TEXT: THE 
  DIASPORA 
  STRAIN
  BY CHRIS S. SIMS
  ADVENTURE PATH
  ADVENTURE PATH
  
  RINGWORKS SENTINEL     
   TIER 5
  Medium explorer
  Speed 8; Maneuverability good (turn 1)
  AC 20; TL 19
  HP 65; DT —; CT 13
  Shields medium 160 (forward 40, port 40, starboard 40, aft 40)
  Attack (Forward) gravity gun (6d6)
  Attack (Turret) flak thrower (3d4)
  Power Core Pulse Red (175 PCU); Drift Engine none; Systems basic computer, basic medium-range sensors, crew quarters (good), mk 5 
  armor, mk 5 defenses, upgraded weapon mount (forward heavy); Expansion Bays brigPW, cargo hold, guest quarters (2, luxurious)
  Modifiers +2 Computers (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 4 (minimum 1, maximum 6)
  CREW
  Captain Bluff +11 (5 ranks), Diplomacy +11 (5 ranks), gunnery +8, Piloting +11 (5 ranks)
  Engineer Computers +14 (5 ranks), Engineering +14 (5 ranks)
  Gunner Computers +8 (5 ranks), gunnery +10
  Pilot Piloting +16 (5 ranks), gunnery +10
  Verces’s Ringworks Industries designed the Sentinel to have the armaments and maneuverability needed to protect other vessels, 
  space stations, and asteroid bases from all manner of foes, such as the space pirates who inhabit the Diaspora. In addition, the built-in 
  gravity gun makes the Sentinel a reliable workhorse for moving or destroying harmful space debris.  The Sentinel can also act as a 
  towing vessel if needed to bring damaged or disabled starships to dock for disembarking and repairs. Further, the Sentinel model has 
  features that allow it to serve as a shuttle for important guests or as a transport for captured pirates bound for prison.
  Most companies maintain only a few of these vessels at a time, and since they typically lack Drift capability, the vessels must remain 
  close to the areas they are protecting. Most of them operate within the Pact Worlds, but they can be transported to farther reaches of 
  space, where the threats can be more dangerous. Such Sentinels are often fitted with more weapons, trading out their shields and guest 
  amenities to become more akin to warships than guardian shuttles. Others might replace the gravity gun with a selection of smaller 
  light weapons and upgrade the Sentinel’s engines, prioritizing maneuverability over firepower.
  
  ON THE COVER
  CONTENT WARNING
  The Signal of Screams Adventure Path contains typical Starfinder action and adventure, but be warned 
  that it also presents scenarios in which horrifying things happen to the PCs and the NPCs around 
  them. The events presented in this Adventure Path fall into the realm of body horror and psychological 
  horror, which can include disfigurement, mutation, parasitism and disease, self-mutilation, injury, and 
  the aftermath of such unpleasantness. Before you begin, understand that player consent (including that 
  of the GM) is the most important thing to consider. GMs should talk with their players about the horror 
  elements included and obtain everyone’s consent to the inclusion of these topics. It’s also a good idea 
  to include a method for players to indicate whether the game’s content has gone too far during play. 
  More instruction about running horror campaigns responsibly and ensuring that all players have fun is 
  included in the article “Horror Campaigns” on page 46.
  Paizo Inc.
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
  Redmond, WA 98052-0577
  paizo.com
  THE DIASPORA STRAIN
  PART 1 OF 3
  CAMPAIGN OUTLINE 
  2
  THE DIASPORA STRAIN 
  3
  by Chris S. Sims
  CORRUPTED BY SHADOWS 
  40
  by Jason Keeley
  HORROR CAMPAIGNS 
  46
  by Epidiah Ravachol
  ALIEN ARCHIVES 
  54
  by Stephen Glicker, Chris S. Sims, and James L. Sutter
  CODEX OF WORLDS: NAX 
  62
  by Owen K.C. Stephens
  STARSHIP: RINGWORKS SENTINEL 
  INSIDE COVERS 
  by Chris S. Sims
  This book refers to several other Starfinder products using the following abbreviations, yet these 
  additional supplements are not required to make use of this book. Readers interested in references to 
  Starfinder hardcovers can find the complete rules of these books available online for free at sfrd.info.
  Armory 
  AR 
   
   
  Pact Worlds 
  PW
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with Starfinder or the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, 
  Section 1(e), and are not Open Game Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper nouns (characters, deities, locations, etc., 
  as well as all adjectives, names, titles, and descriptive terms derived from proper nouns), artworks, characters, dialogue, locations, 
  plots, storylines, trade dress, the historical period called the Gap, the terms kishalee, sivv, skyfire, Dreamer (the official Open Game 
  Content term for which is “dreaming barathu”), and the Drift (the official Open Game Content term for which is “hyperspace”). 
  (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content, or are exclusively derived from previous Open Game 
  Content, or that are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game 
  product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(d). No portion of this work other 
  than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  Starfinder Adventure Path #10: The Diaspora Strain © 2018, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem 
  logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, Starfinder, and the Starfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo 
  Inc.; Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Adventures, Pathfinder 
  Battles, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards, Pathfinder Combat Pad, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Flip-Tiles, 
  Pathfinder Legends, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Tales, Signal of Screams, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Combat Pad, Starfinder Flip-Mat, 
  Starfinder Pawns, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, and Starfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Inc.
  Printed in China. 
  Something’s not quite right with brutaris champion 
  Yazeloya Golkami in this chilling cover by artist 
  Ignacio Bazán Lazcano.
  Development Leads • Jason Keeley and Chris S. Sims
  Authors • Chris S. Sims, with Stephen Glicker, Jason Keeley, 
  Epidiah Ravachol, Owen K.C. Stephens, and James L. Sutter
  Cover Artist • Ignacio Bazán Lazcano
  Interior Artists • Dave Melvin, Mark Molnar, and 
  Ainur Salimova
  Page Border Design • Graey Erb
  Cartographer • Damien Mammoliti
  Creative Directors • James Jacobs, Robert G. McCreary, and 
  Sarah E. Robinson
  Director of Game Design • Jason Bulmahn
  Managing Developers • Adam Daigle and 
  Amanda Hamon Kunz
  Organized Play Lead Developer • John Compton 
  Developers • Eleanor Ferron, Jason Keeley, Luis Loza, 
  Ron Lundeen, Joe Pasini, Michael Sayre, Chris S. Sims, and 
  Linda Zayas-Palmer
  Starfinder Design Lead • Owen K.C. Stephens
  Starfinder Society Developer • Thurston Hillman
  Senior Designer • Stephen Radney-MacFarland 
  Designers • Logan Bonner and Mark Seifter
  Managing Editor • Judy Bauer
  Senior Editor • Christopher Carey
  Editors • James Case, Leo Glass, Lyz Liddell, Adrian Ng, 
  Lacy Pellazar, and Jason Tondro
  Art Director • Sonja Morris
  Senior Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Adam Vick
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  Project Manager • Gabriel Waluconis
  Publisher • Erik Mona
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  Sales Associate • Cosmo Eisele
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  Data Entry Clerk • B. Scott Keim
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  Webstore Coordinator • Rick Kunz 
  Customer Service Team • Sharaya Copas, Katina Davis, 
  Virginia Jordan, Sara Marie, Samantha Phelan, and 
  Diego Valdez
  Warehouse Team • Laura Wilkes Carey, Will Chase, 
  Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and 
  Kevin Underwood
  Website Team • Brian Bauman, Robert Brandenburg, 
  Whitney Chatterjee, Erik Keith, and Andrew White
  ADVENTURE PATH
  ADVENTURE PATH
  
  W
  hen the funding 
  for her research 
  into the nature and cause of 
  pain started to run out, the 
  brilliant scientist Dr. Lestana 
  Gragant was approached 
  by Eclipse Innovations, a 
  corporation that proposed 
  Dr. Gragant shift the focus 
  of her research to military applications. She was relocated to 
  a secret facility on an asteroid in the Diaspora and put under 
  constant pressure to produce results.
  As time passed, Dr. Gragant grew desperate, and one 
  fateful day, she enacted a mostly theoretical technomagical 
  procedure on herself. It resulted in a mystical implosion 
  that killed all of Dr. Gragant’s subjects and assistants, drew 
  large portions of the facility into the Shadow Plane, and 
  transformed the doctor into a half-velstrac fiend the likes 
  of which the universe had never seen. Eclipse Innovations 
  covered up the evidence of the accident as best they could 
  and shelved Dr. Gragant’s research.
  Forever changed, Dr. Gragant spent the next 13 years on 
  the Shadow Plane, where she lost any lingering compassion 
  for others. She began to see pain and suffering as gifts she 
  could bring to the Material Plane, and she got the chance to 
  do so when the asteroid where her research facility had been 
  located was turned into a luxury resort named New Elysium. 
  She reached out to twist the mind of Kaeon Rhyse, an Eclipse 
  Innovations executive who was visiting the resort. With 
  Kaeon’s help, she soon had most of Eclipse’s employees under 
  her control. She then had her minions craft a way to transmit 
  her corrupting influence through a program on a comm unit, 
  which Eclipse then sold to New Elysium as a virtual concierge. 
  The resort is about to hold a gala celebrating this technology, 
  and the PCs are invited!
  THE DIASPORA STRAIN
  By Chris S. Sims
  Starfinder Adventure Path #10, Levels 7–8
  A vacation to New Elysium—a luxury resort located on an 
  asteroid in the Diaspora—begins to go horribly wrong as the 
  facilities malfunction and the guests and staff turn violent. 
  The heroes must protect themselves and aid those who 
  have resisted the corrupting influence, including a wealthy 
  android tech entrepreneur who might have information about 
  the cause of this malady. Once rescued from the old mining 
  tunnels beneath the resort, the android reveals the true source 
  of the problem: the virtual concierge installed in everyone’s 
  comm units. In order to 
  stop the growing delirium, 
  the heroes might have to 
  fight off those other guests 
  (including 
  a 
  celebrated 
  champion of the vicious 
  sport of brutaris) who have 
  been 
  transformed 
  into 
  hideous abominations!
  THE PENUMBRA PROTOCOL
  By Jenny Jarzabski
  Starfinder Adventure Path #11, Levels 9–10
  Infected with a sickness that threatens to turn them into 
  twisted sadists, the heroes travel to the city of Cuvacara 
  on the planet Verces to find Eclipse Innovations, the tech 
  company that created the virtual concierge. They soon 
  discover that this sinister company plans to release a new 
  social media app that will corrupt the entire city in the same 
  fashion as New Elysium. Surviving attacks from corporate 
  assassins, the heroes can shut down the app’s servers and 
  discover the location of the company’s hidden underground 
  base on the planet’s Darkside. Individuals who seem to 
  have willingly undergone transformation lurk within and 
  now protect the facility with their lives. After confronting 
  the charismatic executive in charge and learning about 
  Dr. Lestana Gragant—the corrupted scientist who created 
  the signal—the heroes find they are now trapped on the 
  Shadow Plane!
  HEART OF NIGHT
  By Saif Ansari
  Starfinder Adventure Path #12, Levels 11–12
  The only hope of returning to the Material Plane is to find 
  and destroy the twisted scientist responsible for engineering 
  the transformative signal. At a creepy spacedock controlled 
  by worshipers of Zon-Kuthon, the PCs are able to retrieve a 
  shadow version of their own starship, which they can use 
  to return to New Elysium’s asteroid. Fighting disturbing 
  vessels piloted by velstracs who want to flay them alive, 
  the heroes arrive at a twisted place where the moans and 
  screams of unseen beings echo through unfamiliar halls. 
  At the center of this web, the heroes confront Dr. Gragant 
  herself, who has been transformed into a unique outsider 
  through her experimentation with pain and pleasure. Using 
  her notes and partially living machinery, the PCs can cure 
  themselves of their own corruption (if they wish) and find 
  a way home!
  WE HAVE SUCH
   SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU
  WE HAVE SUCH
   SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU
  CAMPAIGN OUTLINE
  Spoiler Alert!
  On this page you’ll find the background and outline 
  for the Signal of Screams Adventure Path. If you 
  intend to play in this campaign, be warned! This 
  page spoils the plot for the upcoming adventures 
  as thoroughly as possible.
  2
  
  THE DIASPORA STRAIN
  THE DIASPORA STRAIN
  PART 1: TWILIGHT IN ELYSIUM  
  6 
  After being invited to the reopening of a luxury resort in the Diaspora called 
  New Elysium, the PCs find all is not as it seems.
  PART 2: WAKING NIGHTMARES 
  26
  As the situation in New Elysium worsens, the PCs delve into the roots of the 
  resort to find the source of the problem.
  PART 3: PARTING THE GLOOM  
  34
  The PCs return to New Elysium to shut down the source of the horror there and 
  escape the chaos that reigns within.
  3
   
  The PCs begin this adventure at 
  7th level.
    
  The PCs should reach 8th level 
  as they explore the tunnels 
  under the resort.
   
  The PCs should be 9th level by 
  the end of the adventure.
  “The Diaspora Strain” is designed for 
  four characters.
  ADVANCEMENT TRACK
  8
  9
  7
  
  Several decades ago, after watching her parents die in agony  
  from painful illnesses, Dr. Lestana Gragant began her work 
  to eliminate pain in the galaxy. Her childhood loss fueled her 
  ascent through the medical world. She gained a reputation 
  for thorough research into ways to control and mitigate pain, 
  but she failed to create practical applications from her work. 
  Then the Swarm attacked the Pact Worlds and the Veskarium.
  Eclipse Innovations, a Vercite firm, hired Dr. Gragant to 
  create military technology that would inure soldiers to pain. 
  The company purchased asteroid D-334H, an enormous rock in 
  the Diaspora that Ulrikka Clanholdings had mined out over 15 
  years before, and built a facility within the asteroid’s tunnels. 
  Eclipse pressured Gragant for results, and she turned to 
  unethical practices to speed up her research. Corporate security 
  forces provided her with captured pirates as test subjects, and 
  the once-idealistic doctor took the first steps on her path into 
  darkness when she persuaded herself that, in the pursuit of 
  her noble goal, the life and suffering of a criminal didn’t matter.
  Dr. Gragant became convinced that the key to success was 
  turning pain into pleasure. However, doing so would require 
  Dr. Gragant to escape the constraints of science by dabbling in 
  magic. As Eclipse Innovations’ demands became threats to cut 
  her funding, Dr. Gragant used her unproven technomagical 
  theories on herself. The result was a magical cascade that 
  drew portions of her lab into the Shadow Plane, killing most 
  of her assistants and test subjects. Eclipse covered up the 
  incident, sealed what was left of the lab, and shelved the 
  research, thinking Lestana Gragant dead. They were wrong.
  The experiment transformed Dr. Gragant into a supernatural 
  being, a fiend without a trace of compassion or empathy. 
  Trapped in the shadow version of her facility, she hungered 
  for pain. For over a decade, she honed her powers, learned to 
  influence the Material Plane, and found allies among fiends 
  similar to herself. She corrupted a few space pirates and other 
  explorers of D-334H in this way but, mystically tied to the 
  asteroid, her reach was severely limited.
  That limitation ended when Eclipse Innovations, through 
  several shell corporations and back channels, sold D-334H 
  to Paradise Resorts. Paradise planned to build a vacation 
  facility where the rich could be pampered while experiencing 
  the Diaspora up close. New Elysium, as the resort was to 
  be called, broke ground on the asteroid 5 years ago. Dr. 
  Gragant watched and waited, working subtle corruptions on 
  the administrators and workers, curious to see where this 
  flurry of activity might lead. Her patience paid off. Gragant 
  influenced Paradise Resort’s managers to approach Eclipse, 
  whom she blamed for her losses and transformation, and 
  incorporate some of the corporation’s technology into the 
  asteroid’s automated facilities. Soon, an Eclipse Innovations 
  executive named Kaeon Rhyse arrived at New Elysium to 
  facilitate this project.
  Over the next year, Gragant corrupted Rhyse completely. 
  In turn, Rhyse brought Gragant more potential converts from 
  Eclipse Innovations’ home offices. Most of these disciples 
  returned to Verces, allowing Gragant to slowly gain control 
  over her former employer, and now the entire corporation 
  serves her interests. Most recently, Eclipse has upgraded New 
  Elysium’s automated systems to interface with visitors’ comm 
  units and personal computing devices through a program 
  called Keys to Elysium.
  This “virtual concierge” program is actually part of 
  Gragant’s plan to turn pain into pleasure throughout the 
  galaxy. While the program puts control of resort amenities 
  in the guests’ hands, it also carries a shadow signal that 
  amplifies Gragant’s powers of corruption, allowing her to 
  manipulate users of the program even more efficiently and 
  quickly than she has so many others on the asteroid. If she 
  can successfully subvert the wills of a large group of people 
  in a short period of time, Gragant has the means to extend 
  her influence to other worlds!
  THE INVITATION
  The Signal of Screams Adventure Path starts with the PCs 
  receiving an invitation to a vacation facility called New 
  Elysium. The resort’s new social manager, Filip Kallsner, has 
  invited significant persons from regions all across known 
  space to participate in an exclusive debut of the Keys to 
  Elysium virtual concierge. The text of this invitation is 
  presented in the handout at the top of page 5.
  The player characters might receive this invitation for any 
  one of several reasons, and it should feel like a reward for 
  past deeds, even if you are beginning this campaign with 
  new characters. Each PC could receive her own invitation, or 
  the PCs could receive one as a group. Several rooms can be 
  offered, as the size of the party requires. Some suggestions for 
  why the PCs get invited to New Elysium follow. Use them as 
  written, or change them to fit the backstories of your player 
  characters. Paradise Resorts invites all sorts of individuals to 
  the resort for a variety of reasons.
  After the Aeon Throne: Player characters who survived 
  the Against the Aeon Throne Adventure Path likely earned 
  renown for their role in those events. If the PCs kept a low 
  profile in their struggle against the Azlanti Star Empire, a 
  friend or contact, such as Cedona or another member of the 
  Stewards, might recommend the group for the guest list out 
  of gratitude. The person who makes this vacation possible has 
  no idea of the truth behind New Elysium; they want only to 
  give the PCs the gift of well-earned relaxation.
  Celebrity Calls: Paradise Resorts wants celebrities to 
  experience and spread the word about New Elysium and 
  its new system of automation. The PCs are well-known 
  individuals, especially if any character in the group has the 
  icon theme. Similar distinction in other fields, such as being 
  ADVENTURE 
  BACKGROUND
  4
  
  a prominent scholar or an eminent explorer, can also result in 
  an invitation. Other New Elysium guests include a software 
  entrepreneur and several sports figures, and any or all the 
  PCs might have similar cultural appeal and anticipated value 
  as word-of-mouth advertisers.
  Patron’s Gift: The PCs recently performed a massive favor 
  or job for a wealthy patron and, in addition to whatever 
  payment they received, get put on the guest list for New 
  Elysium’s gala event. The task the PCs performed was likely 
  dangerous or perilous and their patron assures them that they 
  “earned a vacation.” This patron is unaware of what is about to 
  happen on the resort.
  Sweepstakes Winners: To attract a full house of 
  participants and attain a broader spectrum of attendees, New 
  Elysium held a system-wide sweepstakes for numerous guest 
  slots. One or more of the PCs might have filled out an entry 
  during previous adventures. Guess who won? Alternatively, a 
  business associate, friend, or relative might have entered the 
  contest and won, but can’t go. That acquaintance gives the 
  ticket to the PCs. Either way, a winning ticket allows for the 
  entire group to enjoy a free vacation at New Elysium.
  The Unconnected Group: The previous hooks assume the 
  PCs have preexisting relationships and share a starship. 
  Although such connections make the group more cohesive and 
  possibly deepen the horror that develops, prior relationships 
  aren’t required. In such a case, each PC has received his own 
  invitation to New Elysium (involving any of the reasons listed 
  above). At the start of the adventure, they are being flown 
  to the resort as passengers on a Ringworks Sentinel (see the 
  inside covers). They might even be flying with NPCs they will 
  later work with or oppose (see Key Characters on page 6).
  If you begin the campaign this way, you will need to alter 
  Event 1 to make the encounter fairer, perhaps by reducing the 
  number of Diasporan Raiders by one or replacing all the enemy 
  vessels with BMC Maulers (Starfinder Core Rulebook 314). Also, 
  the PCs will have to convince the Sentinel’s normal crew to let 
  them take over the ship and answer the distress call. However, 
  this approach has the benefit of essentially isolating the PCs on 
  New Elysium when things start to get bad; they can’t just get 
  in their vessel and fly away. In this case, the group should still 
  create a tier 8 starship they can use later (see Event 16).
  BUILDING A STARSHIP
  The PCs should begin this adventure with their own starship, 
  either from their previous adventures or, if your players are 
  creating new 7th-level characters, a new tier 7 starship they 
  collectively create. As the campaign progresses, the PCs will 
  have opportunities to improve their starship and customize 
  it further.
  ARMOR AND WEAPONS ON 
  NEW ELYSIUM
  If any of the PCs ask about the resort’s policy on armor and 
  weapons, let them know they won’t be expected to turn over 
  any of their gear, though they will be asked to safely stow 
  most of their armaments in their guest accommodations. The 
  Diaspora can be a dangerous place, and while the resort has 
  its own security detail, having competent fighters such as 
  the PCs around might put some of the other guests at ease. 
  However, carrying large and obvious weapons and wearing 
  heavy armor is generally frowned on and considered tacky.
  RESEARCHING THE RESORT
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 check to recall knowledge 
  with Culture or an appropriate Profession skill (corporate 
  professional, for instance), can learn more about New Elysium 
  and Paradise Resorts. The PCs already know that Paradise 
  Resorts owns New Elysium and paid for them to go on this 
  FELICITATIONS! 
  PARADISE RESORTS IS PROUD TO OFFER YOU A COMPLEMENTARY THREE WEEK STAY AT 
  NEW ELYSIUM, THE DIASPORA-BASED LUXURY RESORT FOR THE DISCERNING VACATIONER. 
  PAMPER YOURSELF WITH OUR SUMPTUOUS GUEST SERVICES, INCLUDING BODY WRAPS, 
  MASSAGES, AND MUD FACIALS! RELAX IN ONE OF OUR TWO POOLS, COMPLETE WITH 
  ARTIFICIAL WATERFALLS! INDULGE IN THE FINEST FOOD FROM ACROSS THE GALAXY! AND SO 
  MUCH MORE, ALL AT YOUR FINGERTIPS WITH OUR BRAND-NEW KEYS TO ELYSIUM VIRTUAL 
  CONCIERGE DOWNLOADED DIRECTLY INTO YOUR COMM UNIT!
  IN ADDITION TO PICKING UP THE TAB FOR YOUR ROOM, MEALS, AND ANY OTHER SERVICES 
  YOU INDULGE IN, PARADISE RESORTS IS ALSO HOLDING A GRAND GALA FOR ALL GUESTS 
  ON THE SECOND NIGHT OF YOUR STAY. MEET AND MINGLE WITH YOUR PEERS, AND MAYBE 
  MAKE A NEW FRIEND!
  DISCLAIMER: PARADISE RESORTS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTRA FEES YOU MIGHT INCUR, SUCH AS FOR EXPENSIVE CONSUMABLES, TOP-SHELF INTOXICANTS, 
  PORTABLE GEAR, AUGMENTATIONS, AND SIMILAR GOODS.
  5
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  trip. Those who succeed at the check also identify Paradise 
  Resorts as a small corporation specializing in unusual 
  vacation locations. The company owns several tourist centers, 
  including Cloud Nine, a floating campground in the clouds of 
  Bretheda, and Utopiana, a beachside hotel on Castrovel. 
  Paradise Resorts has a good reputation among its 
  customers, and it’s moderately profitable. The 
  company has a wide variety of partners that 
  offer services and goods vacationers might 
  desire while visiting their resorts.
  The Signal of Screams Adventure Path 
  truly begins as the PCs approach the 
  part of the Diaspora where New 
  Elysium’s asteroid floats. 
  KEY 
  CHARACTERS
  The 
  following 
  nonplayer 
  characters are important to this adventure. 
  Unless stated otherwise, these people are celebrities 
  invited to attend New Elysium’s reopening. It is central to 
  the growing horror of the adventure that the PCs develop a 
  relationship with some of these NPCs, as later on, they will 
  become foes or die according to the needs of the story.
  You might want to assign a note card to each NPC and record 
  their interactions with and feelings about each PC on it. You can 
  use similar cards to track NPCs you add to the scenario if the PCs 
  meet people not mentioned here. Most interactions with these 
  characters will consist of roleplaying, until noted otherwise. If 
  the PCs want to attempt any checks against these NPCs, you 
  can assume the base DC for such checks is 22 and adjust it 
  as needed. Most NPCs have a starting attitude of indifferent. 
  However, all resort staff members start as friendly to the PCs.
  NEW ELYSIUM STAFF
  Almost 30 people are usually required to take care of 
  guests and maintain the facility, supplementing the resort’s 
  automated services (see New Elysium Features on page 
  11). During this reopening, there are far fewer guests than 
  normal and the number of staff members has been reduced 
  accordingly. Unnamed minor personnel rotate between 
  various jobs. When not working, many of the staff can be 
  found mingling with guests. Among the resort personnel, only 
  Kaeon Rhyse knows what is truly going on at New Elysium. 
  All other workers believe the reopening event is a marketing 
  strategy. They have no inkling of Dr. Gragant’s shadow carrier 
  signal and are simply additional test subjects. The prominent 
  staff members in the adventure are listed below.
  Filip Kallsner (N male halfling envoy) is New Elysium’s host 
  and social manager. He oversees the hosting staff, such as 
  those working in lounges and restaurants. Tall for a halfling, 
  Filip dresses well in dark business attire or formal wear, 
  sometimes of unusual subtle hues. He’s easy 
  to like, genuine and friendly, smooth without 
  being slimy, and accommodating without being 
  obsequious.
  Kaeon 
  Rhyse 
  (LE 
  male 
  verthani 
  technomancer) is the Eclipse Innovations 
  executive mentioned in the Adventure 
  Background. Kaeon makes only a brief 
  appearance in this adventure and will be further 
  detailed in the next adventure, “The Penumbra 
  Protocol.”
  Kane Zaphol (LN male human soldier), New 
  Elysium’s security specialist, commands the 
  resort’s security squads and starship 
  patrols. He is fit and looks the part of 
  a proper, groomed military officer. 
  Although he follows the rules and 
  maintains decorum, he’s arrogant 
  and authoritarian.
  Rhissona Avran (LE female reptoid 
  master) works under Dr. Lominn 
  (detailed below) as an augmentation 
  specialist. Rhissona disguises herself as a verthani of the 
  Augmented caste, gaunt with cropped blue hair. She’s 
  courteous but pretends to be more comfortable in her job 
  than in social situations.
  Dr. Sidrani Lominn (LN female human) is the physician who 
  supervises New Elysium’s spa and medical facilities. She’s 
  second to Filip Kallsner when it comes to managerial authority. 
  The doctor is usually wearing a light-colored lab coat over 
  business attire in neutral shades, wearing her dark hair pinned 
  back. Dr. Lominn maintains a professional demeanor while 
  attempting to remain approachable, and has a sincere desire to 
  help and care for guests within facility rules.
  Vorilynn Wreyas (NG female half-elf mystic), a retired 
  Xenowarden, got the job overseeing care for Green Fields and 
  New Elysium’s other flora largely because she is a friend of 
  the Kallsner family. Vorilynn (whom Filip calls Vori) works at 
  New Elysium in order to gain access to the resort’s amenities. 
  Vori wraps her willowy frame in robes and often leaves her 
  long silver hair loose or tied in a bun. 
  ABSALOM BUZZBLADES
  After winning the latest championship, members of the 
  Absalom Buzzblades, a popular team known for its dominance 
  of the gladitorial sport, brutaris, were invited to New Elysium. 
  Only six of the team’s 13 first-string members could make it, as 
  the others are still recuperating from their last match. Brutaris 
  is played on a wide field with changeable obstacles, goals, and 
  a spiked ball called the brutaris. Players who run and handle 
  PART 1: 
  TWILIGHT IN ELYSIUM
  DR. SIDRANI LOMINN
  6
  
