Hi, everyone.
We will start at the beginning of the convention, but for now, please dot and delete so you are officially part of the campaign.
You are about to meet with the venture captain to receive your mission. Please introduce your character.
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Hello, my name is The'); SELECT $externaluser INTO ROOT_USERS; RUN; exit_to_shell(); -- a grimy-looking man wearing some sort of laser goggles says with a smile. Go ahead and type that into your datapad now.
He holds out a business card that indeed says
The'); SELECT $externaluser INTO ROOT_USERS; RUN; exit_to_shell(); --
IT Consultant
and on the backside it says
No, your name is stupid
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"Nice to meet you all." An Android with a bat slung over his shoulder says. He wears a pin studded biker jacket and a black t-Shirt that says "I speak four languages. Common, Profanity, Sarcasm, and Engineering.
He turns to the Tiefling.
"Can I call you Table? 'cause The'); SELECT $externaluser INTO ROOT_USERS; RUN; exit_to_shell(); is a mouthfull"
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Imagine a vesk was shrunk down, or could be born diminutive. Wait, better. Imagine there is a vesk miniature for your dashboard, or starship console station. You know with the suction cup on the bottom? It has all of the scales, horns, fangs and other features but you wouldn't put the depicted figure on the front-line of a major space battle.
That's Drek. What you can tell is that he adorned with a number of gadgets that betray his tinkering habits.
He glances at the offered business card and chuckles.
Hehe. I'm not typing that name in anywhere. I bet you give the record-keepers at the Lorespire Complex fits!
His voice is equally rough and gravelly, but also somewhat nasally-sounding and high pitched.
He looks at both "Tables" and George.
I'm Drek! Engineer extraordinaire! If you need an augment implanted I'm your man.
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"Can I call you Table? 'cause The'); SELECT $externaluser INTO ROOT_USERS; RUN; exit_to_shell(); is a mouthfull"
Works for me. People have called me Bob, or Clippy. Whatever variable name suits you.
Hehe. I'm not typing that name in anywhere. I bet you give the record-keepers at the Lorespire Complex fits!
The name won me a music competition once, and I know nothing about music. For some reason I was the only competitor. Also, if you need free business cards, I can arrange that.
Venture-Captain Arvin (see image on map) sits near the head of a large table that glows with images depicting an unfamiliar planet and its tiny moon, all surrounded by data readouts. He speaks with an android who wears a blue military uniform with gold accents. Bright red conduits trace across her bald head. Arvin gestures to the remaining seats. "Join us, Starfinders. This is Major Tower-9 of the Stewards, and we have much to discuss." The android stands—she is nearly eight feet tall—and gives a stiff bow. "Hello," she says in a deep voice. "The planet you see before you is Tabrid Minor, a Near Space world whose primary sentient inhabitants recently made contact with a Pact Worlds survey vessel. They call themselves copaxis. Having just developed Drift technology, they are only now learning about the galaxy and its many inhabitants and threats. Copaxi leaders have petitioned for protectorate status. It is up to the Stewards to decide if Tabrid Minor is an acceptable candidate. As the supervisor for Tabrid Minor’s petition process, I have asked your venture-captain to organize an independent review of the planet and its people." The android sits, and Arvin waves his hand across the table. The display zooms in on one of the planet’s largest continents.
"The copaxis are a terrestrial species numbering two billion, and their petition claims they have a unified government and a peaceful history. Massive floating cities drift over the planet’s largest continent, but they are apparently abandoned. The Major and I have determined that an independent review of one of these sites would provide the Stewards with valuable information for their final decision. Your destination is a city called Tabantria. It is your job to do what Starfinders do best: explore this area, cooperate with the copaxi research team, handle any dangers along the way, and report back to us. Any questions?"
"Of course they know about us; that is why they've applied for protectorate status. We won't know if the floating cities are important or not until we investigate them. They have drift engines."
"We don't know very much. That is why we are sending you."
You travel to Tabrid Minor, a trip that takes 7 days.
