Enter The New Seeker

So after walrus John Lennon wins and becomes the new head of the Starfinder Society, are there plans to reward the runner-up in some way?

I cannot express my delight enough about having a morlamaw in the running. All of the candidates have strong platforms and amazing art!

"So noble goals are all well and good, but what I want to know is
who's going to put beer in my mug "

She holds out an empty tankard.

"I don't do metaphors. "

"I'll still vote for that line-loving gentlemaw from Arnisalle. Calder Soren for First Seeker!"
says another morlamaw.
"I'm gonna try to become the next one, though I am a bit busy managing that club right now."

I'd like to see:
- Platforms by the candidates (extra credit for position white papers);
- In character endorsements;
- Ranked choice voting to build consensus (TY so much - squee).

"It is of this one's expert opinion that we should rally around the cause of the kasatha. The others wish to grow more popular and gain renown for its own sake. Ehu Hadif actually seems to have the best interests of the galaxy as a whole at heart and an actual goal besides just expansion. Discovering where we came from will help guide us in the future."

The accompanying skittermander piped up. "Libraries aren't even that boring!

Would it be possible to put the link to the survey on the product page itself?

It would be an easy place to point people who play this towards the end of the voting period, instead of having to maintain a link or digging through blog posts.

Zo Jr. smiles.
"We are currently hosting Calder Soren on The Zo! Jr. Experience podcast. If any of the other candidates would like to be interviewed, please contact us so we can schedule an interview at a mutually convenient time!"

Zo, Jr. Nods.
"We are also looking for ((in-universe)) sponsors for The Zo! Jr. Experience! Contact us if you are interested."

Zo! Jr. leans in to the camera.
"Come on over and see what makes the candidates tick, only on The Zo! Jr. Experience!

Fade to an advertisement for the show.

I am torn between Calder Soren and Ehu Hadif Ko'Ra Amares. Both of their goals are important to the society. The real question is: can I be convinced to not vote for a Morlamaw? Probably not. But we'll see.

Tara Nova sounds dangerous. Entertainer with an inclination to vendettas? This sounds disturbingly familiar . . . .

Tara Nova! Deth ta our enemies!

"If you ask me, Calder is spread too thin, Ehu is too focused, and Avor is too isolationist. We need someone that can lead in both a warzone and at home, someone skilled with the distribution of information and with clear goals that aren't too big or too little."

The flannel-clad bear crosses her arms and nods.

"Tara Nova has my vote."

So after walrus John Lennon wins and becomes the new head of the Starfinder Society, are there plans to reward the runner-up in some way?

I hope Soren ISN'T too much like John Lennon. John Lennon was hypocritical and abusive to Yoko Ono and their kids.

dcsid wrote:

So after walrus John Lennon wins and becomes the new head of the Starfinder Society, are there plans to reward the runner-up in some way?

I hope Soren ISN'T too much like John Lennon. John Lennon was hypocritical and abusive to Yoko Ono and their kids.

I only meant the looks.

...I hope.

I cannot express my delight enough about having a morlamaw in the running. All of the candidates have strong platforms and amazing art!

"The mormalaw had better have a strong platform..."

So we have one who wants to rebuild the Society in one way, one who wants to protect Society members, one who wants to explore more.

And one who just wants to punish our "enemies" whoever they may be moreso than we may have already done so for whatever they may or may not have done instead of any of those other things....

There's some valid points to three but at least I know who I'm not voting for.

(Hint hint, it's not the psychotic demagogue)

Kate Baker wrote:

I cannot express my delight enough about having a morlamaw in the running. All of the candidates have strong platforms and amazing art!

"The mormalaw had better have a strong platform..."

The morlamaw laughs.

Kate Baker wrote:

I cannot express my delight enough about having a morlamaw in the running. All of the candidates have strong platforms and amazing art!

"The mormalaw had better have a strong platform..."

But seriously, the Morlamaw have been a part of the society for about a year or two (in-game). There is no sensible reason for a morlamaw to be a legitimate candidate at this point. I mean, Starfinder training is something like 2-3 year, unless I'm mistaken.

Jessica Norveg wrote:

Kate Baker wrote:

I cannot express my delight enough about having a morlamaw in the running. All of the candidates have strong platforms and amazing art!

"The mormalaw had better have a strong platform..."

But seriously, the Morlamaw have been a part of the society for about a year or two (in-game). There is no sensible reason for a morlamaw to be a legitimate candidate at this point. I mean, Starfinder training is something like 2-3 year, unless I'm mistaken.

