Hmm's Incident at Absalom Station (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

Curious, Zeyram looks towards Hawthorne and asks “What does it do?”

Zero ranks in mysticism...

"Yes," Xyklik says. "If it is beneficial I would like to know how best to use it."

Mysticism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

"If it is attached to a blunt weapon long enough, it will channel energy from the positive plane," Hawthorne explains. "This makes the weapon effective against undead."

Zeyram nods. “That does sound useful.”

“So once that is installed and we find out what the goblins did with salt water, we should be ready to explore the rock.”

Looking in the general direction of the cargo hold where Captain Eskolar is stored, he asks “Do we do anything special with the cargo and those casings, or wait until we have explored the rock?”

Ready to move on when others are.

Xyklik places the fusion seal onto his assault hammer and waits for it to attach.

Does the seal even work on the assault hammer? I've read conflicting things on them.

"We should leave them here until we finish exploring the rock. The shuttle could be recalled remotely if we place the valuables in it. We don't know who could be monitoring us."

He shoulders and stows his weapons for travel in the vacuum.

Ready to rock. Ba-dum-tshhh!

Rock on...

How do we get to the rock? Take the shuttle? Can we do a fly around to scope it out? Or do we just space walk to the thing, goblin-style? I prefer the idea of flying over.

"Okay then, lets head to the shuttle."

We should share out the serums and medpatches before we leave.

While everyone gets settled, Hawthorne uses the ships communications array to Google search the infospheres for information on the void zombie state that results from death while infected with akata parasites.

Mysticism, Take 20: 20 + 7 = 27

"There's a good chance that the crew are void zombies, now," the priest comments. "I suspect their spawn will have similar resistances to fire and cold as the akata."

Sigamus-bot considers the silvery material.

Life Science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Before you leave, the goblins come running up! “We has salt water!” They have salt water balloons that they have crafted from a supply of safety gloves that Big Jim had given them.

“Rat-a-tat-tat
Tossity toss,
Glove go Splat,
Melt Cat Flat!”

Each of you get three water balloons. Treat them as grenades that only work against akatas.

They have also jury-rigged a pair of broken-looking salt water guns out of the pipes from the galley sink. “We show you, see?”

Target: 1d6 ⇒ 5

SPLOOSH!

They spray Xyklik, shooting the shirren’s face full of salt water! “Look, we can shoot space cats for you! Go Drift rock now!” As you head to the Hippocampus, Red calls “Shotgun!” and attempts to sit right next to Zeyram. “Can I pilot?”

Zeyram immediately responds with a resounding “No!”

A split second later, his diplomatic training catches up. “I need you to watch the scanners, make sure no Space Cats are out there.” as he gestures out the window.

Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

I hope it believes me...

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

“Ooooh, scanners!” The goblin says, as he presses his nose against the window, looking for space cats. This holds his attention for about four minutes. “Pilot now?“

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Despite about 20 goblin interruptions, Zeyram expertly pilots you to the Drift Rock! The Drift Rock is a rocky asteroid only a few thousand feet in diameter with an unremarkable, irregular surface. Having already completed all your scans of the Drift Rock earlier, you proceed in. You easily find a rocky overhang concealing a cave entrance that seems to lead inside the asteroid.

There is virtually no gravity here. The ceilings are fifteen feet high, dark and airless. Your batteries have all been recharged shipboard and are good to go.

Go ahead and place yourselves in order on SLIDE ONE. Are the Goblins in front?

Soon the tunnel has two branches that come off them, one sloping up and the other down. Do you explore one of them? Which way do you go if you do?

Zeyram brings up the suit’s environmental protections and the IR sensors before leaving the shuttle.

Allowing the goblins to lead, he is thankful for the silence of the vacuum after all the interruptions from Red.

I will allow someone else to choose our direction.

”Any chance of finding survivors down there?”

“Unlikely, but it is possible. Even if we can’t, we are supposed to find out what happened.”

”Probably keep the goblins back then.”

Hawthorne's decorative environmental helmet folds into place before he disembarks onto the drift rock. His IR sensors flicker on.

"Goblins are hard to herd," he says to Cade. "I think they'll go where they want. At least they're only armed with salt-water guns."

He eyes the fork in the tunnel. "Lacking any data to guide us, I can't recommend one direction other another. Does anyone see any sign of passage?"

