Starfinder - Dead Suns Adventure Path

[robnar]

Lorespire Complex

Who in the Society knew Kreel best? And, could you tell us anything about the mission he was about to assign us to, as it might be well related to the shooting?"

I probably knew Kreel best. He was an assistant in my office of research on astrogeology and helped me with administration of my tasks as a council member. His mission at the time was simply to receive you and evaluate your candidacy.

As for Kreel, I'm not sure why someone would kill him. He's a Diasporan who has deep ties to the asteroid mining community. He was very opinionated about the Drift Rock in orbit now - he was personally invested in one of the claimants to the rock, the Hardscrabble Collective. It was... tedious... to get him into conversation about the Drift Rock and the Acreon. Astral Extractions represents everything he thinks is evil in society. He volunteered at a dwarf community organization in the Armada once a week, and he was passable at Go. If someone did decide to have him murdered, I assume it was over some grudge related to the Starfinders in general. That is what I'm worried about. His political activity with respect to miners and the Drift Rock doesn't seem worth murder to me.

[Tycho42]

Bex’s eyes flick in response when he hears Kreel was a Diasporan rock hopper. He mentally takes notes of the two organizations - he’d have to suggest they take a trip to those two.

“You’d be surprised; the rocks have money enough to move anyone. What did he think was to be found on the rock outside? And why is the big corp - they sound like a corp? - so evil, according to him?”

[robnar]

Bex’s eyes flick in response when he hears Kreel was a Diasporan rock hopper. He mentally takes notes of the two organizations - he’d have to suggest they take a trip to those two.

“You’d be surprised; the rocks have money enough to move anyone. What did he think was to be found on the rock outside? And why is the big corp - they sound like a corp? - so evil, according to him?”

Reading Shirren facial expressions, for the non-Shirren, is... nicely put, a royal pain in the butt.

Not sure he had any more clue about the rock than any of the rest of us. I think he was involved on principle - Astral Extractions is trying to use a technicality of the Acreon's contract to claim the Rock; The Acreon is a Hardscrabble ship and they're claiming it as just salvage. I'm not sure the exact history or matters at issue, but Astral Extractions hired the Acreon for its last voyage.

As far as Astral Extractions, Kreel would go off about the same things every neo-revolutionary claims about corporations. Predatory lending, using proxies to get out of contracts, hiring thugs to intimidate strikers or litigants. The usual complaints. I can't independently assess the merits of those claims, corporate law is not my specialty. Kreel was fascinated by it, and I respect his honesty and integrity.

He delivers the latter pitch with the air of a professor who has little time or interest for anything that isn't a rock formation found in space. But you can tell he's willing to believe Kreel based on the man's personal characteristics.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor
^{Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).}

As the others talked to Chissisk, Tannhauser's eyes fluttered, clicking oddly to the left twice as his internal comm-unit connected to Absalom's infosphere. He then searched for a variety of disertations on gang culture and affiliations, criminal psychology and proven interview and interogattion techniques. He began to assimilate the information into his core programming, even as his internal nanobots began to repair the non-critical damage he had sustained at the docking bay.

Even with his attention turned towards the Infosphere, his audio perceptions picked up the mention of Astral Extractions and his memory banks flipped back to the Belegost. A corporate hit team moving through the dwarven clan ship, moving with military precision, neutralizing the security teams as they progressed deeper into the vessel until they came upon Tannhauser and the mechanic who activated his power unit, Zinoviya Yudin. As his download completed, he surpressed the memory, returning to the Starfinder's administrative office.

"Chissisk, sir. May I request access to Kreel's personnel file, during the course of our investigations it is probable that we will need to search the victim's residence to find any possible link between himself and the incident which took his life. We will, of course, catalogue any evidence we find and share it both with Ab-Sec and the Starfinder organization."

OOC: During the conversation, Tannhauser will take a short rest and spend a Resolve, healing all his Stamina damage. With my Infosphere Integration I will shift my Skill Focus from Perception to Intimidation. I will also type my current Skill Focus under my Conditions so everyone can see where it is currently set.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

"Maybe he struck a nerve with that... Do you know whether he ever spoke with someone else on the topic? Did he have a favorite bar he visited regularly?" She thinks aloud. "Is his data pad still working and accessible?"

[robnar]

"Chissisk, sir. May I request access to Kreel's personnel file, during the course of our investigations it is probable that we will need to search the victim's residence to find any possible link between himself and the incident which took his life. We will, of course, catalogue any evidence we find and share it both with Ab-Sec and the Starfinder organization."

