[Starfinder] Dead Suns

[Dargos]

Hello,

I am interested in picking up another game. I am a complete SF novice (and PF novice too). I am going to give this game some consideration and I might drop an application in a day or so. (I do have access to the material, it's just a lot to go through.)

[Charlotte]

I know a fair bit about Starfinder and I'm interested in playing an envoy!

I'll get details in soon.

[ruffdove]

[Silk]

Thanks, Ruffdove. It seems I saw what I wanted when I looked at the Outlaw Theme. It's a bad habit that I have. I'll probably see about a different Theme then unless I decided to change what I have in mind to that route.

[ruffdove]

@Dargos and Charlotte: I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
@Silk: sounds good.

I want to address a couple of questions I've been asked in private since others may be wondering. The question was about the Pathfinder Legacy races (elf, half elf, dwarf, halfling, gnome, and half-orc), their prevalence in the Pact World system, and whether I really wanted to see them in this game. The legacy races are not as widespread as humans, but their presence is widespread enough that any would be a realistic choice for this game. There are some locales where they congregate (elves on Castrovel and dwarves in the Diaspora for example), but they could be from most any place (some rare exceptions, an elf on Apostae would be living dangerously close to the drow). As for whether I want them in the game, if I didn't then I wouldn't have included them in the ad's list of allowed races. Using a PF legacy race won't hurt your chances for this game at all.

[ruffdove]

Originally Posted by ricktur63

From your answer I'm assuming that the options I listed are all okay for use. I will not be putting in an application for a soldier. I'm thinking the four armed Mystic is in order here. I'll start putting something together for your perusal most likely this weekend.

Definitely. All core races and classes allowed.

[Khalil]

Name: Mendev Malone
Race: Human
Class: Envoy
Theme: Bounty Hunter
Age: 26
Alignment: Neutral Good (bordering True Neutral, or Lawful Neutral)
Home World: Absalom Station

Description – A charming smile, a distinct nose, green-grey eyes and shapely lips are cast on a rugged face highlighted with a strong jawline. The man's hair is a slicked back crew cut, simple in design. The rest of him is simple and non-remarkable. A five foot seven inches lean stature, with perhaps extraordinarily large hands and forearms. Not excessive things; just a remarkable puncher one could almost bet. Oddly enough his fingers twitch subconsciously as if itching for a tactile feel. They gallop and move as sudden and often as they stop. Personality; ponderous in thought, spontaneous in action. A man on a mission hard to pin down or fully describe due to multiple aliases and the assorted behavior that comes with them.

Background – A man too smart for his own good. His whole early life Mendev was at odds with everyone, as he always found a way to scam his way out of chores or tasks. It was out of schooling where he started turning things around. Bored with school and life in general he ended up doing illegal hacking as way to make money and staying entertained. His activities were noticed and was quickly wrapped up by law enforcement. At the prospect of facing jail time he entered a plea bargain to join the Stewards. There Mendev served as part of the Constable branch, and rumors are that he may have done some stints in the Ops branch. He returned on leave to Absalom Station, now a mostly changed man. He had reconciled with his parents and only sibling sister. Even introducing his best friend from the military to his sister. At some point his best friend from military got out and married his sister.

Mendev completed service honorably, but called it quits while he was ahead and before his smart mouth got him in trouble. Loving what he did, but looking forward towards the future, he started his own security consult and bounty hunting business using what he had learned. Sometime during this time Mendev gets closer with family, taking a fondness for his niece, whom she reminds him a lot of himself.

While the consultant job was quite boring, he found a certain satisfaction in his investigations. Mendev's bounty hunting business was mostly "hands off", finding evidence or proof of wrongdoing through computer systems was a job that he was very good at. Sometimes the job required him to get involved, that meant getting into a locale and back out with the intended data. Those were the gigs he enjoyed the most. And things seemed to be going alright...

But things would not stay well with Mendev for too long.

