SFS 6-08 - Lost Revelry (KS) (Inactive)

Game Master phaeton_nz

Gameplay Thread - Dot and Delete

You have been summoned to the office of Ixthia the Unbreakable, the current leader of the ExoGuardians. Their office is located in a raised loft area at the back of the Exo-Guardians warehouse. It’s a brightly lit, humid space packed with countless potted plants and plenty of windows overlooking the main warehouse space. A few uncomfortable stools and a spartan worktable are crammed in among the vegetation. The sole plant free
area is a wall-to-wall storage locker, filled with armor and weaponry of all kinds. When you arrive, Ixthia is humming a tune as they tend the plants.

You’re here. Very good. We have something important to tell you, Ixthia says as they spread their arms wide and spin in a traditional copaxi greeting, then gesture for everyone to be seated. For the past few months, one of my best agents, Lulora Remis, has been carrying out a research mission in the outer reaches of the Pact Worlds. Two weeks ago, her ship, the Vigilance, picked up a garbled signal sent from an unknown ship. Suspecting it may have been a distress signal, she and her crew of Starfinders went to investigate. They identified the unknown ship as the Revelry, a luxury vessel that vanished during the Drift Crash. Something out there is interfering with signals, and after the Vigilance arrived on site, the only message Lulora got through to us was this.

Ixthia swipes their hand over a datapad on the worktable. A video message starts playing on a large screen on the wall. The transmission is mostly static, with the occasional snap to clarity showing the terrified face of a ysoki. She wipes fresh blood off her face, and winces as she speaks, It’s far worse than I… only way… destroy it. The transmission turns static, and Ixthia stops the playback with a swipe of their hand. “We’re worried. We want you to investigate the two ships. Help Lulora and her crew evacuate, learn whatever you can about this unknown threat Lulora mentioned and, if possible, destroy it. Do you have any questions?

Greetings. This sounds like a peculiar mission. And that is quite the voice of desperation. You see a lashunta dressed in flashy clothing and some of you may recognise her as the retired singer Castana Fatris, who collaborated with Strawberry Machine Cake on a few feature tracks and one who relentlessly toured the Pact Worlds before she burnt herself out. How many others were with Lulora? Any other hazards we should know of in the external reaches of the Pact Worlds?

The tall, lanky, form of a khizar enters Ixthia's office. As an experienced Exo-Guardian, Alkekenji is well acquainted with Ixthia and their office - and the plants. They pause for a moment to take a deep breath of the moist air, and return the copaxi spin. Their seedpod head glows a warm, pleasant, orange as they 'path, "Ah, always so verdant and pleasant in here. I do so enjoy briefings in your office, Ixthia. Good day, house plants," Alkekenji will telepathically call out to the plant life. To a khizar's esoteric senses, the room is a riot of life.
(In theory, a khizar's natural empathy allows them to communicate telepathically with non-mindless plants, even without sharing a language - who knows, maybe Ixthia's garden talks back :D)

When there's a break in conversation, Alkekenji 'paths, "do we have any information about this Revelry? You said it's a luxury vessel; is it privately owned, or commercial? Do we know what is was doing before the Drift Crash?"

Hello, my name is Momo, and I'm in charge of dancing is the tell-tale rehearsed line with which Momo self-introduces herself, delivered with a stiffish bow and a great deal of hesitance.

Momo is a lithe female human wearing an orange flight suit and lashunta tempweave. The flight suit has a torn tag attached to it that reads 'Pro... of... A.. Ent...'. Her black hair has an ever-so subtle yellowish glow, shoulder length and looking like it hasn't gotten quite the attention it deserves. Not that Momo is particularly looking for attention, given that for all her being in charge of dancing she pretty much stands nailed to the floor.

Only when Alkekenji makes their introduction, is the first time she betrays an ability to move, as she copies the copaxi greeting with an elegant flowing spin.

She fidgets a bit, crosses an arm across her body, and looks around for a familiar face. She seems to be almost relieved when her comm unit buzzes.

