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Attenuate frees the half-orc's hands. She immediately tries to roll of the table toward Kyzin. Her feet stay put and she stops, twisted awkwardly at the waist. Her upper body is a sagging, cantilevered off the end of the table. Reynar lifts the android and tries to gravitationally pull the ooze out again. He doesn't succeed, in dislodging the ooze, but maintains control of the android.
Reynar tries to focus his gravity on the ooze to pry it loose, but it slips his 'grasp'. The android falls to the floor and comes up swinging at Mercy with a frost covered knife. She can feel the bite of the cold spread from the resulting slash. The half orc shrieks and struggles against her restraints.
DM stuff: ... C; critical staggered)
Mercy's in the way of a shot. So are Reynar and Attenuate. Viny vegetation squirms out of the cuffs of Kyzin armored jacket as he shoulders past the pair in the hall and into the treatment room. He reaches across the half-orc to strike with his vine-wrapped hands at the android. ... The android takes the blow .
Lifted, the android can't maneuver, and Moira finds it an easy target. Attenuate identifies the green patches as parts of a bodysnatcher slime. The bulk of the creature must be integrated into the android and controlling it. Fatal damage will drive it from a dead host. Just the right amount of damage may convince it to leave before the host is dead. Attenuate begins a litany of immunities common to oozes. Ooze immunities:
Attenuate pops the lock and the door swings open. Inside a half-orc woman is strapped to the examination room. An android working on the equipment at the far end of the table straightens up and turns to face you. Perception, DC 12:
The android's features seem somehow rounder than you'd normally expect in such a creature. A green swath of organic matter wraps from the android's ear to it occiput. You stare at each other for a moment, then it reaches for the pistol at its belt. The woman screams, "Help me!"
Reynar, Init: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Reynar opens the door onto some kind of treatment room. The table in the center of the room is cold hard metal. Restraints made of wide plastic strapping are fastened to the table. Behind the table is a console with monitors and instruments, metrological and operational. Discolored swathes like those in the hall weave around the table and up the walls. Stepping into the room and looking around the pahtra notices scratch marks , numerous, deep, and heavy on the inside wall, door frame and the back of the door. The last door on the north is locked.
The door is a crash out emergency exit. It's closed. It's posted "Alarm will sound." No one mentioned hearing an alarm. The floor is tile, not quite as gleaming clean as you'd expect in a hospital. Slightly discolored swaths of floor form an irregular web anchored at the doorways. Reynar opens the door. The room is long and narrow. At the far end is a desk with a computer terminal. Examining the computer: The user interface is active and open. The terminal records the date and treatment status (“treated,” “untreated,” or “inactive”) of numerous patients. But the filing system is a chaotic mess. Records only seem to go back a few weeks. Computers, DC 18 Spoiler:
You compile a coherent list of clients so that you can analyze the data present and compare it to the list of names from Hurondo’s office to confirm that many match. You also note that the earlier logs were written using rudimentary spelling and grammar, that seems to improve slightly with each subsequent entry.
There's no response to Moira's knock, so she opens the door. Behind it a hall extends to the western edge of the clinic, ending in a door marked with an emergency exit sign. A reception area is visible to the south. Three doors line the northern and southern ends of the hall, each marked A through F with clear signs. A background odor of citrus pervades the area, seemingly at odds with the facility’s lack of cleanliness. The view shimmers slightly through the energy field covering the doorway.
The vesk has been in enough pain long enough that any offer of help is gratefully, if gruffly, received. Attenuate adroitly tends his wounds. The vesk's gratitude afterward is less gruff.
Medicine DC 10, Culture DC 15:
Medical facilities often employ low level forcefields tuned to create molecular level quarantine areas to prevent airborne transmission of vairuses, etc. The crowd says no one's been treated or at least no one's come out of the door for hours. Reynar checks the calendar; "SHould they being doing that? Appointments are scheduled and it looks like they were almost on time a couple hours ago when the receptionist went west, but nothing's changed since the receptionist left.