He's that good.

A fashionably attired Nuar opines...

"This is a very interesting situation to be confronted with. Calder's ascendancy would help with recruiting new folks for the Manifold Host.
Avor's would be good for protecting those new recruits.
Tara's would ensure that the new recruits would have a reputation good or ill to possibly bolster them -- and hey, a little fame never hurt. That's 'okay' as long as it doesn't slide into infamy.
Ehu's seems a bit too narrow-focused, but then do we have a good sense of scale for how large of a project is being presented there? We definitely do NOT want to repeat the Scoured Stars situation!"

This being a 1-4 scenario is really, really weird to me. Brand new Starfinders get a vote, but veteran characters don't?

I mean, yes, realistically you can vote for any of them depending on any of your characters, but from a story and RP perspective it's only the rookies choosing... This seems completely the opposite of what I would expect.

Look at it this way, if you're campaigning are you going to try and sway the mass of young and impressionable new starfinders? The ones easier to talk around to your ideas?

Or would you be trying to get support of the older, grizzled ones that are set in their ways?

It's much less likely you're going to convince the older group to vote for you. They're more experienced and know what they're concerned with.

Everyone gets to vote, the scenario is just about the campaign, and new guys are the ones being focused on for that.

The way I see it, this specific scenario isn't happening in a bubble. All of our more tenured and veteran Starfinders are probably being wooed by the candidates in lots of other ways; heck, since they're PCs, there's a very real chance that Starfinders have seen/are currently seeing action with the candidates in missions! (Which is just so cool to me.)

The adventure setup and epilogue paint a picture of Luwazi Elsebo wanting to get a fresh take on the candidates, through the eyes of relative newcomers to the Society. She probably already has her own opinions on the four candidates, and is presumably, in-universe, having private, candid, conversations with Venture-Captains, Forum Members, Guidance, and yes, our other, more senior, agents. That's all just happening outside the scope of this adventure, is all.

Also keep in mind, in-universe, rank-and-file Starfinders don't get a vote at all. First Seekers are voted in by the Forum. So there's probably all sorts of jockeying and maneuvering to curry favour with the Forum Members (do we know who any of them are, other than Chiskisk?) happening, too.

Also keep in mind, in-universe, rank-and-file Starfinders don't get a vote at all. First Seekers are voted in by the Forum. So there's probably all sorts of jockeying and maneuvering to curry favour with the Forum Members (do we know who any of them are, other than Chiskisk?) happening, too.

Royo, a venerable Ysoki of considerable learning with a penchant for analog data collections is a member of the forum.

This being a 1-4 scenario is really, really weird to me. Brand new Starfinders get a vote, but veteran characters don't?

I mean, yes, realistically you can vote for any of them depending on any of your characters, but from a story and RP perspective it's only the rookies choosing... This seems completely the opposite of what I would expect.

Your level 1-4 characters do get to interact with the candidates, but the votes are one per player, representing a consensus of all your characters.

Uchuujin wrote:

This being a 1-4 scenario is really, really weird to me. Brand new Starfinders get a vote, but veteran characters don't?

I mean, yes, realistically you can vote for any of them depending on any of your characters, but from a story and RP perspective it's only the rookies choosing... This seems completely the opposite of what I would expect.

Your level 1-4 characters do get to interact with the candidates, but the votes are one per player, representing a consensus of all your characters.

Wait... now I've got to go and poll *all* my characters?

Iomedae's warts, do you people know what maniacs those people all are? Going to be one heck of a migraine...

When I click on the link to the poll, it's showing as closed. Is anyone else getting this?

Also, there's no way I'm voting for Space Lenin.

When I click on the link to the poll, it's showing as closed. Is anyone else getting this?

Also, there's no way I'm voting for Space Lenin.

I am also getting poll is currently closed, please contact the authors.

Just checked and this link says the poll is closed for me as well but the link Tonya posted on Facebook works.

Would it be against TOS to have that link provided here for those us who are not on FakeBook?

Would it be against TOS to have that link provided here for those us who are not on FakeBook?

*triple air horn*

Wait are they different surveys?

If we answered the first are we going to need to answer this one too to have our votes count?

The link from the blog post does not work currently, the one posted by Kishmo 2 posts above this does seem to work.
Could someone from Paizo IT please add a working link to the scenario page, please?

The link from the blog post does not work currently, the one posted by Kishmo 2 posts above this does seem to work.

Could someone from Paizo IT please add a working link to the scenario page, please?

