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With the reactor oil added, all the status lights turn green and the reactor automatically boots up and restores functionality.
When you report back to Kirslin, she agrees to the hesper's terms and turns the eco-conscious regulations to the city's advantage, increasing Thamal's appeal as a destination.
Phaeton_nz, thanks for another great game. I'm looking forward to Bounty 4.
Lysle, it was good playing with you.
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Your fourth Bounty sees you in a waiting room at Elkrius, a research facility on Arkanen, one of the moons of Liavara. The facility is modern but quiet, with comfortable seating, large potted plants, and gray speckled tile. You are greeted by Otaia Nuvith (female dirindi AA3), a friendly clerk who makes small talk, inquiring about where you are from and how you know one another
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During your conversation you discover that Otaia is an environmental activist who loves to dance and has a pet squox named Fiddles. She also tells Sovellis there are quite a few educational institutions on Arkanen.
Soon, Otaia escorts you into the heart of Elkrius, where they find Dr. Tevurda (male sazaron) pacing outside of an indoor animal habitat with glass walls. One of the panes of glass that circles the habitat is shattered, granting access to the humid, forested enclosure, although the glass shards have already been cleaned up and cleared away. Beside Dr. Tevurda is a security guard whose nametag reads “Genayvin.” Genayvin (male korasha lashunta) regards you skeptically but offers them a firm handshake and treats them with respect. Dr. Tevurda is worried and frustrated. He speaks in a commanding manner, straight to the point and with little room for interruption.
You’re here. Excellent, we’ve not a moment to lose. My name is Dr. Tevurda, head researcher and director of Elkrius. Elkrius is a research facility with a focus on preserving and studying Arkanen’s biodiversity—particularly the unique adaptations that have enabled life to thrive despite Arkanen’s atmospheric bleed and extreme electrical storms. This habitat held a pair of mistuors until late last night, when poachers attacked the facility and stole them. Mistuors are quadrupedal herbivores that went extinct due to overhunting shortly after the Gap. We genetically re-engineered the species here and were scheduled to reintroduce the specimens into the nature preserve in the coming days—under strict observation, of course. The mistuors were fully grown adults and a viable breeding pair. They’re the first to set foot on Arkanen’s soil in centuries!
We reported the theft, but official aid is slow in coming. That’s a delay we can’t afford. These mistuors must be saved before they’re killed or sold! Dr. Tevurda turns, leading the way from the habitat to a security office. The poachers didn’t bother to hide their crimes. They were quick, efficient, and took down our security forces with little effort. You can view the break-in on our security feeds.
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Sovellis has a last word with Dr. Tevurda before joining Ca and Max to view footage. "Sounds like if we find them, it could be a fight with some collateral damage. But they might be open to a 'finder's fee' to hand the animals, these mistuors, back. Are you willing to such a ransom?"
Then he joins the other two at the security monitors.
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Genayvin has the security recordings cued up before Dr. Tevurda stops talking. The recordings show a team of six entering the building and ambushing a pair of security guards before moving to the animal habitat where they shattered the glass, causing the mistuors to panic. The poachers shot the mistuors with tranquilizers, loaded them onto carts, and hauled them out of the facility. They left in a convoy of three off-road vehicles, each equipped with a large cage.
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Sovellis sees that the poachers used a compact technological device that utilized ultrasonic waves to shatter the habitat’s glass. This device was handmade and would’ve required considerable skill to create. Additionally, he sees that both of the mistuors were wearing a tracking collar, which the poachers removed and discarded outside.
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Ria remembers that Mistuors are heavyset, quadrupedal herbivores with metallic horns and branched antlers. These antlers absorb electrical charges and currents from Arkanen’s atmosphere, which they release as powerful electric sparks when angry. They primarily eat grass, bark, and other roughage, but have a strong preference for berries and other fruit.
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Max Angel sees that the lead poacher is a dirindi with blue skin. They moved efficiently and navigated the facility with ease, traveling directly from the entrance to the mistuor habitat despite the twists and turns down similar hallways required to get there. It’s clear the leader was familiar with Elkrius’s layout.
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Genayvin nods. Darvis Olem. They’re a scientist we fired a few weeks ago. Escorted them from the premises myself. Caught them trying to smuggle data and genetic samples out of the building. Olem’s a thief, plain and simple. I warned Dr. Tevurda they might try to escalate things. At that, Dr. Tevurda shifts uncomfortably. Bad publicity can ruin research facilities as easily as they can ruin corporations. Better to handle these things quietly, when possible. I didn’t think Darvis would resort to something this bold. They were a friend, once. Clearly I underestimated their anger. They were… less than pleased when their employment was terminated. Darvis is cunning and an excellent hunter. Don’t underestimate them.
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No idea but this might help
You are handed a tracking device and the keys to two exploration buggies, which are parked at the front of the building. Dr. Tevurda explains that the mistuors each wore a tracking collar. After a recent security breach, both animals were additionally injected with a subdermal tracker. The tracking device shows that the collars are offline, but the subdermal trackers are intact. You can use this tracking device to locate the mistuors. The vehicles are on loan to you for the duration of their rescue mission. Each has space for a driver and three passengers, and each tows an animal trailer large enough to hold a single mistuor.
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Elkrius is nestled among trees on the fringes of a lush forest. When you leave the facility, it’s raining outside, and the sound of thunder rumbles in the distance. This rain imposes a –1 circumstance penalty to Perception checks throughout this adventure. It’s mid-afternoon; and you are aware that the sun will set in a few hours. Together, the forest canopy and the storm block sunlight, lowering the light levels from bright to normal light despite the hour. At first, the path follows a faint muddy road, but you’re soon forced to leave this road behind and drive through the trackless woods.
Make a Survival check - one lead, the rest aiding.