Don't let the spoiler tag stop you from reading what's behind it

She finally speaks with a fearful voice How long ago was this transmission? How far away is the Vigilance? Who was on it?

Muscular android clad in plate armor speaks with monotonous voice "Ixthia, fellow starfinders. I am Terminatrix. How many were aboard Revelry when it was lost? And has it had any accidents or anything unexplained before it went missing?"

Ixthia is actually rather impressed when Alkekengi and Momo respond with the traditional Copaxi greeting.

Here is the crew roster of the Vigilance they say, handing over a datapad (see Handout). Lulora is a skilled mystic and experienced Starfinder who leads a crew of five. She is something of a free soul and her methods are sometimes unorthodox, but she and her team always pull through. The Vigilance is a Starfinder research and recon vessel that Lulora has been captaining for the last few years. It’s a small Pegasus class starship and shouldn’t take long to investigate

The Revelry was one of the most notorious pleasure cruises in the Pact Worlds. It was marketed as a great way to relax and enjoy all kinds of entertainment and recreation. The Revelry’s crew numbered in the hundreds, and it had thousands of passengers aboard. If you watched the news on the infosphere around the time of the Drift Crash, you may remember it was one of the more publicized losses to the crisis.

Your primary mission is to investigate what happened to Lulora and her crew, and aid or rescue them as appropriate. As Lulora indicated in her transmission, they discovered a threat that must be destroyed. Make sure you have the firepower to contain the threat, whatever it may be.

Content Warning: This scenario contains themes of horror, death, and ghosts. Before you begin, understand that player consent (including that of the Game Master) is vital to a safe and fun play experience for everyone. You should talk with your players before beginning the adventure and modify descriptions of the narrative as appropriate.

You may roll Culture to Recall Knowledge to see if you know more.

Culture: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Culture: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (7) + 0 = 7

Momo mostly remembers watching 'Yufriend Nufriend' when the worst news of losses in the drift crisis occured. I didn't follow the news on that one. I try to.. eeeh.. I try to avoid space disasters. Do we know of anything else in the area? Any space anomalies or attacks?

Profile updated, new level and picture! Mister GM, any chance you could fix that broken url tag at the top of the campaign? My mobile browser doesn't play nice with it.

Not that we know - that's your job to find out.

Culture: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Well this sounds.....odd.

Culture: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

A half-orc dressed in dark leathers like he's in a bad punk band sits and listens to the presentation. His head is shaved, and along his bald green scalp are a series of metallic nodes, like a mohawk, down the center of his head. They flash periodically. His face is covered in metallic digital tattoos, and at some points small lights have been implanted as piercings, causing the occasional flicker across the metal.

He has a koto musical instrument, which you may recognize as a replica of the one used by Strawberry Machine Cake, sitting on his lap. He soundlessly strokes the strings as he listens, and you notice the koto has a turret coming out of the end of it.

Culture w/ library chip: 1d20 + 7 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 4 = 12

He seems somewhat detached in his reverie, hardly paying attention to the briefing, let alone being able to recall any particularly relevant information.

Momo looks at Flenn with a sense of awe and amazement, and is dazzled for a moment by the small light implants. She furrows her brow for moment when she spots the turret and gives Flenn a quizzical look.

At some point when she can muster the courage, Momo carefully approaches Castana Miss Fatris... Can I ask you... My little sister is a big fan... Could you...? Perhaps...?

Alkekenji would share what they know about Lulora. "If there's a fellow Exo-Guardian in need, I suggest we make haste. Ixthia, do let us know if anything else comes to mind."

Ixthia nods. Soon, you are heading out into the Black. The journey out takes days: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6, during which time there appears to be no sightings of Momo although you are quite sure she's aboard somewhere.

At the designated location, two vessels come into view, drifting idly in space. The larger is a massive cruise ship surrounded by an aura of unsettling green light that flickers and dances in a mesmerizing fashion. A docking umbilical from the smaller ship is connected to the larger vessel, piercing through the strange energy field that shrouds it.

In addition to the large docking umbilical connected to the Revelry, the Vigilance also has a smaller docking module on the port side of the ship.