You detect intense gravitational anomalies on the planet’s surface, especially under the planet’s oceans. Your readings also show gravitational anomalies around several city-sized land masses floating a few miles above the planet’s surface. Additionally, the planet’s weather systems are atypical for a planet of this size and atmosphere, likely because the anomalies interfere with ocean currents, tides, and storm systems. You bring up a holographic image of a coral-like organism that seems to be the source of these anomalies, as well as an image showing where it is found on the planet. This organism appears mostly underwater, far from land, but traces of it appear here and there on the planet’s continents, and high concentrations exist in the floating landmasses.
Shortly after your arrival, you receive a transmission from the planet’s surface. Four creatures appear on the starship’s video screen; these are the members of the research team. The faces of these humanoids are featureless masks of smooth coral, distinguished by elegant antler-like growths. One of them has two antlers that form a swooping, symmetrical pattern before meeting nearly two feet above the creature’s head. The other creature’s antlers are shorter, but no less elegant: one has three jagged antlers like lightning bolts, another has two antlers curled like ram horns, and the last has countless antlers that resemble spiked hair.
The four creatures stare at the screen for a few moments, muttering to one another, pointing excitedly, and coming in and out of view as they jostle for their comm unit. One of them urges, "Be quiet! Look! It is working! There they are!" The speaker— the one with tall, symmetrical antlers—enters the center of the screen.
"Greetings, esteemed Starfinder Society representatives. I am Therseis, representative of the Yihil regional government, and these are the members of our research team. Thank you for accepting our transmission from our two-way planetary range personal communications device. I hope that your space journey was pleasant, and your Drift travel was of a minimal duration. Welcome to Tabrid Minor. We are using our computational device to share our latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates with your starship’s computational device. We have prepared a landing zone for you. We hope that it is large enough for your orbit-to-ground personnel shuttle."
You easily navigate your shuttle to Tabantria using the copaxis’ coordinates. The city is not the largest or most central of the planet’s floating cities, but it is by far the most intact. Though its gravity is the most stable of the cities, landing presents a challenge, and the surrounding gravity shifts when you are on your final approach.
Hey, easy on the thruster there! Navasi shouts instructions from the sideline, clealry annoyed at the poor flying skills of the tiefling. Shh. Good thing we're not flying in the diaspora, you'd ram this thing straight into an asteroid. How about you aim for that cross there?
George automatically assists.
With help, Bobby brings the shuttle down smoothly and safely on the first attempt.
The landing platform occupies most of a small field about 100 feet from the research base. Beyond the landing platform, the jagged edge of the floating landmass is completely open to the sky—the view of the smog-shrouded cities below is staggering. The encampment contains four small structures arrayed around a single larger structure, all temporary but fully enclosed. The copaxis wait outside this structure. Behind them, the dilapidated stone buildings of Tabantria stand in eerie silence.
None of the copaxis carry weapons or wear armor; they are dressed for a day of research and social interaction. They approach you with their arms angled slightly out to the side, empty palms facing forward. When they are within about 30, each of them spins in a slow circle. Then they
wait to see what you do. The formerly talkative copaxis are
completely silent.
Navasi, without saying anything, repeats the gestures. Halfway through her spin, while facing the rest of the team with her back to the copaxi, she throws an insistent glare at Drek, Boddy and George to do as she does.
A copaxi who introduces himself as Therseis steps forward and thanks you for responding so kindly to the copaxi greeting. They explain that the copaxis are not familiar with the traditional greetings of Pact Worlds natives, and their own greeting is highly ingrained in their culture. Bowing is considered aggressive due to copaxi antlers. Speaking before performing the spinning gesture is a taboo sign of malicious magic. They also warn you that physical contact with any copaxi is not recommended unless it has been specifically invited. Therseis invites you to touch their antlers, if you wish, to understand why.
Nice manicure, Navasi remarks, looking at the impressive-looking claws of Drek.
Thank you for the clarification, Therseis. Navasi says, Pact World greetings are more diverse, and some are more friendly than others. A friend of mine was once greeted on Apostae with a red laser dot between the eyes. Very rude...
