|
The group moves forward slowly, being cautious. Harrowed Jack takes a laughably poor shot at the shadows on the hill, his laser off by a dozen yards. Meanwhile, Ratatat hops out of cover just long enough to aim and fire at the closest sniper. The plasma bolt flies up the hill and glances a Sarcesian in the shoulder!
The battlefield goes quiet for a moment as you all cower wait behind the rocks. As if the sarcesians are waiting for something. Readying for something…
Popper 1/7 SP 12/12 HP
---
Daire 0/7 SP 7/11 HP
Af’val
Jack
Gizzmo
Ratatat
Red Sniper 1 damage
Orange Sniper
|
|
The group begins to approach the three notable plateaus that rise along the western edge of this long canyon. The ground slopes up at regular intervals, making for steep but manageable climbs to the next-highest platform. Eventually, the highest rise begins to connect to the top of the canyon walls, almost 120 feet above the canyon’s base. Larger boulders and mineral outcroppings litter the plateaus, providing areas of concealment within the areas of gradual ascent. The area here rises and eventually exits the canyon.
As Af’val runs out from the safety of the rock, two shots ring out!
Luckily for him, one hits the rock he just left behind. Unluckily for him, one hits him in the upper thigh!
Popper 1/7 SP 12/12 HP
---
Daire 0/7 SP 7/11 HP
Af’val 9/12 SP 14/14 HP
Jack
Gizzmo
Ratatat
Red Sniper 1 damage
Orange Sniper
|
|
The group continues to run, getting more desperate by the second!
Two more shots ring out! One hits Af’val in the chest, the other digs deep into the sand near his feet. They appear to be concentrating on him!
Popper 1/7 SP 12/12 HP
---
Daire 0/7 SP 7/11 HP
Af’val 2/12 SP 14/14 HP
Jack
Gizzmo
Ratatat
Red Sniper 1 damage
Orange Sniper
|
"..they seem to have it in for me.."
Af'val looks down at the bullet impact to his chest
"Time for some payback"
Af'val walks forward with determination and summons 2 globes of magical energy that morph into 2 solid gears that shoot out at one of the snipers as if they are shuriken, striking unerringly.
|
|
Af’val gets into range, his magical gears thumping into the closest sarcesian! The rest of the group runs forward!
Two more shots ring out, once again splitting around Af’val. One strikes him in the calf, the other just behind him.
Popper 1/7 SP 12/12 HP
---
Daire 0/7 SP 7/11 HP
Af’val 0/12 SP 14/14 HP
Jack
Gizzmo
Ratatat
Red Sniper 1 damage
Orange Sniper 7 damage
|
|
Hurt after getting hit again, this time a stinging blow to his leg Af'val concentrates and pulls out as much magical energies from his surroundings as he can before shaping it into sharp gears and sending them after his opponent again.
As he notices his companions approaching to within striking distance as well a small grin appears on his face.
|
|
The group continues to run forward, but Af’val chooses instead to fight! His summoned gears are even larger this time, thumping into the closest sarcesian. Blood escapes from his suit as a tear appears! Ratatat pops up from cover, ready with an enormous plasma blast! The overheated plasma sears open the sniper’s armor, laying him flat on his back! He doesn’t move, unconscious.
The other sniper looks over at his fallen comrade, causing him to falter and miss his shot!
Popper 1/7 SP 12/12 HP
---
Daire 0/7 SP 7/11 HP
Af’val 0/12 SP 14/14 HP
Jack
Gizzmo
Ratatat
Red Sniper 1 damage
Orange Sniper 24 damage, Unconscious, Dying
|
|
Seeing the one sniper remaining, "Harrowed Jack" puts his head down and begins to sprint towards the sniper. As he moves forward, a blade of solid bone juts forth from his wrist. Upon closing in on the sniper, the half-orc raises his bladed fist and, using his momentum to continue him forward, attempts to drive the blade into the being that had been raining gunfire upon his fellow Starfinders.
|
|
With a mighty charge, Jack sprints up the remainder of the hill and takes the last sniper by surprise! The bone spur thrusts through the sarcesian’s armor, staggering him! The pain doesn’t let up as Daire follows with an energy shot to the chest! The rest of the group moves forward with Ratatat plasma going wild.
The sarcesian looks at the blood pouring from his stomach, and at Jack’s wild eyes. Without hesitation he turns and flees!
The blood pouring out of the dying one's chest seems to be slowing. Was that a finger twitch?
