"Pleasure is all ours Ponatia, we were flying a ship when suddenly we were attacked by a group of unfriendly pirates. You see, instead of taking and inviting us for a drink they rudely attacked us. A few moments later something weird has happened and our ships merged together and crashed on this planet. Now we are looking for a way to get out of here. Have you seen my armbands? They were designed by famous Floomafarhark. I must say that I love them"
When he says that he tries to catch some sun reflection in them being completely ignorant to the damage that Ponatia took.
After taking care of their nufriend, Dako goes to check on his old friend Nako. He uses one of his tongue depressors (quite possibly one he used on Ponatia) to check inside Nako's mouth...and ears...and nose.
"Must have been a Drift cyclone brought you down, we're BOTH lucky to be alive today. We have a nearby city, Helix Lyceum, I'll take you there to dry off a bit and speak with the headteachers, who might be able to help. My vehicle is parked not too far away"
Ponatia begins hobbling off back across the swamp leading you out half a mile through the swamp across osharu-built bridges, eventually reaching dry land and a paved road stretching into the distance. A sleek hover cruiser is parked here.
As he unlocks the vehicle he looks up to the sky - “Looks like the Drift cyclone is growing a bit more active. But don’t worry, we’ll be safe once we get inside.”
Nako takes a few minutes to rest.
"Inside. Inside sounds good."
As you strap in he replies to Dakoyo "It's about seven miles to The Helix Lyceum, it was built several years ago for the express purpose of studying the planet’s unusual yearly Drift storms. We live a studious, almost monastic lifestyle, and the headteachers—the city’s scientific and spiritual leaders—are very wise and learned individuals who will certainly see the wisdom in helping you.”
He looks up at the storm again through the windscreen, "Normally we are in contact with our far-off homeworld, but the current Drift cyclone makes any off-planet communication impossible"
The skies above swirl with angry, dark-gray clouds illuminated by frequent flashes of purple lightning. Outside the cruiser, the winds begin to pick up, buffeting the windows with leaves and other small bits of debris from the swamps. Ahead, a city comes into view, mostly consisting of squat, three-story buildings, though a few taller spires rise above the rest, topped with what looks like advanced scientific equipment. The central tower is built to resemble a twisting spiral staircase.
Ponatia turns and, with pride obvious in his voice, says, “Welcome to the Helix Lyceum.”
As the cruiser enters the streets of the Helix Lyceum, you see the osharus going about their business, many carrying handfuls of datapads or chatting animatedly with one another. No one seems to pay attention to Ponatia’s vehicle until he pulls up in front of the central tower and hops out to usher you inside.
As your gang of skittermanders step inside, one osharu drops the datapads he was carrying in surprise upon seeing you all. He stammers an apology and bends down to grab his belongings.
Ponatia indicates for you to follow him to an elevator “The headteachers are always in symposium during the Drift cyclone. We’ll be interrupting their research, but I think this is important.”
Nako looks around. "This place seems cool!"
Dako spends the whole trip with his nose and 4 palms pressed up against one of the windows, leaving a 5 point smudge on it.
"No, no Ponatia, we would not want to interrupt the very important research of your headteachers. We will wait until they are free," he says as they pile out of the vehicle.
He scurries over to help the osharu who dropped his datapads, passing them up in an assembly line of hands.
The osharu scientist freezes in complete fascination as Dako dashes over to help - he seems dumbfounded and surprised at the action - unable to speak!
Ponatia seems less fascinated, already learning of the nature of Skittermanders in the swamp "They will be talking for weeks, they can just deal with the disturbance. Come on, let's see the headteachers" he calls back as he gets in the lift.
***
Ponatia leads you from the elevator, down a corridor, and (after touching a biometric touchpad) through a metallic double door. The room on the other side is packed with computer terminals showing camera feeds and scrolling lines of data. Five osharus in monastic robes bustle about the chamber, tapping equations into datapads and briefly conferring with one another. They look up from their work when Ponatia leads you in, bristling at the intrusion.
One osharu in navy-blue robes steps forward, her antenna wriggling in consternation, “Ponatia, what is the meaning of…” she waves a hand at your assembled group. “Who are these furry creatures?”
“Apologies, Headteacher Zoni,” Ponatia says “But the Drift cyclone has deposited these travelers on our doorstep and they need our help.”
"These delightful visitors have crashlanded in the storm, and they saved my life while I was going to fix Monitoring Station #47", at that, he suddenly remembers that he never reached the monitoring station and slaps his forehead, mumbling an apology.
Headteacher Zoni steps forward with a firmly but politely expression "We are sorry, but we are too busy to do anything for you at the moment".
Another osharu—Headteacher Kiodea—speaks up. “Could their arrival have anything to do with that strange starship we picked up on the sensors not far from here? You remember, the one that looks like two vessels fused together?”
***
Headteacher Cheliko - Purple robes.
Headteacher Cheliko, is particularly disappointed that Ponatia didn’t fix the monitoring station.
Headteacher Kiodea - Red robes.
Headteacher Kiodea seems very interested in talk of your starship
Headteacher Olavier - Dark gray robes.
Headteacher Olavier wears a prominent holy symbol of Yaraesa, the goddess of knowledge, next to a fold in his dark gray robes.
Headteacher Saguntes - Green robes.
Headteacher Saguntes, looks physically uncomfortable.
Succeed at a DC 20 Medicine check to know more...
Headteacher Zoni - Navy blue robes.
