Loki and Raia quickly find some shortcuts through the tunnel system, and Benny manages to stay hot on the trail of the fleeing creature. Dr. A Prof just buzzes through on the long route, without any problem at all.
The trail goes right through a grouping of klikharp enclosures.
Klikharps are Medium vermin often bred as pets; their young are smaller and less docile than adults, and thus pose a greater danger.
It looks like several crates have already been disturbed by the fleeing creature, and any further disturbance could send the young creatures into forming an angry swarm.
Raia sends soothing thoughts to the klikharps
Trober stealthily moves past the klipharps, while Raia and Dawnfriend try to ensure the creatures keep as calm as possible, so that even the sizeable Benny can move past without incident.
The vent leads into a thoroughfare, and now is the first time the group gets a clear view of who they're chasing: it's a small goblin with a flying drone, who is using his small statue to his advantage by just slipping past and under the legs of the larger creatures around him (and quite upsetting some of the unsuspecting bystanders!)
Raia also tries Diplomacy to get through.
Need help there Trober?
Benny manages to drive away some folks by talking religion, but Trober is altogether too soft-spoken to have any effect, and Loki just seems to draw attention to him, not away from him. Dr. A-Prof's buzzing falls flat on the drone of the crowd.
With Dawnfriend simply asking the crowd to move out of the way, following the goblin becomes a lot easier. Dawnfriend even has the time to fire off a spell, just as the goblin is about to move through an emergency hatch down a chute of some sort. It turns around briefly, and just seems to gesture for Dawnfriend to come along. Strange.
The hatch leads to a long chute down - fortunately for benny it is also quite wide.
The chute is a long ride down, jostling and turning the team members as they descend. One after the other, our adventurers emerge from the pipe, all miraculously landing on their feet... so far.
The group finds themselves in a familiar area: the very same stinking hideout they explored before, scrap bot still strewn about in parts.
The goblin that Dawnfriend charmed waves in a friendly fashion, then whistles, causing two more to pop out from hidden positions.
The space goblin is wearing station wear and a loud collared shirt, and steps forward. He grins and holds out his hands in a universal ceasefire gesture. “You caught us! Did you like ‘em? The gifts? We’ve been leavin’ you presents all over Lorespy Palace. Gotcha medals, and treats, and a Starfinder fighting a daffrex. Good stuff, right? Smell good too!”
The other two goblins slowly creep closer toward the group, their eyes wide as saucers and their faces pictures of innocence.
That great! We big huge mondo fans! Sfartinders are heroes! We been watching heroes and borrowing their trash to make gifts!
The goblins slowly become a bit more talkative. Apart from the goblin with the drone, there's a second goblin who tries to look tough, wears an enormous hair-sprayed wig, and has a vibrahorn on her back I be Sheena she says, waving her hair, Fabulous Sheena. I make music, and do fashion. Arvin is cool, but needs new haircut! she says, commenting on venture-captain Arvin's signature mohawk look, and voicing her desire to give the VC a make-over.
Fabulous Sheena then toots a somewhat monotonous series of staccato toots on the vibrahorn... Toot.. toot.. toot.. toot..
My name is Credstick Glorgo, but everybody calls me... Glorgo. the charmed goblin then says.
He be mastermind! Sheena whispers, interrupting Glorgo.
Thsis is Goblerator 3000! Is regular delivery drone, but I built it better! It now way more cooler and really good a bringing gifts to Sfartinders!
A third goblin comes while at least six more pairs of eyes can be spotted in hidey-holes and hidden places. I be Tricks. I be... magical! the goblin says trying to look cool and mysterious, but instead just looking like a goblin.
He be studying Sheena fills in for big-brainy exam! But looking at Starfinder also good way for him to learn!
We want to meet Sfartinder Glorgo explain but we need bestest gift! Nice cool gift! Big machine with Starfinders and gobbos on adventures! In space! Together! Glorgo says, and Sheena adds No, gift should be music! Big song! Loud! About new friends meeting on disco planet!. Tricks chimes in with Big performance! Motaphyrical! Mutual admirances! Is he trying to say 'metaphorical'? Who knows?
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Loki is really tempted to throw the metaphorical book at the goblins...
...but thinking about the things he could legally do to them manages to keep him calm... barely.
"Your enthusiasm is laudable, but perhaps it would have been a good idea to meet with the Starfinders, and explain what you were planning to do before you did it. You caused... rather a lot... of confusion in the process.
Not everyone is especially understanding about these things. Copying your heroes is wonderfully flattering, but would it not be better to ask them directly for advice?"
He then turns to the others.
"Anyone actually want to set up a pyrotechnic-enabled song-and-dance number to introduce them with?"
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"I'm an artist, but not a musician or a dancer. I make scrimshaw, blessings from Besmara - a little piece of her magic and blessing in each one"
"This is why I understand these Goblins and can see they were only trying to do something nice - I too love giving gifts - it just seems their intentions were good but the applicattion... not what we are used to. Perhaps some guidance?"
"A musical number could be good, I don't suppose Strawberry Machine Cake has a franchised show in town?"
Raia is actually using her comms unit to make a video of all this.
A .... musical number? she asks I know not much about such things. Say .... just out of curiosity, what is Tricks studying for this big brainy exam? Maybe I can help
Armaca... Tricks gladly breaks his 'I'm-a-mysterious-goblin' act to explain what he's been studying Arnaca... Arcanamirinum!. Clearly still needs some more studying.
Songs great! Sheena says and toots a couple of times here what I write so far! It for first seeker!
Always in the bestest mood!
