You've been summoned by Celita and Fitch in a private conference room in the Lorespire Complex...
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A muffled impact and the door swings rapidly open. A furrily-eyebrowed man with dark close-cropped hair strides in. His burly frame is made hulking by his heavy iridishell armor. A reaction cannon is slung over his left shoulder, a sidearm hangs off his belt to the right, and a long sword on the left.
"Burn Kenyon. What's the scoop?"
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A dwarf, a middle-aged woman with graying hair and neatly-trimmed beard, enters through the swill-swining door in a hoverchair which has a Starfinder Society sticker pasted over a mining conglomerate's logo. "Hello, everyone," she says cheerfully, "my name is K.I.N.A.A." You can see that she is missing most of her right leg, and that her body is muscular even compared to other dwarves. "I decided on a career change, and exploring pre-Gap ruins and fighting jinsul seemed safer than what I was doing before. Oh, and I guess I can serve as team medic if things don't go our way, but you all look highly competent, so I don't expect to have to do much."
The conference room is brightly lit, and a few items wrapped in cloth are spread on the 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 door sliding shut, Fitch slides the datapad to Celita, and greets you.
“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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"I decided on a career change, and exploring pre-Gap ruins and fighting jinsul seemed safer than what I was doing before. Oh, and I guess I can serve as team medic if things don't go our way, but you all look highly competent, so I don't expect to have to do much."
Stepping out of a shadowed corner is a very violet android. Dressed in various dark purples, with hair and eyes to match. Nearly all of her visible light brown skin is covered with intricate indigo and violet tattoos in delicate scrollwork and flowers that highlight her pale violet glowing circuits.
"Greetings. I'm Twila-5. It's good to have a medic. I have some training, but little experience. May I shadow you if those skills are needed?" Her voice is an odd combination of warm honey and stale flatness.
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Not as surprised as she feels she ought to be upon learning of Pallena's hidden corruption, Twila-5 has to force her mind to focus on the mission rather than ruminate on the rot that all shiny reputations seem to cover. First, she searches her mind for knowledge of the Strix, then begins developing questions.
"Do we have access to all the documents the Society has about her and her activities associated with this?" After a momentary pause, she continues. "It is intriguing that Pallena had the digital report of Ahusata's statement deleted, yet another copy of it remained. It seems an odd misstep for someone as adept at hiding their dark side as she apparently was."
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Kyra is currently dressed casually - well as casually as a devotee of Sarenrae would be.
Perhaps Guidance had the backup files she comments.
My name is Kyra, although my full designation is Kyra-IO. I too am a medic or ... a mystic healer although I have been dabbling in biohacking for a bit. Her voice also sounds a little flat and carries the weight of centuries.
In that case, we must do what we can to ... erm ... re-establish relationships with the Strix.
Formal robes would be appropriate for this. Yes?
She looks over to K.I.N.A.A. Pardon my curiosity, but is your designation an abbreviation for something? Or are you also an android?
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K.I.N.A.A. can't remember anything about strix other than that she's never dealt with one before.
She looks over to K.I.N.A.A. Pardon my curiosity, but is your designation an abbreviation for something? Or are you also an android?
"Nope, flesh and blood dwarf... unless that simulation I was in never really ended. You never know what can go wrong with all the gadgets here, especially after... well, you know. None of you are holograms, right?" When everyone responds in the negative, she continues, "Well, that's what a hologram would say, but nothing for it now.
"As for your other question, K.I.N.A.A. Is Not An Acronym." She pauses a moment to let all the androids puzzle that out.
"My patching up experience is more towards the 'get someone out of a mine collapse' variety, but every once in a while the Covetous Protector decides I need to be less covetous and more protecting and does the work for me. As good a supervisor as I've ever had."
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"As for your other question, K.I.N.A.A. Is Not An Acronym." She pauses a moment to let all the androids puzzle that out.
Twila-5 cocks her head for a moment, then nods once. "Ah. I see. Clever and cheeky. I like your sense of humor. If you would like to share more about the 'K', we're all ears. If not, fair."
