1 Walking the Fire

BACKGROUND:

Known as Mataras—a Lashunta name meaning Burning Mother— the Pact Worlds’ sun is an enigmatic star. Its flaming depths containing portals to the Positive Energy Plane and the Plane of Fire. Whether these doorways were torn open by the incredible energy of stellar fusion or advanced that process might never be known.

Within the sun’s plasma seas live outsiders from the Plane of Fire and strange organisms adapted to the incredible heat and pressure. Most Pact Worlds citizens are restricted to the Burning Archipelago, an ancient network of mysterious bubblecities discovered a century ago, crafted by an unknown species and floating in the sun’s atmosphere.

Rumors persist of civilizations in similar bubble-cities deeper within the sun—stories efreet who have traveled within the star refuse to confirm. So far, no Pact Worlds scholars have been able to either replicate the technology that protects the Archipelago or otherwise descend into the sun to make contact with these so-called deep cultures. Speculation about these societies runs rampant, from anacites who believe the legendary First Ones might dwell in the sun to Sarenites who imagine the Burning Archipelago exists for religious purposes.

At the forefront of this research is the Deep Cultures Institute (DCI), a group of scholars some see as romantics or charlatans. Despite shaky claims from the DCI’s members, efforts to prove the existence of these deep cultures have come to nothing...

AT PRESENT:
The Far Portal is an ancient and mysterious structure. Floating at the edge of the sun’s corona, this massive metallic gateway is a vast ring. Contained within this ring is a magical portal, large enough to accommodate whole starships, leading to an inhospitable, uninhabited region of the Plane of Fire.

A few Material Plane expeditions have managed to make it through the blazing portal, but few have managed to return. To date, nothing from the Plane of Fire has emerged from the portal. Still, various research institutions have banded together to fund Far Portal Station, a small, utilitarian research facility positioned close enough to the portal to study its strange magical signatures and attempt to understand its
unknown origins.

The station is a spoke-and-wheel design, just large enough to accommodate the resident researchers and maintenance crew. Rooms and corridors are drab and practical, except for elaborate instrument stations and wallsized view screens showing the portal and the sun through various filters.

The response of station residents to your arrival is split between disinterest and a manic welcome of the chance for news, conversations, and perhaps even romantic liaisons...

FAR PORTAL:
Your adventure begins as you arrive on Far Portal Station, just moments after your passengers disembark. You take a moment to take in the station, but as soon as you start to make plans or split up, a commotion occurs near one of the stations’ viewing panels.

Shouts erupt from a group standing near a massive view screen showing live feeds of the Far Portal in various spectrums. As more people around the station drop what they’re doing and run to join the growing crowd, the portal on the screen shimmers and distends, ejecting an ornate starship that looks constructed from polished brass and black stone. It trails gasses and smoke, obviously damaged.

Members of the spectating group cheer or gasp in surprise, only to go silent as the images flicker and distort again. A new shape emerges from the portal and keeps emerging—a titanic and fiery whale shot through with technological augmentations of dark metal.

A few onlookers scream as flames spray out from the whale’s mouth toward the fleeing starship. A lashunta scientist at a console initiates a scan and says, "Oh no! Its shields are down!"

The ship jerks sideways, trying unsuccessfully to dodge the flames. Sections of hull plating blacken and give way. The ship’s main engines flicker, trailing a cloud of debris. Several shouts mirror the sentiment that someone needs to help the vessel and its crew.



A kasatha woman comes sprinting toward you, waving her four arms, she says rapidly, "You! You just arrived, yes? I’m Stationmaster Jori Kimosan Kofa of Clan... I’m Jori. Please, you have to help! That ship is the first to ever pass through the Far Portal from the Plane of Fire. It’s of immense scientific value, and that beast is about to incinerate it! Your vessel is the only one here that can handle the situation. We need you to save that ship!"

Seer, a human with a cocky attitude about him, looks in astonishment. He normally acts like he's the hottest stuff in the room, but that shifts to astonishment and wonder at the sight of the creature. His focus turns to the ship and he looks at the stationmaster to say, "Get us whatever data you have on that thing and send it to our ship." He then looks to his companions. "Let's get back on the ship! Every second counts!" He then starts running back to the loading dock of the ship, assuming his companions are behind him. He speeds through all of the most critical pre-flight checks like someone who has done this a millions times, and won't leave until he sees everyone is on.

Syr'alla dashes onto the bridge a step behind Seer, her face switching from easy smile to grim determination. "Okay I guess we need to get its attention."

Poe rush after Seer. Inside the ship, she calls out the responses to Seers pre-flight checks, as she jumps from station to station.
Engines, go!

Shields, go!

Humfrey, scan the creature, then I'll scan the ship when possible.

She nods to the Solarian as he heads off to the main gun control.
Syr'alla, coordinate please!
At this moment Poe is acting as a science officer, but she is ready to switch to the Engineer role.

Danm... I didn't even have time to see if a decent male was on the station. But heroes have better pickings.

Let's go, it is incredible a first encounter with a creature from fire plane. And we are at the edge of it. Of course I'll get all information I can about this gigantic weird whale. I'll call her 'Moby Dire', boy I'm excited!

Humgrey ran to the science station calibrating all the instrument, preparing a strategy to get as much data as he can.

Syr'alla finds her stride as she paces, briefly irritated at Po'Talis presumptuousness to remind her of her role "Let's keep this professional, this is probably the most eventful this station has been in years - they'll all be watching, let's not let them down. Seer take us into weapons range, we need to get it's attention and keep it on us."

This is the most eventful moment the GALAXY has known. Please, warning shot, try not to hurt this beautymous creature!

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Thanks, I'll see if I can fix that.

I am since I concentrate on the creature.