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Baròleg regretfully informs the doctor that the crest eater was laid to rest... He asks the doctor, "Are you aware of any other risks in the area, or a safer spot to rest? We don't have much light left."
If there are no suggestions of better camp sites, Baròleg search the perimeter for signs of more crest eaters or other life forms.
Once he's confident it's safe, he begins unpacking his sleeping gear and an R2e meal.
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Gogglez takes a 10 minute break to recover his stamina before working on the tower and the computer systems. He calls back his drone into his armor while he rests. While he works, he opens comms to Dr. Mora, "You know we killed it right? I mean, we almost got eaten, but I built a wall to hide behind, so were all good now."
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Korl takes a quick breather to catch his breath after the tough fight "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just...give me a minute or so." he does his best to wave off Pyksi but eventually submits to her tending his wounds.
"Tough fight, eh? I guess let's get this thing set up so we can get some rest." Korl tries to give direction where it obviously isn't needed and hands Gogglez several tower components backwards or upside down.
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"You KILLED it?! My oh my!", you hear that Mora is quite impressed.
A little voice pipes up beside her: "Can you build a wall around my ice creams, mister?"
So, you follow Gogglez instructions, and manage to build the tower, even as it gets dark.
Then Gogglez climbs the tower, and you listen to him coordinate things with Mora, and talk about ice cream and what a hero he is, and then the job is done and the second tower is up and running.
So, you, then make camp--
The next morning, you all have recovered
Korl and Gogglez have healed a bit, and you can treat them again with the medkit in the morning.
And you will be ready to head off to set up the third tower.
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Croaker not being much of a help for cooking might as well spend some time building a temporary shack from the elements of the last tower. After all, it contains some material serving for platforms, which can serve either as a floor or as a ceiling. It will still be a rough night.
"Thanks for the cooking Korl! Appreciated."
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Stretching out after a too short rest, Baròleg breaks down camp while having a breakfast of leftover crest-eater. "We should get moving. I'd like my next night's sleep to be in something closer to a real bed." He'll help load up the buggy while those with healing skills apply fresh bandages to the injured.
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That morning, you are all a bit stiff, and have not showered or shaved or whatever you do, and the cold grilled meat is not as good as fresh baked bread... but you are Starfinders, and so you just tough it out.
You wake around 5 am, but having gotten to sleep early, you are not that tired.
You also are happy that despite the fact that no guard duty was set up during the night, not even the watchful eyes of Hole Puncher-- nothing happened!
So, a bit before 7 am you drive off towards the Windy Cliffs.
Pyksi zips off on the bike, trying to avoid Korl's datapad that he keeps on thrusting in front of her eyes... to "help".
She drives and navigates herself, and does great speed.
The buggy is driven by Gogglez, who does his best--
--while the three passengers try to navigate.
Cashara starts pointing the way, but is not too sure of the best way...
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Croaker sits at the back seat of the buggy and tries to point out obstacles that Cashara have missed
After going on a more flat field Ysoki reports back to the base
"We slept well, given the circumstances, and are making our way towards the Windy Cliffs. If you have some spare time can you walk us through what did you find in the Kasatha ship?"
Spike enjoys some wind blowing at his fur and is eager to set up the third tower to get some more information about this planet.
He feels like he learned more about the fauna from being here for half-day than from the 'scientists'. He guesses that setting devices that annoy local inhabitants gives you a unique opportunity for the first contact.
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"Spare time? Do you think I am idle?! Listen, I barely have time to..."
Fifteen minutes later, she is still explaining all the things she does that makes her not have a second of free time.
Finally, she loops back to answering your question in a few seconds:
"As I said, a few relics were recovered from the Kasathan starship. And you make take and use anything you want of the following: three Mk 1 serums of healing, and 2 doses of zero."
You hear a little voice pipe up: "Zero? Is that some ice-cream flavor? Can I-- munch munch"
"Mina! Spit that out now!"
The line goes dead.
Croaker points some things out, and you manage to navigate quite well as you cover the 75 some miles to the next site, seeing the plateau in the rising sun, which makes it look quite nice.
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So, Gogglez first sets out to explore the site of crashed Kasatha vessel.
And Pyksi, smiling and happy about her clean hair, does not object.
Thus you take a couple hours to drive some 60 miles to the crash site.
You carefully approach, but see that the scientists have gone over the little that is left with a fine comb - for they too have hygiene kits!
Nothing left here.
It is a small ancient Kasatha explorer scout vessel, a couple centuries old.
Though it could seat two, this one probably only had one Kasatha on board.
You then set out again, and drive for another 70 miles, and enjoy the landscape on this sunny day.
Around 11 a.m. you arrive towards the Windy Cliffs, to install the last tower.
It is a high cliff that curves along one edge of the plateau, and the wind is noticeably strong.
Flying creatures, such as Gogglez mechanic’s drone, would have some difficulty hovering.
You see that the ground, here, is a strange field of uniform shallow depressions, each about 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, and about 1-1/2 feet deep.
