Once it has withdrawn out of reach, it flaps its way out of the stone dome and does its best to get some distance from the group.
Isu continues to bleed.
|||| INIT ||||
Arc (1 dmg)
Isu (14 dmg, Bleed 2)
Ted
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Skreeling Blue (8 dmg)
Bold are up!
Solaria follows the creatures as it leaves the building of the dead, taking up a position as lookout by the entrance. "Let's hope it's gone for good, I didn't like the way it spilled Isu's blood. And I sure don't like the idea of meeting it's parents."
Spectre steps out of the dome and attempts a last shot at the fleeing skreeling.
The shot catches the skreeling in a wing, briefly unbalancing its flight with an additional weight of ice. But it quickly shakes off the wound and continues to wheel away from the dome. A dozen rapid flaps of its wings later, it dives down into the dark cave (the one brimming with stalactites) opening to the north-west of the stone dome.
"Arc, I'll keep a watch on that cave, you finish what you have to do in there. Call me if you need me and don't worry I'll call you all if more of those things come this way. We're still using channel 6 for urgent communications yes. I'm all set to go then." She finds a spot by the entrance, that she can settle down comfortably and difficult to spot. She covers her suit in the dust from the surrounding ground, blending into the scenery as much as possible.
Sydney holsters her gun and flexes her fingers. "Those were babies?" She scowls and looks towards were the skreeling disappeared.
"Can we at least meet it outside of this soot pit?" She hitches a thumb behind her, outside.
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After healing his bleed, Isu sits still for a couple of minutes to catch his breath.
If there is time, Isu walks outside and jumps and climbs to the peak of the dome, lies prone, and trains his sniper rifle on the entrance to that cave.
"If anything comes out of there, this one will put a bullet through its head."
Isu takes a rest to recover as Solaria heads over to keep watch on the entrance to the ominous cavern. From her hiding spot at the cavern's lip, Solaria sees that the cavern slopes down into the earth of the asteroid, then levels out into a fairly large open space. Her suit's sensors warn her of an acrid atmosphere inside, though visually, she can't see too far into the dark cave.
Solaria does manage to hear the slight wheezing sounds coming from the injured skreeling somewhere deeper within the cave and out of sight. Her sensitive hearing also picks up an intermittent dripping somewhere within along with a quiet hiss. Neither sound has an obvious source in the darkness.
Isu perches atop the stone dome, and Sydney also prepares herself for imminent attack. But another 10 minutes later, and none of you see any creatures emerging from the cave.
"Nah. Just don't get caught out." Sydney smiles wryly at her own comment.
Syndey will search the other corpses they found in the ash pile, then suggest the party explore North.
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Isu takes a rest to recover as Solaria heads over to keep watch on the entrance to the ominous cavern. From her hiding spot at the cavern's lip, Solaria sees that the cavern slopes down into the earth of the asteroid, then levels out into a fairly large open space. Her suit's sensors warn her of an acrid atmosphere inside, though visually, she can't see too far into the dark cave.
[dice=Solaria Perception]d20+8
Solaria does manage to hear the slight wheezing sounds coming from the injured skreeling somewhere deeper within the cave and out of sight. Her sensitive hearing also picks up an intermittent dripping somewhere within along with a quiet hiss. Neither sound has an obvious source in the darkness.
Isu perches atop the stone dome, and Sydney also prepares herself for imminent attack. But another 10 minutes later, and none of you see any creatures emerging from the cave.
Arcalinte kneels and takes a moment to meditate.
Then he rises and joins Solaria at the mouth of the cave.
"Do we move in? This is probably their nest."
Sydney returns to the buried dead sarcesians inside the stone dome. Now that she isn't distracted by skreelings attacking, she notices that a few pieces of gear are still intact on the skeletons. She finds another advanced diasporan sniper rifle, as well as a red star plasma rifle. She also finds two tactical dueling swords and two credsticks with a total value of 2480 credits.
Having already found one set of treasure, she and Ted spend a bit more time digging through the ash , and finds that the true floor of this stone dome is positively littered with ancient bones, all far older than those of the two sarcesian corpses. One set of bones attracts Ted's attention in particular. A humanoid skeleton in a sitting position. Its armor and flesh have long since disintegrated or been stripped away, but nestled behind it remains a small metal lunchbox emblazoned with a worn insignia with the words 'Imura Excavations'.
