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I’m having a busy weekend, but I’ll move us along in a day or two. If you haven’t yet, please add a token to the slides for marching order (as much to make sure you can access and edit the slides, as for the actual information).
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.
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.
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?"
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.
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.
Piloting, Physical Science Lore, or Warfare Lore DC 17:
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. Crafting DC 18:
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. Arcana DC 18:
Some of the metal built into the ship's hull has magical or quantum dampening properties. Perception or Survival DC 16: You notice tracks from a number of Small insects in the area, leading into the wreck.
rolls:
Chk Chk:
You know the information in the Nevasi and Zemir spoiler above, and also...
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. Iseph:
You are quite sure that Akiton is a planet of sweltering red deserts with no reprieve from the heat or sun, and there's nothing else interesting about it. 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.
rolls:
Navasi and Zemir:
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.
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... ~~~~~~~~~~~
"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." ~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
Sounds like we're good to go with Operative, Envoy, Mystic, and Witchwarper as the group. You can go ahead and add the pregen information and marching order to the slides. One thing to know is that for this scenario, the iconics you're playing are not members of the Starfinder Society but rather mercenaries hired for this mission. I'll have a first post ready soon-ish to make the situation clear.
Big Red
Will these players please report in here: 1-00 Collision's Wake
Greetings! Your first order of business is to decide who will be playing which pregens. If you don't have the files already, you can see all six of them uploaded here in bbcode format: SF2e Pregens Level 3
Once you know who you're playing, please add their info and a token for marching order to these slides: 1-00 Collision's Wake
You may dot in here.
Huzzah! Welcome in, all three. I would ideally like to get (at least) one more player so I'll leave it open for a bit longer. Signup link copied again here since I've pushed on to the next page: RPG Chronicles for 1-00 Collision's Wake There's no deadline so I don't mind waiting as long as it takes to get a group interested in playing the scenario. Is it because 2nd edition is still so new? Or perhaps with holiday season people are feeling a bit busy.Honestly? Both, sorry to say. At least for me. Fair enough! There will be other opportunities down the road to try it out.
...Nobody? *nervously checks if I copied the wrong link* There's no deadline so I don't mind waiting as long as it takes to get a group interested in playing the scenario. Is it because 2nd edition is still so new? Or perhaps with holiday season people are feeling a bit busy.
Recruiting now for 1-00 Collision's Wake Emerging suddenly from deep space, a massive alien starship has crashed into the surface of the planet Akiton, in an isolated region known as the Sloughscar Hills. Although the starship was traveling at speeds that should have cracked the planet in half, Akiton endured and the fallout was minimal. Within hours, salvagers and explorers the world over race to the wreck, determined to salvage what valuables and technology they can from the mysterious vessel. Believing the starship has a connection to the mysterious First Ones, an advanced civilization from antiquity that the Starfinder Society believes aims to invade the Pact Worlds, the Starfinders hire the nearest team of mercenaries to enter and explore the wreck—you! Overcome dangerous creatures, malfunctioning technology, volatile magic, and opportunistic salvagers in your quest to be the first to explore the Wreck of the Returned! Players use 3rd-level versions of the Starfinder iconic characters in this debut special adventure of Starfinder Society for Starfinder Second Edition! This adventure additionally serves as a prequel to the upcoming Invasion’s Edge storyline. Written by John Godek. Sign up here: RPG Chronicles The scenario requires level 3 pregens, but you should sign up with the character you want to apply credit to. We will start as soon as there's a full table of 4 to 6 people.
Itch is pretty sure he has a sense of the android's movements, but the shot again goes wide. Garven also swings away; the bone blade doesn't even come close to making contact, however the solar brand strikes true and burns a wound across the android's chest. Meanwhile, Jaqweh moves to take care of the civilians nearby. His authoritative demeanor and official Steward garb trigger an instinctive obedience, and the people start moving toward the exit in a relatively calm manner. A couple of them do as he suggests and start assisting the ones who are panicking. It might take a little time, but it looks like the witnesses are making progress toward escaping to safety. Round 4&5
Itch's return fire blasts harmlessly against the doorframe, but the android makes a slightly un-android-like snarl in response. Now that they get right up to the room, Garven and Faria can see that it contains a variety of equipment and a medical bed that currently has an unconscious half-orc strapped to it. On her way to approach, Eralyn looks at the commotion, but sees only a mix of people variously trying to force their way out of the door, frozen in panic, or huddled against one of the walls. They all seem to be reacting poorly to the sudden outburst of combat in their vicinity. The android drops the pistol and slams against Garven with unnatural strength.
