Feeling the pull of the solarian’s power, Gurge tries to resist.
And is successful!
But momentarily managing to remain in his position leaves him vulnerable to laser fire from Harqen.
Harqen's shot strikes the tree limbs concealing Gurge, which immediately and rapidly combust in a brief burst of flame!
That ysoki has quite the filthy mouth! Gurge thinks. I've encountered sewer rats dripping with filth fever that had cleaner mouths than this guy! Think of his poor mother. He glances up at the lifeless body of Corvell. Seeing the hole in the fourth wall that accompanied her defeat, Gurge hopes that he will stay up long enough to get to take another action.
Gurge -6
Jarkin -20
Wats -2 SP
Vchk
Exegara -13
Harqen Taabestuun
Ozei Bernnshaw
Corvell -14
Zapp Brannigan -7 SP; -2 HP
Neon Punk -8 RP;-11 HP
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Neon is down and stable for the time. A few seconds after his scrolling We'll be right back! hologram appears, his armor's built-in speakers start blaring this tinny elevator music. Now, everyone else can enjoy the upbeat song as they slaughter each other.
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Seeing Neon stable on this side of the Boneyard, Zapp closes in on Gurge. He fires wildly through the foliage. "Surrender for a life sentence, or keep this up for a shorter one!"
His aim is no better than on the last shot, however; and the recoil brings the gun bashing into his nose. But since when have these little lasers had recoil...?
As the Nameless Man's gun recoils into is face, Gurge recoils away from Ozei, who now blocks the ladder. She got down here pretty fast. Time for me to be faster. I hope! The mercenary thinks. Turning around, he races through the rows of plans, past the Nameless Man, stopping just for a moment to say, "Say, you look familiar... Wait a minute! Aren't you...?" before realizing that he should probably keep his mouth shut running. Pushing through the growth and pushing down plant stalks as he goes, Gurge makes his way past his defeated co-worker and to the steps!
Gurge -6
Jarkin -20
Wats -2 SP
Vchk
Exegara -13
Harqen Taabestuun
Ozei Bernnshaw
Corvell -14
Zapp Brannigan -7 SP; -2 HP
Neon Punk -8 RP;-11 HP
"Surrender for a life sentence, or keep this up for a shorter one!"
"It is YOU who are serving a 'life sentence', breather!" Exegara cries in response, yet without breathing. "My undeath has freed me from such imprisonment."
The undead woman points her laser pistol at the Nameless Man. "Now, stand still and I will set you free as well." She fires.
The Nameless Man must have been standing still enough as the shot hits! She then rushes further into the rich plant life for cover.
Gurge -6
Jarkin -20
Wats -2 SP
Vchk (delaying)
Exegara -5
Harqen Taabestuun
Ozei Bernnshaw
Corvell -14
Zapp Brannigan -7 SP; -4 HP
Neon Punk -8 RP;-11 HP
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"My undeath has freed me from such imprisonment."
"And what happens to you when we shoot you enough?" Zapp calls back. Of course, mustering the brainpower required to ask forces him to stand still. A second later, Exegara's laser bolt hits him in the side.
Now even more annoyed, he continues shooting her subordinate. He narrowly misses everything in the area but the merc, who is missed by several feet.
"And what happens to you when we shoot you enough?" Zapp calls back. Of course, mustering the brainpower required to ask forces him to stand still. A second later, Exegara's laser bolt hits him in the side.
"Oh, probably something like that." she adds, pointing to the laser wound on Zapp before taking off into the greenery.
Paying no heed to his as-of-seconds-ago-former-employer, Gurge looks for an opportunity to escape to possible freedom. Seeing no obstacle, but the gnome, he drops the heavy hammer for speed and rushes past Wats in an effort to escape. His jostling dislodges his laser pistol as he runs and the weapon drops below Wats' saddled drone as he runs away into the corridor.
Exegara's jaw drops. A long tongue lashes out of her skull and into the air in anger. It momentarily snakes around as if it were directed to strike Ozei, but then hastily retreats back into her mouth. With all of her hastily hired help defeated, the undead woman can now see the writing on what remains of the fourth wall.
" I guess that's what I get for relying on the living..." The undead woman laments. She drops her gun. The void within her nearly eyeless eyes sockets stare at Ozei. "I surrender." she says as she slowly begins to raise her skeletal hands above her undead head. "I suppose you have some questions. You breathers always seem to." She makes a horrid sigh, then adds, "Ask away."