Hmm... I'll send a request to personnel and his family and see what they say. The Starfinders are a voluntary organization, I cannot grant you access to his property. Any request will have to wait until next of kin have been notified and the executor of his estate grants permission. This will take a while.

"Maybe he struck a nerve with that... Do you know whether he ever spoke with someone else on the topic? Did he have a favorite bar he visited regularly?" She thinks aloud. "Is his data pad still working and accessible?"

He hung out with Hardscrabble often. They might know something. I can grant you access to his office terminal and official computers, but I cannot grant you access to his personal effects.

[Archemist]

He hung out with Hardscrabble often. They might know something. I can grant you access to his office terminal and official computers, but I cannot grant you access to his personal effects.

"Security did say he might be able to be resurrected, too, if your organization has an insurance plan for that or something. So he may yet want his stuff. But let us know if you find anything interesting. Thank you for the information; we'll do our best."

When medkits are handed out, Dvorak follows the others in strapping it to his lower back.

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

First day on the job, technically not even inducted into the organization, and there is already a trail of bodies. With thousand-yard stare Slate follows the others barely acknowledging the conversation as memories flood over him and he gives serious consideration to crawling into a bottle for a little while.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor
^{Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).}

Tannhauser nodded at Chissisk as his companions finished their inquiries, he stood up and walked out of the office. With a flick of his thoughts, he connected to Absalom's infosphere and queried the location of Moons of Sleep, then had the infosphere plot an efficient course from their current location in the Lorespire complex. His eyes returned back to focus on his physical surroundings, as they walked through the lobby he turned in the chit provided by Chissisk. He waited while the receptionist provided them with the basic medkit, which he secured in the industrial hardshell container he had attached to the hardpoints on the shoulders of his golemforged plating.

Using the station transit system, Tannhauser notes the location of the Moons of Sleep, walking into the lobby to secure temporary residence while they continue their investigations.

[robnar]

Lorespire complex to Moons of Sleep

Chisisk efficiently concludes your interivew, processes the order for the medkits, and transfers the data from Kreel's terminal to you. He concludes by saying I appreciate your willingness to approach this delicate assignment as your first mission as a Starfinder candidate. This is difficult work, but much of what you'll find will be both difficult and incredibly rewarding. May the Triune bless you on your journey.

The Moons of Sleep is a small, neat hostel with several coffin rooms - just enough space for a planet-dweller to get claustrophobic, a palatial estate for anyone who has spent lots of time on a small spacecraft.

Spoiler: Next actions

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Your course of action and approach is up to you at this point. In general, we can handwave data collection with a Culture check, that you can take 20 on.

For in person interactions - either on the turf of the Level 21 crew or Downside Kings or at the offices of Astral Extractions, Hardscrabble Collective, or other entities, with an Intimidation check or Diplomacy Check. You cannot take 10 or 20 on these.

In general, tell me what you're looking into, where you're going, and what you think you want to know, then roll the appropriate check. I'll post in the response if more is required. If you're looking for a more character specific scene (e.g., Slate drowning his sorrows), let me know in a PM.

[Tycho42]

Bex walked along with the others, musing out loud, though not loud enough to attract attention on the bustling station.

“Alright. Working theory, yeah? The corporation gets pissy that the little guys - Hardscrabble - try to take a bit of their pie. They’re like all of the big corps - steal whatever they can and cover their tracks. Our beratna Kreel, he’s a little too good for them. He plays the game. He knows the law, only thing corps still have to respect in public. They decide...cheaper to waste him. Hire a professional, mix up the gangs, say be here this day, this time...and boom. Professional takes Kreel, gangs cover it up, we are caught in the middle. Gangs too, for that matter. We get background on Kreel, check his data first. Then we go meet the Level 21s. With luck, we find out who got them to that docking pad.”

With that he stopped talking for a long while and started listening to the others and the sounds of a station. When they got to the Moons of Sleep and popped in to one of the rooms with a little disbelief at the size of it.

“Ohhh boy; bossmang pulled out all the stops for us. Place is a palace.”

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor
^{Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).}

Identifying themselves to the clerk, Tannhauser was directed to a small efficiency unit, the space was adequate for his needs. Having lived on the Clanship Belegost with the dwarven mining clan, he was used to the cramped quarters of a working Diasporan mining vessel. Once settled in, Tannhauser opened the adjoining door so he could confer with his fellow Starfinder applicants.

