For all the Institute of Harmony professes about the Institute being a Philosophy rather than a hierarchy, the Sarcessian Valente set the tone with her 4-tier color poem “Life is everywhere. Life is foolish” - even before the Institute was formed, this is considered to be the first Charter.
My people developed this phrase when we were all alone,
before the Signal of Triune.
We had found the relics of a thousand civilizations that rose and fell,
unknown and unknowable.
With no context, their words and worlds are lost.
We will bind ourselves to each other.
We will make a chain of context.
We will not be lost,
As the parent is known to the child.
Vhahat Rrhav vill SShan, Captain-indentured of the Salamander's Delight, has offered you a ride in return for your stories and help crewing the far-too-large ship for a single sentient. Vhahat explained that they do not own the ship, but have rights to it for the purpose of their mission to prevent the next contract with the Institute for Civilized Warfare for their home in the Outlaw Kingdoms in Verces. Less than a day out from the Armada, the fleet of ships that surround Absalom station and make up the less-policed, lower-rent accommodations, we introduce our characters:
Onboard the Grasp of the Vodyanoi, the ship of Lady Mirana Kesh’Ente, Assistant Director of the Institute of Civilized Warfare, your chapter of the Institute of Harmony sat down with Defender Ghallun, representing the Shed Cocoon and the VoidBreacher tribe. The Aggressor Malmyl Fryxelius agreed to most of the terms:
In the interest of not interrupting trade, the IoCW is advancing a loan of 10,000 credits to the VoidBreachers against the Salamander's value, to move it out of the combat zone, and have another scrapper continue the work.
After the terms were set, Malmyl Fryxelius left for the Diaspora, followed by the Owlbear to see if any understanding could be reached before the war started in 4 days. Their progress was interrupted by a water weird intruding through the Decanter of Endless Water, bursting pipes, destroying systems, and rushing through the crew over to the pool. Blinding it with bubbles, shocking it with electricity, the party eventually re-routed it to the Pelican, breaking it down into Air and Positive.
While engulfed by the creature and shocked by an electrical weapon, Seneca-3's Exocortex woke up, revealing herself to be the warrior Seneca-1.
The Owlbear returned to normal space with damage to the thrusters, life support, electro-positive power distribution, lasers, and pool, an hour's journey to the Dwarven Star Citadel.
The Citadel, a giant carved mountain floating in the Diaspora, does not allow any visitors who are not dwarves. The surface-dwellers' guest houses offer hospitality to each species, separately, and a means to visit the Citadel - remotely controlling robotic dwarven bodies.
Dorna Dangermouse (Zex'r), Dug (Seneca-3), Chrysoberyl (Jyl), and Tallbeard (Tullen Ward) took some time to shop, investigate, and drum up support.
The Dwarves of the Citadel, driven by their connection to their god Angradd, have emulated a Hall as seen on Lost Golarion. Beneath the surface, each shop housed modern equipment, and in some cases, ancient attitudes, reflecting a need for a second Quest for the Sky, to find Angradd's brother Torag.
Returning to their ship, the crew tuned in to the latest news...
...and in recent news, circling the center, the newest Star in the Fleet, the RiverStone that Found a Home, The VoidBreacher’s Asteroid, that some call the Shed Cocoon - and by “some”, I mean just the Institute of Harmony, the latest addition to the fern-fanciers spinning out in the cheap seats.
CUT: We’re experimenting in radical & theoretical peace. VOICEOVER: So, the Dwarves have more resources, the Goblins are tricksy as the Hells; where do you put your odds?CUT: 3 to 2.CUT: The Peace of UnderstandingSo this Institute of Harmony - just a bunch of bookies trying to size up the odds? How about that 10k “loan” from the Institute of Civilized Warfare to the VoidBreachers? Are they betting the other side?
Either way, we know what position they’re in - Harrow says...the Uprising, misaligned...for the VoidBreachers...not looking good for them, listeners.
CN – The Uprising represents being caught in the clutches of something much more powerful than you. It is an overwhelming strength that often crushes what comes in contact with it. The crown held high signifies an of a leader of some sort. In the spread, it indicates a force much stronger than the person receiving the reading.
The Institute of Harmony met with the Citadel Throne, all five dwarves in council, underneath the dome of ancient constellations that were last seen in Golarion's night sky. Through great persuasion, they were able to get the Throne to reconsider the CItadel's policy of issuing general declarations of war, but not to stop this particular conflict.
In attempting to return to Absalomi space in time to stop the war, the intrepid crew of the Flight of the Owlbear were ambushed by a mysterious freighter carrying two fighter escorts at the edge of Diaspora space. Expecting to find easy prey, they were surprised when the Owlbear fought back - all while their life-support, thrusters, and lasers were out due to the Decanter of Endless Water malfunctioning again. The crew quickly contained the chlorine gas seeping in with a Life Bubble spell, shunted the water in the swimming pool to give them thrusters, and refilled it with summoned water elementals - providing a key clue on why the DoEW system had failed.
After the battle, research on the wreckage turned up disabled transponders, dwarvish foes, and confirmation that the freighter was the Hoard of the Roc, one of the missing ships reported by Absalom news. The Hoard of the Roc fled the battle, and has not been seen since.
With evidence in hand, including wreckage, propaganda films, the ship sabotage, and tapes of the various attacks, they met with Cassidy Diobel, head of Absalom Security, who ordered the arrest of the Five Kings Mercenary group, the Kresh Salvage Company, and impounded the Flight of the Owlbear pending investigation. With some objection and eventual cooperation from Azurestone, the latter was lifted quickly.
The War is called by forfeit, only one side showed up.
We flash back to where Tullen Ward has been, threatened and debriefed, then tossed back into the world again to spy on or use the Institute of Harmony to serve the Institute of Contracts' ends. Zex'r collected his gambling winnings from a fellow Ysoki, a Herald representing the Radial Tilt Casino, and fielded some interesting questions regarding his knowledge of Tullen. Seneca-3 closed a deal with the Eyes of the Deep Security, with the help of Peer's knowledge of Evil and Tullen's knowledge of Law - the Decanter of Everfull Water should now be reasonably secure.
Jyl called the crew back together to discuss the nature of the Peace that would most suit the VoidBreachers and the Citadel Dwarves. Through their growing connection with the Space Goblins, they came to agreement that a signed, formal, non-public peace deal was possible. Through their experience of working with Dwarves, they made an appeal to productivity, stability, and tradition that resonated with their Ambassador. And this, their first Peace Treaty - the Peace of Forgetfulness - was signed.
In celebration, the agreed to meet Security Chief Cassidy Diobel for a drink at the Wound of the Wisp, a spaceship-themed bar on the more prosperous arm of the station. The bar had been cleared out, except for a well-lit corner well-represented by different species, congratulating them on their victory and revealing their belief that the Institute of Civilized Warfare was involved with either the creation or the continuance of the Gap by means of breaking connections between species. As their goals aligned, the crew agreed to a basic alliance with their Pathfinder Society.
Back on their ship, the Vesk Security guard most carefully did not explicitly tell the crew that the storage company guarding Geo's ancient Golarion artifact had been sold.