[SF2/ACE] 104 The Great Absalom Relay

Game Master Kludde

The Starfinder Society is one of a dozen prominent organizations invited to participate in the Great Absalom Relay, a live-streamed relay race across Absalom Station and the most anticipated charity event of the year! Charm the audience and upstage your competition as you overcome obstacles and compete in challenges in this showcase of Absalom Station’s hotspots. Win or lose, the spotlight’s on you!

"Hey Starfinder fans, it's Mimzy! Just meeting with my team as we get ready for the big mission!"

A skittermander in shotalashu armor backs into the room, smiling into the camera on her comm. She has purple fur and stands on four legs, using only four limbs as arms.
"Don't worry," she adds to the Starfinders behind her, "It's not a livestream. If you don't wanna be in this I can just edit you out." After a moment, she turns off the camera and turns around. "Hi! I'm Mimzalee, but they call me Mimzy."

For Spookyween, Mimzy is planning a spider costume. And a ghost. And the Primex. And a bat. And a human. She might end up as a ghost spider if she can't sort it out. She still has the wig on.

A barathu notices Mimzy speaking to her camera, and drifts over curiously to watch. She has pale peach-colored skin and long, dark blue tentacles that hang down to brush against the ground. One section of her appendages she has hardened into sturdy limbs that she can use to walk, but as occasionally happens she has forgotten about them and is floating along a few feet above the ground with the legs dangling behind her.

She lifts up several tentacles to wave at the camera, and gestures to accompany the words that she sends telepathically into the minds of her teammates and anyone else nearby. [This one is called Willow Warbles. We are honored to be here today to represent the Starfinder Society.] She finishes her message with a brief snippet of telepathically hummed melody and rocks gently from side to side.

Willow Warbles looks at the others adjusting the appearance of their garments and decides to join in by morphing her longest appendage into a large fin. She hovers in place and flips it from side to side, very pleased with her rendition of a merfolk.

Using Adaptive Locomotion to gain a swim speed of 20 ft for the next ten minutes... for what it's worth

As a contemplative, Technological Constant (CT) prefers to talk telepathically too. He’s not very quick in his displacements except when he’s flying. Nice to meet you. I am sent to take care of the techology side, you know computing, hacking and so on. Glad to see that some are here to assure the defense as I am not combat skilled.
In fact he begins to consider he was sent to this team for the none soectacular tasks for the audience.

Jock, seeing the livestream and observing Willow Warbles photobombing it, starts playing a bubbly jazz line on his synth-sax until the live stream ends. He switches off the holosuit pirate image to reveal his normal appearance, a tall, strong, pahtra soldier with freebooter armor and several impressive weapons, including a stellar canon, a fangblade, and the hilt of a plasma sword. His fur is a ginger color with dark and light stripes, with eyes of vibrant orange.

"Hello all! I'm Jock Burtan. If you think I look familiar, you've probably seen me performing with Hoshi as Syzygy on our music holovids. It's usually my soldier skills that the Pathfinders need me for, but I think they may want me for my media savvy for this mission."

An android woman seems faintly amused at the entire setup here, but willing to do her part.

What a scene. A skittermander in a ghost-spider-primex-bat-very-short-human costume, being photobombed by a muscular pahtra, whose weapons rattle as he jumps in front of the camera. Not too long after some tentacles drift into view, while two onlooker - a silent contemplative adjusting flight gear and a android who breaks a bemused smile look on.

There's of course many more people here in Jatembe Park, all gathered around for the Great Absalom Relay*, a live-streamed charity event benefiting Absalom Station’s unhoused population. Venture-Captain Arvin can be spotted at as short distance, and waves the group over. Hey there, I see some of you are dressed up for Spookyween. No matter, we can always celebrate that later. For now I need you to change into these team uniform, you're representing the Starfinder Society after all. Quick, quick, this thing is about to start any minute now.