Yeah, the blog link not working confused me too

Theres nothing on the survey linked by kishmo https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PMJXQDY that shows it is the official vote.

Theres nothing on the survey linked by kishmo https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PMJXQDY that shows it is the official vote.

True, but HERE is the Facebook post by Tonya Woldridge (Paizo org play manager) that gives exactly that link.

So, the first two want to strengthen and rebuild the society after suffering devastating losses, but doing it in very different ways, first by trying to find easy and quick missions for early successes, while casting a wide net over the galaxy. The second builds up the "human resource" base, leading to more concentrated, mobile capabilities. The third one wants to spend Starfinder resources and weaken it even more, but use that to also increase chances of future growth and recruitment and the fourth just wants to concentrate on a Starfinder core mission and forget about politics or rebuilding.

So the first actually leads to a defensive posture by overreaching,
the second to a rather offensive posture by having manpower but not reach, the third is a berserker, and the fourth a pacifist.

As someone deep in RL politics, its just wonderful to see how comments here are not what they usually are, which would be:
1: Filthy alien 2: Filthy alien 3: She is so pretty and smart and such a good, nice person! 4: Filthy alien.

"I suspect that is because the 'filthy alien' subtext gets lost when differently looking sentients can claim likewise."

I'd venture to say it is the community as well. Tabletop RPG folks often know a thing or two about social stigma and being viewed as different.

Interestingly, I think Ms. Nova has the most interesting potential of all these First Seeker candidates. The rest are all very "safe" narratively. Going out and securing new lodges, recruiting new agents, and studying the past, are all things that the Society was almost definitely going to be doing already.

Punishing old enemies of the Society and putting up an aggressive stance seems like it has the potential for a WAY more interesting dramatic arc. Does this earn the Society new enemies? How do individual Venture Captains handle this new more aggressive direction? Is there internal rebellion against it? Do the individual PC Starfinders agree? Does she get ousted when her stances put her in conflict with others?

I think we can have interesting and dramatic scenarios for the season without needing to put a jackass in charge.

I don't think anyone's saying that you need "a jackass in charge" to have drama...but boy does it sure help!

I'm actually coming around to Cellion's way of thinking on this. The potential for storytelling with Tara Nova at the helm is great, although again, that's not a comment on the other candidates' potentials. (It'll be like that season of Battlestar Galactica when Admiral "The Best Way To Solve Problems Is To Shove Them Out The Airlock" Cain was in command :D)

Slightly Related: Did folks know that Tara Nova's bio is accessible? While it doesn't really change the overall view, it does sort of temper one's view of her "our enemies must pay" outlook. It changes it from "The jinsuls are jerks and I want them all to die" to "I was fortunate enough to get my family back from the Scoured Stars, but there were hundreds who weren't so lucky. We owe it to those who never left that system to keep fighting."

"Sentients who relish the ultraviolence of true warfare have not lived through the peace and cling to war for that is all that fits reality. It takes a far more heroic sentient to break the cycle of hatred, suffering, and needless pain."

Man, I really have mixed feelings about the uhh outing of these people.

Doxxing?

Doxxing feels like a strong word for a character backstory on a public website, but - point taken. I can 100% understand this making people uncomfortable. It's possible that I am really excited with all of this player-interactive, Living Campaign stuff, and that got ahead of my good judgment.

@mods wanna remove that offending paragraph from my post, or the whole post? I'd hate to be "that jerk that ruined things and now Starfinder Society can't have nice things."
(I can't remove my own posts myself, can I?)

Yay for ranked choice voting.

BTW, I found the profiles for Calder, Avor, and Tara, but couldn't find the profile for Ehu. Anyone found it?

I put I priority to my picks, but really it's Anyone but Tara. The last thing we need is a warmongering demogogue.

Taking a moment to look at the "but better conflict narrative" perspective... not worth it. We can get enough interesting things without resorting to that.

I'd hate to be "that jerk that ruined things and now Starfinder Society can't have nice things."

Definitely not you! There are some concerns that there may be people who don't look at the character and their story but instead look at the player of the character, and vote based on the player not the character.

My feeling is that Calder would be the most boring - we already have a steady diet of going to new planets thanks to the Wayfinders faction and the history of the Society itself is an angle that - seeing in action in season 10 of PFS1 and season 1 of PFS2 - I don't think is very interesting.

I like Avor Stelek but I don't see a vision for the future there - his is a sort of staying the course vision.

So my top two are pretty strongly some order of Tara and Ehu.