He pulled a chair from his unit, to take a seat in Bex's living area, he hit a couple clasps and the magnetic lock holding his plating to his android hardpoints, released. The android listened as Bexford shared his conclusion, nodding his head slowly, "It does sound reasonable. That would leave us the unenviable task of tracking down this corporate assassin." His memory banks flickered back to the corporate extraction team that stalked the Belegast's hallways, eliminating Clan miners in an attempt to recover their property, Tannhauser himself. His eyes flicked back into focus, looking around the small room towards his companions.

While they compared notes, he opened a tool kit and began to repair the scoring on his armor with a micro-polymer fill. He used his integral comm to search through the Starfinder personnel logs they had been given by Chissisk. "I am currently scouring the personnel file on Kreel provided by the Starfinders, once we are ready I believe we should attempt to initiate contact with the 21's on their own turf. While we are making our way to their territory we can attempt to contact the Hardscrabble and attempt to arrange a meet with their representative."

OOC: I will take a 20 on an unskilled Culture check, with my massive +0, however, it says you can't get more info than a DC 10 unskilled. So I think we'll only get preliminary information. Someone can find us a location & contact info for the Hardscrabble and we can make a call as we travel to Level 21 into the gang's territory.

[Archemist]

Dvorak assists in checking through the data and seeing what's changed around the Station since they were last there. "Hmm. Let me know if you need any help looking up Hardscrabble in our Comms system, Bexford - finding the right comm address can be a bit arcane.

"If we're dealing with the 21s, I'll act as lookout, and come in separately so they don't necessarily know we're all on the same side... I'm not as stealthy as Niobe, but I may be able to palm my pistol and will be ready if your negotiations start a 3-axis tumble."

[Niobaran]

“Ohhh boy; bossmang pulled out all the stops for us. Place is a palace.”

"It is!" She confirms. "Kinda like in the 'grams." She adds indicating that she has never been in a hotel in her life.

"So, to get this clear. These Hardscrabble guys are the one owning the Acreon, and they had rent it out to Astral Extractions, right? Basically both parties claim this strange Drift Rock. Kreel was on the Hardscrabble side, maybe because of his conviction that the Astral Extractions people are an evil corp, or maybe because he knew something that we don't." She shrugs. "We should really get in contact with those Hardscrabble people, I think. If he supported them in their cause to get the rights to the Rock, they might be willing to support an investigation of his death." -- she confirms Tannhauser's point. "We might also try to find out what's so important about this rock they argue about." She thinks for a moment.

"Many questions, but what we need is actions! Alright, let's see what these gangers are up to. But in hindsight, I think it would be good to have a more detailed look at the deck where he was murdered. Maybe we find some traces of another attacker..."

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

Glancing at his drone "I am about as subtle as a big mechanized combat machine, unless I am on my own."

[robnar]

Moons of Sleep

Tannhauser looks for a chair, but since it's a coffin motel he doesn't find much. The 'rooms' are 4' high by 4' high by 8' long small alcoves with a twin size bed and a little alcove for a computer and your bag. You can sit on the bed and converse with your neighbors in the alcoves across from and above you, which you do.

After the team converses, it learns some of the basics. You can only pull the most superficial information off of the infosphere and Kreel's tablet.

Spoiler: Duravor Kreel and the Hardscrabble Collective

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You don't learn much from his tablet that you didn't know already - Kreel was invested in the Hardscrabble collective. His emails reveal a few points of contact, but when you reach out to them you get a curt message: "Due to ongoing litigation and pending arbitration of our dispute with Astral Excavations we are not answering inquiries at this time." Hardscrabble's "offices" are all various mining ships in the Armada.

Spoiler: Astral Extractions

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The inphosphere gives you basic information: Astral Extractions is a powerful mining conglomerate with business ties throughout the Pact Worlds. Most of the company’s operations are centered in the Diaspora and the rocky moons of the outer planets, but it has also begun sending scout vessels into the Vast in search of new claims. The company recently hired one of the Hardscrabble Collective’s ships, the Acreon, for one of these exploratory missions. The point of contact is a generic email box that doesn't respond to your inquiry. Their offices are in one of the central hub large office complexes.

Spoiler: Downside Kings

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The Downside Kings are a brutal street gang that controls several decks of Absalom Station’s lower levels, or “Downside,” through a combination of intimidation and violence. They are known to engage in a wide variety of illegal activities, from extortion, fraud, robbery, smuggling, and theft, to drug and arms trafficking, kidnapping, murder-forhire, and trafficking in sentient species. The Absalom Security message lists two decks on the downside as their main stomping ground.

Spoiler: Level 21 Crew

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The Level 21 Crew are a street gang that claims (unsurprisingly) Level 21 of Absalom Station’s seedy lower decks as its territory. Their known criminal endeavors include theft, fencing stolen goods, gambling, prostitution, racketeering, and smuggling.

