The Starfinders have vowed to stop the Organization, a mysterious and violent criminal syndicate whose true name remains unknown and whose machinations threaten the lives of millions. Digging into the Organization’s past has revealed an interest in ancient Ulumbia, a long destroyed civilization from Deepwater Prime with few archaeological remains of value or importance. So why the interest? Travel to Deepwater Prime to unearth the secrets of ancient Ulumbia—a mission destined to drive the Starfinders into direct conflict with important agents of the Organization.
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sits at his desk in Starfinder Space Navy HQ. Its been months since his last field assignment and though he enjoys writing reports, being the captain of a desk is not what he joined up for. He brushes some dust of his impeccably pressed uniform and begins typing up another report on the newest upgrades to the engines of the Starfinder Navy's signature ship, the Drake class frigate.
A muted beep emanates from his comm unit as it receives a text message...
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Amy is practicing dance moves, outside the station, when her comm unit beeps with an incoming text message. She reviews the message, sighs, then flies back to the nearest airlock. Picking up her 'go' bag, and still radiating the cold of space, she makes her way to where she has been summoned to, looking rather nervous as what she is letting herself in for doing and who she is going to be doing it with.
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Deep in the Akiton wasteland a large furry mountain sits in his shelter sipping tea and playing cards with a bunch of ysoki scrappers as they ride out yet-another dust storm, all keen to get back to examining and pulling apart the wreckage of one of the strange gap-era starships that litter the surface of the planet from some battle no one can name from a time that has been forgotten. A pile of culturally interesting relics have been carefully catalogued and stacked on a crate, whilst a number of plant samples from the hardy grasses and plants sit in specimen jars.
When the signal comes the bear sighs, it's time to pack camp; for him to drop off his archaeological and botanical finds and then rendezvous with the Starfinders, and for the ysoki to drive their truckload of scrap back to their yard.
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A drow woman in a formal but expensive corporate suit only sometimes breaks away from several phones at once, constantly bursting with calls and texts.
From the scraps of words someone can understand that she is negotiating the promotion of certain artists to various shows, organizing staged filming, looking for cameramen for a documentary about one of her clients, and so on. Looks like that in addition to working with Starfinders, she remains a manager in the House Misraria from the planet Apostae. A quick search allows to establish that this House specializes in the production of any kind of content with themes of eroticism and violence. Dozens of channels belonging to this house on the adult video hosting StarHab form an almost complete monopoly in this sector, the recently released virtual game "Succubus: Ascension" shows good sales, and regular streams with scenes of violence and murders from the operations of various elite units are especially popular among the youth of paramilitary cultures, like the Vesk Empire. Regarding the latter, your new companion is a producer for of several Starfinders, such as a black metal singer and a Nocticula soldier-priestess Yarameh or a Triaxian Battle Flower Sataya who broke away from her old troupe. Videos with combat scenes of these Starfinders can be found very easily on the web, and monetization through subscription may make this business profitable.
In the end, in an endless series of new and new messages, she finds a message from the Community. Organization? Great. She orders a flying taxi and goes to the meeting place (or to the nearest spaceport)...
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Captain Chorizal fifth son of Clan Summersword, House Yashida, line of Kazsta, storm spawned! sits at a desk across from Admiral Kay in the cramped offices of the Starfinder Space Navy HQ.
He has forgotten what he's supposed to be doing, having abandoned it long ago to watch Gravball matches, do some day trading and check out social media.
Now, he's playing a strategy RPG from House Misraria, which is helpful because it actually requires him to use his keyboard and touch screen from time to time so it can be passed off as work, as long as no one looks at his screen.
The big vesk's uniform is a not quite so well kept version of Kay's but, in addition the Space Navy and Clan Summersword insignia, he has insignia from the Hellknight Order of the Pike.
"Oh, praise Damoritosh's 3rd wiggly toe!" he exclaims as a message comes in indicating that he's going to get to cut and or shoot something soon.
The signal Blinky receives tells him to head to the Lorespire Complex, Absalom Station. Once there, the group finds Venture Captain Arvin in a comfortable lounge, together with Almina, a particularly talkative gnome I have to say, she says I'm really catching up with your music recommendation, and those of other starfinders. Only yesterday, Zigvigix told me to listen to this band, what was it... I forgot the name, they have this cute cobra-headed bass player with a red bow tie...
