[SFS_Aerondor] 01-34: Heart of the Foe (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

Since we're two zones ahead, do we just escape? Also, does the lightning attack our vehicle upon entering this area? Will post assuming we can't just escape.

Dusty maneuvers to try and avoid the lightning.

Alternate Action (+2 research bonus): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28

Normally the lightning would attack you in this zone, but because you made enough mysticism checks earlier, you can time the bolts and send them into the hoard behind you if you want. My mistake on the chase, I should have done a second 'chase action;

Dusty keeps his lead on the Jinsuls timing the bolts of lightning such that the hoard following takes a real beating from them. LIBRE provides advice, while Medrick and Shoo keep the following crowd low. to avoid their well placed shots.

Inspire of this, the hoard starts to catch up.

[ooc]YouDusty can try another "speed up" if you like, that would likely finish the chase.

Status, bold may post
Pangea 35/35 SP; 3/5RP;
M'Shak 35/35SP; 5/7RP;
Hoard -66 damage (have moved this round)
Dusty 42/42SP; 6/8RP (can take a second driver action if he wishes)
Medrick 17/33SP; 32/32HP; 3/5RP
Shoo 47/48SP; 6/8RP;
LIBRE 25/48SP; 6/7 RP; (may act twice)

Dusty floors it and tries to leave the hoard in his...well, dust.

Piloting (speed up) (research bonus): 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 16 + 2 = 19

As you race around a corner you manage to grab a couple of seconds of breathing space. A five legged jinsul emerges from a concealed entrance-way. Beckoning to you he calls out in broken common "Come, quickly.."

This jinsul looks remarkably like the one that watched your earlier fight...

Pangea has no adapted to firing from a moving vehicle, and takes the bouncing and all into account as he fires his gun--
Pistol vs. KAC (Knockdown): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
P & F: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
P & F: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
--and hits a Jinsul, knocking it off its "feet", and dropping it to the ground.

Elated by his good shooting, the android spins around and aims at this new furry-caped five legged threat.

Saving her ammo for later, M'Shak don't shoot at the Jinsul.

When she sees the five legged jinsul she says to her comrades.

Stop! The chance for having an ally on this planet is 6.7% but as we've seen this individual before and as he hasn't attacked us, the chance for this one to be an ally is up to 87.3%. Lets follow him.

She jumps out of the buggy and starts moving towards the Jinsul.

Dusty screeches the vehicle to a halt, jumps out, and follows M'shak's lead.

Medrick keeps his weapon out but follows the Jinsul.

"Thanks! But would you feel better if you understand our langage?"

She looks at Shoo.

10 minutes REST?

Pangea shrugs, and jumps out of the vehicle.
The dark energy crackling our its fist reduces and turns back into a mote of black-ness that circles the android's head.
Pangea sets off after the crippled Jinsul.

He gestures for you to follow, and takes you into a concealed passageway, closing a flap behind just before the trailing hoard full of bloodlust descend on your abandoned vehicle.

The passage leads under a (presumably) collapsed building and into a makeshift bunker.

Bare dirt peeks out between the steel and chitin panels that form the walls of this cramped bunker. Machine parts and scraps of food cover a battered workbench, above which hangs a city map roughly sketched on a large swatch of canvas. A haphazard pile of animal hides forms a makeshift bed next to a sputtering fire. The jinsul clambers onto the bed and sheds his scarf-like
wrapping, speaking unpracticed Common in a harsh staccato:

“Ekkerah expected Pact Worlds vermin two-legs to find rock to hide under on their own. But vermin two-legs could not do that correctly. Ekkerah did not expect much from vermin two-legs. But not many other options, yes?”

Layla goes into the passage.

"First of all. Thanks for saving our lifes. We care about that.

Fourth, Shoo, when you Will cast this spell? He speaks like a stranger on a movie!"

We are more than vermin two-legs, we are Starfinders. We already have fought your kind in several battles. Win some, loose some.
If you think so low of us, why helping us? It seems non-logical.
What do you want Ekkerah?

Added M'shak to LIBRE's questions.

"When did you learn our tongue? You're quite good, considering you likely don't get much chance to practice! Still, if you're willing I will cast a spell to make it easier."

Not wanting to take the jinsul by surprise, Shoo waits for the jinsul's response, casting share language if they agree.

 »How come you only have five legs? What happened, man? »

"Ekkerash is better than two-legged vermin." notes the jinsul with no sense of false modesty. "Two-legs were being run down like vermin." He pauses before conceding "Star vermin maybe, but still two-legged vermin. Ekkerah I am.. Was adviser to Arkhatak, deathless leader of jinsuls on Rax and greatest of the six who drank divine power from Kadrical’s Tear. We led jinsuls to become a great empire, then Dhurus threw down Arkhatak and strapped our six deathless leaders to his ship. Jinsuls now worship Dhurus, call him great redeemer, but Ekkerah knew Dhurus would pave road back to Otorak with jinsul corpses.”

