[YFF/SFS/DMK] 6-14 The Missing (Inactive)

Game Master Kludde

For months, citizens of the kasathan colony ship, Idari , have vanished without a trace, disappearing from the idyllic Sea of Grass for a fate unknown. As the number of missing increases, all eyes turn to the nearby Red Corridors, a subterranean neighborhood home to anarchists, malcontents, criminals, and other kasathas looking to flout the deeply ingrained traditions of modern kasathan society. Representatives from the Red Corridors vehemently deny any involvement in the abductions, but rising tensions and the desperation of those who have lost are primed to spark violence. With citizens of both the Sea of Grass and the Red Corridors distrustful of the ruling Doyenate and refusing to cooperate with ship security, the captain of the Idari calls for help from an old friend: Ehu Hadif, current First Seeker of the Starfinder Society.

Depart for the Idari to investigate these mysterious disappearances and find the missing, before suspicion tears the Idari apart.

Xoni Scarlex is a (1st level) female Kasathan mercenary soldier who grew up on the Idari but who emigrated to get married and live on Akiton. Since then, her husband died in a bandit attack on their farm and she moved with her two children to live on Absalom Station while she tried to use her skills as a soldier to make ends meet by taking jobs as a mercenary. It has been tough, however, as she refuses to take jobs that might require her to attack people who have done nothing wrong just because her employer wanted her to. She joined the Starfinders to find jobs that are less morally questionable. So far, she has been on one mission, dealing with an illegal shipment of swarm lifeforms onto the station.

Theseius is a Copaxi diplomat who serves as a liason between their homeworld and the Starfinders. He also likes tinkering with mechanical things and is usually seen accompanied by their drone.

Name's Antethriss, says muscular, athletic drow, who wears tight black armor one size smaller so that the fabric emphasizes his broad shoulders, well-developed (but not excessive) biceps, triceps and forearms, narrow waist and so on.

Welcome to flight AT-201 to the Idari. Please remain seated for the duration of the flight. We'll be serving peanuts and a light dinner prior to arrival. Abadarcorp Travel wishes you a pleasant flight!

We find our group on board a small shuttle, departing Absalom station for the Idari, with only a very short message from first seeker Ehu Hadif and a complimentary flight ticket in yur pocket.

You can roll Culture or Diplomacy to recall knowledge

diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Theseius, after receiving the message had done some digging through diplomatic channels before boarding the shuttle. Now they were reviewing the data,

Theseuis can comment that the Idari is the worldship that carried the first kasathas to this solar system. Today, it is recognized as a Pact World. Within this artificial homeworld, the kasatha population created a society and world inspired by the one they left behind, with everything from crowded cityscapes to open wilderness. The ship is governed by the elected Doyenate, a council chosen through a mix of democracy, aristocracy, and hereditary rule.

Theseius also knows that some of the Idari’s most famous landmarks are the Red Corridors, a sprawling urban neighborhood where laws aren’t often enforced, and the Sea of Grass, a lush wilderness contained inside the generation ship that is mostly occupied by farmers and field researchers.

The Sea of Grass’s outermost regions are generally safe, populated sparsely by farmers growing crops or ranching domesticated animals. The interior region is full of wild animals that can be dangerous. Communities in the Sea of Grass usually settle in the outer regions. The Vocation of Voices is one of the largest farming communities according to a recent census. They’re a group who reject technology in favor of an agrarian lifestyle, forming insular communities who only interact with wider society to sell their homemade goods and heirloom crops.

Over the last eight months, ten people have been reported missing while visiting the Sea of Grass. Based on normal statistics for the area, that’s an unusually high number. All the cases are still unsolved. Rumors spread among the people of the Red Corridors and Vocation of Voices suggest that those communities might have lost people too, but most of those disappearances haven’t been officially reported or thoroughly investigated since both communities distrust the Doyenate and ship security.

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 4

While Xoni grew up on the Idari, it's been years since she emigrated from it to Akiton and later to Absalom Station. She has not sought out news and so it relatively unaware of what the mysterious disappearances could bode. She knows it should be hard to disappear in a spaceship unless it was through an airlock. She looks on her comm unit for news from Idari.