At scattered intervals throughout this strange geological feature, the shallow depressions are replaced with long, low, mounds equal in size to the depressions, but rising about 1-1/2 feet above the ground.
Weird!
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Baròleg covers over the landing site as thoroughly as he can. Anything he uncovers he shares with the team.
Seeing that Gogglez and Croaker have orienteering in hand, Baròleg takes a moment to just take in the strangeness of the landform. Seeing Pyksi and Korl starting to drift off course, he provides some of Croaker's directions over the comm.
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Pyksi never really listens to Korl, so, when Baròleg tries to help... he sees Pyksi is handling it fine herself.
At the crash site, you do not find much of anything else.
You do see that there is no direct damage to the pilot's seat, so it is possible he or she survived.
But maybe not...
The scientists said they never found any remnants on board.
But it was centuries ago.
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As Korl begins unloading the crates of tubes and such, you all see that building the scanning tower on this unusual terrain and in the middle of fierce winds is going to be particularly challenging.
Strength will be nearly as important as technical skill.
Thus, to assemble the titanium rods and erect the structure, you still need a successful DC 15 Engineering check, people can use the aid another action to assist the primary character with either Engineering, or Strength, as the help hold the things fast against the wind.
Once the tower is assembled, someone still needs to climb to the top to calibrate it.
Though, even with the ladder, it requires successful DC 12 Athletics checks to do so under these conditions.
However, the problem is that this lightweight Ykea tower was built to withstand only rough weather or a technician at the top, not both.
So, a Medium person atop the higher platform needs two other people on the
lower platform to help brace the structure until the work’s done.
A Small person needs only one other person to brace the structure.
The person perched at the top platform must succeed at a DC 10 Acrobatics check to avoid falling partway through the calibration process.
The wind blows strong!
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As the wind whistles, relentless, never-ending, you work, Korl helping more than before, holding the poles down so they are not blown away...
Gogglez manages to get things down in an orderly fashion.
And, a half an hour later, the tower is erected.
Except that, as it sways in the wind, Gogglez is not too sure about wanting to climb up!
It is now, after the half hour of work, around 11:30 am.
Once the tower is assembled, someone still needs to climb to the top to calibrate it.
Though, even with the ladder, it requires successful DC 12 Athletics checks to do so under these conditions.
However, the problem is that this lightweight Ykea tower was built to withstand only rough weather or a technician at the top, not both.
So, a Medium person atop the higher platform needs two other people on the
lower platform to help brace the structure until the work’s done.
A Small person needs only one other person to brace the structure.
The person perched at the top platform must succeed at a DC 10 Acrobatics check to avoid falling partway through the calibration process.
The wind blows strong!
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Pyksi looks at the tower before her and sighs. "This looks like a job for me," she says, cricking her knuckles and her neck (both thankfully still relatively solid, given the prior day's shenanigans).
She considers her +6 to Acrobatics, her +6 to Computers, and her +15 to Acrobatics. When she gets to the top, she won't fall unless the tower does.
The problem, however, lies in getting there. The relatively sure-footed halfling has a little problem about halfway up the tower as her grip starts to shake.
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I'll stabilize Cashara says as she moves to the ladder behind Pyksi, ready to move up when Pyksi reaches the top nice to have a good vantage point
. she starts her climb
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Korl continues his unloading until its construction time then takes up a position at the base of the tower using his weight and strength to fight the wind.
Hoping its enough to brace the tower, he stays in place until Pyksi starts looking off balance
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So, Pyksi moves to half way up, the middle platform.
Then, she tries to go up, but cannot... the wind picked up and she remains in place, gripping the ladder to not fall.
Cashara tries, is buffeted by the wind, and then tries again, and she makes it to the middle platform.
She then helps brace the structure and can remain there until the work’s done.
Korl is bracing the tower's base, and ready to catch falling Halflings.
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Pyksi tries to ascend... but soon the wind knocks her right off!
After a 15-foot drop, Pyksi lets someone help her to her feet, then immediately takes another run at it, learning nothing.
Successfully making it to the second level, she thanks the others for keeping it stable, rolls her shoulders, and gets onto the next ladder!
A natural acrobat, Pyksi doesn’t even seem bothered by the wind now that she’s in position, more concerned with calibrating the swaying tower.
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"IT WORKS!" says Mora, over the comm', to Pyksi. "Let's get the triangulation working right away. Thank you so much, Starfinders!"
The tower starts to chirp and lights blink and small radar domes swivel...
And a gust of severe wind rips across the area, blowing dust all over, and pushing your bodies off balance--
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Cashara starts to lay down... but is pushed by the wind, and goes bouncing down the ladder--
--and lands on her butt.
When she leaps back up, on her feet, she suddenly slips and--
--falls into one pf those elongated holes in the ground, that are like troughs.
Landing inside, standing up, Cashara is about to say something when--
--the sides snap shut around her!
Cashara reacts by trying to jump out!