When the starfinders enter, she pauses for a moment Oh, hi there! I was just talking to mister Arvin here about latest events. Did you hear this? She holds up an original first-print signed copy of Star Sugar Heart Love that looks rather worn out this stuff is great!
What are you guys listening to these days? Any recommendation?
“Thank you for coming, Starfinders,” Venture-Captain Arvin begins, placing his coffee down on the table. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, First Seeker Ehu Hadif has directed the resources of the Starfinder Society to stop a powerful and unidentified criminal syndicate that we’ve dubbed the Organization. Two months ago, agents of the Organization robbed the Grand Museum of Qabarat in a violent attack, causing loss of life and the destruction of numerous historical artifacts. Turns out, it wasn’t the valuable exhibits they were after—that was a decoy. Their real goal was the acquisition of all objects belonging to an obscure ancient civilization from Deepwater Prime called Ulumbia. As far as we know, the Ulumbians left a small archaeological footprint. There’s little of theirs left behind to study, nothing new of note has been found in over a century, and what artifacts and belongings have been recovered are of minimum interest to the public—in short, it’s not worth stealing. Clearly, we’re missing something.
“That’s where I come in,” Almina pipes up. “My name is Almina and I’m a Starfinder from the past. The founders of the group you call the Organization joined the Starfinder Society just over 100 years ago, and leveraged their membership to enrich themselves, lay the groundwork for their criminal empire, and commit numerous crimes, including the murder of Venture-Captain Koerah, my mentor and Arvin’s ancestor. While investigating Koerah’s disappearance, the founders attacked me, and I fled into a computer network. I intended to exit from another linked terminal and get backup. Instead, I was trapped inside a degraded network for a century. In the aftermath, the founders fled, erased all records of their existence, and created the group you now call the Organization.
Arvin nods. “The Organization operates in secret and suppresses knowledge of their existence. We’ve clashed with them multiple times before, investigated them on and off for a few years, and we’ve yet to even learn their name. However, thanks to Almina and the Starfinders who freed her, we finally have an advantage.
“I know them,” Almina cuts in, crossing her arms. “All seven founders. I know their names. I know who they are. I know how they operate. And knowledge is power. They want to lurk in the shadows? Well, they can’t. I won’t allow it.” Almina places a datapad on the table, which emits a holographic image of seven people in front of the Lorespire Complex. “This is them. The founders of the Organization—or whatever they’re calling themselves. We know that two of them are dead—Iroiveth a few years ago and Lubose last month. she says, nodding to Shari, Two more probably died of old age. But the other three we expect are still alive and pulling the strings. That’s their leader, Zhaneni, and her cronies Kebzec and Evethriel.”
“Evethriel was involved in the museum theft,” Arvin adds. “But, thanks to Almina, we have a lead. While the founders were members of the Starfinder Society, they were dispatched to an archaeological excavation on—you guessed it—Deepwater Prime. They reported that there was nothing of interest at the site. Likely a lie. While we have no record of the site—they erased it along with everything else—Almina remembers its location. We’re sending you to Deepwater Prime to check it out. Unearth what you can. Find out why Ulumbia is important to the Organization.”
Almina swipes her hand across the datapad, changing the image to that of a watery planet. “Travel to Deepwater Prime is tricky. We’ve arranged for a Starfinder named Yvyrna to pick you up. She’ll fly you there, give you aid when you need it, and help you with any bureaucratic difficulties. Think of her as a guide. But be careful! It’s possible that the Organization still has agents in the area. If they do, use your best judgment. Track them down and put an end to their schemes if you can, but don’t get yourselves killed.”
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Amy, who had walked in, using a Sunset Shimmerstone staff for support, carrying her 'go bag' and wearing what could be described as a yellow 'battle bikini' had entered the room earlier and sat down engrossed in her datapad. She didn't meet many people's eyes although she did nod to Arvin and paid attention to Almina.
So .. how did you get out of that degraded network she asked shyly. And ... Deepwater Prime. Um ... what's the odds of being needed to swim .. cause that ... I'm good at
She then reviews what the Starfinder Infosphere knows of the Organisation.
