Apologies again for radio silence. Work has been really intense the past several weeks. I have planned for how this is going to work out and just need to get my head and heart back to writing.
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The first time I ran this, there was a lot more engagement with the locals, and it created intriguing forays away from the main plot. The way this has worked out is fine; I bit off more than I could chew between increasing work responsibilities and two young boys in the house. The idea of running a home brew campaign, in retrospect, is something I should have left unfinished. Anyway, we're nearing the end of this little adventure, but I have several published modules we could continue with... if you survive.
Sorry for not getting to this again this week. Work was crazier this week than last and I'm struggling with my creative spark. Star Wars is really built for combat, but this party is not. It doesn't help me much that you guys blew through the Lab like it was a walk in the park. ;P My inclination is to hand wave the intervening floors of the Tower, which I expect you'll pass on anyway, and take the action to the roof and the ship. I would not inflict a dungeon-crawl on this group. Is there anything else anyone wants to explore on Red Barren?
Thanks Tavin! With your action, the Lab has been properly sabotaged. You guys rolled absolutely lights-out, the Force was with you! I will resolve everything next week - sorry for the delay but work is crazy and I still need to do my taxes. :( Also, I will put this to a vote: Since we seem to have lost all the players that were good at killing things, do the four of you want to risk having to shoot your way out of the Tower, or use a more creative approach? I'll run combat if you want it.
The technician grins. "Well, any of the large mega-corps would use tech like this for their security fleets, and of course the Empire and the Rebels, if we're talking weapons. I can think of several less-lethal applications which could bring thousands of potential customers. "Anyway, the array of mirrors and lenses is finely tuned, as you must realize, so the specific configuration depends on the test parameters. Look up there, that set was selected to test a LGR - that's what we call the big red shards. The console positions each element with absolute precision and the entire apparatus is re-calibrated before every test. "I run the leans and mirror grinding and polishing, but I also validate the test sample that comes over from the Materials Processing station. It looks like the next test is a SMG, a small to medium green." The technician taps the console to convey the sample parameters matching the array. All of this happens as the orange-jumpsuit wearing materials handler carries the dirty crystal from his station over to the Beam Emitter. Tavin:
You notice immediately that the crystal the other tech is loading into the Beam Emitter does not match the sample currently in the Lens and Mirror array console, but your technician never looks up from what he's doing. There is a sudden whir of activity as the mechanical arms reshuffles the lens and mirror array replacing the large sections of glass with an entirely new set from the storage lockers. It's quite interesting to watch.
The technician at the lens and mirror station looks at Tavin and smiles. "Well I can only imagine, with the type of tests we're conducting here, that Davika's customer for these gems want to know the possible yields exactly. Look around - the equipment in this Lab alone is worth more than the entirety of most Outer Rim worlds. We didn't bring all of this out here to install in a most inhospitable dirtball planet just so we could incessantly practice cleaning it." You note that the mirrors and lenses are all different sizes; the storage is a series of open lockers which a metal extractor arm overhead carries them out and installs into the beam array. You surmise that the order and configuration of lenses and mirrors in the array is critical to the beam tests. A computer console stands near the grinding and polishing device and also serves as the extractor arm control.
The spectroanalyzer comes alive under Honey's touch; it responds to her every movement like a well-loved pet craving affection in exchange for obedience. While the middle-aged virgin standing beside her ogles the contours of her scalp, Honey rearranges the logic parameters in the processing algorithm. The operation goes so smoothly she has time to encrypt the new workflow so deeply that it would take a heroic feat of programming prowess to undo. When complete, the console beeps cheerfully, ready for the next test.
