Each of you Starfinders returned from your time out and about Absalom Station last night to find a message requesting your presence at the Lorepsire Complex the next morning.
Rising up the next day and wandering over to the Society's main campus, you're directed into a modest-sized meeting room where both Venture-Captain Naiaj and the First Seeker Ehu Hadif are awaiting you. The kasathan First Seeker greets you warmly as you enter and encourages you to eat the various breakfast pastries set about the space. Naiaj...greets you in her own version of warmth.
“Welcome!” Ehu Hadif exclaims. “Come in! We have some very exciting news to share with you!”
More like a politically charged and extremely dangerous situation, you here Naiaj mutter with a stern frown, but Ehu doesn't acknowledge his companion's response. Instead he continues seemingly unconcerned:
“Two years ago a team of senior Starfinder agents obtained permission from the Cloud Imperium on Pholskar to explore the ruins of the sunken sky city of Talgradur, where the agents discovered information of historical and political import for the planet. Because of this team’s exemplary performance, the Starfinder Society has been invited back to delve deeper into the ruins.”
“This is where you come in,” Ehu continues. “Talgradur was a flying city that crashed into the Ithillian Sea centuries ago. Most of the ruins are underwater, but previously we were only granted access to the fringes of Talgradur on the surface along the coast. Our Cloud Imperium contact, Elthel, has obtained additional access for us to the ruins, including sections underwater that have never been explored. You’ll need to meet with her in Pholskar’s capital city of Anduwar to iron out the details.”
Naiaj crosses her arms, brows furrowed in concern. We're gonna send an expedition surfboat with you so you can get out from the city to the sites once you make planetfall. Most of the crashed city's submerged so be prepared for underwater exploration this time. And stay sharp! The gnome turns to lock eyes with each of you to make sure you're paying attention. Not everyone on Pholskar was happy with the findings from the last Society expedition to the ruins. Or that our agents chose to share those findings so freely Naiaj cocks her head to glance at Ehu with a frown for a few seconds before turning back to you. Pholskar's turning fast into a political powder keg and what you find might be the spark that lights the fuse. The city Talgradur has been lying underwater now for centuries, and anything you manage to uncover there may have remained untouched down there for a reason — either it’s too dangerous to get to, or someone important doesn’t want it found. So be careful out there!
Naiaj steps back and the First Seeker speaks again. "Inspiring words as always Naiaj. So, are you ready to depart? Or do you have questions about what is being asked of you?"
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One of the gathered Starfinders is a slender, dark-haired, olive-skinned human woman who carries herself with the grace of a gymnast and the confidence of a seasoned veteran of the Society. Her close-fitting armor is decorated with a prominent Starfinder logo, plus a very shiny new badge denoting her recent elevation to the Society’s Forum. A stylized yeti is painted across her jetpack along with an Aklo word that loosely translates to “Muckfur.” She wears a trio of heavily rune-inscribed pistols and a number of compact tool cases strapped to her armor within easy reach.
When Zefira entered the meeting room, she greeted Ehu Hadif with equal parts respect and affection. She greeted Naiaj more formally, though still with some real warmth–-she’s come to appreciate that the bleachling gnome’s usual dour manner cloaks just as much concern for her agents as the more openly demonstrative leaders, if not more.
Zefira was already alert and eager for a new mission, but she visibly perks up when Ehu begins speaking about Pholskar, and returns the First Seeker’s nod. She looks concerned by Naiaj’s comments about the political situation, as she was part of the team that made the decision to disclose all they had found during that first mission.
”Will Elthel be our contact again? I hope we didn’t leave her in too awkward a position last time.”
”Yes” The First Seeker happily responds to Zefira’s question. ”Elthel has continued to be key in arranging our expedition’s approval and permits.”
Which I can’t imagine was the easiest I’ll admit Naiaj says as an aside. To the rest of you the gnome explains: Elthel is a beareaucrat who works for the Cloud Imperium - that’s Pholskar’s ruling government. Of course the Imperium only counts cloud giants amongst their numbers, making them a poor representative for all of giant-kind if you ask my opinion. Elthel herself’s a relative progressive politician there whose views on diversifying giant representation among the Imperium and on planetary travel laws arent exactly making her popular amongst the planetary leadership. Wouldn’t exactly call her ‘nice’ but she’s our best contact on the planet. I’ll leave it to you to make your own impressions.
