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Summoned to a meeting at the Lorespire Complex hosted by both Celita and Fitch, each of you arrives at the reception area outside a common-use conference room. The surprisingly large anteroom has plenty of anatomically adaptable chairs for each of you to relax in. On the side board rests a caff machine and an empty cookie basket.
You are greeted by a surprisingly small ysoki named Jack, who registers your name against his roster and vehemently denies having eaten all the cookies if challenged in spite of the crumbs in his fur. Jack asks you to wait here until the whole team has arrived, and gently suggests that you sort out tactics and team roles before meeting with the Venture-Captains.
No, there is no Starship tag.

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Embri hellknight armiger in dark heavy armor enters the hall. A murky dot of absolute darkness, like a small black hole, rotates near its left shoulder, endlessly absorbing light. Its mask is hiding the whole face and covered with infernal runes, and there is something frightening and inept in its very manner of movement.
It looks at Jack in the cookie crumbs for a long time. No emotion is reflected in the gestures of this mollusk, but little ysoki feels that the hellknight knows who stole all the cookies.
In the end, it goes to the anatomical chair without taking any action in connection with this offense. Perhaps its order specializes in something else.
My name is K'ssatak-Sul. I am a Hell Knight and I act according to the precepts of Measure and Chain. I am a melee warrior, diplomat, inquisitor and detective. I specialize in destroying dangerous and chaotic heretical cults. I am here on a partnership restoration program between Starfinder Society and Hell Knights.
It mints these words like a hammer on an anvil. Voice sounds a bit strange, as if the organs under the mask are not intended for a common language. There is no emotion in the way it speaks - it just gives you information without bragging or threatening.

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Hef enters and notices the cookies are gone. His shoulders sag in relief, it is enough to have to look at disgusting mouth holes when they open to speak. Eating is so much worse.
He is a tall, four armed, grey skinned, black eyed Kasatha. Dressed very simply in what appears to be station maintenance gear crafted for zero g maneuvering with a handaxe clipped to his waist. Criss-crossed across his back is a tactical spear and boring looking staff. Other than the weapons, he appears more suited for manual labor than an exploration party.
"Hello, I am Hef Sadir. I serve Kadrical, protector of all. Thus, I will protect you from harm, or heal you if you have been harmed. It is my pleasure to take your pain upon myself."

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Few days before
A dark evening in the downlow dodgy alley stands a small show called: 'Hellih Guns and Armors' inside there is an odd android with artificial right hand, resembling more hand of a Vesk than humanoid. Always present cigarette in his teeth was unligh.
Next to him stood a blue-furred skittermander, in all six hands, he held a different tool "Hammer? Wrench? Laser drill?" asks excited, his crest of green hair on head was moving as he almost jumped from excited.
Android did not answer, but was still working on a big suit of armor "I told you, Buddy, power armors are made for bigger races, let me work."
=================================
Briefing
The door opens.
In the frame stands 6 feet tall mountain of steel. THe head turns left and right, as you have time to look at it. In it's weapon socket Radcannon is mounted. On the side of the body with red paint, there is a phrase: "Skittermanders 5: Vesk 0".
The metal hand points it finger at K'ssatak-Sul "You!"
The suit of armor runs towards Embri and barely stops before bumping into him and hugging him with his two metal arms.
"Buddy Jabo, at your service nufriend!"
Then he turns towards Hef and gives him two hand shake "Ha, finally nufriend with more than two hand. Can you believe how sad they have to be, imagine eating a burger, french fries, and missing a hand for holding space-coke. "
Turning to Jack "You! you ..." Ysoki does not escape being hugged.
You can see that Buddy besides his radcannon carries also a doshko and hailcannon.

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Hef responds with a two handed response shake. His motions are a bit rusty and very formal.
"Yes. Imagining people eating food is definitely a thing I do."
An independent fact checked survey would find this statement to be a 'mistruth'.

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The very idea of eating food together is repugnant to the culture of my people. This is a deeply personal and intimate process of each individual. However, this is legal and I'm not going to stop it.
No emotions, the voice is as neutral as possible.

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<<A fascinating thought.>> A shirted wearing a white labcoat stands in the doorway to the room, studying each person for a brief moment. <<But alas, no matter how many hands you have you still only have one mouth to ingest all those foods. Clearly the solution is…?>> He waits for someone to finish the thought, though his gaze seems to be focused on Jabo.

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A middle-aged looking lashunta steps into the room and scans the faces and eyes of everyone. Despite his relatively unblemished features he still seems like a grizzled old veteran. It takes a second to realize he's actually a lashunta shaped android. <<...to ingest it through other means. An IV is particularly efficient at delivering nutrients.>>
The burly looking android is bedecked in heavy looking armor, a longshafted maul and a doshko across his back. After a second he uses his mouth and voice instead of telepathy. "Seems I might have found the right room." He looks over at the cookie basket, quirks an antennae, and then pours himself a small amount of coffee. He takes a deep sniff of the liquid, before asking, "So any clue what our mission is this time? Hopefully not something dangerous or deadly."