He pauses before adding. "Ekkerah and Arkhatak built a great house for jinsul empire, and Dhurus kicked us out. Why should Ekkerah stop Pact World vermin two-legs from chewing up a house that Dhurus stole? Sooner Dhurus falls, sooner jinsuls return to correct path under deathless leaders.”

At Pangea's question he just turns a frosty stare at the android.

While he is helping you out, this jinsul is decidedly unfriendly. You probably have some ideas what you can do about that. He is more likely to accept a share language if he were friendlier

"Ekkerah learn tongue from captives. Captives dead now. Ekkerah still knows Pact and Vesk." he adds proudly.

"Ekkerah? Was your name longer before you lost your body part?
So, you've gone from adviser to deathless leaders to so low you need vermin to do jobs you are unable to?"

M'Shak turns to Pangea-Kappa with electrified eyes.

Thanks to your words, I think the chance for Ekkerah to be helpful have drop to 20%.

Turning to the Jinsul she says I've learned a lot about your civilization, but only when we arrived I understand it better. You are survivors, warriors and Kadrikal was your doom. It stop you from growing and get stronger.
Now one of his follower was able to overthrown your Deathless Leader and get you back to Kadrikal.
What can we do for you. What can you do for us?

Diplomacy (aid): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Ekkerah tells you a bit of the history of the world, much of which you have already picked up. You do manage to fill in a few missing gaps though. For example the disfigured figureheads on the front of the vehicles represent the semi-divine warlords overthrown by Dhurus.

And a bit of a recap along with some new tuff, so you don't need to scroll back to find information

Jinsuls viewed their hostile new homeland, called Rax, as a sacred trial to endure for forsaking Kadrical, the patron god of the Scoured Stars, in exchange for their own freedom.

Statues and public portraits depict six jinsul warlords, with historical plaques indicating that when Kadrical’s beacon (resembling the Tears the Society recovered from the mentrasi and the izalguuns) arrived here, their most prominent warlords refused the call back to the Scoured Stars and instead took the beacon, broke it open, and consumed the sliver of divine energy it held. This transformed the warlords into a group of semi-divine beings who brought the disparate jinsul factions together and formed them back into a cohesive civilisation.

Many depictions of the warlords are defaced and desecrated, for when the “prophet of Kadrical” (called Dhurus in some records) arrived to bring the jinsuls back to the Scoured Stars, he riled the jinsuls into overthrowing their current lords, whose semi-divine energies kept them alive despite the coup d’état.

Rather than study a means of permanently ending the apostate warlords, Dhurus had each of the toppled jinsul leaders affixed to the prow of an immense flagship that would serve to lead the newly re-formed Jinsul Hierocracy. Now ritualized sacrifice of heretics, or effigies representing them, is an integral part of the jinsuls’ renewed pursuit of salvation in the eyes of Kadrical.

I'm going to hold off to see the main dip check and aids before letting you know what he might be willing to do for you.

"Vesk too? Wow, that's a lot to pic up from captives!" Shoo says, the implications of Pact and Vesk captives here passing him by. "You have quite the facility with language!"

Diplo (aid): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Having lost its sidereal influence, Kappa spends moves to the side and spends some time in meditation while the other have tea with the racist cripple.
1 minute to get back to Graviton sidereal influence

I appreciate your information you provided us. Is there any questions you have for us? It seems only fair to offer something in return. Medrick tries to offer in hopes of this garnishing our budding friendship with the idea of equal trade of info.

Diplo (aid): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

But Medrick is not a wordsmith and it comes off condescending rather than helpful.

Dusty nods in response to the jinsul's unexpectedly helpful—albiet offensive—commentary. "Well, we appreciate you letting us hide under your rock with you. We're definitely here to 'chew up' Dhurus's house, if that suits you. Anything you'd like to contribute to help us out with that?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Not sure which was more applicable, or if they both work. Put both trained checks up.

Ekkerah looks unimpressed with your peaceful overtures. "Vermin begging for assistance.." he sneers.

Even with LIBRE auto-aiding, you miss that diplomacy check, narrowly.

You can use bluff as well if you like. Anyone else want to help aid the bluff attempt? Heck, you could even try intimidate as well, but probably one style of interaction at a time.

Pangea exits the bunker, to wait outside.

If we're taking Dusty's 20 as a lead, we have three assists (LIBRE, Shoo, and M'Shak), bringing it up to 26. That's not enough? This guy's is really a jerk.

Seeing that they weren't able to convince to help them, M'Shak changes tactics and tries to support Dusty voice
If we are only ants and you are wasp, being entangle is the same for all. You need us to do your dirty work. We don't need you to do ours. What can you bring us?

Bluff (aid): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Medrick is not a big fan of lying or bullying people. He understands that is a necessary evil sometimes, but he will avoid such tactics himself.

While the group resorts to bluffing to get their way, Medrick stays quite and hops this tactic pays off.

