Ysh'yaal takes a full action to cast magic missile targeting the red, blue, and yellow pirate.
Kaath lets the cosmos shout in thunderous violence at the pirate and a veil of mist covers the area, and quick jolt of energy brings the pirate down. When Dash touches up the other pirate, the latter collapses face-forward in a puddle of blood and teeth.
At this point another pirate, a woman clearly commanding respect, arrives on the scene and bellows
“Enough! I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but we have enough trouble on our plates right now without Starfinders meddling in our affairs. Surely there are other targets more deserving of your attention than a group of pirates keeping to themselves. We have important matters to attend to, so I’d appreciate your expedient departure from my hangar bay.”
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At this point another pirate, a woman clearly commanding respect, arrives on the scene and bellows
“Enough! I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but we have enough trouble on our plates right now without Starfinders meddling in our affairs. Surely there are other targets more deserving of your attention than a group of pirates keeping to themselves. We have important matters to attend to, so I’d appreciate your expedient departure from my hangar bay.”
"Heh, I gots me a better idea. You lot surrender, 'and over the eggheads you've nabbed and let us get on wif fixin' the river wot you've sabotaged. If not we can bash some more. Eivver way suits me. I gots me some pent up aggression to work out and you kinda remind me of that weasel of a commisioner wot sidelined me." Dash cracks his knuckles menacingly.
"I'd listen to Dash he's been known to (edited out to protect the innocent.) so either we work things out or (redacted for legal reasons.)"
Sabotage? What? Do I look like Cheesy D? We’re trying to save the river! We may be pirates, but this is still our home. We’d be making fools of ourselves if we were out to destroy our primary source of water.
“The containment field is failing. Water is spilling out. You might have seen it happening on your way here—any water that escapes the containment field in the vacuum of space is lost. While it might not be concerning if it was an isolated incident, it’s happening all along the river and causing a decrease in pressure and flow. And it’s not just one-way—where water trickles out, debris is falling in. The water is accumulating one speck of dust at a time across thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of points of failure, and this is soiling the entire supply. If we don’t do something, there’ll be nothing left.
We needed experts. The scientists didn’t want to come willingly, so the solution was simple. We’re pirates, after all. We may have been a bit rough when we forced their attendance, but we were careful not to hurt anyone. We needed them willing to help. They weren’t happy at first, and some of them put up quite the fight for civilians, but I assure you they’re here now of their own accord. You don’t have to be a genius to know all our homes are at risk if the River Between dries up.”
She then adds, clearly irritated by her lack of progress: “We’ve been trying to fix the arcane engine, but our guests haven’t been able to come up with any solutions. If you want to help, I can introduce you to the scientists.
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"Cheesy D?" Does that name ring a bell?
Twila-5 lowers her weapon cautiously. It'll be a lot easier to fix the River if they don't have to fight through the pirates first. We gotta work on our intel. "So... Any sign of actual sabotage, or is the failure of the containment field likely just because of spontaneous equipment failures?"
If this proposed partnership pans out, she feels the Starfinders will owe these pirates an apology. Memories of her predecessor, Twila-4's time among a similar group of pirates rise to the surface. They'll probably demand more than an apology, but maybe if we're successful, that may be enough to get us safe passage out of their territory. I hope.
Twila knows the name Cheesy D, one of the rappers of the Ysoki group naughti whiska (the captain looks nothing like him). Cheesy has a habit of completing every rhyme with 'Sabotage'
You want to meet the scientists... good. The captain says, dropping her sidearm on the floor, I have no choice but to accept.
Captain Okwana leads the group deep into the asteroid to a weathered series of ritual chambers packed with magical devices, hybrid machinery, and panes of colorful energy that serve as control consoles.
These are the exterior chambers of the arcane engine that connects to the River Between. the captain explains. There are safety barriers and energy shielding to separate the exterior of the arcane engine from its interior.
A glance through a force panel into the interior chambers reveals a vortex of clashing magic, solar energy, and radiation that makes it clear that the safety barriers are the only thing keeping the asteroid and all the people in it alive.
Near this force panel are six civilians engaged in a heated discussion. They wear a mixture of day-to-day clothing and Riveter regalia.
Captain Okwana interrupts Hear hear everybody points to the group and says These are Starfinders, some new arrivals to help you. She then points to a rather exhausted looking Sarcesian with a nametag that reads 'Dr. Mirai Vox' You, bring them up to speed on what is going on here
She settles into a nearby chair, kicks her feet up onto a console, and watches the ensuing interactions.