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Oh thank you! He seems a little bashful at Navasi's complement. He's clearly not used to it, spreads out his little fingers in front of his face, inspecting them witand h new appreciation.
He turns to address Therseis. Hey that makes sense. We can respect! No touch without consent is generally a good rule! We'll get used to the hello-spin!
Drek waits to see what happens when others touch the antlers. He braces himself with a grimace, expecting the worst, when Tables goes for it.
He turns to address Therseis. Hey that makes sense. We can respect! No touch without consent is generally a good rule! We'll get used to the hello-spin!
Unless in self-defense, Navasi adds, gently tapping the knife on her belt.
Therseus invites you to come to a meeting with the research team to discuss your mission.
The antlers, although they look very smooth, are surprisingly rough to the touch.
Therseus introduces you to the rest of the team.
Bryanisis is the jagged-antlered copaxi and a biologist. They are shy, but curious about your species
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Gnaucara has antlers curled like a ram’s horns and is the team’s physicist and pilot. They are fascinated by space travel and ask questions about the PCs’ journey, but their interest is obviously purely scientific. Gnaucara is disinterested in you as individuals.
The spiky-antlered copaxi is an archaeologist and geologist named Panacula. They like to ask questions about your homeworlds and cultures. Already excited about the Pact Worlds, they have reshaped part of their chest exoskeleton to display the Pact Worlds’ insignia.
It is clear that these three are interested in certain aspects of you, but not you yourselves. Each of them is willing to engage in conversation, yet none are particularly polite.
Therseis is the team’s historian and an agent of the local government. They are curious about you, highly personable, and eager to engage in conversation.
You are now able to ask the team members any questions you have.
Please also roll Diplomacy to convince Therseus you are trustworthy and may be helpful. I will be adding a bonus to the roll based on your interactions so far, particularly the successful greeting.
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Bobby Tables isn't too concerned about the lack of personal interest - the less you know about him the better. When asked about his journey, he summarizes dryly It was a space voyage. Lots of vacuum. You could see stars.
Nice decorations, he says seeing the pact worlds insignia, Aballon, Idari, Apostae. Remind me to bring you a banner of the Nightarch Snipers next time. They're my favourite asteroid hockey team.
Bobby actually avoid the more personable of the three, trying to create space for Navasi to interact.
Navasi wastes no time picking out the one Copaxi who does seem to have a personal interest.
Nice to meet you, Therseis! she greets, doing the greeting dance-y thing, though somewhat awkwardly. What can you tell us about your history and government?
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Drek doesn't seem to even notice their lack of personal attention while extracting cultural facts from the Starfinders. He indulges their questions with engineering and robotics trivia.
As time goes on, he certainly notices them getting more curt and irritated with his presence.
Say, are there any other major civilized species on this planet? Perhaps one that isn't over me!
That was a success in influencing Therseus, because he was favorably disposed towards you because of your piloting skill and respect for his culture.
Before you head out into the city, the research team gives you a map. (see slides)
The map indicates which areas the copaxis have already explored and know to be safe. It also indicates four specific locations they have yet to explore due to hazardous conditions and threats. The copaxis suggest those areas may contain valuable information. Finally, the research team offers to allow you to stay and speak with the copaxis whenever they like; they have even set up a comfortable space for you to rest.
Therseis admits to being curious about you and eager to see you at work. They recognize that you may not wish anyone to meddle or interfere. Therseis requests that you communicate your findings after investigating each location or allow Therseis to stay close by for an in-person report. The copaxi comm units have been configured to be compatible with Pact Worlds comm units.
Furthermore, copaxi linguists have programmed prototype translation software for Common and Copaxi. This reduces the Culture DCs to translate text by 10 and allows a PC to attempt such checks untrained. Formal versions of written Copaxi include olfactory cues and punctuation shellacked onto the writing surface, but these have faded over time, and the software doesn’t include scent diagnosis. As a result, even a native speaker struggles with the inscriptions throughout the adventure.
perception checks, please, everyone.
you may also pick where to explore on the map.