At this point, the most relevant line of approach seems to be talking to either Absalom security or going to the various gang's turfs to gather information. You can't pull much directly off the infosphere aside from this.

Spoiler: Way ahead

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If you want to talk to Absalom security, post your initial approach and roll diplomacy to talk to the investigating officer. If you want to go to the various gang's turfs, then tell me where you're going and roll either diplomacy or intimidate. If you've got other ideas, go ahead and let me know! Reaching out to hardscrabble will be difficult unless you rent a ship and try to to knock on one of their airlocks. You can reach out directly to Astral Excavations' main office.

[Tycho42]

Bex looks around at the rest of the group and then nods. “Gangers first then, eh? Try to follow my lead and if you go off script, try not to get killed.”

Bex takes the publicly marked paths to get to Level 21, walking in as though the place were his. Anyone he recognizes that seems to be from the Diaspora, he gestures in greeting to, engaging them in a little conversation to try to start the word coming that they are here. Once their presence is known, he starts making inquiries discreetly about where to meet with particularly the one guy he focused on earlier. He passes from one person to another, chatting as he tries to narrow down where that person is and where he can find them.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Please, let my rolls be better...
(1d20)[1](1) +7 then an additional (1d6)[6](6)

[robnar]

Absalom Station, Level 21

After a few discreet enquiries, a street kid simply states "you should just ask mama Fats. I don't know what you're talking about."

He gestures down the narrow, greasy corridor to a small atrium brightly lit with faux-sun lamps. There's a small planter, a couple tables with umbrellas to block the lamps, and a little corner grocery store with a large hand-painted sign saying "Mama Fats - Corner Grocery".

Behind the counter, a fat halfling woman with a guarded expression looks up to you and says "Wanna buy something?"

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor
^{Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).}

Tannhauser walked forward as the halfling patron inquired as to what the group wished to purchase, "You tell me, Ms. Fats. My friends and I came to Absalom to meet a friend of ours. A Starfinder named Durovar Kreel. Thing is a firefight broke out before we could speak to him, some bastard put a burst of laser fire through his throat." He extended a thumb and indicated over his shoulder, "My pahtra friend there had to watch him bleed out, while we dealt with the shooters." He leaned forward, conspiratorily, "Thing is there were TWO groups of shooters, one with a series of crowns tattooed across their knuckles, then the other's who wore blue bandannas. A lashunta and a Diaspora-born human among the blues, who Absalom Security later identified as the 21's." He slammed his fist on the counter top, distraught. "Thing is, gorram Ab-Sec is doing rutting nothing to find the shooter! Figured we'd reach out to the 21's to see if we can find the guy who put a laz-blast through Kreel's brain-pan."

He stood up, "So how about it Fats, you set up a meet with the 21 boys?" He checked the menu posted on the wall above the counter, "And I'll take a Korrbad on proteinloaf sandwich with a side of jellied Slaur roe while we wait."

[robnar]

Mama Fat's Corner Grocery

"My normal guy for Korrbad's out of stock." She says, looking you straight in the eye, even though you can see some in the freezer bin to her right. "But if you wanna buy a couple vat-eel sandwiches maybe somebody can deliver that other thing you want. It'll be 20 credits though." She gestures to the hot rack to the

"I'm sorry you're so worked up about your friend. Sounds tragic."

20 credits is ridiculous markup for what she's selling. But the 3' tall little old lady is staring up at you with a steely gaze behind her pleasant smile, without even a flinch when you slap the table.

Spoiler: Fluff

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I like the made up fluff text. Helps flesh out the world. If you're actually posting something based on published flavor text give me a heads-up. I usually skip through a lot of the fluff when I learn a new system.

BTW, in my head a vat-eel sandwich is the Absalom station equivalent of a gas-station hot dog in the contemporary US.

[Tycho42]

Bex smiled and nodded. “20 credits. No problem, Mama. Mind if we stay here, have some conversation while we eat?”

He slipped his hand across the datapad and sent the money over. He actually made it 21cr, just for the sake of clear communication.

[robnar]

Mama Fat's

"Good to do business with you. Let me know where to deliver that other stuff you asked for."

Spoiler: Bex's follow up diplomacy roll

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(1d20+7)[19]+(1d6)[6]

You spend a few more hours looking for information, and learn a little bit about the Downside Kings. In addition to being one of the more brutal gangs on the station, their leader is a barbarous human woman named Ferani Nadaz, and they tend to operate out of a nightclub called the Fusion Queen in the downside.

