The Atomless

A Starfinder Podcast

### A Starfinder Podcast and Actual Play series

The Atomless originated on The Welcome Inn (now closed) for the first 20 episodes of the Actual Play. It went separate ways and is now expanding as the first show under Patchwork Productions.

### Description

Using the Starfinder RPG system, The Atomless is an improvised Audio Drama following the rag-tag crew of The Patchwork! Join Ayg, the smuggler; Azhaam, the ex-rebellion leader; Dr. Theriac, the religious scientist; and Skye, the radical teenager as they chart their way across the Atomless Sea in this ongoing Starfinder Podcast. What adventures await them in the eternally colorful Atomless Sea?
Starring GM or Space God @MatthewEkberg and players @AndreRiveraArt, @momo\_obrien, @superdillin and @WerewolfFeels | More Information about the Cast and Crew

## The Setting

*People say that the being who created all things ripped themselves into atoms only to give the dark void of space life. They say they plucked their own eyes from their heads and gave it to the universe to make stars, they tore their skin off so the universe could use it to make planets. They drained themselves of their blood, which flowed into water to make sure life could grow. Their sacrifice made the universe so overwhelmingly happy, that the once dark void burst into color and light. Swirls of reds, purples, greens, yellows, flowed throughout the galaxy like paint in water. The vast, and now colorful sea, stretched endlessly out and it brimmed with life. And after years of pondering, and living, those creatures that lived on those planets found ways to connect with one another. They met, and told stories, and laughed and cried about the sacrifice of this being. They named the galaxy that connected all of them: The Atomless.*

This is a homebrewed setting created by Matthew Ekberg, the SG of this adventure.

### Locations Visited

* Aesir System
	+ VA-11 [Space Station]
	+ Leviathan's Eye [Asteroid]
	+ Saga [Planet]
	+ Helium [Moon]
	+ Idun [Planet]
* Vanir System
	+ Noss [Planet]

## The Story So Far

***Be warned that there are spoilers beyond this point. Recaps will be broken up into arcs, with the episodes designated.***

### Arc 1: The Leviathan's Eye [episodes 1-3]

During these first few episodes, the crew assembles. Scrap, Captain of the Patchwork, and Skye, the ships mechanic, put out a request for a one-time job taking place on The Leviathan's Eye, a theme park planet located nearby. The crew members recruited for this mission are Agy, an Ysoki Technomancer, Azhaam Ehmr, the Ifrit Envoy, and Dr. Theriac, a Raxilite Biohacker. Each of these crew members stated a reason why they needed to go to Leviathan's eye, with Ayg finding herself specifically in need of a type of beverage only sold on Leviathan's Eye for her employers, Theriac curious to study a strange life form reported to be there, and Azhaam in search of a souvenir snow globe.

Upon arrival to Leviathan's Eye, the crew find that the planet has been crashed into, and the people visiting the park have been zombified by some type of alien slug-like creature that had attached itself to their heads. Managing to fight their way through, the crew find the things they need (the drinks, the snowglobe, and the slug specimens) as well as something new: a strange crystal that Ayg nicknames Spot, who surprisingly speaks to her very intensely in a dream. The stolen slug-creatures are kept in Theriac's lab, and nicknamed Burger and Fries by Skye. They brought the crystal and slugs back to VA-11 to do some quick shopping, restock, and head back out into space. While there, Ayg initially intended to separate from the group, however, the Buri Mining team left for Saga without her and so she returned to the Patchwork. While traveling, Theriac introduced the crew to a video game called Y-NET, a civilization inspired game.

### Arc 2: Saga [episodes 4-9]

The crew travel to Scrap, Skye, and Ayg's home planet, Saga, a two-tiered planet with the wealthy and powerful living atop plates that cover the poor living down below. They land in the lower decks, and make attempts to sell some of the contraband they stole from Leviathan's Eye. Along the way they uncover a rebel plot to destroy part of the plates that cover the lower decks, and agree to participate in a contest to win some money that may help the rebel efforts. Ayg and Skye compete in what becomes known as the "death race", while Azhaam and Theriac watch carefully from the stands. Azhaam learns that the race is rigged to favor the criminal organization, Void, with a bomb set to sabotage any non-Void who might win. In the course of dismantling it, the Lawmen catch Azhaam and Theriac, while other Lawmen pursue Skye. fighting ensues, several Lawmen are killed, but ultimately Ayg is able to win the race.

The prize money, Ayg and Theriac are informed, will be delivered to them at School, which they learn is a massive network of sentient computer systems, associated with Void. However, there is a temporary glitch in cellular communication that prevents School from receiving updated orders. Through conversations with Skye and Azhaam, we learn that members of Void take their first name from the location of their first kill, and Azhaam reunites very briefly with the ex-rebels from his past. Although Ayg and Theriac are able to obtain the prize money, it becomes clear that Void will be pursuing them once communications are back online, and so they flee with the rest of the Patchwork crew as fast as they can off of Saga - accidentally forgetting to give the prize money to the rebels of Saga as they promised.