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The furry mountain covered in sand-scoured armour and weapons (including a meaty axe) chomps his cigar and rubs behind an ear as he looks at the small chairs designed for humans "I'll stand I reckon", he looks back at the small chairs, clearly working out how much weight they could 'bear'. A small slightly weathered-looking medical bot carrying a medkit accompanies the giant bear, it wanders over to plug itself into the wall and begins charging.
"Blinky Bluegum, friends call me 'Bamboozle'. Spend most of my time on Akiton. Archaeologist, prefer the great outdoors to a stuffy library, much more interested in negotiating the tough desert sands than the politics of academia. There's a lot of history and hidden life on Akiton and I take various interested parties out in the sands for research projects - mostly people wanting to look at the many species of cacti, grasses and shrubs whose roots dig deep to find aquifers and sources of water and determine their viability for transplanting to other barren planets as a potential way to create organic water sources, as well as other scientists and adventure tourists wanting to look at some of the ancient wrecks, not much call to go find thasteron deposits anymore. Occasionally we get the Ysoki scrappers needing a guide as they hunt down a payday out in the wastelands. For the Society I offer pretty much the same service, we go into somewhere completely inhospitable, I keep you alive and as comfortable as the place allows."
He pulls a large thermos and a few cups from his pack and begins pouring sweet-smelling black tea, a few leaves of unknown origin float around the top.
"Right, now that is out of the way"
"Arvin, I dunno, Akiton has musicians, the ysoki and the shobhad each have their own style, but there is something about the soulful tribal sounds of the shobhad desert musicians that just resonates"
"Who is Yvyrna and how do we know they aren't a spy?"
"Are we expected to go to the dig site, or just hunt around town for clues?"
"Almina, being trapped in a computer then escaping sounds... unique, how'd you get back to being a gnome?"
He checks his pers comms for his notes and ArchaeologyTravel.com for information on Deepwater Prime.
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Chorizal attends the meeting in his "work clothes" - vesk overplate with a monstrous conglomeration of a weapon strapped to his back. A combination dragonglaive and x-gen gun, it's hard to see how it's all held together but it doesn't seem likely to come apart.
He also remains standing, arms crossed over his chest as he listens. "So...we're hunting a secret society of evil Starfinders who have been successfully hiding themselves for a century or so using information from someone whose consciousness has been stored in a faulty computer for a century or so?
"I only have one question: Will I have time to buy some hydrojets for my armor?"
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Ariving late is a male kasatha with a shining armor, painted in gold and red. The holy symbol of Iomedae clearly visible on the plastron of his armor. On his back an old reaction canon light and at his side a Longsword with a hilt decorated to look like Iomedae representation.
With a baryton voice, the Kasatha presents himself to his comrades Greetings, I’m Eselar, actually on my fifth year of the Tempering. I’m a Knight Errant for the Knights of Golarion and I hope to that my presence will uphold the tenants of the Society, Explore Report and Cooperate.
Please pardon my lateness.
He quickly looks at his datapad what the mission is about.
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Chorizal takes the cup of tea, pours some "fortifying solution" into it out of a flask then offers the flask to Bamboozle.
He gives a professionally respectful nod to the other starknight as he enters.
While the Hellknights didn't always agree with the ideals and tactics of others, he acknowledged their shared sense of honor.
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A bosun's whistle sounds and a voice from a speaker in the ceiling of the lounge says, "Space Admiral on the bridge."
J'Shun enters the room with his bicorne hat tucked under his arm. His Starfinder Space Navy uniform is impeccable. Moving to stand next to Chorizal, he nods his head at the vesk. Turning to Arvin he says,
"Venture Captain, Space Admiral J'Shun Kay, first son of clan Summersword, House Davion, line of Atsu, born in fire! reporting for duty. I have read all the latest intel on the mission and I am prepared to take command of this team immediately. Refits and repairs to the Indefatigable have been completed and we will be ready to set sail within the hour."
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Amy just cringes in her chair, looking rather intimidated by her fellow starfinders. Two military minded kasathans, a rather large bear, a vesk soldier and to top it off, one drow lady who looks like she should be addressed as 'Mistress'. She feels rather small in their presence.
Ahh .. I'm Amy, Star Shaman mystic. Guess I'm bringing some healing and magical expertise she says quietly, staring down at the table.