----
Outside, Sydney doesn't find anything interesting nestled against the mesa. You're aware of two potential points of interest from here. To the north-west lies the narrow cave entrance with stalactites hanging from its lip (this is the one with the acrid atmosphere). Further to the southwest, you see a low but wide cave entrance that sinks down into the asteroid.
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"Where is the dawn if not beyond the horizon, Isu? Sarenrae smiles on those who bring the light of truth to the dark places. And on those who slay dangerous monsters who mind-control and kill innocent people."
Arcalinte takes a closer look into the darkness of the cave, his infrared sensors allowing him to see what his normal elf eyes couldn't.
Sydney rolls her eyes at the conservation between Isu and Arc. "Oi! Why don't you illuminate one of these caves with your Sarenrae light?" Sydney points her pistol southwest, at the low but wide cave entrance, then north-west, at the narrow cave entrance with stalactites hanging from its lip.
Sydney activates her environmental protection suit in preparation. Unlike some of the others, Sydney doesn't have darkvision.
You head towards the acidic cave and poke your heads in. For those of you with darkvision (or once you guys get a light source that illuminates more than the 15-20ft in front of you), you see that the foreboding entrance hides an even more foreboding interior. This isolated grotto is dotted with piles of silvery ash. To the northwest, a low shelf of rock (about 3ft tall) dams a pool of thick greenish liquid. A humanoid body in torn robes with one arm chewed off is ominously propped up to lean against the low rock wall.
You don't see any sign of the skreeling you chased over here.
A humanoid body in torn robes with one arm chewed off is ominously propped up to lean against the low rock wall.
This another freakin' nest?
Sydney watches Arc as he begins to walk off alone. "Let what get away?" Curious, she quickdraws her gun and starts slinking behind Arc, pistol raised. "Hey. Hey," she hisses at Arc in a half-whisper.
As Sydney follows Arc, she can't help but notice that he seems laser focused on inspecting the acidic pool just beyond the low rock wall. As he gets close, the acid begins to bubble. Out of almost nowhere, a bulky purple tentacle lashes out from inside the acid and strikes the solarian in the head. While he's dazed, it wraps around his torso and begins to squeeze!
With a rush of hissing acid and steam, a tentacled monstrosity rises from the pool. It flexes its atrophies wings and whips its tentacles back and forth as if encouraging its chosen prey to take an acid bath. A telepathic screech falls upon you like a crashing wave.
----
-----------------------
|||| INIT ||||
Isu
Skreesire
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Arc (8 dmg, grappled)
Ted
Isu is up!
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"Holy Sarenrae's s!$+e! Blast it all, Arcaline Soter get out of there. And this one apologizes for the blasphemy!"
The monster is too well protected by the cover. Though he would have like to take a quick rifle shot, Isu instead double moves to get closer to the action. He moves very close, but realizes the monster is going to be hard to engage in melee. As he moves, Isu drops his sniper rifle and pulls out the squad machine gun.
The skreesire writhes its tentacles in the air as Isu approaches, but when Isu stays out of its immediate reach, it instead focuses its attention on Arc. The tentacles begin to draw Arc in, pulling him closer and closer to the pool of acid. He fights actively against the pull and manages to break his way out of their grip before they can dunk him into the acrid liquid. The acid hisses and bubbles... taking a bath in it would likely be a short and painful experience. As is, the acrid vapors rising from the pool still burn Arc for being so close.
The skreeling you fought earlier comes out from its hiding place on the room of the cave. It screeches loudly, but doesn't immediately swoop in to attack anyone.
|||| INIT ||||
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Arc (9 dmg)
Ted
Isu
Skreesire
Blue skreeling (15 dmg)
Everyone is up!
Isu unleashes a hail of bullets, both across the skreesire and the wall of the cavern. As he distracts the monstrosity, Arcalinte swings in slashes a deep gash in one of its tentacles. Just like both of you experienced with the skreelings, this creature's tough hide seems to partially resist the impact of your attacks.
|||| INIT ||||
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Arc (9 dmg)
Ted
Isu
Skreesire (15 dmg)
Blue skreeling (15 dmg)
Bold are up!