Shooting guns and finding loot
Ehu is a real cool dood
We be goblins you be...
Sheena stops See, needs work there
Glorgo also mention Sheena really wants to give a gift to Ehu, but I think Zigzivixixig is waay cooler. Oh, and Tricks is a real fan of Harmony of Many, because he thinks it sounds like a Googurt flavor.
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Loki tries to wrack his brain for a legitimate way for the goblins to present their 'gifts' to the various leaders...
Tokens of tribute? Cultural exchange? Reparations? Yes, perhaps taking them under the Society's wing could be viewed as 'community service'; it would be killing two birds with one stone - they would work off their debt, whilst being kept supervised... preferably somewhere far, far away.
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Dawnfriend seems completely bewildered about how to make it through tunnels ...
As he listens to the various goblins, he says, "Well, I know that Zig is a big musical fan, though more of a Strawberry Machine Cake person ..." Having no particular ability to help them in a musical number, he begins pulling aside the various goblins and working through how they can be more productive in their way of showing appreciation for the Starfinders.
Raia uses Diplomacy to make suggestions
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The swarm swirls in on itself while Sheena sings the goblin song.
Whether from pain or harmony - it's hard to tell.
Until they stop & reform briefly in an unstable skittermander form before settling into their usual bipedal arrangement.
"Many wordz rhyme with loot. Thoze that may fit contextually include Fruit. Brute. Recruit. Mute. Cute. Aztute. Moot. Groot. Many otherz az well, but they fit lezz well in this context."
The group is still somewhat hesitant in helping the gobbo's, with Trober refusing outright, and Loki looking for loopholes and legal precedents. Benny, Dawnfriend and Dr A-Prof seem to have an excellent collaboration with the goblins going, and between the counceling of dawnfriend and the legal framework Loki has set up, there look to be plenty of room for creativity.
Harmony of many agrees to a meeting, even in a somewhat festive setting. Glorgo, who looks to have had some elaborate fashion advice from Sheena, takes the word “On behalf of me, Sheena, Tricks, and all them other gobbos what have the honor of living in your basement, we all wanted to present this song to you. For us, this symbolizes that we are your bestest of friends and your biggest fans, for like ever, or at least for 3 months even. We just think the Starfinders are the coolest, most awesome space heroes out there, and if we can ever do somethin’ to help out, you just let us know. I promised I wouldn’t cry, but here goes the tears. This is our specialest song, from us to you!"
Harmony of Many at first struggle to find the right words. After a period of silence, they reply, “Of course we accept, and gratefully. New neighbors are always welcome, and perhaps one day you can join us in an official capacity.”
There is a brief party. Naiaj, along with a few dignitaries, drop by to pay a visit Ah, I see that proog is still following you, Raia. Take good care of it the gnome says.
Food is served by chef Esa Murat Khal, who is serving up the dish that the group so nicely salvaged.
Palivhar Chooser of Hues is also there, still recovering from his scary encounter with the animatronics. That was they say truly the most eh... interactive exhibit I’ve ever seen.
The halfling Senndi and a group of other Starfinder initiates also join the party, with boisterous talk on how they got nearly wiped by that googurt gift.
Radaszam is smugly pleased Community service, huh? Not a bad trick. You got those prankster out here, and we can put 'em to good use. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. By the way, they left that t-shirt gun. These things aren't my size, he says, holding up a 'Team Sfartinders Go' shirt. Maybe they're more to your liking.
Now, you tell me, what should we do with these delinquents. You think there's starfinder material here? Or should we find them a special corner of the station and hope they never show up again?
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(Out of earshot of the Goblins.)
Loki telepathically replies to Radaszam.
My personal preference would be to introduce them to the nearest airlock, but I am professional enough to separate personal views from professional opinions. Loathe as I am to say it, I have no reason to assume that there *isn't* potential Starfinder material amongst them, so we should not waste them unnecessarily.
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Dawnfriend spends time telling the goblins all about Sarenrae, and how she's the best friend, who helps with healing and redeems people who made bad decisions in the past. If any of them seem interested, he will try to recruit them to his faith.
Regardless of whether these efforts are successful, he says to Radaszam, "They're all very enthusiastic, and really want to help the Starfinders, I think, so they should be given the chance to. They just need very clear directions, I think. I could make a list of all of the ways they could help us out... in fact, here, I've already started one." He holds up a datapad that he was typing on with three of his hands while talking.
Raia is still looking bemused by the whole thing, still on the fence so to speak. But welcoming newcomers is the Society's 'thing' whether or not they be out in the Vast or in their own basement.
So, while ensuring the proog doesn't get stepped on, she grins ruefully and agrees with Benny.
She's also pleased she didn't get in a situation where she had to draw a weapon and shoot something.
My personal preference would be to introduce them to the nearest airlock, but I am professional enough to separate personal views from professional opinions. Loathe as I am to say it, I have no reason to assume that there *isn't* potential Starfinder material amongst them, so we should not waste them unnecessarily.
Radaszam grins and bares his teeth I completely agree with that. Much as I would like to toss these terrors out of the airlock, they are... crafty, and I'd rather have that working with me than against me. He then turns to Dawnfriend Directions, huh? Sounds like they're going to need a lot. I trust that you'll keep an eye on them?
The goblins are elated to be accepted and regard Radaszam as their new savior. Glorgo even builds a special scrapbot for the vesk, which follows him around like a herald (and wearing a shirt that says 'Radzadams herald'). The vesk remains stony-faced in all this.
Sheen finally thanks the group and asks Does any of you need a make-over?