SFS 4-12 - A Festive Operation - Take 2 (KS) (Inactive)

Game Master phaeton_nz

Gameplay Thread. You know the drill

You are in a massive cafeteria located at the heart of the Lorespire Complex, which has long served as a meeting place for Starfinders. Countless food stations present options that can satisfy even the pickiest of diets and give space-weary agents a taste of home, regardless of how far away home might be. This Kuthona, as numerous popular holidays approach, galactic treats have been added to the cafeteria’s offerings and the walls have been plastered with festive decorations, including handmade garlands courtesy of Fitch’s grandchildren, floating lanterns, and holo-photos of Starfinders no longer with the Society.

Within the cafeteria, the excitement is palpable, as Starfinders from all over the Pact Worlds and beyond excitedly discuss their plans for the upcoming weeks. You are among these agents, settling in at a table together for a meal, companionship, or conversation.

A sleekly brown-furred ysoki with a streak of white between his ears and over his jowls plops an overloaded food tray unto the table and clambers onto a chair. "Hey, I'm Ears. Nice spread today. They've even got Ka cakes."

He points to a trio of burnt-looking mounds of baked goods on an edge of his tray. "Akitonian delicacy. Supposed to look like the holy mountain. Anybody want one? They taste dry and otherwise horrible. I only eat them to remind me why I left. You ever been there?" He brushes two of the three cookie-biscuit-crispbread items into the middle of the table, a rough form of offering. Then he starts eating the rest of his food.

He's neatly dressed in scholar's robes over tight-fitting armor. Two polished sidearms hang from his belt.

"You had me at 'dry and otherwise horrible,'" says a human woman in purple and white, setting down her own tray. She snatches one of the cakes, but hesitates to set it down on her loaded tray with no clear space. Instead she takes a bite of it. "Hm. Dry and otherwise horrible. Interesting."

She pokes at something green and lumpy. "Y'know, I love the increasing diversity of the Starfinders, and I'm excited about trying new things, but not all of us are... biologically similar. I don't think I should eat this." She took another bite of the cake. "Sweets are probably safe. In not basing that in anything, I just want them to be."

Finishing the cake, she holds our a hand. "Navasi. I think I've seen you around?"

A huge moth (or at least on the size of a small character) lands at the table while carrying what looks like a long thermos.

"Sorry, not something I am capable of eating." The mouth thinks at you with telepathy. "I'd offer you some of mine, but the local doctors have said this is bad for most humanoid species."

The moth shrugs. "My own studies say it wouldn't hurt in small doses, but you probably wouldn't like the taste anyway."

Dressed in a Tempweave suit and wearing a leafy headdress, the moth nods at all of you. "I am called Misty Kit, my people are mostly new here."

At the very edge of the cafeteria, an embri takes a few steps in and then retreats quickly to the wall. This happens multiple times, as if he's trying to gather his courage for something. Embri, highly-evolved mollusk-like sapients from a planet in Near Space, wear featureless metal masks over their faces.

"You had me at 'dry and otherwise horrible,'"...

Finishing the cake, she holds our a hand. "Navasi. I think I've seen you around?"

" Ears. Could be. I've been working this gig for a few years, but I only do it around my other research and consulting. So I'm absent for long periods of time. I'm not real good with faces, so pardon me if I don't remember. "

A huge moth (or at least on the size of a small character) lands at the table ...

Dressed in a Tempweave suit and wearing a leafy headdress, the moth nods at all of you. "I am called Misty Kit, my people are mostly new here."

"Welcome to our merry band, Misty Kit. Hey, look at the wall flower. I'll bet hesheithem's new too." Ears points toward the embri waffling by the wall.

"Might be an embri. I've never met one of those either. I think they have a fear of eating in company. Don't blame them if they've ever eaten with my family. Gotta be fast if you want even a taste."

Ears punctuates this statement by scooping handfuls into his mouth until his cheeks bulge.

Culture: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Twas the hours before First Choices,
As Movruul took his seating.
Not a creature was stirring,
Though a ysoki was eating.

There's also a kirrinta,
The witchwyrd did think.
They're carrying a thermos
From which to drink.

There was also a human.
And an embri nearby.
Eating, assumed Movruul,
Or hoping to try.

The witchwyrd was nestled
All snug in his chair.
In the hope that the Venture-Captain
Soon would be there.

