[PbP Gameday VII] GM Mjolbeard's SFS 1-12 Ashes of Discovery (Inactive)

Game Master Mjolbeard89

Zez'ka again fires the forward laser cannon.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9
Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

"Disappointed!"

Oh my...

Speck shifts back over to the Science Officer's station and begins homing in on the whelp's energy signature, feeding the data to Mordin and Zez'ka as he gets a better and better lock on the target.

With the computers continuously aiding their aim, both gunners fire at the whelp, and even though only Mordin's shot finds its mark, his shot truly counts.
15 points of damage and a critical hit on a natural 19 causes two critical effects to activate!

Crit effect: 1d100 ⇒ 1 Weapons array
Crit effect: 1d100 ⇒ 11 Weapons array
Weapon affected (1=Bite, 2=Breath, 3=Starboard Claw, 4=Tail, 5=Port Claw): 1d5 ⇒ 3
Weapon affected (1=Bite, 2=Breath, 3=Starboard Claw, 4=Tail, 5=Port Claw): 1d5 ⇒ 2
Starboard claw and Breath Weapon are both glitching in addition to the tail weapon and heart!

Round 3 Summary
Starfinders: 0hp damage, Port shields at 8/10
Besmaran Whelp: 42hp damage, heart glitching, tail weapon glitching, breath weapon glitching, starboard claw weapon glitching

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Whelp (yellow) initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
Starfinder (green) initiative: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 = 10
Enemy wins initiative. Starfinders move first!

Round 4 Players' Turn
Captain (if any)
Engineer
Pilot move and maneuver roll
Science officer

"Ha! Take that, ya big, ship-eating space gecko!" Mordin shouts at his display screen.

GM, Speck had targeted its propulsion system, so the first crit would have been that, rather than the weapons array.

"Yeah, good going Mordin!" Speck continues sending out the pulses to mess up the space shark's propulsive nerves.

target system, propulsion: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 11 + 2 = 26 Crit on 19 or 20. And next crit affects propulsion system

Waiting on the Engineer to go before moving.

Apologies, it was a busy weekend.

"You're going to spoil me with all this speed, Cournae!"

"As long as you keep that giant space whale from eating me alive, I will continue to spoil you, dear," Cournae says dryly.

Engineering check to Divert (Engines): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Failure.

As she says that, however, the console in front of the ysoki lights up with error messages as the emergency radiators dump the supercharging heat she was sending to the engines. Cournae clicks her tongue in frustration.

"There's no way I can keep that thing in front of us and still keep it from biting. I'm going to try something different."

Asterion redirects the discharging heat out the starboard side, to attempt to slide out of the way.

Slide to port, DC 13: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Success! Hopefully that will keep it on our side this turn, and we can get further away next time.

Against your expectations, the creature does not chase after you as Asterion pushes your ship hard to port. Instead the Besmaran whelp turns away from you and seems to move away as quickly as it is able! The creature is in full retreat!

COMBAT OVER!

With the immediate threat now gone, you return your attention to your mission, and Asterion directs the ship toward the planet's surface. As you approach the planet in you starship, you notice a dangerous storm that interferes with your ship’s sensors. The storm’s erratic movements and intensity make it too dangerous to land inside.

Instead, you land your ship in an area not affected by the storm, but still relatively near the coordinates of the compound you were directed to investigate. After landing, you begin making your way to the abandoned outpost. As you travel toward the outpost, you come across a small village of the planet’s inhabitants.

How would you like to proceed? Do you want to move toward the village? Avoid it entirely? Open fire on the locals?
The choice is yours!

"We should make contact with the natives. They may have information about the outpost and what befell the colonists."

"We should make contact with the natives. They may have information about the outpost and what befell the colonists."

"I agree. Additionally, it wouldn't hurt to do a bit of, ah, public relations of behalf of the Society."

"Oh, joyous day! Yes, let us meet the locals! I desire to befriend them all! Excited!" Zez'ka claps her hands in glee.

"Don't scare tha locals into shooting at us," Mordin cautions. "But be ready in case they wanna shoot at us anywise."

The dwarf tries to prepare for the storm as they travel.

"Hey, we are the Starfinder Society, ain't we? That's like in our job description?" Despite his outward cynicism, Speck is rather excited to see what strange new aliens reside on this planet.

After spotting the settlement, you enthusiastically move forward, eager to do your jobs as Starfinders to make connections with the inhabitants of far-flung worlds. As you come closer, you get a better view of the village--which is little more than a collection of a view dozen small structures--as well as its inhabitants.

