Dr Taproot's page

After your meal you return back to the library where a communications console you hadn't noticed before chimed when you entered. As before it was a message from Dr Taproot biometrically keeyed for your eyes only.

The Doctor's holographic image flickered as he told you, "Hopefully you've had a chance to do some research. If you haven't already I'd encourage you to learn how to fly the ship. Anyway that's not what I called you for, rather I wanted to share the last thing Vesta told me. Its agents brought it a photograph of the Coronation of Emperor Marhatbarran III of Kez."

The holographic image shifts to show the young but commanding emperor being crowned inside a huge cathedral in front of the creme of the empire's aristocracy. It's a sitting propaganda image, designed to make the Emperor look like God's chosen.

"The interesting bit here is the Kez Imperial State Crown. See the glowing gem at the front? Vesta believes that's in fact the head of the Staff of Jhistal. All you need to do to save the world is steal it, and reassemble the staff. Any questions?"

"Hmm" muttered The Guardian, "Perhaps they are referring to the High Clerist's library?"

Dr Taproot nodded, "My thoughts exactly. I'm guessing it'll take you some time to find what you're looking for. I'll contact you again in eight standard hours."

With that the transmission ended in a burst of static.

The console was complicated which Xindyra discovered immediately. However with Yukarii's help she was able to narrow down the possibilities and soon the biometric sensor whirred into life. She place one hand on it, and a horizontal beam of green light scanned her. Moments later there was a ping and a grainy image formed above the console which resolved into Dr Taproot.

Sounding a little surprised he exclaimed, "Oh! Wait! Ohhhh! Am I dreaming, are you truly in to The high house of Elodin?! Everyone thought it lost. Well now that explains something... You see Vesta asked me to contact you to pass on a message. This didn't make sense, surely it could do that itself? Anyway I rather doubt the Guardian is accepting hail requests from minds. You see before the sundering, the enemy suborned minds in charge of our defense platforms where turned against our cities. Hundreds of million perished in atomic fire. As you might expect afterwards there was great distrust of minds in general, whether they deserved it or not."

The flickering blue figure paced before telling you, "Vesta implores you to research something called The Staff of Jhistal. Supposedly you're near a data cache, the password of which is apparently 'Jhistal Raraku Elodin Imperator.' Once you've learned what you can, Vesta asks that you contact it."

Some of you notices the shadow of Vesta's ovoid as silently appeared behind you. A thin bluish beam shone out this and the image of Dr Taproot appeared. He looked around and remarked in Marin (which was translated to common in another voice with a slight delay), "Congratulations for convincing Vesta to let you leave." He glanced around and said, "Well this uh charming vessel is rather different from what we had in my day, I'm sure it'll do..."

This earned a scowl from Braenar who folded his arms in annoyance.

Dr Taproot didn't seem to notice as he carried on, "Not sure I'll ever get used to the seemingly bottomless skies below whee by all rights there should be solid ground. Anyway I've been doing some research, I stand my recommendation of using the Indar Solarwells but at the back of my mind there's the worry that what if gods forbid that didn't pan out? Well in the archives I've found two possible leads."

The flickering blue image of Dr Taproot Think of starwars holo projectors. started pacing as he spoke, "About fifteen years before everything went to hell, the entire applied arcaneology department of the university of Titania simply vanished one morning. Titania was the second largest settlement on Oberon and the university was well regarded and the sudden disappearance of several hundred of the most brilliant arcanists was a great shock. Generally everyone assumed there had been some kind of terrible accident but I'm not so sure of that."

"I've read some of the correspondence of the Dean Professor Angelis to his wife and children. They where in the Vega system at the time and he'd been exhorting them to return with all haste due to a 'catastrophe of world shattering proportions' that had been predicted by multiple long range divinations. We know that Professor Angelis was interested in teleportation and gate magic. What's more there's some circumstantial evidence that the entire department was plane-shifted into either the Ethreral or the Astral plane but with the same coordinates as in the material world. In theory it would be possible to check and see where they went. Vesta understands that Professor Angelis was working on a plan to teleport the entire planetary system to a different safe location in the wider metaverse..."

"The other thing I've heard whispers about, but without access to the interlinks can't check is the meaning of the phrase 'Jhistal Raraku Elodin Imperator'. It was linked to a sect of Elodin's clergy, one that Nylarthotep's cultists went to an extraordinary lengths to silence. This must have been important, for the cult spent hundreds of agents, even going as far as lighting builder's suns to assassinate the High Clerist Markos Imari and everyone else in Titania. I think perhaps you could talk to the current day church of Elodin, or maybe the followers of St Ignatius of the Scroll. They may well have records that date back before the sundering."

Taproot's image flickered and there was a slight delay as Dr Munroe's question was translated. Taproot replied, "The traditional way to talk to a city mind is via a terminal or by entering holo-space. This is sophistry however since Vesta is certainly capable of listening into us and projecting itself onto the walls - you've already seen the city script I'm sure. It just won't do that since part of it deep down believes in respecting privacy."

