Spectre lines up a shot against the marrowblight and fires a burning beam.
... and scorches one of its outlying limbs.
Sydney steps to the side and fires as well.
... burning a hole on the creature's arm and distracting it!
----
You hear a faint rustling as it moves , and you hear a dry, dusty voice ring out from the front of the hut. "Bhhhy meddling withhh thhhe Corpse Fleet, you've earned enemies that will never stop hhhunting you. Never..." The rustling continues, but you're not quite able to track where it might be moving.
||||INIT ||||
Isu (58 dmg)
Arc (67 dmg, Diseased-Latent)
Spectre (7 HPdmg)
Sydney (7 HPdmg, CONPoison-Weakened)
Ted
Ellicoth (DEAD)
Marrowblight (77 dmg, flatfooted, vanished)
Bold people are up!
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"Oh no you don't," Ted threatens. He grabs his top from the air and pulls it apart in to little pieces. He blows on the fine dust, billowing it to permeate the area around and in the hut. He moves to position himself to spot the marrowblight's antics.
SEE INVISIBILITY M2 T2
School divination
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
You can see any invisible or ethereal objects or beings within your range of vision, as if they were normally visible. Such creatures are visible to you as translucent shapes, allowing you easily to discern the difference between visible and invisible or ethereal creatures.
The spell doesn’t reveal the method used to obtain invisibility, doesn’t reveal illusions or enable you to see through opaque objects, and doesn’t reveal creatures that are simply concealed, hiding, or otherwise hard to see.
Ted spots a shimmering, fuzzy-edged marrowblight at the south end of the hut.
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Arcalinte steps closer to the hut and turns to where Ted indicated.
"Don't bother trying to scare us. We're not afraid of the Corpse Fleet or of you. And I don't need to see you to turn you into ash!"
Arcalinte raises his sword over his head and the plasma flares outwards, while fire and light bursts forth from his armor.
"FOR THE SUN AND THE FURY! FOR THE STARFINDER SOCIETY!"
Listening in, all you can hear is the popping and crackling of burning undead flesh... the marrowblight is dead once more!
|||| STATUS ||||
Isu (52 dmg)
Arc (57 dmg, Diseased-Latent)
Spectre (7 HPdmg)
Sydney (7 HPdmg, CONPoison-Weakened)
Ted
Ellicoth (DEAD)
Marrowblight (DEAD)
Combat Over!
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Ted mumbles, "hrmph" as his top begins scanning the hut and blight.
Detect Magic
School divination
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range 60 ft.
Area cone-shaped emanation
Duration concentration, up to 1 minute/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You detect all magic spells, effects, items, and objects (including those on or affecting creatures you can see), as well as hybrid items, in the area. You can’t detect magical traps in this way, as they are created with additional magic that wards them from this common spell. Each round you concentrate on the same area, you can determine if one magic source you detect is from a spell, magic item, or other effect, and the caster level (or item level) of the effect. You can’t determine if there are magic sources in areas you can’t see, or if there was a magic source in an area at one time but that has since expired.
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Relieved at their victory, but spent, Arcalinte falls to his knees, jamming the tip of his sword into Eox's dead, dry ground as he leans on it.
"Knock it off, you two. More likely the Corpse Fleet's got spies in the city who saw who we were talking to and who we were tracking, and tipped them off. Stop ragging on Ms. Trux like she's some cultic mastermind."
He then shuts his eyes and his armor recedes back into his mote as he re-centers himself and recovers.
Ted searches the marrowblight's armor and finds the tiny switch that toggles the invisibility, which he turns off so the rest of the party can see the corpse.
You search the hut and the marrowblight's corpse while Arc rests and recovers. The marrowblight was carrying a thunderstrike streetsweeper, two high-capacity batteries, a D-Suit I, a Lightwarp Inlay armor upgrade, and a credstick with 800 credits on it.
The marrowblight's shack is fairly threadbare and devoid of any items of obvious value. In fact, the whole place amounts to a collection of junk that is either furniture crafted from preserved organic body parts or mostly worthless trophies from intruders the marrowblight has defeated in recent years. However, Spectre's acute visual sensors spot a sack made from the dried organ of some creature hidden behind one of the load-bearing bones in the building’s frame. The sack holds a jumbled stash of more than a dozen credsticks, some bent or bloodstained, taken from Xerantha’s slain foes. All together, the credsticks contain a total of 7,080 credits. In addition to these credits, you spot a datapad with a cracked screen atop one of the grisly pieces of furniture.
The datapad proves decidedly easy to access .
Beyond the recruitment efforts, the marrowblight details its delivery of fresh raw flesh to the Commander - for use in the creation of an 'Old Fashioned War Construct'. No more is mentioned of the construct, so it's not clear if it was created in the end.
Finally, the datapad's entries end with the plan to have one final meeting with the Commander, mentioning 'This. This is the last chance to prove myself before the Commander leaves in pursuit of the Great Weapon. I hunger for more meaningful work, to fight on the front lines of the war against the living. I have done enough menial drudgery. If tonight, the Commander denies me, Skullcap Gorge will echo will her screams.'