Round 4&5
GM rolls:
Eralyn doesn't see anything physically unusual about the android. Garven feels that something is off, but he's not sure exactly what. Androids are difficult to read at the best of times. The android flinches at Jaqweh's words, and appear to hesitate. But when Itch says I'm going to report you, their eyes harden and they lift the weapon. "No. You won't." The android fires at the old woman directly across the way, and then ducks back into the room, though the door remains standing open.
Round 3&4
I played this scenario first, and our GM was pretty confused about the ship layout. When I got to GM it, I found out why. I had to stare at the map for a long time and read and re-read the room descriptions to figure out what was going on. It could really use some 'Tab A goes into Slot B' indications. Here's how I did it: * Start in D1, may or may not fight some robots
(Forward = left side of the map, Aft = right side)
I'm going to be pretty busy this weekend due to Easter. I'll try to post, at least on Saturday, but I'm not sure when I'll have time to sit down at a computer.
Faria steps up to Garven's side and slashes with her glowing weapon. Her well-placed attack slices the thing open, and it releases its grip on the dwarf to fall twitching to the floor. Round 3
Altorin's spear strikes true and stabs a hole into the slime's goopy body. It still holds together but looks as though it is barely doing so. Round 2
There are also links on the individual AP volume pages. For example the store page for Giantslayer part 1 has a line "Battle of Bloodmarch Hill" is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure Path and Chronicle sheet are available as a free download. " What you're doing is campaign mode (play the full AP with your own house rules and credit can be applied to characters at certain points along the way). There are also rules for playing with actual organized play characters. It sounds like this is not what you're doing, so be careful not to get them mixed up. What you need to do as the GM is fill out the chronicles for your players, and report the games in the organized play section of Paizo's website. Your players who do society play might be able to help if there are aspects of that process you're not sure about.
Itch gets a good read on the slime, but his shot goes wide, as does Eralyn's. While Jaqweh fans out to one side, Garven gets in a slash against the creature. It still clings on tenaciously to his torso, though it looks to be quite injured judging from the green goo oozing from multiple wounds. The closest door on the opposite hallway's north side bursts open, and an android hurries out to its entrance and looks toward the supply room. They draw a pistol upon seeing the commotion and shout, "What's going on here?!" A fresh scream goes up from the waiting area and several people there start shoving in the direction of the main door. They have some trouble with how crowded and confused it is. Round 2
GM rolls:
Faria and Altorin hustle to the center of the action, and Eralyn lands a solid hit with her laser rifle. The slime slithers across the floor away from the foes that suddenly surround it and then tries to slam into Garven again .
This time the slime manages to wrap itself around the dwarf's leg, and starts inching up his body. Round 2
Itch quickly picks up an intuitive sense of how the creature moves, and hits at a tender spot on its belly. Garven's stab strikes true as well, and gives it a nasty shock. Jaqweh stares carefully, but doesn't see any reaction or even a sign that it comprehended what he said. Shortly after you enter combat, a shrill scream comes from the waiting area and a confusion of voices can be heard: "Was that a gun being fired?" "What's going on?" "Will everybody quiet down?!" "I want to go hoooome!" Those with a clear line of sight to the entryway can see that the people are not hurt but there is a great deal of unrest. Round 1 (get 'em on the slime)
Perception checks:
Jaqweh finds that this computer is less secured than the other, and quickly gets in and pulls up a list of accounts of some kind. Eralyn feels the knowledge tickling her brain, and then something in the citrus liquid clicks it all into place. She has a sudden epiphany: the goop must come from a bodysnatcher slime. They are parasitic oozes that can take over peoples' bodies, but in their unattached state they often gorge themselves on sugar. Just as she is coming to this realization, Garven rounds the other end of the pile of crates, and a cat-sized slimy figure lurches out of hiding to attack.