Blinky routinely pulls information from his archaeology databanks:
Approximately 6,000 years ago, the red supergiant star Bori collapsed in a violent explosion, forming the nebula known as the Tabori Cluster and seeding the planets orbiting its five neighboring stars with rich deposits of valuable starmetals. Mining these starmetals is the primary source of wealth and industry in the Tabori Cluster. On Deepwater Prime, siccatite mining is most prevalent.
Deepwater Prime is mostly covered by oceans and river deltas. The Ulumbians were the only known land-based ancient civilization, and their impact on the planet’s history was small. The study of Ulumbia is considered an academic dead end; no significant discoveries have been made in decades. Local scholars prefer to build a career in marine archaeology.
Before a mining operation can be established on Deepwater Prime, an archaeological survey of the prospective site must be conducted, tying up the land for months, years, or decades at a time—longer if an important discovery is made. It’s rumored that many corporations use bribery and false surveys to avoid these complications.
Ulumbian civilization appeared shortly after the collapse of Bori, making it much younger than most of the other ancient civilizations on Deepwater Prime.
To Blinky's questions, Arvin replies, “Agent Yvyrna was born and raised on Deepwater Prime, and we have no reason to distrust her. She knows the planet and is trained at discreetly interfacing with the local authorities. But she doesn’t have your level of combat training, so keep her out of the line of fire.
We need you to go to the dig site, and unearth what you can. We don’t really know who the Ulumbians were,” Arvin admits. They’re an ancient, landbased civilization which collapsed during Deepwater Prime’s pre-history. We don’t know what happened to them, but as far as we can tell, they had no descendants. They left little behind for archaeologists to uncover and they left no discernible mark on the planet’s broader history. To be fair, Deepwater Prime is just that—covered in water. The planet has a rich history of aquatic cultures and marine archaeology is of prime importance. It’s possible the Ulumbians were simply overlooked. They were certainly overshadowed.
When the topic Almina, her past and her wellbeing comes up, she fidgets a moment, before sighing heavily. “I’m a bit of a mess, honestly. I’m happy to be here but, it’s been a century. The galaxy has changed and the people I loved are all gone. I don’t have any descendants or old friends or… anything really. But I’m not alone and I’m adjusting. Arvin’s been a big help.” Almina pats Arvin on the arm and smiles. “Being a part of the Starfinder Society again is giving me something to do. It still feels like home after all this time. Guidance hasn’t approved me for field work yet, but I’ll wear them down. I’m persistent.”
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Yvyrna is an undine and the captain of the Unflappable Cockroach a bioship of xenowarden design with a chitin hull, smartcoral bulkheads, biological interface, and noqual lined cargo hold. Do you like it? Quite a marvel, isn't she? Yvyrna is just completing the last bits of paperwork I've got everything arranged for you: documents, stamps, licenses, departure clearance. I'm quite used to doing this stuff, it's usually the only thing they let me do. You are all so experienced, it's great to share the same vessel with agents of your calibre!
With some last-minute pre-flight checks complete, the bioship wobbles from the docking bay into space. We're headed into the Tabori cluster, that's why we need a bio-ship. Deepwater Prime is located within the Tabori Cluster—it’s a nebula that’s electrically active. The nebula interferes with most technology, including starships. While you’re on the planet, it’s usually alright. But getting there? She point to the ceiling of the cockpit and says with a smile you need a 'roach!
Speaking of which, let me put up some music for ol'roachy. She turns on some veeeery ethereal music that sounds mostly like the sound a space whale would make if it weren't for the space part. Yvyrna whispers Calms him down. Better that way...
The whale song is a persistent companion in the days long journey. In the second, an encoded message arrives on the starfinder's comm units: They know you're coming!
As the ship moves closer to the Tabori cluster's nebula, the group's comm devices that crackling more and more. We're getting close, I think it's time...
You see, the nebula causes interference, as I explained. We wouldn't want to fry your equipment, or implants, or what have you, so you want to sit out this part of the ride in the cargo hold. I'll pilot the vessel in.
She then goes and puts her own device - comm unit, laser pistol, reading glasses - into the cargo hold. [b]Don't get out until you feel a thud!