From a distance the villagers appear humanoid, though the distance seems to distort their forms so they appear to be human-shaped blurs, like the view is distorted by intense heat. When you get close enough to be sure of what you're seeing, though, you realize it was no trick of the light. Dozens of villagers move about on thin, semi-solid appendages. Their arms and legs seem to stretch and retract like rubber, while their torsos and heads almost seem to jiggle with their motion.

Just as you come to understand the villagers' appearance, they also catch sight of you, and most quickly move away from you. Two slightly smaller members of the community approach you, however, and beginning gesturing toward you and calling out in a garbled, fluid form of communication you assume to be their language.

These villagers are communicating with you in an unfamiliar language. If you have magical or technological means of communicating, you could use those now. Otherwise, you can make a Culture check to attempt to communicate with them.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"They're askin' who're we and how'd we git here," Mordin tells the others. "They also wanna know what happened ta the space critter--dinna think ya could see the fight from ground."

Mordin tries to beckon one of the two villagers forward, indicating that he wants to touch the villager in a non-aggressive way.

Culture: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

If one of the villagers allows Mordin to touch him, he will use mindlink to convey their introduction and purpose on the planet (essentially the contents of the debriefing)

Sense Motive check (+ Honorary Spider Boon): 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 8 + 1 = 20

"Mordin's right; they would like to know what, exactly, is going on - and rightly so, I would think."

If Mordin is unable to use mindlink with one of the locals...

Cournae does her best to answer "Who are you?" (Explorers from another world) and "How did you get here?" (Sailed between the stars), but will refrain from answering the third question until she better understands the local's stance on the space whale.

Culture check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

"Huh! Well, I'll be. Would you look at that? What in Weydan's universe would pop out next?" Speck studies the creature with great curiousity.

"Mordin, let me know if the mindlink works. If not, I can try a 3D movie..."

If Mordin's mindlink doesn't work, Speck will throw a holographic image to explain.

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 13
Not catching Cournae's caution, Asterion tries to explain that we drove off the creature after it attacked us.
Culture: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"Oh, many wondrous greetings, soon-to-be-friends!" Zez'ka exclaims happily. She claps her wands in excitement, while her antennae quiver in glee. "I am thrilled to be meeting you! I have never before gotten to make the 'first contact!' JOY!"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

Although Zez'ka understands their questions -- sort of -- her attempts to communicate back to them are hopelessly flawed. She moves too much, shouts too often, and uses far too many words.

"I am Zez'ka! A shirren from the Starfinder Society! Proud! I got here on my spaceship! It is a Pegasus class ship. With it we travelled through the stars and came to your planet! The space creature attacked us, so we fought it off without ship's weapon systems. It fled. Happily, none of us were devoured or maimed in the process! Relieved!"

"Who are you? I have never met one of your kind before! Curious!"

Several of you begin speaking all at once, some more "excitedly" than others, and the natives quickly begin to seem overwhelmed by the array of voices and the strange beings reaching out toward them. They back away and seem to wave their appendages at you in a warding manner.

The locals appear to be frightened and are ushering you away!
Perhaps you got off on the wrong foot. How about you give it another shot? Pick someone as your representative and have them make a culture check. The rest of you may make checks to aid another still.
At this point, the locals do not allow you to touch them for the purpose of mindlink.

"Ach! We've scared 'em," Mordin says with disappointment. He tries to help calm them down.

Culture (aid Cournae): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

culture (field trainee boon), aid : 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Speck gestures to shy ysoki who has apparently been following the Starfinders, a field trainee of his. He whispers to Speck, who only shakes his head. Apparently, his assistance is useless.

Instead, Speck taps a few cybernetics on his forehead and suddenly, a 3D moving image appears in the air in front the aliens. The Starfinders quickly recognise it as a retelling of the mission up to now. But everything is just that much brighter, the Starfinders are just that much more heroic looking. First, a majestic Venture-Captain Arvin waves the glowing Starfinders to go forth and explore the universe, followed by them trooping bravely into the luminous Loreseeker. The starship traverses across long distances across the universe and the Drift (the view panning out to show the vast distances) before arriving at the planet. But lo and behold, a massive evil-looking shark beast starts attacking, but the Loreseeker overcomes great odds to chase away the beast, before landing on the planet. Finally the heroes approach the village, their arms open-wide in peace, while gesturing back up into the universe...

Cast holographic image

With Mordin's assistance and Speck's stunning images, Cournae tries again (more calmly this time) to answer the local's questions with simple gestures.

Culture check (+ Aid): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 2 = 18
Well, it's not worse...