He spoke not a word,
But instead sat and schemed.
Which was typical for the witchwyrd
Or so, it oft seemed.

The explosive device,
That I ordered by mail
Should have been here by now!
How could it fail?

To one of my enemies
I had planned to present.
The bomb wrapped as a gift.
Now, I can't. I lament.

To find out why
The package he was lacking
Morvruul got on his comm
To access an app used for "tracking".

The bomb is on Akiton?
He read on his screen.
Morvruul grew irate.
This should not have been!

Two more days still in transit?!
Why, at this rate,
The package won't arrive
Until much too late.

If I am to deliver
The explosive just right
It must be done during the holiday
And that is... tonight!

So, Morvruul plotted and pondered
Until a new plan he made.
What if? he thought.
First Choices was delayed?

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The laugh set Morvruul's uvula humming.
I must find a way
To keep First Choices from coming!

Navasi blinks.
"You, uh... You good there, buddy? Do you need help?"

Ears looks at the witchwyrd. "My family's not funny. It's tragic."

That was great, Lysle. Totally made my day.

Navasi blinks.

"You, uh... You good there, buddy? Do you need help?"

"What makes you ask?" replied Morvruul. "Must your kind always chelp?"

Ears looks at the witchwyrd. "My family's not funny. It's tragic."

I'd like to drown this rat. Maybe someplace pelagic.

"Where is the Venture-Captain? And why are they late?"
"Could it be?" he inquired. "That we have the wrong date?"

"Perhaps, we should acknowledge, what I've sensed all along
That the calendar we've been using is patently wrong."

"Until we are certain," Morvruul continued to speak
"We must delay all scheduled parties for some days... or a week!"

"Until we've fixed the chronometer governing time on this Station
It'd be prudent to halt any planned celebration."

I've been waiting for Cha'mon Cha'mon to show up.

It is not a Venture Captain that shows up, but a jolly looking Raxilite, garbed in festive attire, who settles into an open seat at the table, while placing down a tray piled high with cookies, candied fruit, and other sweet treats. They smile, offering the tray out to share. Hi! I’m Camellia! I adore the holidays, don’t you? First Choices, Newspark, Reunion—there’s so many celebrations this month I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. How about you? Do you have plans to celebrate?

With one claw covering the eye-slit of his metal mask, the embri advances into the cafeteria, accidentally bouncing into tables and diners alike before ending up randomly in your vicinity. "Please pardon this one! This one is Speaker for the Dead, and this one is pleased to meet these ones. This one knows that important festivities are often accompanied by public mastication in these ones' cultures, and this one does not judge these ones for it. This one is a cultural ambassador from Wymdd."

...a jolly looking Raxilite, ... Hi! I’m Camellia! I adore the holidays, don’t you? First Choices, Newspark, Reunion—there’s so many celebrations this month I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. How about you? Do you have plans to celebrate?

"Schools closed, businesses shuttered for the holidays. I'm a little short on income streams right now. You're looking at my celebration." Ears flips his palm to indicate his now half-decimated plate. "I was hoping for a quick consulting job with the Starfinders. I'll be in a cheery enough mood if I can make enough for an SE865 4024 phase inverter."

With one claw covering the eye-slit of his metal mask, the embri advances into the cafeteria, accidentally bouncing into tables and diners alike before ending up randomly in your vicinity. "Please pardon this one! This one is Speaker for the Dead, and this one is pleased to meet these ones. This one knows that important festivities are often accompanied by public mastication in these ones' cultures, and this one does not judge these ones for it. This one is a cultural ambassador from Wymdd."

"Hey, Speaker! Sit down here. This one is Ears. This one is Camellia. This one is Navasi. This one is Misty Kit. And this one ... is wyrd. And don't worry about me. I'm not chewing. I'm storing food in my cheek pouches for later. " Indeed the ysoki's cheeks have rounded out quite nicely. And somehow all that food remains behind his teeth while he talks and smiles.

"Pretty sure 'masticate' is chewing, so you're still doing that a bit."

Navasi's eyes were really on Camellia's tray at this point, though, from which she selected something delightfully luridly pink which did not look dry or otherwise horrible.

"I'm afraid I'm a little light on plans. I wasn't sure I'd be around."

Speaker sides up to the side of the table. "This one," he says, staring pointedly at the ceiling, "just returned from weeks shipwrecked on a far planet! This one is pleased to be back in civilisation."