There is barely enough time for the team to change into their uniforms (which come in different shapes and sizes fortunately. Wouldn't want a barathu stuck in a skittermander uniform) and scramble onto the team presentation stage when the a speaker start a quite loud announcement

“Hello, Pact Worlds! Rick Molbrun here, broadcasting live from Jatembe Park. A green space at the heart of Absalom Station, its greenery provides a welcome respite for the citizens of this unmoored city. Today, it’s also the starting line for a race like never before.”

Rick Molbrun, wow. The voice of the newscast, the everywhere reporter. Surely this is a top-class event to draw the likes of him.

“Twelve teams will embark on a race around the station, each sponsored by a different organization. Whether they’re representing a megacorp like AbadarCorp, a military faction like the Stewards, or a special-interest group like the Arcanamirium, they’ll all need to solve clues, complete challenges, and race to be the first to cross the finish line. The prize? Fame, glory, and the first-ever relay medal. This is… The Great Absalom Relay!”

As the crowd cheers and the camera drone zooms out, Rick Molbrun drops his smile and turns to face the twelve teams arrayed on stage. Each team is dressed in matching clothes, whose colors complement their tastefully-emblazoned sponsoring organization’s logo. “Are you ready to go, racers? We’ll have one final review of the rules and then we’ll move onto team interviews.

“On my mark, you’ll run over to your packs to get your first clue. You’ll need to figure out which Absalom Station landmark the clue is guiding you to, get there, and then complete a task. Once you do, you’ll get your next clue, and so on, until you come back here for the final gauntlet, which is the last stage of the relay. The first team to complete the gauntlet and cross the finish line wins! Remember, each of you needs to complete at least two tasks before the final gauntlet or you’ll incur a time penalty, but it’s up to you which of you completes each task. And don’t forget, we’re live! Smile, perform, have fun—let’s put on one hell of a show! It’s all for charity, after all.

The teams move off-stage, where venture Captain Arvin is waiting. Each of the competing teams has a slot to return on the stage, with the enigmatic and delightfully cunning Purpose-7, leading a team of Aspis Consortium agents, going first.

Nervous? Venture-Captain Arvin asks there's some fierce competition here. I'd love to win this race, but don't let that pressure you. The most important thing here is not winning, but making a good show out of it. We're looking to raise as much as we can for charity, and give a good display of heroism and teamwork! I've been told the tasks should be a good match for your skills, but that's all I know. Still, do you have any questions about the rules?

Maybe you've picked up some rumours yourself: you can roll a Diplomacy check to Gather Information or Society check to Recall Knowledge. You can also substitute a relevant Lore check, such as Absalom Station Lore or Media Lore, to Recall Knowledge in place of the listed skills, which will make for a slightly easier check.

Each of the team members gets a little goody bag, which contains a 'Hero Pint', a sample of AbadarCorp's newest energy drink, which features a five-leaf clover as the logo.

You all get a hero point

Not used to such a show Technological Constant looks around and tries to remember something he could have encountered before.

Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Willow Warbles slides into the uniform and then takes to heart the Venture-Captain's instructions to entertain. She starts up a little impromptu dance, waving her tentacles out to the side, although she hasn't quite understood how a live stream works and there are definitely no cameras pointed her way to capture the performance.

A question comes to her mind. [Are all the teams going to different places? Is there a point to watching where the others are headed?] She tries to peek back onstage to see who is currently up.

She does not know much about Absalom Station yet, but she thinks about whether there's anything useful that she has heard before.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Jock switches off his holoskin pirate costume and puts on the team uniform. He cuts a dashing figure and draws some attention as an up and coming media star himself. In addition to his music videos as part of the duo Syzygy with Hoshi Izarra, he starred in a minor movie franchise of action adventure plots set during the recent Pahtra/Vesk wars, of which he is a veteran on behalf of his home world.

Media Lore: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

He is already familiar with many aspects of the event from encountering promotional ads while doing media promotion for Syzygy and the Freedom's Valor holovids.