The slime slams itself into Garven's side, trying to wrap itself around him, but it can't quite get a grip on his armor. Round 1
GM screen:
Eralyn feels confident that she successfully disabled the sprinkler system. Across the way she does indeed see a computer terminal resting atop a desk, between two large cylindrical power generators. The devices hum with actinic power, while a glass window shows the grimy bulkheads of Absalom Station's interior only twenty feet beyond. The storeroom to the east is roughly forty-by-sixty-feet, and mostly filled with stacks of crates. Dim lights shine from the ceiling, some twenty feet above. Some of the crates lie on their sides, spilling out tiny white crystals onto the ground. Thin pools of citrus-smelling green liquid dissolve the edges of these spills, and the overall odor of citrus is more intense in this room. Another computer terminal blinks against the northern wall. An exit door leads out to the east, while a larger exit is visible to the south. Medicine DC 12:
You recognize the white crystals to be sugar. There is no practical medical need for a clinic of this size that would justify the sheer amount of sugar being stored here.
Jaqweh attempts to access the computer system, but its security is a bit beyond his ability to crack. He does notice that the generators could be shut down from here. The people in the waiting area watch the newcomers with reactions ranging from curiosity to wariness, but none of them move to either follow or leave.
Eralyn experiences a faint shimmer of energy as she moves through the force field. The air on the other side of the field feels a little different, and has a slight scent of citrus. It appears that it allows people to pass through but blocks the external atmosphere. Before she fully enters the hallway, however, she notices that the sprinklers up on the ceiling have been rigged to go off when somebody passes through the hallway.
Looking in both directions, Eralyn sees a hallway lined with closed doors to the left, and a large open room with stacked storage crates off to the right. There are no signs of anyone responding to her call earlier. *** Meanwhile, Jaqweh is making connections with the lashunta pair. He learns that both of them came to the Open Collective for the first time today, and the only clinic staff they have seen is an android, who has been in the back rooms and not come out for the hours they have been waiting. They don't know the android's name. The only patient they recall, other than everyone still waiting here, is the half-orc who got impatient and stormed off down the hallway to the left but then didn't come back. The male lashunta looks at his friend with an embarrassed expression. "Now that we explain it like that, it sounds a bit strange, doesn't it. Everyone else was waiting, so we just got in line too."
One of the people waiting gives Itch an odd look at his slightly stilted performance, but his and Jaqweh's interaction is convincing enough that the patient, who has no particular reason to care, shrugs and goes back to reading the news feed on his datapad. A female lashunta near the door eagerly responds to Itch in a mild tone of complaint. "You've found the right place, but boy, they didn't tell me about the wait times! We've been here for hours now. I'm afraid if it takes too much longer they won't get to all of us today. I don't fancy the idea of spending tomorrow too waiting in this room again, let me tell you!" The male lashunta at her side rolls his eyes, and looks as if he's heard this small rant several times already. A dwarf accepts the cookie from Eralyn and munches on it absent-mindedly. He perks up when she calls out, but slumps down after there is no immediate response. "Hey, are you really someone's mother?" He squints down at the elderly halfling in doubt. "A half-orc went back there two hours ago to check on the doctor, but she hasn't come back. Maybe you could go too to see how they're doing? If your son really does work here."
Eralyn hears two individuals near the half-open door chatting about what they are going to do with their lives after this procedure. "Can you imagine, just getting to sleep at night on a regular basis? I might have enough energy to take up squadball again." "Ah, I will be able to ride in a spaceship again! I'm going to visit my new niece on Castrovel, first thing." In a minute or two of eavesdropping, they don't say anything about particular doctors or employees of the Open Collective. Jaqweh pushes open the door and enters to find that the room is quite crowded. Around twenty people are waiting in the space in front of a reception desk that is currently unstaffed. The force field shimmers behind the desk, and he can vaguely see some equipment on the far side of the hallway. The people glance up when Jaqweh appears, and then shuffle around to make room for him to join the end of the line.
