You may dot in here.
You, as part of a small group of freelance mercenaries, are currently patrolling in the southern reaches of the Kaviri Plains, on the planet of Akiton. You were hired by the Starfinder Society as part of a system-spanning mission.
Your mind drifts back to the pre-recorded holovid you received that kicked off this assignment...
~~~~~~~~~~~
The hologram of First Seeker Sarmak, elected leader of the Starfinder Society, filled the air, looking grim. Larger than a car and dressed in shimmering bronze tactical armor, Sarmak stood on four of his muscular limbs while gesturing with the remaining two, cutting an imposing figure.
"Thank you for taking up this mantle of responsibility at a time when the Starfinder Society - no, the entire Pact Worlds - desperately needs you. A dangerous conflict is coming, but we don't know when or where it will first manifest.
"Last year the Starfinder Society encountered a violent cult bent on drawing the mysterious First Ones back to the Pact Worlds to rule. While we prevented this cult from destroying Aballon's government and capital city, we were too late to prevent them from dispatching their transmission to the First Ones across the galaxy. Unfortunately, this signal was received - the First Ones are coming!" Sarmak paused at that point for breath, or possibly for dramatic effect, before continuing.
"We are unable to monitor the entirety of the Pact Worlds alone, and with the Pact Council busy with other calamities, we have sought out dedicated freelancers such as yourselves to keep a wary eye out for potential invasion.
"Little is known about the origins or plans of the First Ones, as they've long been absent from the Pact Worlds. We know long ago they seeded the planet Aballon with robotic life, and what wrecks and ruins we've explored have been incredibly dangerous, filled with advanced technology, automated defenses, magitech sentries, volatile magic, and mind-bending architecture.
"Should you see or hear of anything unusual, immediately investigate and report back to me as soon as possible. Stay vigilant and be careful - the fate of the entire system could be in your hands.
"Sarmak out."
~~~~~~~~~~~
That was three months ago. Thousands of other mercenaries received the same task, assigned to different planets and regions across the Pact Worlds. You were charged with the western half of the southern hemisphere of Akiton.
In all this time, the troubles you've come across have been entirely local, nothing of the cosmic scale that the First Seeker is worried about. You have no reason to believe that today's patrol will be the any different from all the others.
Navasi is a human woman in carbon skin armor with a pair of pistols at her hips. She favors the color purple.
By now the others know that she's personable, a good planner, and good at keeping everyone organized and working together in a crisis.
Zemir Solodan is a passionate, but cocky practitioner of the magic of realities. He travels to all corners of this reality, as much seeking to earn a living using his strange magic and indulge his love of new experiences as he is running from a guilty conscience. He does not talk about what burdens him, but it is apparent in the shock of white hair that betrays a heavy mental strain endured at some point in the past. The others know not to ask about it, as they generally prefer his lighter side. The one time they dared to ask he became irritable and deeply morose, for days on end.
His now fully white hair contrasts his dark skin, which is further contrasted by his bright purple eyes. His tempweave armor and robes are of a darker purple. He carries a staff with what looks like a lantern sitting atop it, but it doesn't seem to give off light. His other hand holds a glass orb rather possessively.
No one knows who the First Ones were, what they looked like, where they came from, or where they went. However, the First Ones left behind traces of their presence on the planet Aballon and in the depths of the Pact Worlds sun, including ancient buildings packed with advanced technology and a workforce of self-improving robots. In time, many of these robots became sapient beings called anacites or protocites.
All you know about Akiton is what you've observed by being here. It is the red-tinged third planet from the sun, has a 24-hour day, low gravity, and thin atmosphere. Three months has been long enough for you to become acclimated to the thin atmosphere and you no longer become fatigued just from breathing the air.
• What do you know about the First Ones? Diplomacy, Society, or a relevant Lore skill
• What have you learned about the planet Akiton? Diplomacy, Nature, or a relevant Lore skill
***
The android Operative is a relative newcomer to the region and wracks its mind to see if it can recall any answers - "I have many stregths and abilities, but being a walking database and search engine isnt part of them" - they attempt a bit of humour, but its a bit flat as they have the personality and relateability of a refrigerator.
Zemir chuckles.