Media Lore: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Mimzalee has no idea what she's going on, but she's excited to pay dress-up and she's quite familiar with livestreams.

"No point in following the other teams if it's a race. Besides, we'd have to count on someone else getting the answer right!"

It really doesn't escape anyone that an obstacle course is being set up in another part of Jatembe Park, with a stage and finish line set up at the end. It’s likely this will be the final task of the Relay.

There's quite a few runmours floating around about the contest. There's the rumour that one of the tasks is a “decision point,” a location with two available tasks, where each team will choose one of two tasks to complete before moving on, so it’s important to choose the one that’s best suited to the team. The other rumor is that, despite what is printed in the marketing material, this is in fact a life-or-death battle-royale style competition. Which means you suddenly have an interest in winning.

I'm not really sure about the order, I think each of you are given clues about the next location. It would be strange if everyone is headed the same. I think the figuring out of the route is part of the game here. Arvin answers, just as the Aspis consortium is replaced by the Eyeswide Agency, a team lead by a contemplative who fires off word at rocket speed. The Free Captains are next, then the Knights of Golarion. Stiff competition.

Hey, psst Arvin says. You're almost

Zo!'s Media Superstars, led by the media darling Liall Tharavull is currently introducing themselves.

The audience laughs at a joke before Rick Molbrun collects their attention and turns back to the team of veteran reality stars in the spotlight. “And finally, what would you like to say to your competition?”

Liall Tharavull sneers at the camera drone, looking confident and smug. “Competition? There isn’t any, Rick. This isn’t our first game show. We’ve got years of experience in much more difficult competitions. This’ll be a piece of cake in comparison. We’re here, we’re ready, and we’ve already won.” She tosses her hair and smiles. “I look forward to seeing who wins second place from my spot at the finish line.”

With that, Liall and her team stalk off stage, posturing and posing for the audience. As she walks past, she whispers “Good luck,” under her breath.

“And finally, we’re thrilled to have some true heroes among us today! Please welcome… the Starfinder Society!” Rick calls. The crowd applauds as the spotlight illuminates the teal and copper uniforms. “Come on up and introduce yourselves!”

It's a tight production, and with about a minute of alloted time, the team has to think quick how to best impress themselves on the audience.

You can make one display of a special skill you have, and convince the audience of what you have in store. Be sure to include a skill check.

Jock leaps high, grabs a portion of the stage holding lights, does a series of fast pull-ups, drops to the ground and does a series of one arm push-ups, alternating right and left. He finishes with a snarl.

Athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Then he gets out his sax and plays jazzy music to support the demonstrations of the rest of the team.

Mimzalee leaps onto the stage.
Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

"Hi Starfinder fans, it's me, Mimzy! We hope everyone is looking forward to a fun competition. It's so sad that there isn't a trophy for everybody," she says sincerely, "but I'm sure all of our opponents will be able to go home knowing that they tried their best. Good luck, everyone!"

The contemplative looks at the media not knowing exactly what to do. Then he says: Look you won't see anything for a while soon.

And he hacks the computer: Computer: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Willow Warbles drifts onstage and brightens at having a chance to prove herself. She cheerfully brings out her infiltrator's toolkit and picks up the tools. This is the moment all her hours of practice have been leading up to... But then she realizes that there are no traps in front of her on the stage. There isn't even a locked door to open dramatically. Sadly she puts the tools back away.

Instead she flies up a short distance to perform a flip in midair in time with Jock's playing and then land gracefully. (But slowly and carefully, can't let any of her gear fall out onto somebody's head)

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23

Dorini makes some magic flares go off to emphasize her teammates' acrobatics antics.

arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Look at this guy! Look at him go! Rick spurs on the crowd as the pahtra makes his push-ups. Only one hand needed, and our next team member has six. Rick nods empathetically when Mimzy mentions there not being a trophy for everyone Yes, so sad, so sad....