Survival: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

Aid Another, Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Zeyram points out a scuff mark high on the wall of the passage.

When Xyklik is splashed with salt water, he calmly sloughs his pack from his shoulder, and removes a grenade from it.

"If you do that again, you will swallow this."

Intimidate: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15

He looks at the others, then stows the grenade. Later, he tries to help Hawthorne discover a way forward by scanning the ground, looking for any recent foot traffic.

Survival, aid: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

survival aid: 1d20 ⇒ 10

The tunnel opens up into a large cavern with a ceiling of thirty feet. Large chunks of rubble are scattered across this cavern. A large boulder lies to the west.

As you come in to the airless chamber, Cadence, Hawthorne and Xyklik all notice a slight vibration in the rock as you come in that indicates you are not alone!

That android pilot from the Stiletto appears from behind the boulder, and now there are two of her!

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

ROUND SURPRISE
Active conditions: Clara has cover, and a Clone!

Hawthorne (surprise)
Cadence (surprise)
Xyklik (surprise)

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Clara (surprise)

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ROUND ONE

Hawthorne
Zeyram
Cadence
Goblins
Simagus
Xyklik

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Clara

================================

Big Jim

BOLD may act! It is a surprise round! When you shoot Clara, please roll a 1d2 to see if you hit her or her clone.

"Look out!" Hawthorne warns through the comms as he fires a pulsed blast over the goblin's head.

Pulsecaster Rifle: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
E, NL: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Clone?: 1d2 ⇒ 2

"Well, thats going to cause a pickle!"

Cade narrows his eyes, "Why isn't she dead: is she a cold one?"

Any knowledge checks useful?

Cade can't usefully act right now. No action in the surprise round.

No knowledge checks that I can think of...

“Cold one?” Clara snorts. “My ambient temperature is fine. There is nothing wrong with the way my heating units were built, I assure you.”

Meanwhile, Hawthorne’s rifle pops an image!

Click. Whirr.

BOTTING XYKLIK

Pew Pew (azimuth laser rifle): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Flame Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4

Despite the cover, Xyklik hits Clara with the laser rifle! “So we missed killing you last time? We won’t this time!”

Shirren Eye Rifle: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Damage: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Target: 1d2 ⇒ 2 Sorry, Xyklik!

She calmly shoots Xyklik. “Or perhaps I will get you first!”

Then the goblins go.

Unstable Saltwater Gun: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Green sprays Clara with salt water. SPLOOSH!

Unstable Saltwater Gun: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Engineering Check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Red manages to keep his salt water gun from exploding on him, though some of the water leaked out!

The goblins look sheepish as they realize that all they sprayed was water. “Forgot we not have junk lasers!”

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

ROUND ONE
Active Conditions: Cover on Clara

Hawthorne
Zeyram
Cadence
Goblins
Simagus
Xyklik

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Clara (-4)

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Big Jim

Hawthorne moves behind one of the goblins for cover and fires at the bounty hunter. "We out number you, and this rock is full of deadly space lions. If you want off, forget whoever paid you to kill us."

Pulsecaster Rifle: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
E, NL: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Move: Move 5 ft
Standard: Ranged attack vs. Clara

Hawthorne hits Clara for four points of non-lethal damage!

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

ROUND ONE
Active Conditions: Cover on Clara

Hawthorne
Zeyram
Cadence
Goblins
Simagus
Xyklik

================================

Clara (-4, -4NL)

================================

Big Jim

Gah, sorry. Thought for sure I hit submit on my post awhile back.

Xyklik growls at being hit dead-on. He breathes hard for a second, then surges forward while drawing his assault hammer.

"You will die on this asteroid," he says as he brings the hammer down on the android.

Zeyram pushes off the wall upwards and towards the android.

On the open channel, he asks “Do you have a name? Any particular reason you have attacked us yet again?”

As he reachs a point above her, he shoots down at point blank range. So glad she is lacking in arms!

Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 By going over the boulder there should be no cover, right?
Electrical non-lethal damage, Photon mode: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Unfortunately he misjudged the power of the push!

Xyklik shoots Clara back! Zeyram executes a fancy maneuver in Zero G, and then finds that he pushed a little too hard off the wall, which affects his aim!

The android looks up at Zeyram, who is now floating above her. “Of course I have a name. I’m Clara-247. I have been attacking you for the most logical of reasons. Someone hired me to kill you all. I failed in our space ship battle, so I had to make another attempt or risk voiding my contract.” Her voice is calm. “I bear you no personal ill-will.”

