's holotable is currently projecting a display of what looks like a coffin.
Meanwhile the whiteboards in the room are covered in notes that Azara can easily read: they're in Lashunta.
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The whiteboards are very out of place in such an elegant, high tech place and they draw Azara's attention.
"Oh no," Azara says as he reads the notes.
"I don't know exactly what happened to that worker, but I have a suspicion," he taps the board he's looking at.
"These are calculations and notes about supplies and the lack thereof. It looks like missed their deliveries. Enough that they ran out of food and starved."
He takes a moment to contemplate the tragedy and horror of being stranded and starving before giving a sigh and looking around.
"That sort of suffering has a habit of...lingering. I suggest we be on the lookout for the people who were stranded here. Or at least their bodies which may be dead but not still."
The android moves to the inventory documents and examines them.
....I suggest we be on the lookout for the people who were stranded here. Or at least their bodies which may be dead but not still."
"Or people suspended here. Take a look at these. These circled parts, when used together, could be uses to construct a basic stasis pod. Maybe they planned on holding out until rescue arrived."
Taking a cue from the documents, her eyes are drawn to the holo table.
"....like this one, displayed here. Look, this details the modifications they planned. Let's keep an eye out for this deeper in the labyrinth"
A computer also sits on the desk, though if touched the monitor jitters to life displaying the lock screen.
Rishni call back down the stairs at Mahari’s question. [b]”That room is one of the studios we work in to create all sorts of designs. I am uncertain what the latest projects have been: with the network issues I in this body am unable to sync with the larger network to be updated on our latest work.
As the sphinx talks, Nimh gets to work bypassing the computer’s Lock Screen to get access. Inside, the ysoki finds several design and engineering programs, and a reference library full of maps, illustrations, and architectural plans. Many contain extensive citations and research notes about surviving records form Lost Golarian, a quite rare and valuable trove of historical information.
Nimh also finds in addition to notes and files on architecture, a series of voice logs recorded by “employee 084672; engineer first-class; Khendai”
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Something tells me that when we get ready to leave, Rishni won't be so friendly. Nimh whispers to the group, trying to make sure Rishni doesn't hear.
Teleemo nods and whispers back. "I don't know. The being known as Rishni seems helpful. Sadly, it always seems as though it's easier to arrive than it is to leave. What's the expression I'm looking for? Maybe 'you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.'"
Moving ahead brings you to a large warehosue filled with shelves holding samples, models, and construction materials. Patches of the shelves are bare though, or contain only the remnants of packing materials or fastenings. Not far from the door is a forklift haphazardly parked near-ish to the western wall: the area around it is cluttered with empty and half-empty containers. Weld marks and burns scar some of the floor and the wall paneling has been torn off in places, revealing severed wires and broken electrical connections.
"well, this got dark quick Kat tells the others as she examines the logs.
She considers Mahari's comment and nods at the question of Khendai being undead. "Seems that way. Also seems like the transition may not have been voluntary." she offers, trying to keep her voice down incase Rishini is listening in.
"Rishini not being able to connect to his servers might have him isolated from what's going on deeper here. Nimh could be right, we should be cautious of him, especially if we access the main network. We should play along with him though as guests and keep exploring".
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"It all feels like a lot of things went wrong and the people who work here, including Rishni if she's aware enough to be a person, suffered for it," Azara comments.
He examines the exposed wiring and burns and welds as well as the forklift and containers.
"I'll bet this is where Khendai was looking for supplies for the pod."
He looks around more closely for other clues.
The wiring damage appears to have been intentional: a closer look shows Azara that pieces seem to have been torn from the walls and cut away – though where the missing wiring pieces were taken to is unclear. The burn marks seem to be space around large sections of floor that are unmarred: a sign that this space was used to weld and build something(s).
As the lashunta inspects the forklift however, the clink of an object hitting the floor nearby causes him to turn just in time for a bright flash of light to erupt right next to Azara!
From beyond one of the shelves you now see a lashings with purple mottled skin and red eyes staring at you, another grenade in their other hand. They yell out ”I’ll never join them!” as their hand rears back to continue the assault.
