Hi everyone! Please dot and delete for now. We'll get started soon.
Your adventure begins in the waiting room at Elkrius, a research facility on Arkanen. The facility is modern but quiet, with comfortable seating, large potted plants, and gray speckled tile. You are greeted by a dirindi who introduces herself as Otaia Nuvith. She is a friendly clerk who makes small talk, inquiring about where you are from and how you know one another. She’s an environmental activist who loves to dance and has a pet squox AA2 named Fiddles. She’s obviously skilled at keeping confidential information to herself, because while chatting with you she reveals nothing of importance about Elkrius, its staff, or its ongoing projects.
Soon, Otaia escorts you into the heart of Elkrius, where you find Dr. Tevurda, a 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 regards you skeptically but offers a firm handshake and treats you 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."
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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A small, fist-sized lump of technology, held at the centre of a flickering, pale blue outline of a humanoid form, nods sympathetically, before speaking in a hypnotic, synthesised voice.
"This sort of crass, callous profiteering is reprehensible. We need to stop them! Those poor creatures!"
They then carefully see what they can work out...
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As Asgrok looks around for evidence Asgrok introduces zimself.
"With the rush to start, we didn't get time to introduce ourselves properly."
Asgrok points to zis name stage which reads Asgrok augmented paradox
"Silly name tags are too short, my full name is Asgrok Augmented Paradox Conjunction. Professional Lawyer, Philosopher, and Counselor. Specializing in legal counsel on the conjuncture of legal, physical, and magical laws and the paradoxes they create, at your service. Dealing with the poaching of extinct species recently genetically re-engineered sounds like a great conjunction or paradox rising from a mix of legal and Philosophical questions. Now let's see what evidence we can find"
"And don't let me forget if we have to use the laws of physics to stop the poachers with brute force, I'm happy to provide free legal counsel
on the conjunction of physics and the law."
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An uplifted bear with dark brown fur and walking on all fours peers into the enclosure. Looks nice, he projects telepathically. Vibrant.
How many people knew about your work Dr. Tevurda? Had you published your results?
He looks at the assembled Elkrius staff for signs that any of them may be hiding something, but is visibly distracted by the flora in the enclosure.
Computers: The poachers used an employee keycard to enter the building without triggering an alarm. This keycard was used again at the mistuor habitat but lacked high enough clearance to unlock the door. Upon further investigation, you determine that the keycard was registered to Darvis Olem, a dirindi recently fired for “attempted theft of proprietary data and genetic material.” Darvis’s personal file indicates they were a scientist on the mistuor repopulation project. Their security clearance was revoked upon termination, but a programming error prevented their employee card from being deactivated completely. This error appears accidental.
• Engineering: 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, you discover that both of the mistuors were wearing a tracking collar, which the poachers removed and discarded outside.
• Engineering: The poachers were equipped with needler rifles, azimuth laser pistols, and survival knives. The leader also carried a subzero ice carbine and an assault hammer.
• Perception: 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.
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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"Fired for attempted theft of proprietary data and genetic material, then a break-in and missing Mistuors, I'm starting to piece together a legal or should I say not so legal motive.
"I wonder if there is any medical implication to the Mistuor project someone might be after, regardless of returning them in good medical condition seems important to our mission."
Medicine: The poachers neutralized both the mistuors
and security guards with sedatives. This suggests
the poachers intend to sell the mistuors alive, rather
than dead.
When you are done reviewing the security footage, Dr. Tevurda and Genayvin lead you to the facility’s front entrance, handing you a tracking device and the keys to two exploration buggies. 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 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. Dr. Tevurda trusts that with this equipment, you will be able to retrieve the creatures.
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"Sounds like the mistuors like fruits and berries, might help if we bring some along with us. I wonder what other supplies might help as well?"
Asgrok looks at the vehicles, then at Zims tiny hands, and back up to the large steering wheels of the vehicles.
"Whos driving? Don't think my tiny hands will reach the steering wheel."
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I might have the opposite problem Asgrok. I'll try to squeeze in, but could end up riding in the trailer.
He turns to Dr. Tevurda and Genayvin. I hope we don't seem ungrateful. Just working through the logistics.
And yeah, some of their food could be helpful. Maybe you could pot up one of those lovely small ferns from the enclosure? Or a sedative, I guess.
((+3 untrained piloting))
You climb in to vehicles, and take off. Your way into the dark forest is along a muddy path
This journey is written as a series of obstacles. I need one check, aided by others if desired. To keep this moving, I request that everyone roll for each obstacle. I will take whoever has the highest modifier as the base check, and all others as an attempt to aid.
-survival
-piloting
-life science
-athletics
I'll tell the story of what happens after I get the checks from everyone.
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Thanks Asgrok. That's a lot more comfortable. I'm sure they'll be able to weld those extra bits back on afterwards.
After the skull, you just need to evolve skin and fur, and then you'll be on your way to a higher-order species.
Koshtuk makes a honking, growling laugh for a bit too long as he finds his own joke hilarious.
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Asgrok laughs along with Koshtuk's joke then tells a joke about how Contemplative evolved.
"Long, Long Time ago... We Contemplative didn't look like this..."
An hour later long after anyone forgot Asgrok is actually trying to tell a joke, Asgrok gets to the punchline.
"Now think about that!"
Asgrok starts to laugh, then looks around puzzled why none else is.
"Guess you had to be there."
Working together, you are able to use survival to find your way through the forest. Your piloting skills are solid enough that you are able to drive through the dense forest without incident. Your knowledge of life science enables you to find three apples that the mistuors love. As you near the camp, you find felled trees blocking your way, but your skill with athletics enables you to pull them out of the way.
It is nearing sunset as you approach the camp.
You notice a generator in the camp which not only powers all the trailers, but also seems to power something barely outside the camp. Asgrok notices a trap that seems to form a defense around the edge of the camp. The trap is a sonic trap. You think that a computers check could disable the trap's proximity sensors, or an engineering check could disable the sonic emitter; either of these would allow you to enter the camp safely.
I'm also revealing the camp map. You can see the mistuors in the cages in the center of camp.
Koshtuk is confident he's taken care of the trap.
You are able to approach the trailer at the bottom of the map and peek into it without anyone seeming to respond. It is empty. (map marked with a purple X to show you which trailer is empty)
Please tell me where you explore next.