Recently Mendev was notified of relatives having been reported missing; sister, husband, and young niece (9) have disappeared without a trace. Mendev has taken the loss hard. Not quite the same since it has been reported that the man took up to heavy drinking. A symptom perhaps of not having been able to find information on his family.

Roleplaying Style

Tonight an old friend, Duravor Kreel, contacts him with an invitation and some strange information.

Mendev Malone I don't think this is the best of times Mr. Kreel. Mendev Malone nods his head but a side twist and turn reveals more of a shake of hesitation. No...no... I'd rather not, friend. I'm kind of busy actually. I, uh, have a lot of cases. Falling behind as matter of factly... Mendev took a sip of a whiskey, tilting the tumbler up with a reversed grip. Mendev and Duravor Kreel had previously met during his time with the Stewards. Even afterwards they had kept in contact. The dwarf was a decent man and his exploits were actually pretty cool. Kreel had even been his first customer when he started up his bounty hunting business. A large part of his clientele was due largely in part due to Duravor's recommendations. It would have been rude to outright deny his services to the dwarf. Over the line Duravor is heard. Mendev's head stopped its shaking. Making himself straight and a serious glower coming over his feature. Say again?!?! A dangerous tone over taking his previous friendliness. What did you say? He asked. Not even one eighth of a second later he got loud What did you say! He demanded. Heavy breathing in agitation he listened to every word the dwarf said. Mendev placed the tumbler to his temple trying to think. After a moment of silence, a still anxious but calmer Mendev spoke. Ok, ok, ok... I'll bite. When, where?... Tomorrow, a ship? Alright... I'll get on it. Docking bay? I'll meet you there. Hey Duravor… Thanks... Thank you. But Duravor, this better not be some scam... Clicking off the comms and slamming down the tumbler, Mendev Malone leans on the table. He closes his eyes and wobbles as he tries to process what he'd just heard. With a nod of finality he begins moving towards his gear in the back of the room. He reached it and stopped. From the view in his room he had a full view of Absalom Station. The Armada ship he was on was not one of luxury. It was simple, cheap, and discreet. Discreet, now that was a funny concept. Mendev snorted and shook his head. He of all people knew that places like these were a cesspool of espionage and information. Of course he wasn't here to be discreet; he just needed a lot of cheap indulgences...

[Silk]

Okay, I've got to say this is the hardest time I've had choosing a character concept because I have three of them. Well, two really with a hanger on that's still got my attention.

[Lord99]

[ruffdove]

Note to all on the setting: the current year in the Pact Worlds timeline is 317 AG. I've made note of it in the advertisement.

Welcome to the party, Khalil.

[Charlotte]

I'll let Khalil make an envoy; mind if I whip up a solarian?

Alternately, no one's pegged engineer, and I haven't given that one a shot yet!

[Silk]

Well, it took forever and a day, but I finally decided between the three builds I came up with. Human, Mechanic(Droid) - Cyberborn beat out the Half-elf, Operative(ghost) - Corporate Agent & Human, Soldier(?) - Scholar concepts I thought of. Though the Half-elf was a really close second. Putting my character info in my first post as you wanted. I'll probably have the Roleplaying Style section up before the background as I still have to read up on the planets and I already have an idea for the RP section.

[ruffdove]

Originally Posted by Charlotte

I'll let Khalil make an envoy; mind if I whip up a solarian?

Alternately, no one's pegged engineer, and I haven't given that one a shot yet!

Whip whatever you like, Charlotte.

[suburbanplankton]

Name: K'Sarrik
Race: Shirren
Class: Mystic
Theme: Cultist
Age: 15
Alignment: CG
Home World: Aucturn

Description:
K'Sarrik stands just over six feet in height, with a very thin, almost emaciated, frame. His exoskeleton appears black at first glance, but in bright light can be seen to be a very dark blue. He wears a tight leather band around his thorax, concealing his mating arms; his years on Aucturn, with its toxic environment, left them stunted and deformed, so he hides them away so that others might not see his grotesqueness. He never passes up an opportunity to try something new, especially exotic food and drink, and is prone to leap into 'new experiences' without a moment's hesitation. Some would call him 'foolhardy', as he often seems to give no heed to any dangers he might face, but he feels that to allow something new to go 'un-experienced' would be an insult to all those who worked to free him from his slavery. Although he enjoys relishes new people - every new acquaintance is a wealth of possible opinions - he has difficulty communicating with "mouth-speech"; such conversation was very much frowned upon within his cult, so he sometimes has troubles forming the words with his mouth. He is much more comfortable with telepathic speech, but understands that many others find it disconcerting.


