The neighborhood looks to be well-kempt, and Felthaum's lot is no exception. The group soon sees some neighbours walking about Howdie there, citizens. I haven't seen you before. How are you enjoying this neighborhood?
|
Getting nothing from her drone or through the maintenance robots, Neroo approaches
Greeting citizen! Yes, this is a lovely neighborhood! But we are only passing by. In fact, may be you could help us? As you can see, we are not local, but I know that one of my old friend is living there, I don't know exactly where, but we had a long time awaited meeting in one bar downtown but he hasn't showed up neither answering my call, which is quite unusual for him!
May be you know him? Felthaum Pixilu?
Do I know Felthaum! Quite the model neighbour, as you can see he keeps his property in good order despite being absent. Very charming, we really miss him at the neighbourhood parties, he hasn't attended in several months! He is quite the lively conversationalist. If you see him, tell him I still owe him some debates when he gets back!
No, he's been away for months, I'm not sure where he is.
|
|
Good citizen, may be you have a spare key that you could lend us? I'm sure it's nothing but his absence to our rendez-vous is quite unusual. I would like to make sure nothing bad happened to him! If you want, you can come with us to check.
I have myself a digital key, that he gave me some time ago in case of emergency, but I don't want to look suspicious to this lovely neighborhood!
Of course, Citizen, everyone would be watching of course, we're a very vigilant neighbourhood, as decreed by the empire! the neighbor says with a hint of fanaticism. Let me guide you to the front door, and everybody will know everything is alright.
And so the neighbor does, and he even helpfully opens up the door. The neighbor doesn't stick around for long enough to see that the inside of the apartment has been completely turned over, and everything of use has been taken.
There's a hidden compartment under Felthaum’s bed. The compartment contains a cache of travel documents, additional IDs, credsticks, supplies, and some weapons: a rocket lightning pistol.
There's also an abstract painting of a bottle of wine, with a border of strange cyphers.
There are also more some books and puzzles scattered about Felthaum’s bedroom, which contain highlighted passages and codewords that - to the trained eye - look like Starfinder cyphers.
|
With the neighbor out of the way, Deep Blue searches the room...
...and easily finds the secret compartment hidden under the bed.
He then moves on to attempt to interpret the cypher in the border of the painting...
...and then takes a crack at interpreting the hidden meaning in the assorted books and puzzles scattered around the room.
The ciphers around the painting translate to form a phrase. It says, “Ghwenti Ghanti—I eat grapes on the hills, I like drapes and frills.” With cyphers typical of the Society, this would be someone’s name followed by a secret passphrase.
The other code is a lot harder to decipher, but eventually Deep Blue crack it: it looks like Felthaum was researching a Lissalan cult called the Seven Stars. He notes that the cult is a great danger to the Pact Worlds, but doesn’t mention the nature of the threat. There's also a hidden, mostly empty note about something called the “Sihedron Guard,” though the note raises many questions without providing any answers.
Suddenly, four sleek, gunmetal gray robots burst into Felthaum’s home, coming to an abrupt halt as they survey the interior. There is a loud click from each as their chassis opens and lifts, transforming into hulking bipedal robots. “Your lack of compliance has been noted. Pacify intruders,” they say flatly as they trudge forward.
---
Maverick
Deep Blue
Roque
---
Robot
Robot
Robot
Robot
---
Neroo
Carlos
Katrina
---
Roquefort blasts a hole in the robot, and Deep Blue demonstrates to high effectiveness what kind of damage an electrical blast can do on a robotic construct like this. When Maverick hits the sparkling robot, its servos just overload, and it grinds to a halt.
Pacify, pacify the robots rebeat as they shoot nerve-suppressing beams
--- (Round 1)
Neroo
Carlos
Katrina
--- (Round 2)
Maverick
Deep Blue
Roque
------
Robot
Robot
Robot
---
Deep Blue lands another crackling shot on the robot, which ignores Neroo's shouts and even minutely dodges the reality star's shot. Maverick sprays, missing mostly, but still landing a hit, which cannot be said for Roquefort. Carlos then softens the robot up enough for Katrina to finish it off.
Resistance detected the orange robot speaks as blue explodes, and the duo unload once more on Carlos
--- (Round 2)
Neroo
Carlos
Katrina
--- (Round 3)
Maverick
Deep Blue
Roque
------
Robot
Robot
---
Neroo and the drone fire on the next robot, and after taking hits from the rest of the team (except Maverick), this one is also decomissioned. Remain on target the last robot commands, though none of the other robots comply
--- (Round 4)
Neroo
Carlos
Katrina
--- (Round 5)
Maverick
Deep Blue
Roque
------
Robot
---
The group completey focuses on the last robot, and the machine goes down in a flurry of electricity and plasma fire!
It looks like the memory banks of one of the robots is intact. The robots were on patrol around Felthaum’s home for the last several months masquerading as maintenance robots. Their orders were to kill or capture anyone visiting Felthaum’s home and bring them to the address of the Seven Stars compound — which is conveniently embedded in the memory core as well.