When you finally return to the moons of sleep, the receptionist passes you a handwritten note in a grubby envelope, addressed to "the nosy out-stationers". It reads "Baxa wants to parlay. Come meet us at Fat's tomorrow at 0830. Don't come packing."

[robnar]

Moons of Sleep and Mama Fat's

The team moves back to their hostel and settles down for the night. In the morning, they store their weapons and proceed down to Level 21 again.

Level 21 isn't particularly busy at this time of day - you get the impression that most of the gainfully-employed have left for work, and the unemployed and destructively-employed haven't woken up yet. But Mama is sitting behind the counter, and she gestures you back through the service entrance.

In the back you see three thugs - a huge, muscular human male; the lean and wiry diasporan; and a grizzeld Ysoki with a cybernetic eye and a huge revolver on his hip. The two humans are sitting at a small card table, and the Ysoki is sitting on a stack of merchandise.

The Ysoki speaks first: "I'm Jabaxa, and we're Level 21. We run this level. Good job with those Kings yesterday. Whadda ya want?"

Spoiler: Way ahead

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Main talker, probably Bex, should roll diplomacy. If other people want some information, go ahead and roll diplomacy as well as an Aid Another check vs. DC 10. Failure won't hurt you, but a natural 1 will indicate a faux pas.

[Archemist]

"Happy to help - but we're curious about why you chose a time when all us other folks would be there - you had to see the shuttle arriving, right? Or did the Kings pick the place?"

Spoiler: Diplomacy is not Dvorak's strong suit

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(1d20-1)[4] but he'll try to help, inserting the above sometime after Bex does introductions, etc.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

She feels uncomfortable with her guns left at home, but then again, she wanted to prevent bloodshed anyway. And if they wanted them dead, they probably could have it easier, and more discreetly.

"Why did you fight them anyway? The deck is on neither of your turfs, is it?"

Spoiler: Rolls

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DiplomacyAidAnother - (1d20+2)[18]

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor
^{Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).}

Tannhauser hung back, he hped to add an air of respect and street-cred to anything that Bex said to this ysoki, Jabaxa. After all, he'd owned the Null Grav circuit on Akiton, defeating his competitors in the most brutal fights outside of Eox. All he needed to do was flex and scowl at the biggest piece of muscle in the room. He turned his head, leveled his cold, synthetic gaze on the human seating behind Jabaxa himself, however, before he noticed the large caliber tactical pistol, he noted something else ... and suddenly he realized he hadn't had the complimentary breakfast at the Moons of Sleep.

"Oh, is that jellied Slaur roe? You going to finish that?"

Spoiler: Out of Character Action

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OOC: And that, my friends, is what happens when you roll a 4 on a Diplomacy check to assist your Envoy!

[Tycho42]

Bex slides in across from the Ysoki and spreads his hands, gesturing to the fact that he is unarmed.

“Abelard Bexford, Bex please. See it as we do; we come onboard, and guns start firing. We were looking for a business contact, a dwarf, and he gets gunned down. We start shooting back. Turns out we are on the same side, when the bodies start falling; lucky us, eh?”

He looks around the table, trying to guage their responses so far, before leaning in.

“Now we aren’t looking to join up, and we’re not looking to piss anyone off, but we do need to know...why were you and the Kings there? Simple question, then we drink, eh?”

[robnar]

Back Room at Mama Fat's

Jabaxa arches the eyebrow over his cybernetic eye - a disconcerting effect. "We want to know why the Kings were there too. Hardscrabble and us have an agreement to protect their people while they're dealing with this drift rock garbage. Once the dwarf went down our job there was over. My man Drifter here told me yall did good work with those Kings."

"We got a tip from one of our people that the kings had something going down at that docking bay. That's why we were in. I don't know if they were there for the dwarf, or you, or something else."

"But this stuff makes me thirsty." He reaches behind the stack of merchandise and pours something that smells like industrial grade cleaner into a bunch of tumblers. He passes them around, and offers a toast. "Here's to steady gravity and clean air filters."

[Archemist]

"So Hardscrabble told you the dwarf was with them, and to protect him? And then you got wind of the Kings' plan? Just making sure. We hadn't heard that - though as you've seen, we're new here." Dvorak accepts the drink and adds, "I was just thinking I'm getting overdue for a degreasing."

[Tycho42]

Bex raises his own glass and echoes the toast. “To clean air,” and drains the glass. It wasn’t bad, in fact. About the same as the homemade alcohol on ships that couldn’t import the better stuff.

“What exactly was the contract with Hardscrabble? Just standard protection duty? Guard anyone identified as their group, look intimidating? Or is there more?”