Where do we want to land? Any ideas?

"Can we scan the ships, and see if there's anything unusual? That may help us decide. Unless we have reason not to, I'd prefer to explore the Vigilance first. I imagine the Revelry is much less likely to need immediate aid, having gone through the Drift Crisis," they'll 'path out, a bit morose at the final thought.

Earlier

Momo looks a bit dejected that she can't seem to get an autograph from Castana, but then again, maybe she didn't ask properly.

---

During the journey

Momo? Where's Momo? Just before boarding, she seemed very preoccupied with the batteries of the escape pods being charged, and throughout the journey, Momo she hides away in the gunnery turret, only ever emerging, at irregular times, to get some food or to visit the 'starboard office'.

Who's actually flying? Momo has +7 and some flying lessons under her belt, but I'm sure there's better pilots.

When the Vigilance comes into view, Momo comes out of hiding. She looks frazzled and unkempt, sporting her signature 'zero-gravity-hair' that is currently just a tangled ball of strands standing up from her scalp in random directions.

On the bridge, she shuffles to the scrying consol. As she touches it, a bright spark of static electricity jumps from her finger to the panel, lowering her hair a bit. I made sure all batteries are at full charge she simply remarks.

She lets out a long exhale, as if to control her nervousness, and then start to perform a magical scrying, mostly focusing on the presence on any hostile aliens.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

We need to act fast to save Lulora Momo says, trying to sound as determined as she can with her current unsteady voice so the bridge of the Vigilance would be the first place to look, no?

I could fly, my piloting is +12

"Anyone have a guess what the green hue around Revelry might tell about what's going on there?" the android ponders and turns to Momo "Agree, searching Vigilance is a good start."

Scanning the Vigilance is possible revealing that the ship’s shields are down, but the hull is fully intact. Momo's mystical scry (or a good computers check) reveals a strange malfunction in the ship’s power core and Drift engine, but the exact nature of the malfunction can’t be determined. Regardless of the check results, any scans reveal the umbilical between the two ships penetrates the strange aura.

Speaking of the Revelry, according to the scry, it's not there - it doesn't exist.

If you want to dock with the Vigilance make a piloting check.

Flenn nods. "Yeah, definitely, let's check out that Vigilance first. Somethin' weird goin' on with the Revelry." He motions Terminatrix-42 toward the pilot station, as he monitors things in engineering.

During your trip thus far, you've noticed Alkekenji usually has a ruby red spherical crystal orbiting their head; occasionally, they'll communicate telepathically with the crystal. If anyone asks about it, they'd explain that the crystal is a magical computer aeon stone, with an onboard AI named Montmorency. "Think of Montmorency as something of a seeing-eye AI; its enhanced scanner perceives things I cannot, and it relays that information to me. Plus, it's decent with computers." Montmorency would chirp pleasantly during any introductions.
Since I'm bringing along a tech support hireling, just for funsies & flavour, I'm going to say that that hireling is Alkekenji's already-always-present seeing eye computerised companion.
Just to see if there's any discrepancy between what Momo's scrying reveals and what the sensors say, Alkekenji would ask Montmorency to take a scan.
Hireling Computers: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

Montgomery attempted a scan - and somehow managed to get a '418' error from the computer. Did it scan the galley by mistake?

:D
"Starfinders, I'm being told there's..a lot of tea, on the Revelry? I'm not sure what to make of it..."

Castana will share what she knows with the rest of the party.

Realising she might have just missed Momo's cue, Castana manages to pull some old memorabilia, autographs it and presents it to both Momo and Flenn. Definitely recognise that koto. I really enjoyed my collabs with Strawberry Machine Cake.

Turning back to the mission, Castana faces all of you. Magical scrying and piloting isn't really my forte. I'm more of a talkative type when needed, otherwise....I just beat things up. And explode on occasion. Don't worry, I will give you lot ample warning.

Anyways, the more I process this, it might be easier to work with the ship we know. We've all been on a Pegasus at some point in our careers, so we'll go with the devil we know first and hopefully get information about the devil we don't.

