Building on what Mordin recalled, Saeron knows in a bit more detail that the creature's defenses against fire and electric weapons are two-fold. First it's AC against fire and electricity attacks increases as the light levels go up, and if such an attack does miss, it can absorb the energy as it passes and release a blinding attack back toward the attacker.
With that high of a check, Saeron is some kind of expert on these things. She thinks the beast is hostile mostly because of training and abuse, and might be possible to calm it with Survival skill if there are no goblins around.
Saeron's projectile misses the spicodranth, as does Kallus's attack on the goblin.
Fixit's laser hits the goblin, striking him fatally.
The spicodranth, spurred on by the goblin brutality, moves toward the party and attacks Mordin, slashing him with its sharp claws for 9 damage.
The undead camera crew shuffles a bit and as they shine their bright lights on the beast, its shell shines even brighter, further increasing its defense against fire and electric attacks. They are definitely potentially in the way, and moving through them counts as difficult terrain.
Mordin -9SP
Goblins (if there are more of them)
Blue
Saeron
Fixit
Kallus
Spicodranth (in bright light)
Levy (detecting thoughts)
Mordin and Levy are up
A reminder that there were sounds of rummaging and clanking from further in that also stopped when the fight broke out.
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With the direct way to the strange creature, Levy breathes a sigh of relief and continues forward, with the intent to circle back around. While she's at it, however, she continues focusing her mental powers through her antennae, scanning the unfamiliar area for additional thoughts.
Fixit's shot does topple the flashy armadillo.
You see a flat panel piece of rumble get kicked off a doorway inside by a goblin, and another one comes through. Levy detects their nasty little space goblin thoughts as they bust through, and Mordin takes a readied shot and hits this red goblin, who returns fire at Mordin.
The goblin's shot misses the dwarf
Mordin
Goblins (red-5)
Blue
Saeron
Fixit
Kallus
Levy (detecting thoughts)
Entire party is up
Blue's shot takes out the red gobo.
Levy's psychic attack dazes the goblin, so it will not act next round, but it has no defensive penalty.
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Saeron makes her way into the room, following her companions as they move toward the now uncovered doorway.
Unable to get a clear path to the goblin, she focuses her mental energies on the pile of rubble by the door and (provided there is a piece of appropriate size) attempts to telepathically launch a projectile at the vile beast.
Saeron's projectile misses, but Fixit's overcharged laser shot takes out the goblin.
As the combat ends, the camera crew scrambles around to get shots of the aftermath.
The central chamber where the last two goblins came from seems to be the location of the blast. The ceiling has been blown out, and you can climb through with a DC 10 Athletics check (or show off for the cameras with a higher DC of 14). A greenish glow lights the chamber, which appears rather large form your position below.
Before the party moves on Wazasha takes Fixit aside, into the "booth," which is a mobile tripod bubble with audible shielding and room for two to give a space for private interviews.
Once the bubble is secured, the ghoul asks Fixit about the combat. "Your expertise at killing the goblins was superior to your teammates. Three of them didn't even manage to contribute at all: Kallus, Levylissa, or Saeron. Do you think any of them are not cut out to be here?"
So far Kallus, Saeron, and Blue have made their way up to the next level. It is a large cavern that sparkles with phosphorescent fungi whose caps span as much as 10 feet in diameter. The goblins’ explosion from below has buckled the cavern floor here, leaving a concentric impression in the ground where there appears to have just been unaffected stone before, much like a crater.
No other creatures are in the immediate area when you climb up. With three of you up there, you can assist the others to automatically succeed. Or the party members below can keep trying on their own if they want to take a risk with that -4 for the show.
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Fixit waves his heavily modified rifle at Wazasha & the camera crew causing a flinch every time he points it at them.
"We have different skill sets and we all have our place. Mine is technology of which this weapon is one such piece."
He wanders back to the group after the brief one liner and gets the others to help him climb up to the next level.
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As Fixit returns from the crew, Levylissa suddenly realizes the cameras again. Thinking she should at least try to make a show, she attempts to take a running leap to reach the ledge and pull herself up. She times her leap just perfectly so that she turns slightly in the air to smile at the camera before gracefully gliding into opening.
Everyone makes it to the top and starts to look around. The undead crews fire off grapplers and cable lines to easily make it to the top as well.
The chamber is indeed large, but before you can take too much of a look around, you notice a trio of dwarves coming your way. Even from this distance you manage to make out that they are armed, but with very archaic looking weapons and armor, right out of an ancient history vid. While they appear suspicious and ready for combat, they do not seem outwardly hostile.
You notice that they seem to notice that you have noticed them, and the one at the front, a lady dwarf, shouts out in dwarven "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
In this first contact situation, if anyone says anything back tell me the language and some kind of social skill or knowledge roll.
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"What eh?" Mordian says as the archaic dwarves approach. "This some sort of LARP situation? We haven't used armor like that in hundreds and hundreds of years."
When the dwarves address them in dwarven, he frowns and considers his words and the situation. Mordin replies in dwarven, "Greetings, lost brothers. I am Mordin Gimhargruest, Devoted of Angradd and descendant of Farseekers from the Five Kings Mountains. I am affiliated with the Starfinders--those you see around me--and these others are a camera crew recording our deeds.
"From what clan do you belong? How long have you lived on this moon?"
The dwarf speaking on their behalf seems to not have any clue what a lot of Mordin is saying means, not due to language barrier but rather unfamiliarity. She does respond to Mordin and they all visibly relax a bit.
