"Whatever we can do to help. Although I wonder why entities as powerful as yourselves, from whom no corner of the cosmos is safe cannot handle a little routine maintenance."
The offer and disclaimer are unrelated, and our means of enforcement remain undisclosed the curator says you are under no obligation to perform the task, though it would mean declining our offer.
“First, our lore warden constructs in the Tower of the Oma have been infected by malicious data and are malfunctioning. Long ago, a group of doomsday cultist hackers created a prophetic virus, believing that once enough machines were infected, a new age would dawn throughout the universe. We eventually isolated the virus and brought it here for safekeeping. The recent damage to our systems, however, allowed part of the code to transmit to nearby devices, which happened to be a group of passing security machines. The machines are now roaming the halls of the tower, infected with delusions of grandeur. If you
destroy these machines and recover a copy of the virus, we can return it to storage safely.
“Second, a special ksarik specimen named Vindurth has escaped from its cage in the tower. We captured an ancestor of Vindurth some years ago on the planet Castrovel because the hide of the beast was covered with indecipherable runes. Since then we have bred several generations from the beast, of which Vindurth is the most recent. Each has produced a new series of runes for us to record. Although relatively tame, Vindurth become dangerous if allowed to wander free. If possible, find a way to bring the ksarik back to its cage.”
As Albryan speaks, the formulas swirling around him become increasingly complex. First, they appear to describe multidimensional manifolds, but then the formulas become so complex that they require a multidimensional manifold just to write down. It's but a mild distraction, but one that completely mesmerises Royo. The curator guides the group to a stone shuttle, attached to magically powered stone rails. This shuttle will bring you to the Towers of Recondite Lore. Once there, seek out the tower of Oma. The top floor of this tower holds Athaeum’s information vault on the Scoured Stars.
Slightly further away, Iteration-177 and the Hellknight group each board shuttles of their own on the other side of the plaza. Iteration-177 seems to be on cordial terms with their Curator emissary. Kelria is gesturing angrily and berating her emissary while flanked by a contingent of her soldiers led by Loomarch.
---
The curator waits for a response, the symbols ∇x∇xE = ∇(∇.E) - ∇^2E swirling around him. Electrifying.
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In an instant, Athaeum went from being a sublime center of universal knowledge to a prison.
"Of course Vidurth are dangerous when free," says Rilynn of the predator to her native world. "They are wild creatures. How dare you keep it locked up in a tower! Which Corporate faction on Castrovel sold it to you in the first place?"
Lady Kesh would know of this, and there would be hell to pay.
Albryan is of little help when it comes to pointing out the weaknesses of any of the threats in the tower. They are creations of technology. They can be subdued with the laws of the grand unified theories of physics.
Royo nods in agreement of such wisdom.
Albryan remains silent at the objections of Rilynn, but the formulas swirling around him show F_g = -F_n. Every action draws an equal and opposite reaction.
The shuttle whisks the group across the surface of Athaeum for roughly 15 minutes before stopping at the feet of the Towers of Recondite Lore. There are nearly two dozen towers in all. Hundreds of bridges connect the towers at varying heights, allowing persons to move from tower to tower without ever touching the ground, if they wish. Glowing runes cap each tower’s entryway to the individual towers of the area.
The Tower of the Oma lies near the center of the Towers of Recondite Lore. This soaring 40-story-tall structure is made of black, glassy stone lined with beautifully carved frescoes. Eight bridges lead to the tower, each at different heights, and four looming archways allow visitors to enter the tower.
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F_g = -F_n. Every action draws an equal and opposite reaction.
"Oh you have that right, one day someone will be interested in your skin. Then you and your kind will end up in a cage in some forgotten place. But fear not, if you will escape from your enclosure I will volunteer to put you back in."
She looks him up and down "Can you imagine, having access to a huge repository of knowledge and behaving like an uneducated fool."
She walks past him and heads to the tower.
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Rilynn considers what she knows about the species native to her home world. As it turns out, the Vindurth is a creature of great lore on Castrovel of which every Lashunta and elf is familiar. She considers how she will know whether the creature they encounter is male or female, and how such an animal reproduces, alone in captivity. "One more question, Albryan. How have you been creating successive generations of Vindurth?"
|
Albryan is of little help when it comes to pointing out the weaknesses of any of the threats in the tower. They are creations of technology. They can be subdued with the laws of the grand unified theories of physics.
Royo nods in agreement of such wisdom.
" So it's okay to subdue them into little pieces?" Burn murmurs to no one in particular.
He watches Rilynn carefully.
The towers are exapnsive and filled with strange sights. There is a room with obelisks made out of ice, carved with strange runes that glow while emitting a low hum. Another room contains miniature robots, playing a musical symphony of intricate mathematical complexity. A third room contains merely a stone slab with the inscription C = i q F.