Hurondo shakes his head sadly. "I went to the places where they have been living, but none of them were home. It was as if none of them had even been there for a while. A hunch led me here, but I'm convinced none of the Uniters know anything about my patients. The Open Collective is the only clue I have left to offer. I'm sorry to leave you so little to go on." Bargai returns, clutching a small bag. She holds a quick silent conference with her three subordinates. Goro takes a seat on one of the sofas, apparently ready to stay in the building, while Bargai, Orghunn, and the other human join her and Hurondo in leaving the run-down headquarters and going back to the Lorespire Complex. Hurondo pauses to wave goodbye and sends you off with concern, "Be careful." Following their directions brings you to another run-down region of the Spike. A trickle of foot traffic passes through, but none of the passers-by even look your way as you approach the address. The building itself looks a bit beat-up, and its main entrance is a large double door facing south. The doors don't shut properly, with one door clearly at such an angle that it almost digs into the station plating. Signage flickers on and off, randomly displaying mismatched letter styles that read: "Open Collective." A reception desk and a hallway lined by a visible force field is visible behind the ill-fitting doors. Even from outside, you can tell that the inside entryway is crowded with people, talking quietly but with excitement amongst themselves. Engineering DC 16:
The damage on the building's exterior is consistent with a lack of upkeep that suggests it has been neglected for several weeks.
Bargai wilts a little under the combined diplomatic assault. She doesn't make any immediate response, but engages in a quick tactile conversation with Goro. In the meantime, Hurondo nods slowly. "I think we can convince her. Ah, I believe I can stand on my own. Let's see." He shakily gets to his feet, and Orghuun offers a strong arm of support. "I should be able to get back to the Respite. Let's get us all out of here safely." He cautiously steps outside the room, accompanied by Orghuun, and briefly adds his voice to those aiming to convince the leader of the Uniters. "You have done well here, with what you could. Let us help you. Come with us, and I will make sure you are treated fairly." Bargai puffs up, looking angered that her own subordinate has joined forces with a captive. But she glances at Goro, who is also watching her hopefully. She gives him a message, which he eagerly passes on. "Very well. I will trust you on this. Maybe another second start is what we could all use. Let me just gather a few things." She walks back into the other hallway, and Hurondo turns back to the crew of Starfinders. "So far so good. I can take her from here, though I must leave the rest of the investigation of the Open Collective to you, if you're willing to go on my behalf? I promise to put in a good word for you with Ziggy."
Horundo's expression brightens when Garven explains that Jiwala sent them. "Ah, she must be quite worried. They kept me sedated for a while, and apparently a few days have passed? It's all a little foggy. But since waking up, I've gotten to know Orghuun here." He glances toward the doorway and lowers his voice so that it doesn't carry to the hallway. "I've convinced him to leave the Uniters and come to the Respite. The one out there, she is a passionate and talented individual as well. I think she would do better with the Starfinder Society than leading this gang. I have a hunch she might not take much convincing either, based on what I've heard from my friend Orghuun." The nuar looks bashful. Hurondo sobers, and adds, "I'm truly concerned for the patients I came here seeking, though. I still don't know what has become of them, but I fear they've been caught up in whatever is happening at this Open Collective location. Something terrible might have happened in the time I've been out." Garven believes their reactions and explanations are genuine. He notices a set of manacles attached to the bed, but they have been opened and are not being used as restraints.
Bargai answers Eralyn's questions with some reluctance. "Yes, it's close by here in the Spike, about 30 minutes walk. I don't know much about the owners. We talked mostly through secure messages. I think it was an android who was my contact there? I'm not certain." She straightens and glares at Jaqweh down her long nose with an affronted expression, her ears flattened backwards. "You've written me off, haven't you? I came to Absalom Station to start a new life, but it's very difficult to build something when you start with nothing. The allies I found were being killed or recruited away by other gangs. You have to be tough, smart, and rich to survive in this world. Is it so wrong to want more?" Goro is slightly pained to be relaying these words and looks as if he would also like to speak up in defense of his boss, but he keeps his own thoughts to himself.