She sends her two children a message. Nimo and Ninsu: Mama is on her way to the Idari. I promise I'll bring you something from their shops. In the meantime, don't worry about me and mind the adults at the Starfinder Child Care Init. Love you both.

Before shutting down her comm unit, she pulled up her favorite picture of Natwa, her deceased husband. Her mask hides what emotions she is feeling. She taps the picture affectionately and closes the unit.

She looks at the Copaxi and Drow Starfinders who are also on the mission. "Greetings. My name is Xoni. Do you know anything about what we're supposed to investigate? I can't find much on the news services."

Theseeius stands and does the customary Copaxian greeting before replying

I too have not been able to find out much there, although I am limited by not having any diplomatic contacts on the Idari. But here is the information I do have.

They show her the contents of their datapad.

I was hoping you could share some enlightenment

A ysoki wanders in looking more like they are heading to a desert than a Sea of Grass, and behind it clunks a weatherbeaten drone seemingly made out of an assortment of salvaged parts.

"Ratrace" he offers with a chipper tone.

"Suppose we should check out this sea!"

The shuttle lands in the Crucibles, and after landing the shuttle gets a thorough but friendly treatment by some Kasatha and Android official, including a spraying of bug spray to prevent any invasive species from taking over. Anything to declare? the officials ask.

Outside the spaceport, the group finds a prearranged transit to the bridge: a 15-minute ride in a sleek urban cruiser followed by a guided trip through the Hub, a zero-gravity transport tube connecting all major areas of the vessel.

The group is brought to a swanky stateroom, where Ehu Hadif is present alongside Captain Imma Elotok Hin Xogathu.

“Welcome aboard the Idari, transport to the future New Kasath. I am Captain Imma Elotok Hin Xogathu. My friend—your First Seeker—speaks so highly of you! Please, take a seat and make yourselves comfortable.” As she says this, Captain Xogathu gestures toward a plush seating area with furniture that molds to fit its occupant’s body comfortably.

“I’ve always admired the Starfinder Society,” she continues. “You are a group of people with different traditions and beliefs all working together toward a common goal. When I heard about this problem, I thought, the Starfinders are exactly the kind of people who could solve this!

“A farmer living in the southeastern Sea of Grass seeks his missing daughter. She’s only the latest of several to disappear in that part of the ship. It’s undeniable something is wrong, but the farmer is blaming his neighbors, an artist commune in the Red Corridors. The farmer, Cohomir, is demanding the Doyenate authorize a thorough search of the Red Corridors, but there’s no evidence linking the disappearance to that community

“You Starfinders are resourceful. Go meet Cohomir and find out more about his daughter’s disappearance. Visit the locals in the Red Corridors and learn their side of the story, too. Gather any evidence that might lead us to the missing and, if you can, bring them safely home.

If you have any questions Ehu adds please ask the captain, this is her briefing.

Tiering: APL is 2.4, so we're in low tier for this one

"I have questions - can we have a list of the missing people so far? Also any occupations, ages, that sort of thing"

"What do we know about the farmers? What about the Red Corridors?"

"Why would people suspect a bunch of artists? Any religious ties?"

The missing people are all inhabitants of the Sea of Grass, which is why the subject is so touchy. All of the missing people come from a community called the Vocation of Voices. The Idari is mostly a regulated place, as a generation ship must maintain a certain level of order, or everything would fall apart. Our chosen Doyenate leads us in ancient traditions, mores, and rituals that keep our world spinning. But, even aboard the Idari, there are always those who are different. Some people leave the clans for another way of life, and it’s far better to let them go and allocate what space we can spare for their needs. The Vocation of Voices is one such community, and the people of the Red Corridors are another.”

The Vocation of Voices are a few hundred souls who have chosen to embrace an earlier style of life. They farm the Sea of Grass, shun most forms of technology, and sell their homemade goods to other communities to pay for any supplies they can’t make on their homesteads. Some might f ind their lifestyle admirable, but I admit that being stuck on a plot of land would not appeal to me.”