The strix are winged humanoids primarily found on Verces. The Aerie of the Sun, better known as Qidel to outsiders, is the center of strix community.
The strix are winged humanoids primarily found on Verces. 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.
Clearly happy at the level of curiosity you show as agents, the Starfinder leaders do the best they can to answer.
Fitch looks a little uncomfortable but straightens up to answer. “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. From what we can tell, Ahusata was held in the Adamantine Bastille on trumped‑up charges using falsified evidence. We were able to find her 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—certainly not until her death. No one’s held in the Bastille that long!” Celita purses her lips and adds, “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. You're welcomed to look, but you won't find anything else.”
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"The "K" stands for "K.I.N.A.A.", of course," the dwarf answers with a grin. "And I will be happy to tell you about my patron during our trip - on a mutually agreeable schedule, of course."
"We should definitely talk to someone about how the Bastille is handled. I think I know a guy..." "Until then, let's set about making amends as best we can."
"The sooner you leave the better to be honest. Unfortunately, we don't have a specific contact for you. We know 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.”
Fitch bristles, but confirms Datch's location.
With questions answered, the party jumps aboard the chartered ship. It's an uneventful 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. It’s very hot. The Aerie of the Sun isn’t far away, and the party is able to make their way on foot until...
...A strix guard unit containing six guards approaches with their leader at the front. “Stop where you’re standing. The Aerie of the Sun is offlimits to outsiders. State your business.”
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"I'll carry the relic, unless someone else wants to." Stepping off the ship, Twila-5 squints in the glare. "I thought of buying sunglasses from that vendor's kiosk outside our loading dock, but those cheap things wouldn't have made any difference here."
As the guards approach, Twila-5 falls back behind Kyra IO, looking to the other android for a response as she seems the most likely to generate a positive interaction.
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K.I.N.A.A. discusses the basics of Kadrical worship to anyone who is willing to listen. She spends much of the journey in zero-gravity, and comments how interesting it must be to have the local star always within view.
After arrival, she leaves the diplomacy, other than a personal introduction, to the experts.
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On the outward trip, Burn constantly cares for his equipment by disassembling, cleaning and reassembling it. He's also eager to talk about everyone else's equipment also. He also works out as much as the ship's facilities will allow.
On Verces the soldier takes a position at the rear of the party so that he can watch them all easily during the march. Keeping an eye on them doesn't prevent him from periodically looking behind.
When they meet the Strix guardians, Burn unbuckles his pack and lets it slide to the ground with a small sigh of relief. His rifle stays slung over his shoulder and he keeps his hands clear of his other weapons. He doesn't want to appear threatening in the least while the diplomats work their magic.
Things do not seems like they're off to an auspicious start. The guard seems uninterested in answering questions, or helping in any way.
Just when the party starts to sweat a bit, another pair of strix arrive.
The pair share a look before turning to you. One stares intently while the other smiles and makes an introduction, "Greetings. I am Zaira. This is my wife Daiwan. We are the Windspeakers. You are clearly Starfinders. Now, pray tell, what is this relic?"
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Are they who they say they are? How would we even tell? They recognize Starfinders; what do they think of us? Realizing that all these questions are causing her to create an awkward pause in an already awkward and somewhat tense situation, Twila-5 shuts them down and holds out the box containing the relic. "We were informed that it is called 'Night’s Call'."
Zaira gasps, "We haven’t seen Night’s Call in generations. We appreciate having it returned home. This is.... welcome."
Daiwin finally speaks up, "Is that your only business here?"
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?”
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"I acknowledge that the Starfinder Society's poor reputation,", K.I.N.A.A. answers with a tinge of sadness, "as well as the history of violence and theft that led to it. Though I was a humble miner for much of that time, I could not help but hear of the less-than-benevolent uses our metals were being put to. However, the Society has much changed in these years, and a baneful influence has been purged from our leadership. The Society now seeks only to help others and spread peace throughout the galaxy.