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"Skullcap Gorge...Skullcap Gorge.... A proper name to a death filled base of screaming fanatics. Surely there the Corpse Fleet and halfling alliance makes their pizzas and pledges to find this star destroyer weapon. Does anyone know how to get there? Maybe we first return to town and get a decents nice rest without gargantuan monsters breathing down our necks..."
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Spectre agrees with Isu's analysis after sharing the contents of the data pad. "Is this location on planet? Or elsewhere?"
Spectre runs some calculations of the number of credits they could earn if they did capture the Corpse Fleet, the super weapon, and the halfling pizza cult. The sheer quantity of the numbers tax his processing power.
A quick infosphere search reveals that Skullcap Gorge is not too far away. In fact, you realize you must have driven past it on the way over from Orphys. You recall a canyon with sheer cliff walls made of skeletal remains... according to your map Skullcap Gorge is one of many side branches from the main canyon. In your buggies, it probably wouldn't take longer than half an hour to reach.
While you've been discussing the possibilities around next steps, Sydney has been scowling up a storm at the angry blisters left behind by the acute dose of radiation she got from the ellicoth. Finally, she just takes out her laser pistol and starts spinning it between her fingers. "That was, y'know, like no problem. Big thing never even got to touch me." She waves off Isu's offer.
After a pause she adds "But I'm seeing a real s~#*ty trend here ever since we hooked up with that Starfinder guy. Undead creepers, insane cults, and whatever the hell that was." She waves at the still-radioactive corpse of the ellicoth. "And almost all the credits are going to just keeping our necks safe. Not my idea of a cushy job."
"So hey. It's time to split. You enjoy your skull death orgy or whatever. I'm gonna get myself off this planet and maybe out to somewhere like Verces. I hear they've got a real good underground race scene." She offers a brisk wave before trotting back to one of the two buggies and kicking it into high gear, tearing her way back over the Eoxian wastes.
---
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While you've been discussing the possibilities around next steps, Sydney has been scowling up a storm at the angry blisters left behind by the acute dose of radiation she got from the ellicoth. Finally, she just takes out her laser pistol and starts spinning it between her fingers. "That was, y'know, like no problem. Big thing never even got to touch me." She waves off Isu's offer.
After a pause she adds "But I'm seeing a real s+$+ty trend here ever since we hooked up with that Starfinder guy. Undead creepers, insane cults, and whatever the hell that was." She waves at the still-radioactive corpse of the ellicoth. "And almost all the credits are going to just keeping our necks safe. Not my idea of a cushy job."
"So hey. It's time to split. You enjoy your skull death orgy or whatever. I'm gonna get myself off this planet and maybe out to somewhere like Verces. I hear they've got a real good underground race scene." She offers a brisk wave before trotting back to one of the two buggies and kicking it into high gear, tearing her way back over the Eoxian wastes.
Arcalinte listens to Sydney and nods after accepting Isu's healing.
"I...understand, Sydney. I don't think any of us expected things would spiral out this way when we board the Acreon back at Absalom Station, and to speak honestly, it's been clear that you haven't been happy in the situations our investigations have led us into. You're most comfortable at the helm of a ship, not hacking your way through jungles and ruins or fighting undead terrorists on a broken world."
"At...the risk of sounding callous, you may want to leave the Sunrise Maiden in our care. While I know you've put a lot of love and care into her, the Corpse Fleet will be looking for it, so the fastest way to get the target painted on our backs off it will probably to let them chase after us in the Maiden while you make your own way."
He offers Sydney a hug before she goes.
"It's been an honor and a pleasure, Sydney. Maybe when the Cycle brings us together again, you'll be at the helm of an even better ship than the Sunrise Maiden. Say hello to Grix, Solaria, Chiskisk and Ralkawi for us, should the Cycle bring you to back to the Lorespire."
Once Sydney has departed, he turns back to the others.
"You're right, Ted. We need to send the Corpse Fleet a message. We survived fighting this giant, radioactive creature and that crazy marrowblight, we'll survive Commander Vesh too!"
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Isu reaches out and touches Spectre on the shoulder, healing him 6. "Sarenrae blesses your courage, Spectre.
With everyone fit as a fiddle, it is time to move on. Isu (and the others presumably) cross the plains again and up the steep slope to reach the buggy. Isu climbs into the buggy and reloads his sniper rifle and holds it at the ready.
"This one will bring Sarenrae's justice on these evildoers."
---
Sydney backs off before the clingy Arc can hug her, and responds to Ted's offer of a handshake with a loose two-finger salute to the group. "Don't go dying out there." As she gets to the buggies to drive away, she also calls out "And don't you worry about the Maiden." before driving off.
Once everyone is healthy and you've distributed the loot from the Marrowblight, you pile on into the remaining buggy (perfectly sized now for 4 people!) and drive across the blasted landscape to the creepy canyon you drove through on the way over. Just like before, the towering walls of loose, interlocked skeletons loom overhead. The starry night sky above provides dim illumination this deep into the canyon and dark shadows abound around the twists and turns. However, other than yourselves and your vehicle, there is no movement. The canyon is still as a grave.
You follow the coordinates provided on the infosphere and arrive at the mouth of a side-branch to the canyon. Skullcap Gorge lies within.