Background:
K'Sarrik has no memory of his birth-world; he was born into a 'commune' of Shirren that still held to the 'hive mind' philosophy. They had been wandering through the Pact Worlds for many years before finally making a permanent home on Aucturn, where they settled in the city of Amniek. K'sarrik was brought up in a cult dedicated to the Midwives and their worship of the creature they believe will spring forth from the Gravid Mound. His was a life of "service and obedience", but realistically amounted to little more than slavery; his thoughts and actions dictated by the elders of his family.

When he came of age, K'sarrik was assigned to a team whose duties included meeting visiting ships at the spaceport bringing in food and supplies to the family. Through this work, he became exposed to 'other minds', with their dizzying array of thoughts and experiences. As time went on, it began to dawn on him that there were other schools of thought than the one to which he had been indoctrinated, but he discovered that even thinking too much about such foreign ideas would bring punishment. Still, he could not help but be fascinated by the things he heard and saw; until this time he was only vaguely aware of the existence of the universe beyond the Gravid Mound. As the years passed, he learned to train his mind, so that he could entertain thoughts of 'elsewhere' without alerting the others in his cult; the more he learned, the more he understood how he and his fellow cultists were being enslaved.

Most ships' crews spent as little time on Aucturn as possible, and interacted with the locals only as much as was absolutely necessary. One of the few exceptions was the Iomedae's Valor, which brought food and medial supplies on a fairly regular basis. K'Sarrik was intrigued by the vessel, as its crew were the only 'outsiders' that he ever came into repeated contact with, so he tried to visit the ship whenever it docked. Ir was during one of these visits that one of the crew spoke to him; it was a simple "Good morning", but it was the first time that an Outsider had ever spoken to him. He was so shocked, and uncertain how to react, that he turned and ran. The following day, the same crewman greeted him again, and again the next. On the fourth day, K'Sarrik worked up enough courage to return the greeting. The ship departed the following day, but when it returned on ts regular schedule a few months later K'Sarrik was there to meet it.

Over the next four years, K'Sarrik developed a relationship with the crew of Iomedae's Valor. The crew varied from trip to trip, but there was one tall dwarf that made repeated visits, and was always eager to share stories and tales from the many different worlds the ship visited. K'Sarrik had to keep his visits brief; he was not supposed to be associating with Outsiders. Each time he left the ship, he had to be careful to hide his excitement and anticipation of the next visit. As he learned more and more about the universe outside Aucturn, K'Sarrik became increasingly dissatisfied with hit existence there...and found it increasingly difficult to keep these feelings from the others in his family. Eventually, he confided in his dwarf friend and asked for help; it was determined that the next time the ship came to Aucturn, they would take K'Sarrik with them when the ship departed.

Finally, the day came...but as he made his final preparations to leave, he could no longer shield his thoughts from his companions. An alarm was raised, and several of his fellow cultists moved in to prevent his escape. In that moment of panic, K'Sarrik reached out into the minds of his would-be attackers, and to his surprise was able to disable them long enough for him to scramble aboard the waiting ship and make his escape. Once they reached open space, K'Sarrik was introduced to the Starfinder Society, who operated the ship. He accompanied the crew for several months, as they made their regular rounds, providing humanitarian relief to a number of systems. During their travels, K'Sarrik displayed a voracious appetite for knowledge of any kind: from astronomy to xenozoology, from the mechanics of Drift travel to the the study of differing styles of Castrovelian furniture. He spent hour after hour in the ship's library, or listening to tales from the crew; he sees every new piece of knowledge as an opportunity to make a personal choice, and therefore something to be treasured.