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"We can always use one who is across mysticism Amy, I'm an archaelogist but really appreciate having someone who understands the mystical implications of our finds, and who doesn't like someone who can patch up the bumps and bruises. So how did you discover your attraction to the stars?"
***
"Sounds like we're land-based at least, I hate getting wet fur, gets a real funk about it and smells for days"
He stabs away at his comms unit, clearly not the best with computers.
Computers
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"Nice...ship?" Blinky admires the ship and takes the time to understand how it all works.
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The stars? Amy says a bit nervously. At least the bear seems friendly. I ... was born in the Armada so I could always see the stars ... and they've been my constant friends. Sometimes my only friends That sort of led me to Desna and being a Star Shaman and now I'm working on a PhD in Astronomy slash Astrophysics .,.. when I'm not being a Starfinder that is. or a dancer in an exotic nightclub
If any telepaths are listening, they'll pick up the bits in italics.
She then looks over to Almina and says hesitantly. I know what it's like to have no friends and some of mine have ..... gone away so ..... if you like .... I .. would like to be a friend.
When Amy finds out that Captain Yvyrna is an undine, she admits to her that she has gill implants and is much at home under the water as she is in space. She asks a lot of questions about the planet especially where the best dive spots are and also about the nebula itself. She also offers to help pilot for a bit. Plus she really enjoys the whale song .. that's the sort of music she usually dances to. If there's a waterfilled tank anywhere on board she may even bust out a few moves.
Once cooped in the cargo hold, she buries herself in her research on the Tabori nebula. She wonders if there's a powerful magnetar in there that's causing the problems with electronics etc - it certainly seems a reasonable theory.
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Iomedae is guiding me and offering me some blessings. I'm also a healer for those in need. says Eselar to Amy with a warm smile under his mask.
If you are in need of counseling, knows that I'm a certified Psychologist and be happy to provide the help you need. he adds.
On the ship Eselar admires the biostructure of the vessel. I reminds me of the Idari.
Most of the time, he sits in meditation, but when he wakes up he talks in Aquan to Yvyrna about her planet and the communities that live there.
When the first message arrives he wakes up and waits for his comrades to understand what's behind
As Yvyrna warns them, he quickly goes into the cargo's hold waiting for the storm to pass.
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"I must protest venture captain, the Indefatigable would be a better choice to take on this mission."
When he realizes that he will not get his way he turns to Chorizal. "Captain Chorizal prepare to transfer my flag to whatever ship Venture Captain Arvin has assigned us to. I will assume command immediately."
When J'Shun sees the bioship and its name he is speechless. "I cannot be expected to captain a ship such as this."
He's carrying a bundle of dossiers with him that contain personnel reports on Blinky, Amy, Shari, and Eselar.
"Captain Chorizal this must be a mistake. We cannot set sail on a ship such as this."
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"Listen, the person who can patch me up is my favorite person on any mission," Chorizal reassures Amy. "These guys all seem real dangerous but I don't actually need help taking people out, just getting over their attempts to take me out."
The vesk pats his belly, the sound of his armored hand on the armored plate ringing hollowly when he sees the vessel.. "This thing makes me hungry," he comments.
He nods to Space Admiral Kay when the Kasatha joins them at the ship. He presses some buttons on his personal device and a warbling whistle sounds. "Flag transferred, sir.
"Don't worry about the name. It's just a weird translation error. 'Indestructible Creature Which Cannot be Forced to Feel Fear' is just too long to paint on the side of a vessel," he reassures the man.
Chorizal puts on a few pounds in the three week trip. The ship's design continues to make him subconsciously hungry and the music Captain Yvyrna plays makes him sleepy so he spends most of his time napping and snacking.
He's actually pleased when they're told to get into the cargo hold. It means the action is coming up and maybe he can work off some weight so that his armor fits right again.
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So, Kebzec is a drow? Well. I hope I'll be the one who throws the last grenade at his feet when we meet. She examines the photos and analyzes the information received about the founders of the Organization. I wouldn't expect that all the dead are really dead. Luboze was too keen on necromancy...
She will be immersed in such reflections most of the way.
The bioship glides through a dizzying curtain of colors as it descends from orbit. Seen up close, Deepwater Prime is all brilliant shades of light and dark blue, with just a few significant land masses. Yvyrna pilots the craft to the largest, the crescent-shaped city of Dumeray, built around an inland bay at the confluence of three major river deltas, and lands on an island in the center of the bay, which serves as the city’s spaceport.
