Dead Suns AP by GM Cellion (Inactive)

Game Master GM Cellion

Ted's rifle disrupts.

Disruption Rifle, Minor (Boosted): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17
damage (Sonic): 4d8 ⇒ (6, 1, 5, 7) = 19
mystic strike makes it a magic weapon; charges: 15/40

A volley of laser fire from Jelico, a plasma bolt from Spec and a final slash from Arc overwhelm the remaining slime. It shudders and then bursts in a rain of superheated goop!

Combat Over!

Although the room had previously already been filled with piles of junk and scrap metal, the room is somehow even worse of a mess now. However, with no oozy guardians, you're able to take some time to recover discarded weapons among the junk - including those the oozes themselves were using. (The DC to extract them is too low for the fine engineers in this party :>)

Darnit, I think the forum ate my post!

With the battle over, Arcalinte sighs frustratedly and goes over to the wall, closing his eyes.

"My connection to the Cycle isn't as strong as I believed it to be, it seems."

He meditates while the others scavenge the guns.

Spending 1 RP for SP.

Where to next?

Ted also takes a minute to recover his senses, "This place oozes with death."

1 RP for SP, please

Jellico will rest too

Jellico nods at Ted's assessment. "Not unsurprising, but unpleasant nonetheless. Desna preserve us, and we just might make it out alive."

Isu will rest, and he changes out his forcefield battery.

After the group wipes off the goop, they proceed to the south.

(the next room is marked as a secure room)

Isu looks at the door and wonders what is so secure about it. He looks at the others and sheathes his hammer.

Ted also takes a minute to recover his senses, "This place oozes with death."

1 RP for SP, please

"That is quite possibly the worst joke you have ever made, Ted," Arcalinte comments as he completes his meditation and stands erect.

He takes the laser pistol and twirls it a bit.

"I could probably make good use of this unless we find better knives or maybe a handaxe. In my hand, Sarenrae could empower its illumination."

Ted chuckles at Arc's assessment and busies himself with the secure door.

engineering: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (18) + 19 = 37
computers: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (12) + 24 = 36
save vs unavoidable death: 1d20 - 10 ⇒ (19) - 10 = 9

While Ted works on the next door, Spectre also rests and examines the weapons they have found.

"These are of fine quality and will sell for a premium once we are finished here. I would like one of the Screamers," he suggests.

This time around, Ted easily breaks through the door's security with a deft rewiring of its access pad. The door cycles open to reveal a high-tech torture chamber. A metal podium with numerous controls on it stands in the center of this room. Padded, vertical beds with numerous straps and restraints lie is a semi-circle around the podium. Most bear numerous stains and small tears in their padding. Each bed sits beneath a bright spotlight on the ceiling, the total of which illuminate this room brightly. Four large vents are visible in the ceiling - the first vents for air-flow you've seen so far on the Empire of Bones.

The podium appears to have a number of drawers built into it, and lockers lie right behind each of the eleven beds.

"Was the air circulated for the prisoner's benefit?" Jellico wonders aloud. He beings to go through the lockers.

"A likely hypothesis," Spectre agrees. "Perhaps we could infiltrate the air ducts to avoid higher-traffic areas," the droid suggests as he examines them for size.

"Or it could have been for the benefit of their captors' sadistic whims. Sound, and therefore the screams of the tortured, can't travel through a vacuum after all," Arcalinte comments as he joins Jelico in searching.

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (17) + 19 = 36

As Jelico and Arc arrive at the lockers, the door behind them suddenly slams shut and locks. The lights in the room dim to a dull red and the vents in the ceiling click open and begin to pressurize the room. A holo display on the central podium flickers on to state 'Ambulatory breathers detected. Initializing sedation procedures.' in glowing Eoxian text.

Out in the hallway, you see the door that Ted worked hard to open has overridden his override and sealed back up. It'll take another attempt to get it back open, likely even more challenging than the first time around!

Meanwhile inside the room, the doors do not respond to any attempt to open them, and a droning vibration seems to be running through the floor. You've got a few rounds to get out before something bad happens!

"Check the podium! Maybe there's something in there that'll help us get that door open. I'll keep looking in these lockers."

Perception: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (10) + 23 = 33

Spectre immediately begins working to override the system remotely.

"You mouth-breathers may want to find an alternative way to breathe," he says as he works on counter-measures.

computers (expert rig): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (4) + 26 = 30 If successfully hack into a computer, also disable one countermeasure installed in the system (except firewalls). In addition, counts as engineering or hacking specialty kit and counts computer with a tier equal to half level with the Artificial personality, hardened, or security I upgrade module.

computers (expert rig): 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (19) + 26 = 45 2nd attempt

engineering: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (14) + 19 = 33

Ted guides Spectre's efforts, "You're doing it wrong."

