Echoes of the Thin Places

Overview

Jaxen Krell, a smuggler with ties to the Unbound, needs a "clean" operative to recover a stolen data core from a Reality Purist outpost. The core contains the locations of several "Thin Places" where the Unbound hide, and its falling into Purist hands would lead to a systematic purge of these sanctuary zones.

Objectives

1. The Meeting: Find Jaxen Krell at The Singularity Tap.
2. The Infiltration: Travel to the Reality Purist monitoring post near the Shimmering Rift.
3. The Heist: Use a Neural Interface Spike to bypass the security and retrieve the Unbound Data Core.
4. The Delivery: Bring the core to Zephyrin at the Rift's edge.

NPCs Involved

• Jaxen Krell: The quest giver and cynical smuggler.
• Zephyrin: The Unbound mentor who receives the core.
• Elara Vance: Can provide intel on Purist security if questioned.

Dialogue Hooks

• Jaxen: "The Purists have a list. A list of every wielder hiding in the cracks of reality. If we don't get that core back, those cracks are going to start closing... with people inside them."
• Zephyrin: "The silence of the Void is preferred to the screams of the erased. Thank you for preserving our song."

Map Markers

Branching Paths

• Loyalty: Return the core to Zephyrin (Standard reward + Unbound Rep).
• Profit: Give the core to the Human Collective (High Credits reward + Collective Rep, but loses Unbound trust).
• Erasure: Destroy the core (Neutral outcome, prevents Purist purge but loses the Unbound's records).

Failure States

• If the player is detected and fails to escape the outpost, the Purists may "sanitize" the core, resulting in quest failure and a permanent loss of Unbound reputation.

Rewards

• Neural Interface Spike (x2)
• 1500 XP
• +10 Reputation with The Unbound

Design Notes

• This quest introduces the player to the tension between the Unbound and Reality Purists.
• Encourages use of Quantum Stealth mechanics.
• Provides a moral choice that sets the tone for future faction interactions.