LIAM - 1-14 SFS Star Sugar Heartlove - starts 8/14 (Inactive)

Game Master Liam

Three Tiny cobra-headed girls (nagaji), all wearing frilly pink dresses
(ala Tsuchi-ko of SMC) are desperately trying to get your attention.

They are much too small to see over the crowd and it's a
shock they haven't been kicked or stepped on.

"Please let us ride on your shoulders til we find a place
we can see?"

Stiehle shakes his head, then picks one of them up. "We need to get them out of this crowd and somewhere safe. Where they can see and stay put, right?" He inquires of the one he's lifted to his shoulders.

The operative looks for such a place nearby where they can take the tiny trio.

Perception Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Id twitches an antennae. ...uhh...sure... He helps one onto his shoulders, with some trepidation.

Stiehle shakes his head, then picks one of them up. "We need to get them out of this crowd and somewhere safe. Where they can see and stay put, right?" He inquires of the one he's lifted to his shoulders.

The operative looks for such a place nearby where they can take the tiny trio.

[dice=Perception Check]1d20+9

Nothing currently in sight, just a sea of various species.

Id twitches an antennae. ...uhh...sure... He helps one onto his shoulders, with some trepidation.

"Yaaaaaay...thank you!"

she weighs about 2 bulk, not really all that taxing
since you can't move all that fast through the crowd anyway

Delea smiles as she reaches down to pick up the last of the tiny girls. She either sets her onto Delea's own shoulder, or helps her settle onto the shoulder of a stronger party member if any are willing.

"Wow, you girls must be big fans if you're willing to come out here and risk losing your life by getting stomped on!

"Well don't you worry, my friends here will be happy to take care of you girls!!" says Raatchet, volunteering everyone else's shoulders for them to ride on.

Then gesturing towards Delea, Raatchet says, "And if you are nice to that lady, she may even have some candy for you!"

However, upon saying that, Raatchet does check his own pockets to see if he still has any rice candy from Ziggy...

I've got a question. We're currently on the way to see the business exec but what is a 'remote waldo frame'?

remote telepresence rig

Culture: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

Ba'hob seems to mistakenly identify the race of the children.

Ba'hob "smiles" and offers to carry one as well. "So odd to see Vesk Larvae so far from their eggs. But I will be happy to carry you"

Stiehle turns to the others. "Not that these kids aren't cute, but we're going to look a little ridiculous carrying them around if we're meeting this businessman. We should try and find somewhere with a good vantage point of the concert to drop them off."

Id looks to Stiehle, the girl sitting on his shoulders. Fair point. Maybe we should work toward the other end of the stadium until we can deposit them, then come back and find the business person.

Delea gently settles the tiny girl she picked up onto Ba'hob's shoulder.

"Really? I see nothing wrong with these lil girls observing us shaking down that business exec. In fact, I'd call it Starfinder summer training camp for future Starfinder recruits!! No? Okay, okay! Let's see if we can find a place to put them down safely. Too bad...they're kinda cute and I think they can learn a thing or two spending time with me...errr... I mean us!!"

As we move along, Raatchet will scan around looking for an appropriate spot to drop the girls off.
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Thomagar looks rather foolish with his glowing hands looking down at the three girls and quickly dismisses the stellar energy he had summoned. Looking at the rest of a cue, he eventually also lifts one of the girls and seats her on his broad shoulders. "Now what?"

"Really? I see nothing wrong with these lil girls observing us shaking down that business exec. In fact, I'd call it Starfinder summer training camp for future Starfinder recruits!! No? Okay, okay! Let's see if we can find a place to put them down safely. Too bad...they're kinda cute and I think they can learn a thing or two spending time with me...errr... I mean us!!"

As we move along, Raatchet will scan around looking for an appropriate spot to drop the girls off.
[dice=Perception]1d20+9

You think you see an immense area of roiling, amorphous pink way

...or was that a trick of the lights?