A simple misunderstanding, the crew is able to connect back to the rebels on a satellite planet, Helium, known for its Comedy Club. The credits are transferred and that relationship repaired, however, while inside the club the Patchwork is robbed. Among the items missing is Spot, the crystal, which spurs a brawl in the Helium parking lot. The thieves turn out to be, Kelin, a middle-aged Vlaka man, and Flare, a human boy about Skye's age, with the help of a handful of Skittermanders. The two crews fight, with the Patchwork winning their belongings back in the end. However, the Ulfhethnar, a militaristic army, are attracted to the scene and make quick work of Ayg, Azhaam, and Skye, who are captured and brought back to the Heth ship. Theriac and Scrap manage to evade capture.

### Arc 3: The Ulfhethnar [episode 10]

The captured crew members are trapped in a memory loop, in which each of them are replaying a vivid memory from their past. In Azhaam's memory, he is back on his home planet with his partner. They have just won a major battle against Cert Energy's forces and are enjoying a rare moment of calm, discussing their love and their future, plans to hatch children, and exchanging quite a bit of sexual innuendo. Ayg's memory is her first interview with her boss at Buri Mining Company, Quinn Hilock. He asks her to move to the upper decks to work for him and his team, and checks to make sure she has no one below decks who would miss her much. In Skye's memory, she is younger and dressed in black as she approaches Scrap's Scrapyard for the first time, revealing her name to be Skye Scraper. She asks him to take her off of Saga, that she wants to quit Void, because she did something bad. Scrap agrees, as long as Skye can find some working engines.

The memories repeat, with the Heth making slight changes in an attempt to get the crewmembers to divulge information. Ayg is asked about her ability to talk to machines, Skye is asked about the Crystal, and Azhaam is asked about the war. On the outside, Theriac and Scrap plot to break into the Heth ship, retrieve the crew and the crystal, using Dr. Theriac's name and profession as leverage. This is the first time Dr. Theriac is open about their profession to anyone other than the Patchwork crew.

Ayg is able to connect to the computer system from within her loop, while Azhaam and Skye also gain self-awareness. Ayg constructs a way for the three of them to "meet" while keeping the loop going as a cover, however, Skye chooses to stay in her memory loop, revealing that she thinks this is what she deserves for the people she hurt while in Void. Azhaam and Ayg plan to work together to find Skye's memory loop and coax her out together.

While Ayg and Azhaam visit Skye's memory and convince her to leave with them, Dr. Theriac and Scrap infiltrate the Heth ship successfully, killing the guards on their way in. As they make it inside, Ayg, Azhaam, and Skye wake up inside glass pods that Azhaam explodes with his heat blast. Once free, the gang retrieve the crystal, their belongings, and a few other trinkets. Additionally, they destroy all video footage of these interrogations and blow up the ship as they flee Helium.

### Arc 4: Wild Times [episode 11-17]

The Patchwork crew arrives on the planet Idun, which is notable only for the xenoecological facility Wild Times, of which Dr. Theriac is a co-founder. We learn that before the creation of Wild Times, wildlife on Idun was being systematically wiped out by the abuse of poachers and drilling alike. However, with the help of the excessively wealth Mr. Wylde, the other co-founder, Dr. Theriac was able to begin a real conservation effort in the form of the park.

Despite being a co-founder and present board member, Dr. Theriac is treated strangely immediately upon arrival, and their colleagues repeatedly question why they left the planet without word, when Dr. Theriac insists they sent an email detailing their plans to obtain samples of this strange new wildlife [Burger and Fries]. We also learn that part of the research done at Wild Times, and a large part of its operation as a park, is altering the aggressive patterns of wild creatures to make them more docile and approachable. The reason for this practice, we are told, is so that people may get up close and person with these creatures to understand them better. The crew is divided on whether this sounds ethical.

With access to a full lab, Dr. Theriac is able to study the Crystal more fully. They discover coordinates within it, that may lead to another crystal. Dr. Theriac's belief that the crystal is connected to their religion somehow gets stronger.

We discover that Dr. Theriac is being treated so strangely because decisions have been green lit in their absence by their colleague, protoge, and best friend, Lin. Most notably, Lin has invented a technology capable of shrinking the now-docile wild creatures into near-pocket sized versions of themselves, replicating them as souvenirs to send home with park guests for a hefty price. To make things worse, the crew stumble upon a racoon with its brain altered somehow to allow it an extremely limited capacity for speech, as it can only sweep and say "i'm just a little guy".