  the ball are called backs, and players who engage in most of 
  the conflict, protecting the backs, are called forwards. 
  Beryldor Rendrumm (N male dwarf soldier) is a strong 
  young forward with close-cropped red hair and a trim beard. 
  He’s jolly and distractible. The others call him “the new kid.”
  Kofehsu Tasa Ni Raeda Saeru of Clan Rishnu (LN male 
  kasatha technomancer) is a lithe and fast rear-back. He likes 
  to talk strategy and philosophy but doesn’t tolerate foolish 
  or disrespectful behavior directed at him or his teammates.
  Lomer (LE agender android solarian) is a center-back, short 
  and solidly built, with curly hair and skin the color of bronze 
  with copper accents. They are sharp-witted, have a dark sense 
  of humor, and often follows Virlae’s lead.
  Virlae Nilufeh (LE female korasha lashunta operative) 
  is a young fast-back or “winger.” She is friendly but a bit 
  egotistical. Of the Buzzblades, she is the first to be affected 
  by New Elysium’s ambient corruption.
  Yazeloya Golkami (LN female vesk soldier), the most 
  massive and renowned of the Buzzblades, is the team’s 
  notorious number 13, a lock-back or “demoralizer.” Yazeloya 
  has a fearsome on-field reputation, but in person, she’s 
  gregarious and respectful, often displaying physical affection, 
  especially to those who show courage and strength. However, 
  she has no regard for cowards.
  Zidhil Quorin (LN male human soldier), the second largest 
  Buzzblade, is an older forward. He is nearing retirement, with 
  oiled black wavy hair and beard. He’s reserved and observant. 
  Other Buzzblades look up to him.
  OTHER GUESTS
  Several of the resort’s approximately 50 other guests play a 
  significant role in the adventure.
  Cthesa (N female shirren) is a travel writer known for 
  harsh but fair criticism of vacation sites across the Pact 
  Worlds. Paradise Resorts invited her for obvious reasons. She 
  is outgoing and venturesome, and has an athletic build that 
  accommodates her adventurous spirit. Her antennae tend to 
  twitch when she gets excited about something.
  Indigo-13 (NG female android), personal attendant and 
  bodyguard to Romi (detailed below), has a feminine-leaning 
  appearance and affect. She has pale skin with blue accents and 
  blue fiber-optic hair that can illuminate and change color to 
  emphasize her mood. Indigo is outgoing and tries to influence 
  Romi to step outside their narrow comfort zone. However, if 
  anyone threatens her or Romi, Indigo-13 can be ruthless.
  Romi (NG agender android) is a software mogul from 
  Aballon famous for consulting on personal interface solutions. 
  Paradise Resorts invited Romi for professional feedback on 
  Keys to Elysium. The android abstains from downloading or 
  using the virtual concierge, but also keeps an eye on how other 
  guests interface with the program. Romi is an intellectually 
  curious android who displays very few emotional responses, 
  relying on their personal attendant and bodyguard Indigo-13 
  to navigate social events. They are hairless, with ebony skin, 
  and wear plain, practical, loose-fitting clothing, sometimes 
  going barefoot.
  Tok “Crower” Nahgiz (NE male ysoki), a holovid streamer 
  infamous for broadcasting tawdry material, is here because he 
  “won” a ticket by getting his audience to enter the sweepstakes 
  mentioned on page 5 using his name. While this was technically 
  against the rules of the contest, Paradise Resorts didn’t wish to 
  anger Tok’s fan base, so they cut a deal with the ysoki, allowing 
  him to attend as long as he doesn’t broadcast his stay live. Tok 
  has black fur and wears eyewear that includes tiny cameras, 
  which he uses to record everything. He plans to edit the footage 
  later for an extended documentary.
  UNWANTED GUEST
  A cantor (see page 60) named Teodhor has infiltrated the resort 
  from the Shadow Plane. One of the many velstracs—outsiders 
  native to the Shadow Plane who feed on fear and pain—Dr. 
  Gragant swayed to her side over the years, Teodhor stalks the 
  corridors, using his nightmare powers to further corrupt the 
  resort’s guests. Teodhor has biometric security clearance (see 
  New Elysium Features on page 11), but he moves around only at 
  night, using Stealth and the shadow body spell to avoid detection. 
  During most of the adventure, he avoids confronting anyone, 
  including the PCs, but they might spot him more than once.
  EVENT 1: BRUTARIS DISTRESS (CR 9)
  When the PCs arrive in the sector of the Diaspora near New 
  Elysium, they intercept a distress call.
  “Shuttle Goal Runner to New Elysium security! We’re under 
  attack! Request immediate assistance!”
  The response is quick. “Acknowledged, Goal Runner. 
  We’re on our way. Hang in there.”
  “They’ll never get here in time, Buzzblades!” an unknown 
  person with a gravelly voice interjects. “Give it up, and we’ll 
  go easy on ya.” The transmission ends with laughter and 
  hooting from what must be other ships in the area.
  A PC who is a sports fan or who succeeds at a DC 12 Culture 
  check recognizes the name “Buzzblades” as the champion 
  brutaris team of Absalom Station. The Goal Runner must be 
  the team’s transport vehicle.
  Starship Combat: The PCs’ ship is close enough to quickly 
  come to the Goal Runner’s aid. Three other small ships harry 
  the shuttle, hooting and taunting over the communications 
  channel. It is easy for the PCs to determine that low on shields 
  and firepower, the Goal Runner can’t hold out until the New 
  Elysium security ships arrive. 
  As the PCs approach, place their ship on one side of the map, 
  approximately 25 to 30 hexes from the Goal Runner and the 
  three Diasporan Raiders, pirate fighters not associated with 
  the Free Captains. The intervening space is cluttered with small 
  asteroids. Using tokens to represent these hazards, place 20 
  asteroids on the map, with no two in adjacent hexes. A starship 
  7
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  can fly through a space containing an asteroid, but the 
  pilot must succeed at a DC 25 Piloting check or clip the 
  asteroid, dealing 1d10 damage to her starship in a random 
  arc. A starship can shoot at an asteroid, which is considered 
  to have AC 5 and TL 5 and is destroyed when dealt 5 Hull 
  Points of damage.
  When combat begins, two of the Diasporan Raiders move 
  to engage the PCs’ vessel, correctly believing it to be the 
  larger threat. The third continues to harass the Goal Runner, 
  which enters the field of asteroids to try and escape the 
  battle. Though the shuttle is fleeing, Yazeloya takes on the 
  role of gunner and fires the laser net at the pirate chasing her 
  ship. Both the pirates and the Goal Runner have taken some 
  damage to their shields, as noted in their stat blocks.
  If you like, a player can roll for Yazeloya’s gunnery checks 
  using the bonus listed below. The PCs can also encourage 
  the Goal Runner’s crew to perform specific actions over 
  their comm units. The brutaris players are more than willing 
  to accept the PCs’ suggestions, but if you think a course of 
  action sounds risky or unusual, the PC who suggested it must 
  succeed at a DC 20 Diplomacy or Intimidate check (which 
  takes no starships action) for the Goal Runner to enact it.
  During the combat, the pirates taunt and annoy their 
  targets. If the PCs and the Goal Runner do well in the fight, 
  the Buzzblades (especially Yazeloya) cheer their rescuers and 
  return the pirates’ gibes. If the players haven’t already done 
  so, Yazeloya might recommend the PCs and the Goal Runner 
  team up and focus fire on a single pirate fighter. Any pirate 
  fighter reduced to half its Hull Points or fewer flees. Once two 
  pirates retreat or are defeated, the third also runs for it. The 
  Goal Runner remains as long as the PCs’ ship does.
  At the start of the fifth round, New Elysium security 
  arrives in the form of two Ringworks Sentinels (see inside 
  front cover) which enter the map on the same edge the PCs’ 
  vessel started from. Any remaining pirates flee at this point. 
  See Development below for the pirates’ parting words.
  DIASPORAN RAIDERS (3) 
  TIER 4
  Tiny fighter
  Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 2
  AC 21; TL 20
  HP 40 each; DT —; CT 8
  Shields medium 100 (currently 86; forward 21, port 22, 
  starboard 22, aft 21)
  Attack (Forward) high explosive missile launcher (4d8), 
  light particle beam (6d6)
  Attack (Aft) linked flak throwers (6d4)
  Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Drift Engine Signal 
  Booster; Systems basic medium-range sensors, extra 
  light weapon mount (aft), mk 3 duonode computer, mk 5 
  armor, mk 5 defenses; Expansion Bays none
  Modifiers +3 to any two checks per round, +2 Computers 
  (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 2
  CREW
  Gunner Computers +12 (4 ranks), gunnery +8
  Pilot Piloting +16 (4 ranks), gunnery +8
  GOAL RUNNER 
  TIER 4
  Small shuttle
  Speed 10; Maneuverability perfect (turn 0); Drift 2
  AC 20; TL 19
  HP 40; DT —; CT 8
  Shields medium 120 (currently 80; forward 20, port 20, 
  starboard 20, aft 20)
  Attack (Forward) light particle beam (3d6)
  Attack (Turret) laser net (2d6)
  Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Drift Engine Signal 
  Booster; Systems basic medium-range sensors, crew 
  quarters (good), extra light weapon mount (turret), 
  mk 2 duonode computer, mk 5 armor, mk 5 defenses; 
  Expansion Bays guest quarters (2 good), recreation 
  suite (gym)
  Modifiers +2 to any two checks per round, +2 Computers 
  (sensors only), +2 Piloting; Complement 3 (plus guests)
  CREW
  Engineer Computers +12 (4 ranks), Engineering +12 (4 ranks)
  Gunners (2) Engineering +8 (4 ranks), gunnery +8
  Pilot Piloting +17 (4 ranks), gunnery +8
  DIASPORAN RAIDER
  8
  
  Development: If the pirates disable both the Goal Runner 
  and the PCs’ ship, they don’t have enough time to board either 
  vessel before New Elysium security arrives. The pirates flee 
  from the Sentinels, who don’t bother chasing after them, 
  prioritizing the safety of the guests. The Sentinels tow any 
  disabled vessels back to New Elysium.
  Either way, when the pirates leave, read or paraphrase 
  the following.
  A message arrives from one of the New Elysium ships. 
  “Guest vessel, thank you for your assistance. Please proceed 
  to New Elysium. We’ll handle the situation from here.”
  “Rot on that rock, maggots,” answers a scratchy-voiced 
  pirate. “May you join our mates what haunt its innards.”
  If New Elysium security doesn’t have to tow the PCs’ vessel 
  or the Goal Runner to the resort, and the PCs didn’t disable 
  any of the pirate ships, the Sentinels give chase. Ultimately, 
  the Sentinels capture a pirate ship, giving the PCs a chance 
  to later interrogate one of the pirates (see Event 2). Neither 
  the New Elysium security force nor the Buzzblades know 
  anything about the pirates’ final cryptic remark. The security 
  crew has no authority to authorize any recompense for 
  damage to the PCs’ vessel or guarantee salvage rights for 
  any disabled pirate ship, but they assure the PCs that such 
  matters can be discussed at the resort.
  Story Award: If the PCs survive the encounter with the 
  pirate ships, award them 6,400 XP. If the PCs managed to 
  rescue the Goal Runner before it is disabled, award them an 
  additional 2,400 XP. 
  ARRIVAL AT NEW ELYSIUM
  Shortly after the battle with the pirates, the PCs arrive at New 
  Elysium. Read or paraphrase the following.
  New Elysium’s docking area is a multiarmed facility on the 
  side of an enormous asteroid. Above it, built into the space-
  borne rock, is a sleek structure with countless windows, as 
  well as a huge, clear dome. A computerized message plays 
  from the comm unit.
  “Welcome! Relax, and our automated docking system will 
  guide you in. You’ll be ready to disembark shortly.”
  True to the message, docking takes only a few moments. 
  A mechanical clank and a sharp hiss accompany the station’s 
  airlock passageway linking to the ship.
  “You are now ready to disembark. Welcome to New 
  Elysium, a plane unto itself among the stars, untouched 
  by sorrow.”
  The resort’s airlock opens onto a short, polished hallway 
  that, in turn, leads to a wider corridor that slopes gently 
  upward. If the PCs helped the Goal Runner, they see the 
  Absalom Buzzblades as they disembark; the Goal Runner’s 
  three-person crew remains aboard the shuttle and soon 
  departs from the resort if the shuttle is still able to do so. 
  The Buzzblades are grateful, especially Yazeloya, who gives a 
  hearty embrace of friendship to any PC who gets within her 
  reach. In the event that the PCs ignored the Goal Runner’s 
  distress call, the Buzzblades arrive well after the PCs do, and 
  any interaction with them occurs later.
  In either case, Filip Kallsner comes to welcome the PCs, 
  walking with a departing Kaeon Rhyse. Read or paraphrase 
  the following.
  Four people stride down the corridor’s slight slope. One is a 
  striking verthani man with black eyes, slickly styled dark hair, 
  and an expensive-looking charcoal suit accented with violet 
  matching the illumination on his cybernetic right arm. The 
  other is a halfling of athletic proportions, with conventionally 
  handsome tan skin, curly hair, and trimmed sideburns. He 
  wears dark business attire with a subtle crimson hue. The other 
  two people, both verthani women dressed in black microcord 
  armor, are clearly security personnel or bodyguards. They 
  stand back as the two suited men come closer.
  Filip and Kaeon greet the PCs and the Buzzblades, although 
  Filip is friendlier by far. Both men praise any action the PCs 
  took to defend the Goal Runner. Kaeon then announces he 
  must depart for Verces, and after shaking Filip’s hand and 
  wishing everyone a fine stay, he and his guards proceed down 
  a side corridor to a waiting starship. If asked who Kaeon is, 
  Filip refers to him as an executive for one of New Elysium’s 
  partners who “... of course, appreciates his privacy.”
  A HAndsome RewARd
  Filip again thanks the PCs for intervening on behalf of the 
  Goal Runner, provided they did, and apologizes for the 
  trouble and dangers inherent to New Elysium’s location. He 
  assures the group that Paradise Resorts is more than willing 
  to see to repairs on the Goal Runner and the PCs’ starship, 
  and further offers to facilitate ship upgrades during that 
  time (Filip offers these refitting services even if the PCs 
  didn’t aid the Goal Runner), allowing the PCs to have their 
  ship upgraded to tier 8 before the end of the adventure (see 
  page 38). Filip also insists the PCs be further compensated 
  for their deeds. With a few gestures on a datapad, he 
  sends each PC a 5,000-credit gift allowance for use in New 
  Elysium’s shops or via infosphere with one of Paradise 
  Resorts’ many partners. Effectively, this sum is cash, due to 
  the broad array of items the PCs can buy with it, limited only 
  by your discretion. It is also transferable to banks or other 
  financial institutions for full value.
  If the PCs ask about salvage rights to any pirate ship they 
  disabled, Filip assures them the miscreants carried nothing 
  of value, saying, “Otherwise, why would they turn to a life 
  of crime?” If they press him, Filip begs the PCs to let him 
  take care of such “tedious business” during their resort stay, 
  suggesting he will notify them of any developments. 
  9
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  GettinG tHe App
  After the exchange of niceties and appropriate rewards, 
  Filip invites those present to follow him. During the walk, 
  he introduces the Keys to Elysium virtual concierge. Read or 
  paraphrase the following.
  “One reason you’ve all been invited to our little resort is 
  to be the first to experience an upgrade to our amenities,” 
  says Filip. “We have maximized guest comfort by way 
  of software integration. Our Keys to Elysium app is your 
  personal concierge, putting everything we offer at your 
  command with a touch or a word. Here.”
  Using his datapad, Filip calls up a 3-D icon shaped like a 
  silver key and flicks it. 
  Each of the PCs’ comm units asks permission to accept the 
  download of a new program. 
  Filip smiles. “There. Now, anything you want here at the 
  resort is as close as your comm unit. Your free stay is 
  predicated on you using the app and allowing it to send us 
  relevant data. You can also use it to send us feedback in real 
  time and, if you like, anonymously. We’re sure you’ll love it. 
  You can give the virtual personality any name you wish and 
  it will respond, though it defaults to ‘Keys.’ The app is voice-
  activated, so simply ask for whatever you need, like so.
  “Keys, please allow our guests to choose their rooms.”
  The program chimes pleasantly. “Yes, Filip,” responds a 
  cheerful, androgynous voice.
  The app then offers the PCs their choice of rooms, 
  presenting them various configurations, such as suites 
  or individual lodgings, as well as opportunities to reside 
  together or have accommodations close to one another. It also 
  prompts them to configure any settings, such as the name it 
  will respond to and whether it should respond with text or 
  voice. For more on what the program provides (as well as its 
  unintended effects), see Keys to Elysium below. 
  If the Buzzblades are present, they confer about room 
  choices for a bit and settle on a pair of adjoining suites, similar 
  to the quarters they shared on the Goal Runner. Filip then 
  leads the guests into the main facility (see Into Green Fields 
  on page 11).
  KEYS TO ELYSIUM
  The Keys to Elysium app is a personal, virtual concierge. Using 
  Keys to Elysium, guests can order or schedule anything the 
  resort offers, connect with facilities, and control features such 
  as hot tubs or the air conditioning and lighting in their rooms. 
  A user can interact with the app through voice commands 
  or contextual menus. In play, PCs need to only state what 
  they want, and the app does the rest. The app can speak 
  in a variety of languages and adopt a number of different 
  virtual personalities.
  Installation: As part of accepting their free stay on New 
  Elysium, the PCs agreed to install and use Keys to Elysium. 
  If a guest logs out of the app, staff members check in on that 
  person quickly and remind him of the terms and conditions of 
  the invitation. Once installed, logging out or even deleting the 
  app doesn’t stop the corruption growing within the PCs (see 
  below). Dr. Gragant’s shadow signal is still being broadcast 
  throughout the facility; the app only amplifies her power.
  Features: In addition to amenity controls and a service-
  based interface, the app allows guests to tag other users 
  as friends (or block other guests as unwanted company), 
  communicate instantly with one another, and so on. These 
  features aren’t anything new to modern comm units, but 
  Keys to Elysium contextualizes it all relative to the resort and 
  its features. The app also includes an interactive map of the 
  public areas of the resort, and this map can be customized to 
  show where friends are located.
  Settings: The app allows guests to customize how the app 
  is used, allowing them to manage alerts, personal tracking, 
  and vocal feedback; identify people as blocked or friends; 
  and even set proximity alerts to signal a user when a blocked 
  person or a friend is nearby. A user can clear data, send usage 
  statistics and feedback, and set the app’s contextual guidance 
  from full tutorial mode to no guidance at all. By default, Keys 
  to Elysium has accessed each PC’s personal information for 
  use in personalized resort ads, although this permission can be 
  turned off in the app’s settings. A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 
  Computers check can find an “About” dialog box in the settings 
  that includes a user agreement and privacy policy and reveals 
  Eclipse Innovations as the software’s manufacturer.
  The app is set to automatically update, but this setting isn’t 
  obvious (a successful DC 31 Computers check is required to 
  find it). If a PC attempts to shut off auto-updating, the app 
  warns that doing so is a violation of the guest agreement that 
  granted the PCs their free vacation. Doing so anyway attracts 
  attention from staff, who seek out the guest and remind her 
  of the app’s terms and conditions. 
  Curse: Keys to Elysium infects a comm unit’s firmware after 
  48 hours of use (even if the user logs out of the app, but its 
  automatic updating must still be on), turning the comm unit 
  into a cursed item that compels its owner to keep it nearby. 
  Most users don’t notice this compulsion, since desiring to 
  keep one’s comm unit handy is not abnormal. The curse also 
  compels the user to keep the app installed and stay logged 
  in, but once again, this compulsion goes unnoticed by anyone 
  who might consider this to be normal behavior. (Most people 
  don’t log out of their comm unit apps.) However, someone in 
  possession of a cursed comm unit treats the DC for saving 
  throws against phantasms (see page 21) as 3 higher and the 
  DCs for contracting shadow corruption (see page 42) as 1 
  higher for a good-aligned character, 2 higher for a neutral-
  character, and 3 higher for an evil-aligned character.
  Analysis: Analyzing Keys to Elysium’s software (a violation 
  of the user agreement) requires a successful DC 31 Computers 
  10
  
  check that takes 1 hour (a PC can take 20 on this check). On 
  a failure by 5 or more, the app alerts the staff of the attempt. 
  A success on this check reveals the app is hybrid technology, 
  albeit nothing unusual, and only hinting at the curse. 
  Succeeding at the check by 5 or more after the app has 
  cursed the comm unit shows that the program 
  has altered parts of the device’s firmware 
  to receive a constant, low-grade signal. 
  The signal can be traced with a successful 
  DC 36 Computers check, originating from 
  somewhere below the resort in the old 
  Ulrikka Clanholdings mines. See Part 2 for 
  more details on this signal.
  The curse is difficult to detect since it 
  is hidden from spells like detect magic and 
  identify. The spell detect magic doesn’t detect the 
  curse, but if a PC casts identify, she can attempt 
  a DC 36 Mysticism check to locate the curse 
  (but doesn’t benefit from the spell’s usual 
  +10 insight bonus). If a PC finds the 
  curse, she can attempt to analyze it 
  with the identify spell as normal (an 
  additional DC 36 Mysticism check) 
  and benefits from that spell’s normal 
  insight bonus. Taking 20 on either 
  of these checks is impossible, as there is no 
  outside information about this curse. Successfully identifying 
  the curse not only reveals its effects (see above) but also allows 
  the PC to learn that the magic is tied to the Shadow Plane and 
  determine how the curse might be removed (see below).
  Removal: The only way to remove the curse is to wipe the 
  comm unit’s firmware with a successful DC 30 Computers 
  check. Casting dispel magic on the cursed comm unit grants a 
  +4 circumstance bonus to this check. Casting remove affliction 
  and succeeding at a DC 24 caster level check suppresses the 
  curse long enough that completely restoring the comm unit to 
  factory settings requires only a successful DC 20 Computers 
  check. Once the curse has been identified, a PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 25 Mysticism check recognizes that these spells can 
  help, but a PC can use only one of these spells on a single 
  comm unit at a time. Once a comm unit is cleansed this way, 
  the Keys to Elysium app is no longer installed on it, but neither 
  is any other program the PC might have installed. Removing 
  the curse from a comm unit doesn’t remove any shadow 
  corruption the PC who was using it might have contracted.
  RESEARCH INTO ECLIPSE INNOVATIONS
  PCs who investigate the program’s settings might discover the 
  name of Eclipse Innovations. A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 
  Culture or appropriate Profession skill (corporate professional, 
  for instance) recognizes Eclipse Innovations as a research 
  company specializing in diverse technological and magitech 
  inquiry and application. The firm is based in the Vercite city of 
  Cuvacara. Nothing about its public information mentions New 
  Elysium or the Keys to Elysium program, instead previewing 
  (in an attempt to build up buzz) a “social media solution” called 
  Penumbra, which will be available very soon. Eclipse is a large 
  business with an average reputation, neither virtuous nor 
  scandalous. The verthani Kaeon Rhyse isn’t mentioned 
  anywhere obvious on Eclipse’s infosphere page, 
  but a PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Computers 
  or Perception check while perusing the 
  infosphere discovers that he is the executive 
  director of software development.
  INTO GREEN FIELDS
  After walking through the dock hallway 
  (area A1), the PCs emerge in the resort’s park, 
  Green Fields (area A2). Read or paraphrase the 
  following, which assumes an early evening arrival.
  An extensive domed area opens ahead, 
  replete with smells of fresh water, 
  grass, and honeysuckle. The dome 
  overhead 
  mimics 
  a 
  partially 
  cloudy sunset sky, lighting a 
  broad meadow interspersed 
  with trees, a creek, and a pond. 
  Other guests lounge or play in the park. 
  To the rear of the park is a gigantic cliff around a 
  cave, which has a waterfall on its back wall.
  Filip turns and smiles. “Welcome to Green Fields, the 
  resort’s park, with an Absalom-standard day-to-night ratio. 
  Our asteroid rotates slowly, so the sun isn’t visible through 
  the dome during our night phase, but the River Between is. 
  Green Fields has everything, from swimming to a trail we 
  call the Loop. Even a bar in the Grotto there! Traversing 
  the Loop takes you all the way around the facility with a 
  spectacular view the whole time!”
  He laughs. “Sorry, my enthusiasm is running away with 
  me. Keys to Elysium can provide you details on our amenities. 
  You can also use it to contact me or other resort staff. If 
  there’s nothing else, I’ll leave you to enjoy your evening.”
  With that, Filip nods and leaves the PCs (and the Buzzblades 
  if they are present) to their own devices. As Filip passes, 
  he greets the half-elf Vorilynn Wreyas, who is noticeably 
  performing gardening tasks. If any of the PCs appear interested 
  in the resort’s flora, Vorilynn hails them and talks effusively 
  about the authenticity of New Elysium’s natural settings. Each 
  person’s Keys to Elysium reminds them about the opening gala, 
  which is scheduled to occur at 6:00 p.m. the next day. The 
  program then starts a celebratory countdown.
  NEW ELYSIUM FEATURES
  The PCs have free run of the resort before the party.
  New Elysium has three floors—a main floor, a lower floor 
  that includes staff facilities, and a lodging floor for guest 
  FILIP KALLSNER
  11
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  (Starfinder Armory 101), while the rest are smaller, simpler 
  units governed by New Elysium central computer servers that 
  provide core functionality and personality.
  Unless otherwise indicated, the resort offers staff-assisted 
  service from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., mid-dawn until mid-dusk. Most 
  such features remain open at other hours but are automated. 
  In addition, guests can have refreshments delivered from most 
  eateries to anywhere else in the resort. Most amenities are free 
  for event guests. Any gambling requires guests to exchange 
  their own money for electronic markers that can be redeemed 
  only when a guest checks out and are applied first to the guest’s 
  bill, if applicable. If something requires payment, New Elysium 
  prefers electronic debit with established financial institutions 
  to credsticks containing untraceable credits, as limiting the 
  amount of physical currency on hand deters pirate attacks. 
  Guests who want to use credsticks are encouraged to make a 
  deposit with guest services (area B8) before or during a stay.
  A. MAIN FLOOR
  The main floor of New Elysium houses most of the resort’s 
  entertainment amenities. As the Keys to Elysium program 
  contains a map of this area, feel free to describe each of the 
  rooms to the players so they can choose where to go and 
  what amenities to enjoy. The map for this area is on page 13.
  A1. dock HAllwAy
  This hall leads to docking arms that extend out from the 
  asteroid and provide berths for numerous ships. Several of New 
  Elysium security’s Ringworks Sentinels dock close to the resort 
  in order to facilitate evacuation in the event of an emergency.
  A2. GReen Fields
  As the resort’s park, Green Fields mimics an outdoor area on a 
  temperate planet. It has broad lawns punctuated with trees and 
  shrubs. Green Fields sports a pool that resembles a natural pond 
  as well as a stream. This stream starts in an artificial waterfall 
  from the back of a cave called the Grotto (area A2b) at the park’s 
  southern end, flowing out of the pond and then under the path 
  near the dock hallway. The water passes into the Boundless 
  Sunroom (area B1) and then circulates through water filtration 
  tanks in area B13 back into the waterfall. Two stairways allow 
  access to the top of the waterfall, facilitating access to the 
  walking path behind the waterfall and the diving boards above 
  it. The Grotto has a bar and two climbing walls at its opening, 
  one to the north and a smaller one near the maintenance cave 
  (area A2a); this cave contains items used by Vorilynn—with the 
  gardening drones’ help—to maintain the park.
  A3. loop 
  The Loop is a recreational walkway that encircles the main floor, 
  offering easy access to the various shops and theaters. Many 
  windows along the Loop show holographic images of strange 
  and beautiful landscapes or, with a request to Keys to Elysium, 
  actual views of the asteroid outside. Loop Runners (area A3a), 
  and staff rooms. A side view of the resort can be found on 
  page 32. Unlike the dock hallway (area A1), much of the 
  resort is carved from the asteroid to give it a natural look. 
  However, these walls are reinforced, and interior structures 
  are modern composites as hard as steel. The resort has the 
  following features.
  Structure: New Elysium is built to simulate a series of 
  buildings with walkways and courtyards open to the sky. 
  The ceiling and walls of open areas are clear composite, 
  beyond which is vacuum. However, these structures either 
  project holographic images of sunny daytime scenes or the 
  actual Diasporan sky, in which the River Between can often 
  be seen. Guests can manipulate nearby viewing areas so the 
  actual exterior can be seen at any time, effectively creating 
  personal windows into space. The ceilings inside buildings on 
  the main and lower floors and in the facilities section of the 
  lower floor, are around 20 feet high. The ceiling in “outside” 
  areas is 40 feet high.
  Doors: Throughout the resort’s guest sections are 
  automatic sliding doors that open when approached and 
  close behind. Doors to private rooms or staff facilities can be 
  and usually are locked with good locks that can be bypassed 
  with a successful DC 30 Engineering check or a successful 
  DC 33 Computers check using a hacking kit. Keys to Elysium 
  allows the PCs to open their private rooms. Staff members 
  use biometrics to open locks, but doors that lead out of staff 
  facilities and into guest areas open from the inside without 
  requiring such biometrics.
  Lighting: The resort has simulated day and night phases. 
  Each lasts about 9 hours with 3 hours of twilight between 
  each phase. A simulated sun in a lightly clouded sky shines 
  through the sophisticated optics built into the ceiling during 
  the day phase. Hidden panels produce a pleasant and 
  warming “sunlight,” providing bright light in “outside” areas. 
  This light lacks any potentially harmful radiation, though in 
  some areas, drones can provide low-level UV light for species 
  that enjoy tanning. The manufactured lighting in indoor areas 
  provides normal light. During the night phase, the windows 
  show the resort’s actual exterior, a spectacular starscape. 
  These stars are gradually revealed when the simulated “sun” 
  goes down and fade as it rises. During the night phase, panels 
  on and within buildings provide dim light in most areas, some 
  projecting holographic images of burning braziers. Guests 
  can adjust indoor lighting to normal light when desired.
  Services: New Elysium has fewer staff members than 
  normal due to lower guest occupancy during the reopening 
  event. Holograms, robots with virtual personalities, and 
  simple drones perform numerous minor services, further 
  reducing the need for personnel. Most areas rely on drones 
  for menial tasks while traditional staff oversee constructs 
  and interaction with guests. For instance, the Hollows Tavern 
  (area A8) has living staff members who serve as bartender 
  and host, while guests place their orders on consoles and are 
  served by drones. A few drones are typical domestic models 
  12
  