They've been waiting a couple hours since the receptionist went through the door to the west. About 20 minutes ago a woman who had been waiting went through the door to find out what's going on, but she hasn't yet returned. Most of the people in line have little or no physical damage. Their problems seem to be mostly mental or imagined. There is one shirren who should be at a real emergency room. He's suffered broken ribs and has internal bleeding.
The Open Collective is only a 30 minute walk from the Uniters’ Headquarters in a similarly run-down region of the Spike, though it sees a trickle of foot traffic near its front, with a half-dozen or so citizens travelling to destinations using the corridor path. Several parts of the building appear damaged. DC 16, Engineering:
The building suffers from a lack of upkeep amounting to several weeks of neglect. The south-facing door is the main entrance. From the lobby there are doors to the east and west. Opaque force fields in the south wall (marked red on the map) block the way into other rooms. There are locked fire exits in the western and eastern walls. Reception Area
A line of approximately 20 hopeful yet downtrodden creatures are here talking excitedly about what they are going to do with their lives after being miraculously cured. They wait behind the empty reception desk.
"Today is looking up actually." Hurondo rumbles. Bargai jumps in. "Yeah. The Collective cut us off last week. We're still advertising for them in hopes we can smooth over whatever the issue is."
Bargai, apparently confident of getting paid now that Hurondo confessed. "We may take you up on that now that we're all friends. I'll ask some of the crew if they'd like that, they're not all here right now. Maybe you could come back in a few hours?"
"I came in through the bathroom window. -- Without protection. Not even a silver spoon." The pahtra's earlier offer of Starfinder compensation is less enthusiastic once it becomes apparent he'll have to dig into his personal credits. "I'll give what I can," he reluctantly agrees. "It won't come close to covering what you're asking, though," he adds, a touch defensive in embarrassment. ... Bargai looks sharply at the pahtra.
Hurondo: "Not much more. Look at their leaflets. They're promising cures that sound too good to be true. The hallmark of charlatans and cheats." Bargai: "And they don't stick to a deal.
Hurondo lurches up off the cot. He looms over Moira, but his tone remains mild. "Who told you I threw the first punch? What I did was break into the building because I thought some missing Respite clients might be here. The Uniters tried to defend their home. We couldn't resolve our differences civilly before the situation escalated and I lost the fight. Tell me it might not have gone down the same way if you were in my place. I was stupid and unlucky. So please pay the lady if you can and let's draw a curtain over this whole incident. The Respite will be good for your out of pocket. " Orghuun and Bargai nod while Hurondo relates his story. After a short pause he continues. "I am glad you want to take over the investigation, because I don't have the stomach for it now. However, after talking nicely with Orghuun this morning, I think the missing Starfinders went to The Open Collective. It seems to be some kind of shady clinic that has been poaching clients with unrealistic promises. Some of their patients have suffered memory loss and mental disorientation. Apparently the Collective stopped paying the Uniters last week and have cut off communications."
"Terrible." Mercy shakes her head "World's falling apart for some of those patients. Jiwalla's keeping things together mostly, but the place could use you back." "I'm glad to hear it's still functioning, and somewhat sad that I am needed. The world we live in.... I think you can help me get back there today. " "Speaking of-" She jabs a finger at the cuffs "- since you're free more or less, what was keeping you here specifically? I can't imagine this cot's a better place to look for missing patients." Hurondo unleashes another toothy smile. "Unfortunately my charm isn't instant, especially when sedated. I wasn't free of those shackles until this morning, and then talking to Orghuun seemed important. He's a good sort and I've almost convinced him to join us at the Respite." Bargai interjects. "Can you tell these four that you were trespassing here, and that we didn't randomly attack and kidnap you?" A strange quirk turns the shobhad's lips S-shaped while he shakes his head and his gaze drifts to the floor. "This is true. Can you pay her? The Uniters feel much aggrieved, and with some reason. I'd prefer to chalk this episode up to stupidity and leave without further rancor."