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Fashionably late, again. Rilynn purses her lips and steps into the non-descript conference room in the Lorespire Complex. Of course, it wasn't her fault. The last mission took significantly longer in Drift than the outward voyage, and of course there were unexpected developments that, per the new normal, left her feeling unsatisfied. And hungry for more.
She did not immediately see the Ysoki, so typical was her outward gaze. She almost tripped over Jack, the little scoundrel who had clearly spoiled their chance at a snack, however unhealthy. Rilynn registered with a polite smile and surveyed the room on her way to the coffee machine.
The VCs had not yet arrived, as was their prerogative, but the rest of the company had, which gave her the chance to take their measure at once.
A Hell Knight - that's interesting! And the telltale Solarian mote - a good pairing of master to skill. Next is the Kasatha, spartan in dress and resolute of manner. The Skittermander in the battle harness looks like a force to be reckoned with at one's peril, as does the Lashunta-shaped android. A clever choice! Finally, there's a Shirren wearing a lab coat that surely belies a unique combination of talents.
Having warmed a cup, Rilynn settles into a chair opposite the Hell Knight. The sheen on her simple form-fitting armor glistens under the overly-bright lights in the conference room as she crosses her legs and taps her foot in the air.
"I'm Rilynn Rae, communication specialist and engineer hobbyist. A pleasure to work with all of you. This is certainly a capable team the VCs have called. No doubt they will arrive shortly."

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Jack follows Rilynn into the anteroom and as the lashunta grabs some coffee he pops through the opposite double doors. Returning just as the she finishes introducing herself, the young ysoki announces that the Venture Captains are indeed ready to brief the team.
The conference room beyond is brightly lit, and a few items wrapped in cloth are spread on the central conference table in front of Celita and Fitch, both of whom are focused on a shared datapad and seem to be going through a list very closely. At the sound of the doors sliding shut behind you, Fitch slides the datapad to Celita and greets you all.
“Great timing, team! We were just going over some of our artifacts.” Fitch gestures at the chairs opposite her and then taps her watch, bringing up a hologram image of the famous Starfinder, Pallena Lervo. “I’m sure she’s familiar to most of you. This is retired Venture-Captain Pallena Lervo. Tales of her and her adventures have been recounted in interviews, articles, novels, vidgames, movies, holostreams— you name it!” She shrugs then taps her watch again, changing the hologram to one of a much older Lorespire Complex. “When Pallena was an active Starfinder, we were primarily concerned with getting as much information about the Gap as we could. She spent most of her life reaching out to new species, making allies for the Society among established cultures, and bringing back lots of artifacts and treasures to show that she’d solidified these alliances. Early Starfinders were expected to be on the diplomatic frontlines and to try to keep Absalom Station supported. Pallena was an exemplary agent and officer.”
“Except, she wasn’t,” Celita interrupts, setting down the datapad with a weary look. “It turns out most of her successes were built on lies and theft. You’re going to focus on one of these incidents.” She considers the objects on the table and very carefully unwraps one. From the embroidered cloth, she pulls out a palm-sized statue of a bird carved from shimmering stone. “This is Night’s Call, a carved whistle sacred to the strix on Verces. Royo was going through artifact storage and found it, tucked behind a few other items. During his research, he found two incongruencies that caused alarm.” Celita gently places the item down, before nodding at Fitch, who scrambles to bring up the documents. “First was Pallena’s closing statement about her trip to Qidel, where she states that she ‘met some pushback’ from the locals. And second were some papers about the arrest of a strix woman named Ahusata. According to her, Pallena stole this artifact and murdered people to return with it. Pallena had the digital report destroyed and Ahusata arrested. Our records show Ahusata spent the rest of her days in the Adamantine Bastille.”
“We want you to return this artifact to the strix and offer our deepest apologies. It won’t make up for Pallena’s crimes, but admitting to her—to our—wrongdoing is a first step in the right direction. Do you have any questions?”

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Culture: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Rilynn leans forward to get a better view of the Night's Call. It is indeed a beautiful artifact and would be a coveted and beloved treasure among the shared heritage of those who fashioned it.
The story of Pallena Lervo stings like a deep cut. Among xenoseekers, Pallena was a legend, although her exploits always carried the faint ring of something approaching colonialism, with the acquisition of so many valuable artifacts. Still, Rilynn cautioned herself against belief without firsthand knowledge.
She tips her head politely to Celita and Fitch before addressing the VCs.
"You mentioned a physical copy of the arrest report. May we access that? Also, what, if any, subsequent contact has been made with the Strix of Qidel? And what of Ahusata's experience in the Bastille - was she treated poorly?"

