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Magnok awakes to see Rowdy Randy's enthusiastic pep talk.
"I'm not exactly a slacker, Randy. I would have run faster but that terrain was way too tricky and that massive tendril tripped me on purpose. It just wasn't fair. But I guess I have to thank you guys for saving my life. Uhh. . . thanks." Magnok says sheepishly, not likely to admit to his limitations.
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Skorrch wipes his brow. "Phew! That was a close one! Glad you are ok Mag." The gosclaw looks around at their new surroundings and wonders out loud, "Looks like we are safe for now, but where are we?" He scans the back of the cave with his darkvisioned eyes, searching for any hidden dangers.
...and promptly trips over some rubble making himself prone!
As the mostly healed Magnok asks the question, some local life answers it.
You’re joined by unexpected visitors emerge from deeper within the cave. . A group of twelve thin, bipedal figures with long ears and wide eyes, with a thin layer of pale fur of various colors covering their bodies carefully approaches. They dress in tight utilitarian clothing and carry weapons that look like plasma batons.
Magnok manages to build a system of communication, helped out by the indigenous party's desire to communicate as well. There's a lot of back and forth to get basic information across, but ultimately Magnok feels confident in the information they relay:
You’ve eluded the katura. Yet you lack the ears to listen and legs to run. You are not of our world, which happens more now than ever. I am Minah of the ixtli; come with us peacefully, please.”
"Well met Rowdy Randy, the Ravishing Rodent. I invite you to meet with the Triumvirate, our local ruling council. Off-worlders are rare for us. You look much like the last one, a stranger with rose-colored hair and mirrors for eyes. We call ourselves Ixtli. What are you?"
Soon the natural rock gives way to smooth metallic tunnels lit by thin blue tubes set into the walls. The tunnels branch off in various directions, apparently branching into a vast network of subterranean roadways. Randy can tell that construction of these tunnels is intricate and on par with structures found on most space stations.
Tunnels interconnect and merge together, leading to a vast subterranean chamber. The ceiling sits several hundred feet above, lit by blue orbs, while round metallic domiciles fill most of the chamber. All surfaces are smooth, polished, and hum with a soft tinkling from crystals inlaid into each structure. The streets lead towards a central plaza. Ixtli gathered in the plaza step back suspiciously, some reacting to the outsiders with curiosity or fear, and others barely able to conceal their anger.
Minah leads you to an ornate blue metal building with domed doorways.
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Skorrch looks around at the chambers, astounded. "Such beautiful work!" he exclaims. The gosclaw technomancer then looks more closely and searches for any security or surveillance equipment.
(-5 Tech DC vs Security, Surveillance, Traps)
Finally, Skorrch addresses the Ixtli, "You have an amazing city here! I hope you will let us explore this wonderful place."
Hearing the words spoken to Randy and based on the looks of the other inhabitants, Skorrch asks politely, "You mentioned that another stranger visited your home. Were they here long? I hope they were not a bother. We are looking for someone that you may have seen."
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Noble-44 takes in all the information and considers things: Is there anything here to take note of, something that can be done better, something that we should learn ... and more importantly, does this look like we could escape it if needed?
Not looking to add too much ontop of Skorrch's questions, Noble-44 will idly add "What is the 'katura' you mentioned?"
"I think we can get your questions answered here."
Minah doesn't seem dismissive of your questions so much as differential as you're lead into a main area.
This large chamber is illuminated by thin crystals set into metallic braziers which cast a deep blue glow. In the middle of the chamber is a semicircular table, on the far side of which sit three chairs, each decked in fine cloth of a different color. An elderly ixtli occupies each chair, their hands clasped with fingers intertwined. “Greetings, offworlders,” intones the one seated in the red chair, “please excuse the forceful nature in which we have brought you to us.” At this, the one seated in the white chair leans over and speaks in a harsh voice.
“Bhrea, such apologies are unnecessary. We have seen the chaos these strangers bring. Offworlders, justify why you are here, now.”
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Regardless of his poor social skills, the gosclaw cannot bite his tongue. "Wow dude, chill out. We are just looking for someone that came to this planet (do you own the whole sphere?) and took refuge in what we thought was a cave from a huge beast that was attacking us."
Skorrch then addresses the bunnyman in the red chair, ignoring the white-chaired bully for the remainder of the encounter. "Bhrea, if I may call you so, we appreciate your welcoming and come to you with only the best of intentions. Forgive me if I speak out of turn. My comrades can speak more eloquently than I."
<edits cuz I always forget to add quotation>
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"Hey, hey nothing forceful about it. Any of those jokers wanting to be forceful with Rowdy Randy, the former ultra-featherweight champion of the Absalom Station Wresting Federation, would have found themselves in a little position I like to call The Cradle, and they would have cried like little babies too."
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"As others have said, we are members of the Starfinders and I am Noble-44, humble priest of the god Savain. Our goals are simply to find someone we believe came to your world. We mean no harm or chaos and if anything was done out of sort, it was purely unintentional. We'd aim to leave the Starfinders in good standing in your minds."
