Under the watchful eye of newly elected First Seeker Sarmak, the Starfinder Society travels to the machine planet of Aballon to undertake an archaeological survey of the ancient city of Eternity. Using a relic known as the Eternity Drive, the Starfinders launch initial explorations, uncover long-forgotten information about the fabled First Ones, and clash with a violent faction of anacite extremists named Those Who Call.
Well guys, looks like this is it! One of the Starfinders aboard the Abundant breaks a moment of awed silence as the black marble of Aballon - which has been in view for long enough on this slow-moving cargo vessel - reveals the vast city of Eternity.
Soaring spires emerging from the rocky ground break the monotony of Aballon’s dusty plains with their silvery gleam. The straight roads crisscrossing the vast city of Eternity resemble a meticulously planned circuit board whose purpose has been lost to the ages, with the occasional fallen roof and buried sections disturbing the ancient city’s architectural precision
The first Seeker Sarmak, newly elected ,is leading well over fifty starfinders, including archivists, archaeologists, and engineers, to this site.
After the Abundant lands south of the city, Sarmak leads the Starfinders in unpacking and setting up base camp just inside the borders of Eternity. After a few hours of labor, the PCs are called into Sarmak’s large tent for their first mission of the expedition.
“Welcome to Eternity, Starfinders,” Sarmak says grandly, opening his arms wide. “This is a momentous occasion. Aballon’s ruling Insight Array has granted us permission to perform a detailed survey of Eternity after a team of Starfinders recovered… this.”
The First Seeker produces a teardrop-shaped device illuminated by faint silvery lines, each brightening and dimming in unison. With a twist of his wrist, the teardrop, unfolds, revealing its intricate flower-like interior.
“This is the Eternity Drive. It was retrieved from an anacite temple here on Aballon. Tests revealed that it is both an encrypted data drive and a physical key. A data analysis and a molecular scan of its unique metal structure link it to the city of Eternity, although we have no idea what it might open. My hope is that the lock for this key is still here in the city.”
The First Seeker shifts his bulky body toward a holographic panel in the middle of the tent. With a few taps, he highlights two nearby sites. “I want you to take a closer look at two interesting locations we’ve identified. The first one, located to the northwest, is a distribution node—a warehouse of sorts. Although it’s hard to tell what it contains, I’ve been picking up unusual power spikes, which increased in strength as we entered the city. There’s no pattern to them, and without getting closer, it’s hard to tell if they’re connected to the key, our arrival, or something else entirely.
“The second site is a technocrèche, an assembling array located to the northeast. Erratic heat signatures and an observable energy drain in the neighboring structures suggest that something there is drawing power at an alarming rate. Your mission is to perform an initial exploration of both sites and ensure that these sites are safe for your more scholarly colleagues to enter.
“When your exploration is complete, we’ll send in teams of archaeologists, engineers, xenolinguists, and other researchers, who will go over every inch of the area to learn as much as possible from what was left behind by the builders of this city.
“Do you have any questions?”
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The little halfling does some last-minute inspection of his combat drone, while nervously looking over the other Starfinders. He's excited to be here, but a little alarmed that he isn't considered one of the "more scholarly" people.
Always impressed (and a little intimidated) by other Starfinders, he's at least glad to see a familiar face and raises a hand in greeting. "Felix."
"Um, hi. I'm Chip. This is Checker. Just to be clear, especially given where we're going, Checker is a drone and not a particularly shy SRO or something. He's equipment, and while I'd prefer that he doesn't get smashed to pieces it's kind of what he's for. Better him than a person, and I'll just make a new one."
Is that the same thing that we found on our earlier trip here? ((6-06))
“Yes indeed. For the rest of you, the Eternity Drive was found here on Aballon, in a temple where ancient anacites worshipped the First Ones. The structure started drawing immense power unexpectedly and so, with the permission of the Insight Array, Starfinders ventured in, recovering this interesting artifact. The place was quite hostile to living beings, so you should exercise caution while exploring Eternity.
Elinde subconsciously moves her arm across her body and says "Will there be any drow there?
Sarmak checks a paper that looks like legal documentation and then answers No.