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I understand why I was invited to this mission. The law must be restored.
It takes out a communit adapted to the flexible legs-hands (although looking quite firm) and begins to search for information in the infosphere.
Take 20 on Culture with result of 27. Anything about Qidel. Especially whether creatures can move normally there without flying.

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"I'm Rilynn Rae, communication specialist and engineer hobbyist. A pleasure to work with all of you. This is certainly a capable team the VCs have called. No doubt they will arrive shortly."
"If that capable team will not arrive in time, we would have to do." says Buddy obviously misunderstanding something.
Buddy listens to the briefing
"Hold your horses Celita. Is Ahusata dead, or still in Bastille? How long ago was that? What were the charges under which Ahusata was kept? And how Pallena had that power to send her there?" Buddy asks plenty of questions from inside his power armor.

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Culture (t) Strix: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Hef is not thrilled with the current mission, and says so.
"I am not thrilled with this mission. They will, at best, hate us immediately. But most likely they will try to imprison or kill us. What additional reparations are we being given to try to make up for our agent's unethicalness? And if they imprison us, what will you do to get us out? Because the worst possible thing I could see happening is we try to fight our way out and hurt more of these people."

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"Hold your horses Celita. Is Ahusata dead, or still in Bastille? How long ago was that? What were the charges under which Ahusata was kept? And how Pallena had that power to send her there?"
"You mentioned a physical copy of the arrest report. May we access that?And what of Ahusata's experience in the Bastille - was she treated poorly?"
Fitch looks a little uncomfortable but straightens up to answer both agents. “Royo located a physical copy of Ahusata’s statement and arrest records, and Celita recovered the digital copies which corroborate Ahusata’s story and Pallena’s cover-up. Royo has the hard-copy, but you don't really have time to go put your hands on it. Here's the digital version that Celita found," she says as she transfers the files to each of you.
Looking even more abashed, she continues. "From what we can tell, Ahusata was held in the Adamantine Bastille on trumped-up charges using falsified evidence and the word of a very politically powerful and influential Venture Captain - Pallena. We were able to find Ahusata’s travel paperwork from Verces, and it indicates she was here on a diplomatic mission. Even if she was lying, we never should’ve imprisoned her at all."
There's a long pause as the elderly ysoki fidgets with her paw-fingers. "She was not treated poorly, per se. But she was held there... until her death." She looks up in anger. "No one’s held in the Bastille that long!”
Celita purses her lips and nods to K'ssatak-Sul. “Yes indeed. Pallena’s selfishness and ambition led her to take despicable, murderous, completely unacceptable actions. Repeatedly. Like Historia-Prime, Pallena is a disgrace to the Starfinder Society and deserves nothing but condemnation from all of us. I won’t allow her to be touted as an example to future generations of Starfinders. Her lies have endured long enough, and this example of unlawful behavior by Agents must be rectified.”
Also, what, if any, subsequent contact has been made with the Strix of Qidel?
Celita shakes her head. “There's been no direct contact, so they don't know that you're coming nor what you're carrying. We know only that the current Windspeakers are named Daiwin and Zaira. Windspeaker is a role bestowed upon respected strix community members who represent Qidel on the local, planetary, and galactic stage. They’re akin to diplomats or politicians and hold great sway within Qidel. I gather they’re also historians. Outside of that, we don’t have much information. Strix are very quiet about their community.”
"I am not thrilled with this mission. They will, at best, hate us immediately. But most likely they will try to imprison or kill us. What additional reparations are we being given to try to make up for our agent's unethicalness? And if they imprison us, what will you do to get us out? Because the worst possible thing I could see happening is we try to fight our way out and hurt more of these people."
Fitch scratches her furry neck as she picks up the answer. ”Hopefully they’ll see your team as a peace brokerage and will be willing to tell you how we can begin to make amends for what we did in the past. If they ask you to do something within your power, we strongly recommend you accept and try to help them out, especially if it has to do with setting an example in their culture. We do know that the strix are exceptionally private, so I don’t recommend poking your noses anywhere they don’t belong, of course.”
Celita sets her datapad down and steps around to Hef. Her expression is one of seriousness, even more so than she and Fitch have already been wearing. She extends her hands in the Kasatha sign of a promise being made. ”We will not abandon you, as long as you act in good faith to complete your mission and make peace with the Strix on behalf of the Society. Be diplomatic. Act lawfully. Be shining examples of what the Society can and should be. And the Society will have your back. That I promise.”
Rilynn, Hef and K'ssatak-Sul confer and share what they know with the team.
The strix are winged humanoids primarily found on the Fullbright side of Verces, which is a planet of 1x gravity. Flight is not required on the planet.
The Aerie of the Sun, better known as Qidel to outsiders, is the center of strix community.
Even strix who have left Verces remain exceptionally private and take a long time to make friends and allies. However, once they choose their allies, they form intense bonds of friendship.
Strix culture has an emphasis on storytelling. Most of their history is preserved through oral tradition and goes back thousands of years before the Gap.
Culture to Recall Knowledge about the strix, or Diplomacy to Gather Information.

