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'Stay Still!' screams the shirren psychically. Surging forward after the troublesome goblin, it swings its gauntlet hard.
A weapon with the entangling fusion gains the entangle weapon special property. Only a single attack each day may benefit from this property, and you must announce before making an attack that it is an entangle attack. Regardless of how many targets you can hit with a single attack from your weapon, only a single target of your choice is affected by the entangle condition. The entangle effect ends after 1d4 rounds if the target has not already escaped it. Only weapons that do bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or cold damage can benefit from this fusion.
A creature hit by an entangle weapon becomes entangled until it escapes with an Acrobatics check (DC = 10 + weapon’s item level + the attacker’s Dexterity modifier) or a Strength check (DC = 15 + weapon’s item level + the attacker’s Dexterity modifier). An entangled creature can attempt such a check as a move action. Some weapons (such as stickybomb grenades) have a maximum duration for this effect. See the entangled condition.
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Y2K easily takes out another set of protections; the goblin starts trying to hold her breath. Kess edges away and takes a shot, but her guarded stance keeps her from making a light display or hitting a weak point. Xochitl's punch lands this time, and latches firmly to its target. "Get off! I'm not stuck here with you; you're stuck here with me!"
Still, the Big Genius is mostly just annoyed with the shirren. Or at least he's more angry at and scared of Obozaya. He gives the former's gauntlet a fruitless tug, then focuses back on the latter with his punchslicer.
Obozaya attacks the Big Genius Polbak with her ember flame doshko!
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Obozaya's first swing hits Polbak square in the chest, invalidating the need for a second. Just as the burly goblin's head falls, his back blasts outward through a new hole in the power armor. Despite his obvious Genius, he failed to outsmart the vesk's doshko.
The first goblin to have her armor damaged shakes her head wildly, no longer aware of her surroundings. The other is soaking up gas as well, but has a bit more presence of mind. "Polbak's dead, I ain't fighting no more. Can I surrender-" She gets out before the other shoots her! "Don't you dare, you traitor! I'm the Polbak now; nobody's stealin' my gas!" This one has definitely taken in too much toxin, and is now shrieking her head off between wild shots.
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The goblin who had been exposed to the gas longer shoots her partner! The victim, already put in great pain by the toxin, keels over dead. Suddenly, she takes another deep breath of her precious gas, shakes her head, and...looks about in confusion. Her literal smoking gun and friend's corpse tip her off to the new situation. "Ooh, scrap," she moans, dropping the junklaser. "'Zit too late to surrender?"
Obazaya is clearly annoyed by the turn in events "I would rather like to rip your head off but surrender is an honorable option when faced with a greater force and later retribution is an option. Drop your weapons, I want to see you flat on the ground." Obazaya says in a very strict tone.
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The goblin obediently makes her way to Holsin, looking annoyed and a bit crazed, but in enough control to not try anything. "Holsin, be a dear and bring this gob...er, orc back to your camp? We heroes have some things to do here not yet for dwarven eyes," Wazasha says rather condescendingly to the priest. He doesn't look too happy, but heals Kess a bit before leaving with the prisoner.
With him out of the way, the ghast directs you and the film crew to the chamber's edge, where lies a massive steel door. "This shouldn't stand in our way. But make it look good, Starfinders!"
Obazaya is cool and can show that too!
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Through sheer strength and technical know-how, the team forces the door open in a very cool manner. Wazasha insists some of the camera crew enter first, for a good establishing shot; none of them are cut down by traps, a good sign.
The door exits onto an elevated walkway that runs along the length of a horizontal cylindrical space that’s several hundred feet in diameter and that extends as far as the eye can see to the right and left. At several points along its visible length lie heavy doors like the one you opened. Most notably, though, a digital terminal near their door is evident, its display glowing with strange alien text that quickly cycles through various forms before stopping on Common.
At a second glance, each of the others doors inside the central chamber bear a terminal as well. Is this not the only simulation being run in Salvation's End? Wazasha wonders just that, and will likely ask Obozaya's opinions on it shortly in the Booth. She bids you pose for a heroic action shot as the gas billows into the room, as well as dozens of others for promotional purposes.
”Team, you can imagine my answers to potential questions, right?!?“ she says and shows her weapons.
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"You're quite the fearsome fighter! Are you worried your teammates aren't getting a chance to shine?"
"Do you think aliens did this?" An open-ended question that escapes the subject of its predecessor. Even the level-headed ghast seems eager to discuss these new findings.