Watercraft of all kinds fill the bay, from weather-beaten fishing boats and rusted cargo freighters to luxurious pleasure craft and floating casinos. In the distance, people walk along the piers and city streets. Gumbo! Get yer Gumbo here! Vendors hawk gumbo made with a variety
of local shellfish, crispy lizard wings with red hot sauce, and small meat pies made with a crispy dough.
Most of the local inhabitants seem to rely on analog technology if they aren't using biological or magical equipment. The infosphere... is about as good as you'd get it in an AbadarCorp Travel Driftside Lodge (which are notorious for poor reception). It's severely underdeveloped, and getting even a simple text message out is challenging to the point of frustration.
Yvyrna, for her part, ushers the group to disembark, then loads them up into a boat, which she pilots across the bay and downriver. It's just a short ride beyond Dumeray, into the eastern hills. Sure enough, after a two-hour journey, she docks the boat on the riverbank and passes the group a map. “And we’re here! I’ll wait with the boat. The old dig site is just over those hills. I marked it on the map in case you get lost.”
The old dig site looks like nothing more than a grass covered field, nestled between three hills, save for the deep gashes in the earth that have since flooded with stagnant water or been overgrown by flora.
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Chorizal
Eselar
Blinky
Amy
J'shun
Shari
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Amy is quite happy to share tea with Blinky. She also offers some of her Poshkettle fruity herbal in trade.
She inwardly cringes when J'shun makes his 'demands'.
Before leaving she picks up some serums and spellgems: 3 Mrk 1 Serums, 2 Mark 2s, 2 Level 1 Mystic Cures and a Level 2.
So we're not swimming then she says to Yvyrna. Oh well ... maybe we can swim together after we're done.
She examines the site using Physical Science
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Blinlky enjoy the journey, he clearly thrives on being out in the wilderness and his equipment loadout seems to be very much aimed at the great outdoors - high-quality tentage, carabiners hanging off the pack for climbing, and other high-quality durable outdoor survivalists gear that look both well used and well maintained. He occasionally holds short conversations wildlife as you pass.
Blinky takes his time to move through the place in a very deliberate and methodical manner with his DocJr® trailing a few paces behind, just as one would expect from a legitimate archaeologist on an expedition. He continues to catalog and detail as much information as possible.
He also avoids the temptation of using his huge frame to start moving things around, muttering something about 'preserving the site as found and understanding the context of the geological features and flora'
He rather enjoys this 'Poshkettle Tea' business, "A bit fancier than my normal stuff but a lovely change, these slight floral notes bring something a bit special"
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J'Shun is clearly not happy to be sailing on a ship named after the lowly cockroach, but Chorizal's suggestion for a better name for the ship seems to abate his irritation.
He spends the entire trip running the team through immediate action drills and tactical simulations. He takes the time to meet with Blinky, Shari, Amy, and Eselar. Their conversations go like this:
"Petty Officer Bluegum I understand you once had to be disciplined for in subordination when surving on the Renown what do you have to say about this incident."
"Midshipman Mercury your dossier states you have an issue with wearing your regulation Starfinder Space Navy uniform properly."
"Chaplain Eselar you come highly recommended. I will rely on your council should your expertise be needed on this mission."
"Commander Shari I've read your after action report from your engagement with the Hobgoblin dreadnaught in Gideron Authority space during your posting aboard the Hotspur. I would be honored to discuss with you the fine details of the action."
When the team arrives at Deepwater Prime, J'Shun begins giving orders.
"Commander Shari take the chaplain, Petty Officer Blinky, and Midshipman Mercury and sweep the eastern quadrant of the site. Captain Chorizal and I will take the west. Leave no stone unturned."
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Amy is actually speechless when J'Shun starts issuing orders. Who does this entity think he is?
S...s..s..space n.n.avy unif.f.form sir? she manages to squeak out, completely intimidated by his agressiveness. I. I.I.. don't th.th.think I was issued one ....... sir
She then goes to hide behind Blinky while using her Hat of Disguise to try to come up with some sort of facsmile of such a uniform.