The sound system is pumping out Strawberry Machine Cake, red spot lights
are playing over the red and pink garbed crowd. It's hard to tell
what is what until you are on it.

moving right along

You see a red tele-presence robot lying face down on the floor.

It lays on its face, the red lights glinting off its shiny paint,
beating its legs trying to turn itself over but it can't.

Not without your help. But you're not helping.

"Heh! Well will ya look at that?"

Raatchet watches the poor robot for a bit. Then using his comms device, snaps a picture. Then after a thoughtful moment, Raatchet turns around and takes a selfie of himself with the poor struggling robot in the background.

Then after a few minutes and a dozen or so photos, Raatchet finally helps the robot up onto its feet.

Raatchet says matter-of-factly to the robot, "Your creator really should account for your current bipedal design's lack of ability to stand upright from a prone position, particularly in areas where there is a high risk of getting knocked over, such as this crowded concert venue."

The robot wobbles a bit and is knocked back over by a passing
concert goer, this time landing on its back. The robot is a standard
teleconference robot used for attending meetings, and it has a datapad for
a face. A ysoki peers out through the interface.

"Thanks for the assist, but I think this may be a lost cause.
And it sucks because I really want to see this show! I bought
my tickets and my boss canceled my vacation, and so I have come
to this. Oh, the name is Diwata." The ysoki says sadly.

The nagaji girls chime in:
"Aww, poor robot, we know how you feel! Can you help it?"

"Hi, Diwata, I am Delea. If we can help your robot get more stable, could you let these tiny girls ride on it to enjoy the concert with you? They can't wander around without getting hurt."

To her companions: "Do any of you know if we could do something to make this robot more stable?"

the robot isn't large enough for the girls to ride on

"Easy as pie! Watch and learn, kids!"

Raatchet looks around, spots a couple portable, makeshift signs. One indicates the direction to walk for those trying to get to their seats. (For example, VIP ticket holders go this way, gold ticket holders, go that way.) Another points to temporary restrooms (port-o-potties) set up to accommodate the increased number of visitors here for the concert.

"Well now, those signs aren't entirely necessary, now are they?"

Raatchet grabs those couple signs and pulling out his tools, shears off the top and bottom so that he's left with a couple metal struts. Then he bolts those struts onto the robot, so that they support the robot like training wheels - except without the wheels. As a result, when it walks, it's stable, but the lack of wheels results in the struts scratching along the floor like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Raatchet then turns around to the nagaji girls and with a wink and a smile, he says, "Ain't it awesome???"

Stiehle watches the ysoki deal with the robot, shaking his head in amusement as Raatchet takes a series of selfies before using his mechanical genius to help it out. When it moves though, setting off a horrific shrieking sound, the operative winces in pain and fixes the ysoki with a look of exasperation. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Turning to the ysoki on the screen, Stiehle nods. "Good luck to you, Diwata. Sorry your boss is such a jerk. If your robot doesn't get tossed into a scrap heap for creating an awful racket in a public venue, I hope you enjoy the concert."

The operative shifts his shoulders beneath the weight of the little nagaji girl and starts looking for a nice, safe place with a view of the stage where he and other others can drop their tiny passengers as he mutters to himself. "Now if we can avoid any further complications to this night..."

Perception Check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

The dice are really hating me today...

Thomagar cringes terribly as the broken struts drag through the ground, his usually serene persona utterly shattered. Unfortunately, his hands are supporting the nagaji girl on his shoulders and he can't cover his ears. He glances over to Ratchet, but finally lets it all go with a deep sigh.

"Come, that area with the pink lights. There might be a guard post there. Be safer for thse girls there. We still have ... business to attend to."

Replying to Stiehle, Raatchet says, "Yah, you know I did...kekeke! Besides, it's gonna be a concert with loads of screaming kids. No one's gonna hear the robot, amirite??"