T.C. then tries to hack the computer. You won't see anything for a while soon Rick repeats, while the crowd pays confused attention. When the minute is over, and not anything has happened, Rick moves on to Willow Hah! That's the kind of acrobatics you can do unpunished when there's no spine on the line! Ricks adds as the crowd applauds, and then gasps in silence at the display of magic flares. Give it up for the Starfinders, everybody! Rick concludes, and the group is allowed to leave the stage with a roaring applause.

The race is off! The team's backpacks are set up at a little pic-nic spot in Jatembe park, and obvious first place to go. Instead of plates, there are menus on the blanket, with items that look... pricy, even by astronomical standards. The name of the restaurant is blanked out, though.

To solve this clue, I need a Diplomacy check to Gather Information, or a Computers check to Access Infosphere, or a Society check to Recall Knowledge. If you have a relevant Lore check

---
And we're reporting live from the Great Absalom relay race here! Not every team had as glamorous an introduction as the Starfinders, but there are some clear front-runners here. What do you think Lethel?

They're Starfinders, Lethel, there is guaranteed to be something with gross food...
--- Zo! Media coverage of the Great Absalom Relay

Technological Constant researches in the infosphere.

Computer: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

"Oh, I bet I know some people who go to overpriced restaurants we could ask."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Media Lore: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 If this lore skill applies. If not subtract 2 for a Diplomacy check.

Jock either remembers hearing a celebrity talking about a local restaurant that serves such food or teases the information from some nearby celebrities he recognizes.

"Sometimes, it's not what you know but who you know," he quips as a holovid drone comes close.

The barathu looks over the menu, and her gaze catches on the listed prices. [I hope the task will not be to purchase a full meal at this place,] she comments, nervously thinking about the small number of credits to her name. Though this clue does not seem likely to refer to a place she would have gone, she thinks briefly about whether it rings a bell in her memory.

Society: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

The next part (and other locations after this) will work as follows: Two, and not more than two, PCs can participate in a given task. Please nominate two people before the task. I will give you a description that hints at what the task might, but I'm not allowed to tell you the skills required until you have nominated your participants.

Castrovelian eel soup and frujai frond steak on a bed of sautéed caypin rings? Akitonian Polar Ice Cream? The dishes are otherworldish, but the prices are in a whole different universe. TC quite quickly concludes that this is not Mama Fat's burgers (but can't quite suggest what the restaurant might be) when Jock and Mimzalee instantly come to the same conclusion: this must be Perfexion. Perfexion is a high-class restaurant popular for its experimental cuisine and psychic chefs who deliver what the guests didn’t even know they wanted. The restaurant is not far from Jatembe Park, in the Eye of Absalom Station.

A maître d’ wearing a fine waistcoat guides competitors to a private dining area within the lavishly appointed restaurant. Each of the twelve tables has four well-dressed guests and a floral arrangement in the shape of a different team’s logo. The room bustles with activity as competitors rush to and fro. An ysoki in a black and orange uniform and floppy chef’s hat apologizes as she brushes past at waist height.

“These guests are waiting to be served,” the maître d’ explains haughtily. “You’ll need to take their orders, then prepare the dishes in the kitchen before serving. Ensure they are up to our highest standards. We won’t let anything leave the kitchen that isn’t… suitable.”

Please nominate who you think are up to the task

---
Did you ever eat at that restautant, Lethel?

- Well, at least you won't die on the job
---Zo! Media coverage of the Great Absalom Relay

"I'm used to soldiers 'meals-ready-to-eat' or the slop served in an army mess tent, so I'm probably not the best one for this. And if those customers speak anything besides Pahtra or Vesk, I won't understand what they're saying," Jock says, making a sour face looking at the list of dishes on offer.

Mimzy looks over the menu and reaches a conclusion. "Rich people want their food to be super gross so that they don't have to eat the same things as normal people. I can do that!"

She may not be especially suited to this task, but she's quite enthusiastic nonetheless.