"We are clan Marbleheart. It's large, but we split into smaller groups to seek the surface more than a century ago, from a time before my memories. I now lead a band of 43 dwarves, though we are down to 29 after the orcs and earthquakes returned."
"I am Ylga Tulgarst, daughter of Ulfrodi. I speak for my clan. I am sorry, but I do not know of your clan Mordin. Have you already been to the surface? Is that where these strange friends of yours are from?"
The cameras fan out to capture as much reaction from the party and from the other dwarves.
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Realising she had been biting her bottom lip, Saeron relaxes a little as the dwarf responds to Mordin and some of the tension appears to leave her clan members.
Fluent in multiple languages common to Castrovel, she is unable to comprehend anything that transpires between the dwarves. Watching the archaic dwarves across the chamber, Saeron listens intently, grateful for Fixit's translation.
Ygla seems in awe at Mordin's words about his clan and their completion of the Quest for the Sky, but also seems uncertain about something else he says.
"I'm not sure what these other creatures you mention are, we've seen many orcs though. The orcs fought our ancestors for centuries, but they fled upward long ago. I heard stories of their towering forms, green skin, and rage as a child, but we only saw them for the first time a few hundred forge-days ago. They are shorter than I imagined, but just as cruel. Also, they jabber in a language unknown to us, even though I learned the orc language as part of my warrior training.”
She confers quietly with her comrades before addressing the party again. "I only hope we can reach such heights one day soon... I would love to see the surface of Golarion myself. You should come with us to meet the others, you and your friends."
At this point since you've won the dwarves over, I'll assume that anyone can talk to them with Fixit or Mordin freely translating.
Do you guys go with Ylga back to her clan or have other questions?
The cameras have been taking this all in, and Wazasha it excited to hear more from the party now.
Mordin:
She takes Morin to the booth and asks him about the dwarven history here. "Tell our viewers about this Quest for the Sky. And also, do you have any theories about why these dwarves are sill on that quest, and here on Salvation's End of all places?"
Kallus:
After Mordin, she asks Kallus about the old school weapons. "You fight with a weapon styled in the traditional ancient forms similar to what we saw from the Dwarves. Do you think they represented a real threat to the party?"
Ylga:
Once the groups are closer together, Wazasha also tries to coax Ylgo into the booth for an interview. But Ylga is too uncomfortable around the technology and strange unfamiliar creatures and respectfully declines.
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"Aye! We should love to meet your clansmen," Mordin says enthusiastically.
______________________
"The Quest for the Sky was the ancient dwarves' migration from the deep realm within Golarion to the surface. They migrated in answer to a prophecy given by Torag, father of Angradd, to head upwards to the sky when the ground shook. Legend says that it was the fall of the Starstone that started the quest, so that was very, very long ago indeed.
"If these dwarves believe that they are on this quest, then they may have been stolen from the deep lands long ago, may through a dimensional portal. Or maybe they have their own Quest for the Sky given to them by Angradd that is different from the ancient one," Mordian says. "It is odd that they call this rock Golarion as well."
______________________
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Kallus looks at the interviewer and nods. "It is not the weapon, but the intent behind it. While we have an advantage in ranged energy weapons and technology, it is likely at these close quarters a melee will ensue, should it come to that. If that happens, those dwarves are clearly capable warriors. Some of our lesser combat experienced members would have a difficult time holding them off."
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Code 34 Blue speaks to the dwarves, "Golarion? That planet vanished in an event we now call The Gap. This location is a metal construct made to look like a moon. Does your clan have any records or oral history of the past 300 or so years? If so we might be able to finally solve the mystery of Golarion's disappearance and how you ended up here. There might even be a small chance your current group of dwarves traveled through time."
Saeron has more difficulty than normal getting a read on the dwarves mostly because of the language barrier. She doesn't really pick up anything hostile or suspicious in their body language though.
Through translation, Ylga responds to Saeron's questions "Our quest has beein going on for generations, as we have been climbing higher and higher toward the surface. Do you know how far it is from here? Our settlement isn't far, less than an hour's walk. We've been there about a year, as we've had to deal with the orcs - er goblins - that have been showing up."
What Blue is saying just confuses Ylga. When he says something about Golarion disappearance, all she can say is "But we are right here in Golarion now... If this is some sort of existential philosophy you want to talk to our priest, he may have more interesting discussion for you, and knows the history best."
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The party follows Ylga and her two friends toward the dwarves' village.
Something is wrong however. The goblins' explosion has caused reverberations and mechanical disturbances, and the rock ceiling in some places has fallen to the ground, and a massive chunk has crashed into what appears to be a temple.
Dwarves are scrambling around trying to help, and when she sees what has happened Ylga jumps into action. She introduces the party and quickly and takes charge. After some examination, she determines that there are two likely ways to get in and help: remove the boulder or send in a small group through the fissure. Several dwarves determine that the fissure’s trajectory should lead to its intersecting with the temple’s rear rooms, but the trench has partly filled with an unknown, viscous fluid.
The camera crew is taking in the chaotic scene, but Wazasha seems preoccupied on her com. Eventually she approaches the party.
"We've started an audience poll for the alternatives the dwarves are discussing." She pushes a few more buttons and a holographic display shows the real time updates as the dwarves discuss the rescue operations. Every time one option sounds more perilous or painful, the audience inevitably is swayed in that direction. At the end of the poll, the audience votes for the PCs to clamber through the strange fluid-choked fissure to sneak into the temple from behind.
"The audience has decided that the passage through the fluid-filled trench is the more exciting option."
Do you all decide to go with the audience vote or remove the boulder intead?