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"Greetings." A ryphorian woman in heavy armor stands. "I am Geiti. I am a defender of those that need aid, and have been assigned to this mission." While there are several weapons sheved and strapped to her armor, none of them look particuarlly 'heavy'
Geiti frowns after the mission briefing completes. "Huh, I am not espetially equipped for an underwater mission. Would you recemmond I pick up some Aquanaut Elixirs and/or possibly pick-up a Hydrojet?"
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"The portion of Talgradur that my team explored last time was mostly underwater, and the entrance flooded at high tide. My understanding is that most of the city is even further underwater. And it’s a fallen sky-city, so don’t expect any level surfaces. And the one section we found that was still dry required some climbing to get to," Zefira reports. "Mobility in different environments is one of my specialties, so I should have minimal problems navigating the place, but it can be slow going without special gear. And if you don't have a weapon that is adapted for underwater use, you may want to get one, or a fusion to make it so. We had to fight a couple undead who had been trapped there ever since they died in the city’s crash landing. Underwater, in a dark, cramped space." She looks a bit disturbed by the memory, particularly because it is directly tied to the volatile secrets her team uncovered about how and why the city fell.
She's got the idea Naiaj nods towards Zefira as the human describes her pasts experiences on Pholskar. The city Talgradur landed in one of the planet's oceans, and the part she and her Starfinder team poked around in last time was pretty much the least wet part of the place. Expect to go below the waves; and the mission's not exactly a planned combat one but well we Starfinders know how things can tend to turn out...
As Xysh asks about the first mission and Pholskar in general, Ehu Hadif begins to explain a bit of where you're going:
Emproa, Tronir and Vokesis date to the Gap or earlier, and are scaled to monumental proportions that serve the Large- and often Huge-sized inhabitants. Sicantro has more recent origins, catering instead to offworld travelers with Medium-sized streets, shops, doors, and more.
planet’s three moons.
In contrast, storm giants rarely visit Anduwar, and Cloud Imperium agents usually intercept and escort these visitors to Emproa when they do arrive. While most citizens assume these storm giants are ambassadors representing Agrishall, a growing minority whisper these storm giants are “disappeared” and never heard from again. These rumors especially agitate hill giants, most of whom sided with storm giants during a recent civil war.
Pholskar was once ruled by a coalition of cloud and storm giants who lived in flying cities equipped with storm engines, mechanical devices capable of creating and controlling deadly storms. A schism arose between the storm and cloud giants after Talgradur fell (some time after the Gap), sparking war. Today, the Cloud Imperium rules and occupies every flying city save one: Agrishall. Agrishall is occupied by storm giants and is the only sky city with an operational storm engine - a type of powerful device capable of powering the levitation and movement of an entire city.
Ehu Hadif nods warmly to Iskakii as he enters (though Naiaj's acknowledging head-twitch looks a bit more annoyed). As the kiirinta gets up to speed, they recall a conversation they recently had with a merchant just returning from Anduwar. As they has described, the construction on the city plateau - or 'The Palm' - incorporates heavily reinforced stone and concrete, often engineered to flex, rather than break, with many foundations and facades showing cracks, corrosion, or both. A necessity given the heavy seismic activity that affects the whole planet. By comparison, Emproa’s architecture boasts a fusion of ancient and modern themes, with sleek glass skyscrapers, white stone pillars, glittering domes, extravagant gardens, and plentiful statuary. Virtually nothing in Emproa caters to shorter creatures, and the soaring edifices seem designed to awe even 20-foot-tall viewers. Of course, the merchant wasn't able to get a great tour of Emproa themselves: the flying district is mostly occupied by members of the ruling Cloud Imperium’s convoluted bureaucracy, its support staff, and foreign delegates; the city’s other inhabitants reside below, weathering the region’s quakes and tremors.
Zefira also thinks back to what she's heard of Pholsakr since her own last visit there. Unfortunately what she's learned by keeping tabs on the place isn't the happiest of news. In the past two years since the Starfinder team's expedition - and the information they uncovered and shared about the fallen Talgradr's technology - the planet's political environment has become increasingly hot. Tensions have increased between factions both within and external to the Cloud Imperium, and many fear increased hostilities between cloud and storm giants. Meanwhile the Cloud Imperium's resources are spread thinly throughout Anduwar, and the land-bound Palm is creeping closer toward a sort of semi-independence. A few rebel groups have taken root, and one especially has been gaining traction. This group is inspired by "Forgotten", a stone giant seer claiming to know damning secrets buried by the Cloud Imperium centuries ago, spreading this message through whispers and intimate underground meetings.
