[SFS, Campaign Mode] GM Blake's Against the Aeon Throne

Game Master Blake's Tiger

Talmrin extracts the transponder from the Relic and carries it out. "Give me a moment," he says as he heads into the Hunter's Bounty.

Meanwhile, several aliens push a trio of hover-dollies across the docks to load onto the Hunter's Bounty. Looking inside the crates, you find them loaded with rusted scrap and other junk items. Hasshachir also enters the dock and slowly limps towards you while you wait. "When you're done with this little bit of work," he says, "Come to my personal dock. I will assist you with the repairs to your ship."

You advance to Level 4.

The Hunter's Bounty advances to Tier 4 when Hasshachir finishes helping you to repair your ship.

Talmrin finishes installing the transponder so that the Hunter's Bounty now registers as the Azlanti transport vessel the Relic.

"Very well, the transponder hath been installed," she informs you. "The false cargo will only fool automated scans. The facade shall surely fail upon the prison's mandatory inventory. If thou hope to sneak onto the prison, thou must appear as the Azlanti. Some will have more trouble than others."

She hands you over four serums of appearance change. "Note well, the change rendered by these serums is permanent." She also hands you over two spell gems of disguise self. "Half-Red surely possesses more for sale if thou desires insurance."

In addition, she provides you with three glamored fusion seals (5th level). She also gives you some advice on infiltrating heavily guarded places designed to keep you out (manifesting as me giving you OOC tips on your action choices in the prison because there's a lot of information in her tips).

Hasshachir gives you the directions to one of several single-starship spacedocks that ring the remote Outpost Zed, this dock is a converted maintenance workshop that was used to fix mining equipment when the Azlanti owned the station. The opening in the hull of the station is secured with a force field and there are additional facilities in which customers could stay while they await repairs and upgrades.

He has installed several rejuvenation pods, turning his waiting room into a kind of spa and hotel.

"Don't worry, I have some experience appearing as an Azlanti." Rril replies. After a few moments, pondering the results of his last attempt, he notes, "But, those gems and serums may still be useful."

"Yeah, I'm thinking we should wrap our heads around this pretty tightly. Thank you for this help. I may be asking questions later as I sort through my notes. But thank you."

Lors looks at the serums with wry amusement. "I somehow doubt there will be enough other Shobhad for me to blend in with."

"Maybe if thou playest the part of a slave," Talmrin suggests. "Glamour thy rather conspicuous weapon and have one of thy more human friends carry it for thou. Maybe. Let me think if I can a more commonly enslaved species of your size."

The serum needles have to be taken away from Steve as he looks ready to inject all at once into his thigh to see what happens. "Looks like I will have to be a slave as well!" he tosses his hands heatedly into the air. "Even though I am the only one capable of speaking to these fools."

Haro shakes his head at Steve. "I can speak their language, too. And quite well at that," he says.

"I agree that you and Lors could be slaves. I think it's most believable that I be in charge of the guards. The only concern is that if anyone recognizes me. I'm not sure if any of my fans are Azlanti."

"Thou couldst be a very short Azlanti," Talmrin suggests to Steve. "Supposeth a four-armed brute for manual labor would not be too incredulous."

I mean, add a foot to a tall goblin and he's taller than my wife so... I'll let Steve be a short Azlanti.

"I can get by on the language now too. I've been practicing, and I've heard it plenty. I'm also pretty hand with a disguise."

Antenor nods, "I like this plan. I think we've got this!"

Haro nods. "I suppose wee can get by with one slave. Lors, you up for that role?"

Steve is good with being a prisoner.

Lors is far from enthused, but simply mutters, "Needs must when demons drive."

It takes a few more days to finish the repairs to the Hunter's Bounty. However, once your ship is ready, you set out for the prison moon of Gulta. Given the current position of the spheres within the system, you estimate that it will take you six days to reach the prison from Outpost Zed. During that time you can work on your disguises, study the Steward codex on Azlanti culture, or relax in your recreational unit.

You know that the false cargo that Talmrin stowed on your ship will not pass inspection. You will need to charm, bamboozle, or otherwise convince the inspection crew to ignore your ship if you want to avoid being discovered once the inventory is underway.

The serums of appearance change make it rather easy for you to appear as Azlanti. Those not able to make use of the serum can be disguised--even Lors, but it would be hard. The following things can reduce the Disguise check: wear Azlanti armor and carry Azlanti weapons (or glamoured weapons), one of you can make a Culture check to try to recall a helpful rumor regarding the Azlanti Star Empire that will aid in making you all appear more authentic, any of you with Profession (soldier or mercenary) can make a check to train everyone to act more disciplined (no ad hoc penalty for training goblins).

After discussing with Talmrin, you gather that as long as at least half of you look like Azlanti humans the rest can pass off as indentured servants or slaves.

I don't know if Antenor is the "cultured" one. I don't want to wreck it for others if he's not, so I'll spoiler it and not look.