"Does this change our understanding of the galaxy, or your thoughts on our place here? After all, it all could be its own massive simulation, for whatever benefit of a higher being." By now, it's evident how much she wishes she had saved Xochitl for last, considering Obozaya's pronouncement about answers.
"After this, the Pact Worlds are going to know your name. What's first on your to-do list?"
Once all the pictures are taken and Wazasha returns Obozaya, the former asks aloud, "How about we hear how they’re wrapping up the event in the studio?" She pulls up an audio feed from the Exemplarion, from which Zo! is shouting excitedly.
"What a discovery! What a destination! What a band of unlikely heroes! What could lie deeper in Salvation’s End? Find out on the next episode of Live Exploration Extreme! when the Starfinder Society returns to—"
"What?!" shouts Luwazi Elsebo with alarm from near Zo!’s microphone. "That was not part of our deal, Zo! You can’t just add a sequel when we haven’t—"
The elebrian’s voice insistently cuts back in. "Ha ha! And now a word from our sponsors!"
The feed abruptly cuts to a booming ad for Nova Solutions. Wazasha rolls her eyes, which come all the way back around to their starting positions. "They'll work things out. We should retrace our way back to the ship; feel free to tell the dwarves whatever you want."
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Kess is very worried about what to say to the dwarves. They seemed to honestly believe they are trying to find the sky in Golarian. Are they truly here or just part of the simulation? Deciding against trying to ruin their delusions, she says her goodbyes.
"It was nice to assist such fine upstanding dwarves of Golarian. May you find what you seek in the near future." She gives them a bow, and a wave as she readies to leave.
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'They are like the primitives I saw on the technological world not too long ago.' considers the shirren, a slight frown on it's face. 'However, as with them, I mustn't shatter their beliefs....just document it.'
Forcing a smile over it's mandibles, it nods to the dwarves. 'Thank you for your hospitality and assistance in this matter.' Xochitle broadcasts.
Privately, it shares to only the society members that came with 'Please don't shatter their beliefs. Leave them as they are...innocent.'
"You're quite the fearsome fighter! Are you worried your teammates aren't getting a chance to shine?"
”Every team member has a place! My place is at the frontline! People who are at the front always shine! Do you see me shine!?“
"Do you think aliens did this?" An open-ended question that escapes the subject of its predecessor. Even the level-headed ghast seems eager to discuss these new findings.
”I try to not think that much about metaphysical things like these! I am believing woman! And this belief involves a battle where honour is gained and blood is lost!“
"Does this change our understanding of the galaxy, or your thoughts on our place here? After all, it all could be its own massive simulation, for whatever benefit of a higher being."
By now, it's evident how much she wishes she had saved Xochitl for last, considering Obozaya's pronouncement about answers.
”I have the feeling that your own facial expressions already have given you the answer to your question! I am the wrong person to answer such a question!“
"After this, the Pact Worlds are going to know your name. What's first on your to-do list?"
” I will return to duty and ask for the next mission that gives me the opportunity to test my blade in fight!“
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After a final bit of farewell fanfare from the dwarves, it's a quiet trek back to the port. One of the ghoulish film crew snagged a goblin limb at some point, and starts idly snacking on it unless dissuaded.
Luwazi Elsebo waits for her Starfinders in a secluded area aboard the Exemplarion, looking tired. She says Zo! has been clawing for more episodes, and for the immediate future he'll be kept in suspense. "Filming won't likely stay in that part anyway. The goblins are routed and the dwarves can't stay long, since it seems to be deteriorating," she adds wearily. "Another thing to worry about; where'll we house and what'll we tell those poor souls."
"But do you think we should continue?" The First Seeker suddenly asks, sizing up the team and their overall condition. "With Live Exploration Extreme! that is. It gets us backing for more missions, but we have to deal with all...this. The crew, the strictures, having to bend to an audience. Since you've undergone these trials, I value your opinions most of all. And keep in mind it needn't be you on camera if you'd rather not do so again."
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Sadly, the particular track of fame Live Exploration Extreme! put you on was not for the long haul. It's only after a week or so that you are, for the most part, forgotten. It seems the average viewer would rather watch the new season finale of Everybody Loves Raymond-217 (in which the eponymous android's family is shaken to the core by the arrival of his long-lost twin brother) or whatever else is shiny and new.
The fame was good, but not built to last...at least without a sequel?
”I believe no sequel is necessary! These amateurs could have been killed by accident!“