The image Dr Taproot's eyebrows rose and he replied, "Sounds like Vesta is unwilling to let go, it is enormously powerful within its domain. More than anything it wants to protect its citizens from any and all harm, wrapping them up in so much cotton wool. Even death is no barrier to its smothering protection."

Grimacing he said, "I fear the longer you stay here, the more unreasonable it will become when you try to leave. I recommend seeking an audience and I would suggest pointing out you are not citizens, merely guests and offer to repair the interlink which is beyond the city boundary."

Answering the ladies, Dr Taproot said, "Before the sundering my answer would have been yes absolutely, a simple holo projector would sufficed because high capacity datalinks where omnipresent. You can easily order one printed, they're not on the restricted list. These days I'm mostly stuck in Vesta's compute infrastructure, although repairs to the interlinks might restore high capacity links with the other cities. I'm actually a bit surprised Vesta hasn't done that long ago, maybe it can't?"

Dr Taproot seemed troubled "Mmm the Githyanki are raiders and opportunists lead by the iron fist of Vlaakith their lich queen. They foolishly picked a fight with a race called the Orix who came this close to wiping them out. Some of them came here seeking asylum, Special Circumstances argued against it but the people felt sorry for them and we took them in. This was a mistake, some factions within the Githyanki worship unspeakable things from between the stars and our act of generosity brought their malevolent attention and we all know what that lead to."

He listened to the rest of Zendara's story before saying, "So it sounds like their priest caste knew about the sapient darkness and manipulated the warrior caste into thinking it was a weapon for the taking. Poor deluded fools, doesn't explain the spiders but Githyanki court politics is famously vicious and it wouldn't surprise me if some other faction had an axe to grind. Anyway their ship is likely horribly compromised and no longer able to provide life support outside of an atmosphere, although if things get desperate it could be one last card up our sleeves."

He paused to consider, "I still think the gate in the imperial museum is your best bet. Regarding a micro fusion generator, it would be within Vesta's power to make one for you, but you can bet it'll require a service of some kind, something it can't do itself. Considering what it can do I'd be worried about what that service might be."

Sadly the Githyanki language is not Marin although you think it would be much easier to understand their technology now, they stole everything from other races and despite resulting hodgepodge the rules of the multiverse and the principles of the technology are mostly consistent.

Edwin's words took Dr Taproot by surprise, "Really? You found a derelict vessel carrying the Sapient Darkness and you survived... I'm sure there's quite a story there. I'm curious what manner of vessel was this? An Oberon Force ship?"

Dr Taproot blinked, "Ah! Oh! You mean to say you underwent the procedure without anesthesia!? My my, I'm not sure I'd recommend that... Well the health center, next building over has a dispensary, you can probably get some meds there. Let's see, yes I've sent a prescription for you I have that much influence still. I was a medical doctor before I got interested in high energy physics, and the system still recognizes my license."

Going to assume Dr Taproot's words are translated.

"Hope..." Dr Taproot blinked, "It's a long while since I've had any of that. Of course being dead tends to change your outlook. Like the majority of the population, my body died when the thousand suns were lit. What you see here is a kind of a backup, an incomplete timeworn one at that. Every so often I come out of stasis and do what little I can to help, although my influence is not what it once was."

He started pacing although his flickering image hovered in place above the communications console. Sighing he told you, "As for combat and shield modules... Well this is going to sound silly, you already have the implant but military grade functionality is locked out, any of the minds could provide the codes but I don't suppose any of them will. Well certainly not Vesta, I doubt would Herra or Ixtab would.

Many where destroyed or lost, I do however know where one keyed to Indar is, but I don't think you'll like it. It's an exhibit in the Imperial Museum in Midderland, I seriously doubt they've any idea what it is however and it would be for the best if it stayed that way... Oh and you'll need to beg steal or borrow a microfusion generator to power it up."

In game terms yes all those upgrades will be available, but you need to level up first. Pretty much everything from the technology guide is available (except firearms, laser guns are a thing on the other hand) but those items will count against WBL to make sure thing don't get too out of whack.

Dr Taproot listened to Zendara's translation and his image flickered as he frowned. He sighed and replied in Marin.

Zendara flicked a switch to turn the machine on, a fan inside stirred to life and a small light winked on. She was about to try something else when a powerful noise like static which was interspersed by a series of rising tones which carried on for a thirty seconds or so before suddenly falling silent. A flickering light appeared above which got brighter anf brighter and then in a flash there was a tiny transparent facsimile of a man in seemingly suspended in mid air above the unit, it was Dr Taproot and much clearer than before.

Taproot squinted at you before booming, "Ah excellent! You have boosted the signal, did you manage to obtain energy weapons too like I suggested? That city mind is never going to let you go willingly, it's been alone too long and gone rather strange."