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Hef's lower left hand taps his leg in thought. He stops it and comments, "Ah, so our specific set of skills are being offered as restitution. That makes more sense."
"How many days travel will it be?" he asks before they leave.

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Culture vs DC 30: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
<<Windspeakers? Fascinating. A colleague of mine mentioned that she once worked as an undergrad in a lab when the main professor had studied... hmm, I forget what subject exactly. One of the sciences I believe, maybe something technological. But anyway, they apparently took a sabatical with the strix and studied under a Windspeaker for a year or two. Yes, I'm pretty sure it was something techy and not magical - maybe there was a cultural distrust of spells. If so, the strix wouldn't be the first.>>
The shirren pauses, then bobs his head up and down. <<If Ahusata died here, are her remains still here? Some folks like to keep all their dead together or have them sent to the afterlife in a particular way.>>

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Culture: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
It's plain to see from the raw emotion exhibited by the VCs that Pallena is a true villain to them. The evidence presented so far leads to that conclusion.
Rilynn tries to reassure Hef: "My most recent mission was very similar. We were tasked to make contact with a remote civilization that was predisposed to killing us on sight. But in the end, we saved them from a terrible menace to their home city, and they were grateful for our intervention. We can expect to be tested and perhaps persecuted, but we can also expect an opportunity for redemption."
Returning her attention to the VCs, she asks, "Did Pallena indicate whether the Strix can communicate in Common? Unless another member of the group has the spell to speak any language we may need to acquire an ampoule for that effect."

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Buddy nods enthusiastically with his head "Go to strix, make them our nufriends, hug them until they like us... but in a respectful manner. Got it."
Buddy comments.
"Why do they call them Windspeakers? Do they speak with wind?"
No relevant skills

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Hellknight makes notes but does not comment in any way.

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<<If Ahusata died here, are her remains still here? Some folks like to keep all their dead together or have them sent to the afterlife in a particular way.>>
Fitch looks at Celita with a silent shrug. Celita looks back at Krzysztofli blankly before replying. ”It is not something I had considered, as it is not important to me. But we will try to find out what happened to her remains, and we’ll let you know what we find.”
Good question, but it’s not addressed in the scenario.
Returning her attention to the VCs, she asks, "Did Pallena indicate whether the Strix can communicate in Common?
Celita informs Rilynn that as far as everyone knows, most strix do indeed speak Common. Their representative at the Grand Assembly on Verces seems quite fluent and accustomed to speaking in Common.
"Why do they call them Windspeakers? Do they speak with wind?"
”Something else we don’t know about the Strix. Perhaps you can find that out and include it in your report. That you’ll be submitting. When you get back. If you ever leave…” Fitch replies with a poignant look at her watch.
And with that dismissal, you make an uneventful journey to Verces in a mere 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 days. Landing in Fullbright near Qidel isn’t hard, but when you exit the ship, you’re met with intense heat and light from the unrelenting sun.
The Aerie of the Sun isn’t far away from your landing site, and you’re easily able to make your way on foot until you’re brought to a halt. A strix guard unit containing six well armed soldiers approaches with their leader at the front. “Stop where you’re standing. The Aerie of the Sun is off-limits to outsiders. State your business.”

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The relatively short journey through the Drift is welcome, and with her tempweave armor, Rilynn is mostly protected from the heat on the planetary surface. Normally, conditions like this wouldn't bother her in the slightest, having spent a lot of time during her youth exploring the tropical jungles of Castrovel. But her time away from home is making her a little soft, and she finds herself squinting through the sunlight at the welcoming committee, such as it is.
Rilynn steps forward. "Apologies for our violation. We come in peace, but no doubt you have heard that before. Our purpose here is to meet with Windspeakers Daiwin and Zaira, to profess our deepest regrets for the actions of our predecessor, who knowingly stole from you and imprisoned one of your own without cause. We have come to return this sacred artifact, and to make amends in whatever way the Windspeakers see fit. Our goal is peace, and to start to rebuild a relationship that was broken by deceit and unjust abuse of power."
Rilynn carefully unwraps the Night's Call and reveals it to the strix guard.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

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The reason Hef asks for duration of travel was to maximize the effect of a spell that lasts a day per level. As it appears travel time was randomly rolled and not known ahead of time, Hef would have cast it upon everyone as they left.
While waiting for the docking sequence to be finished, Hef advises that he can add an extra layer of protection to everyone and asks if anyone wishes to be excluded.
If not, he casts life bubble upon everyone.
It lasts five days, so arriving on day four means 1.5 days left, I'd guess.
____________________
He steps up with Rilynn and adds, "It was a terrible that it took us so long to discover the theft. We sincerely wish to make amends."
Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