Dr. Mirai meekly greets the group with a bow Greetings, Vox dess... uh... I am Vox
As you see, this asteroid hosts an Arcane engine. It was built by my people in the distant past. This engine powers the cylindrical containment field that allows the River Between to carry water from Nisis across the Diaspora and to flow continuously without losing water to space or risking contamination.
The arcane engine is breaking down, worn out by the test of time. In fact, it is a testament to the powerful magic that powers it that it is still functioning. We have been working round-the-clock observing and studying this engine, but we can only come to one conclusion: the arcane engine is beyond repair and headed towards catastrophic failure. It will explode very soon. Needles to say, if that happens, it will likely destroy the River Between completely.
That leave us with a single option: shutting the arcane engine down before it explodes.
Now, the engine itself has three main components. The exterior chambers, the interior chambers, and the core.
We're currently standing in the exterior, and you can think of this area as the control room for the arcane engine. Beyond these safety barriers and energy shielding is the interior, where deeper maintenance and repairs can be conducted.
It would not be advisable to enter the interior currently. Solar energy and radiation are mixing with arcane energy from the damaged engine, which causes a deadly energy to pulse around the energy. This energy pulses out around the engine and grows worse by the hour.
Finally, there is the core: the arcane engine’s beating heart, where it can be turned off. Here, the overflowing energy is at its strongest.
Ysh'yaal looks to see what will happen to the engine
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Stell spends some time listening to the noises made by the various sources of energy, tapping out rhythms, playing notes on her violin to echo what she hears. She then tries to translate those frequencies and rhythms into what is causing them, in hopes of finding a way to diagnose the mechanism and perhaps figure out how to either fix it or shut it down.
She then shares her findings with Ysh'yaal to see if it can add anything to the analysis already done.
Jekcedo discerns that the River Between was constructed around a preexisting natural phenomenon—a powerful solar current that winds through the Diaspora, connecting countless asteroids and debris. It’s possible that this solar current once connected locations on the twin planets Damiar and Iovo long before the destruction of these planets caused the creation of the Diaspora.
Ysh'yaal confirms the gloomy out of the engine: in time, the arcane engine will suffer cataclysmic failure and explode, potentially destroying the River Between and its underlaying forces, causing unknown ripple effects across the Diaspora. Failure could occur in a few weeks or a few days; the engineering of the arcane engine is too much of an unknown to be able to calculate a more accurate time frame.
Twila postulates that if the arcane engine was properly recalibrated from the exterior chambers, much of the overflowing energy pouring from the failing arcane engine could be redirected from the interior of the engine and out into space. This would blow a large hole in the asteroid but would allow for a small team to enter the interior of the arcane engine and initiate a manual shutdown from inside. While this would not prevent the River Between from drying up, it would prevent the explosion of the arcane engine and the utter destruction of the River Between and its underlaying solar currents.
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Uh.. excuse me Dr. Mirai interrupts if you are ready discussing these option, do you want to spare some time for our plan?
“We’re running out of options, but we have a plan. It’s dangerous, but it’s the only chance we have.” Dr. Vox glances around, ensuring they have everyone’s attention. “The arcane engine is failing and can’t be fixed. We either let it explode, destroying the River Between completely, or we shut it down, allowing the River Between to dry up as the containment fields dissipate, but preserving the underlaying solar currents that make it flow. First, we must recalibrate the engine from here in the exterior, venting the energy from inside the arcane engine out through the asteroid into space. Then we send a team into the arcane engine to perform a manual shut down at its core.”
Captain Okwana quirks an eyebrow. “Your plan is to destroy my base, most of the asteroid, and let the River Between dry up?
Dr. Vox nods. “Yes. But, technically, the solar currents underlaying the River Between will endure. These currents predate the creation of the containment fields, meaning it predates the flooding of the River Between. The River Between isn’t the water at all, it’s the solar stream within the water!”
“People can’t drink solar currents, Vox.”
“Yes, but the solar currents are the only thing we can salvage, and they have so much potential. We have to try.”
Captain Okwana sighs. “I’ll order an evacuation. You and I stay, Vox, to operate the machinery. And you too, Starfinders. You want to meddle? Here’s your chance. You can enter the arcane engine and shut it down. My Riveters will see the other researchers to their homes.
The riveter base descends into mild chaos as the evacuation is ordered. The pirates and non-essential personnel begin rounding up equipment, personal data readings and valuables in chaotic but expedient fashion.
Captain Okwana and Dr. Vox remain in the exterior chambers of the arcane engine to prepare for recalibration.