A damai with an ironic look on his face approaches the table. He looks like he's been enjoying the food and companionship in the cafeteria. He's possibly had a few too many drinks from the way he wobbles a little as he walks, but as soon as he sees Morvruul his eyes stares daggers at him and he seems to immediately sober up.

"Hello, Morvruul..."

"Pretty sure 'masticate' is chewing, so you're still doing that a bit."

...

"No. The key is not to chew, but to store the morsels whole. Otherwise you end up with a cheek full of disgusting grey mash that even young ysoki wouldn't eat."

Speaker sides up to the side of the table. "This one," he says, staring pointedly at the ceiling, "just returned from weeks shipwrecked on a far planet! This one is pleased to be back in civilisation."

"You were caught in that day-bac-el too? What a terrible place. Earth elementals everywhere. Worse than Akiton."

The ysoki's attention is drawn away to the arriving damai. "Oh. Is that his name?" He tells Speaker, "That one is Morvraal. This one is new. "

"Everyday is a holiday for my people," Misty Kit thought. "No really; everyday. The trick is deciding what to celebrate. For instance I am not celebrating 'One Scream at the Wilds' today. Which is too bad, I like One Scream, but you have to be in a forest with leaves for that one."

"Well, we're on a space station, so nothing here could ever be literally 'wild,' but have you ever seen Jatembe Park? It's really something. I can take you there later, if you like.

"Always pretty crowded though, so maybe not ideal for the, uh, screaming."

Navasi shifts and helps herself to something else with a shimmering green glaze, her own sludgy tray forgotten. "Anyway, to answer your question Camellia, I like First Choices. I think giving gifts based on your own interests to try to get your friends interested is pretty common on other gift-giving occasions, but it can seem kind of selfish. A day where that's the whole point is a fun variation."

Wonderful! Camellia exclaims, clapping their hands in glee. While many people are excited for the upcoming festivities, my friend Kinnik is more anxious than ever! Tonight is his First Choices party, and he’s desperately trying to make everything perfect.

First Choices is a shirren innovated holiday which centers around the exchange of gifts, specifically, creations that epitomize the personal style, favorite hobby, or interests of the giver. Groups of friends, and sometimes even strangers, gather for a show-and-tell of these items. Usually, these gifts are shared in grand choice-buffets accompanied by games to decide who ends up with which gift. Some celebrants also give individually selected gifts to those they care for most.

Kinnik’s in need of aid, and I know you’re just the folks to help him!

A damai with an ironic look on his face approaches the table. He looks like he's been enjoying the food and companionship in the cafeteria. He's possibly had a few too many drinks from the way he wobbles a little as he walks, but as soon as he sees Morvruul his eyes stares daggers at him and he seems to immediately sober up.

"Hello, Morvruul..."

At such uttering of his name,

"Hello, Cha'mon Cha'mon,"
The witchwyrd says with a sneer.
"I'd have turned down this mission
Had I'd known you were here."

Morvruul says nothing more
Keeping word terse.
As he ponders to himself.
How could this get worse?

Bad enough that one explosive I'd ordered
Tis now so long overdue.
But, with Cha'mon Cha'mon now present
I could really use TWO!

As those in his presence keep speaking
Morvruul remains deep in thought,
First Choices cannot proceed.
It simply must NOT!

The witchywrd kept on thinking
Of ways to arrange
Events to his liking
To delay gift exchange.

At least, he thought,
With parties set for tonight.
I still have time left
To ensure things are right.

To delay the holiday.
There's several hours still yet
To do away with signs of the holiday.
To make the others forget.

Then he once again heard Camellia speaking.
Her words overwhelmed him.

Kinnik’s in need of aid,

and I know you’re just the folks to help him!

"Our aid's ill-advised," said Morvrrul.

"A reasonable course,
Which I think is best
Is hold off for a few days
Until all get their rest."

"'One Scream at the Wilds' is great, but I don't think the gardeners would like us trying to see who can knock the most leaves of a tree in one scream. My cousin Jinga once knocked all the needles of a Spike Tree once!" Misty Kit

"I'm always happy to help others with their holidays!"
Misty Kit 'cheers'.

Navasi raises an eyebrow. "Medication is more of a solution for longer-term anxiety, not anxiety over one task or event. And normally I'd agree: If a task is giving you trouble, rest up and tackle it again with a fresh look. But that doesn't always work if the task has a deadline. The holiday itself is a hard deadline-- can't stop First Choices from coming!"