Thank you, miss Fatris Momo says in a very polite fashion, though she sounds very absent, completely pre-occupied with whatever hell is waiting for her out there.

There's a malfunction in the power core Momo says with a good degree of dejection. I don't trust that other ship either, it's not showing up at all. If it's an illusion, there's something very powerful behind it.

I think they also blew up their drift engine... I hope we're not too late.

Flenn glances with a raised eyebrow at the autographed memorabilia, shrugs, and shoves it into his starfinder backpack.

I have Piloting +9 so can make the roll if needed. I'll do it now, just so we can move things along.

From his seat as the copilot, he tries to dock with the small docking port on the Revelry.
Piloting w/ Tier 6 Pegasus modifiers: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 1 + 3 = 28

As we approach and make ready to board the Vigilance (We decided to check it out first, and the Revelry second, yeah?) Alkekenji would turn on his environmental seals, and remind everyone else to do the same.
"We do not have magical support on this team, correct? I don't suppose any of you are capable of casting Life Bubble on us?" they'd ask, hopefully. (Did we ever get a 6th player?)
Alkekenji shifts and shrugs their shoulders for a moment, directing their nanites to form a primary sheathe array (+3 to Athletics and Stealth, in case it comes up), and a secondary gear array, forming a Radiation Sweeper, which they'd use periodically to check for rad threats.

As we approach and make ready to board the Vigilance (We decided to check it out first, and the Revelry second, yeah?)

Yes, sorry, I got the names confused. I am trying to dock us with the Vigilance, not the Revelry.

Alas, I am not capable of any magical ability.

Castana is a solarian.

Castana will turn on her environmental protections.

Momo stays on the bridge, watching the docking port approach. A faint, yellowish glow forms around her as the Vigilance inches closer, and flashes brightly for a moment as the docking clamps engage. It's only when she exhales that is becomes apparent she has been holding her breath most of the way there.

Momo is also a Solarian. Looks like she has an idol to look up to here :)

The docking is textbook perfect. Your ship gently glides to the Vigilance and there is only a slight clunk as the two ships connect. All the docking indicators go green.

Flenn nods, checking that his guns are loaded as he straps them on, including the koto slung over his back. The nodes along his scalp flicker as he thinks, then activates his environmental seals. "Looks like we got safe atmosphere on the other side, but best not to risk it." He glances at the two Solarians and the soldier. "I'm more of a shoot at 'em kinda guy. Any of you more inclined to stand up front?"

"Any of you more inclined to stand up front?"

Alkekenji steps into the front, drawing a wicked-looking scythe capped with a genuine nyssholora claw. "That would be me," they 'path as they step out and into the Vigilance. Their form shivers and undulates a bit, as if the nanites stored in their body are readying themselves.

While Flen was guiding the ship to docking port, Android was thinking of his options if combat breaks out on Vigilance. He loads his reaction cannon and patiently waits for others.

Flenn nods, checking that his guns are loaded as he straps them on, including the koto slung over his back. The nodes along his scalp flicker as he thinks, then activates his environmental seals. "Looks like we got safe atmosphere on the other side, but best not to risk it." He glances at the two Solarians and the soldier. "I'm more of a shoot at 'em kinda guy. Any of you more inclined to stand up front?"

"I'm definitely a front-liner, though I have a cannon and few grenades just in case." he says wielding a large sword.

Flenn nods, bowing slightly and holding out his arm, "Then it's the rear guard for me, eh, mates? After you."

You board the Vigilance, arriving in the port cargo hold (A1). Dim light illuminates the room.

You can detect the faint hum of the ship’s life support system still operating at a reduced level, still maintaining a breathable amount of oxygen in the air. The interior temperature is cold, hovering just above freezing, with most rooms around 35°F. (2 degrees C) The ceiling is 10 feet high, and gravity is normal in the ship.

The air in this cargo hold feels heavy, with specks of dust dancing in the light that streams in from the door. The space is filled with countless shelves and crates lining the walls, each one packed with supplies. The towering shelves cast long shadows that stretch across the creaking metal grates on the cold, damp floor. The distant hum of machinery echoes through the walls like a ghostly chorus.

