Starfinder Society Scenario # 1-38: "The Many Minds of Historia" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played The Many Minds of Historia several months ago with the Iconic Witchwarper.  Reading it for the purposes of this review, I understand now what was happening--but at the time, I found it fairly confusing.  The scenario requires players to make some leaps in terms of logic and plausibility.  On the plus side, it does tell an interesting story and represents some major advancement in long-running subplots concerning some major Starfinder Society NPCs.  I guess, overall, I have mixed feelings about it--a good idea that could have used a little more time in the oven to fully cook.

SPOILERS

The scenario starts intriguingly with a secret, telepathic-only, conversation with Zigvigix.  The faction leader has become concerned that something has happened to Historia-7, as she's been acting strangely and has left some cryptic messages to him in the form of altered Star Sugar Heartlove??? album track lists.  Zigvigix has jumped to a startling conclusion: that Historia-6 (Historia-7's predecessor, recently rescued from the Scoured Stars) has taken control of her and is pretending to be her!  Ziggy wants to confront Historia-7/Historia-6 in the Lorespire Complex Archives, but doesn't want to go alone--hence, the PCs.  I remember enjoying spotting all the discrepancies in the album track handout, though exactly how Ziggy (correctly, it turns out) reaches the conclusion that Historia-6 has taken control of Historia-7 still isn't something I understand.

In the archives' main area, called the Cortex, the Starfinders find Historia-7 plugged into a network.  The revelation that she is being controlled by an outside force comes immediately as a protective dome slides over her and automated rifle turrets and security robots target the group.  The protective dome is meant to be effectively impenetrable, but the scenario writer didn't count on my Witchwarper being able to effectively dimension door in!  It didn't really matter though, because there's nothing the PCs can do to help Historia-7 here.

Instead, further exploration of other rooms in the Cortex reveal that Historia-6 has completely transferred his consciousness into Historia-7's body (abandoning his own, which is now completely burned out).  He accomplished this through use of a device called an Abrogation Matrix, which is still in the compound.  Zigvigix surmises that Historia-7's consciousness is trying to resist Historia-6's takeover (which is why she left cryptic clues), but that time is running out before his lady-love is destroyed completely!  Through his telepathic powers and use of the Abrogation Matrix, Zigivigix is somehow (credulity . . . stretching . . . ) able to transfer the PCs' consciousnesses into a virtual mindscape to help her!

In the scenario, being in a mindscape is (disappointingly) almost exactly the same as normal life.  There's no Inception or Matrix-level awesome alteration of one's surroundings here.  PCs can spend resolve points to gain some minor benefits, but the costs are too high to make it worthwhile.  The settings for the mindscape involve scenes from Historia-7's and Historia-6's memories, and these do provide some interesting backstory.  We learn how Historia-7, before becoming a faction leader and then known as Celita, discovered that a senior Starfinder officer has been altering records to hide his theft of important relics.  This discovery, and her successful confrontation of the man, is what first drew her to Historia-6's attention.  The PCs get to relive the memory and try to resolve the situation again (exactly why this matters, I don't know).  Another memory is of a Star Sugar Heartlove!!! concert, and the PCs need to stabilize it from data corruption.

Another scene is actually from Historia-6's past, and shows how Historia-5 took over his body!  In fact, the a startling revelation is in store: there's essentially always been just one android ("Historia-Prime") who has used illegal technology to transcend from android body to android body for decades, always overriding the original consciousness of their chosen host body.  (The mere existence of this technology is a pretty big deal for the setting, one would think.)  The PCs thus need to "battle" mindscape manifestations of Historia-Prime in various scenes in order to save Historia-7.  The idea sounds really exciting in the abstract, but essentially boils down to traditional encounters.  Assuming the PCs are successful, Historia-Prime vacates Historia-'s body and transmits himself to an unknown location (perhaps to reappear in a future scenario? he would make a good season-long villain with his inside knowledge of the Society!).  Historia-7 is saved, but decides to discard the legacy of Historia-Prime by returning to the name Celita (receiving nice new artwork in the process).  It's a pretty cool and satisfying story arc for the character, and Ziggy/Historia-7 shippers will find their hearts swelling.

The Many Minds of Historia is one of those scenarios that tells a satisfying story, even if the actual gameplay comes across as fairly pedestrian.  Battling virtual representations of a near-immortal android consciousness in a mindscape should be the basis for some crazy, trippy encounters of the type that we'd never get to see in the "real" world.  But instead, we fight robots on a starship flip-mat and an ooze on a jungle flip-mat, and there's nothing to distinguish either from an encounter outside a mindscape.  Nonetheless, I'd recommend the scenario for anyone invested in the long-simmering romance between Zigvigix and Historia-7.