That's okay. Between all of us I bet we know quite a lot! For example, while we only have mere traces of the existence of the First Ones, they did leave behind the anacites, who seem to be growing and thriving on their own!
Akiton is a world of barren deserts and blasted wastelands. The planet lost much of its atmosphere and liquid water it once held due to the slowing of its liquid-iron core and the resulting weakening of its magnetosphere.
Your patrol has brought you to the southern reaches of the Kaviri Plains, but all at once the mundane is overturned. A sudden burst of color and magic illuminates the midday sky as a massive object appears without warning in the upper atmosphere. A moment later, a bone-rattling boom heralds its arrival. Engulfed in flame and magical energy, the ovoid object careens toward Akiton's surface at speeds certain to crack the planet in half.
Just as impact is imminent, the object decelerates. An explosion engulfs the southern horizon, followed by a shock wave of gale-force sonic winds. It is strong enough to knock all four of you prone and leave you deafened and dizzy for several minutes.
As you slowly regain your equilibrium, dust and earth fill the air, blotting out the light of the sun. Through the reddish haze, shifting lights remain - a beacon, marking the site of collision somewhere in the Sloughscar Hills. This is certainly something that First Seeker Sarmak would want you to investigate.
You have two d-vees, compact and sturdy hover vehicles designed to endure in Akiton's windy deserts while hauling salvage. Each one can hold up to three people.
"We'll need both d-vees," says Navasi, grabbing the keys to one, "So let's go two in each. Who's coming with me?"
I think that leaves you piloting the other, Iseph! I'll come along in yours.
Iseph launches into the drivers seat, "Zemir, I'll let you pick the tunes. Don't make me regret the decision" the android at attempt at humour is a little bit flat due to a distinct lack of charisma, but they are clearly trying!
"This has a stereo right?"
Even with focused piloting and some energizing driving tunes, the crash site is distant and it takes a full 8 hours to reach. It is evening by the time you arrive. The signs of impact are obvious, with wreckage strewn across the hillside in huge, jagged chunks as far as the eye can see. Deep gouges are carved out of the underlying red rock where a massive object scraped the soil clean before plunging itself into the dusty red surface, pulverizing boulders in the process. Here and there flames, smoke, colorful gas, and magical energy seep from the wreckage.
(see the slides for an illustration)
The massive, generally ovoid alien object appears breached in several sections. A powerful gust pours forth from one of the jagged holes in its exterior, swirling nearby sand and debris, then reverses, giving the eerie impression that the strange structure is breathing.
You can examine the wreckage and the surrounding area from a distance.
You can confirm that the object is an alien starship of unknown make. Further, the impact's nature suggests the starship intentionally slowed just before impact, burying much of the hull and reducing damage to it.
The vessel looks to be constructed of a unique alloy that combines metals native to the Pact Worlds with some of unknown origin. The metals that you're able to identify include orichalcum, a rare starmetal that warps space-time around itself on a quantum level, and noqual, a starmetal resistant to magical effects.
Some of the metal built into the ship's hull has magical or quantum dampening properties.
You notice tracks from a number of Small insects in the area, leading into the wreck.
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Chk Chk was even giving a live concert from behind Navasi.
Looks like the vessel is constructed of a unique alloy that combines metals native to the Pact Worlds with some of unknown origin. I see orichalcum, a rare starmetal that warps space-time around itself on a quantum level, and noqual, a starmetal resistant to magical effects. There's also tracks of a lot of small insects going in there
Iseph is enjoying the tunes, and after several excited comments about "ROAD TRIP!" displays some pretty solid driving ability.
Piloting
"Alien starship of unknown make. Looks like it intentionally slowed just before impact, burying much of the hull and reducing damage to it. Good pilot"
Crafting
"Its made of a unique alloy that combines metals native to the Pact Worlds with some of unknown origin. The metals that you're able to identify include orichalcum, a rare starmetal that warps space-time around itself on a quantum level, and noqual, a starmetal resistant to magical effects."
Arcana
Perception
"Hey I see tracks from a number of Small insects in the area, leading into the wreck"
"Agreed."
"The hull has properties that dampen magic. Probably related to the starmetal."