She smiles at Camellia. "Of course we'll help."
Her smile turns towards Ears and Misty. If at least one of them agrees she'll have her promised "we"; she's less hopeful about the Witchwyrd.

Navasi raises an eyebrow. "The holiday itself is a hard deadline-- can't stop First Choices from coming!"

A hard [i]dead line[/i], Morvruul muses.

"Fine, then. I'll go," he said.
"Let us Kinnik, go see.
But don't say I didn't warn you
Should he need therapy."

"This one doesn't understand everything that is being discussed by these ones, but this one offers prompt assistance to any request by fellow Starfinders."

"Pass me those little green-wrapped candies off Camellia's tray. I think I can just squeeze them in."

Ears own plate is now empty. His cheeks bulge. Somehow he can still speak clearly.

Camellia gives you the address and you quickly find the way there and get there without incident.

Kinnik’s sky-rise apartment is a short walk from the Lorespire Complex, in a small park on the border between the Eye and the Ring. Outside, Kinnik (male shirren) is overburdened by shopping bags and struggles to get the foyer door open. He’s grateful for your aid and welcomes you up to his apartment. Kinnik’s home is modest, clean, and festively decorated.

"Mind you manners, Morvruul we are in someone's home. I know you may not be able to comprehend this, but the world doesn't revolve around your machinations."

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

"I see you're a fan of Sonic Tumult, Kinnik."

"I don't know if you were expecting us, Kinnik," says Navasi, trying to look around without looking like she's trying to locate the valuables (especially since she isn't), "but your friend Camellia sent us. They said you needed some help?"

She nods towards one of the photos. "Is that the friend in question?"

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Culture: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

"Sonic Tumult?" Ears scampers over to a small display. "Hey this shirt is from the Sound Jumble tour! They were nobody back then. What else have you got?"

Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15
Culture: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Speaker follows along, inwardly relieved to be finally free of that awful, repulsive room full of people actually . .eating in public.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Culture: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

"Mind you manners, Morvruul we are in someone's home. I know you may not be able to comprehend this, but the world doesn't revolve around your machinations."

"Oh, I'll mind my manners."

With landmines and explosives! he thinks
As he starts to quietly scheme away.
Before, sadly recalling the last order he made
Still sits on Akiton due to delay.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Culture: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Spying Kinnik struggling at the door
Morvruul feels inclined to say,
"Kinnik, you are clearly too busy
To partake of any holiday."

"All across the station
First Choices parties should postpone.
Allow kind bugs like you to get rest.
Perhaps, listen to music all alone?"

When Kinnik rejoins you, after putting the shopping away, he admits his anxiety over his First Choices party. While he adores the holiday and is excited to host a gathering, he hasn’t had time to track down the perfect gift for his best friend, Celeed (male shirren), whom he has extremely strong feelings for. Kinnik wants Celeed’s gift to be perfect, because he plans to confess his feelings at the party but doesn’t know if Celeed feels the same way. He asks you if you would help him decide on a gift for Celeed, then purchase it on his behalf. Kinnik would love to go looking himself but doesn’t have time to both shop and finish preparations for the party this evening.

Oh, this was interesting. Navasi smiles. "So something related to your interests, but also something that expresses interest of a different sort?"

She looks at the memorabilia some of the others pointed out. "You really like this band? Does Celeed? Maybe something like event tickets. ...they are a current band, right? I don't think I know them."

"This one believes that the best gift that that one can give to that one is a true account of that one's feelings. This one has sadly spoken the life of many who have passed to the beyond having failed to speak before time and fate condensed all possibilities into one: regret."

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

"Yeah. Gift-giving's not really my thing, but I'd suggest a Tau Systems particle accelerator. They're small and have a high energy to cost ratio. Who wouldn't want one? "

What's a Tau Systems Particle Accelerator? Kinnick asks

[b]Sonic Tulmit ... yeah. Celeed has been my dearest friend for at least
a decade. We often visit dive bars in the Spike together to watch up-and-coming bands perform. Sonic Tumult is our favourite and we've seen them perform 47 times so far.

He's completely ignoring Morvruul.

Ears hunches his shoulders and his hands come halfway up to his face, palms in, they shake while he talks. "They're they're awesome. They're only about the size of a small water closet, so they're vehicle portable. You break atoms with them, and study the residual particles. Which is great fun all by itself.