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Xysh considers what he knows about the political environment.
"I don't think I have any more questions. How long do we have to prepare for our outing?"
Xysh casts Life Breath on all her companions and will update it before we land on the planet.
He will purchase hydrojets and a non-fire underwater weapon (Decimator Disintegrator Pistol + 10% for underwater).
"We have a Pegasus ready and fueled for you" Ehu Hadif explains. "While Drift travel has begun to stabilize again, it is still a bit unpredictable so it would likely be best if depart shortly. However, if you need a day or two to settle some affairs or make some preparations we could likely accommodate it."
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After sharing what she knows of current events on Pholskar, Zefira’s expression turns rather grave. ”Finally, I should warn you about the very dangerous discovery that my team made in our first foray into Talgradur, and that we shared with Elthel.” She glances at Naiaj with a somewhat apologetic look, though she still stands by her decision to trust the giantess with what they found. ”The city fell because it was sabotaged by someone who had learned its secret-–that its storm engine was being powered by captive storm giants being used as living batteries. The saboteur was unable to free any of them-–or herself–-before the city fell, and the undead we encountered were the remains of some of those prisoners. The civil war started after Talgradur fell. We don’t know if that conflict was a direct result of the storm giants learning the truth, or if the disaster merely fanned existing animosities. But there are still giants on Pholskar who remember that war, and some of them won't be happy about us digging up old traumas.”
"Yes, it is a tricky situation." the First Seeker admits. "But I trust that you will make the best of it and do the Society proud on this newest dig."
The jounrey out to Pholskar is relatively smooth given how choppy Dirft Travel was until very recently. After a mere days your Pegasus can translate back onto the Mateiral Plane near Pholskar's orbit, and you are able to guide the ship down for a landing in the city of Anduwar. Upon your disembarkment at the Pholskar Spacedocks in the Vokesis district, the four of you are questions quite thoroughly by several PITT agents They check your documents and registrations carefully, but as your papers are in order you are soon cleared through customs and escorted to a nearby government building. Your escort takes you through a winding series of doors before eventually you find yourselves in a grand rotunda that is ornately decorated with white marble floors and expansive windows. Surprisingly, the view from this rotunda overlooks the plateau below - despite landing on Fandarra's Palm you have somehow been brought into the flying district Emproa without even going through an obvious lift.
A brisk walk has you brought to a large circular meeting room where your escort bids you to sit and await Elthel's arrival. The room is dominated by a massive octagonal table around which are arrayed a dozen cushioned chairs. The chairs are clearly sized for Huge creatures: each chair’s seat is nearly 8 feet wide and stands 10 feet above the brightly lit marble floor. The table’s top itself is another 3 feet above the chair seats, composed of intricately carved stone inlaid with pale turquoise gems. A large silver tray containing a 4-foot-tall crystal pitcher and a dozen similarly sized crystal glasses has been carefully placed in the center of the table. The four of you appear almost comically small when contrasted with the furniture.
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Zefira becomes visibly energized when the team boards their starship. The pilot has flown enough Pegasus-class vessels on Starfinder missions that she greets this one like an old friend.
En route, she keeps herself busy with rechecking ship systems, using the cargo hold as an improvised obstacle course for her daily exercises, lovingly maintaining her gear, and exchanging stories with other members of the team. She also challenges her shipmates to various games of skill and chance. Her skills at these support her claim of being a professional gambler between missions, but she refuses to play for any real stakes "among friends."
When the ship reaches Pholskar, Zefira seems almost disappointed at the routineness of the descent. Apparently, the planet's volcanic activity made her last landing here rather more exciting!
In the meeting room, Zefira chuckles to herself, having been escorted to just such an absurdly oversized place last time. She very nimbly climbs one of the chairs to reach the top of the table, and pulls out one of the crystal tumblers to use as a stool while she waits.
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Xysh makes sure he is prepared as possible for this mission, checking and rechecking his gear. He asks if everyone would like to be in a telepathic bond with each other for the duration of this mission. "This will allow us to communicate with each other as long as we are on the same plane."
In the briefing room, he looks vaguely put out at the lack of seating for non-giants, but after a moment unfurls his wings and flies up to sit on the arm rest of one of the chairs.