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I am the Hellknight and I am the law. The law and justice is on your side after so many years, because the law and justice are inexorable. We have come to restore it. - K'ssatak-Sul says it informatively but very firmly.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 aid

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<<As soon as the true circumstances were known to the Society’s leadership, they sought to make amends,>> Krzysztofli adds.
Diplomacy to Aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

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During the journey Buddy practices on drums, how did the drums get on the ship? He brought it with him.
Buddy uses a headset, but the muffled noise of his six-hand 10-minute-long solos probably had a chance to annoy you.
When the agents land he gets into his power armor and leaves behind you.
He looks at the guard
Diplomacy, aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
"State our business? I am in the drumming business, have you heard about 'Rolling Skitters'? But what they are saying is correct, we are at the official Starfinder case. If you are not our fan already when we will be leaving you will be." Buddy says it from the inside of that grand armor, entirely believing what he is saying
He flexes his metallic pinky "Nufriends?"

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The strix leader listens intently and seems a bit confused at first by the variety of organizations you purport to represent. However when Rilynn unwraps Night’s Call they gasp. The other guards murmur amongst themselves until their leader turns their stony gave upon them.
For a reference to what these folk look like, see the cover image on Slide 1
They listen to the your explanations with a frown and gently take the artifact from Rilynn’s hands. Treating it with great care, turning it over in their long fingered hands, they examine it closely. Seemingly satisfied at its provenance, they brusquely tell you to wait, pack Night’s Call into another guard’s bag, and tell that guard to report to the Windspeakers. As the guard flies off to the Aerie of the Sun, the leader and the rest of the guards remain behind to monitor you, not speaking but simply staring off into the desert.
Just to clarify and reduce confusion when reading the above paragraph, the leader of this strix group is agender, thus the use of "they" for the singular.
You have 2 Diplomacy successes so far and two Aid Another’s. I would allow Krzysztofli to attempt a Culture check since I hadn’t specified what checks were allowed. Also waiting for Oraeus to chime in with either Diplomacy, Culture, or an Aid.

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Oh, sweet!
Culture: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Krzysztofli decides the most respectful course of action is to wait wordlessly u til the attic decide to speak with the Starfinder once more.

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Buddy looks into the desert and with his two free hands he pulls out his drum sticks. Since they are waiting he begins to play on his steel legs.
After a quick and loud rhythm, he spots the sight of the other agents
"Ok, I get it. Silent game." he hides his drum sticks

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Soon, two other strix arrive, dressed in beaded outfits. They take a moment to consider you before sharing a look. The one on the right introduces herself as Zaira and the more dour one as her wife, Daiwin, and adds that they are the Windspeakers.
“We haven’t seen Night’s Call in generations. We appreciate having it returned home,” she states with joy hidden under solemnity. ”Koyonn has informed us that you wish to make amends. They report that you said, ‘in whatever way the Windspeakers see fit.’”
Daiwin scoffs and crosses her arms in distaste. “Well, you’ve done one thing right. You returned an artifact of importance after it was stolen in a mess of blood and violence. Now go. You could never understand what we lost the day the Starfinders came to us.”
Zaira rests her hand on the back of Daiwin’s neck gently, trying to calm her wife. “They will never understand, and they can never restore what we lost, but perhaps they may be of use.”
Daiwin snaps her wings in frustration. “The Starfinder Society is filled with greedy traitors, eager to spill blood to prove their glory. What good could they do?”
“A good question,” Zaira remarks. She steps forward and lowers her hands. “Starfinders, what good have you done?”
This is a skill challenge, but it’s very specific. Each PC must attempt a Diplomacy check to describe how they’ve benefited others through their work with the Starfinder Society. A PC can substitute another skill check in place of Diplomacy if they explain how they intend to use that skill check to achieve the same goal, but the DC is increased slightly. As an example, Profession Musician would work for someone singing a song about the good things they’ve done, but showing how strong they’ve become with an Athletics check misses the mark. I’m open to creative solutions, and the scenario specifies a bonus for “clever roleplaying.”

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Embri, who wears black armor and a mask with infernal runes, takes a few steps forward.
You know what Hellknights are like. You know our methods. When you see a squad of creatures armed with this black armor, the memory of all past sins involuntarily rises before your eyes. Together with the fear that now you will be dragged out by the hair into the street and publicly executed.
The voice uttering these metaphors still sounds smooth and emotionless. Emotions are a weakness - this is the culture of this race. But this indifferent statement of facts makes the listeners shudder.
And yet, as part of the Starfinders, I am constantly settling conflicts. I helped establish diplomatic contacts with other embri during the ambassador's visit to Absolom Station. I helped to strengthen the ties of the rest of Castrovel with formians and even to prevent new conflicts with lashuntas. I explored other worlds and followed the instructions of Venture Captains everywhere... and these were always instructions about respecting the history of the new world and maintaining balance in its ecosystem.
K'ssatak-Sul pauses for a few seconds and then sums it up.
I'm not the one who usually talks about peace and harmony. More often I talk about will, coercion and submission. And yet. I speak from the facts - on my missions among Starfinders, I am an instrument not only of justice, but also of what you usually call "greater good". I've finished.
It steps back. It said.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 8 + (1) = 20