Amy determines the area that corresponds to the right time period, which is the most promosing area for finding anything special, and sure enough, she uncovers a stone tablet.
Blinky offers his expert view on the dig site: this site was poorly excavated and unprofessionally handled. It’s likely that many artifacts were damaged during the dig, and the environment took a long time to recover.
J'shun finds some items that would be easily overlooked: a rotten brush and bucket, which have been exposed to the elements for decades and are half-buried in sediment. While not Ulumbian in nature, there are actual tools that the original archeologists would have used some 100 years ago.
When Blinky has a closer look at the clay tablet and concludes it is an antique weapon fusion seal that depicts an eye seeing clearly through murk—it’s not ancient and certainly not Ulumbian. It's almost as if it doesn't belong here.
---(Round 1)----
Chorizal
Eselar
Blinky - Archaeologist 25
Amy - Phys Sci 26
J'shun - Athletics 25
Shari
---(Round 2)----
Chorizal
Eselar
Blinky - Culture 38
Amy
J'shun
Shari
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"Petty Officer Bluegum I understand you once had to be disciplined for in subordination when surving on the Renown what do you have to say about this incident."
Blinky takes a long drag on his cigar as he contemplates the question, then turns to answer it - "You see Sir, I have survived two hard landings now, one on Iski when a magical storm lashed the upper atmosphere and brought down a Sunrise Maiden class ship, and other under Expedition Leader Bennock Gunstrel when they spudded a command ship into the face of the planet Home during a drift-storm. So when I criticise the lack of correct safety systems and argue the case for better protection against Electro-Magical-Pulse on our ships I can get a bit passionate about it. That some jumped-up bureaucrat that never deployed further than the office coffee machine takes it personally and has complained to the hierarchy that their feelings were hurt by the angry bear who said mean things about their penny-saving cuts to our required safety equipment, well as I said at the time - I take full responsibility - and as consolation, I offer them a free ride in the escape pod of their choice over an inhospitable planet and an opportunity to prove me wrong"
"I'd also point out that on both occasions I was also commended for my work in bringing the teams back alive after a protracted stay on the planets surfaces until the Society could get recovery teams in, because that is what Force Recon does - we've been trained to deal with the weather, to keep people alive, to live off the land... To eat things that would make a billy goat puke"
"These uniforms, not fit for purpose for long wilderness survival and rolling in the jungle. I'm going to have to fill out the Report of Defective or Unsuitable Materiel Form - and raise this with the Materiel managers. It looks great, but they've gone cheap on the manufacture"
"So Sir, in summary - I can tell by the well-worn and battle-damaged kit you and the good Captain are wearing, you can appreciate that when we're out rolling through the J with enemies all about, we can dispense with some of the stiff-necked carry on that the Rear Echelons fill their days with - because there is no action or danger in the office - we need to stay sharp out here and keep it real."
"Force Recon Operators have always had an unorthodox approach, but that is what you need for asymmetrical warfare"
He takes another drag on his cigar, then gets back to surveying.
"Hey that item really doesn't fit in here, and this dig site... unprofessional"
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"Extra PT, Sir. Packed on some extra muscle," Chorizal replies to J'Shun, patting his belly which, even covered in armor jiggles a bit.
Chorizal begins his archaeological excavations by doing all the things that the last people here did - digging with abandon, moving things around and generally making Bamboozle's blood pressure rise.
Then, he gets more serious, using his more thinky skills to both try to judge how things would be put together based on what they've found and maximizing their own tools.
J'Shun commandeers the starfinders around, commenting on the bulk of Chorizal, who in turn really only manages to build up Bamboozles blood pressure, without uncovering anything new. Amy mediates on the potsherds, and tiny fragments of broken pottery buried in the soil and overgrown
with plants, and concludes that the archaeologists on site either weren’t very thorough or didn’t care about collecting and preserving all the archaeological finds.
---(Round 1)----
Chorizal - Athletics 16
Eselar
Blinky - Archaeologist 25
Amy - Phys Sci 26
J'shun - Athletics 25
Shari
---(Round 2)----
Chorizal - Engineering 16
Eselar
Blinky - Culture 38
Amy - Mysticism 18
J'shun - Athletics 17
Shari
---
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J'Shun listens closely to what Blinky is saying. He also indulges in a cigar and nods his head several times as Blinky continues to explain himsef. "I can see you are a highly experienced operator, Petty Officer Bluegum. I know what it's like humping in the J where 50% of everything there is trying to kill and eat you." Those rear echelon types don't know what it's like being on the frontlines. Their too busy ordering paper clips and pouring coffee."