8-10-U8:
Both are in generally good health, but recovering from severe soft tissue damage. The shobhad smiles at Mercy. If you're not used to the oversized lower canines, a shobhad smile can look quite menacing. "Yes, I am Hurondo. And there is no reason an unruly starfinder can't do both. Especially one with my curiousity, bad luck, and personal charm." From the couch the nuar tosses his head . "Orghuun. I can vouch for the unruly, but maybe not the charming." He touches his ribcage at 'unruly', and gestures broadly back at Hurondo for the 'charming.'
"I came looking for some absent Respite clients. My investigation put me in the wrong place, at the wrong time. After a - fractious introduction in which all concerned demonstrated a proper warrior spirit that would not shame our ancestors - I have spent several days continuing my investigation surreptitiously from the hospitable confines of this cot." He cocks his head. "HOw's Jiwalla and the Respite?"
After a moment Bargai nods. "Check your weapons with Daria, then. I will lead you to Hurondo." After your weapons are deposited with Daria, Bargai leads you into the headquarters. Inside the front door is a large open room with doors on all the walls. The two Uniters who had been talking to Bargai when you arrived are lounging on two large couche in the middle of the room. Two corridors branch to the left and right along the far wall. The door to the left has been removed from its hinges. The room beyond has been gutted. Debris from the walls lies on the floor. From the door to your right comes a faint odor, that can only be bathroom and shower. From somewhere ahead comes the smell of cooking. Bargai leads you down the right hand corridor. Two deep voices speak animatedly, then break into chuckles. Bargai stops beside a door. "Hurondo, you have visitors." She waves you inside. A couch and a bed are the only furniture in Hurondo's spacious room. The walls are broken open in several places and thin sheets of plastic cover two windows to the north and east. A massive shobhad that must be Hurondo sits on the bed. Across from him a large nuar sprawls on the couch. A set of open manacles hangs limply from a bolt in the wall behind Hurondo. The two stop laughing and turn to look at you.
The vlaka nods. "Look, despite the redhead's belief that we must have randomly attacked Hurondo, there was no reason to. We're doing all right as community builders. Now I've got to have something to show my people -- fairness in action. Weregild, if you like. If you hear it from HUrondo himself that he broke into our crib will you pay? 1000's as low as I can go."
"We defended our home from an intruder. If we went poking around inside the Lorespire Complex, would we be met with a smile and friendly drink, or would we be facing armed security? You walk around everywhere openly armed. How many gunfights have there been in Absalom Station involving Starfinders? The only difference between you and the gangs of Downlow and the Spike is that you're better financed and better connected so that the Station authorities look the other way.But your kind doesn't scare me. We're going to build something better down here, where everyone shares in prosperity. Our message is growing and people are starting to listen. "
In response to Reynar's offer for alternative communication methods. Jed says, "I'll translate." 8-10-U8 or DC 16:
Jed places her other hand on Bargai's forearm. While anyone talks she taps and squeezes the vlaka's hand and forearm. The pahtra's courtesy and tact seem to be working. 8-10-U8:
Bargai has easily detected bruising and scratching that are well on the way to being healed. It's probably been a few days since the injuries occured. "Fair enough and a generous offer. But we've suffered some property loss, personnel damage, and have incurred expenses caring for Hurondo. Throw in 1200 credits and we have a deal. " The vlaka's steely light blue eyes flick from Starfinder to Starfinder. Jed watches you to see if you've understood the vlaka's speech. She repeats Bargai's words if anyone seems thrown by the accent.
Jed steps forward and gestures broadly while talking. "Bargai, these are some Starfinders we were talking to. Daria thinks they might be able to help us out with Hurondo." The two Uniters in the doorway step inside.
Jed goes to her side and they take each other's hand. Daria leans against the wall, out of the way. "Starfinders, what do you have to say?" The bargai's voice is thick and the sounds are oddly modulated. Daria whispers to Kyzin, "She's deaf."