Seeing that they've frightened the natives, Asterion backs off some and attempts to aid Cournae.
Culture: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

This time, the adolescent villagers are calmed somewhat by the simpler and gentler approach of the Starfinders, but it's Speck's images that really grab their attention. Soon, they are fully engrossed in the images, and when it ends, they look to each of you with wonder in their large, gooey eyes.

They converse with one another briefly, then beckon for you to follow them as they move back toward the village. As you move into the village, more members of the small community approach you and begin asking their younger counterparts about you. Some even venture far enough to speak to you directly, and you quickly realize that many of them recognize you as somehow connected to the great space beast and the fight that happened high up above. The overall tone is one of concern and even occasionally anger.

Soon, you come to a gathering place in the village, and the community begins to circle up around the edges of the space, while the adolescents you first met stand with you in the center of the ring.

A moment later, a loud rumble like that of a primitive, gas-powered engine reverberates from down one of the causeways leading to the gathering space, and the crowd parts in that direction. A two-wheeled vehicle rolls slowly up the path toward you, bearing a large and older-looking local. Two similar vehicles with their own riders flank the first. When the elder villager's vehicle rumbles into the square, she kills the engine and dismounts the vehicle.

Through more gestures and speech, she addresses you, asking what seem to be many of the same questions you were asked by the adolescents outside of the village.

In this section of the scenario, you have the opportunity to make first contact with this planet's resident species. To communicate with them, you can still use magical or technological methods, or continue using signs and gestures to attempt to make yourself understood.
Once you have established a way to communicate, you will need to determine what impression you would like to make on the community, either through diplomacy or bluff skill checks. There are also alternative skills you could use to influence the community, but you will need to communicate with them some to figure out what that might be.

Zez'ka smiles and waves happily at the many strange beings in the village!

Will they allow Mordin to use his spell now?

Yes, if you want to try mindlink again, you've gained enough trust for that at least.

The holographic image last as long as I concentrate, so it would still be on. But Speck will hold back for now since the illusion communication is only one way.

Mordin respectfully steps forward and offers his hand toward the elders.

He will use this to convey an explanation of who they are and why they're here (initial briefing).

Cournae watches the locals as Mordin attempts to communicate supernaturally, trying to judge their reaction.

Sense Motive (+ Honorary Spider Boon): 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 1 = 18

The elder steps forward and tentatively extends an arm toward Mordin's open palm. She hesitates for a moment, but eventually, sets her gelatinous hand in his. Mordin links with the elder's mind, giving her the 10-minute version of who they are and why they are here in a matter of a few seconds.

When the link is completed, the elder takes her hand back and looks around at each of you. Cournae can see that she understands your intentions much better now, but is still not sure of what you will do next. She gestures from herself to you all, and seems to ask what it is you want from her and her people.

Now that the elder does not seem to be calling for them to defend their home or flee, a few of the locals begin wandering off toward the two riders who had approached along with the elder. Both riders crank the engines of their vehicles, showing off the power of their rides. Egged on by the other locals, the two riders turn their vehicles around, roll up to the edge of the circle, and, at a given signal, race away.

With that, more and more of the locals begin wandering off and returning with their own vehicles. Some of them even approach you and seem to offer you a chance to try yourselves.

In addition to diplomacy or bluff checks to gain the locals' trust and help, you can also attempt to influence the community by racing against another villager with a Piloting check!

Asterion is very curious about their vehicles, and take one of the villagers up on their offer to try it. He takes a few moments to look it over before hopping on.
Engineering to study it: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Piloting to ride: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Mordin guffaws as he watches the nuar board the two-wheeled vehicle. "Don't crush their motor carts!"

He then turns back to the elders and tries to convey that he is interested in learning more about them--their language, their gods, their laws, their art--using a crud pidgin and hand gestures.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

"Oh, joy! I would be the 'delighted' to race with you! Flattered!"

Piloting: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

"WHEEEEEEE! EXCITED!"

Speck stares at the machines somewhat skeptically but his curiousity takes the better of him. Of course, he would never admit it. And sure enough, in trying to keep his cynical image, heends up being rather wobbly on the vehicles.

pilot: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Asterion examines the vehicles and discovers that they appear to be fairly simple motorized vehicles powered by some form of gas-powered combustion system. He attempts to mount one of the vehicles offered to him, as do Zez'ka and Speck, but they all find the vehicles rather unwieldy to their controls, possibly owing to the beings they are actually designed for.

Meanwhile, Mordin tries to communicate with the elder and the other locals who have remained nearby, but the creatures are either put off by the firm and stalwart appearance of the dwarf, or they simply misunderstand the simple language he is using to try to communicate with them.

No luck on the first attempt, folks. How about we give this another shot?