= 28! = 30!! Khal walks dismissively away from Administrator Koran, but the confidence of his demeanor is soul crushing to the junior leader, and Koran withers and retreats to a dark corner of the Lab, presumably to collect the fallen shards of his shattered existence. His presence alone nearly knocks the poor Sample tech from his feet, and whatever he chooses to say is responded to with near gibberish. So confounded is this poor fellow that he completely fails to see what Khal does with his hands. In fact, none of you see it; the demonstration of agility is absolute. In a moment, the crystal which had been cleaned and polished to gleaming perfection is instead swapped with one that is jagged and irregular, with many dark blotches and dull in color in and clarity. Khal passes it to the tech, who nods happily, then proceeds to take the dud of a gem over to the beam emitter and fit it directly into the focus chamber. The task complete, he smiles at Khal and gives an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The heavy-set tech at the spectroanalyzer steps aside. "Have a seat and I'll demonstrate." He waits for her to settle and then leans over the console next to her, thick fingers tapping nimbly the various controls. The wave matrix rotates and is then inverted. A line runs the span on screen while numbers representing amplitude and frequency fluctuate rapidly. This it freezes on a point. "See there?" the tech stabs the screen. "That spike. We're seeing that a lot with the reds. So far we can't figure it out. It could be an imperfection in the crystal lattice that for whatever reason we're not seeing at the processing station. It could be something else, like an improper grounding or even a short somewhere, but there's no consistency to it. So we're stumped. On the other hand, the blue and green crystals are smooth like--" You feel him staring at the nape of your neck. "Well anyway. That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Drifter applies a firm hand to the lens, which is affixed o a saddle and a carbon fiber sheath protecting the Lab from the outside air. His movement is well-disguised, and although imperceptible to the technician not fully paying attention, Drifter can feel the lens shift ever so slightly. "Hmm?" the technician responds, his face buried in a data pad. He looks up to see Drifter removing his hands from the exhaust lens apparatus. His eyes dart toward where Administrator Koran is still chatting with Khal. "Please don't touch that," the tech says quietly in an admonishing tone. He looks at the lens but appears to not give the likelihood of accidental realignment much thought. "We just slotted this one yesterday. I'm finishing up calibration right now. Its always possible a lens or mirror may need to be sent back to the grinding and polishing station for fine-tuning. We'll test the beam again this afternoon and have more complete data." He pauses and looks directly at Drifter. "You have strong hands," he says appraising Drifter's stature. "People often underestimate the value of a strong pair of hands when working with glass. Hm."
The technician seems pleased with himself and with Honey's reaction, and he steps aside to explain the machine. "I'm just finishing the analysis of the morning test. You can see some of the results here, in the wave matrix. See that dispersion pattern? That's what we've been seeing from crystals which are predominately of red hues. It has a tendency toward less predictable results, although the intensity ratios are the highest we've measured." He points to the wave pattern on the screen. "What do you make of that?" Scholar (KNO), DN 15: You understand you're looking at a complex wave matrix with high turbulence and wide dispersion. If this were applied to a weapon, the challenge would be in building an oscillating transformer to mitigate the variance, and a proper focusing lens that can withstand the amplitude and frequency of the photons, but if that could be done, the power would be staggering.
Somehow she managed to resist rolling her eyes. "Feel free to enlighten me." "Prism!" answers the technician.
Koran purses his lips. "Of course, sir. How else my I be of service?"
It's okay to be stumped. Also, and this is a departure from Star Wars cliche, not all my bad guys are bad guys.
The technician at the Spectroanalyzer freezes when Honey approaches, tries to pretend she is talking to someone else, and then finally turns around slowly. He is middle-age, heavy set, and wearing tinted goggles. His eyes go wide when he sees a woman standing nearby, as if it had never happened before. Maybe it hadn't. He looks toward the Administrator, but Koran's attention is still on Khal. Bravely, the technician resolves himself to conversation. He licks his lips as if whisking saved crumbs from an earlier lunch. With a smack of his tongue he responds in a high voice. "Of course, but first, answer this: Where do bad rainbows go?"
A) Sample Prep (Clean, Cut, Polish) DN: Easy. Relevant Skills: Dexterity, Scholar (KNO), Value (KNO). Con or Persuasion to interact with the Tech. B) Exhaust Lens DN: Easy. Relevant Skills: Strength to manipulate, Investigation (PER). Con or Persuasion to interact with the Tech. C) Mirror and Lens storage and refining DN: Moderate. Relevant Skills: Scholar (KNO), Computer Programming (TEC). Con or Persuasion to interact with the Tech. D) Beam Emitter DN: Difficult. Relevant Skills: Scholar (KNO), Investigation (PER), Demolitions (TEC), Starship Weapons Repair (TEC). Con or Persuasion to interact with the Tech. E) Spectroanalyzer DN: Difficult. Relevant Skills: Scholar (KNO), Forgery (PER), Investigation (PER), Computer Programming (TEC). Con or Persuasion to interact with the Tech.