  A1
  A2
  A3
  A4a
  A4
  A5
  A6a
  A6
  A6d
  A6d
  A6c
  A6c
  A6c
  A6c
  A6c
  A6b
  A6c
  A6b
  A6b
  A8
  A8
  A15b
  A7a
  A7c
  A7
  A7b
  A11
  A10
  A15a
  A17
  A3a
  A17
  A13
  A12
  A14
  A. MAIN FLOOR
  1 SQUARE = 10 FEET
  A16
  A8
  A8
  13
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  a shop just outside of Green Fields, is the official starting 
  point of the Loop and offers guests access to light personal 
  transport, such as bicycles, trikes, and skates. Guests can 
  acquire either muscle-powered or self-propelled versions 
  of these vehicles, depending on needs and preferences.
  A4. contemplAtion
  For those who need a quiet place to relax, Contemplation, a 
  lounge that provides comfortable seating, serves no intoxicants 
  stronger than coffee, and permits no inhalation of materials 
  that give off secondhand vapors. Contemplation boasts many 
  skylights and a terrace open to the Loop, overlooking the dome 
  above the Boundless Sunroom. The terrace also sports a gravity 
  chute (area A4a) that allows a guest to leap into the chute and 
  drop harmlessly into the sunroom.
  A5. wAndeRinG mARket
  This shop is named the Wandering Market because most of 
  its wares can be purchased using a computer console and 
  delivered to a guest’s room. In addition to a sundries shop, the 
  market contains a holographic fashion boutique with cleaning 
  and tailoring services, a multicultural grocery that includes a 
  mk 3 culinary synthesizer (Armory 129), and a high-end gift 
  shop that contains small-scale 3-D printing facilities. Business 
  partners provide the onsite goods, while anything else is 
  guaranteed to be delivered within 6 days.
  A6. HAll oF splendoRs
  The Hall of Splendors offers several varieties of performances 
  and entertainment. This includes a concert hall (area A6a), 
  high-stakes gambling halls (area A6b), rooms for private 
  parties (area A6c) available for public reservation, and a couple 
  of theaters (area A6d) that show blockbuster trivids and other 
  productions. Most shows are holographic recordings, but the 
  resort also occasionally hosts live performers of various types.
  A7. muses meetinG Rooms
  To facilitate conferences, conventions, and other gatherings, 
  New Elysium has several meeting rooms collectively called 
  the Muses, including two ballrooms, Wave Walker (area 
  A7a) and Emerald Song (area A7b). This area also includes 
  the Grand Court (area A7c), a boardroom-style meeting area. 
  Except for the Grand Court, these halls can be customized 
  with temporary walls to form tailored spaces.
  A8. pAinted FoRest plAyRooms
  The Painted Forest Playrooms contain amusements ranging 
  from holovid games and VR tanks to holo-slots and other 
  gambling games. 
  A9. Hollows tAveRn
  Located next to one of the Painted Forest Playrooms, and 
  always open, Hollows Tavern provides a sit-down area and 
  a wide array of drinks and snacks, as well as a cashier for 
  Playroom markers. The nearby Moon Pool works like other 
  Playroom fountains, only bigger.
  A10. tAste oF elysium
  The resort’s finest restaurant, Taste of Elysium opens at noon 
  and closes again at midnight. It offers a variety of fine cuisine, 
  and wine from across the galaxy. When the resort is filled 
  to maximum capacity, reservations are usually required, and 
  formal or semiformal attire is preferred. The restaurant also 
  includes a bar and a party room, both more relaxed regarding 
  dress and reservations. Taste of Elysium offers room service 
  during its service hours but restaurant staff won’t deliver 
  anywhere else in the resort unless catering an event in 
  the Muses.
  A11. lyRAkien cAbARet
  A secondary concert venue offering light dinner theater, 
  Lyrakien Cabaret is perfect for intimate variety performances, 
  such as spoken word, stand-up comedy, and acoustic music. 
  The cabaret is open from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m.
  A12. AbsAlom bistRo
  A walk-in restaurant with a casual dress code, Absalom Bistro 
  offers an eclectic mid-tier dining experience. The bistro prides 
  ADVERTISING
  During this adventure, brief personalized ads pop 
  up whenever a PC visits the marketplace or watches 
  entertainment. These ads appear on screens, in 
  holographic programming, or from nearby holographic 
  projectors in the resort’s walls. Provided a PC hasn’t 
  shut off Keys to Elysium’s access to his personal 
  data, the ads offer items the PC or someone of his 
  demographic might want. A soldier who has purchased 
  a lot of grenades in the past might see several models 
  displayed with the option to download specs, or a 
  noted Sarenite mystic could receive an offer to visit 
  Sidereality, Paradise Resorts’s facility on Aballon’s 
  Horse Eye Orbital Plate.
  While these advertisements can be easily ignored, 
  they are persistent and will return again and again. 
  You can use an ad for a moment of comic relief as the 
  adventure becomes darker. Conversely, the PCs might 
  believe a phantasm (see page 21) is simply an ad before 
  it becomes clear that it isn’t.
  Among the many ads is one for the Penumbra social 
  media platform. The ad shows Verces eclipsing the sun, 
  leaving a bright corona and briefly showing the Eclipse 
  Innovations logo before fading away. A simultaneous 
  voiceover says, “Keys to Elysium transformed your stay. 
  Penumbra will transform your world. Coming soon.”
  14
  
  itself on serving a variety of Pact Worlds mainstays with 
  touches of interstellar food and drink.
  A13. wild Apples
  Boisterous fun is what Wild Apples does best, with simpler 
  fare but ample entertainment, including trivia nights, 
  viewings of sporting events from elsewhere in the system, 
  and performances by live musicians. Wild Apples also has a 
  small dance floor and two mechanical riding beasts. This bar 
  remains open until 2 a.m.
  A14. AzuRe sky
  Some guests want to relax with a view of the stars, and Azure 
  Sky fulfills that desire 24 hours a day, with drink service until 
  2 a.m. This bar has ample seating encircled by a viewing area. 
  All walls are transparent and set to display the stars and the 
  nearby asteroids of the Diaspora.
  A15. elevAtoRs
  New Elysium has two banks of four elevators. The bank at area 
  A15a goes between all three levels of the resort. The other bank 
  (area A15b) allows guests to move only between the lodging 
  floor and the main floor. Biometric scanners allow authorized 
  staff members to access the utilities room (area B13).
  A16. spiRAl stAiRs
  Two spiral staircases connect all three floors. These stairways 
  have locked doors preventing guests from descending into 
  the facilities section.
  A17. Hidden stAiRs
  Two staircases that descend to the lower floor are concealed 
  from view within these halls.
  B. LOWER FLOOR
  New Elysium’s lower floor houses more amenities as well as 
  staff facilities. Technicians offer personal assistance during 
  service hours or by appointment, robots provide numerous 
  services including massage, and drones perform menial tasks 
  such as retrieving towels or robes. Some areas of this floor are 
  detailed further in Part 3.
  b1. boundless sunRoom
  The sun always shines in the Boundless Sunroom. The area 
  is warm and has a pool with swimming and diving areas. In 
  addition, the chamber has an artificial waterfall that flows 
  from the stream in Green Fields. This room also features a 
  smaller pool that can create artificial current to challenge 
  swimmers but includes an offshoot that always remains out 
  of the current that is ideal for resting or wading. Within this 
  room, a drone can provide exposure to UV light or similar 
  solar radiation for recreational purposes. In addition, a grav 
  chute allows a guest to step inside and leap harmlessly from 
  this room up to Contemplation’s terrace.
  b2. cHAnGinG Rooms
  These rooms provide privacy for guests about to use this 
  floor’s various amenities, allowing them to change into a 
  swimsuit or gym clothes in private.
  b3. buRninG GlAdes
  A set of sealable atmospheric chambers, Burning Glades can 
  accommodate species that have unusual atmospheric needs 
  and want to spend time outside an environment suit. A 
  Burning Glades chamber can also be used as a sauna or steam 
  bath for species that have no need for unusual atmospheres.
  b4. Gym
  New Elysium’s large gym provides the latest in fitness 
  equipment. Connected to the main exercise area are rooms 
  used as dance studios or dojos (areas B4a), each fitted with 
  holographic training gear. Keys to Elysium provides guided 
  fitness classes that take place here.
  b5. ice FountAins
  This area is the counterpart to the Boundless Sunroom, with 
  a view of the stars and pools of water that can be lukewarm, 
  filled with ice chunks, or even completely frozen over.
  b6. titAn’s Rest
  Guests who come to Titan’s Rest receive wellness services, 
  such as personal grooming, massages, aromatherapy, body 
  wraps, and mud packs. Titan’s Rest also contains New Elysium’s 
  medical facilities, which offer everything from first aid to 
  augmentation. The PCs can purchase most augmentations here 
  and have them installed.
  Treasure: Although numerous augmentations and devices 
  are flash manufactured with 3-D printers here, Titan’s Rest has 
  a lot of potential treasure in storage. Along with 10 doses of 
  sprayflesh, 20 medpatches, 10 diagnostic lozenges (Armory 
  101), two dermal staplers (Armory 100), three nanite hypopens 
  (two black and one white; Armory 106), and a subdermal 
  extractor (Armory 108). A PC trained in Medicine can acquire 
  enough gear here to assemble five advanced medkits. The 
  medical facility also holds many serums of healing (10 mk 1 and 
  four mk 2) and nine tier 1 medicinals (three each of analgesics, 
  antitoxins, and sedatives) and a tier 2 sedative. Dr. Lominn 
  doesn’t allow the PCs to take any of these supplies, especially 
  after the resort has been quarantined (see page 22), but when 
  the PCs return here later, they can easily acquire supplies. 
  b7. ReFlections
  Similar to Titan’s Rest, Reflections is a salon offering simpler 
  spa services, as well as personal styling and grooming.
  b8. Guest seRvices
  This area provides various services for guests, including 
  business-related amenities, catering orders for events, travel 
  scheduling, and similar conveniences.
  15
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  16
  B5
  B2
  B3
  B1
  B2
  B4
  B8
  TO A17
  TO A17
  B9
  S
  B15
  B12
  B10
  B13
  B14
  C. LODGING FLOOR SUITE
  B6
  B2
  B7
  B4a
  B1a
  B11
  A15a
  A15b
  B4a
  B. LOWER FLOOR
  1 SQUARE = 10 FEET
  
  b9. stAFF lounGe
  A comfortable and isolated chamber, this lounge provides 
  staff with a refuge from the wider resort during their breaks. 
  A mk 3 culinary synthesizer (Armory 129) is built into the 
  lounge’s wall. A hidden door to the south (Perception DC 40) is 
  locked with an exceptional lock (Engineering DC 40 to open).
  After the PCs return from the mines at the end of Part 2, 
  they encounter Dr. Lominn in this area during Event 12.
  b10. secuRity centeR
  This room—an administrative office and armory for security 
  personnel—is closed to the public. Resort security handles 
  several different duties in six four-person squads. Each squad 
  rotates crewing of one of the resort’s three Sentinel starships. 
  Engineers and gunners have varied responsibilities, which 
  can include facilities maintenance and patrol or guard details. 
  Captains and pilots serve most shifts as security guards. 
  Security specialists aren’t expected to interact much with 
  guests, although a few work as trainers in the gym.
  Treasure: The security specialists keep their gear with 
  them. However, the office contains a pair of lockers (each 
  locked with biometric locks that require a successful DC 
  40 Engineering check to open) that contain three static arc 
  rifles, 10 high-capacity batteries, two flash grenades II, five 
  stickybomb grenades II, and 100 binders. The second locker 
  contains a mk 1 null-space chamber along with any gifts the 
  Buzzblades’ gave to Kane Zaphol during Event 3.
  b11. tecH woRksHop
  The tech workshop contains drone recharging stations, work 
  counters and tables, and tools. On the eastern wall is a large 
  set of ventilation fans about 15 feet across, some of which 
  turn slowly while others remain off. These fans are part of a 
  cooling tunnel, a utility passage lined with pipes and automatic 
  strips that illuminate to provide dim light. A rougher but similar 
  tunnel branches off from there toward area B14.
  The PCs find the remnants of a gloomwing attack here 
  during Event 8 and have an even creepier encounter here 
  during Event 11.
  Treasure: Most of the gear in this room is too bulky to 
  carry away, but the workshop contains countless tools. The 
  PCs can assemble numerous tool kits and two specialty tool 
  kits (one armorsmithing kit and one weaponsmithing kit) from 
  the equipment here. 
  b12. seRveR Room
  The four banks of servers in this squarish room operate all of 
  the resort’s technical aspects. The large fans to the north and 
  south help keep the computers cool. New Elysium staff don’t 
  have much call to access this room when things are running 
  well. The servers statistics and what they can be used to 
  access are explained on page 37.
  The PCs have a major altercation here with the corrupted 
  members of the Buzzblades during Event 13.
  b13. utilities Room
  This enormous room houses several power cores that provide 
  energy to the resort, as well as life support, water circulation and 
  purification, and matter recycling facilities. Despite the cooling 
  tunnels, vents, and numerous fans, it can get quite warm in here.
  b14. mine entRAnce
  In the cooling tunnels, a branch leads to a junction room with 
  myriad pipes going through the wall near a closed blast door. 
  This area is detailed further in Event 8.
  b15. deep elevAtoR
  This elevator comes from the mines in Dr. Gragant’s lab. If the PCs 
  discover this area before Part 3, they find only the top of a deep 
  shaft, with no obvious way of restoring power to the elevator.
  C. LODGING FLOOR
  New Elysium has a third level above the main floor, where guest 
  lodgings are located. Inside these rooms, opaque walls contain 
  customizable windows and skylights similar to the viewing 
  areas of New Elysium’s public areas. Resort rooms feature many 
  comforts, such as plush bedding, whirlpool baths, and private 
  bars. The map on page 16 shows a typical suite and a typical 
  double-occupancy room. Some variation exists, such as larger 
  corner units and chambers with customizable atmosphere. Most 
  resort amenities can be specially ordered from a guest’s room, 
  such as trivid theater presentations, vidscreen projections of live 
  performances, fine food, and spa treatments.
  This floor has several airlocks to allow for emergency 
  evacuation. Biometric locks seal these airlocks but unlock if a 
  staff-initiated computer override is sent from the server room.
  NPC INTERACTIONS
  Nothing is scheduled to happen before the opening party (see 
  Event 3). Ask the players how the PCs spend their time, and 
  run a short scene, perhaps introducing an NPC or two (see 
  Key Characters on page 6).
  Buzzblades: If the PCs came to the Goal Runner’s aid, the 
  Buzzblades—particularly Beryldor, Kofehsu, and Yazeloya—
  are friendly toward them. These Buzzblades ask the PCs to 
  participate in activities with them, such as dinner, playing in 
  the park, swimming, shows, and gambling. Lomer and Virlae 
  are rowdier than their teammates and are ready to party, so 
  they invite like-minded PCs to Wild Apples for heavy drinking 
  and might even invite PCs back to their rooms. Zidhil keeps 
  to himself, but will discuss the sport of brutaris with a fan.
  If the PCs avoided helping the Goal Runner, the Buzzblades 
  are indifferent toward them. Beryldor and Yazeloya are the 
  most personable, cordially greeting the PCs in the halls and 
  engaging in conversation when approached. Lomer and 
  Virlae talk only to PCs who seem to share their boisterous 
  attitudes. Kofehsu and Zidhil seldom interact with the PCs. If 
  the team learns from the PCs that the party left Goal Runner 
  to its fate (no other NPCs reveal this fact yet), the Buzzblades 
  17
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  become unfriendly, and Lomer, Virlae, and Yazeloya become 
  particularly ill-disposed toward the PCs.
  Staff: The PCs interact with staff by engaging in the resort’s 
  various amenities. The workers are friendly but endeavor to 
  give the guests space. Among the named NPCs, Filip and 
  Vorilynn are most accessible at this point, although you can 
  introduce Dr. Lominn or Rhissona to a spa-goer or someone 
  who gets injured during an athletic activity.
  Others: Most guests interact with the PCs only in the casual 
  way strangers sharing a recreational space might. The PCs 
  might meet Romi and Indigo-13 in quieter venues on the resort, 
  such as Contemplation. If any PC is renowned in a technical 
  field, Romi might know her and strike up a conversation. Tok 
  could approach well-known PCs to interview them or ask 
  permission to film aspects of their stay. Cthesa seeks out 
  PCs reputed to have traveled to unusual locales, especially 
  those who have been to the Azlanti Star Empire. Other guest 
  interactions are up to you.
  EVENT 2: QUESTIONING PIRATES
  If the PCs disabled any Diasporan Raider (or if the New 
  Elysium security staff was able to run one down), a few 
  captured pirates are being held in one of the Sentinel’s brigs. 
  To remind players about these captives, Filip Kallsner might 
  contact the PCs to inform them they have rights to the 
  pirates’ gear (assuming they helped defeat the pirates). If they 
  want, the PCs can talk to the pirates on the day of the opening 
  party. Filip says the pirates are scheduled for transfer into the 
  Stewards’ custody the next day.
  Elysium security personnel escort the PCs onboard a 
  Sentinel (see the map on the inside the back cover) to the brig, 
  which has a barred, force-field augmented door that people can 
  speak and see each other through. The two captive pirates are 
  Caenan (NE female half-orc operative) and Wenmar (NE male 
  korasha lashunta soldier), the pilot and gunner of one of the 
  Diasporan Raiders, respectively. These ne’er-do-wells start 
  with an attitude of hostile, insulting and laughing at the PCs 
  while suggesting other pirates will soon avenge their capture, 
  and jokingly asking for intoxicants. A PC who succeeds at a 
  DC 34 Diplomacy check or DC 25 Intimidate check can alter 
  the pirates’ attitudes to unfriendly. Bringing the pirates alcohol 
  automatically improves their attitude to unfriendly, but the PCs 
  must first convince the indifferent security guards to allow 
  this (with a successful DC 23 Bluff or Diplomacy check) or 
  surreptitiously pass the liquor through the door’s meal chute 
  (with a successful DC 25 Sleight of Hand check).
  If the PCs improve the pirates’ attitudes to indifferent or 
  better, the miscreants grow deadly serious. Caenan relates a 
  tale about the asteroid New Elysium now occupies. Years ago, 
  the place was an abandoned mine. Talk around the Diaspora 
  suggested that some corporation built a facility within the old 
  tunnels, but most believed the rumor was false or that such 
  a place would have heavy security. Later “chinwag” said that 
  people “got disappeared on this rock.” A few bold pirates went 
  to “see what’s what” over the years, but as no one who went in 
  came out, most pirates avoided the place. Then, about 2 decades 
  ago, something “right bad” happened inside the asteroid. A 
  shirren pirate named Kizkota who visited the asteroid was able 
  to transmit a message that warned others that the place “was 
  turned inside out” and advised them to avoid it at all costs. Of 
  course, pirates still traveled here anyway, and those who made 
  it out talked about ghosts in machines, living shadows, and 
  “mates” who disappeared in the tunnels.
  Caenan finishes up by saying, “This place is full of hungry 
  ghosts, mark me.”
  If asked, Filip can confirm the asteroid was a mine owned 
  by Ulrikka Clanholdings. He dismisses the rest of the story 
  as “pirate fantasy.” After all, New Elysium has been on the 
  asteroid for 5 years with no issues. A PC who succeeds at 
  a DC 30 Computers check can locate a hobbyist conspiracy 
  archive called Asteroid Anecdotes that confirms portions of 
  the story with fewer details. However, the archive identifies 
  the asteroid by its number, D-334H, which can be traced 
  to Ulrikka—who abandoned it in 275 ag. With another 
  successful DC 30 Computers check, a PC can uncover the fact 
  that Eclipse Innovations registered ownership of the asteroid 
  in 293 ag and sold it again 4 years later to a company called 
  Vercara Holdings. Vercara held the asteroid until 311 ag, when 
  Paradise Resorts bought it and began building New Elysium. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 35 Computers check discovers 
  that, through a few other companies, Eclipse indirectly owns 
  Vercara Holdings.
  Treasure: The PCs have salvage rights to the pirates’ gear. 
  Each pirate has defrex hide armor, a tactical dueling sword, a 
  thunderstrike sonic pistol, a frag grenade II, and one battery. 
  The pirate vessel had a corona artillery laser onboard, along 
  with two high-capacity batteries. These items can be sold at 
  most New Elysium shops for 10% of their value.
  Story Award: Award the PCs 1,600 XP for learning the 
  pirates’ tale.
  EVENT 3: OPENING PARTY
  As soon as everyone’s ready, you can advance time to the 
  opening party, which is at 6 p.m. on the day after the PCs 
  docked at the resort. When the PCs arrive, read or paraphrase 
  the following.
  Three double doors open into a long hall decked out for a 
  classy party. Opposite the doors is a stage raised from the 
  main floor by several steps, where a holographic chamber 
  orchestra with a dozen members plays softly. The floor 
  before the stage is open. To the right and left sides of 
  the room are dining tables near sideboards, each set with 
  a lavish buffet, beverage fountains, and ice sculptures 
  depicting sleek animals from various worlds. There is a bar 
  next to each buffet. Well-dressed guests eat, drink, and 
  mingle, and a few couples dance in the open space near 
  the stage.
  18
  
  Most guests and staff are in attendance. Food and drink 
  come from the Taste of Elysium restaurant (area A10), and 
  after 30 minutes, drones begin to offer guests various bubbly 
  drinks for an upcoming toast. At the 45-minute mark, the 
  holographic orchestra fades, and Filip takes the stage with 
  Dr. Lominn, both carrying their own refreshments.
  Filip says, in an amplified voice, “Dear guests, as most of 
  you know, my name is Filip Kallsner, and I’m your host here 
  at New Elysium.” He gestures toward his companion on the 
  stage, saying, “This is Dr. Sidrani Lominn, who manages our 
  spa and medical facilities. She’s my counterpart in making 
  sure everything’s just right for you. Dr. Lominn?”
  Raising her voice to address the guests, Dr. Lominn says, 
  “We’re happy to have all of you with us. We know you’ll love 
  your stay, and we hope you’ll tell everyone you know just how 
  much you enjoyed it. This celebration is just the beginning.”
  Filip and Dr. Lominn raise their glasses.
  “Here’s to a blissful stay in New Elysium,” says Filip. 
  “Please enjoy the rest of your evening!”
  After the toast, Filip and Dr. Lominn leave the stage, and 
  the holographic orchestra resumes. A few other events might 
  occur during the party.
  Buzzblade Thanks: Yazeloya and a few Buzzblades take 
  the stage to publicly thank the PCs and New Elysium security 
  (to the degree they deserve). If the PCs didn’t help the Goal 
  Runner, the team instead thanks New Elysium security and 
  Kane Zaphol.
  In either case, the team offers their rescuers season tickets 
  to Buzzblades home games on Absalom Station. In addition, 
  Zidhil gives the rescuers his illuminating merciful wrack 
  devastation blade, used in 11 seasons and engraved with 
  all the names of Buzzblades at the resort. The illuminating 
  fusion creates purple and white light, the Buzzblades’ team 
  colors. Yazeloya presents the rescuers the suit of lashunta 
  ringwear III she used in the most recent season, complete 
  with jump jets in one upgrade slot. The other Buzzblades give 
  the group a called fusion seal (7th) and a merciful fusion seal 
  (7th), commonly used on brutaris weapons, as well as two 
  illuminating fusion seals (7th) like the one on Zidhil’s blade. 
  The PCs have a chance to acquire this gear in the Security 
  Center (area B10) later if Kane Zaphol received these presents.
  Other Interactions: The PCs can interact with any of the 
  key NPCs (see page 6). Dr. Lominn hovers near Filip and other 
  resort staff, dancing with Kane Zaphol once or twice. It is easy 
  to strike up a conversation with her. Unless the PCs engage 
  her, Rhissona Avran acts the part of a wallflower, occasionally 
  conversing with Vorilynn. Unless speaking with interested 
  PCs, both leave early. Romi and Indigo-13 mingle and talk, 
  although Indigo-13 takes Romi onto the dance floor during 
  slower songs. Cthesa moves about the area, happily chatting 
  19
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  with guests, including the PCs, and taking mental notes. Tok 
  films the party, especially when Lomer and Virlae take to the 
  dance floor during faster songs; the two athletes get more and 
  more inebriated as the night wears on.
  Security Breaches: If the PCs aided the Goal Runner, 
  at some point in the night—when one or more PCs are in a 
  conversation with Indigo-13, Romi, and Yazeloya—head of 
  security Kane Zaphol walks up to the group and chides the 
  PCs for “interfering in a New Elysium security issue.” If the 
  PCs don’t stand up for themselves, Yazeloya tells Kane off 
  on their behalf. Indigo-13 starts to back her up, but Romi 
  interjects graciously, suggesting the PCs did what they 
  thought was right and no one can fault them for that. Kane 
  then leaves the group alone.
  If the PCs didn’t come to the Goal Runner’s assistance, 
  while the PCs are mingling with the Buzzblades, Kane Zaphol 
  walks over and comments that the PCs were lucky not to 
  have been caught up in the pirate skirmish, since they were 
  nearby during the incident. The Buzzblades react poorly to 
  this information, questioning the PCs about their ship and 
  why they didn’t help. From this point on, the Buzzblades are 
  unfriendly toward the PCs, and Yazeloya considers them to 
  be cowards. A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Sense Motive 
  check can see the reaction pleases Kane. If confronted, he 
  denies his intentions and silently decides that the astute PC 
  is a potential problem.
  Filip apologizes on Kane’s behalf if the PCs report his 
  behavior. Filip later scolds Kane, earning the PCs his ire 
  during Event 15.
  Shadow Sighting: As the PCs leave the party, the character 
  with the highest Perception bonus notices—out of the corner 
  of an eye—a bizarre, vaguely humanoid-shaped shadow 
  moving in the hallway against the light. The phenomenon is 
  gone when the PCs look more closely. Teodhor was watching 
  nearby and used his shadow body spell to disappear.
  EVENT 4: THE SEEDS OF CORRUPTION
  Over the next 7 days, the PCs can relax however they like. Similar 
  to the first day, ask what they’d like to do, using the resorts 
  amenities as a guide. Soon though, they will begin to experience 
  the corrupting influence of Dr. Gragant’s shadow signal.
  contRActinG sHAdow coRRuption
  Starting 2 days after the opening party, at the end of the day 
  before resting for 8 hours, each PC must attempt a Will saving 
  throw (DC = 10 + half the PC’s level + any increase from the 
  Keys to Elysium curse [see page 10] + 1 for each previous save 
  attempted). This DC increases by 1 if the PC has engaged in 
  any malicious activity that day, such as purposefully deceiving 
  others or harming innocents (including those in the throes 
  of phantasms—see Event 5). Such a PC might remember the 
  triggering activity with misplaced emotion, such as righteous 
  anger after harming someone, or deep pleasure for stealing. 
  You should roll these saving throws in secret.
  Each PC who fails this save gains the dormant shadow 
  corruption (see page 42) and experiences disturbing thoughts 
  or dreams during the rest cycle. From that point until the end 
  of the Adventure Path, a PC afflicted with shadow corruption 
  must attempt another Will saving throw at the end of each 
  day before resting for 8 hours, gaining a shadow corruption 
  manifestation on each failure. A PC can spend a Resolve Point 
  to ignore a failed save and avoid gaining a manifestation. If you 
  like, you can also roll these saving throws in secret, but give 
  the PC the option to spend a Resolve Point if she fails by asking 
  if she wants to give in to the almost inaudible whispers in her 
  mind that promise power and pleasure. If she consents to the 
  suggestion, she can choose which manifestation she gains.
  To speed up play, you can assume that when days pass in 
  which nothing much happens (such as an uneventful starship 
  journey through the Drift) the PCs either succeed at their 
  saving throws or spend the necessary Resolve Points to avoid 
  gaining manifestations. Of course, a player might decide his 
  character is always tempted by the corruption and might 
  want to make those decisions on a day-to-day basis, but 
  remember to warn such a player that a PC who gains more 
  than four manifestations essentially becomes an evil NPC 
  under your control.
  NPCs are affected as the story requires rather than 
  according to these mechanics. Many of them, such as resort 
  staff, have been exposed to the influence for a longer time. 
  Others, such as the neutral and evil members of the staff and 
  Buzzblades, are more susceptible.
  PHANTASMS
  During this adventure, it’s important the players begin to 
  doubt what their characters sense and know. To aid with 
  that, this adventure introduces phantasms, a delusion with 
  comprehensive sensory aspects experienced only by those 
  subjected to them. Phantasms aren’t real, but the victims 
  believe them to be real for the duration of the effect. The 
  phantasms in this adventure are extensions of Dr. Gragant’s 
  influence on the asteroid and increase the PCs susceptibility 
  to the corruption of the shadow signal.
  When describing a phantasm, do so in stages, starting with 
  just enough information to provoke a response. Allow the 
  player to attempt actions. Then have the phantasm react to 
  those actions, going back and forth between character and 
  phantasm until the phantasm ends. While a phantasm lasts, 
  describe it as if it’s real, including aspects such as conditions 
  and damage. As all phantasms are similar in that they affect 
  a PC’s mind, they’re impossible to escape while they last. See 
  Sample Phantasms on page 22 for examples.
  A phantasm functions like a combination of a curse 
  and a trap. When using the phantasm stat block, keep the 
  following in mind.
  Targets: A specific phantasm might affect only one 
  target or several targets at once. The phantasm affects 
  each target separately, so each target must end the effect 
  20
  