No one, not even Felicis, knows who the First Ones were, but they left visible traces of their presence, from the artificial laborers that evolved into anacites to the many ancient cities built on the planet’s surface. The First Ones created different machines for different purposes. It was recently discovered that they created protocites, another species of artificial lifeform who dwell within the sun. While the protocites share some similarities with the anacites, they’re a completely different branch of artificial life, whose purpose is to conduct radical research.
Felicis also knows about Those Who Wait, a large sect of anacites who stockpile knowledge and resources in preparation for the return of the First Ones, and which lurk around the city. They have a camp nearby where they ask off-worlders to venture into the city to find any information about their progenitors.
Sarmak then responds to Chip's question The anacites themselves evolved from predator drones, and still employ worker drones. You might want to show the right amount of respect, and perhaps... phrase your sentiments differently... but otherwise there should be no objection to your drone.
When the group leaves the tent of Sarmak, the base camp is a bustling activity of Starfinder, setting up the camp, erecting tent and moving cargo.
On the camp’s west end, engineers set up an energy-based habitat zone large enough to encapsulate the camp, while to the north, engineers prepare the massive atmospheric generators—together, these devices will supply base camp with standard atmosphere and regulated temperatures. Multiple workstations are set up in a semi-circle facing the First Seeker’s tent, allowing archaeologists, mechanics, researchers and scientists to work side by side. The south side, furthest away from the city itself, hosts comfortable living modules, a mess hall, and a kitchen.
Immediately outside Sarmak's tent is a friendly android. unpacking equipment from a couple of large crates resting on an anti-gravity platform.
“One moment, friends. I think I have something that may assist you.” As the android consults his data pad, looking for something specific, he continues, “I’m Hope-01 and I must admit I’m still taking all this in. I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from the excitement of the post-graduation festivities at the Lorespire Complex.”
The cheerful beeping of the data pad interrupts his reverie. “Ah, yes. There it is. I have a few items that were put aside to assist you in your mission, including some food packets if you need to rest as you explore. Just a moment as I find them,” he adds with a bright smile.
He provides the group with a small kit emblazoned with the symbol of the Starfinder Society. The kit contains: 100 feet of titanium alloy cable line, six cans of sprayflesh, two mk 1 healing serums, and three days’ supply of field rations.
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Felix silently nods after receiving the items. They contemplate the source of Hope-01's cheerful personality.
"Are there other 'Hope' androids after you?" they ask, pointing to the android's designation '01', assuming it indicates a numbering system.
"Iron-59 Felicis, by the way. But you can just call me Felix."
Hope-01 nods at Elinde “I have been doing well,what about you?. Celita put my name forward for consideration and First Seeker Sarmak was more than happy for me to tag along. My task is to help analyze and catalog whatever secrets may be found within,” he says with a hint of uncertainty. “Some consider this the cradle of artificial life in the system and to delve into such an enduring mystery is quite intriguing. But knowledge for knowledge’s sake is doomed to become stale. What good is uncovering a secret if it is not used in the best interest of all?” He smiles ruefully. “I’m curious where all this will lead.”
To Felicis, the android says I'm Hope-01, but I don't know of any Hope-02. Maybe some day there will be one, who knows? What about your name, does it indicate a numbering system?
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Near the base camp's north exit, a starfinder is setting up oxygen generator. The squox-like technomancer is struggling to loosen the oxygen release valve on the top of the device.
On a closer look, it is a petite vulkarisu with bright orange fur wearing a homespun purple scarf, and is peering deeply into a datapad which they use to decode a complex set of instructions written in a language comprised of colorful pictograms and mathematical notations. Their eyes go from the text in front of them to the large oxygen generator assembly, clicking their tongue as they think.
Suddenly, their ears perk up and they climb on the array, opening a barely noticeable panel with expert fingers. Hanging almost upside down, the vulkarisu alters a few settings and the previously silent oxygen array comes to life with a loud hiss.
“Yes! Always read the instructions, I say! How else would you notice sub-panel 3F,” they preen, then add to no one in particular, “You’re lucky I noticed,” as they descend from the large machine. It’s only once their paws are back on the ground that they notice their audience.
