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There is no tricking but the two hits from Niobrar and Top Down are enough to kill the creature. During the fight, several husk ghibrani watch the conflict warily from the edge of the bluffs. The hunters are clearly armed, though with strange arquebus-style weapons that incorporate slightly dated energy weapon magazines, but they are not pointing the weapons at you.
What do you do? ((Picture on slides))
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"A warning to stay away from here, or be fired upon. That said, I don't recognise their species... although I admit it looks vaguely similar to my own; perhaps we shared a common ancestor?"
Xagyg then tries Ghibrani.
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The husk Ghibrani are rather surprised when someone in your group speaks their language, which is similar to what you heard from the orbital drone platform, though simpler and more guttural.
The rest of you may make Diplomacy checks to put them at ease. They haven't seen aliens before.
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After a thirty minutes uneventful trek, but in the opposite direction from the city you reach the husk enclave.
Dozens of beetle-like aliens crawl in and out of the many caves that dot the face of this otherwise drab cliff. Most of them are dressed in simple leather frocks, while the few with crude weapons are covered with sturdier armor. A small garden filled with sickly plants is visible off to one side, next to what looks like the opening to a well. A handful of children sits in front of a pair of older aliens, who are both wearing brightly colored necklaces. They appear to be either telling the young ones a story or teaching them a lesson.
As Dystane and her hunters approach, the enclave lets out a friendly cheer, which dies off as the other ghibranis notice you. They look rather surprised to see another ghibrani with the group. Dystane quickly strides up to Alomir and Koseemo (the husk leaders) and begins an animated conversation involving various clacking mandibles. The two settlement leaders’ mandibles clatter and they gesture for you to come close.
With Xaygy acting as translator, Dystane welcomes you to her home, introduces Alomir and Koseemo, and offers you the blessings of Mother Touloo (again). Dystane also explains that before they can talk in depth, their tribe must perform a special rite known as the Welcoming to officially receive her returning hunting party; they would be overjoyed if you join in.
The interior of the husk’s cave is spacious, with plenty of natural handholds leading up to other tunnels into the cliff. A large bonfire burns in the center of a cleared-out space, providing light but making the cave quite stuffy. As you step inside, it seems as though the entire tribe is converging here. You can see that many of the ghibranis are carrying drums and assorted instruments made from stone. A few moments later, they begin playing a stately tune and the remaining ghibranis face each other in a couple of straight lines. The husks proceed to start a formalized processional dance.
Culture or Perception checks to figure out the dance.
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Success
Failure
Success
More successes would be better but that is the minimum number required to make a good impression which means that the ghibranis rejoice and warmly embrace you as unofficial members of the tribe.
Shortly after the welcoming ceremony, another ghibrani steps into the firelight. She is thinner than the others and dressed in shimmering fabrics, though it is clear she has a few bandaged wounds. Most strikingly, she sports a pair of membranous wings, unlike any of the other ghibranis! The husk ghibranis treat her with respect, though not reverence, as she enters, and allow her to walk right up to you. She looks really surprised to see Xagyg and chitters at him.
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I am *really* happy to see another of my species. These aliens are nice, of course, but I was beginning to worry I would never find anyone else again.
As for where I come from... sorry, we just knew it as the 'city'. We stayed behind the barrier, and never ventured out."
Xagyg turns to the others.
"She wants to cast Share Language so she can talk with you."
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Share language is cast on the rest of you and you can now converse with her. She then introduces herself.
You are unlike any other people I have ever met, apart from him. You must have an interesting story to tell. Possibly the same is true of you for me. We have much we can teach one another.
She looks at Xagyg. Was there a war going on between the nation-states in your time?
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Well, nice to meet you! Top Down says I'm glad we can finally find some way to talk. As I said before, we come in peace! There's a lot of history to catch up on. No ward between nation states that I'm aware of, but plenty of stories of fighting lizards, evil space empires and murderous insects. That all in the past, though, these days I just race the drift!
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I have no idea what you mean by the Drift, but the reason I ask is that our planet wasn't always like how you see it now. The great war between the nation-states. The invisible fire they rained down upon one another killed most living things across the globe. It was only thanks to the foresight of our ancestors that any of us survived to see today. I wondered if your ... friend came from a time before somehow.
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I wondered if your ... friend came from a time before somehow.