[b]“The Red Corridors are a network of city neighborhoods bordering the Sea of Grass. They don’t enforce our traditions from Kasath, instead offering a haven for artists, young people beginning their Tempering, and… criminals, if I’m being honest.”

“Doyenate security forces could raid the Red Corridors and stop all illegal activity, but many people would be hurt, and important infrastructure might be destroyed. Our Doyenate does not judge the benefit of stopping a few criminals to be greater than the cost of harming our own people.”

“Why the communities are at odds, I don’t know. Both groups value freedom and seek to live independently in their own ways. They have a lot in common, but their lifestyles are so different that they struggle to find any common ground. The farmers might sell their goods to people in the Red Corridors, but they aren’t friendly neighbors.”

"It is good to be back on the Idari. I will do what I can to solve this problem. I have been living avast in the Pact Worlds where I have lived as a farmer and in a crime ridden part of Absalom Station, so I know well the challenges such communities face. Unfortunately, I am a soldier, not a diplomat. Still I'll do what I can to find the missing."

Xoni has golden-tan skin with turquoise blue spirals along her forehead. By Kasatha standards, she is neither particularly attractive or unattractive. She is strong and graceful, as one would expect for a skilled fighter. She decorates her armor with colorful bits of flare, mementos of past travels, and a few decorations created by her children.

"Start with the farmers then" Ratrace suggests "Xoni can help us translate, and also adds some legitimacy that were not all just strangers"

And I'm also a trained diplomat, so hopefully we can sort all this out peacefully.

Good, Zye will be ready Zye is a female Kasatha private driver, assigned to shuttle the group around Sea of Grass? she says, but looks to be open to allow a brief stop for purchases, should the group need it.

Any last-minute purchases you'd want to make?

---

Most buildings inside the Idari are made of glass and metal, with clean lines and sleek surfaces that mirror the outside of the ship. The buildings dotting these wide, grassy plains are simple structures built from all-natural materials. Most are thatched straw over stone foundations, and some are underground barrows covered in vegetation. Simple dirt roads wind between clusters of buildings and plots of farmland. Youngsters scurry down the streets between homesteads, chasing after livestock or playing, and people wave at them from porches and open windows as they pass by. Rickety wooden pens corral groups of shaggy, long-legged animals grazing on the lush grass.

There looks to be no system in place for adresses here... finding the right homestead may require some locals helping out

Diplomacy to get locals to help, or just search for several hours

Thrym-Who-Speaks-With-Spirits, himself dressed in clothing made from all-natural fibers, feels remarkably at home in such an environment, leading some of the tension to leave his body.

He spends some time searching around.

Since Theseius claimed experience with things diplomatic, Xoni lets him take the lead in locating some directions from the locals. She tries to help where she finds he may need some help translating the local dialect or understanding slang terms used in the area.

Diplomacy, Aid: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Unfortunately, she's been away from the station too long and doesn't recognize some of the terms herself, so she is not much help.

Theseius does indeed put their money where their mouth is and makes inquiries.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

((or would it be easier to roll Profession(Diplomat)?)) :)

The locals are very courteous towards the newcomers, treating the group with respect. They are even invited to come inside, for some cheese, some tea, some local bread. Courteous, yes, wary, also. They don't gather too much of the location of Cohomir, so it takes quite a bit of time to locate the farmer.

Eventually, the group finds the Kasatha tending to a herd of virix, a long legged grass-eating animal farmed for its milk. He is quite the stoic farmer. I have to tend to my animalses he just says.

Diplomacy to improve attitude, or Life Science, Survival, or appropriate profession check (something to do with nature/farming) to demonstrate knowledge of his activities)

diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

Maybe we can tend and talk at the same time

Fine Cohomir says you talk, I tend. At least he is willing to listen now.

Whilst the others talk, Thrym-Who-Speaks-With-Spirits helps to tend the animals.

Survival: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25.

Cohomir nods approvingly, Good animalses, aren't they?

Xoni speaks Kasathan to Cohomir once he is receptive. "We are Starfinders. We have heard that people have been disappearing. We're here to find them and restore them to the community if we can. Please tell us about your missing. We understand you suspect the Red Corriador people, but we need to know the facts about who went missing, where they were last seen."