“Oh, hello! Don’t worry, you’ve no need for environmental protections in camp. The generators are working at peak efficiency now!”
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To Felicis, the android says I'm Hope-01, but I don't know of any Hope-02. Maybe some day there will be one, who knows? What about your name, does it indicate a numbering system?
"My creator explained to me that Iron-59 is their favorite radioactive tracer," the android flatly states. "The element's symbol, Fe, combined with the Roman numeral for 59, which is LIX, forms my name: Felix."
"Though I can't know what they mean by Roman numeral. Perhaps a designation of some sort from another culture."
Ah, no, I've got this. Thanks for the help, though. Aren't you excited? Look, if you find anything that required language deciphering, or codebreaking, come to me, ok? I'm here because I'm an expert in mathematics and code-breaking. Kinpopo says No one has been able to reconstruct
the machine language that operates the technology left behind by the First Ones. I have a secret hope to be the first to create a translator that can help provide insights about what the First Ones left behind.
Hold on they say as they dig for something in a satchel and finally grab a datapad Let me send you my program! It's a lexicon analyzing program I wrote specifically for this expedition. Since you're the first goin in, could you test it if you find any linguistic artifact? The program is designed to capture and analyze any linguistic artifact the you may encounter. It can even attempt to reconstruct meaning from context, although with such little data, it’s unlikely to be very accurate.
Outside base camp, the heat is intense, amplified further by the gleaming metallic structures all around. Fortunately, environmental protections have been invented exactly for environments like these, keeping the Starfinders from boiling.
The city unexpectedly retreats here, its perfect symmetries replaced by the jagged edges of rocky outcroppings and damaged streets. The gurgling of a metal stream is broken by the remains of a hexagonal basalt pillar embedded with solar powered holo-projectors, which partially crosses the morass.
The metallic shell of an anacite lays beside the stream in a dusty depression, reflecting the sun’s rays in complex, fiery patterns. The shell is punctured and pried open in multiple locations, with scraps of metal and circuitry scattered around it. Metallic pings akin to those created by a rapidly cooling engine sound from the anacite’s remains, disrupting the soft murmur coming from the pool with their tinny dissonance.
The group moves closer to the immobile anacite, which still ticks with a metallic ping. As Volitare moves close, it bursts open, revealing an anacite wingbot, which makes a rythmic, clicking sound akin to a mechanical cicade. Three more wingbots emerge from their nests.
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Max
Felix
Elinde
Voli
Chip
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Wingbot
Wingbot
Wingbot
Wingbot
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"Of course I do!" says Chip, almost insulted, as he reaches for his engineering kit. "Oh. Okay, the good news is I don't think Anacites bleed, so if they're still 'alive' I don't think it matters if it takes a minute for me to get there. The bad news is they had a predator inside their chest, so they probably aren't--Checker, intercept!"
The drone lumbers forward, as Chip takes a shot at the 'bot that just emerged from the Anacite. The drone brings its doshko down as well.
Chip and checker take out the middle wingbot with a few well-aimed shots.
Felix and Voli have to retarget, and the wingbot in the nest to the south ends up taking a zap from Volitare's pistol, while Felix is having trouble hitting their mark at this distance.
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Max
Felix
Elinde
Voli
Chip
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Wingbot - Orange (DOWN)
Wingbot - Purple (7)
Wingbot
Wingbot
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Max takes a blast at the most distance wingbot, and Elinde misses. The nest stirs, and the three wingbots fly forward, shooting eye lasers as they go.
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Max
Felix
Elinde
Voli
Chip
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Wingbot - Orange (DOWN)
Wingbot - Purple (7)
Wingbot - Blue (3)
Wingbot - Red
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Max blasts blue, and when Volitare turns around to snap a shot at the same target, they blast it into smithereens.
Elinde winks out of view for a moment, then returns to shoot, and badly damage, the next anacite. When Felix follows up, the creature is smoking and buzzing, an inch away from death
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Max
Felix
Elinde
Voli
Chip
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Wingbot - Orange (DOWN)
Wingbot - Purple (7)
Wingbot - Blue (DOWN)
Wingbot - Red (12)
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