Initiative
Teleemo
[ooc]lashunta
Croaker
Kat
Azara
Mahari
Nimh
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Alarmed by the exploding grenade, Teleemo cautiously flies forward to see the cause. Taking note of the lurking lashunta, Teleemo considers what might be causing this jump to violence.
Not wishing to hurt an innocent creature, Teleemo opts to cast charming veneer, then attempt to engage the lashunta. "There is no need for violence! You don't need to join anyone! Put your weapons down and talk with us!"
Teleemo sees that the attacking figure is some form of undead, though the mage can't tell of what sort - there are just so many ways the deceased don't stay down in the universe.
Teleemo's words seem to give the figure a moment's pause before they shake their head and yell back N..no! You're trying to trick me, get me to calm down so you can force me back and finish the process! They seem frantic and not fully in their right mind as they speak. The second grenade gets hurled back towards the room's entrance, and as it lands thick clinging webbing erupts around everyone but Azara.
She can't force me to join them! She'll turn on you too!
Initiative
Teleemo, need Reflex save v entangled
Croaker, need Reflex save v entangled
Kat, need Reflex save v entangled
Azara, need Reflex save v blind
Mahari, need Reflex save v entangled
Nimh, need Reflex save v entangled
The android holds until the lashunta proves to be a danger to the group, and not just defending itself. She watches as her teammates try to reason with it.
The very sticky Craoker and Nimh recognize the figure is a varculak, a 'soul wight'. When humanoids die with an intense desire to keep amongst the living, their longing for life can turn to anger as it slips away. Sometimes, a being's will is strong enough that it doesn't pass on to the River of Souls ; instead a fraction of its essence passes on, while the rest of its soul remains inside a half-living body. Clinging to fragments of life, varculaks tend to be creatures of deep passions, though most often that passion can express itself into determined fixations and rage.
Croaker tries to echo Teleemo's sentiments, but the ysoki's words come out a bit garbled.
Initiative
Teleemo, need Reflex save v entangled
Kat
Azara, need Reflex save v blind
Mahari, need Reflex save v entangled
Nimh, entangled 4 rounds
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Mahari easily dodges out of the way of the incoming sticky grenade. She looks back and snerks a little at how Croaker is covered in the stuff before activating her invisibility and moving forward.
"I don't think we can reason with him at this point, but maybe we can subdue him."
The little halfling slips by Azara but not before she lets everyone know what she's planning.
I'm invisible. Gonna go past this guy to catch him by surprise.
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Azara's gaze is drawn to the sound of the grenade hitting the ground at his feet and it is more reflex than thought that makes him shield his eyes to protect them from the blinding flash.
He is, fortunately, not within the radius of the sticky bomb.
"We're not here to hurt you. We don't know who you're talking about or what they've done to you but we'll help you get away from them if it's not something you want. I notice that you've only used nonlethal weapons so far and I can't help but think that was on purpose because you don't really want to fight us. And we don't want to fight you," he says to his fellow lashunta.
Mahari vanishes as Teleemo and Nimh try to call for a pause. The varculak seems to pay them no heed. No, I've been tricked before. You're just more of her servants, come to finish the job!
But Azara, closer by, speaks clearly towards the already on edge figure. As the solarian appeals to their calmer nature, he sees that the varculak's antennae have shriveled and been eroded down to nubs. Their eyes are pinpricks of red light, and they look gaunt and deeply haggard.
I...I can't go back in there. I'm so...so hungry, and tired. Can you, can you get me out of here? Off of this rock?
They pull out another grenade into their hand and seem still alert and wary, but refrain from throwing it out.
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Azara stands his ground, keeping his hands held chest high and open.
"We're not even sure who you're talking to. We just got here, in fact. We've only talked to the sphinx in entryway and she didn't know a lot about what was going on.
"If you don't want to stay here and if we can trust you, we'll take you with us when we leave. And we'll be very appreciative if you can help us figure out what's going on here and warn us of any dangers we might face ahead," Azara says.
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Mahari continues to slip along the wall past the strange lashunta. She takes her time, placing each foot carefully given how closely she's passing by the clearly agitated man. Her eyes track his fidgety movements, wary and cautious. In place at his 6 o'clock, she thumbs her pistol to Stun.