Perception, DN 5: Administrator Koran has three security keys in his breast pocket. The white and orange coat techs each carry only two.
Before you pass through the final clean lock you can see the Lab laid out in the large space beyond. Spanning the width of the tower, technicians work at stations featuring various technological apparatus. You count six techs in white, one in orange, and one wearing green. There are no droids in the Lab; this appears to be a homogeneously human endeavor. As you step through the lock the administrator in green tosses a brow in your direction, but then, like the guards in the previous room, his posture stiffens when he sees Khal in crimson, and he hastens to greet you. Affecting a smile he surely does not feel, he clutches a datapad and stands at attention. "Sir, welcome to the Lab. Unannounced visits from Level Four are always appreciated. Way to keep us on our toes! We are a reduced staff at the moment given the hour. Surely you will want a tour and the honor will fall to me, as you've caught Chief Buzik out on lunch. I am Vance Koran, one of the administrators in this facility, but of course you can see that." Koran swallows and turns away, clears his throat, and gestures into the space. "We are processing the Red Barren ore and crystals," he leads you to the left and shoos away the materials handler. "Packaged unfinished samples are brought in here for final cleaning, cutting, and polishing. Then they go through chemical analysis at the next station. All results are studiously recorded. We look for purity and a uniform crystalline structure, as well as color and clarity. You'd be amazed at the different properties which can be assigned by color alone!" Koran continues clockwise around the Lab. "Careful here, this is the exhaust lens, which diffuses the beam and passes it harmlessly out to the planet wastes. Relatively harmless," he thinks to add. "Now here you have the mirror and lens prep and ready storage. We have the equipment to grind and polish the glass for major or minor adjustments, and this radial grinder is capable of refinements to 73 nanometers. Rather impressive, is it not?" Koran is clearly more comfortable talking to the equipment than he is to all of you. Your attention is drawn to the massive machine dominating the north end of the Lab. "Now here is what you came to see - the beam emitter. If you look up along the spine of the lab you'll see where we keep the lens and mirror harnesses while the beam is not in use. They are lowered by this console here. And the test crystals which pass analysis are fitted into the chamber here at the front of the emitter. The power unit is self-contained and autonomous; it is not connected to the building. The Lab itself is totally insulated against radiation, and the emitter controls are in the Chief's office. Only Chief Buzik is permitted to execute test firings. "Finally, the quality of the beam is measured and analyzed at this station here." The brief tour complete, Vance Koran escorts you to the clean lock where you entered. "Perhaps you'd like to return when the Chief gets back from lunch. I'll make him aware of your inspection. What name should I give?"
Apologies for the slow cadence of posts from me. I'm buried under a mountain of work. I will try to get the Lab setup before Monday.
With Dartel's selection of a white tunic, (and having seen each other naked and unashamed) the group heads for the second Guard station. Here the guards are noticeably more alert, and they instantly rise when they see the crimson uniform pass through the forcefield. "Sir!" they nod and stand rigid as Khal enters, resplendent in his executive livery. They do not even question you - certainly you belong here! Who else would wear that color? Nevertheless, the room is filled with tension; you can hear yourselves breathing. Honey approaches the clean lock, key extended toward the receptacle on the wall... Fate!:
The key slides in easily, and in a moment the indicator light flashes green! You are at the precipice of the Lab. Now you can see through the final clean lock into the large space, filled with cutting edge technology and technicians busily working at various stations. Immediately you know the task may not be as simple as you were led to believe...