However, if it looks like the robot will get confiscated or tossed out due to the noise, Raatchet will pull out a couple tennis balls, cut them open and attach them to the bottom of the struts so that they slide along more silently, orthopedic walker-style.

Another Engineering check, if required...: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

The crowd, seeing you helping the robot shouts words
of encouragement. And you hear someone yell:

"hey, can you rig that to jump? Then they
can dance when the band is playing?"

The nagaji girls pick up on this too.

"Oooh a dancing robot! That would be fun!

I can use your 2nd engineering check if you'd like

Raatchet envisions a jumping, dancing robot then says, "Hmmm... Yah, that would be fun to watch!"

Raatchet gets to work making some mods to enable the robot to dance.... well, the robot!

Turning to his party members, Raatchet says, "Sorry guys. This will be right quick! I promise!"

Yep sure, please go ahead with the 2nd Engineering roll.

The crowd around Raatchet donates any other parts needed and soon
enough you get the little robot on its feet and able to jump
around with the rest of the crowd.

"Thank you so much" The ysoki on the datapad says.

"The name's Diwata, what can I do to repay you?

As Diwata is speaking the power goes out in the entire concert
area, killing all the lights and music. This causes anguished cries of
"Not again!" and "I hope this doesn't cancel the concert!"
from all over the venue.

Not again? What do they mean by that? Quickly addressing the nagaji girl, Thomagar asks, "This has happened before?" Again, he allows his stellar energy to infused his arms.

"Yes, it's been happening off and on. They said they're
working on it, but it is dark more often."

About that time, the lights come back on, the music comes
back online, and the crowd cheers!

Delea gives Raatchet another of her affectionate but exasperated looks as he makes unnecessary scratching noises.

Is there any way you guys can think of that Diwata might help with our mission? Delea asks her companions telepathically.

Is Diwata the 'business executive' with the remote waldo that we were originally looking for? He's got the remote telepresence robot...

-----------------------------------------

When the power goes off and on, Raatchet says, "Hmmm... We may have to look into that later.... But we should probably get these kids to that pink area near the guard post first."

Stiehle gazes around when the lights flicker off and then on again. He idly wonders if the purported equipment used by the band is perhaps drawing too much energy. Or maybe there's something else at play vying for the same energy, causing these intermittent overloads?

When he hears Delea's question, the operative listens with half an ear to Raatchet's conversation, and if it turns out this fellow is not the exec they're looking for, he'll inquire as to whether Diwata knows what a 'remote waldo' is, exactly.

Id peers around as the lights flicker, then looks to the robot. "Any idea what's happening with the electricity? Also, any idea where we might find a fella named Hira Lanzio?"

Diwata is running a really expensive telepresence robot, a
dedicated data connection, AND has tickets for the show...only
an exec would have the kind of credits to do this.

Diwata turns her robot towards Id. "No idea on the power. I
heard everything from Drow sabotage to Fey invasion theories
from the crowd while the bot was laying there. It's happening
more frequently though...so glad I didn't tie this thing to the
local grid."

And then she turns back to the rest of the group.

"Yeah, I know where to find Lanzio. If you're looking for him,
he's not attending the show. He's off in housing section
B, group Y. He's a high end security contractor and I was
hoping to score some "face time" with him to discuss a
contract with him. He didn't want to talk with me and
probably won't want to talk with you."

map updated

Diwata is running a really expensive telepresence robot, a
dedicated data connection, AND has tickets for the show...only
an exec would have the kind of credits to do this.

Diwata turns her robot towards Id. "No idea on the power. I
heard everything from Drow sabotage to Fey invasion theories
from the crowd while the bot was laying there. It's happening
more frequently though...so glad I didn't tie this thing to the
local grid."

And then she turns back to the rest of the group.

"Yeah, I know where to find Lanzio. If you're looking for him,
he's not attending the show. He's off in housing section
B, group Y. He's a high end security contractor and I was
hoping to score some "face time" with him to discuss a
contract with him. He didn't want to talk with me and
probably won't want to talk with you."