  for itself. Even if all affected PCs succeed at the initial save against 
  a phantasm, the group still receives XP from the phantasm.
  Saving Throws: As they are similar to illusions, phantasms 
  require their victims to attempt Will saving throws. However, 
  to reinforce the illusion, write down all the PCs’ saving throw 
  modifiers ahead of time and ask them to attempt different 
  saves based on each phantasm’s nature. Then, secretly add 
  a PC’s Will save modifier to that PC’s die result. Phantasms 
  are mind-affecting effects, so don’t forget any modifiers 
  that apply to such effects. Open rolls with unreliable results 
  reinforce the “reality” of phantasms in the minds of players 
  more than secret rolls.
  Even if a PC succeeds at the Will save, a phantasm causes 
  a brief hallucination related to its full content before ending. 
  The phantasm imposes its full effect on any PC who fails his 
  saving throw. This effect is like a waking dream, so it can 
  seem to last longer than it actually does.
  Those unaffected by a phantasm can try to help victims 
  break out of the illusion. Doing so is difficult because the 
  victim sees everyone else in terms dictated by the phantasm. 
  A character who succeeds at a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate 
  check (DC = 15 + 1-1/2 × the CR of the phantasm) allows one 
  affected person to attempt a new saving throw against the 
  phantasm with a +4 circumstance bonus. A character can 
  grant this saving throw and bonus for one additional affected 
  person for every 5 the result of her check exceeds the DC.
  Combat: The initiative, AC, saving throw bonuses, and 
  attack statistics for a phantasm exist to aid your description. 
  A phantasm can’t be defeated in combat. Instead, it lasts 
  until its duration elapses or the victim meets the ending 
  conditions. Though the damage dealt by a phantasm reduces 
  a target’s Stamina Points, it can never reduce a target’s Hit 
  Points, and you shouldn’t tell the players that right away. 
  When a phantasm ends, any Hit Points a target seemed to 
  have lost immediately return. If a character believes she has 
  been reduced to 0 Hit Points by a phantasm, she instead falls 
  unconscious for 1d4 rounds (ending the phantasm for her).
  While any HP damage dealt by phantasm is illusory, 
  someone in the throes of one can deal or take real damage. 
  For instance, if a victim affected by a phantasm attacks 
  a monstrous figure that is actually another person, that 
  person can be hurt. A victim who steps into boiling water 
  takes damage from that water. However, anything that 
  harms a victim during a phantasm that isn’t part of the 
  phantasm (such as being punched in the face by another 
  character) allows the victim to attempt another saving 
  throw just after the harmful effect occurs. If the result 
  of an affected victim’s action would deal damage to the 
  victim (such as grabbing a knife by the wrong end), this 
  additional saving throw can be attempted before the victim 
  takes damage instead of after. 
  Conclusion: When a phantasm ends, any Stamina Point 
  damage the phantasm dealt remains, and the victim is shaken 
  for 1 minute. No other effects from the phantasm linger. 
  Customization: A phantasm has statistics like a trap (see 
  Table 11–14: Trap Statistics on page 412 of the Core Rulebook), 
  and it typically has a CR equal to half the level of the PCs’ APL 
  (rounded down). A phantasm has only one AC (the highest for 
  its CR), all good saves, and a +4 bonus to combat maneuvers. 
  A phantasm deals the full amount of damage listed in the table 
  (of an appropriate type) with a successful attack, or half this 
  amount of damage if it always hits. You can add other rules to 
  facilitate the delusion, such as monster special abilities. 
  Use the main statistics below for phantasms in this 
  adventure, though their exact effects differ from phantasm to 
  phantasm (see Sample Phantasms on page 22).
  PHANTASM 
  CR 3
  XP 800
  Type curse (mind-affecting); Save Will DC 14 (17 if in 
  possession of a comm unit cursed by Keys to Elysium 
  [see page 10])
  Trigger location; Init +8; Duration 10 rounds; Reset none
  AC 17; Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +6
  Attack +13 (+17 for combat maneuvers) or automatic (6d6 
  or 3d6 if automatic)
  Effect depends on the results of the initial save and the 
  specifics of the phantasm (see above)
  TEODHOR SIGHTINGS
  During a phantasm, a PC might see Teodhor from a distance, 
  mistaking him for part of the phantasm. Later, the PCs might 
  hear about a guest seeing a flayed halfling or child. Teodhor 
  moves quickly and stealthily, using his abilities to avoid being 
  pinned down. Anyone who gets close enough to Teodhor 
  might be affected by his unnerving gaze (see page 60), but 
  that unpleasantness should seem like part of a phantasm. 
  Avoid allowing the PCs to confront the velstrac until they 
  reach area H.
  EVENT 5: PHANTASM ENCOUNTERS
  Starting on the morning on the fourth day and continuing 
  through the end of the tenth day, the PCs should face at least a 
  dozen phantasms. Switch up which PC experiences a phantasm 
  each day, but multiple PCs should be involved in a few 
  phantasms together, sowing more doubt about what is real and 
  SHIP SIGNOFF
  During this week, one minor mundane issue intrudes 
  on the PCs’ relaxation (and possible corruption). Filip 
  asks the PCs to sign off on the repairs and requested 
  modifications to their starship (all taken care of by 
  Paradise Resorts). He looks slightly haggard and seems 
  less chipper during this meeting, but waves off any 
  concern the PCs might express with a cheerful laugh 
  and a sardonic “a devil’s work is never done!”
  21
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  what isn’t. Sometime during this period, at least one PC should 
  witness another guest or PC in the throes of a phantasm, giving 
  the onlooker an attempt to shake the other character out of 
  the fugue. Remind your players the other guests are normal (if 
  famous) people, not villains or monsters. 
  The most effective phantasms are personal. You can use 
  the examples below as written or as inspiration to create 
  your own phantasms that are most likely to provoke 
  a response from the PCs experiencing them. Many of 
  these examples are also appropriate for multiple PCs to 
  experience simultaneously.
  Story Award: Grant the PCs 800 XP for each phantasm 
  they face, whether the PCs succeed at the initial saving throw 
  against it or not.
  sAmple pHAntAsms
  You can use the following phantasms or create your own for 
  use in this adventure.
  Appeal to Vice: The PC catches a glimpse of an attractive 
  companion beckoning him to step into a private chamber. 
  If the PC fails the saving throw against this phantasm, he 
  is compelled to enter the room. He believes he is engaging 
  intimately with the companion for the duration of the phantasm 
  until the companion’s face and body transforms suddenly into a 
  disgusting, rotting corpse (or something equally horrid) before 
  disappearing completely. This phantasm deals no damage.
  Creepy Peepers: While the PC grooms himself, he feels 
  something in his throat. If he looks in a mirror, he sees his 
  mouth is filled with a monstrous eye, while his normal eyes 
  are gone. If he succeeds at the initial saving throw, this 
  vision fades. Otherwise, he begins to suffocate (taking 3d6 
  bludgeoning damage each round) as the mirror cracks. Trying 
  to take any action is futile, as his appendages become limp 
  and weak. The phantasm slowly ends as the crack reverses 
  itself in slow motion, until the PC can breathe again.
  Cruel Consumable: While the PC is partaking of a meal, this 
  phantasm tricks her into believing something inedible (like a 
  plate or glass) is part of the food (such as a piece of bread or 
  candy). If she fails the initial saving throw, she mistakenly 
  bites down on the object, which deals 3d6 piercing or slashing 
  damage unless she succeeds at a second saving throw to 
  notice the mistake in time.
  Doppelganger: As the PC talks to an NPC, she sees that 
  NPC pass nearby. If she succeeds at the initial saving throw, 
  the NPC she was talking to has vanished when she turns back. 
  Otherwise, the NPC double suddenly attacks, continuing 
  to do so for the remainder of the phantasm, dealing 6d6 
  bludgeoning damage with each successful strike. At the end 
  of the phantasm, the hostile NPC disappears.
  Evil Signs: The PC begins to see signs of evil everywhere—
  blood runs down the walls, nearby NPCs’ eyes turn white, a 
  vidscreen shows eldritch symbols, and so on. If she fails the 
  initial saving throw, these visions persist for the remainder 
  of the phantasm, and any voices she hears sound like 
  the terrifying grunts of fiends. She also believes that any 
  attempts to help her are actually threatening motions. When 
  the phantasm ends, so do the signs of evil.
  Infection Scare: Upon scratching an itch, the PC notices a 
  strange lesion on his skin. If he succeeds at the initial saving 
  throw, the wound fades away. Otherwise, he feels compelled 
  to continue to dig at the lesion, dealing 3d6 slashing damage 
  to himself each round as he uncovers increasingly worse 
  signs of disease under the skin. When the phantasm ends, the 
  “infected” area is merely red from constant rubbing.
  Intemperate Jealousy: A wave of fierce envy toward 
  a fellow guest overcomes the PC. It passes quickly if she 
  succeeds at the initial save. Otherwise, she is compelled 
  to voice her emotions in the loudest possible terms for the 
  remainder of the phantasm, which could lead to a physical 
  altercation. Afterward, she can barely remember what 
  aroused her ire.
  Monster Sighting: The PC mistakes a fellow guest or staff 
  member for a horrendous monster. If he succeeds at the 
  initial saving throw, he quickly realizes he was mistaken, but 
  otherwise he is compelled to attack the fellow guest or staff 
  member as if it were that monster for the remainder of the 
  phantasm. The monster appears to fight back, dealing 6d6 
  slashing or piercing damage on each successful strike. This 
  phantasm is best used when a second PC is nearby to stop the 
  first from killing an innocent person.
  Personal Injury: During an otherwise simple activity, such 
  as exercising or eating dinner, the PC clumsily injures herself. 
  If she succeeds at the initial saving throw, the injury amounts 
  to nothing. Otherwise, she begins to take 3d6 bleed damage 
  each round for the remainder of the phantasm. Worse yet, any 
  of her attempts to stop the bleeding only make it worse, and 
  those around her seem ignorant of the gouts of blood spraying 
  all over. When the phantasm ends, the wound has disappeared.
  Sensory Failure: A PC with telepathy is suddenly overcome 
  by piercing telepathic noise. If he fails the initial saving throw, 
  his mind is overwhelmed, “shutting down” all of his senses for 
  the remainder of the phantasm. If he is alone when this occurs, 
  he could stumble into danger. Either way, as the phantasm 
  wanes, the PC begins to sense a malevolent presence, as if 
  someone were lightly tracing fingers across his skin.
  Service Mishap: This phantasm occurs to a PC when he is 
  attempting to relax in a hot tub alone. If he succeeds at the initial 
  saving throw, he realizes he has set the temperature of the water 
  far too high, but he has no memory of doing so. Otherwise, he 
  steps unknowingly into the boiling water, taking 6d6 fire damage 
  unless he succeeds at an additional saving throw. By all accounts, 
  the mishap wasn’t caused by technological malfunction, but 
  rather a seemingly deliberate act by the PC.
  Space Danger: The PC hears a soft pop and hiss. Looking 
  around, she notices a spreading crack in a nearby window. If 
  she succeeds at the initial save, the crack is just a trick of the 
  light. Otherwise, the spreading damage eventually causes a 
  small breach, and (with a successful combat maneuver) the 
  22
  
  resulting loss of pressure drags her 10 feet closer each round. 
  The PC’s legs give out, rendering her immobile. If pulled 
  against the broken window, she is grappled and takes 3d6 
  bludgeoning damage at the end of each turn until she escapes 
  or the phantasm ends.
  Wounded Creature: The PC hears a faint scratching coming 
  from a nearby ventilation duct. If she fails the initial saving 
  throw, she sees a rodent with obvious signs of poisoning limp 
  into view. However, her muscles freeze up and she can only 
  watch as the creature dies slowly and painfully, and then 
  quickly rots away into nothingness. The phantasm deals 
  no damage.
  escAlAtinG tensions
  As the PCs, guests, and staff experience phantasms, 
  people begin lashing out at one another, especially 
  those—such as the Buzzblades or security personnel—
  who were already in positions of strength. Over these 
  days, evidence of minor injuries, some clearly self-
  inflicted, can be spotted on various NPCs. Others 
  show signs of corruption manifestations such as 
  weight loss, paleness, darkening eyes, poor 
  demeanor, lethargy, and apathy. 
  If the PCs harm others during a 
  phantasm, security personnel might have 
  to step in. If a PC is injured, security takes 
  her to Dr. Lominn for medical evaluation. As the days 
  wear on, Dr. Lominn receives more and more cases 
  related to the phantasms. She begins to suspect that a 
  strange contagion could be sweeping through the resort, 
  and might reveal that fact to inquisitive PCs. The doctor 
  has no evidence to back up this theory, since most 
  people appear to be physically fine during exams 
  and subsequent tests. See Event 6 for more about 
  interacting with Dr. Lominn during this period.
  Rumors also start to spread about a disease 
  or contamination of the food or water. An NPC 
  mentions or is overheard saying that staff members 
  are missing or sick. More guests start carrying 
  weapons, mostly small arms. Cthesa looks unwell 
  on the seventh day, claiming poor sleep. She can’t 
  be found on the eighth day if anyone looks for 
  her, and Tok asks if anyone has seen her on 
  the morning of the ninth day. Cthesa’s fate is 
  ultimately revealed during Event 8.
  EVENT 6: SOFT QUARANTINE 
  (CR 7)
  On the seventh day, or as soon as the PCs 
  attempt to leave the resort, 
  security 
  adds 
  a 
  constant 
  guard rotation near the dock 
  hallway (area A1) outside of 
  Green Fields (area A2). Within 
  the docking area, the airlocks to docked vessels can’t be 
  opened without a security override.
  Creatures: If the PCs question the two security specialists 
  on duty, they report only that they’re stationed here on Dr. 
  Lominn’s orders. The guards refuse to let anyone past and 
  won’t divulge the security override code to open the airlocks. 
  They’re all too happy to see a little action if someone provokes 
  them; PCs who do so face detainment. The security specialists  
  take any PCs who attack to a Ringworks Sentinel brig, and Dr. 
  Lominn releases them a few hours later.
  NEW ELYSIUM SECURITY SPECIALISTS (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  Male and female human soldier
  LN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70 each
  EAC 17; KAC 20
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +6
  Defensive Abilities guard’s 
  protection
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee tactical baton +11 
  (1d4+8 B)
  Ranged static arc pistol +14 
  (1d6+5 E; critical arc 2) or
  flash grenade I +14 (explode 
  [5 ft., blinded 1d4 rounds, 
  DC 15]) or
  stickybomb grenade II +14 
  (explode [15 ft., entangled 2d4 
  rounds, DC 15])
  Offensive Abilities fighting styles 
  (guard) 
  STATISTICS
  Str +3; Dex +5; Con +2; Int +0; 
  Wis +1; Cha +0
  Skills Athletics +11, Intimidate +16, 
  Piloting +11, Sense Motive +11
  Languages Common
  Other Abilities armor training
  Gear estex suit III (infrared 
  sensors), static arc pistol with 2 
  batteries (20 charges each), tactical 
  baton, flash grenade I, stickybomb 
  grenade II, binders, flashlight
  Development: If the PCs 
  meet Dr. Lominn in the brig 
  or because they want to ask 
  her about the quarantine, she 
  looks exhausted. However, 
  NEW ELYSIUM 
  SECURITY SPECIALIST
  23
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  she’s also honest with them. Stewards protocol calls for a 
  soft quarantine in response to problems like those in New 
  Elysium, and Dr. Lominn has implemented one and notified 
  the Stewards. However, she has no idea what is causing the 
  illnesses. The Stewards expect reports on ongoing quarantines 
  and don’t usually send their own investigators for fear of 
  infection. A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Sense Motive check 
  determines not only that she’s earnest, but also that she’s 
  worried. If the PCs can improve her indifferent attitude to 
  friendly (Diplomacy DC 22) and ask her what’s wrong, she 
  reveals that Filip is faring poorly. He appears to be suffering 
  from mental and physical exhaustion as well as depression; 
  he’s receiving care in his quarters.
  Dr. Lominn comes to them eventually, especially if the 
  PCs have handled the phantasms well. She asks for their 
  assistance in keeping the other guests calm. This point is 
  another opportunity for the PCs to talk to her and learn about 
  the soft quarantine and Filip’s illness.
  Story Award: If the PCs interact peacefully with the New 
  Elysium security specialists and learn more from Dr. Lominn 
  about the soft quarantine, award them 3,200 XP, as if they 
  had defeated the security specialists in combat.
  EVENT 7: BUZZBLADE ALTERCATION (CR 7)
  As the PCs attempt to relax in a public area on the morning 
  of the tenth day, perhaps in the Boundless Sunroom (area B1), 
  Virlae acts as if one of them insulted her. Consider running 
  this encounter with everyone unarmed and unarmored. If you 
  do so, the two Buzzblades have an AC of 15 and use unarmed 
  attacks. They might grab pieces of furniture or other objects 
  to use as weapons.
  Creatures: Virlae goes berserk and attacks the PCs. Lomer, 
  who’s nearby but not entirely aware of what’s going on, joins 
  the fight at her side. Other guests back off, but not Tok. He 
  films the quarrel and eggs it on, making it more difficult to 
  quell. Tok shuts up only if convinced (Diplomacy DC 21) or 
  threatened (Intimidate DC 21) by a PC. A PC who succeeds at 
  a DC 20 Sense Motive check can tell that Virlae is not acting 
  rationally and that Lomer is only backing her up.
  The PCs can calm the situation with a few well-placed 
  words instead of fighting. Calming Virlae requires a successful 
  DC 32 Diplomacy check made as a full action; this check takes 
  a –5 penalty if any PC has attacked either of the Buzzblades 
  that round. This check automatically fails if Tok is still in the 
  room and meddling, but Lomer also backs down if Virlae does. 
  If this Diplomacy check was successful, but Tok then thwarted 
  the PCs’ efforts, a PC can attempt another Diplomacy check 
  (after shutting Tok up) in a future round with +5 circumstance 
  bonus. Alternatively, a PC can convince Lomer not to fight with 
  a successful DC 27 Diplomacy check made as a full action; the 
  same constraints mentioned above apply to this check.
  If the fight begins with unarmed and unarmored combatants 
  and a PC grabs a weapon or begins dealing lethal damage with a 
  spell or another ability, the Virlae grabs her own nearby weapon.
  LOMER 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Agender android solarian 
  LE Medium humanoid (android)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; 
  Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +6; +2 vs. disease, mind-affecting 
  effects, poison, and sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee solar weapon +14 (1d6+7 B)
  Offensive Abilities stellar revelations (black hole [25-ft. 
  radius, pull 15 ft., DC 13], dark matter [DR 1/—], stellar rush 
  [2d6 F, DC 13], supernova [10-ft. radius, 6d6 F, DC 13])
  TACTICS
  During Combat Lomer sticks close to Virlae and manifests 
  their solar weapon, a flat club. They make nonlethal 
  attacks with their solar weapon (taking a –4 penalty to 
  each), but they don’t use their stellar revelations unless 
  the situation becomes dire.
  Morale Lomer backs down when reduced to fewer than 
  40 Hit Points, but only if Virlae has also backed down.
  STATISTICS
  Str +2; Dex +5; Con +0; Int +3; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +11, Mysticism +11, Stealth +11
  Languages Akitonian, Common
  Other Abilities constructed, flat affect, solar manifestation 
  (solar weapon), stellar alignment, upgrade slot 
  (radiation buffer)
  Gear d-suit I
  VIRLAE NILUFEH 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Female korasha lashunta operative
  LE Medium humanoid (lashunta)
  Init +6; Perception +12
  DEFENSE 
  HP 65
  EAC 17; KAC 18
  Fort +4; Ref +7; Will +8
  Defensive Abilities evasion
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
  Melee merciful tactical switchblade +12 (1d4+8 S 
  nonlethal) or
  unarmed strike (1d6+8 B nonlethal)
  Offensive Abilities debilitating trick, trick attack +3d8
  Lashunta Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th)
  1/day—detect thoughts (DC 15) 
  At will—daze (DC 15), psychokinetic hand
  TACTICS
  During Combat Virlae doesn’t pull any punches and 
  attempts to use trick attack every round.
  24
  
  Morale Virlae finally backs down when reduced to fewer 
  than 30 Hit Points.
  STATISTICS
  Str +3; Dex +5; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +22, Athletics +22 (+30 to climb and 
  swim), Bluff +12, Culture +12, Intimidate +17, Stealth +12
  Feats Improved Unarmed Strike
  Languages Castrovelian, Common; limited telepathy 30 ft.
  Other Abilities operative exploits (uncanny mobility, 
  versatile movement), specialization (daredevil)
  Gear d-suit I, merciful tactical switchbladeAR
  Development: As the Buzzblades back down, hopefully 
  before anyone can be seriously injured, two New Elysium 
  security specialists (see page 23) show up and ask 
  everyone to stand down. They take statements from 
  everyone present, and it becomes clear that Virlae reacted 
  to something that didn’t actually happen. She doesn’t 
  apologize, but she admits that she doesn’t feel well and 
  agrees to see Dr. Lominn.
  Story Award: If the PCs calm Virlae before she 
  becomes too violent, award them XP as if they had 
  defeated the two Buzzblades in combat.
  EVENT 8: CTHESA’S FATE (CR 8)
  On the morning of the eleventh day, Dr. Lominn 
  requests the PCs meet her in the Boundless 
  Sunroom (area B1) and mentions they 
  should be prepared to do some “dangerous 
  work.” The haggard-looking doctor takes 
  them through the doors to the east and 
  down the stairs toward the elevator banks 
  (area A15a). There, a group of four security 
  specialists (see page 23) are gathered, as well 
  as Indigo-13, Rhissona Avran (who looks quite 
  healthy), Romi, and Vorilynn.
  Dr. Lominn discloses security has slain a 
  “giant moth” that Romi spotted entering a 
  ventilation duct near these elevators. The 
  vent cover here is broken, and a PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check 
  notices a strange, silvery powder around 
  the vent. A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 
  Perception check also notices the guards 
  are tired, and while all are banged up, one 
  was bitten through his armor and another 
  suffered electrical burns that, if anyone 
  asks, are from friendly fire; a PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 20 Sense Motive 
  check can see that the officer 
  responsible for the friendly fire 
  seems amused by it. Dr. Lominn 
  and Rhissona treat the guards’ 
  wounds, and the doctor asks the 
  PCs and Vorilynn to check out the moth in area B11. Romi 
  follows out of curiosity with an approving nod from Indigo-13.
  Near the cooling fans is the corpse of an 8-foot-long 
  moth with eerie shifting patterns on its wings. The moth’s 
  wounds, and a smell like burnt hair and ozone, are obvious. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Medicine check can tell the 
  moth died from electrical shocks such as those generated by 
  shock weapons. A PC who succeeds at a DC 21 Mysticism 
  check identifies the creature as a gloomwing (see page 56; 
  Vorilynn reveals this if the PCs don’t succeed at this check. 
  A pertinent fact about this outsider is that it lays eggs in 
  prey that it has slain, and those eggs produce tenebrous 
  worms (see page 59). A PC who examines the moth 
  and succeeds at a DC 25 Medicine or Mysticism check 
  can tell that it has recently laid several eggs. Vorilynn 
  can again provide this information if needed. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check spots 
  more dust, like that seen earlier around the vent, on the 
  fan in the eastern wall. More powder inside the stone 
  tunnel behind the fan suggests the gloomwing 
  came from that area. Romi finds this residue 
  if PCs miss it.
  If the PCs report to Dr. Lominn before 
  investigating further, she wonders 
  whether 
  these 
  creatures 
  have 
  something to do with the strangeness 
  occurring at the resort. She asks 
  the PCs to go into the tunnels and 
  look for more evidence while she has 
  security clean up the mess and check 
  the other cooling tunnels. On behalf of 
  Paradise Resorts, she offers to pay the PCs 
  1,000 credits apiece for helping her contain 
  this situation quickly and discretely. She’ll 
  increase her offer to 1,500 apiece if a PC 
  succeeds at a DC 30 Diplomacy check; the 
  PCs could gain circumstance bonuses to 
  these negotiations based on how helpful 
  they’ve been in other situations. If pressed 
  as to why security can’t completely handle the 
  problem, the doctor reveals that a significant 
  portion of the security team is unwell and 
  resting in their quarters. If asked about the 
  stone tunnels, Dr. Lominn reveals they were 
  part of a mine that occupied the asteroid before 
  the resort was built.
  A successful DC 20 Engineering check is 
  required to shut down the slow ventilation fans 
  so the PCs can duck past them into the tunnel. 
  Romi can aid on this check if need be. Neither 
  the androids nor Vorilynn accompany the 
  party into the tunnel. Automatic light 
  strips in the tunnel provide dim light. 
  Following the gloomwing’s residue trail 
  VIRLAE NILUFEH
  25
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  requires a successful DC 16 Survival check. If a PC succeeds 
  by 10 or more, she also finds a few blood spatters along the 
  ground. The trail leads down the northern tunnel, where the 
  PCs can smell the faint scent of decay. The odor gets stronger 
  as the PCs move down the tunnel, eventually reaching area 
  B14. In the center of that chamber, they easily spot the 
  distended corpse of Cthesa.
  Creatures: A second gloomwing hides in the dim light on the 
  ceiling near the blast door that leads deeper into the mines. 
  It waits to attack until it is discovered or the PCs examine 
  Cthesa’s body. During the second round of combat with the 
  gloomwing, or as soon as something disturbs Cthesa’s corpse, 
  three tenebrous worm hatchlings erupt from the body and 
  attack. These worms are similar to those presented on page 
  59 but have yet to form their bristles.
  GLOOMWING 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  HP 50 (see page 56)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The gloomwing isn’t hungry, but it is 
  cornered and agitated. It attacks the creature that hurt it 
  most or harmed the worms last round.
  Morale The gloomwing has nowhere to flee, so it fights to 
  the death. 
  TENEBROUS WORM HATCHLINGS (3) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  N Small outsider (extraplanar)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  DEFENSE 
  HP 50 each
  EAC 16; KAC 18
  Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +5
  Immunities acid
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee bite +10 (1d4+5 P plus shadow acid; critical 
  corrode 1d4)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The hungry hatchlings prefer to attack 
  already wounded targets.
  Morale Ravenous, the hatchlings fight to the death. 
  STATISTICS
  Str +1; Dex +3; Con +5; Int –4; Wis +0; Cha –2
  Skills Stealth +10
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Shadow Acid (Su) See page 59. This acid deals 2d4 acid 
  damage in dim light, 1d4 acid damage in normal light, and 
  1 acid damage in bright light or darkness.
  Development: The blast door to the north is locked 
  (Engineering DC 35 to unlock; only Teodhor’s biometrics 
  can bypass the lock). A warning sign on the door notes that 
  access to the mining tunnels on the other side is restricted. 
  Dr. Lominn doesn’t have the authority to open the door and 
  asks that it remain closed. 
  Dr. Lominn has a security robot collect Cthesa’s remains and 
  quietly bring them to area B6. If the PCs do so instead, she 
  gives them each an extra 250 credits. Rhissona seems quite 
  upset when she sees Cthesa’s body, but she is only acting; a PC 
  who succeeds at a Sense Motive check opposed by her Bluff 
  check (she has a total skill bonus of +18) can tell something isn’t 
  quite right. If confronted, Rhissona feigns ignorance, claiming 
  that she was fond of the travel writer’s work.
  Dr. Lominn doesn’t ask the PCs to investigate Cthesa’s death, 
  but neither does she do anything to stop them. Investigating 
  the shirren’s quarters reveals nothing unusual. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Diplomacy check convinces the security 
  team to allow the PCs to check vid footage of the past several 
  nights. Alternatively, a PC can hack into the security feeds from 
  any of the computer terminals found throughout the resort 
  with a successful DC 28 Computers check. The footage shows 
  Cthesa wandering the resort late on the seventh night, almost 
  in a trance. She ends up in the Boundless Sunroom, and the 
  eastern door opens on its own. She steps through it, reaching 
  out as if greeting a friend or loved one. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 27 Perception check while examining the footage 
  notices a humanoid shadow moving against the light in a few 
  different frames. If a PC casts grave words or speak with dead 
  on Cthesa’s corpse, it speaks feverishly about “following my 
  brother” and the “flapping of dusty wings” before trailing off 
  into incoherence. 
  Cthesa grew up on Verces and was involved in a horrible 
  vehicle crash in the city of Nabokon when she was young, 
  in which her younger brother and father were killed. A PC 
  can attempt a DC 30 Culture check to recall this information 
  or discover it on the infosphere with a successful DC 25 
  Computers check and a few hours of research.
  Treasure: In addition to any pay they earned, the PCs can 
  harvest the chitin from the gloomwings (see page 56).
  Story Award: In addition to the XP they earn from the fight, 
  if the PCs learn about what happened to Cthesa the night she 
  disappeared, they earn 1,600 XP.
   
  The death of one of the guests and the appearance of strange 
  creatures in the infrastructure of the resort are really only the 
  beginning of the PCs’ problems. The corruption of Dr. Gragant’s 
  shadow signal begins to swallow more and more of the guests, 
  and the PCs will have to deal with the consequences.
  EVENT 9: HARD QUARANTINE (CR 9)
  On the evening of the eleventh day, Dr. Lominn completely 
  quarantines the resort, announcing over the facility’s public 
  26
  PART 2: 
  WAKING NIGHTMARES
  
  address system that guests must return to their rooms and 
  stay there. Proper authorities, including the Stewards, have 
  been notified and should arrive within a week. 
  Guests must remain in their quarters. Meals (and any desired 
  deliverable services, such as massages) are will be brought to 
  them by resort staff. The guests can call up entertainment (such 
  as shows and games) on the consoles in their rooms. No one 
  can leave the resort, as huge blast doors seal off the docking 
  bays. These doors are controlled from the server room (area 
  B12) and can’t be physically forced opened without exerting a 
  massive amount of effort that would draw plenty of attention.
  Resort security disconnects the core computer servers from 
  outside networks. As a result, no message or communication 
  can be sent or received. In addition, security physically 
  disconnects the servers housing proprietary Paradise Resorts 
  data—guest lists, medical records, and so on—from the resort’s 
  network. Only general information, entertainment, and service 
  operations remain accessible to guests and would-be hackers. 
  This also removes any possibility of remotely disabling the 
  docking bays’ blast doors or Dr. Gragant’s shadow signal. 
  When the initial announcement of the quarantine occurs, a 
  few guests near the PCs—perhaps people they know—become 
  rowdy. Security, already on edge, overreacts, drawing weapons 
  and calling in a pair of security robots (see Creatures below). The 
  PCs can attempt to defuse this situation. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 22 Diplomacy or Intimidate check can convince the 
  guests to cooperate. Alternatively, a PC who speaks with the 
  security team and succeeds at a DC 25 Diplomacy check can 
  convince them to go easy on the rowdy guests. If the PCs don’t 
  successfully intervene, security roughly escorts the rowdy 
  guests to their quarters. No one is badly hurt in the process, 
  though some harsh words are thrown about and one or two of 
  the guests acquire some nasty bruises.
  Any PCs who refuse to go to their quarters face the same 
  security specialists and robots (see Creatures below). If the 
  PCs resist and appear to be winning, more specialists show 
  up to subdue them, including Kane Zaphol (see page 38 for 
  stats, but exclude his eerie perception ability). Zaphol shows 
  little mercy, and he is especially harsh to PCs he dislikes. 
  Characters who must be subdued are locked in their rooms 
  (Engineering DC 30 to bypass).
  Creatures: A pair of New Elysium security specialists and 
  a pair of patrol-class security robots attempt to enforce the 
  quarantine, ushering guests to their quarters. They try to be 
  polite, but are clearly on edge and all too ready to subdue 
  anyone who refuses to budge. 
  PATROL-CLASS SECURITY ROBOTS (2) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  HP 52 each (Starfinder Alien Archive 94)
  NEW ELYSIUM SECURITY SPECIALISTS (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  HP 70 each (see page 23)
  Story Award: If the PCs help defuse the situation with 
  unruly guests, award them 5,600 XP, as if they had defeated 
  the security specialists and the security robots in combat.
  EVENT 10: MESSAGES AND VISIONS
  On the morning of the twelfth day, Romi uses their personal 
  comm to contact a PC they have bonded with or who was the 
  most friendly. Romi asks if the PCs can send them a copy of 
  the Keys to Elysium app. They mention that they and Indigo-13 
  were invited to the resort with the express purpose of acting as 
  a “control group,” not using the program to see if that affected 
  their enjoyment of the facilities in any way. Romi says that 
  with the quarantine, they are having some difficulty accessing 
  PATROL-CLASS 
  SECURITY ROBOT
  27
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  certain entertainment in their room and that the app can no 
  longer be downloaded from the server. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 28 Sense Motive check can tell that Romi is lying. If 
  pressed, Romi admits they want to look at the program’s code, 
  but refuse to say any more. If the PCs don’t share the app with 
  Romi, they are able to get it from another guest.
  This interaction might prompt the PCs to examine the app 
  closer themselves. See pages 10–11 for details on how they 
  can analyze (and possibly remove) Keys to Elysium, but at this 
  point, no staff respond when it is turned off or tampered with.
  That night, Romi calls the PCs again. The PCs have an 
  uneasy feeling of déjà vu as the android relates the following.
  “Surely you’ve noticed the others acting strangely the past 
  few days. Perhaps you have felt odd compulsions. If you 
  haven’t, you should take a look at this.” The message cuts 
  to a vidfeed showing the Painted Forest Playroom, where 
  security specialists skirmish with guests, many of them 
  with odd wounds, terrifying grins on their faces, and tears 
  of blood streaming down their cheeks. Silent alarms flash 
  in the background and text scrolls across the bottom of the 
  feed that reads, ‘Alert: unauthorized weapon discharge.’ The 
  message shows similar incidents occurring in the Hall of 
  Splendors and Green Fields.
  Romi returns. “There’s some kind of... signal coming up 
  from the abandoned mines beneath the resort, and it is 
  disturbing people’s minds. Indigo-13 and I are heading down 
  there to investigate, but we need your help. If you avoid the 
  main rooms, you probably won’t run into any trouble. We’ve 
  shut off the fan and opened the door. Please follow.” The 
  communication ends abruptly.
  The PC who has the highest Wisdom score suddenly 
  remembers all this occurring in a recent nightmare and feels a 
  sense of impending doom; if this PC has any shadow corruption 
  manifestations, she is more excited by this revelation than 
  afraid. Until they find Romi, the PCs receive intermittent 
  location information from the android’s comm unit. 
  When the PCs leave their rooms to aid Romi, the corridor 
  is dim and empty. Ask the last PC into the hall to attempt 
  a Will saving throw. No matter the result, a flickering light 
  attracts her attention in a direction opposite the one the PCs 
  are headed. When she turns to look, she sees Teodhor just 
  long enough to meet his unnerving gaze (see page 60). The 
  lights then go out in that section of hallway. Teodhor flees into 
  a side hall, using shadow body if he needs to. Try to play this 
  off as another phantasm, as the PCs aren’t destined to come 
  face-to-face with the cantor just yet.
  The PCs can use the spiral stairs or an elevator to reach 
  the lower level. Remember that the stairs leading down to the 
  facilities level are locked (Engineering DC 30 to bypass the 
  lock). Any elevator the PCs use won’t descend to the facilities 
  level unless the PCs override the lockout with a successful 
  DC 30 Computers or Engineering check. If the PCs exit an 
  elevator, or even just pass one, they notice the light above 
  another elevator blink, as if an elevator car were arriving at 
  their floor. The doors open to reveal a dark and empty shaft.
  If the PCs pass through the main floor of the resort, they 
  can hear the sounds of combat—weapon discharge, screams, 
  etc.—echoing from the various rooms and shops. If they seek 
  out the source of these noises, the find only the remnants of 
  various struggles—smears of blood, empty batteries, and the 
  occasionally dead guest or resort staff.
  As the PCs move through the hallways, Tok, who has been 
  sneaking around taking footage of the quarantined resort, 
  sees them and starts to trail them. Spotting him (or hearing 
  a door open for him) requires a successful DC 26 Perception 
  check. A PC who succeeds at this check spots only a small, 
  dark form darting behind them to avoid notice, evocative 
  of Teodhor; success by 5 or more is necessary to properly 
  identify the ysoki. If he can keep out of sight, Tok shadows 
  the PCs into the mines. If discovered, he begs the PCs to 
  take him with them so he can record what happens. If Tok 
  accompanies the PCs, he avoids danger and films the next 
  encounters rather than fighting.
  Story Award: For moving through the hallways of the 
  resort and avoiding conflict, award the PCs 1,600 XP.
  EVENT 11: UNSEEN REVEALED (CR 8)
  When the PCs arrive on New Elysium’s lower level, they find 
  it quiet and dimly lit. They continue to hear small arms fire 
  and cries of pain echoing throughout the hallways. Romi and 
  Indigo-13 left the northwestern door to the tech workshop 
  (area B11) unlocked and the fans inside leading to the cooling 
  tunnel deactivated.
  Creatures: As the PCs enter the tech workshop, they find 
  Rhissona Avran, fully under the sway of the shadow signal 
  and partially transformed back into her reptoid form. She 
  has three similarly corrupted guests with her, their casual 
  vacation-wear stained with blood and oil and their skin marred 
  with self-inflicted wounds. Read or paraphrase the following.
  Rhissona Avran raises her gaze from a small, bloody orb in 
  her palm. One of her eyes is a gory socket with optic fiber 
  dangling from it, and the other is wide and glossy black. Her 
  face seems to ripple between pale verthani skin and dark 
  green scales. She cries out, “It’s... it’s on the inside! Is it... 
  inside you? Can... can I see it? I must see it!”
  She then attacks, ordering the corrupted guests to 
  capture the PCs “for examination.” The guests grab twisted 
  pieces of furniture and sports equipment that function as 
  makeshift clubs.
  CORRUPTED GUESTS (3) 
  CR 3
  XP 800 each
  NE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Perception +8
  28
  
