---
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.
Alternatively, if you are trained in Lore (Starfinder Society):
Seriously? Nobody else recognises this is the Lorespire complex where nearly all mission briefings are held?
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.
If you’re worried about spoiling, but you still want to contribute, you can always approach this from the point of view ‘what would my character think? Would my character, based on the description, volunteer for this task or prefer something else?’
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?
- Not me, Quell, the food would fall straight to the ground. Did you?
Not me, way too expensive. I'd have to wash dishes for an eternity.
- Well, at least you won't die on the job
---Zo! Media coverage of the Great Absalom Relay
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?
- Well Quell, we'll be paying attention to the Starfinders, that's for sure, but I'm sure they won't be a match for our own Zo! Media Superstars.
Yes, did you see that presentation by Liall. Her team has got it in the bag!
- I wonder what that menu means, Quell. These are Starfinders, after all. I hope it has something to do with gross food.
They're Starfinders, Lethel, there is guaranteed to be something with gross food...
--- Zo! Media coverage of the Great Absalom Relay
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.
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.
Great Absalom Relay:
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---
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---AbadarCorp Advertisement
Absalom Station is the heart of the galaxy thanks to the Starstone Reactor at its core, which acts as a hub for Drift travel. But life as a member of the Pact Worlds isn’t always easy!
Over the past decade, the Pact Worlds have been hit by disaster after disaster, culminating in the recent explosion of the planet Aucturn, in truth a cosmic womb that birthed a nascent godling known as the Newborn. Representatives from the Absalom Station Foundation are hosting a live-streamed charity event to aid those affected by tragedy. This event is the Great Absalom Relay, and it’s shaping up to be the hottest charity event of the year, with viewers from throughout the Pact Worlds and Near Space tuning in.
The goal of the Absalom Station Foundation is to “enrich the lives of all citizens of Absalom Station and help the countless refugees who take shelter within its walls.” The purpose of the relay is to highlight some of the iconic locations in Absalom Station, entertain the station’s citizens, and raise funds via corporate donations, live viewer chats, vidfeed ads, and betting pools. Proceeds from the charity event go to renovate one of the lowest levels of Absalom Station’s Spike, clearing away refuse and detritus to construct a thousand living suites for Absalom Station’s unhoused population. The livestream of the event tracks the funds earned in real-time, adding additional living suites and community features with every major funding milestone.
A dozen of Absalom Station’s most prominent factions, organizations, and corporations have been invited to participate in the Great Absalom Relay, with each putting forth one team as competitors in the event. Among these groups is the Starfinder Society! And you all have kindly volunteered to participate!
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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.
We're off to the races then! Please assuming starting positions here, and we'll start as soon as everyone is in.
There's still two more spots available, so if anyone else wants to join, hurry! Remember, all SF2 games are repeatable, so it doesn't matter if you've already played this before (as long as you're kind enough not to spoil things, of course).
Hello everybody and welcome to the game. Please enjoy some elevator music while we wait for everybody to join in. Feel free to dot in on the game play thread and describe your character - I'm particularly keen to know what they intend to dress up as for Spookyween!
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!
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!
The game has been reported, and I have created chronicles. Due to a terrible accident with a large snake, a guy named Phillip and a cloud synching service with only a single disk, there is going to be a delay in uploading the files - I will link them here when ready.
You did well, Hinevera reacts to the video of the ghosts last words. You lifted the haunting from this place, and we are free to explore it. Let's return to the lodge to regroup and treat our wounded.
The trip back is swift and uneventful, and back in lodge, Pri-Pri is in good care. Suulhu-Huur is grateful I always had faith you could pull this off. Why, Iyuurhoi even came to me and said your leadership is to be recommended, and that I could learn something from it! Thanks for coming to the rescue of Hinevera and her crew, we can use the likes of her around here...
Mission success! Please roll your day jobs, and I will report and issue chronicles.
I'll be on a camping trip until Sunday, so please expect a bit of a delay for the chronicles. If you need the chronicles urgently, let me know and I'll provide an interim document
The ghost listens, the whimpering moans already fading as the voice seems to call down Investigate, learn and restore. I hope you make good on your promise. We'll see...
Stell has a look at the spear, and the reason for the ghost's frown is clear: this is a ghost killer spear.
DC 20 Engineering, Mysticism, Perception, or Physical Science:
Rhe central chamber and each of the three magic devices on the mezzanine are star chambers—when activated and calibrated, these devices emit an illusory depiction of a solar system the device is tied to, as viewed from a specific planet in that system. While the starcharts and telescope could function for the star chambers to provide transport, the tower would need to be raised above the waves and realigned completely. This work could take years—perhaps even a decade.
While the group takes a rest, Hinevera manages to awaken from her comatose state. What... what happened? I don't remember anything... Where are my crewmembers? If I'm alone, they must be in danger! Where are they?
Kalhoun's glow slowly returns, and he blasts the ghost with another sonic shot. Stell tries another trick routine, and sparkles up the incorporeal. Dirk swings. Amy uses a pocket mirror to target the ghost, blasting it with forceful missiles
Heliotherum, now severely weakened, turns around and dives into the control panel.
The control consoles power up, causing illusory stars and planets to spring to life, spiraling through each of the observatory’s four domed areas. Heliotherum’s voice, peaceful and sad, echoes through the room. “Four worlds spread across four sytems. Ibra’s gift to my people for our dedication… our veneration… our dreams. We dove from our home on Padrisine, swimming across the stars like a sea, plunging deep into the waters of new worlds… new homes… like this one. Here, in this tower, was the catalyst—the dive point through the galactic ocean. And when the walls of this tower crumbled around us, and I realized we were doomed, I cut it off… I severed the current to protect the wider worlds, isolating us here, so far away from home… Shattering Ibra’s gift… Will you leave our history to rot, submerged beneath the waves? Or will you fix what has been broken, even if it takes lifetimes? What course would you chart for Arniselle?”