** I edited my last post but it didn't take. Not-Jed is called Daria. Reynar:
Part of that edit was resolving your culture check. As you'll find out in a second, the UNiter's HQ is in the Spike, the portion of the station that is literally the lowest of the low, socially as well as physically. Downlow is Spike adjacent, and despite the existence of many shady operations in the Downlow, most residents attitude is "at least we're better than the Spike." This creates a tension between wanting to monitor happenings in the Spike as a kind of warning system and a willful desire to ignore it completely. A fledgling gang would barely ring a bell, unless it made some kind of big splash or had an amazingly charismatic or newsworthy leader.
Neither the Uniters, nor Bargai meet that bar. When you get to the HQ, peeking from beneath the boards over the windows, is the corner of a distinctive poisonous green paper. It's a color you see occasionally in the Downlow on notices that structural units have been condemned and are slated for destruction and extensive renovation by Station Authorities. Daria and Jed lead you lower and lower through the station and through descending social classes all the way to the least desirable sector, the Spike. The smell of sewage intermittently wafts throughout the area. Finally they turn into a corridor and proclaim, "Home sweet Unity." The “headquarters” is a rundown single-story apartment house. (While the Eye sports buildings like the Lorespire Complex, the lower decks' "buildings" are modules that are more integrated into the station's structure.) The apartment house has windows fronting the corridor. The windows have been haphazardly boarded up with recycled plastic planks. The front entrance door hangs crookedly in its frame, and graffiti—both fresh and half-scrubbed—adorns the walls. Two humans in clothing and gear with themes similarly to Jed's and Daria's occupy the area near the entrance. They are reaching toward someone in the shadowed entrance, talking and gesturing. Rounding the corner, Daria's confidence evaporates and he slows down. Jed looks over, "We're in it now. Come on." Jed takes the lead walking toward the doorway and waves to announce his presence.
DM stuff: side of the building via a small metal staircase behind a locked
grate that requires a successful DC 20 Engineering check (DC 23 in Subtier 3–4) to open. The door is otherwise made of plastic (hardness 8, 30 Hit Points). The ceiling within the structure is 15 feet high and is entirely enclosed with no overhead access points. Creatures: Bargai is a deaf vlaka who travelled to Absalom Station in response to her home world’s impending doom. The vlaka was something of an outcast within her community after she killed a prominent vlaka leader’s son in self-defense. While Bargai was not imprisoned or exiled as her actions were lawful, the community at large shunned her because the slain vlaka was well-liked. Bargai left for Absalom Station to begin a new life. She formed another community in the poorer parts of the Spike in hopes to discover new meaning and purpose. Unfortunately, competing gangs injured, killed, or recruited most of the allies she had accumulated. Bargai soon realized that to attain her goal, she must outmuscle and outsmart other gangs enough to garner the general support of the populace. If the PCs approach, Bargai tells the other Uniters to get inside and attempts to close the doors behind them. If the PCs initiate combat, Bargai and the two Uniters attempt to disengage and move inside the headquarters to shut the door. If the PCs try to talk to Bargai, note that she’s deaf and communicates with a tactile version of Common shared with her Uniter allies. The PCs must succeed at a DC 25 Diplomacy check (DC 27 in Subtier 3–4) in order to convince Bargai not to attack. Even then, Bargai isn’t willing to part with Hurondo without some form of recompense, and unless the PCs make another DC 25 Diplomacy or Intimidate check (DC 27 in Subtier 3–4) they must
"Not while we were handing out fliers. He was poking around our crib." Not-Jed flashes a triumphant smile at his companion. "Yeah, smooth it over. Like milk, or silk. That's what I'm hoping for." Somehow you're sure he's never seen real silk, or possibly even milk.
The two Uniters look at each other. One flashes an ephemeral scowl; the other blanches a bit. He pauses with an uncertain downward glance before raising his head to respond. "Hurondo's his name. Look, you seem pretty chill. Maybe you can help us out. The big dude came poking around into our business and we jumped him. -- Wait! Just let me talk. Anyway, he thrashed a bunch of us. About broke Jed's ribs. We beat on him. And now we've got a damaged shobhad nursing at our HQ. It's a delicate situation. Even Bargai isn't sure what to do. Some of our guys who got hit would like to put his lights out, but like I said, he is pretty chill and some of us think we should cut him loose. Others think he should pay for the property damage plus some consideration. Since you're Starfinders, and all, maybe you could help us negotiate an end to this?"