The valet droid spins as if dancing to Tavin's query. It chirps an enthusiastic platitude in the familiar modal binary of Droid Beep Basic, accompanied by a strangely cheerful artificial Kuatese accent, insofar as a beep may be accented. It's more of a percussive quality, and then a bend to the individual tone. High speak, as it were, for a droid. "You are a materials handler," chirps the droid. "Responsible for any required contact with the specimens. A very important job, no?" Tha valet spins the rack and retrieves an orange tunic in Tavin's size and extends it to him.
Since we kicked things off two weeks ago only half the party has been involved. Are the rest of you still out there? Anyone else want to choose a uniform color other than White?
The plentifully appendaged valet droid notices Honey and Khal inspecting the orange uniforms. When Khal selects crimson and Honey selects white, it loses interest and retreats, its slim hopes for actual conversation with another sentient being dashed. Lo, the lonely life of an earnest droid.
Honey perceives that the quantity of colors on the rack and on persons returning from the lab favors white over orange by 2:1, and white over green by 8:1. Only a three of the crimson outfits hang on the carousel. The purpose of orange defies her ability to guess it.
Dartel has been to places like this. You all have. Where the air is so sterile and crisp it makes the hairs in your nose stand at attention. Indeed, air quality is one of those things you rarely think about until it's bad. Davika Corporation may have written the book on how to clean air and surfaces of fine particulates. While the outside atmosphere is literally impending death with each lung full, the Tower might as well be any office complex on Coruscant, Alderaan, or any other prominent core world. It is a wonder of technology, a testament to will and the power of capital, and a blazing beacon for how valuable the barons of industry think this planet is to their mining operations. Transitioning from the Materials Processing room into the showers, where you ritually remove your dirty uniforms, are blasted with warm water from all angles for exactly thirty seconds then blasted by an air dryer for another thirty seconds, shuffled toward new linens and wardrobe (K on map). Several people move though the room as the lunch crowd moves in and out of the Lab. They pay little attention to any of you while they go about their business. Clean suits are shed and recycled, and a carousel of color-coded uniforms dominates the far wall. You get the distinct impression that here again, the color of the uniform you choose will dictate the role you can expect to play when you enter the Lab. Notably absent are the black uniforms worn by Security. The four colors available are White (lab tech), Green (admin), Crimson (executive), and Orange, the purpose for which is as yet unknown. A bipedal droid with six long arms stands at the carousel, facilitating the extraction of uniforms. The six of you stand in your clean skivvies, facing a decision.
I'll be setting up the Lab in the next couple days, as long as work isn't too crazy. There's just one more critical test to pass before you get there, and I'll lay that out in Gameplay tonight. Each of you will need to make a choice before we go on.
Enhanced security key in hand, the group begins to migrate to the shower area, but Belfore stops short. "I cannot accompany you further, Administrator. My core programming prevents me from entering clean spaces inside the Tower. Instead, I shall return to my regular duties in the Maintenance room."
The console appears to have a primary purpose of logging whatever raw materials are on the way to the lab and also maintains an inventory of tools and preliminary cleaning and processing efforts. It's incredibly boring. It doesn't help that the air in the room, though constantly cycling through the main filtering system which Belfore maintains, is nevertheless tinged with the Red Barren atmospheric dust. At first, the idea of reprogramming the key seems like a long shot. You know, of course, that there is a mechanical component that a security hack cannot fully account for. As it happens, the console is hard-linked throughout the floor, contributing to a common location for security logging. Bridging from the usage log share to the larger Security protocol store takes all of Honey's considerable skill. At last, she believes she has added the appropriate electronic signatures to access the remaining areas on this floor. There's only one way to find out if the key will actually fit in the next port. Bureaucracy or Security, DN 7: Typically, keys are coded and set based on area function and security needs. The Lab floor likely has its own set, as technicians come and go. It's highly likely that the analog pin configuration on the key you were given is the same across the entire floor.
"Great!" the tech exclaims before Honey can finish saying no. "I'll find you in an hour!" Then he runs after his coworker through the doorway into the showers.
Already done.
The console beckons.
The remaining techs curses under his breath, then looks back to all of you. "Say, that's a maintenance droid. Would you mind setting it to cleaning up this mess? I'll buy you lunch." Perception, DN 4: There's a pair of security cameras in the opposite corners of this room, but they are layered in red dust and unlikely to have any actual visibility.