Cohomir finally gives a reaction when the red Corridors are mentioned “They’re criminals. Some of them are artists or children from the big cities, but in that anarchic space, how could anyone not be corrupted? My neighbors have seen some of them snooping around our fences. My crops keep going missing, and animals never eat that much.”

It’s the only explanation that makes sense. We don’t have any dangerous wildlife this close to the cities, and Nindir, my daughter, can take care of herself. She would know how to handle an animal. That leaves only a few choices: either my daughter was abducted, or she ran away.”

"Before we can make any progress, we need information on where your daughter was last known to be, when you knew she was missing, and a description of any outsiders seen around that time. We also need that same sort of information for all the others who have gone missing. I assume you've looked in all places here in the village where a person might be hiding or held captive. If not we can help search barns and other such places."

She was kidnapped by the Redd Corridors criminals, no doubt. They have been stealing my crops and abducting people from the community for years.

“On the last day we saw her, she was walking down the road toward the Red Corridors alone. She said she was going to pick berries. She never returned. My neighbors and I trampled all the paths flat looking for her.”

You can look around, if you want Cohomir adds.

You can also roll Culture/Diplomacy to ask the neighbours for clues, or Perception to search

Not understanding the language of the conversation, the drow will just throw in one thought in Common. I have seen terrible things in the darkness of space. Creatures that penetrated where it would seem that nothing dangerous could penetrate. Creatures that brought evil and death. In the darkness of space, where no one will hear your scream, anything is possible. The answer that it was your neighbor is the simplest. But not necessarily the correct one.

Not understanding the language of the conversation, the drow will just throw in one thought in Common. I have seen terrible things in the darkness of space. Creatures that penetrated where it would seem that nothing dangerous could penetrate. Creatures that brought evil and death. In the darkness of space, where no one will hear your scream, anything is possible. The answer that it was your neighbor is the simplest. But not necessarily the correct one.

Xoni will, of course, translate the conversation for those who do not understand Kasathan.

Xoni adds, "We will certainly investigate the possibility that these missing were victims of foul play from the Red Corridor, but as Antethriss says, there are monsters that can operate with great stealth and fail to be seen. We must also consider that there might be a third party trying to stir up trouble between your community and theirs."

Xoni leaves the diplomatic methods of information gathering to others. She instead walks casually about, trying to blend in, observing what she can in hopes of finding a clue.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Thrym-Who-Speaks-With-Spirits looks around.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Following his companions, the drow looks around thoughtfully.

"Sounds like a third party hiding behind some convenient scapegoats"

Ratrace also searches

Perception 1d20 ⇒ 6

Sadly, he has the attention spac of a mouse jacked up on energy drinks.

Thesieus asks about.
diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

The group searches around Cohomir's homestead, where they encounter Cohomir's partner, Nenamar, who is busy baking bread. Nindir seemed so distracted lately. I don't know what was going on, maybe it was unrequited young love or trouble with a friend. I wish I had talked to her earlier, but I didn't want to push her... She lets out a sigh.

Nindir’s room is furnished with a bed, wash basin, and antique wooden dresser. A simple shelf holds a small collection of books and trinkets, including a patchwork toy virix. The dresser contains clothing and a few personal items including a necklace, an old crayon drawing, and a book of pressed flowers. None of Nindir’s belongings were packed or taken out of her room.

Xoni notice something off about the dresser. The top dresser drawer has a false bottom, concealing a half-knitted cowl and a grass-paper note with several pressed flowers folded inside it. The cowl is made from homespun virix yarn that’s been dyed deep berry blue.

Anthethris spots something hidden in the cover of the book of flowers. There's a printout image of a young male kasatha wearing a blue embroidered facecloth. A camera filter has been applied to make his eyes look darker and add pink sparkling hearts around his face. The print-out is labeled “Rahosa,” with a hand-drawn heart.

Meanwhile, Theseius asks around in the community, and gets some helpful responses.