"Oh? And what of him?" inquires Exegara as she complies with Ozei's request. "Did he try to sell that small chair made out of clay to one of you as well?"
"The insignias? Oh, you mean those trinkets I pawned off on the Vesk. Our vessel, the Endless Threnody, picked up the distress call from a Starfinder vessel. Such calls usually mean fresh recruits. Our vessel followed the signal to a desert planet where we found a crashed vessel.". Exegara expounds.
More later when I have time
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With the help of Zapp’s healing serum, Neon drifts back to consciousness. ”Oof. Well, that was an unexpected surprise, ladies and gentlemen, but it looks like we got our...” He glances at Exegara. ”...person?”
Hauling himself back on his feet, he pats Zapp on the shoulder and winks. ”Thanks for the backup, ‘Nameless Dude’.”
"When we searched the wreckage of the ship," Exegara continues in response to Ozei's question, "we found the crew to be... unfit for service in the Corpse Fleet. We grabbed the few items of value we could before returning to our ship."
He then joins the interrogation already in progress, putting his gun to Exegara's head in a rather unnecessary show of force. "Yes, what the pretty one asked. And what were you planning with this perfectly good fertilizer?"
She turns to the Nameless Man. "Fertilizer!" she says in response. She would have spit if she could have. "The audacity of those rat-like creatures, utilizing perfectly good necromantic components as fertilizer!" Exegara shows visible rage, her tongue exiting her mouth in a flickering display of disgust. "Using the dead to help the living. It is despicable!"
She somehow calms her nonexistent nerves, before she continues, "Before our scout returned to the Endless Threnody with those trinkets you sought, we had believed that the wreckage was the result of the asteroids surrounding the desert world holding the crash site. We were wrong. Before our vessel could enter the Drift, it was crippled by a surprise attack from a pirate vessel, which we have since identified as the Lawblight. It beset upon us and crippled the Endless Threnody. We were able to escape into the Drift, but found that once in the Drift, our ship was not able to leave. Now, the Endless Threnody floats in the Drift. As a newer member of the crew, I was dispatched to locate and acquire repair materials--the components that I was forced to dig up in this wretched place of life!" She tilts her skull-shaped skull towards the pile of skulls she was assembling near the base of the machinery in the garden.
"And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling Starfinders!"
IF you search Exegara, you find
If you search the remains of the two mercenaries, you find
You can also easily recover the azimuth laser pistol and assault hammer that Gurge dropped, but he kept his credit stick more secure.
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Slowly one of the Azimuth laser pistols raises up to rest underneath Watdem's patched blanket.
Patting he blanket she now has a little bit of added protection. SHe begins to feel tired as it is well past her nap time. He taps her staff against her oxygen tank. "I need more oxygen." "I'll call the Security Forces." She grabs her comm device and promptly falls asleep in her chair.
[ooc]Looks like the boards ate my last post. Anymore questions for Exegara, before wrapping up Quest 1? [ooc]
Not long after the fighting ends, the light sounds of ysoki feet can be heard coming from a nearby corridor. Three small shapes appear, who you realize must be the proprietors of the Vat Garden.
The largest shape moves toward you. ”We are most thankful for your having dealt with these thieves.” says the largest one. He reaches into his cheek and produces six bulbs. ”A reward for your efforts and a token of gratitude.” He as he holds the bulbs out for the party to take.
Out from behind the ysoki patron hobbles a much smaller ysoki, one you could not see earlier due to his size. His leg is clearly injured and barely supported by a crude, wooden crutch. ”Thank you, all for saving our home and garden.” the tiny pup says the party. The larger ysoki lifts the small pup on its shoulders, and the young one declares, "Sarenrae bless us! Every one!”
The two ysoki look around to find their other two companions and find that they are already hard at work, fixing trampled greenery and trying to repair the damage to the broken fourth wall.
He gives final instructions for you to meet with him at a starport located in the Arms of Absalom Station to receive your ship and further orders.
As the you travel through Absalom Station on your way to the area known as "The Arms", just off of one of the corridors, you spy a disheveled nuar standing over a smoldering hot-plate stirring a greenish concoction. Believing he has spotted one or more potential customers, the pale, minotaur-like creature calls out in a loud, bullish voice, "Hot chundma for sale! Get your hot chundma!"