[b]"When the Drift Crisis struck, I was on a Starfinder ship that crashed on a previously unknown world. Although we had no way to prepare for this, our group was as well-provisioned as could be expected for an extended stay as we awaited rescue. During our time there, we encountered a group of Weydanites, similarly unable to leave or contact their allies. We defended them from local fauna, brought them into our settlement and gave them space on our craft when rescue finally arrived."
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After a thoughtful pause, Twila-5 throws in her two credits. "I just returned from a mission in which we uncovered an extra-legal scheme to design and manufacture a drug that could turn anyone into a super-soldier. Now that we know about it, the Starfinder Society was able to connect some dots around the galaxy. Our primary goal is to prevent it from being manufactured at all. Even if we only manage to keep it scarce enough that it can't be used in wars, many lives will be saved."
Neither dwarf nor android seem to make headway with the diplomatic portion of the mission.
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After an awkward pause, Burn realizes that the strix expect him to speak. He thinks for another few seconds then raises his hand to draw attention to his gear.
"I am an exo-guardian. Fighting is part of my job, but my job isn't fighting, or thieving. Exo-guardians take the guardian part of our name very seriously. We fight to protect. Sometimes we're protecting our team; sometimes, knowledge or some artifact; sometimes, a whole star system.
I've helped free androids illegally held in bondage. I've fought to keep some kind of shadow dragon from stealing a Brethedan artifact. I was part of a scientific mission that ended up fighting cultists who wanted to destroy the whole planet.
I'm also the last guy who wants to start a fight because I'm the one who's going to be in the middle of it, putting my life on the line protecting those that need protecting. But if the fight can't be avoided, if something nasty came over the horizon, I'll be the first to step between it and you."
Burn feels like he actually may have won them over a bit.... just a bit. Both strix seem impressed with his candor and story.
Then all eyes turn to Kyra IO....
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Kyra looks a bit nervous.
I ... do not know how much you know about Pact World Holidays, but, with all the diverse species we have on Absalom Station, there are quite a few festive occasions, mostly concentrated around the last month of the year, I believe that correlates with the mid winter months of Lost Golarion. I ... and some companions, were tasked with helping others find joy in these occasions, such as helping to find the perfect gift, helping out in getting a parade float working and even in making the dinner.
She then describes what happened during A Festive Operation
Sometimes it is not the big deeds that matter, but the little ones. Even one life touched in such a way can make a difference
The strix seem to soften a bit, but only a bit. It's clear that this is going to be a treacherous road to travel for you.
They then lead you to a grouping of tall, steep sand dunes marked with high flags at various intervals.
Koyonn, the strix who first greeted you, stops at the base of the largest sand 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.” He sighs a bit, his hard edge soften by the stories of Burnham and Kyra IO. "The sand shifts." He goes on to explain the most effective ways to move quickly across the dunes on foot.
You realize it would be deeply offensive to use flight or magic to pass this challenge—it would indicate to the strix that the Starfinders aren’t taking this test seriously.
The dunes are tricky, and the shifting sand makes it much harder to climb. K.I.N.A.A. and Kya IO both struggle to make efficient progress. It's a slog to get up.
SCALING THE DUNES
Burnham - Pass: 0, Fail: 0
K.I.N.A.A. - Pass: 0, Fail: 1
Kyra IO - Pass: 0, Fail: 1
Twila-5 - Pass: 0, Fail: 0
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Twila-5 looks up at the sand dune as she does a few stretches to limber up, thinking about the reasons a flying species would want to be able to scale it without flying. Huh. Makes sense, I guess. Flying would cause the legs to atrophy, and maybe some of the core muscles associated with balance as well. Huh.
Twila-5 and Kyra-IO both recall that Strix GREATLY value teamwork. After struggling to make solid progress, Kyra IO realizes that this test can be made much easier with teamwork.
SCALING THE DUNES
Burnham - Pass: 0, Fail: 0
K.I.N.A.A. - Pass: 0, Fail: 1
Kyra IO - Pass: 0, Fail: 1
Twila-5 - Pass: 0, Fail: 0