I'm in place behind him, near the back corner, she informs the team.
Kat follows Azara's lead and keeps her hands open and off her firearms. She remains silent, letting the more skillful negotiators do their work. If this doesn't work, shouting commands to get on the ground are out the window. she thinks as she assesses her 'use of force' escalation.
Azara stands his ground, keeping his hands held chest high and open.
"We're not even sure who you're talking to. We just got here, in fact. We've only talked to the sphinx in entryway and she didn't know a lot about what was going on.
"If you don't want to stay here and if we can trust you, we'll take you with us when we leave. And we'll be very appreciative if you can help us figure out what's going on here and warn us of any dangers we might face ahead," Azara says.
The varculak looks carefully at Azara, their eyes occasionally darting to the other figures behind the solarian.
I need, need to get out of here. But the ships aren't coming? I don't know why they're not coming but they're not. And Dortay's the only one who can call them, and if she knows I was here she'd force me back to go in there. They gesture vaguely upwards.
Lady Dortay tried to force me to die, to lock my brain forever in her servers. I didn't know that, I didn't want that, but what did she care? Didn't work, but something did: still me but stuck like this now. I don't think I'm actually alive anymore, not really. But I'm at least still me and mobile, which is better than what Dortay would do to me if she realized I wasn't in her network like I should be.
I need to leave!
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"Ok...there's a lot to unpack there..." Azara says.
"I think something happened with your supply ships. Honestly, I don't think anyone really knows you're out here. We don't know why but we're going to try to figure it out. And we have our own ship. We're here now and we're going to help you, including taking you with us when we leave, assuming we can trust you.
"Clearly, what has happened to you is terrible. I don't know if it's reversible but, like I said, we're here to help and we won't let anyone do anything to you that you don't want done. If you want, you can wait in the room we just came through. Rishni is in the one beyond but doesn't seem able to come any deeper and it doesn't seem like you're on the best terms with her."
"Rishni," they say, frowning. "I spoke with her. She said she didn't know about me, and that she'd try to help, but when I saw the other her" they point back in the direction you came from. "Didn't remember our conversation. I think the sphinx-Rishni is isolated. It's own person for now unaware of any changes to the network since after the link went down."
The varculak points further into the warehouse. "At the far end are the sarcophagi. Where w- they were uploaded. The stairs lead further down. There's a kitchen, not much left though. And then the garden, but I don't go there. Too close to Dortay's palace. She may discover I'm still out and about. Spoke to Rishni in the server room by taking the maintenance tunnel." They point to the studio room nearby and move to show you. Behind the whiteboards, Khendai reveals a carefully concealed secret door, with a keycard access they offer to open.
”The other workers were all uploaded; their minds put into this place’s AI network. Rishni’s the only one that seem to be using a body to also interact with the physical things. Talking to her if seems the others are content - or claim to be - ‘living’, Khendai’s tone here makes it clear their opinion on that form of existence and working within this Mausoleums systems.
Dortay still walks, at least from what Rishni told me. She has turned herself into some form of undead, but I’m not sure which. I’ve made certain to stay clear on the one or two times she left her sanctum. Rishni might be able to tell you more - the one in the network at least.
"Did your associates go willingly, or did they fight it as you did? What was the lady's purpose for those that were uploaded? What kind of work are they completing?"
Kat is curious but isn't sure the frightened lashunta has anything more for them. She is anxious to find the 'real' Rishni.
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Seeing that Khendai has calmed down somewhat, Mahari holsters her pistol. With a thought she dismisses the invisibility field as she steps out from behind one of the shelves.
Hands spread in a non-threatening pose, she smiles charmingly. "Khendai, have you heard of Eox? It's a planet of all undead in the Pact Worlds. I've got some contacts there who could help you get settled in and adjusted to your situation once we take you with us."
Once it becomes clear that Khendai has provided all the info that he can, she suggests visiting the server room first. It was hidden after all, and therefore clearly not somewhere intruders should be going. Which is all the encouragement her curiosity needs.