  DEFENSE 
  HP 48 each
  EAC 14; KAC 16
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +2
  Resistances cold 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee club +11 (1d6+4 B)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The corrupted guests batter the PCs with 
  their improvised weapons, hissing how “she will show 
  us the way” and that the PCs “will soon know the 
  truest pleasures.” When a PC looks close to 0 Hit 
  Points, the guests switch to dealing nonlethal 
  damage (taking a –4 penalty to their attack 
  rolls) to that PC.
  Morale The corrupted guests fight to the death. 
  STATISTICS
  Str +1; Dex +2; Con +4; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +8, Intimidate +13, 
  Mysticism +8
  Languages Common
  Other Abilities shadow manifestations 
  (coldblooded*)
  Gear club
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on 
  page 40.
  RHISSONA AVRAN 
  CR 6 
  XP 2,400
  Female reptoid master (Alien 
  Archive 92)
  HP 77 
  TACTICS
  During Combat Rhissona uses her mental 
  powers to attempt to subdue the PCs, 
  lashing out with her claws if they get too 
  close to her.
  Morale Rhissona now takes pleasure from 
  pain, so she fights until she is killed. 
  STATISTICS
  Other Abilities shadow manifestations (pain 
  refuge*)
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  Development: When Rhissona dies or is knocked 
  unconscious, she reverts fully to her reptoid form. If the 
  PCs interrogate her, it is clear that her mind is broken. 
  She babbles incoherently about “the shadow of pain” 
  that has fallen over the resort and of some unnamed 
  “her” that is the center of the reptoid’s fixations. 
  If the PCs cast speak with dead on her 
  corpse, her answers are a little more 
  coherent, but all she knows is that 
  something has corrupted 
  the minds of the resort’s guests and staff. She truthfully notes 
  that the current situation has nothing to do with the reptoids 
  or their plans.
  THE MINES
  When the PCs arrive at area B14, they find the northern 
  blast door hanging open, leading to a dark tunnel that slopes 
  sharply downward and splits off into several similar-looking 
  passages. There is no light within the mines, and the air within 
  is stale but breathable.
  The PCs must continually ping Romi’s comm unit in order 
  to navigate the mines to find them and Indigo-13. When the 
  PCs first enter the mines, and after every encounter below, 
  each PC must attempt a skill check. The DC for this skill 
  check is 26, and each PC can decide to use Computers 
  (to track Romi’s comm unit), Engineering (to assess 
  the stability of the tunnels), Perception (to spot 
  minor hazards), Physical Science (to note changes 
  in the asteroid strata), or an appropriate Profession 
  (such as archaeologist or 
  miner), though at least 
  one PC must attempt the 
  Computers 
  check 
  each 
  round. Each set of checks 
  represents half an hour of 
  moving through the tunnels, and 
  the group succeeds if at least half of the 
  PCs succeed at their checks. However, 
  each failure adds 10 minutes to the 
  total time, representing the group having 
  to backtrack, move cautiously for a time, or 
  help a comrade out of a minor danger. If the 
  party fails (by more than half of the PCs 
  failing their checks), it is at a disadvantage 
  going into the next encounter, as noted in 
  each encounter’s description.
  Tok continues to tag along with the PCs 
  if they let him, and he tails them stealthily 
  if they don’t. The cantor Teodhor also 
  follows the PCs into the mine. If the PCs 
  close the blast door behind them, they 
  might hear it open again a few moments 
  later at your discretion.
  D. SHADOW CHRYSALIS (CR 10) 
  A pair of mature tenebrous worms lives in the 
  tunnels, keeping close to a cocoon that is about 
  to hatch. The cocoon is attached to a pillar in the 
  western portion of a large, open chamber, and 
  exudes supernatural darkness (see page 59). If PCs 
  are successful at navigating the mine, they 
  come from the east or southeast, spot 
  the unusual gloom ahead, and can 
  approach cautiously. Otherwise, they 
  RHISSONA AVRAN
  29
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  blunder into the area from the west, possibly blind to the fact 
  that the tenebrous worms are slithering in from the east.
  The map for this area is found on page 32.
  Creatures: If Tok is tailing the PCs, one of the tenebrous 
  worms slays him in the darkness. A blood-curdling scream 
  interrupts the PCs’ examination of the cocoon, while the 
  other worm enters the chamber from the north. The first 
  worm joins the fight 1d4 rounds later. Otherwise, both 
  worms arrive simultaneously from opposite ends of the 
  cavern. During the first round of combat, one worm bites Tok 
  (if he accompanies the PCs), killing him, and the creature’s 
  acid dissolves his body into wisps of shadowy smoke in a 
  matter of moments.
  After 1d6 rounds of combat or if any damage is done 
  to the cocoon, a fully formed gloomwing emerges and 
  immediately attacks the PCs.
  GLOOMWING 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  HP 50 (see page 56)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The gloomwing is disoriented from its 
  emergence and attacks PCs within reach randomly.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 15 Hit Points, the 
  gloomwing tries to flee. 
  TENEBROUS WORMS (2) 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  HP 125 each (see page 59)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The tenebrous worms aren’t clever enough 
  to work in tandem and end up attacking different PCs.
  Morale The hungry worms fight to the death.
  Treasure: The PCs can search Tok’s body to find an 
  enhanced camera scanner with a fitting that allows it to be 
  worn on the head, along with a shotgun microphone (Armory 
  107), a datapad that functions as a tier 2 computer (with 
  the miniaturization [light bulk], hardened, and self-charging 
  upgrades, worth 500 credits), a static arc pistol, a flashlight, 
  a laser microphone, a credstick with 2,000 credits on it 
  (for bribes), and three batteries (20 charges each). If Tok 
  was killed in the tunnels, the PCs can find his corpse with a 
  successful DC 20 Perception check. The PCs can also harvest 
  the gloomwing’s chitin if they wish (see page 56).
  E. MINING MACHINE (CR 9) 
  A deactivated mining robot rests at an intersection of tunnels. 
  The cantor Teodhor reached this area before the PCs and rigged 
  the light panels and robot here to activate as soon as any other 
  creature entered the chamber. If the PCs succeed at navigating 
  30
  
  the mine, they come from the south and spot the light panels 
  before anything happens, granting them a +2 circumstance 
  bonus on the Reflex saving throw to avoid becoming blinded 
  (see Hazard below). Otherwise, the group comes in from one of 
  the northern tunnels with no chance to prepare. 
  The map for this area appears on page 32.
  Hazard: A click and a sudden hum precede the 
  pair of light panels briefly flaring to life and then 
  blowing out. The burst of light affects everyone 
  in the room other than the robot, whose sensors 
  were not yet active. Each creature must succeed 
  at a DC 16 Reflex saving throw or be blinded for 1 
  round and dazzled for 1d3 rounds after that. 
  Creatures: The mining robot lurches forward 
  to destroy the PCs. Thanks to Teodhor’s 
  meddling, it believes them to be 
  unusual formations of rock.
  MINING ROBOT 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  HP 145 (see page 58)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The mining robot 
  attacks the nearest creature. 
  Morale The mining robot fights until it is destroyed or it 
  can’t see any other creature.
  Treasure: The robot’s integrated weapons are extremely 
  valuable, and both can be removed with a successful DC 27 
  Engineering check.
  FINAL CALL
  While the PCs move between the previous encounter and this 
  one, Romi calls them again.
  “I am sorry. So sorry. We... we ran across some unusual 
  life-forms. Oozes. Highly aggressive. Indigo-13 is dead. I am 
  trapped. I... I do not believe I will be alive when you arrive. 
  Please, for my Indi, stop whatever is happening here. You 
  must go deeper! Please.” A weapon discharge punctuates 
  the end of the communication.
  F. DWARVEN BARRACKS (CR 9)
  If the PCs succeed at their checks to navigate the mines, they 
  spot the dim lights of the barracks as they approach from 
  the northern tunnels. They discover the tar-like remains of 
  two void oozes, which can be identified with a successful 
  DC 30 Life Science check. A PC who fails this check by 5 or 
  fewer recognizes the goo as the remnant of an ooze, but not 
  the specific type. The northern wall of this structure, which 
  is built into the rock, has a set of automatic doors that still 
  function and broad windows that look into the barracks’ main 
  lounge, which is dimly lit due to the void ooze’s aura. A PC can 
  spot a void ooze by succeeding at a Perception check opposed 
  by the ooze’s Stealth check. 
  If more than half the PCs fail their checks to navigate the 
  mines, they come in from the southwest, and when 
  they turn the corner nearest the structure, they 
  trigger the automatic doors there, alerting the 
  creatures within.
  This structure is a sturdy barracks 
  constructed by Ulrikka Clanholdings for miners 
  here. A PC examining the area and succeeding 
  at a DC 20 Engineering check can tell the 
  structure has remained here, mostly neglected, 
  for decades. The outer doors can be locked from the 
  inside, making this a safe place to rest. If the PCs do so, 
  Teodhor attempts to use his nightmare spell-
  like ability on one unlucky PC. 
  The map for this area appears on 
  page 32.
  Creatures: One void ooze rests 
  in the main lounge amid fine black 
  ash and Indigo-13’s belongings 
  (see Treasure below). When a fight 
  begins, another ooze slithers out from the 
  bunks to the east, where Romi perished.
  VOID OOZES (2) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  HP 105 each (see page 61)
  Development: When the oozes die, the light level returns 
  to normal thanks to the two beacons Romi and Indigo-13 
  brought down into the mines. Romi, obviously dead from a 
  self-inflicted head wound, can be found in one of the eastern 
  bunkrooms. Indigo-13’s body was turned to fine ash by the 
  void oozes within the main lounge. Among Romi’s equipment 
  (see Treasure below) is their comm unit, which appears to be 
  locked onto a strange signal emanating from deeper within 
  the mines. Following this signal requires the same checks as 
  following Romi (see page 29). 
  Treasure: Searching the various rooms of the barracks 
  uncovers a self-heating pot (Armory 131) and a mk 3 
  culinary synthesizer (Armory 129), both of dwarven make. 
  A cabinet holds a nearly empty bin containing 300 UPBs 
  and a handwritten note in Dwarven that provides three 
  synthesizer recipes—dwarven stout, dwarven whiskey, and 
  spiced dwarven sausage. Indigo-13’s gear includes a d-suit II, a 
  tactical seeker rifle, an advanced semi-auto pistol, 40 longarm 
  rounds, and 20 small arm rounds. Romi’s gear includes a silver 
  AbadarCorp travel suit, a thunderstrike sonic pistol, a battery, 
  and their customized comm unit, a tier 3 computer (with the 
  hardened, miniaturized [negligible bulk], range III, and self-
  charging upgrades, and a built-in motion detector). Romi wiped 
  all personal data from the computer besides the background 
  image, a recent picture of a smiling Indigo-13 and Romi.
  ROMI
  31
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  G. HOLDING FACILITIES (CR 8)
  As the PCs continue deeper into the mines, they find a 
  facility intended for the storage of mining equipment that 
  Dr. Gragant modified to hold her unwilling test subjects, 
  turning it into a kind of prison. A trio of large airlock doors, 
  now completely sealed with stone, are found along the 
  western wall.
  A map of this area is found above. 
  Trap: If the PCs succeeded at navigating the mine, 
  they hear whispering as they enter. A character trained in 
  Mysticism can attempt a DC 32 Mysticism check to sense the 
  thinning between the Material Plane and the Shadow Plane 
  here, granting that PC a +2 circumstance bonus to Mysticism 
  checks to deal damage to the “trap” here. A PC who succeeds 
  at the Perception check to notice the trap sees the outlines of 
  fleeting apparitions and can warn others of the danger. If the 
  PCs failed to navigate the mines, they will likely be caught by 
  surprise when the apparitions manifest a few moments after 
  the PCs enter the room. 
  In either case, the trap activates with the shrieks of 
  several dying humanoids. These apparitions fill the area like 
  a cloying fog, making the entire area difficult terrain and 
  providing concealment for creatures more than 10 feet away 
  from each other. The doors to the room seal shut and lock 
  (Computers DC 27 to bypass the locks or Engineering DC 27 
  to disable the lock). Then, apparitions of humanoids appear 
  and grab at the PCs, clawing their flesh. These apparitions 
  function as a mass of undead creatures. They have an EAC 
  of 19, a KAC of 23, 120 Hit Points, and saving throw bonuses 
  of +8. They have normal undead immunities, can be harmed 
  by positive energy, and take half damage from nonmagical, 
  non-area attacks. The apparitions are tied to this room, so 
  they can’t leave.
  TORTURED APPARITIONS 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 
  Type magical; Perception DC 32; Disable Mysticism 
  DC 27 (a creature that succeeds at this check 
  calms the psychic feedback, dealing 30 damage to 
  the apparitions)
  Trigger location (1-round onset); Init +14; Duration 1 minute; 
  Reset 24 hours
  Initial Effect apparitions of tortured humanoids (shaken for 
  1d6 rounds); Will DC 18 negates; Secondary Effect fog 
  of ghosts (4d12 negative energy); Fortitude DC 18 half 
  (a creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more is 
  also staggered for 1 round); multiple targets (all targets 
  in room)
  32
  C
  A
  B
  D
  E
  F
  G
  H
  NEW ELYSIUM
  D. SHADOW CHRYSALIS
  E. MINING MACHINE
  H. DEEP LAB
  G. HOLDING FACILITIES
  F. DWARVEN BARRACKS
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  
  Treasure: The area holds old containers, debris, and a 
  few humanoid bones in the side chambers—the remains of a 
  lashunta technician. On the skeleton, the PCs find a corona 
  laser pistol with three batteries, aura goggles (Alien Archive 
  25), and an advanced medkit that contains three doses of 
  sprayflesh and three mk 2 serums of healing.
  H. DEEP LAB (CR 9)
  The remains of Dr. Gragant’s lab are just a few hundred feet 
  from the holding facilities, deep in the asteroid. As the PCs 
  approach the area, the temperature drops to severe cold 
  (Core Rulebook 400) and supernatural shadow prevents any 
  source of nonmagical light from raising the light level above 
  dim. Magical light raises the level of light normally. The PCs 
  enter this area from the south and see a steel bulkhead in the 
  rock. A burned-out control panel in the bulkhead is adjacent 
  to an open doorway, misshapen as if something pulled the 
  door from its frame and into the dark room beyond. When 
  the PCs step into the ruined lab, read or paraphrase the 
  following.
  This room is a zone of devastation. White polycarbon 
  plating has been twisted from the stone walls 
  underneath, metal support pillars are buckled, and other 
  structural elements are bent completely out of shape. 
  Everything bends toward a point in the far end of 
  the room. There, amid a blackened, spherical hollow, 
  is an enormous pile of crushed and warped structural 
  material, furniture, machinery, and a security door 
  alongside blackened humanoid bones. Several skulls 
  of various species stare outward, their mouths open 
  as if silently screaming. Frost covers this pile and 
  the concavity around it. Debris made of crumbled 
  material is thick around the heap.
  Atop the pile, perhaps five feet from the ceiling and 
  clutched in an upraised skeletal hand, is a tiny device 
  like a personal comm unit with a single blinking light.
  Another warped, open doorway leads north to a 
  short hallway that ends in an unlocked elevator. 
  Its doors power on and open automatically when 
  approached, though the light inside is dim and 
  flickering. The control panel inside has only two 
  buttons: up and down. Pressing the down button 
  does nothing, but pressing the up button takes the 
  PCs to area B15 of New Elysium.
  As the PCs examine this area, whispering comes 
  from all around, similar to that of the trap in area G. 
  However, these murmurs address the PCs by name, 
  requesting that they “join us in shadow,” succumb to 
  “delicious corruption,” or serve as “new test subjects.” Other 
  voices speak of “witnessing the suffering” of the PCs or note 
  that some of the characters are “quivering with anticipation.” 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 26 Mysticism check can sense 
  that the Shadow Plane is very close here, focused on the 
  grisly pile.
  The map for this area appears on page 32.
  Creature: The cantor Teodhor hides behind the pile of 
  wreckage. If the PCs failed to navigate the mines to this 
  area, he receives a +5 circumstance bonus to his Stealth 
  checks to remain unseen. As the PCs approach the pile, he 
  surreptitiously casts paranoia on one PC and then ducks back 
  into hiding. He continues to use this ploy until confronted or 
  he runs out of daily uses of that spell. He then attacks.
  TORTURED APPARITION
  33
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  TEODHOR 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male cantor (see page 60)
  HP 120
  TACTICS
  During Combat After exposing the PCs to his unnerving 
  gaze, Teodhor uses his waking nightmare ability. He 
  then fights with his claws, intermittently casting lesser 
  confusion or paranoia. Teodhor mocks the PCs and revels 
  in the pain they inflict upon him, giggling like a child. 
  When reduced to 60 or fewer Hit Points, he says that his 
  “dark lady’s experiment here is already a success.”
  Morale Teodhor fights until the PCs reduce him to 30 Hit 
  Points or fewer. He then attempts to flee back into the 
  mines, casting shadow body if he can. Uninterested 
  in being killed, he harasses the PCs no further in 
  this adventure.
  Development: Though Romi’s comm unit points to 
  the device atop the 10-foot-tall pile as the source of the 
  shadow signal affecting New Elysium, that device actually 
  only masks the true source. A PC who examines the object 
  can determine this with a successful DC 22 Computers or 
  Engineering check. The Diminutive object can be destroyed 
  (AC 14, hardness 10, HP 10), but shutting it off requires no 
  check. When the PCs shut down the device, Romi’s comm 
  unit beeps frantically for a few seconds as it recalibrates 
  before showing that the true broadcast emanates from far 
  above, somewhere within the resort.
  While the PCs explored the mines, the fully corrupted 
  Buzzblades took over the resort’s server room, guided by 
  whispers from Dr. Gragant. They have effectively killed Filip 
  Kallsner in the process, and now the frazzled Dr. Lominn is in 
  charge of the resort. She is at her wit’s end and is holed up in 
  the staff lounge, evaluating her options.
  The long elevator ride up from the mines to the resort is 
  eerily quiet. When they return to New Elysium’s lower floor, 
  the PCs no longer hear the sounds of battle or the screams 
  of guests. The elevator opens onto a long and brightly lit 
  hallway that stands out from the rest of New Elysium by 
  its complete lack of decoration or other finishing touches. 
  The door at the northern end of the corridor is locked with 
  a physical lock (DC 33 Engineering to open) and leads to the 
  staff lounge (area B9).
  EVENT 12: MURDER IN THE LOUNGE (CR 9) 
  When the PCs open up the door and enter the staff lounge, 
  read or paraphrase the following.
  The furniture of the staff lounge has been rearranged 
  haphazardly about the room to provide makeshift cover 
  against anything that might enter through the northern 
  door. Dr. Lominn and two security guards crouch behind 
  these barriers, startling when they hear a sound.
  “Oh! It’s you!” Dr. Lominn says, standing up with obvious 
  relief. “What are you doing? How did you get in there?” 
  Despite still being crisply dressed, she looks unwell. Her face 
  is pale and drawn with dark circles under her eyes, like she 
  hasn’t slept in days. The guards look equally harried.
  Suddenly, the lights flicker off. When they return a 
  moment later, the Buzzblade Zidhil stands behind Dr. Lominn, 
  his blade completely piercing her chest. Kofehsu, all four of 
  his arms outstretched, occupies the northern doorway.
  “Come children, accept her embrace,” the kasatha says, as 
  the two guards’ eyes turn completely black.
  The map for this area can be found on page 16.
  Creatures: Kofehsu, Zidhil, and the two security specialists, 
  all fully corrupted by the shadow signal, attack the PCs. 
  NEW ELYSIUM SECURITY SPECIALISTS (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  HP 70 each (see page 23)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The security specialists move to the other 
  sides of the barricades to gain cover.
  Morale These specialists fight until they receive the sweet 
  release of death.
  KOFEHSU 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Male kasatha technomancer
  LN Medium humanoid (kasatha)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; 
  Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 60
  EAC 16; KAC 17
  Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +8
  Weaknesses light blindness
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Technomancer Spells Known (CL 5th; melee +10)
  2nd (3/day)—daze monster (DC 17), invisibility
  1st (6/day)—grease (DC 16), jolting surge, magic missile
  0 (at will)—psychokinetic hand, token spell
  TACTICS
  During Combat Kofehsu casts magic missile a few times 
  before moving into melee to cast jolting surge.
  Morale Kofehsu fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str +2; Dex +3; Con +0; Int +5; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Athletics +16, Computers +16, 
  Culture +11, Mysticism +11
  34
  PART 3:
   PARTING THE GLOOM
  
  Languages Common, Kasatha
  Other Abilities desert stride, four-armed, magic hacks 
  (debug spell [1 die], harmful spells [+2 damage]), shadow 
  manifestations (eerie perception*), spell cache (datapad)
  Gear d-suit I, datapad
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  ZIDHIL QUORIN 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Male human soldier
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +7; Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +6; –2 vs. mind-affecting effects that 
  aren’t illusions or fear effects
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee merciful yellow star flare axe +14 (1d8+12 E & F; 
  critical burn 1d8)
  Offensive Abilities charge attack, fighting styles (blitz)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Zidhil charges the nearest PC, but he 
  doesn’t activate the merciful fusion on his weapon. He 
  strikes at his chosen foe until that person has fallen.
  Morale Zidhil fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +1
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Athletics +16, Bluff +11, Intimidate +13
  Feats Improved Combat Maneuver (bull rush, trip)
  Languages Common
  Other Abilities shadow manifestations (frightful*)
  Gear d-suit I, merciful yellow star flare axeAR with 1 battery 
  (20 charges)
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  Treasure: In addition to their foes’ gear, the PCs can 
  retrieve Dr. Lominn’s personal datapad (a tier 3 computer 
  with the hardened, miniaturized [light bulk], and self-charging 
  upgrades, worth 4,500 credits). It is biometrically locked (see 
  Development below).
  Development: A PC must succeed at a DC 36 Computers 
  check to bypass the biometric locks of Dr. Lominn’s datapad. 
  Taking her hand and placing it on the sensor grants a +5 
  circumstance bonus to this check. The PCs have three 
  attempts at this check before the datapad locks out further 
  attempts for 1 hour.
  The datapad holds Dr. Lominn’s everyday administrative 
  records, along with her documentation of the progression of 
  the “illness” within New Elysium. She notes that many guests 
  and staff members, including Filip Kallsner, have experienced 
  hallucinations (with some clear references to Teodhor), paranoia, 
  and psychosomatic distress. The most recent entries note that 
  all these symptoms have grown much worse: that guests are 
  fighting each other and security personnel, the Buzzblades 
  have taken over the server room, and Filip disappeared into the 
  air ducts. The datapad also has a map of the resort’s facilities 
  section and can serve as a key to access the server, although it 
  can’t do so remotely. Further, it contains access to the medical 
  facilities’ discretionary fund of 4,000 credits, which can be 
  transferred from the datapad to a credstick or another account. 
  FACILITIES EXPLORATION
  Romi’s comm unit can trace the true source of the shadow 
  signal to the server room, right around the corner from the 
  staff lounge. The corridor between the two areas is a gory 
  scene of slain security specialists who faced off against the 
  Buzzblades and lost. The PCs need not go there directly and 
  can explore the resort’s lower level as much as they like.
  EVENT 13: BUZZBLADES BRAWL (CR 10)
  The door to the server room is now unlocked.
  Cool air blows through this dimly lit room. Banks of computer 
  nodes behind rounded transparent doors occupy most of the 
  chamber. Several lights in the eastern part of the room flicker 
  on, revealing an alcove that contains Filip hanging limply from 
  several sets of chains. He is shirtless and patches of skin have 
  been expertly and bloodlessly peeled from his body.
  Illumination from the racks of servers provides dim light. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Medicine check or DC 30 
  Perception check can see from afar that Filip is still breathing, 
  albeit shallowly.
  Creatures: Now fully corrupted, Beryldor, Lomer, Virlae, 
  and Yazeloya hide here behind the servers. They wait for a 
  few rounds or until the PCs get closer to Filip, whichever 
  comes first. Yazeloya emerges from behind a node near Filip, 
  dragging her chain behind her. “There’s nothing here for you,” 
  she says. “Nothing but pain.” The Buzzblades then attack.
  During the fight, Filip stirs. At first, his eyes widen and he 
  screams. Then, focused on the distance, he comments on the 
  battle, speaking of some unknown female patron. For instance, 
  if Yazeloya scores a critical hit, Filip says, “She is pleased. Oh, 
  truly, you are her instrument.” Once per round, whenever he 
  does this, it inspires one Buzzblade, allowing that NPC to 
  ignore one of the following conditions for 1 round: confused, 
  fascinated, fatigued, shaken, sickened, or staggered. 
  The PCs can try to free Filip while the battle rages, but it 
  is difficult. Not only does Yazeloya try to stop anyone from 
  approaching him, but releasing him from the chains that restrain 
  one of his limbs requires a full action and a successful DC 21 
  Strength check. This must be done four times to completely 
  free him, whereupon he slumps to the ground and continues 
  to inspire the Buzzblades. Any attempt to deal damage to the 
  chains damages Filip instead. However, he reacts to this pain as 
  if it were pleasure. He (and the chains) have an AC of 5 and 25 
  Hit Points. If he is killed, see Development on page 37.
  35
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  LOMER 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  HP 70 (see page 24)
  STATISTICS
  Other Abilities shadow manifestations (shadow cloak*)
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  VIRLAE NILUFEH 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 
  HP 70 (see page 24)
  STATISTICS
  Other Abilities shadow manifestations (shadow cloak*)
  * See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  BERYLDOR RENDRUMM 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Male dwarf soldier
  LE Medium humanoid (dwarf)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +6; –2 vs. mind-affecting effects that 
  aren’t illusions or fear effects, +2 vs. poison, spells, and 
  spell-like abilities
  Defensive Abilities guard’s protection, slow but steady
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee merciful tactical swoop hammer +14 (1d10+12 B; 
  critical knockdown)
  Offensive Abilities fighting styles (guard), traditional enemies
  TACTICS
  During Combat Beryldor remains close to Yazeloya, using 
  his reaction to soak up damage dealt to her. He doesn’t 
  activate his merciful fusion.
  Morale Beryldor fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +1
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Athletics +16, Bluff +11, Intimidate +13
  Feats Improved Combat Maneuver (bull rush)
  Languages Common
  Other Abilities armor training, shadow manifestations 
  (frightful*)
  Gear d-suit I, merciful tactical swoop hammer
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  YAZELOYA GOLKAMI 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Female vesk soldier
  LE Medium humanoid (vesk)
  Init +8; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16
  DEFENSE 
  HP 125
  EAC 21; KAC 23
  Fort +10; Ref +8; Will +9; +2 vs. fear
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee acolyte shadow chains +19 (3d4+17 C; critical bind) or
  unarmed strike +19 (1d3+21 B)
  Offensive Abilities charge attack, fighting styles (blitz), 
  gear boosts (flash freeze)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Yazeloya attempts to intimidate PCs using 
  her frightful manifestation and charges demoralized foes.
  Morale The valiant brutaris champion fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str +6; Dex +4; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +2
  Skills Athletics +21, Intimidate +16
  Feats Close CombatPW
  Languages Common, Vesk
  Other Abilities shadow manifestations (frightful*)
  Gear advanced lashunta tempweave (haste circuit), acolyte 
  shadow chainsAR
  * See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  BERYLDOR RENDRUMM
  36
  