Indeed, 26 is not sufficient. Welcome to high tier play!

Comm units buzz with an incoming transmission from First Seeker Jadnura, who shouts in triumph, “We’ve got a live one! Apologies for going dark— some kind of supernatural signal blocker from the storm kept disrupting our transmissions. It took us hours to modify our frequencies so we could reach you."

“Unfortunately, it looks like you were the only ones to get out of that hornet’s nest; one of the other teams aborted the mission and returned to the ship, but the jinsuls overwhelmed our third team. Our scans indicate that the Starfinders are alive, but they’ve been collected in a central location and stripped of their gear. I don’t know what the jinsuls are planning to do to them, but I won’t wait to find out. I’ve modified the gunboat so it can weather the storm, and I’m flying down for an emergency evac at dawn. I need you there on the ground if we’re going to have any chance of getting everyone home in one piece.”

Ekkerah, listening in, offers "Weak two-legged vermin likely to be sacrificed at dawn to Dhurus's herald. You weak ones, rest here."

With Dusty leading the group by feel, he tries slightly underhand tactics to get some further assistance. LIBRE and M'Shak provide able accomplices. Eventually he agrees.

"Ekkerah provide vermin with small help." he eventually concedes.

He can either give you some items, get one of you to a snipers perch, allow you all to recharge your batteries, or use some secret tunnels to get himself into the arena and provide you some harrying fire for assistance.

Pangea says that it will not want the five-legged Jinsul to come with us.

Dusty looks at his static arc pistol. "If this is some kind of lightning monster that's been shooting at us, I probably need a different weapon. I'd love to look at what gear you have available."

Dusty votes for gear. Can he learn where the sniper perch is without being taken there directly? He'd love a place to pop to if his magical armor's contingency fires.

Gears could be good. It will enhance our ability to have the right tool by 20%. If we want to free our comrades it's the better option.

and it will add Jinsul weaponry to study. thinks for herself M'shak

"Ooh, yeah! I'd love to see what kind of gear you use!"

"But don't take his crutch. He sure needs it."

I will be really quite ineffective against a lighting monster. I haven't had the chance to buy a backup gun yet. Maybe you have a nice rifle?

item.but.... Do we had to roll for bluff?

There is quite a trove of gear he has available. Sifting through his spare supplies you find:

A cold iron jinsul leg blade that functions as a hook sword , a heavy seismic pick, 2 tactical rotating pistols, a thunderstrike sonic rifle, 2 screamer grenades I, 60 cartridges of cold iron small arm rounds, 50 cartridges of cold iron longarm rounds, 20 cartridges of cold iron heavy weapon rounds, a mk 2 ring of resistance, and 4 mk 1 serums of healing.

A second chest reveals: An estex suit III, 2 advanced semi-auto pistols, a tactical magnetar rifle, an LFD screamer, a phantom assassin rifle, a spell gem of lesser resistant armor, and a spell gem of ray of exhaustion.

A number of these are from the Starfinder Armory book
@LIBRE you had a 24 lead on bluff, and the two aids were enough to get the help.

Whouh!!

M'Shak is quite excited by what they found.

I'm interested by the Estex suit III and one of the advanced semi-auto pistols or the assassin rifle.

I Will takes the mk 2 résistance.

 »Because it already is the enemy. Nothing to make him or it become. And helping it simply try to change one anti Pact World leader for another could even be a very bad move. Just take the stuff you want and let’s kill it.»

I am interested in taking any of those three rifles. M'shak seems interested in that one pointing to the assassin rifle so I am fine with either of the other two. Though if I took the magnetar rifle, I would also need to take some of that ammo because right now, I only have batteries. Medrick looks ashamed that he is unprepared.

Dusty calls shotty on the second advanced semi-auto pistol, plus enough cold iron rounds to fill its magazine. He loads the weapon and affixes his bayonet to its side.

"I do not care if it is rude or not, but it is not being rude.
Believing us to be Vermin means dehumanizing us. What do you do with Vermin? You get rid of it. That is the rhetoric used by all regimes before they subjugate or exterminate entire races.
As for thinking that changing the regime back to being led by this one would make the Jinsul less aggressive, well, five-legs here told us it was part of the ones that made them a great empire. And its goal is return to that empire.
A bellicose theocratic empire with leaders that think they are Gods and believe we are vermin... not a recipe for peace."

Libre will take the hook sword, with the revolver with cold iron.

Also, She will take the lesser armor gem and use use it before the fight will start. (and also use her shining form and the forcefield.)

"No worse than what the Vesk called us. You are totally right.
And when the Vesk met people using the Drift, the first contact immediately led to Vesk invasion and a war that lasted two and a half centuries, which only stopped because the Vesk were attacked by the Swarm.
So, yes, I imagine it is comparable to the Vesk: people who will try to enslave you for centuries, and only give up when crushed by someone else."

I suppose the conversation between Shoo and Pangea are private.

M'Shak equips herself with the armor and divides the rounds between her comrades.