Navasi doesn't see what Chk Chk is talking about, but looks up when he says it. "Insects? This planet doesn't have insects, does it? The natives here, both the people and the local 'wildlife' are all robotic."
Iseph launches into the drivers seat, "Zemir, I'll let you pick the tunes. Don't make me regret the decision"
Zemir turns the dial to Pact-worlds Public Radio, funded by listeners like you!
--------------------
While the rest of the team has the relevant knowledge covered, it wouldn't do for Zemir to be shown up!
He recedes a bit.
I knew those things too... I just didn't say it.
As you're discussing amongst yourselves the nature of what's in front of you, a group of five figures emerges from the debris field, coming from the opposite direction. They look armed and armored, and are clearly experienced in the field. They assume tactical positions, with a large, heavily armed bruiser up front and four smaller humanoids flanking to his sides.
"Hi, nufriends!" a chipper green skittermander exclaims, breaking formation to rush forward and wave enthusiastically. "I'm Gremmik! Isn't this wreck the coolest? It's huge!"
"Ignore him!" the muscular shobhad in front shouts, grenade launcher out and ready. "Stop right there, or I'll blow ya' sky high!"
"Yeah, we got here first, so it's our salvage!" exclaims a mottled gray ysoki. Beside them, a red-scaled ikeshti assesses everything with a shrewd eye.
A slender human woman with bright red skin and white hair raises a hand, causing her allies to fall silent. She steps forward and calls out with a smile, "My name's Kivett. Leader of the Rust Wraiths mercenary company. Are you here to explore this wreck, too?"
"Explore yes. Salvage No" the Android offers.
"We're hardly here to start a fight with you," says Navasi, "We're freelancers, but currently representing scholars and explorers. But you're not going to be able to declare this as salvage, anyway. It's too big, and I don't mean the physical size of it." Though there was that, too. "Everyone is going to be on top of this. Local government, if not the entirety of the Pact Worlds. If not beyond that! Don't worry, I'm sure as long as you don't threaten them unprovoked you're going to be recognized and rewarded here. You're the first people on the scene, sure enough, nobody's arguing with that.
"Besides which, it's not salvage because it didn't crash." She points at the ship. "Someone has to be aboard, or we would be too dead already to be having this conversation. Now then, do you want to investigate this potentially dangerous situation with as many hands as you can get, or do you want to threaten to murder anyone who happens to be in your proximity?"
Not that Navasi was particularly in favor of working with someone so violent on such a hair trigger, either.
Gremmik hops enthusiastically and exclaims, "Working together sounds wonderful!" just as the ysoki simultaneously spits out, "No way!" The shobhad growls and moves to lift his grenade launcher again.
Kivett raises one eyebrow in amusement at her crew and gestures to the shobhad to stand down. "I think they've got the message, Bo-Shek. She's right, there must be other salvage crews on the way by now. There's no need for us to waste time out here arguing about it." To the ysoki she adds, "That ship, whatever it is, is big enough to have plenty of loot to go around, don't you think Tade?"
She turns to Navasi and smoothly replies, "We're not here to start a fight either. Thank you for recognizing our claim. Maybe it would be best if we start from opposite ends. To save us from tripping over each other in there, so to speak."
The ikeshti slides forward, focused on Chk Chk, and speaks up for the first time: "I've heard of the First Ones. Are they related to this thing?" Her piercing gaze slides over each of you, trying to judge what you know.
It might also be a good idea for us all just to stick together! Especially since we don't know what we'll find near that ship. Zemir remarks.
"Absolutely, safety in numbers!"
Tade the ysoki whines, "There's no way we're waltzing into our salvage all buddy-buddy with a bunch of-" They cut off at a sharp look from their leader, and there is a hurried, whispered conversation among the members of the Rust Wraiths. There seems to be some disagreement.
Finally Kivett turns back to address you, "How about this for a compromise: our two groups enter the ship at different points, but we exchange comm numbers so our groups can communicate about what we find, and call for help if we run into any trouble. We'll cover more ground that way." She speaks coolly but it looks as though several members of her crew are getting antsy.
Zemir levels a discerning look at Kivett.
Yes friend, sounds fair enough.