A placard on the wall beside the security port by the forcefield leading south reads, MATERIALS PROCESSING The font is plain bold and self-important, which seems to go with the territory in Davika Tower. So far, at least, the staff is rather inept; one wonders at the quality of employee willing to work on this dustball planet in the armpit of the galaxy. As you access the room to the south you see a pair of technicians organizing a fleet of wheelbarrows into the alcove on the east end of the room behind the elevator well. They look up as you enter but seem unimpressed and continue with their work. The rest of the room is lined floor to ceiling by shelves steeped with various analog and electronic tools; you see hammers and chisels, awls, drills, and saws of all types and sizes. In the center of the room is a chute about one meter wide, with a switchbox on the side. The unusual amount of contaminant matter in and around the chute suggest it is a refuse for waste rocks and other debris. Along the wall immediately to your left as you enter is a console and screen with a standard keypad and i/o jack. The controls and screen are smattered with red dust. Translucent forcefields lead to adjoining rooms west and south. Before you have a chance to move through the room, one of the wheelbarrows bangs against a nearby shelf, toppling its contents of tools and small machinery on the floor. "Blast it!" one tech curses. "No--" grumbles the other. "We're not going to make the shift change now." "You can finish here and I'll go down. I promise I'll bring back food," says the first. "This is your mess! I'll go." "Fine. I heard Toyvar was getting take-out from the Red Diamond. I'll take anything." "Yeah, sure," responds the second tech with a wry grin. He cleans his hands with a towel, tosses it into the chute, and exits through the south doorway.
"Well, I... You must be that new team we were told about," says the guard, stumbling with his words and looking back to his fellows for reinforcement. "Oh yeah," says another one while shaking his head. "We just need to follow protocols," says the third. "We meant no disrespect, sir. And ma'am." The first guard addresses the console and a few seconds later produces a pen-shaped security key. He offers it to Khal with a tight-lipped half smile. "I can't authorize you through to the Lab, but this will get you around to the next station. Please make use of the facilities before entering the clean rooms." He's almost cheerful, perhaps happy to have you moving on.
The lift arrives at Davika Tower's second floor, and as soon as the glowing phase shield goes down you feel the rush of wind against your faces. The constant thrum of the HVAC units in the sublevel force sterile air throughout the building. It has a particular odor more commonly found in top-tier medical facilities on Core worlds. Passing through this transition, you step into a wide corridor that connects to a stair at the far wall to the north. Immediately to your right, a large pane of glass overlooks the Atrium and the few people milling about below. You quickly realize it is mid-day, and a few of the associates of Davika Mining Corporation who were unlucky enough to be stationed on Red Barren are quietly consuming a meal. The short battle with the guards in the bowels of the Tower is still fresh, and you were encouraged by Mal's ferocity, Honey's alacrity hacking the secure console, Khal's wit, and Drifter's steely countenance. And of course Tavin was key to bypassing the sensors, and Dartel is your ticket off this rock. The corridor is quiet, but the hum of another force field draws your attention to the left, and the guard station within. As you approach, the field dissipates and you are allowed entry. Central within the square room sits a large circular console, and seated within the console are a trio of disinterested-looking guards. They hardly pay you any attention until first the maintenance droid and then Honey catches the eye of one of them. "Mmma'am," he says while grappling with pronouns. The other guards turn to observe your group. There's an excessive awkward pause. Bureaucracy/Knowledge, DN 6: You could likely walk straight through this station if you were properly credentialed. A key port next to the south force field beckons. Of course, keys sometimes fail or get lost.
As a reminder of why you're here, you were told this by Taro Afar: "There will be a central database in the Davika Tower. I imagine you could infiltrate the Tower and alter the database to show the crystals are worthless. Or you could find the warehouse and attempt to poison the samples with bad crystals. You'd have to figure out how to get those first, but it might be lower risk than breaking into Davika. "Once Davika thinks the crystals here are worthless, we'll send in a couple 'buyers' to come in looking for the famous Red Barren 'diamonds.' We expect Davika will be all too eager to unload their batches of crystals. Any samples you can steal would be helpful to our technical teams. Understanding the unique properties of these crystals is the key to understanding the Imperial superweapon. The sooner we know that, the sooner we can plan how we're going to defeat it." He also mentioned a man named Buzik, but you don't know what Buzik's role is inside Davika. Afar is going by the name Belek at the Red Diamond Metrotel.