Dr. Vox adjusts a series of dials, levers, and magical energy as they recalibrate the arcane engine. Loud, metallic creaking resounds as the buildup of energy puts immense strain on the asteroid. Cracks appear along the ground as the built-up energy seeks the path of least resistance and is shunted out of the engine’s seams and into the air and porous rock below. Ribbons of light whip out of these seams with increasing urgency until a deafening explosion rocks the asteroid, violently shaking the ground as the energy blasts through the side of the asteroid and out into space. Inside the ritual chambers, emergency lights flicker on and off, shrouded by plumes of dust. When the dust settles, the force panel reveals the interior of the arcane engine. Captain Okwana coughs loudly as she pulls one final lever, causing the force panel to lower and the energy shielding to dissipate. The path to the core is exposed.
Now it's your turn to act the scientist says you can enter the interior of the arcane engine now
Magic energy continues to vent from the arcane engine, and tremors sweep across Asteroid Y-47.
The walls are engraved with sigils depicting sunlight and wind
The arcane engine consists of a series of confusing, branching tunnels.
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The notion of failing to preserve the River leaves a sinking feeling in Twila-5's core. So many people depend on it. What will happen to them? She can't help but hope that they'll find some way to save it at the last minute.
"These sigils depict sunlight and wind." Maybe that'll be useful. She resolves to keep her senses and mind open to all possibilities as she searches her mind for any knowledge she's gleaned about arcane devices.
Twila and Jekcedo notice the sigil, and Jekcedo finds that in a certain direction, more and more water sigils are mixed in. Sure enough, the party progresses deeper into the asteroid.
A sudden, strong tremor shakes the ground, knocking people off their feet, until the group hits a final tunnel.
The final corridor is a tunnel running parallel through part of The River Between—an impressive feat of art and engineering. The recent explosion has caused structural damage to this tunnel, however, and where the once crystal-clear water of the ancient River Between flowed around it, the murky water found in the present day has leaked into the tunnel, flooding the passage. The water is incredibly cold, and it looks like the only way through is either through swimming the passage or by squeezing into a narrow crevasse above the water line and carefully squirm across to the other side.
Jekcedo tries to shimmy across, but unlike Twila (who has no issues), the shirren loses balance when almost on the other, and plunges into the stream. The water has a lot of stars in it, but that could just be a side effect of knocking his head on a rock quite hard.
Dash and Stell are both apt swimmers, and make it across easily, Kaath almost makes it, until a sudden tremor causes a surge, jostling the Kasatha and leading to a few sizeable bruises.
The corridor ends into a large chamber. This large chamber contains six prominent statues of sarcesians, each seemingly carved from colored light. The two statues closest to the entrance glow with soft red light and reach up toward a river of light 50 feet overhead that flows west-to-east through openings in the chamber. The two middle statues glow a muted white and cast their faces downward. The final two statues are quite damaged, but they glow a warm blue and look toward the doors at the far end of the room. Engraved on the ground are three words: Light. Loss. Life. Beyond these final statues stands a set of stairs that end abruptly at a solid wall of light.
There are two side alcoves.
Stell takes some time to tend to the injured, while Twila peeks into the side alcoves.
The western alcove holds a variety of miniature art objects in display cases: a dagger, crown, and butterfly wings. On the other side, there's finds similar display cases, which hold a wand, a wreath of flowers, and large gemstone.
The flowers are hyssopus. They're often painted as a symbol for sacrifice for the sake of love.
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The butterfly wings catch Twila-5's attention. They remind her of the butterfly wings on her Diadem of Desna. Is there a connection?
She thinks out loud. "I wonder if these items are clues with special significance for how this arcane engine works. ... Desna is associated with butterflies. And that flower wreath is made of hyssopus, a symbol of sacrifice for the sake of love. Maybe a great sacrifice was necessary to get all this to work? If so, maybe a great sacrifice will be necessary of us. ... That sounds ominous. I'd better be over-thinking this."
Twila feels the significance of the flower
Stell inspects the damaged statues, and sees that each of them intentionally has something missing: the red ones are the only ones without wings, the white ones look like something should rest on their heads.
Strangely enough, as Jekcedo casts his healing, the blue statues also recover, as if they're healed by aid that the shirren provides. The statues glow a brighter blue, and the occurence is enough for Jekcedo to realize that the blue statues represent life, and signify the survival of the Sarcesian people despite devastation.
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Surprised but encouraged by the results of the healing on the statues Jek cast comprehend culture trying to learn more to help communicate with the statues if that is even posable, telepathically tries to communicate with the statues
"We are here to help, how can we help you?"
given more time Jek will also try to see what mystical energies may be at play here