Higher up, a trail of acid leads up all the way to the eighteenth floor, where glowing runes line the walls of the winding corridors, filling the hallways with orange light.
Royo looks around, muttering most remarkable, as a growl echoes in the distance, following by something of a lilting melody. Ah, the ksarik he says, did you know these creatures first evolved on your homeworld? looking at Chadrah and Rilynn.
They were mindless, animate plants at first, but they've now evolved into something of a predator. Dangerous. That's why I always carry some Atienus vines, to calm the beast.
The sound is coming from down the hallway.
Chrysanthemum moves up slowly and takes a peek around the corner, seeing a plant-like creature in one of the alcoves, very much minding its own business.
|
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Rilynn nods to Burnham. "Be ready."
As a Lashunta, Rilynn feels a significant kinship with the powerful predator. She is also quietly fuming that the Curators abducted its predecessor and are now breeding successive generations in captivity. And while the library towers are vast, this cage is comparatively tiny, and much too small for this magnificent creature.
She ventures cautiously around the corner and spots it. Then she closes her eyes and conjures memories of the lush jungles from where its ancestors still roam: a peaceful, quiet, green space. She projects these memories to the beast telepathically.
As Rilynn projects images of the jungle, Vindurth becomes a lot more responsive. The beast even attempts to play with Rilynn a bit.
Offering it some food may lure it back to its cage, perhaps?
Makai doesn't fool the beast, who eagerly snaps up the food, jumps up and gives the dwarf a happy lick. Unfortunately, the lick is of the face-dissolving kind.
The ksarik is very happy.
|
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Rilynn nods to Burnham. "Be ready."
...
Burnham nods and doffs his pack and reaction cannon. He checks that his sword is free in its sheath and nods to the lashunta.
***
Burn is concerned when the ksarik licks Makai. He takes some of the vines from Royo and tries to lure Vindurth away from the dwarf.
The ksarik very happily takes the vines and gives Burnham a good lick .
The creature finally makes it to the cage, but not after giving Chadrah a happy thank-you-lick
.
The creature is safely locked away again, leaving the starfinders free for another task.
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As he team successfully leads the massive predator into its cage, Rilynn feels a powerful sadness. The creature is so happy to be interacted with, and now once again it is confined.
She sends a final telepathic image to the creature of Castrovel; it is all she can do. Goodbye, Vindurth.
She composes herself and turns to the team. "To the lore wardens, then?"
The group comes upon the twelfth floor, which is home to the malfunctioning constructs. Pallid green light fills this area. Ten large glass containers, each filled with translucent green slime, are arranged in a half square in the middle of the room. Scrolls of parchment float lazily inside the slime of each container.
Two technological constructs wait in the center of this room. These robots resemble robed humans constructed of brass and silver with visible clockwork mechanisms inside them. One of their arms ends in a vicious blade, while the other is an intricate clockwork re-creation of a hand.
As soon as the group enters, the two constructs start spewing threatening messages Look at you, inferior lifeforms. Weak creatures of flesh and bone. How dare you challenge us perfect immortal machines? as they move onto the attack
---
Makai
Chadrah
---
Perfect Immortal Machine
Perfect Immortal Machine
---
Chrys
Rilynn
---
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Makai moves forwards, with grim expression. She waves her hand and ground under the robots is covered with slick grease.
"No life form is inferior to any other..."
"Not sure I agree with that, Makai," Burn calls from the bottom of the spiral stair. With the fight happening above him he wonders why he thought it was so important to guard the party against an attack from below.
Royo, who is still around, but unfortunately unarmed, assists the party by pointing weaknesses ()
He also helps Chadrah identify the constructs as... constructs. Lore wardens, to be precise. These have some limited spellcasting abilities, and share the immunities of constructs.
Makai greases the floor, causing the robots to topple over.
---
Makai
Chadrah
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Perfect Immortal Prone Machine
Perfect Immortal Prone Machine
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Chrys
Rilynn
Burn
---
Chadrah takes a shot at the delusional robots, but they are hard to hit whil on the ground.
The robots stand up and start throwing around magical forcedisks, while spewing Meat is inferior to silicon. All meat must be replaced with glorious metallic parts. Start by burning meat
---
Chrys
Rilynn
Burn
Makai
Chadrah
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Perfect Immortal Upright Machine
Perfect Immortal Upright Machine
---
---
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Chrysanthemum pulls her attention away from the blooping slime as a forcedisk whizzes past her nose. Unable to charge from her current location, she moves up until she is threatening both robot. "I am a silicon based life form and do not have meat in the way you suggest. Please desist in your obstruction."