When you arrive at the starport, Venture-Captain Arvin stands next to the entry ramp of a sleek-looking starship.
“This is the Loreseeker, a Pegasus-class ship that’s one of the fastest and lightest in the Society’s fleet.” He says as he waves his hands over the side of the starship affectionately. “We know that a lost Starfinder vessel, the Unbounded Wayfarer, was discovered by undead creatures from a starship called the Endless Threnody. We’ve pulled some strings with our more reputable Eoxian contacts to get more information, but they’ve disavowed knowledge of the Endless Threnody entirely; this likely confirms our suspicions that the Endless Threnody is connected with the Corpse Fleet, a group of Eoxian separatists who refuse to work alongside the living.”
“We have the location of the Endless Threnody in the Drift, courtesy of that ghoul you tracked down.” Arvin continues, ”Its Drift engine is incapacitated, so it’s unable to escape the Drift. Take the Loreseeker into the Drift, cripple the Eoxian ship—as a Corpse Fleet vessel, they won’t be open to negotiations—and recover the location of the lost Starfinder vessel.”
”I hesitate to ask…” Arvin says as he scans some of the Starfinders before him, ”but do you have any questions?”
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Vchk hurries to catch up with the group, juggling a purloined laser pistol and a shiny-ish new assault hammer, as well as a piping hot cup of olive-colored chundma, trying to down the fatty liquid before it congeals.
{"Sorry I was so quiet there. I'm not one for banter. More of a focused shot type. You could say."}
...do you have any questions?"
The shirren looks eagerly up at the sleek vessel, clearly anticipating the task at hand.
{"This is my first time serving on a Pegasus-class, sir. What's the armament like? And does the Society have any information on what kind of threat the Endless Threnody might pose?"}
Venture-Captain Arvin looks at the vessel, pointing out its weapons. "First time, eh? Then you are in for a treat. Its armament consists of the coilgun on the turret and there are also the laser cannons. The armor and defenses are fairly standard, but the beauty of this vessel is in her speed and elegance."
{Plus the name is pretty cool, don't you think?} he broadcasts via telepathic thought.
"As for the Endless Threnody, what we know mainly came from the information you recovered and forwarded from that datapad." Arvin eyes the group suspiciously. At least, I assume it was you., he thinks before he continues. "We only know that the Drift engine is damaged, so it's unable to leave the Drift. The fact that its agent was prevented from acquiring replacement parts..." He pauses and eyes the party again, for a little longer. At least, I assume it was by you., he thinks. Once again, he continues, "means that its Drift engine is probably still offline. But you should assume that its armaments and other systems are still operational. As a freighter, it's unlikely to be bristling with weapons, but be careful." At least, I assume you can be careful, he thinks.
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{Plus the name is pretty cool, don't you think?}
{"She's gorgeous."} Vchk softens his telepathic voice, focusing on just the venture-captain. {We'll do our best to bring her back in one piece. I'm not making any promises about the state of her crew, though."}
"Space battle, huh? I'm not one to go in guns blazing, but it looks like we don't have a choice," he concludes in a miserable tone.
{"Not to worry. I'll blaze the guns, you get the views. Hopefully we'll prevent you from acquiring any new holes. Again."}
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“Hey, now - I was doing fine right until that one goon managed to find his swingin’ arm and whacked me upside the head. That laser was just a lucky hit,” he says defensively. Rapping his knuckles on his newly-mended armor, he adds, “I feel bad about the other guy, but at least he didn’t suffer much. Vaporization tends to be pretty instant.”
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"There can be no reasoning with the Corpse Fleet," Zapp notes, consulting his comm unit. "They know only deception, or, at best, war. Worry not, we'll blast them back to kingdom come like in my Armada days!"
"I'll show those skeletons that bravery that served me well at the Scoured Stars!"
His righteous fervor quickly fades, leaving his highly intelligent brain to think tactics. "So, team. What can you all do in a dogfight?"
With your crew at their stations, the Loreseeker departs Absalom Station and ventures into the Drift, an immense, empty plan of swirling colors. Once in the Drift, it takes 20 days to reach the last known coordinates of the Endless Threnody.
Upon reaching the coordinates, you find that the Endless Threnody is not present.
Acting Science Officer may make a Computers check at +2 due to use of the Loreseekers Computers bonus. This roll may be further modified by actions by the Captain and/or Engineer.