Hey, I came from where I'm going to, I just haven't arrived there yet. I'm just enjoying the view in the meantime. The view of the wasteland doesn't particularly appeal to Top Down, but he was enjoying the view of the sky on the way in, and that's what counts.
Invisible fire, huh? he says, tapping his radiation badge to check if it is still working is that why you guys have so many limbs? How long ago is this anyway?
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Many many many generations ago. So many that it is now distant history. Speaking of generations. Many generations ago, after the war, a faction of my people received protection from a divine power named Mother Touloo. They struck out into the wastelands at their deity’s behest. In doing so, they eventually lost the use of their wings. These ‘husks,’ as we call them, are those you see before you. She gestures around the cavern. Those of us who retained the power of flight are known as ‘membranes’ by these people. We live within the city of Arkeost.
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You lost your wings? Man... Top Down says, who can't think of anything worse than losing his wings, ... I had some pretty bad stunts, but they never took away my wings.
Hold up. There's a city? Why are you living in the wasteland? Do you like it here? I mean, the getup's got class, but the novelty would wear off after a while, no?
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None of the Starfinders have heard of Mother Touloo - not even Xagyg
The force field I suppose. That is Arkeost, a shining beacon of civilization! One of the few left on this world, I’ve been told. It is also my home. I can take you there if you agree to escort me across the wastes.
Those in my city rarely leave it; our ancestors made sure we would be provided with everything we would need. However, I have been afflicted with a case of wanderlust. A near terminal case, it would seem, as my explorations outside the city found me stumbling into a tangle of soarnettles. They scratched me quite a bit and thanks to the pain, I lost my way. Luckily for me, I crossed paths with these kind husks, who bandaged my wounds and gave me a place to spend the night.
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So it is agreed. You are escorting Klarima back to her home in return for her introducing you to the city leaders as well as showing you how to get through the force field. Before you leave though you are presented with gifts from the husk leaders, a Ghibrani huchket rifle, and three vials of a dark liquid that tastes like black licorice, which function as mk 1 serums of healing.
Klarima leads the PCs through the badlands toward the shining metropolis in the distance. The journey takes only a few hours. Elytrio’s sun is beginning to set as they approach the edge of a visible force field half a mile outside of the city. Klarima retrieves a clunky and ancient-looking datapad from her pack and presses a few buttons on it. There is a brief pause when nothing happens and, a little frustrated, she touches the same sequence of buttons on the device. This time, a circular portion of the force field opens like a door. Klarima steps through and gestures for yout to follow. When all you have passed through, Klarima presses another button on her datapad and the force field closes again.
By the time you reach Arkeost, its lights have come on.
This strange metropolis sparkles like a jewel in the gloom of dusk. In stark contrast to the desolation surrounding it, the city is a bustling center of activity, with dozens of winged insectoid aliens going about their business, flitting from one high doorway to another. The streets below seem almost like an afterthought, used only occasionally by small automated machines. Several overgrown flower beds and shaggy trees fill the spaces between the roads and hug the sides of the tall buildings. Though the structures still look sturdy, obvious patches of rust and other disrepair indicate that they haven’t been very well taken care of.
Most of the ghibrani citizens stop what they are doing and stare at you as you walk with Klarima. In short order, a contingent of ghibranis wearing formal armor and carrying weapons that look like taclashes flutters down to confront the group.
Profession(bounty hunter) or Sense Motive please.
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Hey, forget about what I said about having enough arms, there's always room for one more! Top Down says as the ghibrani offers the antique rifle. Don't mind keeping a hold of that in case we have another cat jumping at us!
He has a sniff at the bottles You like licorice, Nio? At least these guys have their confectionary down!
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Happy that no further cats scratch up his armor, and remembering the ghibrani sentence for 'we come in peace', Top Down's response when faced with armed guards is predictable We come in peace!
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When all you have passed through, Klarima presses another button on her datapad and the force field closes again.
"Quite the security system," mutters Tuek, his interest rather apparent.
Upon entering the city, Tuek's gaze notes the lack of upkeep, which suggests to him that the citzens of this city may not be as wealthy or well-to-do as he had hoped.
As he ponders quietly, he absent-mindedly picks up a piece of litter and slips it into his backpack.
When he spots what appear to be the authorities coming toward him, he tries to blend into the surroundings, fearing that perhaps his thievish thoughts have somehow been uncovered.