I think you probably are the cultured one. Only +6 from me.

Haro is fine putting on Azlanti armor and bearing their weapons. He mentally reviews the inventory of what they had found.

It looks like I picked up ASE Ceremonial Troop Plate--did we also pick up Azlanti weapons, or could we from the group we just captured? If not, could my Pike pass as Azlanti?

+9 bonus here, which is the same as Antenors.

All of your found weapons and armor are Azlanti make. Your pike would need a glamour. The machine gun would need a glamour. And you realize the Whitefire Trident is conspicuous given its historical significance and association with royalty.

Pass off Lors's repurposed rail-gun to someone else (I think the colonists looted that from some Azlanti?) and glamor up her trident?

Steve begins doing what he can to make himself look more and more like a captured slave. In his mind he is working quite hard, but by human standards it doesn't take a whole lot. He is a goblin after all. "I am very cultured and can tell you all bout those Azlanti's. How do you think I learned the language!?" He really isn't that cultured.

"Looking, er,... good... there, Steve." Rril says as he goes for his disguise kit.

Rril has +12 for Disguise.

I'll give you the option: roll for each disguise, roll once for everyone you're disguising, or Take 10. Note using the serums of appearance change to look like an Azlanti makes your disguise pretty darn good.

Take-10s are probably better if we're having to roll for everyone.

Agreed. Antenor's T10 = 20.

Rril takes his time and applies the disguises.

Rril's T10=22

Do the prisoners roll a disguise as well?

Regarding non-Human servant disguises: Only to 'look' Azlanti Star Empire-esque and not Pact World-esque in regards to clothes/armor/weapons and mannerisms. Also, you can let Rril do all the disguises if he's amenable and you're amenable.

During the six days of system space travel, you work on you accents and affects, you postures and quirks of non-verbal communication. Rril goes to work tweaking the embellishments on your armor, referencing various infosphere sites and the Stewards dossier.

Lors affixes one of the glamour seals to the Whitefire Trident. She cycles through a few different disguises--a mundane pike, a pole for pushing off satellites, a pool cue, a rake, etc. In the end, she decides upon the one she thinks will bring the least amount of attention to the weapon.

'Last call' for affixing the remaining two fusion seals and who's drinking the serums to look Azlanti vs. just disguising themselves. There are 3 humans and 4 serums (so one of you can change back easy). Don't forget that you have 2 spellgems of disguise self. A much shorter duration, but you may find it useful if you get caught on camera/need to fool a camera.

Antenor has some disguise skill on his own, so he shouldn't take the spellgem. If no one else is going to take the fusions, he'll take one, though shooting isn't his bag.

Rril dons one of the suits of ceremonial armor and checks the ASE pacification rifle he had acquired earlier.

I can pocket a serum, too, if no one else wants it. Don't think I have much use for the fusion as Rril already has a confiscated Azlanti weapon.

Someone will have to take Steve's weapons as it probably wouldn't look right with him being a prisoner. If we have 120 credits to spare Steve will purchase a Called Fuision Seal to put on his pistol before he hands it over.

Steve begins dumping out all of his pockets before strapping himself into his drone. he drapes straps and a welds a cover over the leg area to make it look like some sort of goblin spider hybrid modification to his body. "Who's taking me in?"

"Who's taking me in?"

Rril's smile widens, "You tempt me, Steve. You tempt me."

"I'll do it little buddy. I'll do it."

Haro shrugs. "They have all seemed like humans, for the most part. I would imagine most of us will pass for Azlanti if we're just wearing their armor."

I want to be clear before I proceed: None of you are using the serums of appearance change to alter your form to appear Azlanti. The humans are all relying on makeup, colored contacts, and costuming?

We should probably use them, since we have them. Can we get a run-down on how the Azlanti appear different from regular humans? (i.e. are they all blonde and blue-eyed, or something like that? If so, maybe those of us that look the least Azlanti could use them.

I was looking for that when I made the previous post--I know I read it--but I couldn't find it. Anyhow: fair skinned, dark to black hair with high, peaked brows, and, most remarkable, purple eyes.

Rril takes one of the serums of change appearance and pockets another. "When you look this good, you aren't going to give up your appearance for more than a short while." he says, pointing a pair of thumbs at himself. The magic contorts and alters his features, adding to his prior efforts at disguise.

The Gulta prison complex—a series of dull gray domes connected by narrow corridors—spreads out like a spiderweb across the pale surface of the moon, lit by a distant star. The entire structure encircles a large series of docking bays with hatches that iris open and shut. Auxiliary landing pads, suitable only for the smallest of shuttles, are connected to each wing of the prison.

You receive a hail request from the prison.

Steve looks around as he sees noone else answering the phone. "Want me to answer that?"

"Probably Rril or Haro should. To establish their cover."

Sorry, I've been absolutely crushed with work. Yes, Antenor will use one. "Yeah, sorry Steve, let them answer it."