Alkekenji nods their strange, featureless, seed-pod head in gratitude at Terminatrix-42, as the android joins them in the front, and touches their scythe to his sword, as if clinking glasses.
Hireling Engineering: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
"The Vigilance appears to be in power-saving mode," Montmorency, the helper AI orbiting Alkekenji's head, announces.

"I wonder if it's possible to tell if the low power mode was entered intentionally, by crew who knew they weren't coming back, or if it's an automatic response to low power? Let's make our way to Engineering."
I assume that's A4 on the map?

Castana will head to the Engineering room and see if there is anything out of the ordinary just from the smell test.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

"Well I guess I'm clueless. I've been on enough starships that I should know the basics but this one is beyond me."

Flenn glances around, looking for the nearest access terminal. As soon as he can get to one, he'll attempt to access it, hacking if needed.
Would that be in Engineering, or would there be one near the airlock? I have Computers +17 when accessing with my datajack.

It's cold Momo says flatly. Power-saving mode, huh? That's strange, there should normally be enough power for a voyage, right? Unless they were using up a lot of energy, or didn't charge their batteries.

Momo checks the supplies before signaling she's ready to move on

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 It's really dark here too...

Flenn says, "I can see fine. If you need me to peek around the dark corners, I'm happy to." A red blip in his cybernetic eye flickers for a brief moment.

"Oh no - it's dark in here? That would explain why I can't see. Wait - I can't see! Help, I've gone blind!" Alkekenji 'paths from the front; after a comedic pause, they chuckle telepathically. "Sorry, just a little khizar humour."

Montmorency gives a low electronic chirp that sounds a lot like an exasperated sigh. "I really must apologise for them," the AI aeon stone says, before adding more quietly, "Kenji, I keep telling you, no one with visual senses finds that funny."
The khizar giggles again.

Momo finds a a crate containing a squad NIL grenade launcher and four incendiary grenades II

You make your way to Engineering passing through

A2 - The Laboratory
This laboratory is filled with a sharp smell of chemicals, and the lights in the ceiling flicker dimly. Among the lab equipment is a large centrifuge, two refrigerators, and a computer terminal perched atop a desk. Flenn tries to access the computer but there is no power to it.

A3 - Interlink Corridor
This dimly lit corridor is lined with doors and illuminated by a solitary red emergency light that flashes slowly, conjuring illusions of shifting shadows. The ventilation system exhales brief gusts of air, producing a gasp-like sound that echoes through the corridor.

A4 - Engineering
This utilitarian room houses diagnostic systems, engineering consoles, and clearly labeled access hatches for the power core and engines. Wires hang from the ceiling, and the air smells of grease and steel. The low, groaning sounds of machinery resonate through the room.

Here, Flenn can access the diagnostic logs and discovers that the power levels have been dropping for no discernible reason and the power core’s capacitor array is damaged.

Terminatrix nods back to Khizar, but doesn't notice touch of their scythe.
"Something must have drained their batteries and the ship entered powersaving mode automatically. That is my best guess. And I can see in dark quite well."

In response to the discovery of the grenade launcher, "Ooh ... not the best weapon for a small ship like this, but not bad ordinance. A little heavy duty for my tastes, though ..."

As he finally gains the ability to access something useful on the ship, he mutters, "Damage to the capacitor array ... That would explain why the systems aren't holding charge, but why isn't power coming into the system ..."

Can we repair the capacitor array from the inside or is it something you'd have to access from the exterior? Is the system drawing enough power for me to activate any systems?

The capacitor array is located behind the access hatch to the power core. When you open that hatch you see sparks and wisps of smoke rising from the capacitor array.

Opening the access hatch to the engine you find a tattered logbook with entries written by Rosm and Kelm, detailing their work in the engineering room and the various repairs they made to the ship over the years. Their last entry, dated one day before Lulora’s last transmission, indicates they had planned to replace the capacitor array, but never completed the task.