Alright, the way this is going to work is that, in each room/area, there may be a task which you are either required to perform, such as navigating your way past the Guard stations, or that you can discover, either by an appropriate skill check or by putting yourself in the setting. An example would be to use the Showers once you get to that point - remember that Tavin, Mal, and Honey are still covered in red dust from having busted in through the basement. Completing required tasks gets you through to the next area and/or advances the action. Optional tasks earn points which are parlayed into lower Difficulty Numbers later on. Additionally, significant successes can also contribute to points, such as being so masterfully persuasive with the guards that you fool them into thinking they should know who you are, and shame on them for not, and by the way, let the next guard station know we're coming! I'll keep track of all of that. Essentially, this is a dungeon crawl with things to do that contribute to the overall goal. Each character's unique skillset will be tested. As always, I'm look for a good mix of rp and appropriate skill rolls, and for you to work as a team. I'm still slammed with work but I expect to have a recap posted late tomorrow and then an intro to the level on Thursday or Friday.
Davika Tower Level 2 Map now available in the Slides. I will continue to ramp up the action in the next couple days and we'll start up again later in the week. This next section will have more of a set-piece feel to it, with specific goals along multiple possible paths. Feel free to begin to speculate/strategize. I recommend the first thing you do is to have a good story for getting past the first guard station. You'll be arriving at this level in the easternmost repulsorlift.
Good to have you all back. I hope we will get Mal and Tavin as well. 3 weeks sounds like a long time off but it always goes fast.
Alright, things aren't any less crazy with work - probably more crazy - but my brain is screaming for a creative outlet. If you are all still interested, I plan to restart this game the third week of March. Can I get a roll call of who is on board?
What do you guys think about putting this game on hold for a couple months? I'm stressed out and need to get things off my plate until work is less crazy. I don't want to shut it down forever because I love the story that's beginning to unfold. I just can't do it justice and give you guys a good game right now.
Sorry guys, ended up working part of the weekend and then decided to play Magic at the LGS to unwind. I'm not sure this coming week looks much better than the last; I'm a PO for our Salesforce installation and we're getting into crunch time. I've also been rethinking how I want to roll this out to better suit the group's skillset, which should be more puzzle-oriented and less combat. It would be easy to throw the Enforcers at you, but I don't think that would be fun for most of you, and I am trying to get more players involved and less reliant on any one person to open whatever door is impeding the group. So anyway that's where my head is at. I'll continue to work on this as it really is getting to the heart of the scenario, and it's playing out completely differently from the first time I ran this. Once we get through this, the galaxy opens up and becomes more familiar as Star Wars.
Hi guys - works been a pain lately and I haven't had the time. I'll plan to post by the end of the weekend if not sooner to get you into the Lab level. You could continue to rp your story to have that ready to go, or just wing it.
Belfore turns to Khal. "You are with the Administrator!" it replies indignantly while pointing at Honey. "What an odd question." It's becoming clear that Belfore spends a lot of time alone, probably muttering to itself.
With some time and no pressure, and assistance from Tavin, Honey reconfigures both the lock and key to the Security Hub, so that only you may access it from the stairwell. This is primarily an electrical exercise, altering the amplitude and frequency of the field at both points. Hacking a different lock with the key that you have would also require a mechanical reconfiguration of the key pins. This doesn't involve any machining - all possible pin combinations are built into every key for this series of locks. It's just a matter of hacking the lock first, then hacking the key so that you can complete the circuit. Disabling the residual countermeasures from the security alert takes next to no time at all, and the elevator is called to your sublevel. Belfore has a congenial aire about it, operating almost as if a bellhop program was hidden in its original factory assemblage. "Going up," it chirps.
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