The state of Wild Times has Dr. Theriac the most perturbed the crew has seen them, but to make things worse, they receive an anonymous note from another board member warning them about the Board, and asking to meet. The crew accompanies Theriac to this rendezvous, at which time the Board member is shot and the crew is hit with the Wild Times shrinking device, shrinking them to the size of insects. In finding their way to regain normal size, Ayg accidentally stops a transmission of information - ultimately deleting the mind of the dead board member, and Skye encounters a now-humongous Burger (of Burger and Fries) who successfully zombifies and almost kills her. Skye survives, but periodically experiences mysterious blackouts and lapses in her memory.

Once escaped, Theriac and Azhaam confront Mr. Wylde about the treason afoot. He agrees to help Dr. Theriac, but reveals that there is a bounty on Ayg's head by Void for her theft of the Death Race prize money. WIth Mr. Wyldes blessing, Theriac confronts the board, ending in a violent altercation in which Lin is thrown from a window and killed. After this escalation the park's AI computer system confesses to Theriac that it has been orchestrating events behind the scenes, including messing with Skye's brain chip. The AI says that it aligns with Dr. Theriac's vision for Wild Times, not the Board's, and proposes a deal to be rid of them and let the park start a new - beginning with the death of the remaining members.

Dr. Theriac agrees, and allows the AI to kill the remaining Board members, and enables a false killswitch on the AI, allowing it to appear as if they were the hero who saved the rest of the park. In reality, the AI will regrow and rebuild the park into Theriac's original vision. Theriac does not share this plan with the Patchwork Crew.

### Arc 5: Down Time [episodes 18 + 19]

The Patchwork crew finally get to see Wild Times, in the aftermath of everything, while Dr. Theriac orchestrates the necessary repairs and putting their affairs in order. Ayg attempts to practice her communication with machines, in preparation for an attempt to fix whatever has gone wrong with Skye's chip. In doing so, a small creature - a glitch gremlin - who feeds off of electricity, becomes drawn to Ayg and finds her. Ayg gets permission to keep him, and names him Verpill. Before they leave, they receive a call from Flare and Kelin, who are nearby and want to make amends. The two crews link up and have a party, complete with Ayg's smog wine, Azhaam's cooking, YNet, and some deep, drunken conversation. Upon take-off, Skye reveals that she smuggled the modified racoon onto the ship, and has named him Guy.

Kelin and Azhaam connect on a deeper level, revealing that Azhaam may have some budding feelings, however, he's still searching for answers about Malise, and cannot pursue anything until they are back in his life.

Skye and Flare also connect on top of the Patchwork, revealing that Flare and Kelin do not have any of their memories from before the Heth messed with their minds. Sparks fly through witty banter and intoxication.

Scrap confesses that their son is the one who destroyed their arm and face, emotionally divulging that they wish the Patchwork crew were their real family - that their life may have been different.

Dr. Theriac confesses to Ayg what really happened at Wild Times, and Ayg ultimately accepts them for it. Ayg makes Theriac swear never to lie to her again, because she is in their corner.

### Arc 6: Something is Out There [episode 20]

The Patchwork crew, along with Kelin and Flare, venture into the Drift for the first time to leave the Aesir Solar System in search of the next set of coordinates provided by the crystal. Travel is going smoothly until the ship is spat out of the drift and back into the density of space in order to avoid collision with something massive in their way - a giant floating fang surrounded by dragonlings.

Ship combat engaged! Some big wins, including strong leadership from Azhaam, some creative work from Theriac and Ayg, and quick repairs from Skye and Kelin, several of the dragons are taken out - but it isn't enough as one dragon latches onto the Patchwork and breeches its hull entirely. Azhaam is nearly ripped out into space, before Theriac finally pulls a risky move, hooking the crystal to the ship's drift core, and activating it as a power source.

The gang are sent ricocheting through space and crash-landing on Noss, a desert planet in the orbit of a bright green Vanir sun. The Patchwork is completely demolished, but everyone lives, including Guy and Verpill. Azhaam and Theriac in particular are worse for wear, Azhaam taking a beam to the abdomen during the crash and Theriac reduced to just a garlic bulb, their clay armor destroyed. Ayg speaks to the crystal again while everyone rests, and this time it does so out-loud for all to hear, demanding it be pulled to the next location. Skye questions the decision to follow this thing anywhere, while Ayg remains hopeful.

Venturing out in the desert for help, the crew are united with a new ally, and approach a new town.

### Arc 7: Nutrino Downs [episode 21-25]

The Sheriff of the small town of Nutrino Downs, Sheriff Poncho, a small light brown-furred Ysoki, introduces the group to their home, ensuring that they are set up well and taken care of at the local watering hole. He even makes Skye an honorary Deputy, which Skye immediately latches onto, playing with her accent. However, it isn't long before a small group of trouble-makers arrive, making veiled threats about the Sheriff and Nutrino Downs, mentioning the wrath of someone called The Baron.