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<<My first mission with the Starfinder Society involved exploring ruins of a lost civilization,>> Krzysztofli adds, telepathic voice slightly hesitant in the wake of K’ssatak-Sul’s words. <<Or at least it was presumed to be lost. But during our investigations, we encountered still-living members of that civilization! It was fascinating! Neither side was expecting each other, so we all stood there for a moment and blinked in surprise - but it turns out that blinking was part of their language, and I had to act fast to prevent any misunderstandings that would have led to violence and loss of life! Thankfully, I could tell the other Starfinders telepathically to lower their weapons and focus on not blinking, or winking, or anything that might be mid-construed as such while I did my best to relay our peaceful intentions despite only having one pair of eyes.>>
Society?: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

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Ugh, ok. Profession drummer
Buddy gets out of his power armor, sitting on a box.
He reaches into his bag and takes out his drum sticks. He sets up his virtual drum sets and says as he begins to play
"A team of skitters were sent to aid Dromadas at the planet Zrulic-3. When we get there we discovered that some bad nufriends were doing experiments on the herd. We jumped right in and stopped its operation. We found who was behind it."
He takes a break to play the end of his solo, all six hands were flying with the drum sticks on the drums and plates. Whoever looks at Buddy, can see that at a certain moment he is angry.
He does not say that at the end of a long investigation they failed in the final battle. They took the xenowarden who sold out his own, but the mercenaries killed the tree ... He had to give up to save his ally.
He also does not say that a year later he found the mercenaries. He met them in one of the alley on the forgotten planet. Three of them walked in, and only one walked out.
Buddy stops playing, breathing heavily.
Profession (drummer): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
Ok this is a huge stretch ;) But who knows

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"A team of Starfinders was dispatched recently to a planet called Verces, which in some respects is not so different from The Aerie of the Sun; both are tidally locked and the habitable zone is a narrow band of perpetual twilight between neverending day and night. But on Verces, the ring of life is one massive city teaming with life, stacked on top of itself in grotesque buildings of all shapes and sizes.
Among the many, many casinos and houses of ill-repute was a particularly vile creature named Bogdin, who was a well-know antiquities dealer - that means he traded in stolen artifacts like the Night's Call. He was also a slaver of androids, and within his club he featured several of them, collared around the neck for obedience at the risk of immediate death.
We put a permanent end to Bogdin and his illegal business dealings."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13 So this is how we're going to start, dicebot?

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<<Uh, Rilynn?>> Krzysztofli’s telepathic voice sounds like a whisper, directed only at the lashunta. <<This planet, um, it’s Verces. Maybe that’s why it’s not so different?>>
Call that the reason for the 2 on the die? XD

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Hilarious. Well then they should really appreciate that story!

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Hef simply waits his turn. His allies have jumped in with various stories of their adventures. He recounts one of his own.
"I am a representative of Kadrical. Kadrical is a god of order. A god of sacrifice. Kadrical was not known until the Jinsul attacked. Many of them used his name to do horrible things. They had all been misled by false prophets."
"I was part of the group that discovered this misleading. I discovered and allied with oppressed Jinsul to stop those prophets and the warlike faction leading their race from spreading across the galaxy and wiping out all who were not them. Through that, I discovered that I had been led into this position by Kadrical. Led into a position to protect my allies, my friends and my galaxy. I will gladly give my life to protect others. I will give my life, if necessary, to right this wrong."
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

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The Windspeakers are initially taken aback by the Hellknight's account of fear and terror in the service of order. But by the end of K'ssatak-Sul's account, they understand that the embri has done good, even if their methods are radically different from anything they could imagine.
Zaira cranes her neck to Krzysztofli as the shirren begins and smiles at the situation and his quick thinking solution. She nods and turns her attention to Buddy.
Buddy's account is both succinct and complete. During his subsequent performance, you notice Koyonn tapping his right foot-claw in time to the beat. No one is really sure what the drumming has to do with his story of helping, but suffice to say that even the isolated strix have heard of how helpful skittermanders naturally are.
Daiwin and Zaira share a look and the former begins to say something to Koyonn when Rilynn and Hef jump in. Rilynn befuddles all the strix with her apparent complete lack of basic celestial geography. It's so confusing that they utterly miss the point of the lashunta's story.
Thankfully for Hef, the strix confer for a moment, and no one really seems to be paying any attention to his story.
You only needed 3 successes. I'm giving Buddy one for his creative attempt and great check result. Thankfully, fails don't count against, so you're good to go. Standby for the next post.