Then she pauses as she considers Hawthorne’s words. “What do you mean by Space Lions? I am unfamiliar with that species. Are they related to the Sand Brutes of Elytrio?”

Then she considers the rest of battle, like a chess player considering a handicapped game. “By the way, you are correct that you do outnumber me,” she says regretfully. “I was not expecting quite so many of you. Though two of you only appear to be wielding improvised water weapons, and my circuitry is water resistant, so that should not present too much of a problem.”

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

ROUND ONE
Active Conditions: Cover on Clara

Hawthorne
Zeyram
Cadence
Goblins
Simagus
Xyklik

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Clara (-11, -4NL)

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Big Jim

“Akata. They look sort of like lions, with tentacles for manes. We had to search the sphere to find out what they were — other than nasty and fire resistant.”

“That we discovered on our own.”

Click. Whirr.

RANDOM BOTTING

Simagus pushes up over the wall to avoid cover!
Simagus Azimuth Rifle: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

Cadence just shoots from where he is!
Cadence Semi Auto Pisto: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Claire 247 considers her wounds dispassionately for a moment, and then says, “On second thought, it appears that this mission is also a failure. Surrender does seem the most rational course, especially if there are those akatas about. Very well.” She drops her rifle. “I surrender, and will chase you no more. Fair enough?”

COMBAT OVER!

"Fair enough for me," Hawthorne says, lowering his rifle only slightly in case this is a trick.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Zeyram collides with the wall and then has to grab it in order to steady himself.

“It is likely your best way off this rock.”

Holstering his guns, he then guides himself to the floor.

“I don’t suppose you could tell us who your former employers were, Clara-247? I do hope you collected half up front.”

Xyklik stows his weapons and takes a moment to steady himself while the others talk with Clara.

He will spend a point of resolve and rest to regain stamina.

---

After they are done talking, he asks the android, "Tell us what you have found in this place so far. Have you scouted any other areas?" He thinks for a moment, then adds, "If you try to kill us again, I will scatter you across the stars."

Intimidate: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14

"HA!" proclaims the Vesk defiantly "Nobody cancels Jims Jams!"

Jim watches her closely to try work out if her surrender is gen-u-ine, or just a ply!

Sense Motive 1d20 ⇒ 20

“That sounds fair,” Clara 247 nods to Xyklik, turning herself over for a search. “But of course I have not searched the place. It was clear to me that whomever hired me — and they did it through anonymous drops — wanted you dead because you were exploring the Drift Rock, when they wanted to do so. So I only waited here, near the beginning, so I could catch you when you came in. If I explored the entire Drift Rock, they would want to kill me. I thought it was the most logical avenue then NOT to explore.”

Cade shakes his head, "Any rooms on the ship that will work as a prison? Anyone got any electro-cuffs?"

He gestures with his pistol, "We can have a lovely chat with the psycho idiot after we've investigated this rock."

Zeyram looks at Cade in dismay. “Really, I see no reason for insults like that Cade.”

Looking to Clara-247 he adds “On the other hand, we could use some reassurance that you will not be switching sides faster than a spinning coin.”

Cade shrugs, "I take it personally when people try to kill me. I'm funny that way."

"We're going to need all the eyes and guns we can get on this rock," Hawthorne says. "Does anyone have a spare pulsecaster pistol?"

Xyklik notes the burn scars on his armor. "Her rifle seems to work just fine."

Turning to Clara, he says, "You're a good killer. You can't kill us and take our shuttle now, so help us fight through whatever is in here, and we will let you go to disappear from your clients afterward." He turns to the others. "Agreed?"

Zeyram thinks a moment, then says “Sounds reasonable to me.”

"The idea was to arm her with something that wouldn't kill if she shot us in the back," Hawthorne clarifies to the shirren.

Cade turns to Clara 247, ”And if we turn you lose. Will you look for more work murdering people? What’s your rate for blowing up schools?”

"Let's get this rock searched, this whole caper has not gone the way I thought it was going to go" Jim states as he checks his weapons.

"I'm not sure we're ones to be moralistic," Hawthorne cautions Cade. "She tried to kill just us. We created a stampede at a night club and killed several door guards. Right now, we need to survive this rock."