GM Dinketry and the Dead Suns AP (Inactive)

Game Master dinketry

Culture: 1d20 ⇒ 3

Telion took casual notice of the newcomers, but seemed to be more interested in the halfling's reaction to the slip of paper.

"I'm not sure if you're aware or not, but Kreel has suffered a terrible fate. Perhaps we should go somewhere to speak more privately?"

"Oh yeah?" the halfling replies. "Ain't no place more private than right here. Besides, I got nowhere else to take you. Now, you want to place an order?"

"Alright. I will order what Kreel usually got when he came here."

The halfling pulls over a scrap of paper and a pencil as if to write something down, then cocks his head at Diamaante with a puzzled look on his face.

"Is this order for you or for this Kreel fellow?"

The two youths move over with a number of canned caffeinated alcohol drinks and a few packet of tobacco paraphernalia. One of them moves towards the halfling who glances at the two of them and waves his hand dismissively. They exit the shop, one of them popping the top of their drink and laughing as they go.

"It's for us," she responds, not really sure if this is getting them anywhere or not. Telepathically, she asks her companions, "Any ideas?"

”Ummm, maybe ask them to do something illegal for you? Larceny, kidnapping, murder?”

"Shoot the halfling in the knee."

"I meant GOOD ideas," Diamaante sends with a trace of annoyance.

"So, is Mama Fats the name of this shop or is she an actual person? And if the latter, might we speak with her?" she asks the halfling.

"Shooting the halfling in the knee IS a good idea."

The easy smile returns to the halfling's face. "It's neither."

GM roll: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

He picks up the pencil again. "Now, when the order comes in, how are we going to get in touch with you for pick-up?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + (4) + 4 = 12

Diamaante tries to get a good read on the halfling before replying. With a shrug, she gives him her contact information for the hotel.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

While Diamaante was giving the halfling her contact info, Telion explained his findings, I'm not certain what you just ordered, but apparently Mama Fats might be a code word for some kind of not public good or service. Anyone ever hear the name Jabaxa before? The halfling was thinking that name, seemed like possibly his boss, or... accomplice.

Culture: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 On Jabaxa

The halfling looks at Diamaante. "So, you want us to send word to the Moons of Sleep? Not, like, to your personal number? It's fine either way, but I guess you're not in a rush."

At that moment, a door in the back of the store that appeared to be a storage room opens, and a leashed creature similar to what the lashunta previously spied in the streets comes out, followed by a ysoki and an older human. The older human carries the lead, which snakes around a collar on the quadripedal plant creature. The creature's head seems to be a mixture of leaves and vines, two eye-like pods set on either side of its mass. The ysoki glances at the gathered crew, then addresses the halfling directly.

"We're off to go win some money and you know we ain't coming back until we do, son! Make sure you watch for those teens that rolled the stands last week. We won't be having that again. Expect us back tomorrow some time, even if you see me later tonite. Excuse me folks -" the ysoki moves past the crew in front of the leashed creature, his patter not slowing and his eyes not giving more than a casual glance at the crew "- it bites."

They exit without a further word.

Once all of the thugs have moved on, Jaxom asks, ”what the flarg just happened there?”

"Was hope you tell me."

"I think they just punked us. The halfling was laughing at us."

The scene at the counter plays on.

Life Science: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10 -5 DC to identify rare creature

Perception: 1d20 + 0 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 0 + 1 = 3

The king of dice rolling ladies and gentlemen!

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

August's Castrovelian coffee was amazing.

Life Science: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 -5 DC for rare creatures

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

"August, think you can pull up some throwaway number that Diamaante can use, so she doesn't have to use her personal number here?"

Telion and Diamaante can go ahead and read the Life Science spoiler above - it's the same info you got earlier.

"I'm not much of a computer whiz - Pact World systems are still a little unfamiliar with me. I can give you my number since my comm is a burner."

"Alright, here is my personal comm number," Diamaante says, giving the halfling the digits August provides her. She eyes the thugs, ksarik, and hidden room curiously.