"Greetings," Rril says over the comm, trying to sound cool and confident. "This is the Relic of the glorious Azlanti Star Empire. I am Parept Rril-lith." The human nearly misstumbles, then tries to recover.

I'll go ahead and take a serum to get the purple eyes and brows. Otherwise, I'm dark-haired.

Haro listens to the soft static of the comm as they await a response. For all Rril's bravado, he usually had a way with words.

"Cut the clowning, Relic," a bored voice replies in Azlanti. "We have you on our sensors. We wondered about your status after that distress signal. Report to docking bay 6B, docking code 785-Ultra-1."

Assuming that you follow instructions and dock at by 6B with the provided code--rather than flying bow first into the prison's control tower--everything seems to be going well.

Outside the ship, you find the docking bay spacious with bright lighting and steel walls. There is a security camera in each of the four corners. You note multiple wheeled storage crates stowed in along the walls, each large enough to hold an average humanoid.

A single Azlanti guards man enters the bay and approaches you. "Ah, sorry, let's get this formality over with so we can go back to playing our vidgames, right? I'll get this inventory done as fast as I can." He does not seem alarmed or bothered at all by Steve and Lors' presence.

Talmrin's Warnings: With most of the original cargo destroyed, what took its place is random scrap and surplus cargo of negligible value. If he completes his inventory, he will know something is up as nothing on the original manifest is present. Lacking sufficient materials or funds for bribery, you would need to spin a incredibly convincing story to explain the missing cargo (DC 25). Attacking him out in the bay would be caught on camera. A camera in the prison can be disabled (Engineering DC 17) in 2d4 rounds. In this case, one of the other cameras would catch physical tampering. He will need to go into your ship to perform the inventory, which would provide concealment of an assault. Finally, magical coercion to dissuade his inventory is certainly a possible recourse.

"Well, ah, you all picked up the distress signal, right?" Rril affirms, as he attempts to weave a plausible explanation. "We had a rough patch en route--a fire. Unsure of the cause or the extent, we activated the distress signal. However, upon further examination, we realized that we would be able to contain it. Unfortunately, thought, it ended up doing some damage to the cargo, not to mention the ship. Fortunately, after containing the damage, we promptly found the cause. And, well, as this is a prison moon---I think you should see what we found."

The disguised Rril ushers the Azlanti officer onto the ship, doing his best to remain behind the man.

"It turns out that we had a couple of stowaways. Not certain if they are saboteurs or just, well, stupid. But they somehow snuck onto the ship and caused a lot of damage. We saved and tried to salvage as much of the cargo as we could, as you will shortly see." Rril explains as he nudges the Azlanti officer toward the cargo area. Pointing towards a pile of damaged scrap, Rril continues his fabrication. "As for the stowaways, we incapacitated them of course. They weren't much of a threat. Not when compared to superior Azlanti training and prowess, am I right?"

Rril flashes a smile, then realizes that it is obscured by his helmet.

"In any event, we've got them tied up on the ship, but figured as you guys were the 'experts' on handling prisoners that we would get some advise from you on how best to move them." Rril hopes that the flattery will help convince the officer to head where the rest of the party is waiting in disguise or with false bindings.

Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Bluff: 1d20 + 11 + 1d6 ⇒ (18) + 11 + (1) = 30 "Indeed the ruin you see is a function of our superior genetics and grit. Look, it's been a long trip and while we are grateful for your service, it's pretty cut and dry. We'll make sure to handle any paperwork in a timely fashion."

The guard is completely entranced by Rril's story and fully bamboozled between the outlaw and the pilot. Unfortunately, he does not expect to find expect to find bound and secured prisoners (plural) within your ship.

"Indeed," he says, placing his hand on his weapon and heading into the Relic ni Hunter's Bounty. "This'll be the most entertainment I've had in a quarter cycle."

I'm not going to penalize you for apparently not coordinating that at all with your fellow crew mates, but are you hoping to ambush him or get him to let you take the prisoners in?

The guard makes his way to where Lors and Steve dutifully feign captivity. He draws his arc pistol and asks, "Should we let them go in the hanger and see who can take them out first while they try to escape?"

Lors just looks up at the one who's making his sadism known, gazing levelly at him as if to ask How sure are you that that pistol would stop me?

The guard makes his way to where Lors and Steve dutifully feign captivity. He draws his arc pistol and asks, "Should we let them go in the hanger and see who can take them out first while they try to escape?"

"Well..." Rril responds hesitantly, genuinely surprised at the guard's thirst violence and disregard for protocols, "I certainly wouldn't mind if we did that with the green one...."

For a few moments, Rril allows his mind to consider the possibilities.

Reconsidering, he notes, "Still, I was hoping that we might be entitled to a bounty on them. And, of course, if we shoot them dead, we aren't likely to find out what they know, who might of sent them, and the like."