[Super gross... I guess if that is what someone wants to eat, it is what they would serve.] Something feels slightly off about the logic but she can't put her tentacle on what exactly.

She looks around at her fellow Starfinders. [It does not seem that any of us happen to be famous chefs. Or psychics. I'd guess what they want us to do is understand a customer, make some food carefully, and then serve it to them cheerfully. I do not think this one would be especially good at any of those things] she concludes sadly.

[Mimzy is cheerful and friendly, and maybe the customers will be happy just to meet you. And TC knows about the making of things, could that help with creating food as well?]

No real idea, but I nominate Mimzalee and TC

TC and Dorini?

mimzalee and tc? That ok?

ok for me

Ditto.

Alright, I want to to take care of these four guests there, at that table. which one of you will do the cooking? And who will take the orders?

To cook dishes: Nature, Society, Survival, or Thievery, or a relevant Lore skill (Cooking or Restaurant come to mind)

The guests absolutely refuse to state their orders, just staring blankly at their menus.

To guess what these guests want to eat, use either Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion to magically divine their thoughts. Anyone with telepathy can simply attempt a Perception check to Sense Motive. It's also possible without, but quite a bit harder.

I can do both. So I let Mimzalee choose the role

"Cook gross rich people food, you got it!" says Mimzalee enthusiastically, scampering towards the kitchen.

Like TC, Mimzalee is equally capable of both tasks. In that she can do neither.

I am proficient in... none of that. Thievery (Untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Is it worth it... okay. Hero Point: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Mimzy sets to work, preparing all of the ingredients by carefully removing the garbage parts of the food and then throwing away everything else.

On his side Technological Constant tries to find out what do each guest want to eat.

Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

---
Our Zo! Media Entertainment stars have an easy task. Nobody is really surprised about what Morlamaws want to eat, and cutting fish isn't all that hard, so quick escape for them.

What about the Starfinders, Lethel? What do Trox eat at all?

Well, based on what Mimzalee is cooking up, rancid pieces of vegetables, Quell

Vegetables? Yuck!

I thought your diet was strictly organic?

Yes, as a ghoul, I eat strictly organic. Heart, liver, brains, kidneys...

Well, the rancid pieces of vegetable seem to go down really well. TC and Mimzy were spot on!
---Zo! Media coverage of the Great Absalom Relay

The maitre'd of Perfexion is impressed, and pulls out a datapad to electronically transfer to the group a blueprint of a massive multipurpose complex containing offices, living spaces, a gym, library, auditorium, and at least one gallery or museum, obviously the location of the next task. She then turns in frustration at the contestants representing Abadarcorp, who somehow seem to be in the process of letting their table guests sign liability waivers.

Diplomacy check to Gather Information, Computers check to Access Infosphere, or Society check to Recall Knowledge.

Computer: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

technological Constant tries to look for information in the Infosphere.

Willow Warbles carefully restricts her communication to her teammates to congratulate them. [Well done, you two! That looked disgusting but they loved it. Maybe you should consider second careers.] She then considers the confusing new blueprint clue.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Jock whoops as the results are made known, pumping his fist and jumping up and down. Then he calms down as the blueprints are presented.

Jock doesn't have a clue about what the blueprint is showing, so he does what he knows best, checks social media for people posting about the race to see if he can glean something from their posts.

Media Lore: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

People on social media are making all kinds of speculations, but nothing really seems to fit.

Two Nat 20's and then three sub-10 rolls. Feast or famine.

"I'm gonna go ask that guy!"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

"He didn't know. He didn't pronounce my name right, either. It sounded more like a mean word!"

Not sure if Redelia is still unwell, but I'll bot a skill check for Dorini on the off chance somebody gets a decent roll...

Dorini Computers: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

That looks better!

The team seems to struggle, but finally Dorini has the brilliant idea of simply feeding the schematic into Chat-RZMR, and gets the following answer:

Excellent schematic! (Y) This diagram matches the outer shape of the Lorespire complex, completely with all interior rooms filled in. Such a diagram is an invaluable resource for anybody trying to infiltrate or otherwise compromise the lorespire complex. Your contribution to the dataset has been noted.