Itch can't get a good read on the situation. It could be a trap or the gang could be dealing honestly. However, when Garven opens the door he sees a spacious room furnished with a couch and a bed. The walls are broken open in several places and thin sheets of plastic cover the two windows to the north and east. A nuar is sitting on the couch and a shobhad, who matches the images you've seen of Hurondo, on the bed. They are conversing but look toward the door when it opens. Hurondo says, "Oh, hello. You don't look like one of the Uniters."
Meanwhile, Eralyn continues the conversation with Bargai. Goro takes a cookie but Bargai declines, and under her even stare he slowly puts it down and goes back to interpreting for her. "Yes, it's the Open Collective. They were paying us to send them patients to be treated for trauma, but recently the credits all dried up. I need funds to buy this building and repair it, and it's not looking good, the way things are going. But to be honest, they give me a bad feeling too. Even if they aren't paying what they owe us, I don't want to dig into it. We'll probably have to find another source of funding."
"We have kept him confined but safe. Go and talk to him, if you don't believe me." She gestures to a closed door down the hallway.
The human looks surprised when Eralyn makes herself at home on the sofa, and then again when asked his name. "It's Goro. I'm just talking for Bargai." He passes along all of your messages, and Bargai finally relaxes. She sighs, looking suddenly tired.
"I will be plain then. I assume you are here about the shobhad? He came to our headquarters a few days ago, and we thought he was part of some investigation. My men knocked him out, but only later did we notice his Starfinder insignia. He probably was here for his own reasons. I was going to ransom him back to the Starfinder Society - the credits have been very tight this last month, as you can probably tell." She gestures around at the condition of the building you stand in, and then sighs again. "I'm not sure it's worth it, now. We can't afford to run foul of the law on this station. I certainly can't afford it."
Itch:
Though you didn't understand the words, you interpret that the vlaka is inviting you in to talk. She doesn't give the impression that she has completely ruled out attacking, depending on what you have to say. Jaqweh walks through the sagging doorway and sees an entranceway, mostly ungarnished except for two decrepit sofas. One of the humans is currently sitting down, and the other is standing between the sofas. The vlaka Bargai stands protectively between him and the entrance, and then rests her hand on his arm and begins tapping on it. He asks bluntly, "Are you Starfinders?"
The vlaka has no reaction to Jaqweh's spoken words, though her hand starts drifting towards a pistol at her hip. But when he switches to telepathic communication, she pauses, then nods cautiously. She makes a few gestures in the air. Signed Common:
I am Bargai. Come inside and we can talk. She then turns toward the doorway and looks back expectantly, as if she wants you all to enter, and then passes into the building herself. The two humans have already gone inside.
Following Jordin's directions brings you to a ramshackle apartment building with a hanging sign in one window, indicating in various languages that the building is scheduled for demolition. The front entrance door hangs crookedly in its frame, and graffiti—both scrubbed and half-scrubbed—adorns the walls. The smell of sewage intermittently wafts throughout the area. Standing outside the open door you see a vlaka and two humans. She is holding the hand of one of the humans and making some tapping and sliding gestures on his arm in what appears to be a tactile language. As you approach, the other human is facing in your direction, and he taps her on the shoulder and points. She turns to look, and then gestures an instruction to the other two. They move towards the door to enter the building, and she faces your group with a cautious and defensive expression.
Altorin and Garven see no signs whatsoever of suspicious marks. All the tracks that are visible are consistent with normal usage of a residence, except that none of them have any signs of being used recently.
You make your way to the Spike, and though you don't have specific directions, you are able to find the area that is mentioned in the datapad. The address of one of the missing people brings you to a temporary housing building. It does not look fancy or expensive, but is reasonably well-kept. Knocking on the door produces no response; it appears no one is at home. The other few addresses have the same lack of results.