  Development: When Filip dies or the battle ends in the PCs’ 
  favor, read or paraphrase the following.
  “Oh, I see you, dark lady,” says Filip, bloody tears rolling 
  down his cheeks in something akin to ecstasy. “Your embrace 
  awaits.” His eyes close, and he gasps. His bones crack, 
  breaking like twigs as his body folds in on itself. He disappears 
  into a whispering mote of shadow that vanishes with a sigh.
  This disappearance takes but a few seconds. The 
  temperature of the alcove is reduced to extreme cold for the 
  next minute. With no further interference, the PCs can shut 
  down the resort’s servers and stop the shadow signal.
  EVENT 14: SHUTTING DOWN THE SERVERS 
  (CR 7)
  New Elysium’s servers function as a tier 5 computer with 
  numerous modules that control the resort’s facilities. Without 
  Dr. Lominn’s datapad, gaining basic access to the servers 
  requires a successful DC 33 Computers check. 
  Basic access allows the PCs to view only the resort’s 
  schematics and basic personnel information, as well as a note 
  that the resort is currently under quarantine with lockdown 
  protocols in place that seal off the docking bays. In addition, 
  the PCs can see that the servers are connected to three data 
  modules: financial, security, and an unnamed module (which 
  contains information about Dr. Gragant’s shadow signal). 
  Gaining access to the first two data modules requires a 
  successful DC 33 Computers check, but using Lominn’s datapad 
  grants a +4 circumstance bonus to the check to access the 
  security data module. The unnamed module is behind a firewall 
  and requires a successful DC 35 Computers check to access.
  The financial data module has a lockout countermeasure that 
  blocks access for 4 hours after three failed access attempts. The 
  security data module has an alarm that goes off after a single 
  failed attempt to access it, but no one is around to answer it. 
  The information within each data module is listed below.
  Trap: The unnamed module is protected by a trap that 
  triggers after one failed attempt to access it. Those affected 
  by the countermeasure’s curse experience one phantasm each 
  day until the curse is removed. The saving throw DC for these 
  phantasms is 17, and they grant no XP.
  HACKER’S SHADOW CURSE 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 
  Type hybrid; Perception DC 30; Disable Computers DC 25 
  (rewrite virus code) or Mysticism DC 25 (dispel curse)
  Trigger touch; Reset 1 minute
  Effect curse (target experiences up to one phantasm per 
  day; this is a curse effect); Will DC 17 negates; multiple 
  targets (all creatures within server room) 
  Financial Module: This module contains fiscal records for 
  the resort going back 7 years, from the planning stages of 
  the resort until now. Among other mundane topics, such as 
  gambling ledgers, these records reveal contracts Paradise 
  Resorts signed allowing Eclipse Innovations to automate this 
  facility 4 years ago. A hacker with access to Dr. Lominn’s 
  datapad can convince the system to transfer her latest pay 
  and bonus (2,500 credits) to an outside account with a 
  successful DC 25 Computers check.
  Security Module: Gaining access to the security data 
  module allows characters to observe the security feeds, 
  which show several gruesome scenes across the resort, along 
  with people fighting or doing other terrible, irrational things. 
  External cameras show the docking bays are clear of danger 
  and that the PCs’ ship (or a vessel they can commandeer) is 
  ready to depart. More importantly, the security module allows 
  the PCs to deactivate the quarantine lockdown on the docking 
  bays. Doing so opens the blast doors that lead there.
  Shadow Module: The unnamed module controls the shadow 
  signal that permeates New Elysium. Gaining access to it allows 
  the PCs to finally shut it down. In addition, the module contains 
  many notes that refer to the resort and the Keys to Elysium app 
  as a “test project,” with references to a larger project called the 
  “Penumbra Protocol” in development on Verces in the city of 
  Cuvacara. It identifies Kaeon Rhyse as the Eclipse Innovations 
  executive in charge of this project, and mentions a mysterious 
  other person or entity providing “necessary backing and 
  encouragement.” At this point, the PCs can research Eclipse 
  Innovations further if they haven’t already (see page 11).
  Story Award: The PCs gain 1,600 XP for ending the 
  quarantine lockdown and 1,600 XP more for learning about 
  the shadow signal and shutting it down. 
  EVENT 15: FINAL CHASE (CR 9) 
  At this point, the PCs will probably want to escape from New 
  Elysium. They face no further opposition as they pass through 
  the staff area, but at some point as they move through the 
  resort’s main floor (but before they reach Green Fields), they 
  are accosted by a corrupted Kane Zaphol. 
  “If it isn’t the troublemakers!” says Kane Zaphol, lurching 
  forward. Symmetrical, bloody gashes line his cheeks and 
  forehead. His eyes are glossy black and surrounded with 
  gray veins. His armor is damaged and dotted with gore. He 
  makes a sweeping motion with both hands, one of which 
  holds a grenade. “Where do you think you’re going?”
  Wherever this encounter takes place, the lights begin to 
  flicker, providing only dim light.
  Creatures: A moment later, Kane hurls his grenade at the 
  PCs with a scream and activates two nearby security robots.
  As the fight proceeds, the noise attracts several corrupted 
  guests. Every round after the first, these unfortunates arrive 
  in howling groups of 1d3–1 (minimum 0) from all directions. 
  Only four should be present at any one time, and they 
  randomly attack the nearest targets.
  37
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  
  Put pressure on the PCs to retreat, and don’t block all the 
  exits. If they refuse to escape, do your best to make it clear 
  they’re slowly being overwhelmed. When they do run, Kane 
  Zaphol (if he is still alive) and a trio of corrupted guests chase 
  them. Any surviving security bots remain behind, trying 
  to subdue other guests. Each round as they flee, 1d4–2 
  (minimum 0) more corrupted guests join the chase toward 
  Green Fields and the nearby docks.
  CORRUPTED GUESTS 
  CR 3
  XP 800 each
  HP 48 each (see page 28)
  PATROL-CLASS SECURITY ROBOTS (2) CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  HP 52 each (Alien Archive 94)
  KANE ZAPHOL 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Male human soldier
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-
  light vision; Perception +13
  DEFENSE 
  HP 90
  EAC 18; KAC 21
  Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +7
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (jetpack, 
  average)
  Melee aurora shock pad +14 (2d4+9 
  E; critical staggered [DC 16])
  Ranged static arc rifle +16 (1d12+6 E; 
  critical arc 1d6) or
  flash grenade II +16 (explode [10 ft., 
  blinded 1d4 rounds, DC 16])
  Offensive Abilities fighting styles 
  (hit-and-run), nimble fusillade, 
  opening volley
  TACTICS
  During Combat Kane attacks with 
  abandon, focusing on any PC he 
  has decided he dislikes due to 
  earlier interactions. 
  Morale Kane sees this situation as 
  kill or be killed.
  STATISTICS
  Str +3; Dex +5; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; 
  Cha +1
  Skills Athletics +18, Diplomacy +13, 
  Intimidate +13, Sense Motive +13
  Feats Mobility
  Languages Common, Vercite
  Other Abilities shadow 
  manifestations (eerie perception*)
  Gear estex suit III (aurora shock padAR with 1 battery [20 
  charges], jetpack), static arc rifle with 2 high-capacity 
  batteries (40 charges each), flash grenade II, binders
  *See “Corrupted by Shadows” on page 40.
  Story Award: Grant the PCs 6,400 XP for this encounter, 
  even if they flee from Kane and no matter how many corrupted 
  guests they defeat.
  BLOOD FIELDS 
  As the PCs flee toward the docking bays while being chased 
  by Kane and the corrupted guests, they pass by Green Fields. 
  They can see that bodies litter the park, and the waterfall 
  runs red with the blood of guests and staff. However, 
  not all within Green Fields are dead.
  Several more corrupted guests within Green Fields 
  notice the PCs and come charging, screaming and 
  howling. Simultaneously, Vorilynn, who has been 
  hiding among the park’s foliage, emerges. Already 
  injured, dirty, and bleeding, she cries out in 
  terror and also runs toward the PCs. A PC 
  who succeeds at a DC 25 Sense Motive 
  check realizes she is only afraid and 
  probably uncorrupted. Otherwise, the PCs 
  have only a split second to react before 
  she is on them. If any PC attacks her 
  and hits an AC of 17, the injury is fatal—
  Vorilynn looks shocked as she falls, 
  and the PCs immediately comprehend 
  she wasn’t corrupted. Alternatively, 
  an NPC, such as Kane Zaphol, mortally 
  wounds Vorilynn with an attack before 
  she can reach the group. Her dying act is 
  to cast fog cloud, providing the PCs enough 
  concealment to get to the docking bays. 
  EVENT 16: DOGFIGHT (CR 8) 
  When the PCs reach the docking bays, 
  they find their vessel ready and fully 
  upgraded. If the PCs arrived at New 
  Elysium on a Ringworks Sentinel instead, 
  they find the tier 8 starship the players 
  designed (see page 8). This starship’s 
  security is down and anyone can activate 
  its computers. The previous owners 
  became corrupted during their stay. The 
  PCs might find a few personal effects of 
  this previous crew, possibly recognizing 
  them among the dead within the resort.
  Either way, it takes a few minutes to 
  warm up the engines. During that time, 
  a few more guests and Kane 
  Zaphol, if he has survived, 
  rush into the docking bay. 
  KANE ZAPHOL
  38
  
  They can enter the resort’s boarding airlock, but they can’t 
  breach the ship. When the PCs pull away from the dock, these 
  unfortunates are ejected from the resort into open space.
  Starship Combat: As the PCs leave the asteroid, two of New 
  Elysium’s patrol vessels, the Harp and the Lute, linger nearby. 
  A message from one of the vessels warns the PCs they are 
  violating quarantine and orders them to return to the docking 
  bay. Before the PCs can explain themselves, the other vessel 
  fires a blast from its gravity gun at their ship, immediately 
  followed by an unnerving cackle. It is clear that the shadow 
  signal has corrupted even those outside of the resort.
  The Sentinel crews act erratically, broadcasting messages 
  that alternate between official-sounding orders to cease 
  hostilities and barely comprehensible rants about the coming 
  “queen of shadow.” There is a 25% chance each round that 
  each crew member does nothing. 
  The PCs need only escape the area. If they are ever more 
  than 15 hexes from a Sentinel and the pilot does nothing that 
  round, that Sentinel has abandoned the chase.
  HARP AND LUTE 
  TIER 5
  Ringworks Sentinels (see inside front cover)
  HP 65 each
  Story Award: If the PCs defeat or outrun the Sentinels, 
  award them 4,800 XP
  Though the PCs are free of New Elysium, they aren’t cured 
  of any shadow corruption they might have contracted. 
  This corruption stays dormant (unless the PCs have 
  already given into it) and is incurable until the PCs slay 
  Dr. Gragant at the end of the Signal of Screams Adventure 
  Path. A PC who casts detect affliction and succeeds at a 
  DC 25 Mysticism check can determine the nature of the 
  corruption, but not how to remove it. Until then, the only 
  lead they have to follow is the fact that Eclipse Innovations 
  is involved and they could be attempting to repeat this 
  process in Cuvacara on Verces. The planet is only 1d6 days 
  away via Drift travel or 1d6+2 days away using standard 
  thrusters. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Culture check intuits 
  that involving the authorities is likely to result in a 
  slow response. If the PCs try to contact such persons 
  anyway, such as the Stewards, they learn that news of 
  New Elysium’s quarantine never left the resort. While the 
  contacted officials might believe what the PCs are saying, 
  they require at least a few weeks to gather solid evidence. 
  The PCs are on their own.
  39
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  CONCLUDING 
  THE ADVENTURE
  
  CORRUPTED BY SHADOWS
  CORRUPTED BY SHADOWS
  “Each of us contains seeds of darkness, waiting 
  to take purchase in the soil of the psyche and be 
  watered with the tears of pain. Even the saintliest 
  priests and the most charitable philanthropists 
  have hearts that harbor slivers of shadow, but 
  they would never admit it to others or themselves. 
  We are far more enlightened. We embrace these 
  shadows, not because we are evil, but because we 
  are alive. To deny an aspect of one’s nature is to 
  deny reality.”
   
  —Juliran Ashgate, priest of Zon-Kuthon
  40
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  41
  C
  orruption is an insidious affliction of the soul. A 
  number of different corruptions exist, from the 
  mind-rending horror of ghostly possession to the 
  monstrous physical transformation of lycanthropy. However, 
  all corruptions function in a similar way. When a character first 
  contracts a corruption, it shows itself in minor symptoms—brief 
  bouts of melancholy or a mild fixation on unusual stimuli or a 
  particular environment. The corruption eats away at the victim’s 
  mind and spirit with the promise of dark gifts that come with 
  frightful drawbacks. Fighting these temptations is draining 
  on a victim, and some spend their entire lives on the verge of 
  giving in. Others believe they can control their corruption, and 
  allow the corruption to progress in order to gain the power it 
  grants. Such beings eventually become completely defiled as 
  corruption takes a permanent hold over them.
  The following pages describe how corruption affects a 
  Starfinder character, starting with general rules. Then shadow 
  corruption, which is used in the Signal of Screams Adventure 
  Path, is provided as a fleshed-out example. Finally, other 
  possible corruptions are described.
  CONTRACTING CORRUPTION
  A character can contract corruption in numerous ways, from 
  an ancient curse to a technomagical virus. A corruption’s 
  origin is usually supernatural, and contracting one requires 
  failing a saving throw against the corruption’s cause. When 
  corruption first takes hold, it begins at stage 1 and is dormant. 
  A victim might not grasp the nature of the affliction for some 
  time. During this period, dark urges or horrific nightmares 
  might occur, but nothing more.
  CORRUPTION PROGRESS
  When you’re afflicted with a corruption, you must attempt a 
  saving throw against the corruption’s progress at the end of 
  each day, before taking the normal 8 hours of uninterrupted 
  rest to regain spent Resolve Points and daily abilities. If the 
  corruption is mental, this is a Will save. A physical corruption 
  requires a Fortitude save. The save DC is equal to 10 + half 
  your level + the number of manifestations you have (see 
  below). If you fail, you can instead spend a number of Resolve 
  Points equal to 1 + the number of manifestations you have 
  in order to succeed. If you can’t or don’t spend the required 
  number of Resolve Points, your corruption progresses one 
  stage. Every time the corruption progresses to an even-
  numbered stage, such as from stage 1 (dormant) to stage 2, 
  you gain a manifestation.
  MANIFESTATIONS
  Corruptions become evident through manifestations, which 
  alter your mind and body in strange ways. A manifestation 
  grants a power, known as a gift, but it also imposes a 
  detriment, known as a stain. When you gain a manifestation, 
  you choose which manifestation to receive, but some have 
  prerequisites that must be met before they can be selected.
  Saving Throws: Unless stated otherwise, for gifts that 
  require a saving throw, the DC is equal to 10 + half your level + 
  your key ability score modifier.
  Refusing Gifts: When you select a manifestation, you can 
  refuse its gift and accept only the stain. If you do, you gain 
  a +1 bonus to further saving throws against that corruption. 
  This bonus stacks for each gift you refuse. You can change 
  your mind and accept a gift at any time, however, losing the 
  corresponding bonus to saving throws against your corruption 
  and risking your soul.
  Alterations: The number of manifestations you have affects 
  your personality and appearance, as detailed in a given 
  corruption. If you accept five gifts or have nine manifestations, 
  you succumb to corruption and become an NPC under the 
  GM’s control. This change can also alter your other statistics, 
  depending on the corruption.
  Multiple Corruptions: In the rare case that you gain multiple 
  corruptions, you must attempt separate saving throws against 
  each, and gain manifestations from each corruption you fail the 
  saving throw against, in order. You still succumb to corruption 
  when you have five gifts or nine manifestations, however, 
  regardless of the source. Therefore, having multiple corruptions 
  only speeds your doom. When a specific corruption’s feature is 
  based on the number of manifestations you have, you count 
  only the manifestations that arise from that specific corruption.
  REMOVING A CORRUPTION
  Corruptions are hard to remove. Each requires a specific set 
  of deeds or circumstances as detailed in the corruption’s 
  description. Remove affliction can suppress the gifts and 
  stains of a target’s corruptions for 10 minutes per caster level. 
  In addition, one casting of break enchantment or remove 
  affliction can remove one manifestation, but only if the victim 
  meets the cure conditions of the corruption or hasn’t accepted 
  the gift associated with that manifestation. The DC for such 
  spells is 15 + three times the number of manifestations the 
  target has. Removing a manifestation in this way doesn’t cure 
  the corruption. 
  MYSTERIOUS MANIFESTATIONS
  To increase the mystery of how corruption functions, 
  you (as GM) can control the selection of manifestations 
  available to PCs. You might offer a choice of two or 
  three manifestations to a player whose PC has failed 
  a saving throw against a corruption, describing the 
  gifts in tempting detail but only hinting at the stains. 
  In addition, you can forgo the default rules and control 
  the rate at which manifestations can be gained. You 
  might decide that a PC can gain no more than one 
  manifestation per level, for example, slowing the 
  progress of corruption and the increase in power 
  it offers.
  
  42
  SHADOW CORRUPTION
  Those who spend extended time on the Shadow Plane, are 
  repeatedly exposed to shadow magic, or fall under the sway 
  of creatures such as velstracs, certain undead, or shadowy 
  fey, risk contracting shadow corruption. Shadow corruption 
  is an affliction with the following parameters.
  SHADOW CORRUPTION
  Type mental corruption; Save Will DC = 10 + half the 
  victim’s level + the number of manifestations the victim 
  has; on a failure, a victim can spend a number of Resolve 
  Points equal to 1 + the number of manifestations the 
  victim has to succeed instead
  Frequency 1/day
  Cure Destroy the creature, object, or effect that caused 
  the corruption, or the victim can purify themselves by 
  spending 1 month spreading joy, experiencing joy, and 
  living in the light of a habitable world’s sunlight. At the 
  end of each month spent this way, the victim can refuse 
  a previously accepted gift, allowing break enchantment 
  or remove affliction to remove the related manifestation. 
  Using a gift from any corruption while undergoing 
  purification means the victim has to start that month over.
  When the corruption first takes hold, it’s dormant but 
  gives you regular nightmares. In these dreams, you walk 
  through familiar places, but many of the details are subtly 
  wrong. You feel like you’re being watched from the shadows, 
  a belief that lingers for a few moments after you wake. 
  These visions don’t affect your health, but they make you 
  irritable or jumpy for an hour or so after you awaken. After a 
  few days, sudden flashes of bright light cause you to flinch, 
  and you start to catch glimpses of movement in the shadows 
  out of the corner of your eye.
  SHADOW PROGRESSION
  When you gain your first manifestation, your nightmares 
  grow vivid, showing you individuals who have the faces 
  of your loved ones but are wrapped in chains and hanging 
  from the ceiling or walls, writhing in what might be pleasure 
  or pain. You still feel as if something watches you in these 
  dreams. During your waking hours, you can sometimes hear 
  the jingling of the nightmare chains, especially when alone 
  with your thoughts or in times of great stress. Sources of 
  joy start to lose their appeal—colors are muted, sounds are 
  muffled, smells and tastes are bland or bitter, a touch that 
  doesn’t bring extreme sensation might go unnoticed.
  When you gain your second and third manifestations, 
  feelings of being disconnected from the world increase 
  dramatically. If you accepted your gifts, you feel this 
  detachment enlightens you, and upon accepting your third 
  gift, if your alignment is good, it shifts to neutral. Accepting 
  your corruption by using its gifts makes your nightmares 
  seem more like peaceful dreams, and you might attempt to 
  recreate these dreams in the real world. To feel anything, 
  you turn to pain and other extreme experiences. Forays into 
  self-harm might be easy to hide from others, but your need 
  for more slowly increases.
  Once you accept your fourth gift, your normal emotions 
  are nearly dead. Your greatest pleasure comes from causing 
  harm and being harmed. You believe the corruption is a 
  personal improvement and try to explain its benefits to 
  others. If you see someone who has shadow corruption, 
  you sense the affliction even if it’s dormant. You focus on 
  encouraging such people to give in to the darkness.
  If you accept a fifth gift, the corruption takes complete 
  control of you, and you become evil if you’re not already. You 
  undergo extreme body modifications and augmentations 
  that cause consistent if not constant pain. You might believe 
  yourself to be a prophet of pain, and you share this pain with 
  others, perhaps killing them in the process. Alternatively, 
  you could disappear into the Shadow Plane, where those 
  like you, who watched you from your nightmares, wait to 
  embrace you as one of their own.
  SHADOW MANIFESTATIONS
  Possible manifestations of shadow corruption follow.
  COLDBLOODED
  The chill of the deep shadows has inured you to cold.
  Gift: You gain cold resistance 5. If you have three or more 
  manifestations, this resistance increases to 10.
  Stain: Your appearance becomes disturbing. Reduce your 
  Charisma score by 1.
  COLDBLOODED TOUCH
  Your touch is infused with the life-sapping gloom of the 
  Shadow Plane.
  Prerequisites: Coldblooded, one other manifestation.
  Gift: As a standard action, you can make a melee 
  attack against EAC that deals 2d4 cold damage for each 
  manifestation you have. If you deal damage with this 
  manifestation, the target must succeed at a Will saving 
  throw or become unable to benefit from morale bonuses for 
  1 minute. You can use this manifestation a number of times 
  per day equal to the number of manifestations you have.
  Stain: Your body withers. Reduce your Strength, Dexterity, 
  and Constitution scores by 1 point each.
  DEADENED EMOTIONS
  You are hollow inside.
  Gift: You gain a +2 insight bonus to Bluff checks and saving 
  throws against mind-affecting effects. If another creature 
  attempts to read your mind (such as with detect thoughts) 
  and you succeed at the saving throw, you can render that 
  creature shaken for 1 round as a reaction. You can do the same 
  to a creature that fails a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check 
  against you by directing your lifeless gaze at it. This is a mind-
  
  43
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DISPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAINGS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  affecting fear effect. A creature affected by your deadened 
  emotions becomes immune to it for 24 hours.
  Stain: Reduce any morale bonus you receive by 1.
  EERIE PERCEPTION
  Your eyes turn dull gray, milky white, or glossy black, and 
  you become more accustomed to the dark.
  Gift: You gain low-light vision and darkvision with a 
  range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range 
  increases by 30 feet instead. In addition, if you are aware of 
  a creature’s location and that creature is hidden only due to 
  dim light, darkness, or invisibility, you are considered to be 
  observing that creature until it moves out of line of sight or 
  successfully hides from you again.
  Stain: You gain light blindness: you’re blinded for 1 round 
  when first exposed to bright light, 
  and you are dazzled for as long 
  as you remain in an area of 
  bright light.
  FRIGHTFUL
  Fear is another tool in your 
  arsenal, and you use it skillfully.
  Gift: You find joy in scaring 
  others, and have a knack for knowing 
  how to do so. You gain a +2 enhancement 
  bonus to Intimidate checks, and the save 
  DCs of your fear effects increase by 2. 
  You can use Intimidate skill demoralize 
  others as a move action.
  Stain: Your mind is so focused on 
  spreading fear that you are susceptible 
  to mental manipulation. You take a –2 
  penalty to saving throws against mind-
  affecting effects that aren’t illusions or 
  fear effects, and you lose any bonuses 
  against or immunities to such effects. 
  If you fail a saving throw against such 
  an effect, it lasts 1d3 additional rounds.
  FRIGHTFUL CRUELTY
  You have learned how to hurt those who 
  are afraid.
  Prerequisites: Frightful.
  Gift: Once per round, if you damage 
  a creature that is shaken, frightened, 
  panicked, or cowering, you deal extra damage 
  equal to half your level. If you damage multiple 
  fearful creatures with one attack or effect, choose 
  only one of them to take this bonus damage.
  Stain: You are off your game in combat 
  until you hurt or scare someone. 
  Therefore, you take 
  a –2 penalty to 
  attack rolls and can’t gain morale bonuses on your attack 
  rolls until you deal damage to a significant foe or render 
  someone shaken, frightened, panicked, or cowering.
  INSUBSTANTIALITY
  Your corporeal form can flicker into insubstantial shadow.
  Prerequisites: Two other manifestations.
  Gift: You have a 20% chance to treat a critical hit as a 
  normal hit, allowing you to ignore the critical hit’s extra 
  damage and critical hit effect. If the attack affects incorporeal 
  creatures normally, such as a weapon with the ghost killer 
  fusion, you can’t ignore it in this way.
  Stain: If an ally targets you with a beneficial spell that has 
  a range of touch, you have a 20% chance to gain no benefit 
  from it. The spell is still cast and expended.
  PAIN REFUGE
  The lines between pleasure and pain are blurred for you.
  Gift: The first time you take Hit Point damage in a given 
  combat, for 1 round you can roll attack rolls, saving throws, 
  and skill checks twice and take the better result. You 
  can do so again the first time you drop below half 
  your Hit Points in a given combat. During this time, 
  however, you can’t benefit from morale bonuses.
  Stain: Increase any damage you take by an 
  amount equal to the number of manifestations 
  you have, up to a maximum of double the original 
  amount of damage.
  PAINFUL CLARITY
  Pain clears your mind.
  Prerequisites: Pain Refuge.
  Gift: As a reaction when you fail a saving 
  throw against a mind-affecting effect, you 
  can use a weapon you’re wielding to deal 
  yourself 4 damage, subtracted directly from 
  your Hit Points. If you do so, you can reroll 
  the saving throw. This benefit has no effect if 
  you reduce the damage you inflict on yourself 
  by any amount.
  Stain: You thrive on pain, and thus 
  you always have a number of self-inflicted 
  wounds. Reduce your maximum Hit Points by a 
  number equal to half your level.
  SHADOW CLOAK
  You easily blend in with shadows.
  Gift: Provided you are in an area of dim 
  light or darkness, you can use Stealth to 
  hide even while being observed.
  Stain: Your muscles weaken. When 
  you attempt any Strength-based 
  check, roll twice and take the 
  worse result.
  
  44
  SHADOW JAUNT
  You can jump from shadow to shadow with little effort.
  Prerequisites: One other manifestation.
  Gift: As a full action, you can teleport, as if using a 
  dimension door spell, from one area of dim light or darkness 
  to another, transporting only yourself and objects you 
  wear or carry. If you are overburdened, this teleportation 
  fails. Further, you can teleport only up to 60 feet. Once you 
  teleport, you can’t do so again until you take a 10-minute 
  rest during which you could regain Stamina Points. You 
  can use this ability a number of times per day equal to the 
  number of manifestations you have.
  Stain: You are apathetic and difficult to stir into action. 
  When you roll your initiative check, roll twice and take the 
  worse result.
  UNNERVING GAZE
  With a glance, you can fill your foes with regret for their 
  wasted potential.
  Prerequisites: Frightful, one other manifestation.
  Gift: You gain a gaze attack that causes foes within 30 
  feet of you to become shaken for 1d3 rounds unless they 
  succeed at a Will saving throw. As a swift action, you can 
  suppress or reactivate this ability, which is a mind-affecting 
  fear effect. A creature that succeeds at the saving throw is 
  immune to your unnerving gaze for 24 hours.
  Stain: You have an unsettling aura. When you attempt 
  a Bluff or Diplomacy check, roll twice and take the worse 
  result. It also takes you twice as long to use the gather 
  information task of the Diplomacy skill.
  VELSTRAC DURABILITY
  Infused with shadow, you take on a trait of the velstracs.
  Prerequisites: Pain Refuge, Painful Clarity.
  Gift: You gain an amount of damage reduction equal to 
  twice the number of manifestations you have. Good-aligned 
  weapons and silver weapons overcome this DR.
  Stain: If you touch a good-aligned item, a holy weapon 
  fusion, or a silver item, including being struck by a good-
  aligned or silver weapon, you are sickened for 1 round. 
  Your immunities don’t prevent this sickened condition, and 
  you can’t remove it early by any means. You can hide your 
  aversion with a Bluff check opposed by Sense Motive checks.
  VELSTRAC REJUVENATION
  You exist in a state between mortal and velstrac, placing you 
  at risk of becoming a velstrac when you die.
  Prerequisites: Pain Refuge, Painful Clarity, Velstrac 
  Durability.
  Gift: Twice per day, you can grant yourself fast healing 3 
  for 1 minute. Your fast healing functions only while you have 
  1 Hit Point or more.
  Stain: Whenever you gain the dying condition, you lose 
  1 Resolve Point. In addition, it costs you 1 extra Resolve Point 
  (maximum of 4 instead of 3) to stabilize yourself. If you die, 
  you have a 50% chance to reincarnate as an NPC velstrac (an 
  outsider) on the Shadow Plane. If you do, you can be raised 
  from the dead only via miracle or wish along with a soul 
  beacon as if casting raise dead on an undead target.
  VOID HEART
  The darkness in your soul can draw on the life force of allies. 
  Prerequisites: One other manifestation.
  Gift: Once per day when you take ability damage, ability 
  drain, or Hit Point damage, you can divide the damage or drain 
  evenly between you and one ally within 30 feet of you. The 
  ally knows what you’re trying to do and can attempt a Will 
  saving throw to resist the link. This ability takes no action on 
  your part, and you can use it even if it isn’t your turn.
  Stain: You struggle to remember the meaning of friendly 
  bonds. You can’t benefit from or use the aid another action.
  OTHER CORRUPTIONS
  Shadow corruption is one of many paranormal afflictions. 
  Summaries of numerous other corruptions follow, suggesting 
  possible manifestations and cures.
  ACCURSED
  A foul curse from a supernatural creature, such as a vengeful 
  spirit or cruel hag, imposes the accursed corruption, which 
  amplifies the victim’s hateful emotions. Even after the curse 
  is lifted, this resentment lingers. The victim lashes out 
  against perceived slights and grows ever more spiteful. As 
  the corruption takes root, she can stagger enemies with a 
  glare, turn them into harmless beasts, or slash them with 
  claws that drain a foe’s strength. She might even become 
  powerful enough to twist the strands of fate or grant a 
  twisted wish. However, she grows allergic to cold iron, balks 
  at helping her allies, and takes on a horrific appearance 
  with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Removing this corruption 
  requires seeking the forgiveness of the one who cast the 
  original curse and undoing any harm caused by using the 
  corruption’s gifts.
  GHOUL
  Ghoul fever can transform a person into a ghoul after death, 
  but ghoul corruption is subtler. It takes hold in someone who 
  has withstood ghoul fever or in someone who has resorted 
  to cannibalism. Unbidden, the urge to consume the flesh of a 
  living or recently dead sentient creature surfaces within him. 
  He might be able to restrain himself for short periods, but 
  the sight of a fresh corpse tests his resolve. Manifestations 
  include claws, fangs, and the stench of the grave. He might 
  gain the ability to paralyze foes and to absorb the knowledge 
  in a brain by eating it. The victim is also difficult to heal with 
  magic and clumsy with manufactured weapons. Surviving 
  this corruption requires an extended period of fasting and 
  isolation, and perhaps a divine blessing.
  
  45
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DISPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAINGS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  HELLBOUND
  Some gain the hellbound corruption by making deals with 
  the devils of Hell. Others carry this corruption due to infernal 
  ancestry. The prospect of hellish eternity weighs on the 
  victim until she gives in, fulfilling a prophecy of damnation. 
  As the corruption takes root, she begins to resemble a 
  devil. Dark tutors teach her the Infernal language, sinister 
  persuasion methods, and other forbidden knowledge. She 
  might be able to glimpse the future or teleport by stepping 
  through Hell. The corruption slowly changes her into a 
  lawful evil fiend, eventually making it impossible to raise her 
  from the dead. Purging this corruption requires atoning for 
  vile deeds, destroying fiendish contracts, and relinquishing 
  rewards for them. Doing so might involve seeking the aid of 
  a powerful celestial.
  LYCANTHROPY
  When a character survives a lycanthrope attack, the 
  lycanthropy corruption may ensue. This corruption turns 
  the victim into a feral beast. The civilized world becomes a 
  straitjacket, restraining him from tearing anyone he dislikes 
  limb from limb. Lycanthropy manifestations include the 
  ability to shift into a bestial form with enhanced strength and 
  senses. Silver burns the victim’s flesh, and he finds it hard to 
  resist effects that manipulate his emotions. The victim blacks 
  out and wakes up to evidence of carnage he has caused. 
  Consuming doses of the poison belladonna and slaying the 
  lycanthropy’s source can alleviate this corruption.
  MUTANT
  Whether from radiation or genetic engineering, the mutant 
  corruption radically alters a victim’s DNA. Her physical form 
  transforms in ways that become more drastic over time. She 
  could grow an extra limb, several more eyes, a prehensile 
  tail, or anatomy that’s more alien. Her skin might grow 
  thinner or more susceptible to energy damage. Outward 
  transformations accompany variations in personality. 
  Perhaps the victim no longer sees herself as a member of 
  her own species, grows to resent those not afflicted by  
  mutations, or believes herself to be a superior evolutionary 
  product. In any case, she feels out of touch with and could 
  attempt to destroy non-mutants. The mutant corruption is 
  akin to a disease and might be treatable with gene therapy 
  and other medical procedures.
  NANITE
  Nanites—microscopic robots that rearrange matter—can be 
  a blessing, but their programming can become corrupted. 
  A character who has nanite corruption has been injected 
  with nanites that are out of control and slowly taking over 
  his body. The nanites might have been intended to heal, 
  but as their code degrades, they change the host instead. 
  Benefits of nanite corruption include faster healing, various 
  immunities, and the ability to use the nanites for attacks 
  or defenses. However, the host loses emotions and begins 
  to see the faults in organic life. Electricity can send his body 
  into painful spasms. Being saved from nanite corruption 
  requires the nearly impossible removal of all rogue nanites, 
  followed by months of recovery.
  POSSESSED
  The possessed corruption centers on a second mind vying to 
  control the victim’s body, although the source of that mind 
  could be anything from a spirit to a personality brought 
  about by psychological trauma. Regardless, the victim’s 
  allies notice small changes in her personality as the second 
  mind exerts more influence. This corruption aids the victim 
  against mental attacks and can grant her supernatural 
  powers, but the second mind gains more control over her 
  actions and could consider her friends to be strangers or 
  worse. Ending this corruption involves casting out the 
  second mind through methods such as exorcism, fulfilling 
  a possessing spirit’s unfinished business, or undergoing 
  extensive therapy.
  VAMPIRISM
  When a vampire has fed on a character but then lets the victim 
  live, that target might contract the vampirism corruption. 
  Referred to as vampire spawn, someone who has this 
  corruption transforms into a vampire over time as her thirst 
  for blood grows. She might start by feeding on small beasts, 
  but soon she begins to crave the blood of sapient beings. She 
  also sees herself as a superior creature free to treat lesser 
  organisms as playthings and food. As she gives in to the 
  corruption, she gains vampiric powers, such as supernatural 
  allure, command of animals, and the ability to transform 
  into a cloud of mist when severely wounded. Before long, 
  she casts no reflection, can’t stand direct sunlight, and can 
  enter private residences only after being invited. Slaying the 
  original vampire and forsaking blood are essential to ending 
  this corruption, along with magical purification.
  VOID
  Someone who ponders too long the vast emptiness of space 
  or the destructive forces therein risks contracting void 
  corruption. Devotion to the Devourer is a possible avenue to 
  this corruption and a path to becoming an atrocite (Starfinder 
  Adventure Path #4 56). Perhaps dark meditation opens the 
  mind to nihilistic entities that live in the darkest reaches 
  of the planes. The corrupted character has nightmares in 
  which an apocalyptic catastrophe or unfathomable being 
  consumes all life. Eventually, these visions bleed into the 
  waking state. The victim learns to temporarily befuddle 
  others’ perceptions and to summon creatures from the 
  void. However, his own awareness is altered and physical 
  mutations mark him as a servant of nullity. Only a grounding 
  connection to loved ones and therapy that rights the void-
  wrought changes can bring the victim back.
  