Reaching the tabletop with minimal difficulty (and being encased in lovely breathable air and a telepathic mesh) you only need to wait a few minutes before the room's doors open and Elthel enters. Starting to show her many centuries of life, the cloud giant still looks impeccably poised as she strides towards the table and pulls out a chair. Taking you all in, she gives Zefira a curt nod as she sits.
Elthel says as her bright eyes scrutinize you four, her lips tilted down in a permanent look of distaste. another head tilt of acknowledgement to Zefira
Elthel sighs heavily and settles deeper into her enormous armchair. For the first time her imperious expression shifts, allowing you to see some signs of exhaustion upon her face.
The cloud giant leans in closer and lowers her voice, as if her booming whispers would be any less difficult to overhear. There are many that disagree with my ideas, especially Chancellor Sereveg and High Marshall Taviss. They have spies everywhere and would like nothing more than to discredit me. You and the Starfinder Society are receiving an honor no other offworlders have ever achieved — access into the depths of Talgradur’s submerged ruins. This restricted cultural site is where countless giants lost their lives, and it has remained virtually untouched as a memorial to them. Respect their sacrifices and do nothing to disgrace me or your Society. There is more at stake here than your reputation and what you find in the depths. She straightens, then deliberately swipes her datapad to transfer the necessary documentation, which results in a corresponding chime.
You’re approved for an archaeological exploration of site 649D. All items and information acquired during your exploration remain property of the Cloud Imperium. Attempts to withhold information or objects uncovered at Talgradur will result in severe legal repercussions for all of you, Mr. Ehu Hadif, and the Starfinder Society. Furthermore, it will reflect poorly upon me, which I will not tolerate. You’ll find a copy of the documents you’ll require on your comm units. You’ll also receive a contract and waiver, which must be signed by each of you and returned before your departure. As your friend Zefira can confirm, just like the last time there contracts are not optional.
In exchange for what I have provided you, I ask two simple favors. Keep the specifics of these favors secret. First, there is a shop in Tronir called the Expedition Emporium run by a military veteran named Gyli Bakmor. Please resupply there and let the shop owner know that I would like to meet at her earliest convenience. If you can get her talking, she has some tall tales from her time patrolling the ruins. Second, deliver this letter to a performer at Felicitous Morsels in Sicantro. Make sure Chireet — and only Chireet — receives this letter. They’ll be easy to find even if they are not onstage.
Your own comm units *ding* with notice as the documents Elthel sent reach each of you. The clearance documentation contains the excavation contract, as well as coordinates to the specific site you are cleared to explore and an approved route via which to travel to it.
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Zefira politely stands as Elthel enters, and sits again once the giantess does so. She returns Elthel's nods, and nods again to confirm the commentary about the contracts. She remains very alert during the briefing, but especially so as she commits Elthel's two special requests to memory.
Before reading and signing the transferred documents, Zefira pauses to say, "I am pleased to be working with you again, Elthel. I have briefed my companions on what our team found during the first excavation, and have impressed upon them the seriousness of that discovery, and the delicate position that it left you in. We shall do our best to honor the conditions of this new contract, and in a way that reflects as well as possible upon both us and you."
After a beat, she asks curiously, "What manner of performer is Chireet?"
They are a singer Elthel continues to whisper...for a cloud giant at least. A strix with a beautiful voice. You should be able to use the Chute to travel easily down to Sicantro and Tronir, and then back here to head out towards site 649D.
Seeing a lack of recognition on your faces, she explains: The Chute is a magical doorway. Or perhaps more accurately a network of them. We have built dozens of them across Pholskar's surface; each sky city has a similarly constructed doorway that serves as a key to the others. There is a technical name for it, but most call it ‘the Chute.’ The Chute automatically syncs with the nearest attuned doorway on the surface. Thus, when someone wants to leave a flying city, they simply walk through the chute and exit at the nearest doorway. They work in reverse, as well. If you’re on the ground and you want to reach Emproa, you simply walk through one of the doorways when Emproa is the closest flying city to your location. It is akin to a portal network, one that allows people to come and go without Emproa needing to stop and land. you yourselves came through such a doorway on your way here. Elthel gives a small smile.
A smile that quickly fades. I appreciate that you Zefira seem to understand the importance of your behavior while on Pholskar. I doubt any of my political opponents would be so bold as to move directly and aggressively against you. It would be poor form and rebound on them to be seen as beating up on small visitors. But I do suspect those with visions for our city different than mine will be watching your actions carefully. You may be surveilled, so please behave with decorum and subtlety - any embarrassment or discredit brought on yourselves will also by extension reflect on myself.