"Give me a little credit. You just walked out of the Starfinder Headquarters. You're not a suit or a comrade plebian. But I had to ask because you're not packing as much heat as most. (I dig the handware by the way.) We've met some Starfinders. Most who talk to us are real twitchy. They been through some fraking piles. The big dude is chill though."
"That's why they have doctors." The young Uniter replies, as if doctors make everything all right. "Can't fault finding a job you can feel good about." Mercy rolls her shoulders "But you lot look like you're cut out for more than just handing out flyers. Have you done anything else for this Collective? Like say, finding people?" She leaves it at "finding" even though she has a sense they're probably fine doing dirtier work. "We're really just pledges. We have to do all the scut work. Bargai says we have to prove our worth. Are you guys really real Starfinders? You seem less twitchy than some of the ones we've talked to."
"Yeah, it's cool. And the message is great. But we don't take any flack from anyone. "
"Services other than wiping trauma out of your brain? What other miracles are they up to?" Mercy smirks, then slaps the fellow on the back. Mercy's back-slapping gambit succeeds. The Uniter relaxes. "I don't know about medical s&%*. They do good work, and that's why the Uniters work with them. And we get a nice finder's fee for new patients. Bargai calls it doing well by doing good. "
The other human replies, "I don't know. Collective -- Commmunity. Bringing people together. It's like the Uniters, man. Does it have to be more than a cool name?" They're both dressed in semi-current street-punk, the cheapest of lightly armored faux-flightsuits, weighted fingerless gloves, knife tucked into calf-high boots, and a small semi-automatic handgun in a holster above their butt crack. Could be a gang uniform. Could be a poor marketing ploy to borrow some Starfinder vibe.
A mission in mind, course charted, you step out of the Lorespire Complex en route to the nearest transport tube. Outside two humans distribute pamphlets and talk to passersby about a new medical clinic in the Spike that promises to ease their burdens and erase painful recollections of traumatic events via a state of the art memory modification procedure. The humans loudly proclaim the procedure is 100% safe and effective. The thoroughfare here is long and narrow, 20 feet wide, and crowded with creatures travelling to and from the Lorespire Complex and various other locations. The area contains different types of flora commonly found on the native planets of the major species that call Absalom Station home,
DC 17 Sense Motive: These two humans are hiding something. If the PCs confront either of the humans, they proudly identify themselves as potential recruits for a new group: the Uniters.
The UNiters, DC 21 Culture Spoiler:
A gang in the Spike that performs odd jobs for larger gangs or organizations.
Jiwalla bares her teeth in a smile. "I may not have had useful information, but maybe I can help pay for some. The Society has provided us with a discretionary fund for 'the aid of exemplary agents.' I can think of no better use than to help find Hurondo. This credstick has 1500 credits on it. Just bring him back alive."
Jiwalla's door opens at your touch. Inside, her furniture is all spotless surfaces arranged in rectilinear patterns. A single datapad is on her desk. Two more are in a rack on top of the file cabinet behind her. The geometric precision is at odds with scuffs and peeling paint of the office walls. "Agents, I've not been able to recall anything that I feel may be of use to you. Did you find any leads in Hurondo's office?"
Attenuate:
The treatment plans are holistic, homeopathic, or cognitive therapy-based. Some mild, mostly over-the-counter, medicines are included. No serious psychotropic drugs or technology based behavioral techniques are used. In one file there is a frustrated note that wishes for a real psychiatrist on staff that could prescribe such treatments instead of referring members to the Stafinder medical corps or insurance. There's no sign of Hurondo's personal calendar, nor of a personal datapad in which Hurondo would have recorded his plans for the last few days.
