GM Kate's 5-13 Finding the Forgotten (Inactive)

Game Master Kate Baker

You get many that misbehave? Navasi asks, checking out the human to see how 'serious' of a sheriff she's dealing with.

They shake their head no. "Occasionally, a few people get into a brawl. We just lock them up until their heads cool down. Well, enjoy your visit to our beautiful town hall!"

Mayor's Office, Zatteh's Office, Sheriff's Office, the Archives, or head for your starship?

The Archives would be my choice

Works for me.

"Where, uuuuh, are you headed off to?" Amariel asks.

Second (or third) on the Archives.

Tash pays attention to the sheriff's response to Amariel's question.

You think they'll allow us in there? Navasi wonders.

Archives good!

"Just doing my usual rounds," they say with a smile.

You head into the archives, and no one else is in there. The archives contain Brearton’s physical records, including birth, death, and marriage
certificates, harvest and property records, and population counts. The records are handwritten, stored in filing cabinets, and poorly sorted, with no index.

Searching the archives for information on someone or something specific requires a Culture check or relevant Profession check. It takes one hour for one person or half an hour if multiple people are helping. Helpers don't need to make the check themselves.

Well Navasi says, cracking her knuckles, who's getting coffee? This is going to take a while.

Culture: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 Let's search for clues on that mine. On my own, perhaps, so other people can focus on other topics?

Dr. A-Prof offers to assist Navasi's search.
Mostly for speeding things up.

Meanwhile, Iseph pokes around the Mayor's office (assuming he isn't told not to, in which case he will try one of the other offices).

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26.

Navasi find numerous records indicating the mine’s output, though no notes on what materials are being mined. The amount mined is much more than the town would need and would require extensive mines, labor, and infrastructure to obtain. These records are clearly incomplete, but it looks like the mine was opened a few years after the colony was founded and remains in operation today.

Iseph sneaks into the mayor's office. The mayor isn't there. The office is messy, with boxes piled in the corners and a desk covered in paperwork. Iseph searches the room and finds an old-fashioned spacesuit that probably dates back to the colony's founding, but they're pretty sure that it was used recently.

Cracks her knuckles. ”Well, who’s getting coffee? This is going to take a while.”

Tash raises a paw. “I’m on it.”

He begins poking his head into City Hall rooms, looking for vending machines or a coffee maker... and to see what else he can find.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

Tash peeks into the sheriff's office. Jana’s office is clean and orderly, with a desk and locked filing cabinets. There are three small holding cells in the back.

He also peeks in the aide Zatteh's office. It's clean and organized, with a fine wooden desk and cozy office chair. The back wall is lined with a communication console modified from a starship system.

You don't notice anything else with that Perception check, but let me know if you want to examine something in more detail.

Iseph likewise takes a peek in the other offices.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33.

Dr. A-Prof offers to assist Navasi's search.

Mostly for speeding things up.

Apologies - PC crossover again...

After a cough & a mutter about having a bug in his throat, Grump offers to assist Navasi's search.

Iseph, would you rather search the Sheriff's office or Zatteh's office?

Sheriff.

They've been doing this for a long time, started almost as soon as this colony was founded.

Can I search along in the other offices, or does this all happen in parallel?

The searching is in parallel, but once you all reconvene, you can decide how to proceed together.

Iseph looks around in Sherriff Rin's office. There are three small holding cells in the back. Iseph thinks that they see a lot more use than Rin let on, given the wear in the cells. They also spot the outline of a secret hatch in the floor behind the desk. The secret hatch doesn't have a mechanism to open it clearly visible, so there is probably a switch somewhere.

Tash goes through the drawers and finds stationery and other office supplies. Inside the bottom drawer is a secured touchpad, seemingly keyed to a handprint.

Iseph attempts to hack the touchpad.

Not sure whether Computers or Engineering is appropriate, but it is the same modifier either way.

Computers/Engineering: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30.

Either is appropriate!

ISeph bypasses the safety features on the touchpad, causing it to flash green and the sceret hatch opens.

The secret hatch conceals a large underground armory. Inside are modern weapons, armor, and ammunition—all of far lower quality than you possess.

None of these weapons have a maker’s mark or corporate logo, indicating that they were possibly constructed locally.

Another Perception check to look around here, please, from anyone searching.

Secret doors catch Grump's interest.

“What an interesting place to put a weapons cache. They don’t look up to our standards, though. Why would a small colony like this need so many weapons?”

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16.

Iseph proves to be better at disabling electronic devices than spotting unusual things.

Hearing Tash, they shrug.

"Well, doomsday-preppers would certainly stockpile this sort of stuff. Alternately, there are a number of other possible explanations: Personal hobby? Anti-riot equipment? Gear to deal with migratory predators? Insurance against hostile outsiders... like us."