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Apparently satisfied with your tales of doing good, Daiwin says, ”Koyonn, please take them to the training grounds and have them scale the Dunes first. We'd like to see what they can together now that we've heard what they can do as individuals.” She and Zaira then return to the Aerie leaving you in the care of the guards and their slightly less stern Commander.
Koyonn leads you to a grouping of tall, steep sand dunes marked with high flags at various intervals and which stand from 50 to 70 feet tall.
Koyonn stops at the base of the largest dune and gestures up at it. “These are the Dunes of the Fledglings. Before we expect our warriors to fight or fly, first they must know how to run. I challenge each of you to race up and down the dune. Show me what you’re made of.”
Seeming a bit less standoffish than earlier, Koyonn points out how the sand shifts, and they explain the most effective ways to move quickly across the dunes on foot both up and down. This advice grants each of you a +1 circumstance bonus to your checks to scale the dune both up and down (see below).
But before you start, taking a moment to study the dunes and even your host might yield further insight.
To successfully navigate up the dune, each of you must succeed at a DC 16 Athletics check to climb. However, you can try up to 3 times. Anyone that rolls 3 failures in a row is unable to reach the top of the dune and becomes fatigued; they must proceed to attempting to descend.
To navigate down the dune successfully (either after succeeding, or instead after failing 3 times), each of you must also succeed at a DC 16 Acrobatics check to balance. Anyone who fails this check twice, or who fails this check by 5 or more, loses their balance and tumbles down the dune, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

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Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Buddy looks at the dune "So you want us to run up, and down? Like an excersice"
Buddy moves in his power armor towards the top of the dune
Athletics w powered armor, DC16: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Buddy runs up, despite the heavy weight of his armor he is able to push through that. When on the top he reaches for his rope
"Nufriends down below, catch the rope"
He tosses the knotted alloy cable.
Would this simplify the check for others?
When others have climbed he will attempt to descend
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

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Culture: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
We shouldn't use magic or flying. This will show that we are not serious about their culture and ritual trials. Aid, on the contrary, will be especially welcome, this is an important part of strix culture (and will give +4 instead of +2).
He tosses the knotted alloy cable.
At this moment, the end of the cable falls in front of the Hellknight's mask. Yes Buddy, like this.
Athletics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 4 - 2 = 13
Athletics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 4 - 2 = 9
Athletics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 4 + 4 - 2 = 16
It is obvious that mollusk's body is not designed to move over the dunes, and the heavy armor interferes terribly and it gets stuck even more... And only aid of a nufriend helps it to climb up with the last of his strength!
I think my descent will look even worse. I'd rather help you. Embri will descend a little lower down the slope of the dune and stop there, offering you to rest your feet on it so that it is more convenient to jump down further.
Aid 4 all of you on Acrobatics checks!

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Does this racial ability provide any benefits?
Hef sees the task as a good way to prove themselves, "It would be my honor to partake in part of your rite of passage." He listens to K'ssatak-Sul's warning then begins climbing.
Athletics - AC Penalty + Circumstance: 1d20 + 5 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 5 - 1 + 1 = 12 (If everyone gets the +4 from the aid, this succeeds, if not...)
Athletics - AC Penalty + Circumstance: 1d20 + 5 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 5 - 1 + 1 = 11
Athletics - AC Penalty + Circumstance: 1d20 + 5 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 5 - 1 + 1 = 16
Hef has some trouble if unable to use the rope, but otherwise ascends the hill. He takes a deep breath and tries to sprint down the other side without falling flat on his face.
Acrobatics - AC Penalty + Circumstance: 1d20 + 4 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 - 1 + 1 = 24
Perfect Balance, Perfect Form. He zips down with no issues, jumping and skidding to a halt at the bottom.

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Culture vs DC 15: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19
<<Quite right on doing this by foot - now, let’s see…>>
Athletics, Circumstance vs DC 16: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 1 = 15 (Not certain if an Aid is available - tricky to figure that out in PbP - so I’m assuming it’s not. Feel free to resolve differently if needed @GM.)
Athletics, Circumstance vs DC 16: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 1 = 14
Athletics, Circumstance vs DC 16: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 1 = 27
It takes the shirren a few tries to dig himself out of the sand enough to climb, but once he figures out how to spread his weight evenly to avoid concentrating force in one place, it’s almost effortless.
Acrobatics, Circumstance vs DC 16: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 1 = 13 (Lol, just barely not a failure by 5)
Acrobatics, Circumstance vs DC 16: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 1 = 32
The trip down the dune nearly ends in catastrophe dune to a slip and fall face-first into sand, but that turns out to be just the trick - pretending the sand is snow and Krzysztofli is a sled!

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posting from phone
Culture: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
Rilynn concurs with the assessment of her teammates.
athletics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 4 = 10 taking aid
athletics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 4 = 23
acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 4 = 10
acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 4 = 13
acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 + 4 = 21
"Thank you, Buddy," says Rilynn, relieved to be down without too much embarrassment.