Elthel says, her voice returning to normal volume. as she sits up strighters. Trungin to reach into a bag besides her she notes
The cloud giant pulls out a quartet of metal items that look like toys in her hands. Laying them on the table, you see that they are two hydrojet armor upgrades and two trailblazer fusion seals.
Elthel makes sure you have taken the tiems (and especially that you have pocketed the letter for Chireet) before signally through her tablet to re-summon your escort. A pair of giant staffers scort you back through a hallway and into a circular room with only a single entrance. They advise you to simply enter, shut the door, wait a few seconds, tand then open it to emerge on the surface.
When you do you step out from the chamber onto a busy city street. The avenues and shops loom large as everything here has been built to giant-size specifications. Signage indicates that this is the 'Tronir' district, though while the many workers, shoppers, and denizens of the city glance down enough to avoid stepping on the few smaller creatures below most seem ot ignore your presence.
As you are getting your bearings, a lean cloud giant seems to notice you and approaches. Her white linen robes billow against her sky-blue skin as she leans down towards you and asks
"Do you need directions? The streets of Anduwar must seem a bit strange to you. Offworlders I presume?" she glances at the doorway you entered from. "Though coming down from Emproa -oh! You must be Starfinders, am I right? My name is Kurvasyr, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Come, won’t you speak with me for a bit? I’d appreciate the company and perhaps I could provide you some guidance or counsel. Do you need directions? Apart from Sicantro the city can be a bit inhospitable to those of smaller stature."
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Zefira takes the letter for Chireet and places it inside the null-space chamber strapped to her arm in order to keep it safe until it can be delivered. She makes sure that the upgrades and fusion seals are taken by teammates who need them, and reminds them to review and sign the contracts before they depart.
"A pleasure to meet you Zefira" Kurvasyr says with a short nod and a smile. "And the Expedition Emporium?" She straightens slightly looking around the various streets around you. "Yes, I think I know the place. It's only a few blocks away. Just ten minutes or -" Kurvasyr cuts herself off and chuckles lightly. "Well, maybe just a bit longer with shorter strides. I was on my way in that direction anyway: I can take you there on my way if you'd like."
"Though that emporium's wares are not well-sized for your kind." she adds. "Unless you need something especially specialized you may have been fortune in the Sicantro district: it's been greatly built out these last few years to accommodate visitors just like yourselves."
"Well, then I'm sure there's a good reason. The Emporium certainly has a deep enough variety of products." Kurvasyr says with a smile to Zefira. "It's this way. I would stick close so you don't get trampled underfoot."
The cloud giant makes sure the way is clear before stepping back into the street and - keeping a very slow pace - begins striding towards the east. She adds to Zysh: "I know you're new to the city, but Anduwar's been getting so many more outsiders to the city these last few years. It's always curious to hear about others' perspectives. Have any of you been to Pholskar before? I've heard Starfinders travel to all sorts of different worlds and places: how does our home measure up to you so far?"
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"'Measure,' ha!" Iskakii laughs. "To be honest, it's a nice change of pace. Most places are built for peoples who average 1-2 meters tall but don't fly. It can be nice for them, but confining for anybody larger or sporting wings."
He plays along with what the team seems to be doing, but he sends a telepathic message to them.
<She's fishing for information. She knows more than she is letting on. And I doubt she really just "happened" to run into us.>
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<Very likely all true>, Zefira agrees over the team's telepathic bond. <We should remain courteous, but be alert for trouble. And if she lingers overlong when we get to the shop, we may need to distract her before we can deal with our real business there.>
Zefira effortlessly keeps up with the giantess, and out of the way of other traffic. "The change in scale does take some getting used to, but I like a good challenge. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of Pholskar." She decides not to mention that she's been to this planet before, at least not yet.
”I can imagine!” Kurvasyr says to the Kirrinti. ”Being able to soar under your own power must be exhilarating! Tiring for long journeys though I would imagine; that is why designing tools that allow our very cities to conquer the skies was so important.”
To Zefira she adds: ”It can be a lovely world, though dangerous on the surface if you are not used to it. Pholskar is a temperamental world, and quakes often. It’s why I prefer cities like Anduwar: they are a functioning symbol of the grandeur and wonder we have found with the Cloud Imperium’s unity.”
As she chats and leads you through the streets towards the Emporium you all can give me a Perception or Survival check