"Should we try anything else now, or wait for the contact? I am not sure how hard we should push if they have ksariks on leashes!" she says telepathically to the others.

The Leash-Thing (if you're curious)

"Alright, yeah?," the halfling replies, taking down the number. "Someone will contact you about your order and where you can pick it up soon." He grins again at Diamaante's cautious gaze at the plant-thing.

"You noticed her, eh? I thought you might; I thought you might!" He nods at Diamaante and Telion. "The two of you - of course you know what Lily there can do; you've seen 'em in real life!" He holds his hands out in false humility. "Of course, you're not looking at the champion ksarik breeder of Absalom Station---oh wait a parsec, YOU ARE." He punctuates his statement with a staccato laugh.

The halfling takes a conspiratorial edge to his voice as he leans in closer to Diamaante. "Say, you should see her in action. Tell me what you think. Tell me if I got it right. That's where my boyos are going: ksarik fighting pits. It looks like you lot could protect yourself well enough. What's more, if you lay down some credits on Lily, it might make for a profitable night, if you catch my drift."

The halfling resumes his perch, nodding and smiling as he sips from a canned drink.

August's eyes go hard at the mention of animal pit fighting. As far as he was concerned that was one very small step up from the basest crimes sapients can commit.

Moral degenerates.

He steps up and grinds his cigarette out directly next to the halfling's hand on the counter in a way that suggested he wouldn't have noticed if he was doing it on the halfling either, then drops his hand to rest on his gun.

"I don't really have the patience for this, and I'm about a second away from putting a bullet in your head as a friendly way of saying hello to whoever it is finances your little 'sport'. The human who walked out with the ysoki has a Level 21 Crew tattoo on his arm and we're trying to get in touch with them so let's so drop the cloak and dagger shit."

"You let the Level 21 Crew know we want a meeting because a good friend of ours, a Starfinder, got killed in a shootout their idiot gangbangers got into on the docks. Tell them we want it soon, because we're impatient and want to turn in a report to the Society. Tell them it doesn't really matter to the Society who gets the blame as long as somebody does and a message gets out that Starfinders are off-limits here on Absalom Station."

He smiles at the halfling then, a friendly, open smile that you only really see when people are having a great day.

"And for gods' sake try not to screw the message up. It's probably on tape so I'd be very put out to have to come back down here to carve it into you."

August will signal the others that it's time to go.

If the human is walking the ksarik the ysoki's probably in charge of this place. Might as well say hello.

In Ysoki: "Good coffee here but the service could use a lot of work. Have a nice day."

The he'll walk out and head off Level 21 at a leisurely but deliberate pace.

If the personal comm units have a GPS system on them August will have that disabled and when they get back to the Ring he'll find a 24-hour store and grab a new personal comm unit, then put the one whose number Diamaante gave out on call forwarding and stash his old comm unit in a locker somewhere other than their hotel - preferably near a taxi station, coffin hotel, etc. Let me know how much that costs so I can deduct it.

Please give me an Intimidate check, August.

Just stating a fact, not really trying to be menacing?

EDIT: Well, should probably roll just to speed things up.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Seemingly-random GM roll: 1d20 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (14) + 1 - 10 = 5

The crew exit Mama Fats' bodega and head back topside. Along the way, August spends a few moments fiddling with his pre-loaded single personal use device (PLSPUD, or Pleasure Pod, as the kids call them), attempting to turn off the GPS tracking for his burner.

A Computers check please, August.

Telion looked like he was about to awkwardly blunder through some kind of subterfuge, then stood and watched August's ultimatum. As they left, he smiled and said, "See that's what I'm used to. All this sneaking about and misdirection... feels like walking blind into a hevra pit."

"Keep on your toes in case they decide to turn those ksariks loose on us though. They're nasty."

Don't have Computers. He'd hand it off to Jaxom who seems reasonably tech savvy if he couldn't figure it out right away.

"I was attempting a lighter touch, but there are times when the blunt approach works better," Diamaante admits. "We'll see what happens in the next little while, but we may have to return with our guns out to get the answers we seek."