"And then, there's the fun stuff. If you've got the knack, you can synchronize electron spins or play with energy states and see how that affects the interaction with other basic particles. So many potential real word applications of that kind of enhancement. That's why almost half of them are snapped up by researchers on Apostae, and poor independents like me can't get one ...."

Saw an article this morning about Tau Systems laser based particle accelerator. Stole the name, I mean decided an homage was appropriate.

"What about a nice coffee cup. Everyone needs one of those."

I thought about that too. It's nice and so are things like flowers, chocolates and jewelry but they're rather impersonal and I want this gift to be really special.

He then rambles, listing off countless generic gifts he’s dismissed as inadequate including coffee cups.

"My people like to use actions or hand-made things, Misty 'thinks', "But we are pretty primitive that way.

"Of the suggestions presented, this one believes a 'Sonic Tumult' may hold the most appeal to Celeed. Where does one purchase a 'Sonic Tumult'?

"What about a nice coffee cup.

Everyone needs one of those."

If you really believe that

As the witchwyrd makes no plans
To carry out for the week,
He pauses for a moment
To hear others speak.

"Of the suggestions presented,

this one believes
a 'Sonic Tumult' may hold
the most appeal to Celeed.
Where does one purchase
a 'Sonic Tumult'?

"That line of thinking," says Morvruul

"A band is not 'purchased'!"
What you propose is insane!
Instead, you hold'em at gunpoint!
You kidnap! Detain!"

"Why, once you've made captives
Of those in the band
You'll then have them around
To perform on demand!"

"We can deliver the band to you,"
The witchwyrd now voices.[/b]
"To pass along as a gift
To exchange on First Choices."

"All we ask, in return, Kinnik,
Is some more time, of course.
To allow us to find them
And then take them by force."

Oh ... that's a GREAT idea. Sonic Tumult merch Kinnick exclaims I presume that's what you meant ... not the band itself, but yeah.

He admits finding merchandise for he and Celeed’s favorite bands, like Sonic Tumult, will be difficult, as they’re not well-known, and suggests the PCs start their search at a thrift shop. After a moment’s thought, Kinnik relates a time when Celeed’s favorite Sonic Tumult hoodie disappeared from his bag during a late-night trip home after a concert. Kinnik wishes he could replace the hoodie, but since it was a limited run item that would be almost impossible. Still, if the PCs could find Sonic Tumult apparel, Kinnik would be incredibly grateful.

Diplomacy to Gather Information or Culture or Profession(Musician) to Recall Knowledge.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

"Don't mind, Morvruul, what he says isn't supposed to make any sense.
He doesn't know the meaning of the words coming out of his mouth. Don't encourage him or he'll use up all the oxygen in Absalom Station with his inane rants."

"My understanding is that some secondhand shops in the Freemarkets might carry local band merchandise."

"Some of those are great suggestions," says Navasi diplomatically, pulling out her comm, "but not very actionable within our time limit. And the kidnapping one might not be viewed favorably by the Society. Let's stick with merch. I wouldn't normally consider the shirt romantic, but it's also a symbol in their relationship. Let's target that, or something like it!

"I think I might know good places to look..."

Culture: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

She looks vaguely at Cha'mon Cha'mon and echoes "Freemarkets... Oh!"
Smiling, Navasi claps her hands. "Second Time Around! They like to buy up all the old leftover merch when bands update their stuff. That logo--now that I think about it, the Sonic Tumult logo on some of Kinnik's older items--I've seen it before! They got about of stuff there about three months ago."

"Freemarkets?! Sure we could go there. Good plan. Let's get moving."

Ears heads for the door.

So, off you go. The Freemarkets are a a convenient, multistory shopping center operated by AbadarCorp that contains countless independently run shops and stalls. A gleaming statue of Abadar presides over the entrance, near a store directory that lists 12 secondhand shops.

((If you played 4-01 Year of the Data Scourge with these PCs it is likely you have been here before.))

Second Time Around is owned by Dot (female ysoki), an affable gossip and canny businesswoman who runs one of the most successful and longstanding shops in the Freemarkets. The shop is packed with an eclectic collection of products, from apparel and home furnishings to vintage toys and instruments. The most useful equipment is on display behind the counter. Dot greets the PCs with a grin and welcomes them to her shop, asking if they’re here to browse or are looking for something specific. She also thanks those who helped her during the Data Scourge Crisis.