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"I'm no sir," Ted responds to the living, and sends his top out to everyone to encase them in a bubble of life.
LIFE BUBBLE M1 T1
School abjuration
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets up to one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 day/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
You surround the target creatures with a constant and movable 1-inch shell of tolerable living conditions customized for each creature. This shell enables the targets to breathe freely in a variety of atmospheric conditions (including in corrosive, thick, thin, and toxic atmospheres), as well as underwater or in a vacuum. It also makes the targets immune to harmful gases and vapors, including inhaled diseases and poisons as well as spells with a harmful gaseous effect. In addition, the shell protects targets (and their equipment) from extreme temperatures (between –50° and 140° F) without having to attempt Fortitude saving throws, as well as extreme pressures.
Life bubble doesn’t provide protection from energy damage, negative or positive energy (such as found on the Negative and Positive Energy Planes), or radiation; it also doesn’t provide the ability to see in conditions of poor visibility (such as in smoke or fog) or the ability to move or act normally in conditions that impede movement (such as underwater).
---
As you proceed into the branch from the main canyon, the towering walls of bone seem to press in ominously, grinning skulls seemingly eyeing you with glee. Up ahead, you see what appears to be the end of the ravine. A wide pool of bubbling acid abuts a sheer cliff. Several flat, stepped rocks next to the pool approximate a stairway climbing to the top of the cliff.
There's no obvious sign of the Corpse Fleet as you enter from the west. At least, there isn't until...
-----------------------
----
The four skeletons drop free from the walls and each one chants a spell that causes the pistol it's carrying to glow with power.
|||| INIT - Surprise Round ||||
Corpse Fleet Skeletons
Arc
Isu
Bold are up for the surprise round. Just a move or standard available.
(...)Bold are up for the surprise round. Just a move or standard available.
---
-
Vesh hefts a large sniper rifle, looking down its sight toward you in the canyon below, before calling out "This is your dead end, breathers. FIRE!" All four skeletal troopers step back and then fire their supercharged pistols at your party!
Magically empowered shots hit Arc and Spectre, blowing the two of them back slightly by the sheer force of the impacts . Isu and Ted are targeted as well, but their armor manages to hold up better against the assault, deflecting powered up bullets as intended.
|||| INIT - ROUND 1 ||||
Ted
Spectre (19 dmg)
Isu
Arc (18 dmg)
Bone Trooper Blue
Bone Trooper Pink
Bone Trooper Red
Bone Trooper Green
Zeera Vesh
OK, we're into normal combat rounds.
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Ted grabs an incendiary grenade from his coat and lobs it behind the blue skeleton as he moves to take cover with the team.
GRENADE, INCENDIARY (I–VI)
Incendiary grenades detonate in a spray of superheated plasma.
BURNING
You are on fire. As long as you have this condition, at the start of your turn each round before you take any actions (or attempt the Reflex saving throw described below), you take the listed amount of damage as fire damage (or 1d6 fire damage, if no amount is listed in the effect that causes burning). Fire damage from multiple sources that inflict the burning condition is cumulative.
At the end of each round you are burning, you can attempt a Reflex saving throw to remove this condition. The DC of this saving throw is equal to 10 + the amount of fire damage you took this round from the burning condition. If you succeed at this saving throw, you lose the burning condition. You can attempt a new saving throw each round you have this condition, and you receive a +2 bonus for each previous saving throw you’ve attempted in consecutive rounds.
You can also automatically end this condition by jumping into enough water to douse yourself. If you don’t have enough water on hand, you can spend a full action to roll on the ground or otherwise smother the fire to attempt a new saving throw with a +4 bonus (plus any bonuses from previously failed consecutive attempts) to end the condition.
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It retaliates by swinging a claw at Isu, but the kasatha swats it aside with his hammer. It tries to guarded step away, but Isu follows in lockstep with it.
Meanwhile on the south side, Spec lays out a blistering beam of plasma that engulfs both skeletons, charring them badly. Those two skeletal soldiers chant ancient Eoxian spells and send volleys of magic missiles at Spectre. The force bolts batter Spec from every angle. The pink skeleton does the same, but sends its volley at Ted!
Zeera Vesh surveys the battlefield, aims carefully, and snipes at Spectre! But her aim is well off and the rifle's slug blasts a furrow near the droid's feet.
|||| INIT - ROUND 2 ||||
Ted (12 dmg)
Spectre (28 dmg)
Isu
Arc (18 dmg)
Bone Trooper Blue (29 dmg, burning for d4)
Bone Trooper Pink
Bone Trooper Red (15 dmg)
Bone Trooper Green (15 dmg)
Zeera Vesh
Ted perforates a skeletal skull with his pistol, and Isu completely obliterates the blue skeleton's spine and rib cage, tearing apart its light armor in the process. The blue skeletal soldier is utterly destroyed!
|||| INIT - ROUND 2 ||||
Ted (12 dmg)
Spectre (28 dmg)
Isu
Arc (18 dmg)
Bone Trooper Pink
Bone Trooper Red (15 dmg)
Bone Trooper Green (15 dmg)
Zeera Vesh