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Ted moves up closer to the action, "Arc, an acid bath will help clear your pores!" His top looks agitated at Ted's joke and launches itself in to Ted's shoulder where it digs and disappears under Ted's armor and in to his skin. Ted flicks his head back in a scream and his top pops out his mouth, covered in blood that moves and writhes as a living thing.
School necromancy
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range touch
Targets one living creature or construct
Duration instantaneous and 1 round/level; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude partial and Will partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You concentrate key particles in your blood into tiny biological nanobots that you can inject into a foe with a touch, disrupting and damaging its natural processes. Make a melee attack against the target’s EAC; if you hit, the nanobots deal 4d8 damage and swarm through the target’s biological or mechanical systems, causing the creature to be confused, as per confusion, for 1 round per your caster level. If the target succeeds at a Fortitude save, it takes only half damage and negates the confusion effect. A confused target can attempt a Will saving throw at the beginning of its turn each round to end the confusion effect.
Casting this spell doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
Spell Grenade (Sp)
You can spend 1 Resolve Point to store a spell with a range of touch in a grenade, allowing you to affect a target within the grenade’s blast radius with the spell. Casting a spell with spell grenade uses the spell’s standard casting time, and throwing the spell grenade is a standard action. You must throw the grenade before the end of your next turn, or the spell is wasted. You are considered proficient with the grenade for this attack. Choose a single target within the grenade’s blast radius; that target is affected by the spell as if you had successfully touched it. The grenade goes off as normal, with all of its usual effects within its blast radius. If you miss the targeted intersection with the grenade, you must choose a target within the grenade’s new blast radius. If there are no suitable targets within the grenade’s blast radius, the spell is wasted. Spells whose ranges are not touch don’t benefit from this magic hack.
Round 1:
Sydney fires her pistol at the mother of all skreelings, the Skreesire, dashing left, then right.
Acid. Critical -)
(+3 BAB)(+4 Dex mod)(+1 Weapon Specialization)
DC is equal to 20 + the target’s CR
If DC passes, Sydney deals 3d8 additional damage (level 5) and the target is flat-footed.
Add 1/2 Level to dmg see Weapon Specialization. Acid.
Spectre, not able to line up a truly clear shot, nevertheless does his best to position himself before firing his zero rifle.
But the icy bolt impacts the low rocky ridge instead of its intended target.
Solaria on the other hand dashes towards Arc, calling out encouragement as she goes!
----
The skreesire whips its tentacles around, deeply agitated. One of its tentacles smashes Arc from the side, blowing him clear off the rocky wall and into the pool of acid! The foul mix of ash, water, and toxic chemicals rapidly begins eating away at his armor and into his flesh. Arc takes points of acid damage.
|||| INIT ||||
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Arc (35 dmg)
Ted
Isu
Skreesire (15 dmg)
Blue skreeling (15 dmg)
Bold are up!
Round 2:
Sydney quick draws a different pistol and takes a step back. Twirling both pistols in a dexterous display. She grasps the trigger of the corona laser pistol and fires at the blue skreeling in front of her.
Sydney's corona pistol blasts a burning hole in one of the skreeling's wings, but she misses any vitals, leaving the horrid creature still alive and flapping. Spectre's icy shot flies just over a thrashing tentacle, doing little more than icing the cavern's wall. Isu's machine gun on the other hand sends a hail of bullets in the skreesire's direction. The beast shields itself with its tougher tentacles and pulls through the assault unscathed.
Arc does his best to haul himself out of the acid, but the terrible searing pain leaves him scrabbling as the rocky outcropping slips away from his acid-soaked fingers. He falls back into the acid with a splash. He can feel the liquid eating into his suit... he realizes he has a matter of seconds before it burns him to death.
|||| INIT ||||
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Arc (35 dmg) - move/standard left
Ted
Isu
Skreesire (15 dmg)
Blue skreeling (22 dmg)
Bold are up!
Solaria runs across towards Arc and the monstrous thing, shouting as she does, "Come get me mother of death, as I rain my death on your pathetic offsping...or you" Holding her weapon high, she feigns to fire at the large creature.
CLEVER FEINT As a standard action, you can fake out an enemy within 60 feet, making that enemy open to your attacks. Attempt a Bluff check with the same DC as a check to feint against that enemy (though this isn’t a standard check to feint, so Improved Feint and Greater Feint don’t apply). Even if you fail, that enemy is flat-footed against your attacks until the end of your next turn. If you succeed, the enemy is also flat-footed against your allies’ attacks until the end of your next turn. You can’t use clever feint against a creature that lacks an Intelligence score.