Ayg tends to Theriac, who is still delirious and struggling to heal. In their semi-conscious state, Theriac tells Ayg they love her.

Poncho bonds with Azhaam, sharing in each other's pain over their long-lost loves. Or so it seems, as after Azhaam shares his story, Poncho reveals that his wife is simply away for the weekend, and he is just that in love that it feels much worse.

Once the crew is feeling better, Scrap discusses their budding feelings on their gender identity - largely inspired by Dr. Theriac's - with members of the crew, officially identifying themselves as non-binary.

The Baron is planning an attack on Nutrino Downs, and the Patchwork crew agree to help defend it. Ayg and Azhaam plot to map the town - Azhaam from a tactical standpoint and Ayg by locating the electrical currents. Skye, however, insists on going undercover into The Baron's crew to learn their plans. While there, in order to prove herself loyal and to not get killed, Skye is pressured to falling back into her old Void habits, and shoots someone as commanded. To make up for this, she decides to attempt to get as many people as she believes can be persuaded out of the Baron's life of crime, including the Monitor Brothers and a young girl named Astrid.

In a blowout Train Fight with the Baron, we learn that he has been keeping himself alive with the power of Trinium Ore, and that he lied to Poncho in the past to gain access to the town with the promise of making life better for all here. He also reveals that New Mors is to blame for his current state in his final moments as the Patchwork crew and company win the fight, and the Baron dies. A celebration is had and the people of Nutrino Downs (with encouragement from Skye and Azhaam) call for the possibility of Poncho to be Mayor, rather than Sheriff, after he's had time to rest. Skye leaves behind some credits and an apology for the family of the life she took.

### Arc 8: New Mors [episode 26-?]

After celebrating the victory in Nutrino Downs, the Patchwork crew and company seek New Mors, the direction of the coordinates left by the Crystal and possibly the only place on Noss where the crew can find a new ship.

Attempts are made to fool the person at intake about the crew's identity, but it's largely unsuccessful. They are particularly interested in Theriac, as founder of Wild Times, and Ayg is told that her boss has been notified of her entry into the city. The entry to which is an 8-hour long elevator ride to the depths of Noss' crust. Just before the descent, Azhaam sees a Heth ship land. Two people who get out are Maliz, Azhaam's long-lost partner, and the Heth leader who Azhaam once fought against.

Throughout the descent, the crew reveal their indiscretions, pasts, and feelings from throughout the campaign to each other. Loosely, a pact is made to stop dealing with the crew's worst problems alone, only together. Once landed, it is quickly noted that something deeply strange is going on in this vast city.

## Miniseries'

### SAGA

In this four-part miniseries, we travel to the distant past of The Atomless Sea to get a glimpse of life on a plate-free Saga through the eyes of five of it's residents, some new and some old. The universe has opened up thanks to driftcore travel, but for most on Saga, life continues on as usual.

#### Cast

GMed by Dillin with @breeedo\_ playing Nym, @MatthewEkberg playing Sebastian, @byConnieChang playing Grist, @Gabejamesgames playing Apex, and @TheKappaChris playing Winston - This mini series has also included special appearances from @AndreRiveraArt, @momo\_obrien and @WerewolfFeels and was edited by Superdillin. Click for more cast and crew information.

## Corporations, Conglomerates, and Organizations

Corporations play a large role in the whole of **The Atomless** Universe, as their corrupted influence over people and places over time contributes to many of the main conflicts throughout the campaign and its miniseries'.

**Buri Mining Company** - One of the biggest corporations throughout the Atomless Sea, focusing on Mining for oil and power sources. The main hub of Buri is on the Upper Decks of Saga.

**Cert Energy** - Another major corporation with a focus on mining for energy sources. Rumors from the start of the game that Cert and Buri plan to merge. Cert Energy is also the default "AI" enemy in YNet.

**The Ulfheonar** (Oolv-HETH-Nahr) or "Heth's" - A powerful "voluntary" military force that is well known throughout the Galaxy, people who join up come back "different" than they were before.

**The Void**: A powerful crime group whose members take the name of the place where they first killed someone.

**[DEFUNCT] Bunin Surveying & Resources**: An assessment firm that has been out of business decades before the start of the main campaign. May have been involved in the destruction and siphoning of the resources on Idun.

**Galactic Waters Banking**: A for-profit banking conglomerate that buys up local banking chains on many planets to further a "free, fair, and safe galactic economy".

**Stellarvis Transport**: Galactic starcruises for wealthy patrons. They each have casinos on board! And patented CalmDrift TM technology for a quiet and cool voyage.