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (8) + 19 = 27

"I gotta assume its about outsiders like us, Iseph. Everything point me to the idea that this is a pretty significant criminal activity here. Probably to do with whatever they're mining."

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

I must say, I'm not surprised to find this here, seeing what they have prowling in orbit. I agree with Iseph, though. A bunch of wild animal would not need an arsenal like this. And you'd probably want to keep it in a more convenient location too... This might be... Navasi shudders at the thought ...local politics. The kind we may not want to get involved in? Though we haven't seen any indication of rivalling factions here, only single people voicing some dissent.

Grump finds a dark blue rhomboid aeon stone while Amariel finds a rime subduer. These seem to be the most advanced items in here, by far.

At this point, you explored the sherriff's office and the mayor's office, and you've researched the mine. What would you like to do next?

Still have Zatteh's office to check out, right?

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24.

After pocketing the Aeon stone, Grump ambles over to Zatteh's office for a look as well.

Grump spots that Zatteh's desk top is false! When this top is depressed, it pops up and back, revealing a state-of-the-art computer with a holographic interface. It prompts you for a password.

Computers checks to investigate this as well as the communication system in here. Is everyone here, or does Navasi want to do more research in the archives?

After theatrically cracking their knuckles, Iseph attempts to similarly crack the password on the computer.

Computers: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22.

Grump tries to assist the hacker.

Computers assist: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Amariel will either stick in the archives alone or help Navasi if she's also in the archives.

I think these archives are a dead end, the juicy bits have been redacted. I don't think it's a setup, but whoever is maintaining these archives doesn't store the top secret material here. Navasi says, slightly worried about spending too much time trespassing.

Also because I can't quite think of a good topic to investigate, maybe someone has suggestions?

Over the comms, Grump suggests.

"Follow the money."

"How about the death of the founder? We saw that they changed the death date on their statue."

Even with Grump's help, Iseph can't quite get into the system.

Would you like to try to get into the communications system?

Berrla Tonhue, the founder, is definitely someone you would expect to have records in the archives!

Can someone else take a stab at hacking the system?

Don't mind if I do!

Muttering imprecations under their breath, Iseph turns away from the computer, and tries to hack into the communications system.

Computers/Engineering: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34.

Tonhue, then. Let's see what we can find on the founder!

Culture: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17

Oooh, it says here there's a statue of her somewhere...

Sure thing, someone else can try to get into the computer!

Iseph has much more luck with the communications system, and finds that it controls the automated defense system, indicating that it was Zatteh who contacted you and provided landing coordinates.

Additionally, they discover that there are a hundred landing platforms surrounding Kortus IV, each bypassed by an access code. The current access code is kL283Gx. Iseph also determines that the access code automatically changes on a monthly basis—a very strange security feature for a town that rarely uses the system.

Another Computers check would let you download the program that generates the codes.

Navasi finds that the information on Berrla isn't where she thought it would be.

Iseph goes for broke, and attempts to download the program...

Computers: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18.

...but does not have any luck.

Grump sits down at Zatteh's desk, cracks his knuckles, then wiggles his fingers & calls upon the best hacking skillset available to him.

With a wiggle of his fingers, he utters the words that few programmers ever want to hear as an animated paperclip appears, hovering over the desk.

"Hey Clippy - I could use your help breaking into this system."

The googly-eyed paperclip rotates to better peer at the holo-screen.

"Sure thing, boss. I'll see what I can do."

Grump gets into the computer but quickly realizes that he is being fed a fake shell of information. The previous failure clearly set off some kind of protocol! Zatteh could be back any minute!

I guess that means it is time to book it?

Is there anywhere else left to go?

Whistling innocently, Iseph starts poking around the archives, looking for information about the founder.

Culture: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27.

"Thanks, Clippy. I'll call back if I have more problems."

"Sure thing, boss. Save early, Save often!" The cartoon icon chirps as if fades away to the spirit realm.

Grump slips out of the office, heading back to Navasi.

“There’s something a lot bigger than we think happening down here. Hundreds of locked down landing platforms with rotating security codes? That’s far more than this colony needs.”

As the computer checks go awry, Tash stands. “I’ll try to delay anyone coming in.”

He heads out of the office to watch for anyone in the hallway.

If he finds anyone headed this way, he’ll engage them about his (thus far) fruitless search for coffee and ask for help finding a machine.

You've gone everywhere at this point!

Sounds like everyone is moving to the town archives, where you've definitely been the whole time, except for Tash who is out in the hall.

Zatteh and Mayor Aliorno come back into the building, with Zatteh looking irritated.

Zatteh opens the door to her office and looks inside, then turns to Tash. "Did you go in here?"