Popper 1/7 SP 12/12 HP
---
Daire 0/7 SP 7/11 HP
Af’val 0/12 SP 14/14 HP
Jack
Gizzmo
Ratatat
Red Sniper 18 damage
Orange Sniper 24 damage, Unconscious
|
|
As the bone blade retracts into his wrist, the one called "Harrowed Jack" grabs hold of the sarcesian, looking him in the eyes. With a voice that is deeper and more like a whisper than his usual voice--one empowered by the vampiric necrograft now integrated into his bod, "Jack" demands, "You will tell us why you attacked us and what you know of the missing expedition crewmembers."
|
|
The sarcesian looks around, frightened. Then, with obvious nerve, he steels himself. "You dirty Starfinders! You filthy eox-lovers! Get away from me, borai!" This last comment was definitely aimed at Harrowed Jack. "We killed them, just like those guards! Anyone aiding the bonies deserves death! " He is obviously very passionate, eyes full of hatred. He spits at you. "Wings of Damiar, forever!"
Popper sees the other sarcesian cling back to life, waking up. He quickly gives up. Upon examination though, Popper finds that he carried a small datapad, currently showing a holographic projection of the terrain of this area around Blackmoon. The display shows an area further east of the canyon marked with a strange insignia.
You hack into the datapad, to find a single voice message (the others have all been erased). “Fayetta’s sabotage is, at best, a stopgap. Real and decisive action is required if we’re to make the bone sages’ puppets pay for what they’ve done and make them afraid to try again. Take position at the top of Redspire canyon and kill anyone who comes through and isn’t one of our own. We’ll need to stay hidden for just a while longer, then we can finish this.”
The area marked on the datapad is an elevated area of Blackmoon designated as “the Roost.” The area is another hour’s journey from the canyon, roughly 1–1/2 miles away.
You can find the sarcesians’ tracks leading further east across Blackmoon toward the marked area.
|
|
As Af'val hacks into the datapad he plays the only voice recording that's left on it
“Fayetta’s sabotage is, at best, a stopgap. Real and decisive action is required if we’re to make the bone sages’ puppets pay for what they’ve done and make them afraid to try again. Take position at the top of Redspire canyon and kill anyone who comes through and isn’t one of our own. We’ll need to stay hidden for just a while longer, then we can finish this.”
"..great, this mean more people who want to shoot at us..'
later
"Look over there, tracks leading further east"
|
|
At the mention of "borai," Popper's antennae vibrate violently and he makes a warbling noise that gives the strange sense of a gasp. Jack! You have been holding out! I did not realize you were a borai! As the party rests and gathers themselves to continue their journey, he constantly badgers the half-orc with questions.
After about 10 minutes, he perks up and stops in mid-sentence. The corpses! He had completely forgotten about the bodies by the Red Fingers. He hustles back the way they came and checks them out thoroughly, though he's already fairly certain how they died.
|
|
At the mention of "borai," Popper's antennae vibrate violently and he makes a warbling noise that gives the strange sense of a gasp. Jack! You have been holding out! I did not realize you were a borai!
"I am not." uttered matter-of-factly in a direct, straightforward tone is all the man known as "Harrowed Jack" says in response.
At least, that is initially.
For as the party party rests and gathers themselves to continue their journey, the constantly badgers the half-orc with questions.
"I do not have answers for you." "Jack" says in response to the next swath of questions, though it is not entirely clear whether the half-orc simpky does not wish to discuss his condition or if he is actually unaware of how much of his current composition came to be.
As the shirren continues, "Jack" does his best to act as if he is ignoring the shirren until, after about 10 minutes, the shirren perks up and stops in mid-sentence, then departs toward the location of the security details' remains.
When he realizes that the shirren has departed, "Jack" follows him.
|
|
Popper begins trekking down the mountain with Jack in tow. To their backs, the more venemous sarcesian shouts, "Ya, you better run, walking corpse!" As Popper naively approaches the bodies, Jack noticed a small proximity sensor poking out from one of the bags! The bag is trapped! Any closer and whatever trap the sarcesians set will go off!
From where you are, a quick check of the bodies reveals that they’ve been picked clean of useful gear, including environmental protection armor. The resulting exposure to the elements has puckered their skin and allowed the toxic atmosphere to swell portions of the bodies with necrotic tumors. Popper realizes that he can match the primary wounds on the bodies as matching the sniper weapons used by the sarcesians.
Back at the top of the hill, the rest of the group strip the snipers of their valuables. Without removing their armor, you are able to obtain two survival knives, some grapplers, a pair of tactical diasporan rifles with used batteries, and each had a Serum of Healing Mk1.