"Rishni and Keystone claim they knew and were content with the procedure" Khendai says, shaking their head. "Their Prophecies speak of a form of immortality for the deovted, and this would allow them to live on and continue to work of designs, building plans, and architectural art long after their own bodies would have failed them. That it also leaves them stuck in virtual indentured servitude forever to Dortay as they have no where else to go didn't seem to occur to them, or bother them if so. She obviously knew I would have a different take on it: I was drugged and woke up years later like this in a sarcophagus in there." They inidicate back to the far room at the end of the warehouse.
Croaker looks down the now revealed maintenance tunnel and sniffs it. It is narrow and the stairs down steep at points, but looks safe and well constructed.
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"Perhaps they believe that the work they do would allow them to transcend their servitude. It's always seemed to me that any system that ranks people by wealth only rewards the wealthy more most of the time," Azara comments.
"Stay here, my friend or go to the next room. We'll make sure to come back for you before we leave. But we have to find out what is going on here and help anyone who wants it. And," he gives a wry smile "there's the matter of the reason we came here in the first place."
He activates his darkvision in his armor and heads into the maintenance tunnel.
The five-foot wide tunnel winds downwards before ending at another door. Opening it Azara find a server room whirring with cooling fans. Banks of computers occupy the east half of this server room, and a line of tall servers fills the remainder. Blue, green, and yellow indicator lights show the servers remain live. The the left, there is an open arch with what appears to be grass threatening to encroach from the space beyond into the server space's floor.
Shortly after you begin walking through the room, a quiet crackle sounds out from speakers mounted at various points along the walls. A female voice that sounds exactly like the sphinx above's speaks, asking: <Hello. You're not wearing technician garb, and I did not detect any Kalistocrat or company landing signals approaching. Who are you, and what is your purpose here?> The voice does not sound especially upset, but more curious.
Croaker looks around and gives other time to do their work
"Oh hi. I am Croaker, this is Nimh, Azara, Mahari, Kat6 and Teleemo. We are starfinders that came to this planet to explore. Who are you?"
<Starfinders. That exploratory guild in the Pact Worlds. Hello. My name is Rishni, architect and historical designer for Corbosi Incorporated. I haven't met any of you or your guild before, but your reputation of good works is well known. Might you be able to assist me? My consciousness and those of my friends and colleagues lives within this planetoid's network. Unfortunately, the network infrastructure has degraded over time: we are currently cut off from external infospheres and digital repositories.>
<It is a significantly limiting experience, both for our ability to conduct work and research and on a personal level. I myself have a body this damage has cut me off from. I have no idea when a maintenance worker from Corbosi Incorporated might be expected, though...I suspect it is not forthcoming. If you could help repair the local network, we would all be extremely thankful.>
While she is talking, Nimh's once over of the servers confirms that time has done a bit of a number of the equipment here. Several of the server racks don't appear to have seen maintenance or treatment in possibly decades.
<A maintenance worker? Dead!? That…that might fit into some things.> Rishni says quietly as Nimh works on the servers. They are massively advanced systems – they’d need to be to support not only the rock’s network but also multiple full AI consciousness – but the ysoki’s good at what he does. After several minutes he’s patched up the mechanical bits well enough, and then is able to hack in and do some triage on the system’s damaged code.
Rishni’s voice gives out a sigh as the techmage takes a step back from the temrinal while their code improvements finish running. <Ah, that’s much better. Re-syncing….ah, I see I did meet you before in my other form. A pleasure to do so again! And my thanks! It is wonderfully to be able to strech and move again.>
<Starfinders, allow me to officially welcome you here to this installation with full faculties this time. This place was built as the retreat – slash tomb – for the architect Lady Dortay ven Crobosi. You may know of her through her design works: under her leadership she and her company along with designers like us conducted peerless research into the lost planet Golarion to bring the past back alive through designs. I, Keystone, and the others in here still continue that research even as Dortay herself has…turned away from such endeavors. Our work has been hobbled this last century without access to external infospheres and data repositories – again our great thanks for restoring our connection.>
<Now, earlier you asked me about a specific guest who may have visited here, yes? Who are you looking for? We have not received visitors in quite some time, but I have records all the way back from this retreat’s initial construction I can check for you.>