Nindir seemed like a model member of the community. She worked on her family’s farm and helped her neighbors with chores, including taking goods to market in the city.

Nindir’s many friends share stories of exploring the Sea of Grass and taking their weaving to sell in city markets with her, where she always made sure to visit her favorite art gallery. Kohu, on of her friends, explains She knew where all the best foraging spots were and teased younger children with her “secret spot,” a location hidden somewhere near the lake. Nindir was busy and popular, I see no reason why she would to run away.

Nindir isn’t the only one who’s gone missing. Over the years, many people have disappeared, most often to go live in one of the cities or even leave the Idari. There are three other unsolved cases where a person vanished without a trace over the past year.

I've often seen Nindir taking long afternoon walks. Once or twice a week, she set off alone around midday. Usually, she came back with berries from her “secret spot” or with fish from the lake. She started taking her walks nearly every day right before she went missing and often came back empty-handed.

Kohu also adds I think that someone was following her. Someone was hanging around watching Nindir in the city when they went to sell their goods.

A few weeks ago, I was taking my family’s virix to graze when I saw someone following Nindir along the road.

When I told her about it, she teased me, told me a I was imagining things.

We're friend from when we were young, and we used to explore the wilderness together. If you want to know where her “secret spot” is, I can help you find it, if that helps.

It's going to help an abyss of a lot. Drow nods to his companions and crosses his arms over his chest. We have to check this place out.

"An ideal place to investigate"

Xoni asks those she meets if they know anyone named Rahosa. She shows the picture to Kohu and asks it it looks like the one that was following Nindir.

Theseius's scout drone had been following him around, recording everything around, especially conversations for later review and translation.

Why do I get the feeling that she's run off with someone from the Redd Corridors? he says to the drone so that gets recorded too.

Kohu gives direction to the Lake of Memories [b]From there, look for a virix statue that marks a trailhead, which you can then follow up to a lookout point.

The trek to the lake, which border the Sea of Grass, isn't too far, and from there it is a twenty minute uphill through a switchback game trail bordered by tall grass and cane forest.

A thicket of cane and tall grass surrounds a nest of blankets, cushions, and wool scraps. The nest faces a glorious view of the lake, reflecting the artificial sky in its dazzling surface. Burnt out candles and an empty bottle of wine lie discarded nearby. It’s quite cozy, but not a place to stay for more than a tryst. Two sets of footprints lead away from the nest, crossed by a mess of clawed animal tracks near clumps of broken grass.

Theseius gets his drone to record the area, including the tracks before examining where the animal tracks go.

Xoni asks those she meets if they know anyone named Rahosa. She shows the picture to Kohu and asks it it looks like the one that was following Nindir.

Did this provide any leads?

There is always someone who will take their own ID when going to commit a crime and then lose it. And there should always be someone who finds it. That's how Antethriss thinks, remembering all the nonsense he saw on his home planet (and most of such drow are already obviously dead).

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Xoni asks around about Rahosa, and finds out there is nobody going by that name in the community. Kohu also doesn't know anyone by that name. It could be Kohu says when asked about the follower I never got a good look

At the nest of blankets, you can make a survival or perception check

Thrym-Who-Speaks-With-Spirits listens to the spirits, and attempts to divine the comings-and-goings of the two lovebirds...

Survival: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31.

"So it looks like a romantic encounter, which might be all it is and she has run off with someone whom she knows her parents and community won't approve," Xoni speculates. "But if there is a conspiracy to kidnap farmers, it could be someone sent to lure an impressionable youngster to slip away with a bad boy so they can avoid risking an abduction in the community that someone might witness."

She notices Thrym-Who-Speaks-With Spirits staring intently at the blankets and waits to let the spirits speak.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Theseis notices a patch of rough soil, where a few items are buried in a mk 1 null-space chamber. It contains a laminated badge with Nindir’s picture and name, which identifies her as a market exhibitor; a university acceptance letter addressed to Rahosa; and a pair of simple metal wedding bands in a hand-sewn pouch.

Thrym's spirits point out some tracks that lead further up 'clearing... danger...' they disclose to the spirit-speaker.