"How complicated! But, I think I've got the hang of it this time! Hopeful!"

Piloting: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

But Zez'ka does not have the hang of it. She falls right off the bike. "Ooof! I need more practise! Determined!"

She goes around asking the citizens for driving advice.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Unfortunately they think she's a clumsy fool.

Zez'ka makes no friends...

"I think I've almost got the hang of it. Let me just try once more."

Piloting to ride: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Much better!

Speck's nose is twitching rather animatedly. Those who know him long enough knows that's a symptom of irritation for him. How could such primitive machines defeat me! Undaunted, he turns the vehicle around for another round.

pilot: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

This time, Mordin tries drawing pictures in the dirt to try to convey their intentions.

Zez'ka continues to struggle in making a positive impression on the locals, but Asterion and Speck both manage to master their vehicles, and put on a good race. The crowd chants their enthusiastic approval.

Meanwhile, Mordin resorts to the most primitive form of communication he can come up with and begins drawing images in the dirt to show what the Starfinders are there to do. The elder and others gathered nearby seem to have finally understood, and talk amongst themselves to decide what to do.

A few moments later, the elder approaches once again, and, through a combination of gestures and images of her own, gives you a warning. She tells you that the place you seek is filled with evil spirits and that all who approach are blasted with fire.

Worse still, one of their own people, an exile, has taken up residence in the outpost to practice his dark, forbidden magics. She explains that the exile was cast out of the village when he tried to claim the eggs of the great space beast for himself--a grave offense to the community, as they have served as protectors of the eggs for centuries. She hopes that you will stay in the village with them and help protect the eggs, especially since you were the ones to defeat the beast when you came to their world.

Still, if you insist on going to the outpost, she says she will give you information about its location.

Achieved 3 successes! Nice work! You should have enough information now to find the outpost if you want to head out. You suspect there is more you might learn, though, if you were to gain just a bit more favor with the villagers.

Asterion comes up to Mordin, "I think I missed something while I was racing. What eggs is she talking about? And what do these folks have to do with the Besmaran?"

"They revere da space dragon," Mordin explains to Asterion. "She lays 'er eggs on da planet, I gather, and these folk guard 'em. They need help protectin'em... from a thief, I think."

Mordin tries to communicate their interest in the space beast and protecting the eggs, using drawings in the dirt and whatever rudimentary pidgin they've managed to cobble together.

"Ask her what she knows about the outpost! Curious!"

All successes earned!

Continuing with the basics, Mordin communicates with the elder about the space beast and how they can help. The elder warms considerably at this, and finally reveals two important pieces of information. First, she produces a detailed map, showing the exact locations of the outpost and the best route to reach it from the village.

Her second piece of information is less welcome, however, as she explains that the map came from another one of the villagers who decided to take it on herself to go after the exile. The villager hasn't returned, and the elder is concerned that she may be lost or injured, or worse. She asks you to find the lost villager and return her to her people, however you can.

Anything else you want to do before heading out to the outpost?

Good to go

Zez'ka waves farewell to her new friends and gets ready to head to the outpost.

Ready to move on.

I'll go ahead and move us along. If anyone has any more actions you'd like to take before leaving the village just put it under an OOC tag labeled "Retcon".

The elder and other villagers give you directions to the abandoned outpost, trying all the while to convince you not to go. In the end, though, they repeat their request for you to help the villager who had gone before to face the exile.

The villagers inform you that it takes about 3 hours of travel to reach the outpost, and the trail will take you through one arm of the storm you observed on your flight down to the planet's surface. You begin your voyage and, after an hour or so, reach the edge of the storm. The villagers warned you that the storm does not move, but is a kind of ongoing phenomena that cannot be waited out. With that in mind, you press on through the storm.

It takes another two hours of travel through the rocky desert to reach the first signs of the outpost, during which time you plunge deeper and deeper into the storm. To your amazement and terror, the storm seems to be a supernatural phenomena that kicks up the surface of the planet into a toxic dust cloud.

Everyone please make two DC10 Fortitude saves against each of the two hours you spend traveling through the storm. Failing at the save results in you taking the damage below.

Toxic storm damage (A) - Hour 1: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Toxic storm damage (A) - Hour 2: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Fortitude: 1d20 ⇒ 11
Fortitude: 1d20 ⇒ 11

"This is amazing! And horrible! TORN!"

Fortitude saves: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 211d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

"This is amazing! And horrible! TORN!"

"I concur! This bizarre phenomenon is worth years of study - yet I can't wait to get out of it!" The slight ysoki tries to use the edge of her robes to shield her face from the toxic wind, with reasonable success.