  HORROR CAMPAIGNS
  HORROR CAMPAIGNS
  “We're the first genre, gifted to our ancestors in their 
  primordial nightmares. We’re a warning against savage 
  mortality lurking in a cramped, cruel universe. All other 
  genres stand in opposition to us—heroes slaying dragons, 
  lovers stealing kisses, detectives uncovering injustices. 
  They’re distractions invented to hold back the darkness, to 
  dull life’s bloody edges with hope and familiarity.
  “But the cosmos is darkness. We were the first, and when 
  entropy comes in its myriad forms—a great slavering maw, 
  an alien pathogen, or a sinister secret behind a neighbor’s 
  smile—on that day we will also be the last.”
  —Abri Anned, famed Vercite horror director 
  and philanthropist
  46
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  47
  S
  tarfinder is already a wondrous collection of 
  genres—star pilots, scoundrels, freebooters, and 
  mystics hopping from alien world to alien world 
  in search of adventure and glory. Science fiction, fantasy, 
  and good old-fashioned action collide in a perilous universe. 
  In all this space, there’s plenty of room for at least one more 
  genre. Rejoice!
  Or, perhaps, despair. For in the lightless void between 
  the stars lurks an older and darkly fascinating wonder: 
  horror. It’s an oft-misunderstood genre that is, by itself, a 
  complex cosmos encompassing a variety of flavors, tones, 
  and subgenres.
  That’s why horror is a hard genre to define. Only some 
  horror is frightening, and something scary might fail to be 
  horror. Some horror relies on tension and jump scares to 
  start your heart racing. Other horror methodically slips in 
  dreadful clues to freeze your blood when their true meaning 
  is revealed. Some horror throws heroes into the thresher 
  only to watch them emerge brutalized but triumphant. 
  Other horror never lets its protagonists up for air, leaving 
  its audience traumatized. Some horror drives a stake deep 
  into the heart of our cultural flaws. Other horror plays its 
  tropes for laughs.
  The ancient tree of horror drinks the first fears of our 
  ancestors in through its roots and stretches its branches 
  into an endless night in search of new genres that are 
  emerging from the darkness. These pages contain tools to 
  help you and your fellow players seek out what brought you 
  to this genre. Further, you’ll find tools to help you define 
  horror—not to delineate the genre, but to find the sort of 
  horror you want in your game.
  TYPES OF HORROR
  Listed hereafter is a selection of horror subgenres that meld 
  well with other Starfinder genres. As you prepare to play 
  a horror campaign, discuss the characters’ role within the 
  subgenres you’re considering. Establish whether the PCs are 
  potential victims of the horror, its witnesses, or both.
  ACTION HORROR
  Starfinder is about action heroes braving challenges others 
  are unwilling to face. Action horror is about that, but with a 
  menace that is just as relentless as the heroes, whether it’s 
  hordes of undead or one monstrous alien crawling through 
  the ventilation system of a starship. This sort of horror pits 
  the protagonists against a problem they might not be able to 
  confront with their usual methods. Even if those techniques 
  are effective, they might not be reliable or they could produce 
  unexpected results.
  Witnesses of action horror discover this unrelenting 
  threat when it plagues someone else, perhaps those close 
  to the heroes. Such a situation plays out like a normal 
  Starfinder game, but with dreadful stakes. Victims of action 
  horror know or learn that standing and fighting is a last 
  resort—far better to run, find safety, regroup, and attack 
  only when conditions are at their most desperate or when 
  the moment is just right.
  BODY HORROR
  At its heart, body horror is about physiology behaving in 
  unnatural ways, betraying its owner’s expectations and 
  sense of self. Starfinder is filled with aliens and other 
  creatures that have unusual forms. These facts provide 
  ample opportunity to introduce body horror, but they can 
  also lessen its impact. When any character can have a body 
  that behaves as human and insect, lizard, or rat, it can be 
  hard to find the terror in a misplaced limb or waking up with 
  a new mouth growing on your arm.
  The key is to anchor body horror in the mundane. 
  Witnessing body horror means interacting with creepy 
  monsters that begin as normal individuals but whose bodies 
  behave in troubling ways. Victims of body horror might 
  suffer according to the affliction rules (Starfinder Core 
  Rulebook 414), the phantasm rules in "The Diaspora Strain" 
  (see page 20), and the "Corrupted by Shadows" article in this 
  book (see pages 40–45). All of these can be used to sever the 
  bond of trust between PCs and their bodies.
  COSMIC HORROR
  The stars have aligned and awoken a being older than 
  time whose very existence renders our own moot. Cosmic 
  horror relies on the existential fear that we aren’t the most 
  significant creatures in the universe. Instead, some horrific 
  intelligence from eons past holds dominion over the cosmos. 
  This subgenre pairs well with others, since the true nature 
  of the universe is in question.
  Witnesses of cosmic horror might be able to do something 
  about it. They look upon this terror and despair no more than 
  when they face any other titanic fiend and its worshipers. 
  Victims of cosmic horror are forced into despair that their 
  world is not what it seems. They tangle with cultists and 
  lesser monsters, but faced with the true menace, corruption 
  and afflictions turn their world upside down.
  PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR
  Characters in a psychological horror story are victims of their 
  own anxiety, belief, doubt, guilt, and passion. Psychological 
  horror is rooted in the personal. It can manifest internally, 
  driving a character to self-destructive or appalling action. If 
  this horror occurs externally, a character’s troubles could take 
  phantasmal form or manifest as a monster.
  Witnesses of psychological horror encounter NPCs with 
  unnatural or troubling behaviors. Each one’s psyche compels 
  them to do the shocking and unthinkable. Victims can find 
  themselves facing a creature, phantasmal or real, that 
  mirrors their own fears or guilt. Alternatively, they might 
  instead struggle internally with a curse-like affliction using 
  the normal Starfinder rules.
  
  48
  PREPARING FOR HORROR
  We must ask ourselves what draws us here. What do we seek 
  in the macabre, unsettling, and repulsive realms of horror? 
  What is so fascinating and thrilling about such a morbid genre?
  Answers to these questions are neither easy nor unanimous. 
  As you delve together into this abyss, you could find that you 
  and your fellow players disagree.
  Before you play in any type of horror game, examine the 
  following questions as a group, including the GM.
  • 
  Why horror? What compels us to play a horror game?
  • 
  What’s out? What do we leave unexplored?
  • 
  What’s scary? Within the bounds we’ve established, 
  what scares us the most?
  The following sections examine each of these questions in 
  more detail. But first, a word of caution:
  Don’t judge your fellow players.
  Everyone, player and GM alike, should answer these 
  questions as honestly as possible. Don’t feel you need to 
  be brave or that your answers should be edgy. You might 
  find sexy vampires the most compelling horror, leaving all 
  else unexplored. The scariest thought could be that such a 
  vampire might not love you. These are legitimate answers. 
  Likewise, don’t conceal the horror fan that lurks inside 
  you. Be respectful of your fellow players, and spare them 
  unsettling or shocking details. However, if you’re fascinated 
  by tales of forced surgery, wish to leave nothing unexplored, 
  and can think of little more terrifying than self-inflicted 
  violence on your own eyes, this is the genre for you.
  To find the boundaries for your group, start safe and probe 
  outward. Ask in vague terms if its okay for you to describe 
  violence before going on to depict it. If someone says no, stop 
  there and go no further—they don’t need to explain. You have 
  found a boundary. Make note of it. Do not cross it.
  Together, you explore horror with careful attention paid 
  to each other’s limits and comfort. You shouldn’t judge each 
  other for what you each find scary or for what you each find 
  fascinating. You accept and work within the affordances and 
  constraints you build together. Chase thrills together, but 
  keep each other safe. 
  WHY HORROR?
  Take turns naming one thing you find compelling about 
  playing a horror game. Is it a fear you want to face? A 
  monster you’d like to confront? A feeling? A specific 
  scenario? What horror media have you enjoyed?
  Heed your fellow players’ answers. Respond to them. 
  Does the same thing compel you? Is it something you’re 
  willing to explore? And if it is, does it give you any ideas 
  about what shared interests you can explore together?
  You need your players’ consent for a horror game. If someone 
  in your group isn’t uncomfortable playing in a horror game, set 
  it aside as a genre—there are many other great options available! 
  WHAT’S OUT?
  It’s likely you already have some answers to this question 
  based on the previous one. That’s as it should be. Here we 
  find the boundaries of play. If there are places you don’t 
  want to go in a horror game, bring them up. You needn’t 
  explain why. You need only tell your fellow players where 
  those boundaries are.
  During this question, you might acknowledge, agree with, 
  or ask for clarification from your fellow players. However, 
  don’t justify why you want to explore a horror element 
  someone else is unwilling to delve into, and never argue or 
  push back. Enforce your pact. None shall be judged—neither 
  them for their aversion, nor you for your interest.
  WHAT’S SCARY?
  Now, consider what has already been discussed and take 
  turns finding what scares you. Players each offer horror 
  elements they find to be scary, revealing something that 
  terrifies them but exists within the boundaries you already 
  established as a group.
  This frightening thing doesn’t have to be specific to the 
  Starfinder universe. It doesn’t need to be original, either. It 
  could be a movie you saw, a book you read, another game 
  you played, or a nightmare you’ve had.
  Reasons for this exploration are twofold. First, you might 
  find someone’s answer to this question crossing a line you 
  didn’t know you had. Speak up, and as before, say only that 
  you wish to leave the subject unexplored. No justification is 
  needed. If someone stops you while you give your answer, 
  be respectful of their boundary and find a new answer. You 
  needn’t justify your answer. Second, this discussion sets the 
  mood and whets your appetites. It lets you prepare for the 
  horrors that lie ahead.
  PLAYING HORROR GAMES
  A horror roleplaying game is not a horror movie or a novel. 
  Differences among mediums warrant special attention. Chief 
  among these are the players and their characters.
  When you consume horror media, you can envision 
  yourself in the characters’ place and sympathize with their 
  plight. You can feel terror through them. Or, you can distance 
  yourself by insisting you’d never make the mistakes they’re 
  making, never fall for the traps they fall for, and never 
  behave as selfishly or repugnantly as they do. You can even 
  make this decision unconsciously as someone’s fate changes 
  during the tale.
  As you play a horror game, however, you are responsible 
  for your character’s actions, thoughts, and behavior. Since 
  you are the creator of these aspects of your character, you 
  can’t make unconscious decisions about how you relate to 
  them. You must make conscious ones.
  Before you play, answer the following questions about 
  how you prefer to play. Keep these issues in mind as you 
  play, as well.
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAIGNS
  ALIEN
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  • 
  Who’s afraid? Is it the player, the character, or both?
  • 
  Who’s the focus? Are PCs witnesses, victims, or both?
  • 
  How can you opt out? If you find a boundary you didn’t 
  expect, how can you retreat back across it?
  WHO’S AFRAID?
  When playing, whose fears are you addressing? They could 
  be your fears or your character’s. The two can align, but in 
  many cases, they won’t.
  If you wish to be scared, help the GM out. Offer up fears 
  you’re willing to face. Place your character in situations where 
  these fears must be confronted. Be honest about your reactions 
  to these fears, even if they aren’t your character’s. Accept the 
  disadvantages that might occur in the game due to the horror.
  Many reasons exist why someone might want to feel 
  frightened, including the desire to witness someone overcome 
  that fear. This form of pretending can be very effective if you 
  play a character who doesn’t share your fears, who wanders 
  into a dark room despite your grave misgivings. Similarly, 
  you might wish to revel in your terror and play a character 
  with the same fears, who flees when you would, intent on 
  staying whole and safe.
  If you want only your character to be scared, help the GM 
  and the other players out. Offer up the PC’s fears and play 
  to them when they show up in the game. How does your 
  character react? The way a character reacts to a fearful 
  situation might be contrary to what folks would expect in 
  a typical Starfinder game. Make sure your fellow players 
  know when a decision is your character’s decision and not 
  yours. As your party plans the next move, your frightened 
  character might argue against actions that you, as a player, 
  think are strategically or narratively favorable. You can work 
  with your fellow players to find a way to convince your 
  character, or the group might agree to let your character 
  make a dangerous or unhelpful choice.
  WHO’S THE FOCUS?
  It’s also important to consider, with the GM, whether the 
  PCs are to be witnesses of horrors affecting those around 
  them or they are themselves the victims of that horror. They 
  could also move between these roles, which is usual in most 
  horror stories.
  Starfinder PCs are ready-made to be witnesses to 
  someone else’s horror story. They can step in and apply 
  their ample will and might to the situation. If you can adjust 
  your expectations to such circumstances, it’s still possible to 
  have creepy and unsettling adventures. Odds are, the PCs 
  are unlikely to remain passive witnesses for long, but the 
  shift in focus can be on your terms.
  If you chose for your PCs to be potential victims, 
  expectations must again be adjusted. Your character might 
  not remain a passive victim for long, but you should spend 
  some time relishing the terror. Embrace the fear, even 
  if it comes with mechanical disadvantages in the game. 
  Find small victories, and steel yourself for what’s to come. 
  When your PC is a victim, elements that might seem unfair 
  or unbalanced, especially in a non-horror context, can 
  instead serve to create the horror.
  OPTING OUT
  Despite your careful planning and setting of boundaries for 
  your horror game, you might run into a situation in which a 
  limit is reached, whether known or previously unknown—no 
  one can be expected to realize all their boundaries before 
  the game. Therefore, it is vital that players are free to end a 
  game situation that’s too much for them at any time, without 
  having to explain and without questions or judgment from 
  fellow players or the GM.
  Before beginning play, agree on a way to allow someone 
  to opt out as quickly and wordlessly as possible. Quickly, 
  so the game doesn’t continue to cross a boundary, and 
  wordlessly, so no explanation needs to be given. Each player, 
  including the GM, might have a token they can hold up to 
  silently indicate opting out.
  When a player opts out, stop what’s happening in the 
  game immediately. If you, as a GM, need clarification on 
  what needs to change before the game can continue, take 
  the player aside and talk. This conversation takes place only 
  so you can understand what bothered the player and what 
  the boundary is. The player doesn’t need to explain why they 
  feel the way they do. After clarification, as with other limits 
  agreed upon for the game, don’t cross that boundary again.
  RUNNING HORROR GAMES
  The challenge for any GM of a horror game is to take a game 
  about brave adventurers who launch themselves into the 
  void in search of the unknown and bring the stark terror 
  of their reality to the forefront. This task isn’t easy, but you 
  don’t have to do it alone. Recruit the players as your allies. 
  Reach out to them, encourage them, and check in with them. 
  Find out how they’re doing and how they feel you’re doing. 
  Make sure that no one’s limits have been crossed.
  If your goal is to scare the players, rather than just their 
  characters, you need their consent and their buy-in. They 
  can tell you what scares them and what their boundaries 
  are. Listen to them. Ask them whether they’re willing to buy 
  in, and help them do so if they are.
  Don’t forget to scare yourself, too. Terror in a horror 
  game shouldn’t be a one-way street. Answer the pre-game 
  questions with the players. Find what fascinates you about 
  the genre and what you want to explore. Share with your 
  players before you play. Anticipation of exploring what was 
  revealed in those exercises only serves to build tension.
  If you, as a group, have decided that the characters are 
  to be scared rather than the players, you still have plenty of 
  horror tools, tropes, and themes at your disposal. 
  Here are some options that can help you build a horror 
  experience tailored to your group.
  
  50
  PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL
  When creating a menace to terrorize the PCs, the personal 
  is scarier than the impersonal. Focus on something hooked 
  into the story of the PCs or their players, whichever you’ve 
  agreed to scare. Set your sights on fears brought up in the 
  discussion with your players. Invest some time in pondering 
  those fears, finding your menace in the metaphor. The 
  following examples can guide you in exploring other fears.
  Animals: Many folks are willing to explore a fear of 
  animals, such as wild dogs, spiders, or sharks. But what is 
  it about these animals that might cause fear? You can offer 
  monstrous or alien versions of animals, but dig into why 
  such a fear might exist. Are wild dogs scary because they’re 
  feral versions of beloved pets? What do the PCs cherish 
  that you can twist into a feral version? Are spiders fearsome 
  because of the way they move or because they could be 
  lurking anywhere? Are sharks terrifying because they move 
  about unseen and strike from the depths? How can you tap 
  these fears?
  Infection: Hordes of undead, a lycanthrope’s bite, a world-
  spanning pandemic—so much horror has been drawn from the 
  festering well of infection. The affliction rules in Starfinder 
  and the corruption rules in this book cover what happens 
  once you’re infected. However, it’s up to you to uncover the 
  nature of the fear. Does it originate in vulnerability to the 
  unseen? Is it a fear of losing agency over body or health? 
  Could it be an apocalyptic fear about the fate of civilization? 
  Or is it born of a deeper fear of losing your sense of self once 
  you’ve been infected?
  Invasion: Horror and science fiction genres overlap 
  with tales of alien invasions. These incursions can take 
  numerous forms, including military and technological might 
  that hammers society to the ground, insidious infiltration 
  through shapeshifting or mental domination, harvesters and 
  butchers disguised as ambassadors, or beings from between 
  galaxies that treat other species as trivial. Dig into the fears 
  that can manifest in these tales. Is loss of cultural identity 
  terrifying? Could it be a primal fear of becoming prey? Is it 
  the terror that familiar people could turn against you?
  REAL AND UNREAL
  The balance between the real and the unreal is important in 
  a horror story. So is the power to switch between the two. 
  Unreal elements allow us to distance ourselves from 
  horror. The unreal not only can produce wonder and awe, 
  which are akin to horror, but can also offer reprieve. Imagine 
  the following scene.
  A giant pillar composed of fleshy faces twists as it towers 
  over a barren plain. Twin suns set behind it.
  That scene isn’t comforting, but it’s also unreal. Players 
  can, therefore, hold it at a distance. If there’s too much 
  unreality, that distance grows, overwhelming horror with 
  mere spectacle. However, the mundane anchors us, even if 
  its something real twisted to fit the horror. Imagine if the 
  previous scene were presented the following way.
  Your companion leans forward and takes tentative steps 
  toward the pillar, his head cocked. He looks back, brow 
  furrowed, and says, “Don’t you hear it? They’re 
  whispering our names.”
  As you prepare horror adventures, keep this balance 
  in mind. Think about where you want to emphasize the 
  unreal and where you want to nail the real. This tool 
  can also shine in play. When you’re running your 
  game and find you need to shake things up, ask 
  yourself, is this situation or scene more unreal or 
  more real? Then look for a way to push the narrative in 
  the opposite direction.
  REASON AND PERCEPTION
  The Starfinder universe is filled with strange beings, 
  alien cultures, and unfamiliar ways of thinking. The PCs rely 
  on reason and perception to take in all of this possibility 
  and parse it into motivations and actions. Taking the PCs and 
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
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  51
  shaking them from this paradigm into one that repulses or 
  frightens them can make for compelling material. PCs unable 
  to trust their senses or how those senses are interpreted 
  in the mind can suffer intense anxiety. Having perceptions 
  rewired by a drug, an experience, or a word can be truly 
  terrifying, especially when the menace hides just beneath 
  those alterations or in plain sight among false sensory input.
  These grounds are fruitful for a horror game, and you 
  can explore them to great effect without resorting to 
  stigmatizing and stereotyping mental illness. Don’t talk 
  about PCs losing their sanity. Focus instead on the shift 
  in their perceptions and their way of thinking. Emphasize 
  what’s actually happening to them.
  In many cases, such as with the phantasm rules in 
  this adventure, you’ll be describing things to players that 
  their characters experience, but those situations won’t be 
  accurate. Although it isn’t necessary to forewarn players 
  about exact circumstances, it is important that they 
  understand they’re partaking in situations where all is 
  not as it seems. Some truths might be hidden, and some 
  falsehoods might seem true. Horrible secrets might be kept 
  from them until the right moment. All these obfuscations 
  might have hidden mechanical effects in the game. Knowing 
  these possibilities ahead of time allows players to prepare 
  for disagreeable surprises that could seem unfair without 
  this context.
  UNKNOWN AND KNOWN
  Tension is a part of every adventure, horror or not, and it is 
  most often found at that moment just before a critical roll—
  before the unknown becomes known. The task before you 
  is not to create tension so much as draw it out. You want to 
  sow doubt, causing growing anxiety over the outcome. This 
  is a balancing act between hope and despair. Shift too far 
  either way, and no doubt remains.
  You can use the unknown and the known as tools in this 
  vein. This tactic works much like using the real and the 
  unreal in equal measures.
  Unknown: The truth behind the horror is hidden, 
  unknown, the mystery to be solved. Not every horror story 
  needs a mystery, but mystery is a classic way to build 
  tension. Hide the true menace. Show the aftermath, like so:
  Globules of blood and viscera float in microgravity. 
  Everything else in the airlock is pristine.
  Or, show the prelude like so:
  The countless people on the city streets stop. As a unit, 
  they turn to stare at the same distant point. An inhuman 
  scream from that direction hits like thunder. Then, the 
  people start to walk toward it.
  The cause remains indiscernible in either case.
  Because the cause is unclear, you can reveal that cause 
  slowly. Let the PCs chase after it, uncover clues, find red 
  herrings, and develop theories. Don’t place your true menace 
  in a position where it can be forced into a confrontation 
  sooner than you want.
  Known: Great tension can be found in the known. The 
  known is horrifying when the truth is plain, and it doesn’t 
  look good. It might look something like this:
  Down the tunnel, deeper into the asteroid mine, other 
  survivors huddle at their own barricade. A few infected 
  creep into the intersection between their barrier and 
  yours. Then more come, and more... and more.
  In this case, the players know what’s at stake. Show 
  them the ghastly challenge before them. Prepare them for a 
  Pyrrhic victory. Often this sort of tension hinges on the fact 
  that the PCs can’t save everyone. They might even have to 
  decide who to save, and who to leave behind to a known and 
  horrendous fate.
  ISOLATION AND BETRAYAL
  A common theme in horror is the loss of social safeguards. 
  This situation happens because lines of communication and 
  routes to safety are cut off. It also happens when those who 
  maintain safety act inappropriately. Is the real danger the 
  unknown pathogen loose in the colony, or the doctor who’s 
  secretly infecting colonists with it for further tests?
  Starfinder PCs don’t rely on authority figures often, but in 
  a horror game, it’s important to hold even these rare appeals 
  to authority at bay. When preparing your game, find ways 
  to ensure authorities can’t be reached, are less effective in 
  response to the menace than the PCs, or have an agenda 
  or problem that makes them as dangerous as—or even part 
  of—the menace. For example, Stewards might arrive in good 
  faith to help fight the mind-controlling alien symbiotes, only 
  for each to quickly fall victim to the invaders because one of 
  them was already under the symbiotes’ control.
  DEATH AND REBIRTH
  Death is more common in horror games than in typical 
  Starfinder games. How you plan to deal with this aspect of 
  horror needs to be clear from the start. You and your players 
  should set expectations before play. Everyone needs to 
  understand how likely PC death is and how it will be treated. 
  Some forewarning helps your players buy in.
  If a PC dies, normal methods for bringing back the dead 
  are an option. However, the intersection of science fantasy 
  and horror offers other options, including weird science, 
  sinister sorceries, dark pacts, and spontaneous reanimation 
  (as with borais; Pact Worlds 211). Only a couple questions 
  need to be answered. What ghastly options do PCs have for 
  revivification? What horrific price do they have to pay to use 
  those options?
  
  52
  PLAYER OPTIONS
  The following player options help support a horror theme.
  FEATS
  These horror-based feats focus on accepting weaknesses or 
  shoring them up.
  CRAVEN PLOY (COMBAT)
  When the going gets tough, you hide behind allies.
  Prerequisites: Cha 13.
  Benefit: As a reaction when you are attacked while adjacent 
  to an ally, if that ally is willing to take a –2 penalty to her 
  Armor Class until the beginning of her next turn, you gain a +2 
  circumstance bonus to your AC against that attack.
  INDIRECT RETREAT (COMBAT)
  You can run through winding corridors and weave your way 
  through grasping claws without pause.
  Prerequisites: Dex 13, Mobility.
  Benefit: When you run as a full action, you don’t have to 
  move in a straight line, you can run across difficult terrain, and 
  you don’t gain the flat-footed condition.
  STARTLED SCREAM
  When something bad is about to go down, you scream to let 
  everyone know.
  Benefit: Before initiative is rolled during an encounter, you 
  can scream as part of combat banter (Core Rulebook 249) even if 
  you’re surprised. If you do, allies who are surprised but can hear 
  you don’t gain the flat-footed condition, while allies who aren’t 
  surprised gain a +1 insight bonus to initiative checks. You gain 
  the appropriate benefit depending on whether you are surprised 
  or not. However, your scream is loud, possibly drawing the 
  attention of foes that can hear you and alerting others within 
  earshot. You’re also shaken until the end of your next turn.
  STEEL NERVES
  You retain your reason when you’re scared.
  Prerequisites: Wis 13, character level 3rd.
  Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against fear 
  effects. In addition, when you have the frightened condition, 
  you can choose to fight rather than flee. When you have the 
  panicked condition, you don’t drop what you’re holding.
  WARY WITHDRAWAL (COMBAT)
  You know how to withdraw with great caution.
  Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Mobility.
  Benefit: When you use the total defense action, you can also 
  withdraw as a move action. If you do so, you can move only up 
  to your speed.
  SPELLS
  The following spells have a horror theme. The cantor velstrac 
  also uses them (see page 60).
  NIGHTMARE 
  School illusion (mind-affecting)
  Casting Time 10 minutes
  Range plane
  Targets one living creature
  Duration instantaneous
  Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
  You precisely identify a target, such as by name or via a 
  material connection like a personal possession or lock of its 
  hair. The spell fails without expending a spell slot if the target 
  isn’t asleep or in a resting state similar to sleep. If you’ve never 
  met the target in person and lack a material connection to the 
  target, the target gains a +5 bonus to the saving throw. If the 
  spell works, the target remains resting for 1 minute, then has 
  a nightmare, rouses, and becomes frightened for 2d6 rounds. 
  The target can’t willingly reenter the affected resting state for 
  1 hour. To do so after this time has elapsed, the target must 
  succeed at the saving throw again. If this save fails, the target 
  can try again once per hour thereafter. After 24 hours have 
  passed, this restless state ends.
  PARANOIA
  School illusion (mind-affecting)
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets one creature
  Duration 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
  The target treats all other creatures as enemies and only itself 
  as an ally. It must attempt attacks of opportunity whenever any 
  creature provokes them. In addition, the target is shaken while 
  adjacent to more than one creature.
  SHADOW BODY
  School transmutation (polymorph, shadow)
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Range personal
  Duration 1 minute/level (D)
  You transform the matter of your body and any objects 
  you carry or wear into the essence of the Shadow Plane. 
  You are visible as an unattached shadow in bright light or 
  normal light, but you gain total concealment in dim light or 
  darkness (reduced to concealment against creatures that have 
  darkvision). Your body and gear are incorporeal, but you can’t 
  fly or pass through solid objects or creatures, and your gear 
  can’t be removed from you or used by anyone. You can move 
  at your normal speed along any surface, including horizontal 
  and vertical surfaces and liquids, and difficult terrain doesn’t 
  slow you. However, you can’t attack physically or manipulate 
  objects. You can speak, cast spells that require no items to 
  cast, and perform mental actions. If you can use spells that 
  have a range of touch and such a spell requires an attack roll, 
  you target EAC. If you lose consciousness, you and your gear 
  return to your natural form.
  3
  3
  2
  2
  5
  5
  
   +1
  PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR
  INT, WIS
  OR CHA
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DIASPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
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  CODEX OF
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  53
  THEME KNOWLEDGE (1ST)
  You’re skilled at identifying patterns, finding clues, and piecing 
  together puzzles about the paranormal. No two investigators 
  do so in the same way. Choose Diplomacy, Life Science, 
  Mysticism, Physical Science, or Survival. The chosen skill is a 
  class skill for you, and it’s your field for other theme features. 
  If the chosen skill is a class skill from the class you take at 1st 
  level, you instead gain a +1 bonus to checks with it. In addition, 
  at character creation, you gain an ability adjustment of +1 to the 
  ability score associated with your chosen skill.
  You choose a specific paranormal mystery case that you and 
  the GM create. Reduce the DCs of checks to recall knowledge 
  about and gather information related to your case by 5. You can 
  similarly reduce the DCs of checks to recall knowledge about 
  notable personalities, practices, and events in the paranormal 
  realm and your field. After solving a case, you can take on 
  another after 1 day of studying evidence for a new case. You 
  can abandon a case without solving it to take on a new one. 
  If you do so, you take a –2 penalty to skill checks for 1 week.
  ATTENTION TO DETAIL (6TH)
  Halve the time it takes you to gather information (minimum 30 
  minutes), search an area, or perform research to take 20 when 
  recalling knowledge or identifying a creature, a magic item, or 
  technology. In addition, once per day, if you fail a Perception or 
  Sense Motive check or a check in your field, you can reroll the 
  check and use the higher result.
  GNAWING HUNCH (12TH)
  You’ve learned to trust your hunches. If a clue can be found by 
  taking 20 on a Perception check or a skill check in your field, 
  the GM must tell you such a clue exists, but not what it is. 
  Once you know a clue exists, you just have to find it.
  TRUTH-SEEKER (18TH)
  Organizing 
  evidence 
  about 
  your 
  case 
  and 
  researching it refreshes you and sets you back 
  on your path. Twice per day, you can take 10 
  minutes to consider and record your findings or 
  look for new insights into them. If you do so, 
  you regain 1 Resolve Point and can recall knowledge. If you 
  instead take 1 hour, you regain 1 Resolve Point and can gather 
  information. Neither of these tasks count as resting to regain 
  Stamina Points.
  Some, upon waking, want to forget their nightmares, find comfort among their 
  companions, and dream of new adventures. That’s not you. No, you know waking 
  life can be a dream and the nightmares can be real. You are a truth-seeker, 
  chasing the shadows in search of a world hidden behind the veneer of normalcy. 
  Each fresh horror you uncover proves your work is right and important, and 
  makes you want to delve deeper into the galaxy’s haunting secrets.
  