One subject that was of extreme interest to him was the strange ability that manifested him at the port, by which he was able effect his escape. Luckily, one of the crew members was a mystic, and was able to help K'Sarrik to understand his newfound abilities. He was able to combine studies of physics and the natural laws with practical exercises in the manipulation of the fundamental forces of nature. K'Sarrik found that he had a natural talent when it came to understanding, and influencing, the minds of others. He presumes that his lifelong experience with the 'communal mind' has given him a unique ability to tap into the thoughts and feelings of others. Having spent so any years being subject to the will of his family, it is exhilarating to him to have his own thoughts, and the freedom to take his own actions; sometimes he has trouble remembering that he should not use his abilities to inject his own thoughts and feelings into others' minds.

Iomedae's Valor is now arriving at Absalom Station, where K'Sarrik is to be formally introduced to Duravor Kreel. The two had spent many hours in discussions when Duravor had accompanied the ship to Aucturn, but K'Sarrik had never asked his dwarf friend what his name was; the idea of having such an intimate discussion with an Outsider had been too foreign for him to even think about at the time. Now, Duravor has invited K'Sarrik to join the Starfinders. K'Sarrik immediately accepted the offer, eager to experience all of the wonders that the universe has to offer, and hopefully to aid others as the Starfinders had aided him.


Roleplaying Sample:
"K'Sarrik is a few dozen steps from the boarding ramp when he realizes that his thoughts are no longer solely his own."

Escape It comes first as a wave of confusion emanating from near behind him, turning quickly to alarm. He doesn't need to turn around to know that T'Skali is staring at him, mouth agape and arm extended, pointing him out to the Escorts. "Betrayer! Deserter!" The words thunder in his mind, and he knows that everyone else in the area hears it as well. Don't stop...don't turn around. Just keep walking. He quickens his pace a bit, but takes care not to run; to do so would be to admit he was trying to flee. Instead, he continues walking at a measured pace, trying to once again shield his thoughts from the others. But even as he does so, he know is it too late; the Escorts are already moving to intercept him. Their monowhip are still at their sides - they will only resort to direct violence as a last resort - but they are much stronger and faster than him; he judges that he can make it to the ship ahead of them, but just barely. He breaks out into a full run; there is no more need for deception. After a few steps there is an explosion of sound and light, and a chorus of voices screams at him "STOP! CEASE ALL ACTIVITY AND REMAIN IN PLACE!!" Unconsciously his pace slows, in obedience to the Collective will...but only for a moment. He shakes his head, and pushes aside the voices. His vision clears, and he returns to his sprint. "No! I will not stop. You don't control me any longer! We are no longer the Swarm; I have my own thoughts, my own desires! You cannot keep me here!" "OBEY!!" This time, it is s single thought, white hot and filled with rage. The base of his skull feels like it is on fire; it staggers him, and he only barely keeps his balance. He dares a look over his shoulder and sees that one of the Escorts has separated from the rest of the group, and is closing in fast, his monowhip now in his hand. Looking back to the ship, K'Sarrik knows now that he will not reach it in time. He comes to a quick halt and whips his head around to face his pursuer. "I will not OBEY! You cannot control me! I am K'Sarrik, and I am going!" The Escort continues to close the distance, raising his whip as he prepares to strike. K'Sarrik frantically reaches out a hand, "No!!!" He channels all of his fear and rage at his would-be attacker, who suddenly stops short, his body trembling for a moment, and then falls motionless to the ground. The other Escorts pause a moment in their pursuit when they see their comrade fall; K'sarrik makes the most of the opportunity and sprints the rest of the way to the ship. He pauses in the doorway, looking back at T'Skali, who is still standing on the dock, open-mounted and staring. "I'm sorry...I would have taken you with me..." As the door closes and the ship begins to lift off, one last thought comes through in response. "Deserter, Heretic!"

[ruffdove]