Twila is unimpressed by the moan, and uses the dramatic moment to cause a diversion, taking the ghost off-guard. Stell then fires at the staggered ghost. As the shot lands, a force disk swings by, hitting the ghost in the back.
Crit damage:3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 2) = 9
Dirk scores a hit IF he makes his will save and when Kalhoun manages to steel his resolve, he blasts the ghost with electricity, lighting up the ectoplasmic being with electricity from the inside.
Anyone not averting their eyes: Cold Damage, gaze:3d10 ⇒ (5, 6, 10) = 21 Cha damage:1d4 ⇒ 2DC 18 fort to negate
The ghost reaches out to touch Dirk, whose youthful face rapidly develops wrinkling and grey hair as he ghost makes contact...
Force definitely hurts the ghost, and Kalhoun's shot blasts the incorporeal. Twila 5 suddenly becomes Twila 5-8, who rapidly crisscross like the android version of the shell game. Amy hurls a forcedisk, but misses.
Stell manages to coax the ghost to leave the shell of Hinevera, but drops to the floor in unconscious exhaustion. When the morlamaw's hand lets go of her spear, the emerging ghost narrowly avoids it with a sour face, then turns to the adventurers Never! I will not give up my life's work, and it's not for you to corrupt!
The fiery gaze of this ghost is particularly distressing, and chills the bones by even making eye contact.
There's still time to avoid your eyes here, though that does give the ghost concealment
Amy recognises the Morlamaw for possessed, but doesn't manage to convince the ghost to leave the Morlamaw in peace. Twila causes a contortion, and the words of Kalhoun seem to further weaken the bond, but falls short of breaking it altogether.
Pushing further into the complex, the group comes upon a spire. The exterior walls of the spire are worn and pitted from the persistent battering of the ocean waves, and coated in barnacles, coral, and countless ocean plants. Beneath the buildup of ages, there remains complex carvings of stars, planets, and constellations, spreading across the spire like a star chart. Along the lower half of the tower, a series of perfectly circular openings are cut into the rock.
Inside, magical pinpricks of light mimic the same constellations on the outer walls, casting the tower’s interior in dim light. The lower levels are empty and hollow, but a breaching platform halfway up the spire hints to a transition from underwater to above—though today it all remains flooded.
From the landing platform, a ramp spirals up the tower, opening at last to the observatory’s central chamber through a hole in the wall.
A circular arch opens into a submerged observatory cast in eerie red light. A massive hybrid telescope sits in the center of the main chamber, with a series of magical consoles on the west wall and a ramp on the east wall, directly above the entrance. This ramp leads up 20 feet to a mezzanine that encircles the observatory. Three strange magical devices consisting of polished shell, glowing glass orbs, and delicate mechanical components line the mezzanine, each at the center of its own, smaller circular area. Above, three smaller domed ceilings ring a larger domed ceiling, its many roof panels—once capable of spiraling open to provide a view of the stars—are now rusted shut from years of disuse and neglect. Throughout the entire observatory, images are carved into the shell walls: morlamaws swimming through a sea of stars.
Hinevera floats at the control console, turning from her work to glare with glowing white eyes. Foul energy seeps from her every pore, lighting the water around her with a dull glow. She opens her mouth to speak, but a mournful scream pours from her lips, echoing through minds and souls as easily as she slips through the water.
Hinevera is clearly possessed, and releasing her from that possession takes a number of Bluff, Diplomacy, Medicine, or Mysticism checks, each of which would take a standard action.
The central chamber is an observatory platform currently 20 feet below the outer mezzanine. At its height, the consoles in the west wall could open the domed roof panels and raise this platform, thrusting the telescope into the air and offering an unparalleled view of the unobstructed skies. Today, the mechanisms that open the dome and raise the platform are damaged and don’t function.
Please place your icon somewhere in the center of the map
Kalhoun blasts the monster with electricity, just as Dirk lands a solid hit. Although Stell, Twila and Amy miss, the creature is discouraged enough to make a run for it...
Stell misses, while Twila audaciously attempts to hit the reflection, hoping she does more damage than she helps the enemy. Her shots hits, so that's a start.
Twila recognises this type of elemental as a reflection, which can alter it's presence into an absorbing diffuse state and a reflecting specular state. When in diffuse state, as currently the case, it can absorb kinetic melee blows and convert them into temporary physical health (temp HP). It has no specific weaknesses, and all the immunities of an elemental.
Twila zaps the underwater blob, though the slower-than-usual acrobatics make the move predictable. Kalhoun fires a sonar ping, but misses, instead ripping up some plants in the garden.
Stell doesn't really know what to do with the cursed keyboard, but Twila manages to give the computer a good ol' love tap. The magic smoke comes out, leaving an unpossessed but nevertheless broken computer. The device is easy to remove, so extracting the full thing to the Arniselle lodge for further study is trivial.
Outside the room, another surprise await.... something watery stirs in the garden, and it looks to be hostile!
Stell documents the computer, and as Amy swims closer and it about to hit the on-switch, she suddenly realizes that something is off about the computer.
The computer starts glowing by itself and projects images of strange constellations... in a much more ominous way than before. This thing is possessed!
Ah yes, tomatoes, very healthy. Don't feed them to Barathus, bad for their stomach lining. And they're basically all stomach lining so... Sani makes an 'explosion' gesture. See you tomorrow
The ysoki then moves over to Ozdabaki So... dangerous job being in the stewards? Get injured a lot?