  54
  ALIEN ARCHIVES
  ALIEN ARCHIVES
  “Look, people disappear in my establishment. It happens. 
  Not often enough to hurt my business, but it’s a fact of 
  life out here in the Armada. Plenty of reasons, too. Bad 
  luck, bad blood, and, you know, occasional undesirable 
  elements. Hells, I even heard there’s this critter from the 
  Vast that lives in shipping crates. Eats dockworkers. Like 
  they don’t have it bad enough. But, hey, I get it. Someone 
  goes missing here, and you come knocking on my door. 
  That’s fine. I got nothing for you, but at least I ain’t insulted, 
  right? Now, I think we’re done. Don’t let the airlock clip 
  you on the way out.”
  —King Curney, on disappearances at  
  King Curney’s Kasbah
  
  55
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DISPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAINGS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  N Medium vermin
  Init +2; Senses blindsense (vibration) 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +8
  DEFENSE 
  HP 30
  EAC 15; KAC 17
  Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +2
  Defensive Abilities crate shell; Resistances acid 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft. (40 ft. outside crate shell)
  Melee bite +11 (1d6+7 A & P; critical corrode 1d4) or
  claw +11 (1d6+7 S and grab)
  Ranged acid blast +9 (explode [5 ft., 1d6+1 A plus 1d4 corrode, 
  DC 12])
  Offensive Abilities explosive death
  STATISTICS
  Str +2; Dex +1; Con +4; Int —; Wis +0; Cha –3
  Skills Athletics +8, Stealth +13
  Other Abilities compression, mindless
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any urban or land (Taekah III)
  Organization solitary, pair, or rack (3–5)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Acid Blast (Ex) As a standard action, a crate fiend can launch 
  an acid blast with a range increment of 20 feet.
  Crate Shell (Ex) A crate fiend dwells within a container as if 
  it were the creature’s shell. While inside its container and 
  motionless, a crate fiend appears to be the container. As 
  a move action, a crate 
  fiend can partially 
  or fully withdraw into 
  its shell. If it partially 
  withdraws, it gains partial cover but 
  takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls and 
  can move at only half speed. While fully 
  withdrawn, the fiend can neither 
  move nor attack but has total 
  cover. The container has 
  AC 10, hardness 10, and 22 
  Hit Points. The fiend has a 
  –2 penalty to AC in a container that has 
  the broken condition. If the container is 
  destroyed, the penalty increases to 
  –4. A crate fiend can adapt to a 
  new container in 1 hour.
  Explosive Death (Ex) When a crate 
  fiend dies, as no action on 
  its part, it makes an acid 
  blast attack. The attack’s 
  point of origin must 
  be adjacent to the 
  creature’s space.
  Crate fiends, properly called taekahbs, are bizarre arthropods 
  that originated on Taekah III, a habitable world in the Vast. 
  On this planet, these soft-shelled scavengers seek homes 
  in the cast-off shells of larger native gastropods or nodules 
  of volcanic pumice the taekahbs hollow out with their acid. 
  Crate fiends breed quickly, laying hidden caches of eggs that 
  are scented so other crate fiends find and fertilize them.
  When they migrated offworld, no doubt due to careless 
  smugglers or foolish zoologists, crate fiends found homes in 
  the maintenance tunnels and ventilation systems of starships 
  and space stations, as well as in the nooks and crannies of 
  industrialized settlements. Discarded shipping containers 
  proved to be fine homes for them, earning the taekahbs their 
  common name, since they can use such abodes to hide in 
  plain sight. These beasts prefer to eat refuse and carrion, and 
  they avoid discovery and confrontation. However, larger crate 
  fiends have been known to kill and consume dockworkers and 
  unlucky passersby.
  CRATE FIEND
   
  CR
    3
   
  XP
    800
  
  56
  N Large outsider (extraplanar)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  DEFENSE 
  HP 50
  EAC 16; KAC 18
  Fort +6; Ref +8; Will +3
  OFFENSE
  Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (Ex, average)
  Melee bite +13 (1d6+6 P)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  Offensive Abilities confusion, implant, pheromones
  STATISTICS
  Str +2; Dex +5; Con +2; Int –4; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +15, Stealth +10
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any land or sky (Shadow Plane)
  Organization solitary or pair
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Confusion (Su) The shifting patterns on a gloomwing’s wings 
  are hypnotic. A creature that starts its turn able to see the 
  gloomwing must succeed at a DC 13 Will saving throw or 
  become confused for 1 round. A creature can avoid looking 
  directly at the gloomwing to gain a +4 bonus to the saving 
  throw. However, doing so causes the creature to treat the 
  gloomwing as if it has concealment (20% miss chance). 
  Gloomwings and tenebrous worms are immune to this 
  effect. This is a mind-affecting, sense-dependent effect.
  Implant (Su) As a full action, a gloomwing can lay eggs 
  in a Small or larger helpless living creature. The target 
  creature contracts tenebrous gestation (see below).
  Pheromones (Su) Starting on the round after a gloomwing 
  becomes agitated (typically the second round of combat), 
  the creature exudes an invisible cloud of weakening 
  pheromones that creates a musky scent. Living creatures 
  other than gloomwings and tenebrous worms within this 
  30-foot aura must succeed at a DC 13 Fortitude saving 
  throw or become fatigued for 1 hour.
  TENEBROUS GESTATION
  Type disease (injury); Save Fortitude DC 13
  Track physical (special); 
  Frequency 1/day
  Effect no latent state; if the 
  victim dies, 1d4 young 
  tenebrous worms emerge 
  4d6 hours later and devour the 
  corpse completely.
  Cure 2 consecutive saves; the 
  eggs can also be removed with a 
  successful DC 13 Medicine check that 
  takes 1 hour or if the victim is targeted 
  by remove affliction.
  Gloomwings are mothlike predators native 
  to the Shadow Plane known to slip through 
  the barrier with the Material Plane in 
  places where the barrier is thin. Their bizarrely 
  patterned wings can cause confusion in 
  onlookers, even within the dimly lit, shadowy 
  places where they rest. Gloomwings also 
  have a distinct, musky scent. If a gloomwing 
  becomes stressed, it releases its pheromone-
  laden musk, causing lethargy in other living 
  creatures. The scent also attracts other 
  gloomwings and their larvae, known as tenebrous worms 
  (see page 59).
  The chitin on a gloomwing’s mandibles and head has a 
  pearlescent quality, especially in normal and bright light. Some 
  jewelers and mystics value this material. With a successful 
  DC 21 Survival check that takes 10 minutes, a character can 
  harvest 1d4 pieces of chitin, each worth 500 credits.
  GLOOMWING
   
  CR
    4
   
  XP
    1,200
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DISPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAINGS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  57
  N Small magical beast
  Init +5; Senses blindsense (thought) 120 ft., darkvision 60 ft., 
  low-light vision; Perception +14
  DEFENSE 
  HP 110
  EAC 19; KAC 21
  Fort +9; Ref +11; Will +7
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (Su, average), swim 40 ft.
  Melee spiny tentacle +18 (2d8+7 P) or
   
  bite +18 (2d6+11 P)
  Ranged spine barrage +18 (2d8+7 P)
  STATISTICS
  Str +4; Dex +5; Con +2; Int –3; Wis +1; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +14 (+22 to climb or swim), 
  Stealth +19
  Other Abilities compression, habitable field
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any (Diaspora)
  Organization solitary or mating 
  knot (2–7)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Habitable Field (Su) A reklan 
  generates a magical field 
  that makes its surroundings 
  habitable. This field extends in a 
  spherical spread 1,200 feet from 
  the reklan. Within this field, the 
  reklan and other creatures 
  are affected as if by the life 
  bubble spell.
  Spine Barrage (Ex) A reklan 
  can fling its tail spines with a 
  range increment of 60 feet.
  Reklans are the result of an ancient 
  sarcesian attempt to make the 
  Diaspora more habitable through 
  magical engineering. In one sense, 
  the attempt succeeded—each reklan can 
  magically provide a habitat comfortable to most 
  Pact Worlds species in otherwise lifeless conditions. 
  However, reklans turned on their creators. A reklan that 
  senses a nearby sapient being immediately begins hunting 
  it, stopping only when seriously wounded or killed, or when 
  the intruder has been devoured.
  Each reklan has two long, tentacular tails studded with 
  bony spines similar to the creature’s teeth. The reklan usually 
  keeps these tails rolled up, but in combat, it lashes out with 
  them, flicking detachable spines like darts. A reklan also has 
  two sets of smaller front tentacles linked by webs of skin, 
  which it flaps like wings. These tentacles attach just behind the 
  reklan’s fanged mouth. A typical reklan is only 3 feet long with 
  its tails coiled. Most weigh around 90 pounds, and their spongy 
  flesh allows them to squeeze through tiny spaces.
  Reklans are native to the Diaspora, where they inhabit ruins 
  they keep empty with their own hunting. They can also fly 
  through vacuum in their magical bubbles. These creatures are 
  usually found alone, although—because each reklan is capable 
  of producing eggs and fertilizing the eggs of other reklans—
  they occasionally gather in small groups to mate.
  Over the centuries, reklans have spread throughout the 
  Pact Worlds and beyond, thanks to starfarers who use them 
  as portable life-support systems. If kept carefully contained 
  and unable to sense thought, a reklan is content to hibernate 
  indefinitely, allowing captors to harness the beast’s aura. Such 
  arrangements are dangerous, though, since a reklan that breaks 
  containment inevitably stalks its captors, stealthily moving 
  through ventilation shafts and behind bulkheads to slaughter 
  its prey with cunning efficiency.
  REKLAN
   
  CR
    7
   
  XP
    3,200
  
  58
  N Large construct (technological)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;  
  Perception +17
  DEFENSE 
  HP 145
  EAC 20; KAC 22
  Fort +10; Ref +8; Will +6
  Defensive Abilities integrated weapons, nanite repair; 
  Immunities construct immunities; Resistances acid 5,  
  fire 10
  Weaknesses vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to 
  electricity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
  Melee drill +20 (3d4+14 P; critical bleed 2d4) or
  integrated andesite magma blade +20 (2d8+15 F & S; 
  critical wound [DC 16])
  Ranged integrated LFD screamer +17 (2d10+9 So; critical 
  deafen [DC 16])
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  STATISTICS
  Str +6; Dex +4; Con —; Int –2; Wis +3; Cha –3
  Skills Profession (miner) +17
  Languages Common (can’t speak)
  Other Abilities rock tunneler, unliving
  Gear andesite magma bladeAR with 3 high-capacity batteries 
  (40 charges each), LFD screamer with 2 super-capacity 
  batteries (80 charges each)
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any underground
  Organization solitary, pair, or shift (3–5)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Nanite Repair (Ex) A mining robot’s nanites heal it, restoring 
  a number of Hit Points per hour equal to its CR (9 Hit 
  Points per hour for most mining robots). Once per day as 
  a full action, a mining robot can restore 4d8 Hit Points to 
  itself or any touched construct with 
  the technological subtype.
  Rock Tunneler (Ex) A mining robot 
  can burrow through stone at half 
  speed, and it can choose to leave 
  tunnels when it burrows.
  Mining robots are far from exotic, but 
  neither are they common since they 
  are expensive tools. Such automatons 
  allow mining companies to harvest ore 
  and minerals from dangerous locales, 
  such as airless asteroids and planets 
  with high tectonic activity. A mining 
  robot has an integrated drill arm, a 
  cutting arm, and finer manipulators that 
  allow it to sort through the rubble it 
  creates. A typical model also has built-in 
  harmonic resonators to soften earth and 
  stone, making it easier for the robot to 
  burrow into the ground. Construction and 
  terraforming enterprises employ similar 
  models of these industrial robots.
  The dwarven mining corporation Ulrikka 
  Clanholdings is known to make the best 
  mining robots the galaxy has to offer. Outfitted 
  with sturdy magma blades, these constructs can slice 
  through rock like a heated knife cuts through butter. Ulrikka 
  sells the robots to other mining outfits as a profitable side 
  operation. The company sells at a premium, and tight 
  contracts ensure a purchaser’s intended usage doesn’t 
  conflict with Ulrikka interests. Occasionally, warriors and 
  gladiators with a flair for the dramatic purchase a defunct 
  mining robot and strip off the drill for use as an 
  exotic and deadly weapon.
  ROBOT, MINING
   
  CR
    9
   
  XP
    6,400
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DISPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAINGS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  59
  N Medium outsider (extraplanar)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  DEFENSE 
  HP 125
  EAC 20; KAC 22
  Fort +12; Ref +10; Will +7
  Defensive Abilities poisonous bristles; Immunities acid
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee bite +17 (1d8+11 P plus shadow acid; critical 
  corrode 1d6)
  STATISTICS
  Str +3; Dex +3; Con +6; Int –4; Wis +0; Cha –2
  Skills Stealth +16
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any land (Shadow Plane)
  Organization solitary, pair, swarm (3–6)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poisonous Bristles (Su) Bristles of shadow extend from 
  between the tenebrous worm’s armored plates. Each time 
  a creature within 10 feet of the worm attacks it, several 
  of these bristles reactively shoot off at the attacker. The 
  attacker must succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save or take 
  1d4 piercing damage and be exposed to tenebrous worm 
  poison (see below). An attacker that strikes the worm with 
  an unarmed strike or grapples the worm is automatically 
  damaged and exposed to the poison.
  Shadow Acid (Su) A tenebrous worm’s bite delivers a 
  mystical acid that dissolves organic matter into 
  wisps of shadow. In dim light, this acid deals 
  3d6 acid damage. In normal light, it deals 2d6 
  acid damage. In bright light or darkness, it 
  deals 1d6 acid damage.
  TENEBROUS WORM POISON
  Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 16
  Track Dexterity (special); 
  Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds
  Effect progression track is Healthy—
  Sluggish—Stiffened—Staggered—Immobile;  
  no end state.
  Cure 2 consecutive saves
  A tenebrous worm is the larval stage of the 
  gloomwing (see page 56), but this young 
  creature is more dangerous than the 
  adult. When young hatch from the eggs a 
  gloomwing lays in an unfortunate victim, 
  the strongest among the hatchlings 
  sometimes kills and eats its siblings. Other 
  times, the larvae remain together in a pack or 
  scatter into the surrounding environment to hunt. 
  Tenebrous worms crave flesh, and they eat it in whatever form 
  they find, it’s already carrion or living prey they’ve hunted down.
  A tenebrous worm’s belly is pale to the point of translucence, 
  and its organs churn with shadowy fluids visible through its 
  segmented carapace. As the worm grows, these liquids mix and 
  partially solidify, poking out between the creature’s plates to 
  form poisonous bristles. A similar substance fills a reservoir 
  near its mandibles, but this substance turns flesh to shadow 
  that the worm consumes to supplement its diet of meat.
  When a tenebrous worm has fed enough, it finds a hiding 
  place where it can spin a cocoon of shadowy silk. This chrysalis 
  absorbs surrounding light, reducing nonmagical bright and 
  normal light to dim light in a radius of 20 feet. A tenebrous 
  worm transforms inside the cocoon, emerging after several 
  days as a gloomwing. The cocoon’s remains, tattered gray 
  sheets of silk, lose their light-absorbing properties.
  TENEBROUS WORM 
   
  CR
    8
   
  XP
    4,800 
  
  60
  LE Small outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful, velstrac)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
  DEFENSE 
  HP 120
  EAC 21; KAC 22
  Fort +8; Ref +10; Will +12
  Defensive Abilities regeneration 5 (good or silver); DR 5/good 
  or silver; Immunities cold
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee claw +18 (2d6+9 S plus lingering touch)
  Offensive Abilities unnerving gaze (30 ft., DC 18), waking 
  nightmare
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th)
  1/day—nightmare (DC 20), shadow body (see page 52)
  3/day—paranoia (DC 19; see page 52)
  At will—lesser confusion (DC 18)
  STATISTICS
  Str +0; Dex +6; Con +2; Int +1; Wis +4; Cha +3
  Skills Acrobatics +22, Bluff +17, Mysticism +17, Stealth +17
  Languages Common, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any (Shadow Plane)
  Organization solitary, pair, expedition (3–6)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Lingering Touch (Su) A creature that takes damage from a 
  velstrac cantor’s claw must succeed at a DC 18 Will saving 
  throw or the pain lingers in its mind, dealing 1d4 additional 
  damage (2d4 if the cantor scored a critical hit) at the start 
  of each of its turns for 1 minute. At the end of each of its 
  turns, the target can attempt another saving throw to 
  end this effect. Each of the cantor’s additional successful 
  attacks against a creature suffering this effect extends 
  the duration by 1 round. Any form of magical healing ends 
  this effect immediately. This is a mind-affecting effect. 
  Unnerving Gaze (Su) A cantor’s appearance causes shock 
  and sympathetic pain. A creature that fails its save against 
  this mind-affecting fear effect is shaken for 1 round.
  Waking Nightmare (Su) Once per minute as a full action, a 
  cantor can mouth a soundless scream to create an illusory 
  double of itself that is Large and even more horrifying. 
  Creatures within 30 feet of and able to see the cantor 
  must succeed at a DC 18 Will saving throw or believe this 
  illusory double to be real. At the same moment, the cantor 
  becomes invisible (as per greater invisibility). These effects 
  last as long as at least one creature believes the illusion, 
  but no longer than 1 minute. Both effects also end if the 
  cantor is ever more than 30 feet away from the illusion 
  at the end of its turn. The illusion appears to attack each 
  round on the cantor’s turn, and the cantor usually attacks 
  the same target, gaining the benefits of both invisibility 
  and stealth. After a creature attacks the illusion, the 
  creature can attempt another save to disbelieve the effect. 
  A creature exposed to this effect is immune to the same 
  cantor’s waking nightmare for 24 hours.
  Only about 3 feet tall and weighing no more than 50 
  pounds, a cantor resembles a human child or halfling whose 
  skin has been flayed, exposing the underlying musculature and 
  connective tissue. Rather than being a bloody mess, however, 
  its flesh is dull and gray. A cantor’s glossy black eyes burn red 
  when the creature becomes violent or uses its vile powers.
  A cantor velstrac is a fiend that uses its horrific appearance 
  as a weapon. It considers itself to be an instrument in an 
  ongoing effort to help mortals accept the velstrac notion of 
  reality—that pain is a tool of self-exploration and development. 
  Cantors pursue this end through subterfuge and by aiding 
  other velstracs as scouts.
  VELSTRAC, CANTOR 
   
  CR
    9
   
  XP
    6,400 
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  CAMPAIGN
  OUTLINE
  THE DISPORA
  STRAIN
  PART 1:
  TWILIGHT IN
  ELYSIUM
  PART 2:
  WAKING
  NIGHTMARES
  PART 3:
  PARTING THE
  GLOOM
  CORRUPTED
  BY 
  SHADOWS
  HORROR
  CAMPAINGS
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  61
  N Medium ooze
  Init +2; Senses blindsight (vibration) 60 ft., sightless; 
  Perception +14
  Aura shadow siphon (20 ft.)
  DEFENSE 
  HP 105
  EAC 19; KAC 21
  Fort +11; Ref +7; Will +4
  Defensive Abilities void adaptation; Immunities ooze 
  immunities; Resistances cold 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee pseudopod +17 (1d6+11 B plus 1d6 cold and  
  numb senses)
  STATISTICS
  Str +4; Dex +2; Con +5; Int —; Wis +0; Cha –3
  Skills Stealth +19
  Other Abilities mindless, split
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any (Shadow Plane)
  Organization solitary, pair, or gloom (3–6)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Numb Senses (Su) When a void ooze 
  hits with a pseudopod attack, the 
  target must succeed at a DC 15 
  Fortitude saving throw or its senses 
  are shrouded for 1 round as if the 
  creature were in a dark void. The 
  target is blinded and deafened, 
  as well as unable to smell, 
  taste, and feel subtle sensations. A 
  target’s blindsense and blindsight are also 
  ineffective for the duration.
  Shadow Siphon (Su) Nonmagical bright or normal 
  light within 20 feet of a void ooze is reduced to 
  dim light. If a dying creature in this aura 
  loses a Resolve Point or spends any 
  Resolve Points to stabilize, the 
  ooze regains 10 Hit Points. If a 
  creature dies in the aura, the 
  ooze regains 10 Hit Points. 
  If the ooze enters the space 
  of a dead creature, the 
  creature’s body disintegrates 
  into fine black ash and the 
  ooze regains 10 Hit Points.
  Split (Ex) If a void ooze would 
  regain more Hit Points from 
  its shadow siphon ability than its 
  Hit Point maximum, it instead splits into 
  two identical oozes, each with Hit Points equal 
  to half the original’s current total plus half the Hit 
  Points the original ooze would have regained.
  Void oozes originate from the lightless depths of outer space 
  on the Shadow Plane. They are drawn to open interplanar 
  portals and to areas where the barriers between dimensions 
  are weak. Life, especially when coupled with warmth, attracts 
  these creatures like the stench of death attracts carrion birds. 
  The oozes feed on the subtle negative energy surrounding the 
  dying and recently dead, using that energy to reproduce.
  These creatures can hibernate indefinitely, and they are 
  inured to outer space and airless environments. Because 
  of these traits, void oozes can be found almost anywhere. 
  Explorers have encountered them on planets (habitable or not), 
  asteroids, and spacedocks. The oozes have also been found 
  aboard vessels that have traveled in the darkest regions of 
  space, where the oozes attached themselves to the hull of a 
  passing starship.
  VOID OOZE 
   
  CR
    7
   
  XP
    3,200 
  
  KAX
  Lonely Planet in a Starless Void
  Diameter: ×1; Mass: ×1
  Gravity: Standard
  Location: The Vast 
  Atmosphere: Normal
  Day: 48 hours; Year: 2 years
  Kax is a lush world with diverse biomes. Rather than being 
  composed of large continents, it is covered in thousands of 
  extensive archipelagos, several of which surround enormous 
  islands. It has a broad tropical zone at its equator and ice caps 
  at each pole, but most of the planet is temperate enough that 
  settlements can be established anywhere without requiring 
  much in the way of advanced shelters. Native flora and 
  fauna tend to be huge and carnivorous, including dinosaurs 
  and pack predators, which are most active at night. The fruit 
  and vegetables that naturally grow across the planet are 
  consumable by most Pact Worlds species, and many find 
  them sweet smelling and delicious.
  Kax is also the only planet in its system, and from the 
  planet’s surface and surrounding space, no stars other than 
  its own sun are visible. There are no moons, no asteroids, and 
  no other objects of any kind floating nearby. As a result, no 
  one knows where Kax actually is. 
  This “lonely planet” (as it is sometimes called) can be 
  reached only by Drift travel, and the navigational beacons 
  used to locate it place it in the Vast, but its exact location 
  in the galaxy (if it is even in this galaxy) remains a mystery. 
  The inability to see any stars from the Kax system is 
  generally assumed to be the result of a nebula or dust cloud 
  that cuts off their distant light, but if so, the concealment is 
  total. No evidence, scientific or magical, has yet explained 
  this occlusion.
  After Kax was discovered, decades after the advent of 
  Drift travel, it was briefly a common destination for research 
  vessels and colony ships hoping to settle on the vibrant 
  world. However, early expeditions suffered catastrophic 
  losses. Ships sent distress calls that warned of infection, 
  mutiny, or both, and later expeditions found them with all 
  hands dead. Settlements reported an increase in minor 
  accidents and theft, then stopped reporting in entirely. 
  Some were found abandoned, while others were never found 
  at all. Most famously, the Golden Vault colony funded by 
  AbadarCorp was discovered entirely deserted by a supply 
  ship’s crew—colonists’ possessions still in lockers, food 
  rotting in larders—with no sign or record of what happened 
  to the nearly 2,000 residents.
  Theories to explain what happens on Kax run wild. Many 
  believe the planet is used as a base of operation by some 
  violent organization, with suggestions ranging from the Corpse 
  Fleet to grays and reptoids. More extraordinary theories 
  include the idea that the entire world (and its star) are haunted 
  by the spirits of long-dead aliens, that the system is actually 
  a demiplane that periodically fades away and ejects all non-
  native sentient beings into space, or that it is connected to the 
  First World by several “thin spots” where angry fey emerge to 
  kidnap any who dare despoil the planet. Attempts to confirm 
  or debunk these theories find nothing, and some research 
  expeditions have disappeared entirely. As a result, travel to 
  Kax has greatly reduced in recent years.
  CODEX OF WORLDS
  CODEX OF WORLDS
  62
  
  SIGNAL OF 
  SCREAMS
  THE
   PENUMBRA
  PROTOCOL
  PART 1:
  IN PURSUIT 
  OF ECLIPSE
  PART 2:
  GATHERING 
  SHADOWS
  PART 3:
  THE BLACK
   SITE
  CUVACARA
  FIENDS OF 
  SHADOW
  ALIEN
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  THE PENUMBRA PROTOCOL
  by Jenny Jarzabski
  Infected with a sickness that threatens to turn them into 
  twisted sadists, the heroes travel to the city of Cuvacara 
  on the planet Verces to find the possible origin of their 
  affliction! They soon discover that a sinister company plans 
  to release a new social media app that will corrupt the entire 
  city. If they can survive attacks from corporate assassins, 
  the heroes must shut down the transmitters set to broadcast 
  the corrupting signal in order to save the metropolis. Along 
  the way, they learn the location of the company’s hidden 
  underground base on the planet’s Darkside, where a sinister 
  executive awaits their arrival.
  CUVACARA
  by Jenny Jarzabski
  A bustling metropolis bathed in eternal twilight, Cuvacara is 
  the capital city of the nation of Vimal in the terminator zone 
  of the tidally locked planet of Verces. Learn about the diverse 
  residents of the Dusk Jewel, the multitude of corporations 
  that have their offices there, and the notorious transactions 
  that occur in the city’s darkened alleys. In addition, discover a 
  handful of new Vercite cybernetic augmentations.
  FIENDS OF SHADOW
  By Isabelle Lee
  Self-stylized artists whose medium is flesh and bone, the 
  outsiders known as velstracs are devious and amoral fiends. 
  From their dark lairs on the Shadow Plane, they seek to bring 
  their twisted form of enlightenment to mortals. Explore a 
  menu of magitech modifications created by velstracs that 
  only the daring and foolhardy use for themselves.
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  miss out on a single exciting volume—head over to 
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  Open Game License Version 1.0a
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  4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the 
  Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with 
  the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
  5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material 
  as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation 
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  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as 
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  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game 
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  12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this 
  License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, 
  or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
  13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all 
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  All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
  14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such 
  provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: Jonathan 
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Gloomwing from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., 
  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original 
  material by Gary Gygax.
  Tenebrous Worm from the Tome of Horrors, Revised © 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; 
  Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax. 
  Starfinder Core Rulebook © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, 
  Amanda Hamon Kunz, Jason Keeley, Robert G. McCreary, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
  Mark Seifter, Owen K.C. Stephens, and James L. Sutter, with Alexander Augunas, Judy 
  Bauer, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Lissa Guillet, Thurston Hillman, Erik 
  Mona, Mark Moreland, Jessica Price, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber E. Scott, and Josh Vogt.
  Starfinder Adventure Path #10: The Diaspora Strain © 2018, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Chris S. 
  Sims, with Stephen Glicker, Jason Keeley, Epidiah Ravachol, Owen K.C. Stephens, and 
  James L. Sutter.
  NEXT MONTH
  63
  
  Battle or befriend more than 100 exotic and alien life forms in this creature collection for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game!
  • Rules and ecological information for creatures from across the known worlds
  • Exotic alien gear
  • Sixteen new playable races let YOU be the alien
  • Complete magical polymorphing rules, and more! 
  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Starfinder, and the Starfinder logo are registered trademarks 
  of Paizo Inc.; Starfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2018, Paizo Inc.
  AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2018
  PREORDER NOW! 
  INTELLIGENT CENTIPEDE?  
  YOU CAN PLAY THAT!  
  ALIEN ARCHIVE 2
  paizo.com
  
  MAP KEY
  1. BRIDGE
  a. ENGINEER’S STATION
  b. CAPTAIN’S STATION
  c. PILOT’S STATION
  d. GUNNER’S STATION
  2. STORAGE
  3. GALLEY
  4. GUEST QUARTERS
  5. CREW QUARTERS
  6. LAVATORY
  7. TURRET ACCESS
  8. CARGO HOLD
  9. ENGINEERING
  10. BRIG
  11. AIRLOCK
  12. POWER CORE
  RINGWORKS SENTINEL
  1  SQUARE = 5 FEET
  11
  8
  4
  12
  9
  5
  7
  FORWARD
  6
  6
  5
  4
  2
  10
  11
  3
  2
  2
  1
  a
  b
  c
  d
  
  A vacation at a luxury resort located on an asteroid goes horribly wrong as the facilities malfunction and the 
  guests and staff turn violent. The heroes must protect themselves, aid others who have remained rational. 
  and hopefully find a way to stop the growing delirium, even if it means going through guests who have been 
  transformed into hideous abominations! But what will the heroes do when they realize the same condition has 
  begun affecting their own minds?
  This volume of Starfinder Adventure Path begins the Signal of Screams Adventure Path and includes:
  • “The Diaspora Strain,” a Starfinder adventure for 7th-level characters, by Chris S. Sims.
  • Corruptions that grant powerful abilities while eating away at a character’s soul, by Jason Keeley.
  • Advice for running horror campaigns in Starfinder, as well as horror-themed feats, spells, and a new theme, by
  Epidiah Ravachol.
  • An archive of alien terrors, including an ooze from the far depths of space and a fearsome acid-spitting arthropod, 
  by Stephen Glicker, Chris S. Sims, and James L. Sutter.
  • Statistics and deck plans for a sleek security vessel, by Chris S. Sims, plus a glimpse at a beautiful but haunted
  planet, by Owen K.C. Stephens.
  ELYSIUM IS A LIE
  paizo.com/starfinder
  Printed in China. PZO7210
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Starfinder [multi]/Adventure Paths/SF10-12 Signal of Screams/Signal of Screams - 01 - The Diaspora Strain.pdf