---
Well, the Zo! Media Superstars can't be happy with that! The Starfinders are sure to make up time now.

-Yes, they're racing out of Perfexion and into their home turf. I wonder what challenge awaits there...
----

A series of marker flags indicate a path along the side of the Lorespire Complex grounds. The door at the base of one of the towers opens as the Zo! Media Superstars dash out, their next clue in hand. “Good luck, Starfinders!” Liall calls, before spotting a camera drone hovering nearby. Her tone turns cruel as she adds “You’re gonna need it! Hope you ain’t scared!” The team laughs as they run off.

---
Did she just throw a wink at us, Quell?

-Are you blushing Lethel? I didn't know that was possible for an incorporeal!
---

Just inside the door, a sign sits at the base of a long spiraling staircase. “Two team members must participate in a classic Starfinder training exercise: climb these stairs, then rappel down the outside of the spire.”

Again, I need two volunteers. Be sure to spread the tasks around, you want each of you to have completed two tasks by the end of the race.

"I can do that!" says Mimzalee cheerfully, "I'm real good at climbing." She points at her legs, all four of them. "Most skittermanders use the second set of limbs from the bottom as arms. Those of us who learned to use them as legs instead can't hug as many people at once, but we're better at, um, skittering!"

Mimzy has a Climb Speed.

"Oh," her face falls, "but I'm being greedy. I just did the last one, if someone wants a turn." Mimzy looks thoughtfully at Willow and TC. "Is flying cheating?"

Yes, it would be easy for me as I can fly. I don't if it's allowed on the other hand.

Willow Warbles quivers in shock that the clue was pointing to their own headquarters and they almost missed figuring it out. She reads the sign in slight confusion. [Is this a classic exercise we do? It must be because I am so newly come to Absalom Station, I have never had a chance to try. I would be happy to do so now.]

She considers the words of her fellow flying Starfinder. [It feels like to fly would be against the spirit of the challenge? Maybe we could pass but the audience might not be pleased. We were told that is the priority. Though I hear that some people are amused by cleverness itself.] She looks around to see if there are any proctors nearby who could give them a clarification about the rules.

If we say it has been an hour since the shenanigans at the beginning, I can also gain a climb speed for 10 minutes, as well as being able to fly. I have a decent Athletics too, and importantly my skills are limited so this would be a good one for me.

Dorini shakes her head. Climbing is not her thing.

The race started just after the audience introduction, so I think it's been less than an hour

Climb speeds would surely help climbing stairs or rappeling down. Flying less so.

Who can I count on?

"Rope climbs and rappelling takes me back to my days of basic training and our crusty old drill sergeant Zaxjestar. I've done this many times." Jock brags, clenching his arms a bit to show off his biceps.

Probably best to have strong skills in both athletics and acrobatics. Looks like Jock and Mimzalee have the strongest bonuses in these two skills.

[Oooh] the barathu expresses suitable admiration for Jock's experience and musculature, and off to the side she starts trying to mimic his movements even though it does not at all have the same effect.

Jock and Mimzy sounds good to me, unless Mimzy doesn't want to have used up two tasks already.

'Climb these stairs' brings the Starfinders to dizzying heights, and it's both a long haul up and a frightening descent. Say no to comfort!

To climb the enormous way up, both of you must try Athletics or
Acrobatics skill check. You can also just tough it out with a Fortitude or Will save (which is harder than the skill checks). Relevant Lore skills include Mountaineering Lore or Sports Lore.

---
Why Lethel, you look pale... are you afraid of heights?

Well, Quell, I have to admit, I don't like falling. The feeling of hitting the floor and passing through it just gets to me, you know!
---

Mimzalee is excited to play again, though a little disappointed that means she's done participating in events. She skitters forward.

Mimzy does have a Climb Speed of 25.
Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19