I believe Ted had given everyone a life bubble if that helps at all?

Those inside the room see a pale white gas blasting out of the vents to fill the vacuum of the room. Thanks to their sealed armors and Ted's life bubble, they aren't at any immediate risk. But they do notice the central podium's message change to 'Gas sedation ineffective, switching to nonlethal pulsing.'

Jelico opens lockers and finds them empty one by one. Meanwhile outside, Spec attempts to hack into the system to get the door open. Thanks to his special preparations, he's able to counteract the countermeasure that triggers during his first attempt. Ted's attempt to get the door back open meets some difficulty, but at least he doesn't trigger any additional countermeasures. Its not until Spec's second attempt that he manages to override the lock.

Inside the room, you see the podium flicker for a moment with 'Error.' and then 'Accelerating sedation.'

"OutoutOUT!" Arcalinte cries as the lock is overridden and the door opens, shooing everyone in the room out.

Jellico all but jumps out of the room. Standing up and brushing himself off he looks at Spec and Ted. "Thanks for the help, guys. I knew you'd get that door open. I'm just glad it was sooner and not later."

Spectre doesn't need additional prompting to leave.

"The odds of survival are higher outside of this room. Much higher."

Ted's top flits into the gaseous room, searching for magical emanations.

"That was *too* close!" Arcalinte comments. "If they didn't know we were here already, they sure as sunrise do now."

Arc hits the button to open the door and a horrible grinding vibration runs through the thin air inside the room. The door's motors grind... and then the door slams open. As it does, all the air inside is blasted into the vacuum of the hallway - right past all the room's occupants!

Arc Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Spec Reflex: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32
Jelico Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

All three of you manage to stay safe as the blast throws you out into the hallway. You land on your feet, unharmed.

Once things have settled down and the room's gases spread out through the hallway, you go back in to investigate more thoroughly. All of the lockers are empty and Ted's top doesn't detect anything magical. However, Spec and Ted both note that the central podium could be subverted in order to act as a recharge station for environmental protections. (unlikely to be needed thanks to life bubble + your high level armors, but its here) A small compartment in the podium also contains four doses of Tier 2 Sedative.

Now that that's resolved, Arcalinte checks to see if they're closer to their contact.

As the group leaves the room, Jellico stops to utter an uncharacteristic (for him, at least) blessing. "Desna, guide the souls of those who perished here. May none ever perish so again."

He moves on with the others.

"I suggest we attempt this door next," Spectre says, looking toward the south.

Let's try the last door on the west side of the hall, then circle back and do the door on the east side of this hall.

whew, that was an exciting sequence! sorry, I was out for the week on vacation. it was very cinematic reading it all at once.

Isu takes the lead again, opening the door that Spectre suggests.

As the group leaves the room, Jellico stops to utter an uncharacteristic (for him, at least) blessing. "Desna, guide the souls of those who perished here. May none ever perish so again."

He moves on with the others.

Arcalinte nods and makes the sign of the sun with his hand.

"May their next turn on the Cycle be one of peace and comfort."

Sorry for the delay.

Arc checks the signal for Ambassador Nor's contact and finds that it seems to be very much nearby... in fact as you wander down the hall you note the signal seems to be coming from the same room that Spec is standing in front of! Last room on the west side of the hall

When you try the door, you find it to be locked like the rest of them, with a card scanner on one side. The door looks even more solid than most. A small sign to the side of the door reads "Security" in Eoxian.

Arcalinte approaches the door and before Spectre and Ted have a chance to try the lock, he knocks on it a few good hard times.

There's no response from the door.

Arcalinte sighs.

"Damn, that would have been funny if it actually worked. Ted? Spectre? Your turn."

"Everyone get ready. If that door opens, odds are that something's on the other side that isn't going to be friendly."

With barely any effort, Spectre makes quick work of the door.

computers (expert rig): 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (20) + 21 = 41 additional +4 vs. traps

Arcalinte nods and draws his sword again, dipping into a defensive stance with it.

Spec certainly makes quick work of the door and Arc is able to slide it open. This room has only a single entrance. A small dais in the center of the room is raised up a few feet, and pillars line the walls. Each pillar supports several glowing displays, all of which show collections of video streams of hallways, hangar bays, rooms, and other locations within this section of the Empire of Bones. You see yourselves on one of the displays, standing outside in the hallway.