"What now? Visit Downside Monarchs? Or wait on tiny human's message?"

A computers check to help with whatever August needs...

Computers: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Jaxom configures August's burner PLSPUD to broadcast from the dark (GPS off) as the crew moves topside in the service lift. Once back in the Ring, August finds a 24-hour store and purchases a new personal comm device (7 credits, August). Noticing the rentable lockers near the main Line station in the ring, August places his now-dark personal device in a rented locker (another 2 credits per 24hrs, August).

August turns around after leading the crew through the completion of his errands and notices most of his colleagues yawning openly. Diamaante and Jaxom appear to almost be asleep on their feet. The android realises that the day full of starship travel, impromptu gun battles, and disorientation might be getting to his colleagues, though he still feels ok.

Diamaante, Idar, and Jaxom currently have the fatigued condition purely based on the amount of time you've been awake, the time of day (night) that it is, and the fact that you've been involved in interstellar star travel today. You my spend a resolve point to clear this condition and press on if you wish, or you may seek out sleep.

Diamaante starts suddenly, blinking her eyes against her exhaustion, "Mmm... Perhaps we should continue the investigation in the morning? I need my beauty sleep..."

What interstellar star travel did I undertake today? We slept on the station last night, right? And we're sleeping here tonight again?

"Indeed, rest sounds like a great idea."

We didn't sleep before, just registered and searched our hotel rooms.

August will move something to block his door if the furniture isn't bolted down. Either way he suggests some sort of watch so neither gang gets the drop on them.

Ok, but I live here!

What interstellar star travel did I undertake today? We slept on the station last night, right? And we're sleeping here tonight again?

Ah yes, my mistake. Telion and Jaxom haven't had any interstellar travel in the past 24 hours. August, Idar, and Diamaante arrived today. So Jaxom isn't fatigued as well, though it's getting to be bedtime for him.

The crew retires to the Moons of Sleep, where they each have their own individual rooms. August suggests a "watch", but then realises that, unless they take turns patrolling the hallway of level 42 of the hotel, that a watch would be untenable.

Despite that, how would you like to proceed?

I'm all about a good nap!

Yes, time for sleep!

Note to self: buy spyeye camera/fiberoptic line camera soonest.

Idar will order some reasonably priced room service or delivery, eat, bathe, and sleep. Kasathan or Akitonian food, if possible.

Assuming we reach morning without a call from Mama Fats or the Level 21 Crew, Idar will suggest Steel Fletchings again. Those Castrovelian plant monsters did not look like a joke, and they are dancing around a gang war.

"Be prepared is good, yes?"

It had been a long and eventful day, and Telion was glad to finally get some rest. He hadn't really known Kreel, but heading to meet him only to see him caught in the crossfire of a gang war had been jarring. Even worse if it was actually some kind of targeted attack made to look like an accident as his companions suspected. Then getting wrapped up in Starfinder business and finding ksariks as guard creatures on the station?! If this was what every day was like as as a Starfinder, he didn't know how he could ever go back to some of the odd jobs he had been bouncing between since arriving on the station.

Everybody sleeps a restful evening and awakes refreshed to an electronic ping! from their personal comm device.

You all have mail.

Making your way from Level 42 down to the lobby of the Moons of Sleep, you are greeted by a cheerful Landry seated at the reception desk.

"Morning! Sit-down AM meal through the door," he points to the door to the left of his booth, "or, if you're on the go, please help yourself to a protein pack and a flask of water. Happy Fourthday!" A table by the door holds two baskets filled with foil-sealed protein packs and plastic flasks of water.

A few other travellers sit in the lobby of the Moons of Sleep, their bags resting near them, travel plans apparent.

Idar steps through to the breakfast area, getting in line for the waffle iron and waits for his new compatriots to join him, to discuss their oncoming day.

After freshening up and dressing for the day, Diamaante sits at the breakfast table and picks at her meal. When the others arrive, she waves them over and reaches out telepathically.

"Any response from the halfling yet?" she asks August.