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You look much like the last one, a stranger with rose-colored hair and mirrors for eyes. We call ourselves Ixtli. What are you?"
"I am called Magnok. I am an android. I admit I am not feeling very welcome here yet, but I your words do not seem agressive. I hope you do not remember us based on my recent encounter with the tangle. We are here as Noble says. We are here looking for someone. Can you help us find this being?"
Apparently the look of shock translates, as their response to Rowdy is near comically bad.
It's when Noble-44's "honeyed words" routine, coupled with an assurance, that they calm down a bit.
The local named Nikku, who occupies a bright blue chair adds, "Are you related to the mirror-eyed stranger"
You ask some follow up questions, and conclude that they are describing Envar himself. You're certain."
"We can, and thank you."
The third ixtli speaks up, "And location is the problem at stake here." The tone is not a happy one.
Nikku takes the conversation back, frowning. “We are acquainted with this Envar. That one came here a few weeks ago. He took photographs while climbing our sacred monuments and made jokes of the statues of our deity. He even bathed in the pools of contemplation! Spat up any food we gave him, too.”
The first one takes over, slamming their palm on the table, “Never mind his bad table manners! His very presence and outrageous ways inspired a whole faction of our youngsters to begin imitating his behavior. For the first time in over three hundred generations, our warren has split, with this so-called ‘Tamm Squad’ cult travelling outside the tunnels! Who knows what damage this might cause?”
Bhrea of the blue chair speaks in a quiet voice. “My concern, Certu, is the group of angry ixtli who remain here, who are ruled by fear
and hate of all offworlders. I’m sure you know of which faction I speak, given your sympathies. But never mind that. If you’re looking to find Envar, he left the warren hours after his arrival. I’m sure someone knows where he may be found now. Make your inquiries with our people, but do so with care."
Minah joins you as you head out. A large hall, easily the size of several warehouses, dominates the western side of town. Numerous ixtli hurry through wide circular doors, carrying foodstuffs. The floor gives way to a massive storage area. Mechanical apparatuses select boxes full of food, delivering them to shoppers, while ixtli hurry to restock the storage area. Once they have their boxes, the shoppers move quickly to a communal hall full of tables and chairs, where entire families happily and noisily dine together.
Minah explains, "feeding together is an important social aspect of ixtli culture. In times long past, mealtimes were considered holy. Food is shared equally, brought to the hall by farmers and gatherers. Those who are infirm and struggle to make it to the hall have their share brought to them. It’s considered a grotesque crime to deprive anyone of food or shelter."
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Skorrch's beady eyes go wide. "Wow! he exclaims in wonderment. "Not a hungry soul here! The Azlanti Star Empire could use some pointers from you about feeding their 'workers'." The former sla... er... worker unconsciously rubs the tattoo on his deltoid then turns to Minah. "What can we do to help? How do we get access to that fine looking food? Where can we sit?" he asks excitedly waiting for positive answers.
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Giovanni rolls his eyes at Skorrch.
”Minah, where I come from we have very large families as well, and we work together as a community to see everyone fed, everyone taken care of.
“The Starfinder Society is like that, too. We all become family when we join up, and we try to make friends wherever we can. You just can’t have too big of a family. ”
The party ultimate strikes out here. A combination of awkward approaches and alien comportment leaves the locals.... less than impressed.
The streets leading to this building are populated by small fountains, around which sit ixtli in various states of amicable banter. Between several of the fountains sits a large crystal, which sheds heat and light, under which several people recline in various states of undress, bathing in the light. Various artistic sorts make up the crowd. Writers discuss books while a group of actors rehearse for a play. An artist completes a holo-painting of a pastel, hilly landscape. Apart from the joyful crowd, several pious-looking ixtli gather around a tall statue, heads bowed in prayer. The statue is roughly ten feet tall, carved of dark marble, and displaying a somber-looking ixtli wielding a bow. Around the statue stands a hastily-erected scaffold, upon which an elderly ixtli frantically scrubs at a large mark painted over the statue’s eyes.
While residents stop to gawk at you without initiating conversation, the pious worshippers seem keen to ask questions. Eventually, one of them steps forward and asks if you have "any messages from the Dark Hunter". From up on the scaffold, a grizzled white ixtli shouts down, warning the pious ones to get away from “the harbingers.”
The elder ixtli then approaches the you, introducing themself as Koopi. "Our sacred statue was vandalized by one of the Off Worlders Tamm Squad Cultists. Envar said our holy statue looked ‘totally rad, but needed shades,’ like his own. Since then, worshippers have been sneaking in to paint. I’ve never known such things. It’s heartbreaking. I have to do this nearly every single morning. Will you help?”
The party demonstrates that they're not cut from the same cloth as the other off-worlders. Koopi happily thanks the group, then asks a final
favor. They explain that their littermate, "Oblir, is one of the Tamm Squad who followed Envar to the Ruptured Hills. I request that you find Oblir and relay the message that they are dearly missed."