The only occupant of the room is an undead Eoxian woman in a long blue overcoat with the stylings of an officer's uniform. Her burning blue eyes, skeletal facial structure, and haughty stance look somewhat familiar...

"You make your last mistake, intruders." Her voice rasps through your comms.

|||| INIT ||||
Jelico
Arc (3 HPdmg)
Isu
Spec (15 dmg)
Ted
??? Officer

I *KNEW* IT!

"Hello again!" Arcalinte says the moment he recognizes their assailant. "I think the Ambassador would say YOU'RE making the mistake, or did he not inform you we were coming?"

"She's that Corpse Fleet operative we found in a box on the Acreon!" he explains in a low voice to the others.

Isu agrees with Arc's assessment. "Hold your fire! We are on the same side! We were the ones who brought you to the Ambassador months ago!"

YES! I love that they closed that plot hook after all this time.Remember how me and Arc started a fight to distract the camera?

The the flames in the officer's eyes narrow, evaluating. It doesn't seem like she recognizes you - or she's very good at hiding it. She gets ready to fire again, but hesitates for a moment. (You'll want a social roll, along with something to convince her to make the DC easier)

"Your name is Eskolar. Just Eskolar, no title is necessary, though it would be ma'am if we insist on pronouns," Arcalinte says, repeating how she introduced herself to them way back when. "This sure beats a cargo container for comfort, though."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 18 + (2) = 24

"Whatever we're going to do, let's do it quickly." Jellico mutters back. He casts Haste and draws his pistols.

Spectre holds his fire, waiting to see if Arcalinte can make any progress.

"Attacking us would be an act of ingratitude," Spectre says.

1d1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Eskolar hesitates for a moment longer, then holsters one pistol. She steps swiftly to the center console and presses a series of buttons with her bony fingers. She beckons you into the room and closes the door to the hallway.

Combat Over!

Once the door is securely closed, she rasps "Ah, the Starfinders." She holsters her other pistol "I would not have estimated that YOU would be the ones I meet here as part of my work. What brings you to the Empire of Bones with the Ambassador's approval? I am close to the conclusion of my mission, and it would not do for you to ruin my carefully constructed cover."

She motions to the cameras monitoring this room "I have made certain that the cameras in this room will not observe this conversation, but the alarms will bring vigilant eyes soon enough. Be swift in your answers."

Arcalinte nods and waves the others into the room after him.

"I'll be blunt, Eskolar: we're going to try and reach the Empire's bridge, hijack this vessel, and crash it into the Stellar Degenerator."

Jellico is confused by the woman's reaction. He moves into the room with the others but doesn't holster his pistols.

Spectre turns toward Arcalinte.

"For once, I could not have stated our objective more succinctly."

"Delightful." Eskolar murmurs, pondering for a moment before adding "My own chances were slim, but you will do far more nicely." She leans over the console for a moment and rapidly taps away at the interface. Several windows open and close and the cameras in the room swivel and film for a few seconds entirely at Eskolar's command.

"There." Eskolar completes her brief reprogramming of some specialized program, saving it to the system. "For my initial plan, I had prepared two digital tools to aid with infiltration. The first - Wraith 2.0 - lies now within the ship's security camera network. I had originally set it up to digitally omit images of myself from the real-time camera feeds, essentially allowing me to roam about the ship without being tracked via surveillance." She points a bony finger at your group "I have added your appearances to the tool. As you move about you should be invisible to the security cameras, at least until they reboot the system - which they may do if they become suspicious. However, it will not hide you from direct visual inspection, so do not become too comfortable."

Pretty self-explanatory, but this'll let you avoid being seen on security cameras. It also lets you be invisible to any robots on the ship that rely on security cameras for target acquisition.

"Second, I can trigger TombRobber to create a widespread mass of false security alerts anywhere on the ship. This trick will draw attention away - or toward - a location I wish." She pauses "However, each use of TombRobber requires a unique emergency security key. These keys are stored on physical devices like this one." She takes out a thin device that looks like a bony thumb encased in a metal lattice. "I have only one, but should you encounter more of them, I will be able to use the tool more than once."

The way this works is that you can contact Eskolar to trigger the program. At this point, you can hide somewhere and out of the way and take advantage of the distraction to take a night's rest and regain resources. Without using this tool, you are all but guaranteed to be interrupted before you can take a long rest. each use of the tool costs an emergency security key, and Eskolar starts with only one.

"Make use of these tools, and achieve your goal. It is... in our collective best interest, after all."

Jellico looks at the others with him. "You trust this woman?"