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Buddy fires up his powered armor and bolts up the sand dune at the top of which he secures a rope to Help his teammates. And a good thing he did, as K'ssatak-Sul needs all the help they can get! Hef seems particularly at home in the sands and also simply runs up the slope then easily descends as if born to this terrain.
Krzysztofli relies on his friends’ help to get up the slope. Coming down, he slips, slides and eventually makes his way to the bottom no worse for wear.
Rilynn, however, isn’t so lucky. She makes it up using the knotted rope and the Help of many hands, but even with her team’s assistance, on the way down, she stumbles and rolls most of the way down, ending in a dusty heap at the bottom.
Rilynn Non-lethal Bludgeoning damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11
@Hef: I would have given you a bonus to the checks for the Desert Stride, but turns out you didn’t need it. However, please do keep it in mind for the next encounter….
@Krzysztofli: Aid Another in PbP can sometimes be a little odd. I say that I adjudicate in the order posted, but I do make allowances for Aid Another rolls when it’s obvious that someone would have Aided or wouldn’t be the Primary. In this case, yes they applied so yes you made it on the first try.
I’m going to proceed into the next encounter and bot Oraeus until he can return.
Next post coming up in a few minutes. Please stand by.

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As soon as Rilynn picks herself up and the others gather at the bottom of the Dunes, Koyonn leads you to a flat expanse of sand surrounded by a short sand dune. This is clearly a sparring ring, and in the center stands a male kasatha alongside a pair of dog-like creatures.
Koyonn gives the kasatha a pat on the shoulder. “This is Teosen, Zaira’s protege. He watched your run and volunteered to be your opponent in a bout of sparring. My guard squad would be too much for your team, but he should give you a workout.”
Teosen nods solemnly, adjusting the colorful wrap around his face. “My companions will be joining me for the match.” He gestures toward the silicanids. “I don’t want this to be too easy for you, Starfinders.”
Teosan then makes his way around the group and shakes your hands (or makes another culturally appropriate gesture) and learns each of your names as a
sign of respect. ”This is a sparring match, so we will not fight to the death, but neither will I pull my punches. Please do not, either.”
He steps back to his silicanids, turns to face you and bows just as Koyonn shouts, ”BEGIN!”
Buddy : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Hef : 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
K'ssatak-Sul : 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (2) + 0 = 2
Krzysztofli : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
Oraeus : 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9
Rilynn : 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Teosen : 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Silicanids : 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Round 1 - BEGIN!
Bold may act!
Sparring Match
Krzysztofli
Rilynn (-11 NL)
Hef
Silicanids
Teosen
Oreaus
Buddy
K'ssatak-Sul
They are NOT using non-lethal, and you should not either.
You knew what was about to happen, so you have weapons drawn, but nothing else. No buffs, no attunement.
Life Science to know anything about the strange dog-like creatures
No, you purposefully were not given time for a 10-minte rest, sorry Rilynn, but at least it was only non-lethal
The dune surrounding the sparring ground that look like a horseshoe shaped hill is sandy Difficult Terrain. Yes, Hef's ability will apply to it.
I’m shifting Hef up in the order to simplify things

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Krzysztofli finishes discreetly flicking his pistol’s setting from “Kill” to “Stun” and turns to study the closer dog-like creature.
Life Science, Alien Archive to Identify Green: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13 (If that does somehow succeed, Krzysztofli gains a +2 bonus to checks to Trick that creature)
Uncertain quite what species it is, he opts to retreat behind Hef before observing the creature’s movements - waiting for the perfect shot to disable it quickly.
Sense Motive to Trick vs Green: 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 12 + 4 = 32
Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Nonlethal Electric damage, Trick Attack: 1d6 + 1 + 1d8 ⇒ (5) + 1 + (4) = 10

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Krzysztofli gets the drop on everyone, perhaps telepathically sensing when Koyonn would call the start of the fight. He takes a quick shot at the dog-like creature with rocky skin that he’s certain is called a silicanid. He’s seen them on a holo-doco about popular pets from the Weydana system, and he recalls that they are very effective and mobile combatants. But he wasn’t really paying much attanetion to the vid, so there might be other things about them that he doesn’t recall.
DC to identify them was exactly 13, so you get one thing.
Round 1 - BEGIN!
Bold may act!
Sparring Match
Krzysztofli
Rilynn -11 NL
Hef
Silicanids Green -10
Teosen
Oreaus
Buddy
K'ssatak-Sul
The dune surrounding the sparring ground that looks like a horseshoe-shaped hill is sandy Difficult Terrain. Yes, Hef's ability will apply to it.

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A fair fight. Good.
K'ssatak-Sul stands up on his hind claws and you see how a glaive of absolute darkness appears right in front of him, framed by dark red fire giving gloomy scarlet reflections on embry's black armor. It takes the weapon in its front claws and is ready to fight.