Acting Captain may assist with a Demand [+4 bonus with successful Intimidate (DC 19)] or an Encourage [+2 bonus with successful Diplomacy (DC 17) or successful Computers (DC 10)]
Acting Engineer may divert power auxillary power to the starship’s sensors giving it a boost with a successful Engineering (DC 14)
Acting Pilot should please give me a Piloting roll for Initiative.
In addition, the acting science officer notes some significant damage sustained by the Endless Threnody, apparently from a fight against pirates.
On approach to the Endless Threnody, you see that the Eoxian freighter is a massive vessel made of bone and steel. The front of the ship is a single enormous red lens, appearing as a sullen, bloody eye. The ship bristles with bone protrusions, as though it were some horned, skeletal beast. Some of the bones are charred and broken, indicating past battle damage. Laser canons protrude from the front and sides of the freighter; but its rear weapon mounts are a twisted wreck. Gaps between the bones show the ship’s interior, but this is not from battle damage—this ship was never intended to accommodate living creatures.
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When the voyage begins, Zapp promptly tests out the captain's chair by sitting in it and immediately falling asleep. Beyond that, he spends the next three weeks pacing around the ship with his usual prattle. Given this extended period, perhaps the team will build up a resistance to him...?
No! Shortly before engaging the vessel, he doubles down. "I'm not the greatest when it comes to these machines," he tells Neon, who is busy calculating an approach vector. "But I'm pretty good. And if I were me, which I am, I would press...say, that button? Yes, the red one. Red is a good color."
[
Harqen sees the enemy ship make the first move and shouts "These bast**** have a fr**** good pilot, damn it! But if our dad taught us something ... it is flying! So eat this you undead piece of ..."
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“Easy with the micro there, Head Wound,” Neon shoots back. “You keep gettin’ up in my air, there won’t be any left for me to breathe.”
Also, what’s with this guy’s fashion sense? Red sucks. Shaking his head in despair, he mans the science officer’s station, doing his best to muddle through the unfamiliar prompts.
"Found 'em! Let's go raid the closet for some skeletons." With the location of the Endless Threnody locked in, he punches a few keys, sending the Loreseeker along the optimal path to reach their target.
Endless Threnody Actions
Both undead actions successful!
You guys are all up.
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“Alright, boney boys - time for your X-ray.” Neon flips a few switches and does Computer Stuff(TM), going for a full scan of the enemy vessel.
Somehow, he manages to drag up a clip of a cat playing a keyboard in the corner of the screen. “Heh, classic. That one’s for you pet-lovers out there!” He winks at the camera, all the while thinking, I have no idea what I’m doing.
Engineering Phase
The undead crew of the Endless Threnody successfully divert power to the ship’s engines, increasing its speed.
Aboard the Loreseeker, Watdems’ whack of the panel is just barely sufficient to diver power to the weapons systems.
Helm Phase
The crew of the Endless Threnody successfully initiate evasive maneuvers as they methodically turn their vessel towards the approaching Starfinder ship. [+2 AC and TL] Meanwhile, a skeletal officer attempts to target the Loreseeker’s “power-draining” systems (That’s Corpse Fleet speak for “life support”!)
Harqen deftly coaxes the Loreseeker to full speed toward the undead craft, while successfully initiating his own evasive maneuver. [+2 AC and TL] Meanwhile, Neon Punk attempts to scan the enemy vessel, but cannot manage to get the forward array pointed in the right direction (which for the record would be forward, cause, well, it’s the forward array), while somewhere within the infosphere, an alien life form chuckles at a clip of a cat playing a keyboard in the corner of the screen (but only because he likes food commercials).
Gunnery Phase
The Nameless Man opens a channel to the Endless Threnody. His announcement of an impending “victory yodel” sufficiently chills the bones of the undead.
Vchk lets loose a volley from the coilgun that tears into the hull of the undead ship despite its evasive maneuvers.
Ozei follows with a barrage of laser fire from the forward cannon, which further pierces the hull of the undead vessel.
The crew of the Endless Threnody return fire.
The skeletal undead fire as if they have no eyes.
Starship Status at End of Round 1
Endless Threnody -20 HP
Loreseeker - unscathed!
Round Two
Harqen - Piloting initiative: 20
Undead –
Loreseeker moves first.