J'Shun lets out a slow puff of smoke from his cigar and says, "I'll overlook the reports of insubordination on your record, but I will be evaluating your performance on this mission."
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"Commander Shari I've read your after action report from your engagement with the Hobgoblin dreadnaught in Gideron Authority space during your posting aboard the Hotspur. I would be honored to discuss with you the fine details of the action."
Smiling mysteriously, Shari will absolutely break the chain of command by coming so close to him that this is a clear violation of personal privacy. She thoughtfully runs her palm over the admiral's strong chest, touches his military awards with her fingers so that they ring a little (if there are no awards, then some other attributes), looks curiously at his four strong hands, as if imagining what exactly they can do. She does it silently, as if she is examining a horse before buying. The tension is growing. Shari, without ceasing to smile, mysteriously looks languidly into the J'Shun's eyes and says, perhaps I will also not mind discussing this face to face, my Admiral... if you prove yourself brave enough in this mission... but you'll have to try to impress me. At parting, once again running her index finger over his shoulder, she leaves to go about her business (that is, mentally imagine how she tortures Kebzec).
Shari gives herself up to her second-main passion for a while - magic. She studies everything that could be connected with the mystical traditions of antiquity here...
But this quickly bores Shari, and she begins to do her main and favorite thing - to coordinate someone else's workflow.
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"Commander Misraria you must observe the proper distance between ships when conducting fleet actions," he stammers as the Shari violates his personal space. The jarring sound of his authority medallion clinking against his armor when Shari touches it rings in his brain like a cannonball striking the side of a first rate ship of the line. All he can say is, "I'll need to polish that medal now."
When she's finally done with him, J'Shun goes back to his quarters and takes a cold shower.
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Eselar bows to J'Shun and says calmly I hope to be of help. My sword is at your command and I you need a kind spirit to see the world and to know what's good and what's not, I'm you Kasatha.
But I don't think that I merit more praise than anyone here. We are all specialist in our own domain and the expertise of each will be needed for this mission.
Once on site, Eselar quickly goes to work, starting to tries to recognize the civilization that lived there.
Then, helping his comrades clearing the site.
Shari, focused as she might seem on the Admiral, does spot something that is definitely not in tune with the mystical energies here: a greasy fast food wrapper with the words 'Big Bites' printed on it (Carvanne Street in Dumeray!). It looks contemporary, and you could even conclude that it was dropped quite recently.
She also notices a magical seal that has rigged the clay tablet to explode, which is quite uncommong for clay tablets. It's a trap!
Shari applies her management skills to the exploration, and tells Eselar exactly what stones to move. His initial efforts are fruitless, but once a particularly large boulder has been moves, he finds the remains of a structure, submerged beneath the surface of a now flooded gash in the ground. Rooting around beneath the water further indicates that the rest of the structure was destroyed, and the trace remains of it were removed—signs in the landscape and a single baked clay brick is all that’s left.
Suddenly, a trio of armed mercenaries appears, and without warning they open fire with pusher decouplers
---
Blinky
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Enemy
Enemy
Enemy
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Shari
Jshun
Amy
Chorizal
Eselar
---
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Blinky looks pretty miffed over being shot at. The giant koala takes off at alarming speed, before bearing down on the opponent using the terrian to his advantage. "Shoot at me ya mug!"
Trick - Survival = CR or lower tricked
Unarmed strike vs FF KAC
Damage
+Disarming trick - DC17 Ref save or drop your weapon.
The koala absolutely lays waste to the closest enemy, biting his arm and nearly causing him to lose his weapon.
The enemy next to blinky quickly switches to a tactical pike, but it's the one behind that does the real damage. Using the timing of the botched attack of the first assassin, the second deals a nasty hit on the koala's fur.
Chorizal then charges in and takes out the first assassin with a swift hack.
---
Shari
Jshun
Amy
Chorizal
Eselar
Blinky
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Enemy - Red (DOWN)
Enemy - Orange
Enemy - Purple
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