FEINT
As a standard action, you can use Bluff to feint in combat, enabling you to treat your opponent as flat-footed for your next attack against it before the end of your next turn. The DC of this check is equal to either 10 + your opponent’s total Sense Motive skill bonus, or 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR, whichever is greater. You can’t feint against a creature that doesn’t have an Intelligence score, and you cannot take 10 or take 20 on a Bluff check to feint.
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"Arc! No!" Ted gasps as he sees the acid doing its work. He grabs a grenade from his an inner jacket pocket and jams his bloody top in to the grenade, merging the power of magic and man. He throws with all his might.
School necromancy
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range touch
Targets one living creature or construct
Duration instantaneous and 1 round/level; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude partial and Will partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You concentrate key particles in your blood into tiny biological nanobots that you can inject into a foe with a touch, disrupting and damaging its natural processes. Make a melee attack against the target’s EAC; if you hit, the nanobots deal 4d8 damage and swarm through the target’s biological or mechanical systems, causing the creature to be confused, as per confusion, for 1 round per your caster level. If the target succeeds at a Fortitude save, it takes only half damage and negates the confusion effect. A confused target can attempt a Will saving throw at the beginning of its turn each round to end the confusion effect.
Casting this spell doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
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Solaria's dramatic move causes four of the creature's tentacles to whip upwards protectively, trying to block a shot from her that never comes! Ted follows by tossing a grenade behind it. The blast sends a hail of shrapnel at the skreesire. It manages to huddle down in the acid to protect itself from some of it, and the remaining fragments don't pierce deep enough into its hide to hurt it. Suddenly some of those shards turn into deadly devouring nanites! The creature manages to thrash the nanites free, but not before they've hurt it somewhat.
Arc does his best to swim away, but its slow going. His training at the Cosmonastery didn't provide acid swimming lessons. As he does his best to swim away from the skreesire, the remaining skreeling lashes out with a claw. While it manages to hit him, the wound is minor due to his incredible grit!
The skreesire turns its attention to the source of bullets from the south. It wades through the acid and swings a tentacle at Isu, striking him solidly in the leg before wrapping a tentacle around him!
The skreeling swoops to the side and attempts to claw at Arc again, but the solarian manages to kick away from the rocky wall and propel himself out of the way. Unfortunately, no amount of evasion can protect him from the acid, which burns him for points of damage. Somehow, despite horrible acid burns, he's still up and kicking!
|||| INIT ||||
Solaria
Sydney
Spectre
Arc (64 dmg)
Ted
Isu (10 dmg, grappled)
Skreesire (21 dmg, flatfooted)
Blue skreeling (22 dmg)
Bold are up!
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Round 3:
Sydney whips her head left when she hears the sizzling of acid. F^@%, man. Watching Arc slug through the acid was grisly. In this moment, she isn't sure what to do or say. Reach out her arm to help pull Arc out? Then what? Her knowledge of First Aid started and ended with a bottle of vodka.
In her split second judgement, Sydney does her best to clear the way for Arc's exit from the pool. She aims and shoots at the skreeling again.
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Ted's top comes back expecting praise for a spectacular effect. Ted grabs it from the air and hurls it back at the skeeshire, "Come on Arc!"
School evocation (force)
Casting Time 1 standard action; see text
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets up to three creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart; see text
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes
You fire two missiles of magical energy that strike targets unerringly (the creatures must still be valid targets) and deal 1d4+1 force damage each. You can’t target specific parts of a creature, and objects are not damaged by the spell.
You can target a single creature or several creatures, but each missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you attempt to overcome spell resistance or roll damage.
You can cast this spell as a full action. If you do, you fire three missiles instead of two.
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Spectre drops his cold-based rifle and equips the one he had just found.
"By my calculations, this rifle should be more effective. If I could just take a few moments to calibrate it--"
Taking note of Arcalinte's predicament, he says "I would extricate yourself from the acid--by my calculations, the odds of your surviving more than a few seconds are nil."
After watching the success of her distraction previously, Solaria quickly moves towards the beast, "Now you just let go of Isu!" she shouts like her old teachers used to shout at her. At the same time making out to shoot once more.