"I normally wouldn't disclose this kind of thing,
but you guys have helped me out, so a favor for a favor."

map updated

While looking at the flickering lights. "Though I do agree, this station may have some other issues first. Our quarry is on this station, I doubt he will be leaving any time soon, if there is a significant problem with the power."

"Hey, thanks for the information, Diwata! You're alright! Enjoy the concert, yah? And give me a ring sometime if you wanna talk shop about this robot waldo tech of yours! I've got some ideas on how to improve on this design... especially if you've got the cash to fund it!"

Turning back to his teammates, Raatchet says, "Where to next guys? Like Thomagar said, shall we go to that pink area? We might find a good spot to drop off these little Starfinders-in-training!" Raatchet winks at the three little girls, then continues, "And we can swing by that guard outpost where they may know more about Hira Lanzio. Whaddaya think?"

Liam, if we wanted to investigate the power outages, do we know where we should go to look into it?

Stiehle shifts his shoulders again under the weight of the girl. She seems to be growing heavier by the moment! And the fact that she keeps squirming around to look every which way makes the burden even more cumbersome.

"Yeah, sounds good to me, Raatchet."

Ba'hob nods. "It would be in the better of interest of all to secure the safety of our charges and then investigate the safety of the station"

To the pink mass and guard house

Delea happily follows the others.

Onward Buttercup!

You encounter the pink mass, or rather it
encounters you.

The pink mass seems to be a dancing group
of about 50 or 60 hot pink skittermanders
accompanied by a two teenage vesk.

The vesk wearily look you over and go back to
watching the skittermanders dance.

Id approaches the vesk. Are these skitters with you? Any chance you can get them to help us out? Actually, if you've got strong shoulders, you might be able to give us a hand too.

Id approaches the vesk. Are these skitters with you? Any chance you can get them to help us out? Actually, if you've got strong shoulders, you might be able to give us a hand too.

One of the vesk replies to Id. "Yeah, we had to escort them to this lame concert. Of course we have strong shoulders. We're Vesk."

The skittermanders all look at ID, their eyes getting big,

"D-do you need help nufriend?"

Delea smiles warmly at the cute pink fluffy creatures.

Talking to the two vesk, Raatchet asks, "Are you two chaperoning ALL these skittermanders? That's impressive! How'd you end up with a job with so much responsibility?"

Then looking to the skittermanders, Raatchet says, "Are you all big fans of Strawberry Machine Cake? Would you like to make friends with three other big fans? Look at their costumes!" Raatchet directs the skittermanders' attention towards the three nagaji girls.

And turning to the nagaji girls, Raatchet says, "Isn't this massive parade of pink skittermanders just awesome???"

"Ah! My eyes!" Stiehle groans dramatically as his senses are assaulted by the mass of writhing skittermanders clad in their hot pink fur.

The operative nudges Raatchet. "Hey, I bet our burdens... err... these cute little nagaji girls would love to perch on the shoulders of these babysitters... err... bodyguards."

Thomagar eyes the vesks warily, trying to judge if they would be suitable child-sitters. Then he looks at the mass of skittermanders and he drops all concerns. If they can manage that group, what is three nagaji girls?

The vesk eye up Raatchet. "Yeah, the show is lame and the
skittermander are lame, but duty is duty."

"So why are you carrying around little nagaji girls?"

"Well, they found us really. And we didn't want them getting crushed by the crowds, so they've taken up temporary residence on my colleagues' shoulders. Hey, can they join your impressive entourage? They won't cause any trouble... Promise! Rat's honor!"

They look over the nagaji girls. "yeah, sure if they are
willing. Additional honor never hurts"

The girls cheer and transfer over to the vesk. and in parting
grant each PC an official, bright-red, Strawberry Machine Cake
hair bow as a reward for carrying them around.

Meanwhile the skittermanders are still focused on Id and
the request for help.