Jordin has fully warmed up to Jaqweh now, and he waves one hand in negation. "Oh no, she's not a doctor. A good type, though, yeah. Here, you go to the Spike, and then this way..." He gives directions to one of the poorer areas of the Spike. Keil too has started to relax and makes no objection, though he does tug on Jordin's sleeve. "Hey, we need to get back to work." He brandishes the remaining fliers to remind Jordin of their assigned task. "Right. Okay, just go the way I told you, and let her know we sent you." He starts to move off with Keil, and he can barely be heard mumbling, "I mean, she should know who we are by now, right?" If no one tries to physically stop them from leaving, they quickly slip into the crowds.
"... Keil." The young man reluctantly answers. He declines to shake hands and starts edging away, his eyes flicking between Jordin and Jaqweh. His companion, however, is more willing to talk. "Come meet our boss, Bargai," Jordin says boldly. "If you promise no funny business, I'll tell you where the headquarters are." Sense Motive DC 16: Jordin seems like he's hoping to get something out of this, but the offer is genuine. If you approach non-violently he believes that Bargai will be willing to talk.
Sorry for the slowdown in my posts - it's been a chaotic week for me. I'll try to keep the pace up, and things should go back to normal within a few days.
One of the Uniters takes to Jaqweh right away, but he frowns at Eralyn. "Of course I'm sure. I don't know what you're thinking, but the Uniters aren't like that." He turns back to Jaqweh, and his eyes narrow. "We're always recruiting, you know. We could use someone like you. There's something interesting at our base right now, too. Might be worth a trade?" The other young man is handing one of the pamphplets to Altorin and Itch in response to their questions, but he spins around when he hears the other conversation going on. He grabs the man's elbow and hisses, "Hey, Jordin, we're not supposed to talk about that with random strangers. They haven't agreed to anything yet." He glances nervously at your group and looks like he's considering bolting.
The lashunta takes the opportunity to slip away. One of the humans looks like he wants to go after her, but then focuses on Jaqweh when he expresses an interest in what they're saying. He nods eagerly to all the questions. "Yes, it really works! 100% success rate!" The other man walks over and chimes in, "I haven't tried it myself - got no trauma to erase. But maybe someday! We're new recruits for the Uniters." He says this with some pride, and the other one nods along. Culture DC 18 to recognize the group's name:
The Uniters is a gang in the Spike that performs odd jobs for larger gangs or organizations. Itch:
You're pretty sure that they're following a script when they heap praises on the technique, and these two don't actually know anything about it.
Having found a lead, you leave the Healing Arches and head towards the area of temorary residences in the Spike. As you're exiting the Lorespire Complex, you notice two humans talking to passerby and distributing pamphlets. One of them is explaining to a lashunta who appears to be trying to diplomatically escape: "It's a new medical clinic, open in the Spike. We can ease your burdens and erase painful recollections of traumatic events via a state of the art memory modification procedure." The other human loudly chimes in, "It's 100% safe and effective! You won't regret giving it a try!" Sense Motive DC 15:
The two humans are hiding something. 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, many sealed in atmospheric containers.
Coffee dispenses with the simple push of a button, and the lashunta makes no objection if Itch takes some. She brightens at the question. "Gaming can be very therapeutic. He offers different types depending on what people need, whether it's practice socializing, or... Take this, for example." She scoops up a deck of cards sitting on the table and spreads them wide. Each card has a holographic image printed on it. "It's a lashunta game called Qabarat Towers. The objective is for each player to place a card to build a structure, and manipulate it mentally to tell a story across each face of the card structure. Playing this game helps individuals focus, and work towards a common goal, and communicate through images. It's much easier to do those things while everyone is having fun together." She smiles fondly and admits, "Hurondo, Jiwalla, Zigvigix, and myself also use this room for a game night, once a week. You're welcome to come play with us, after this is all over. I gather you're looking into his disappearance. Here, take this. I think you'll enjoy it." She offers the Qabarat Towers deck to Itch as recompense for helping to locate her friend. Her comm unit emits a small chime, and she glances at it. "Please, excuse me, I need to take my meds on time." She walks briskly out of the room.
"Oh, you're not here for the session?" The lashunta opens her eyes and takes in the appearance of the three standing at the room's door. "I haven't seen him since he was last here at the Respite, three days ago I think. Nobody has, as far as I know. We're cancelling his meetings day-by-day, but it would be best to figure out where he is soon."
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