Hurondo’s office door has an engraved brass nameplate given to him by First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo during the Respite’s opening. Inside, a holographic interface displays a newsfeed from the infosphere, currently playing a short segment describing several of the Respite’s missing clients and instructing viewers to report any sightings of these people to the center. Several holographic projections on the walls display images commemorating Hurondo’s service to the Starfinder Society; the largest shows a continuous loop of a ribbon cutting ceremony outside the Healing Arches attended by Jiwalla, Hurondo, Zigvigix, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo, and a small group of other high-ranking Starfinders. Reynar notices several datapads containing the personal information of various creatures, including photos and addresses associated with several temporary residences in the Spike. Reading through these files and COmputers or Culture DC 16:
The datapads contain confidential information related to the type of trauma each creature was being treated for as well as their associated treatment plans. Reynar: You find sprayflesh and an advanced medkit that Hurondo kept in case of emergencies hidden inside a desk.
Jiwalla spins on her heel. "I assure you, agent, that I have no information of value to you at this time. Hurondo was concerned that some members have stopped coming to the Respite, but I recall no specifics. I would suggest that you be sure to check his calendar when you search his office. He might have documented when and where he planned to meet any absent members. Meanwhile, I will consider the events of the recent days and will share any information that would be helpful to you when you check in before leaving the Respite."
Despite Jiwalla's attempt to draw a false start, and the inherent advantage in announcing 'GO" herself. Reynar's fluid stride and nimble avoidance of hallway obstacles enables the pahtra to just edge out the ysoki at the corridor's end. Mercy follows at a distance. Jiwalla leans against the corridor wall breathing deeply. After a few seconds she recovers her breath. "Well, you're not the best conditioned recruits, I've ever seen, but I guess you'll do. If you ever want a rematch, come on back." She pushes off the wall and straightens up. "Hurondo's office is right here. Feel free to look around. I'll be in my office, here. Check in with me before you leave. " She taps the door to her right for Hurondo, and steps into the door to her left. Shortly before the end of the corridor, you passed an opening in the wall leading to a large room; it contains multiple types of vidgames, old fashioned card and board games, and several extremely comfortable pieces of furniture. A coffee machine and a platter containing various finger foods commonly enjoyed by several Pact Worlds species sit atop a table near the door. A female korasha lashunta rests in one of the chairs with her eyes closed. As Jiwalla steps into her office, another door behind you up the corridor opens and several humanoid creatures come out looking relieved and with a spring in their step. They call out good-byes and thanks to someone who is obviously still in the room. Then they head for the exit.
Jiwalla quickly falls into a well-practiced rythym and crushes the rowing. Kyzin comes closest by he's a full 15% below her output. Mercy makes a respectable showing, but Reynar can't find a rythmm. The pahtra scores barley a third of the ysoki's output. Jiwalla seems pretty pleased with herself.
"Get some water and a few minutes rest. I don't want to take advantage of you while you're all winded." After the short rest Jiwalla claps her hands together. "Okay. Last challenge. It's just a sprint down the corridor. Ready, set, NO false starts, GO!"
GM stuff:
"This won't take long at all, and Huronodo's been gone for days. Exercise clears the mind and sharpens the wits. You'll be better prepared for your mission. "Jiwalla frowns at Reyn's try, but nods approvingly after Moira and Kyzin lift. When she steps up and tries herself, you can see the shape of corded muscles straining through her fur. Her left foot slips and she sprawls on the floor, the weights never quite clearing the stack. "Congratulations, you all bested me in this contest. And you are the day's champion." The last addressed to Mercy. She's clearly a little miffed, although whether at you or at herself or at her traitor foot is unclear. She leads the way aross the room. "We'll grind out a 5 minute sprint on these rowing machines. Sounds short, but if you're giving it your all it will take a toll. " She cranks up the resistance and selects an activity profile on all the machines before seating herself. "Let's go." She doesn't wait but starts rowing right away. Its clear she's done this before, and done it well.
GM stuff:
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