Headteacher Zoni seems quite interested in studying the Drift cyclone (Physical Scientist!)
"Yes! That's our ship!" Dako declares. "Well...our ship and some nufriends' ship. Apparently, your Driftstorm caused them to fuse together and being fused together caused them to crash."
After blurting that out, he takes a few moments to study those around him.
"Don't be angry with nufriend Ponatia, nufriend Cheliko. Aba is good at fixing things. We can go back out and make sure the beep beep thing is beep beep beeping," he says.
He bows to Olavier. "All praise to Yaraesa, may her inspiration continue to educate you in all things."
He then lurches toward Saguntes, tongue depressors at the ready. "Nufriend Saguntes, you don't look so good. Let me check your tentacles."
"Perhaps afterwards, nufriend Zoni can tell us more about this Drift Cyclone."
***
Cheliko.
Dako is discussing the beep-beep machine when it dawns that it is the one that the Skittermanders already fixed, the ones the rocks didn't like! "You already did the repairs? We can bring it back online!"
Olavier
"She needs to give us guidance and assistance in closing those awful tears in the rift. What do you know of such things?"
Saguntes
"Yes, you are correct, I haven't been well... you are very learned in medicine I see" - Dako suggests a few throat lozenges and some bed rest.
Zoni
"Cyclones are fairly serious, do they have similar ones on your planet?"
***
You may make a diplomacy check on:
Cheliko (with a bonus)
Olavier (Mysticism check by anyone may give you a bonus)
Saguntes (with a bonus)
Zoni (Physical Science check by anyone may give you a bonus)
"Do not be too hard on Ponatia. We fixed the thing already. We rescued him from a monster. I am sure it would have eaten him if we did not show up!" Nako says to Cheliko.
To Kiodea she asks "What would you like to know about our starship, nufriend?"
Finally she turns to Zoni. "We do not have drift cyclones on my planet!"
Kiodea
"Well, your ship appears to have crashed - was it just faulty design? Did you colled with something?"
Zoni
After a short discussion with Zoni about cyclones, she seems quite pally with Nako - "We should aid these learned guests!"
You may make a diplomacy check on:
Cheliko (with a bonus)
Olavier (Mysticism check by anyone may give you a bonus)
Saguntes (with a bonus)
Zoni - Influenced!
"Yes, Aba was helpfull enough to fix the beep-beep machine. You can safely use it. It was surrounded with a few badly mannered rocky-bangers. They could have wounded poor Ponatia, so it was good that we took care of them! If you like I can help you with computers, I have my ways with them." He smiles genuinely presenting his armbands to the
|
Seeing Gazigaz already talking with Cheliko, Aba heads over to Olavier.
"There are two of us who are scholars of the mystical arts," Aba says. "I am a Priest of Abadar, he who believes in the protection of communities like yours. Dako here is a priest of Ibra, the seeker of mysteries. If you need help closing that planar rift, we would love to do so. While planar rifts can bring idea exchange, commerce and Nufriends, they can also bring chaos and suffering. Perhaps we can investigate it together?"
Aba turns to Saguntes. "Yes, Dako is very learned, but we all love to help! Can we help you get better? Nufriends should take care of each other!"
***
"nufriends?"
"Rocky bangers?"
"Abadarian commerce?"
The Osharu headteachers convene for a side discussion for a few moments then come and address you as a group.
"Your strange combined starship has 'landed' not too far from the Lyceum and our scans indicate that it is mostly intact and probably salvageable", they point to a screen displaying a topographical map and highlight an area of swampland about five miles away.
"We will have a cruiser made available to drop you to the nearest road, and here, some supplies to assist you and thank you for your selflessness"
You are escorted back to the street where a cruiser awaits you
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Dakoyo waves away Aba's compliments. Before he knows what is happening, his friends have convinced his nufriends to help them.
"Oh! A cruiser. So nice!" he examines it, sticking a tongue depressor in any opening that one will fit in...though he ends up with one less than he started as he wedges it in a slot and then can't get it out.
He takes one of the serums that they're given but leaves the rest of the fancy new things alone.
Except...
"Thank you, nufriends!" he says to the headteachers and gestures to the gear. "You are as helpful as you are intelligent. Your smarticles are as big as your hearticles!"
"I wonder if the pirates survived. Do you think they will be ready to be nufriends?"
"Thank you nufriends, we will leave now to rescue our ship, but we will never forget your kindness!"
He turns towards cruiser letting his cape to float on the wind and Gazigaz looking into the horizon.
You are driven along another road to the north for a few miles, and then march an additional mile through the swamp whilst overhead the storms above continue to rage
The merged forms of the Helping Hand and the Nova Warlock lie half-submerged in swamp water, a gangway extended onto dry land. Cots, tables, chairs, and cabinets have been dragged out randomly onto the peat, while cables and pulleys are strung up in the nearby trees in what appears to be a futile attempt to pull the vessels out
of the muck. Above the airlock, someone has hastily spraypainted “The Warlock’s Hand.”
On the gangway, Captain Silazi seems to be overseeing two robots.
She hasn't spotted you yet.
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"Nufriend, Silazi! You found our ships! Our ship? Our ships that used to be our ships?" Dakoyo shouts as he gets closer then gets lost in exactly how to identify what she found.
"Are you injured? Let me give you an examination to be sure!" he has a (relatively) fresh tongue depressor handy.
Now that you see Silazi in person you notice a small orb of dark-blue energy floating near her shoulder “You! How?!” Captain Silazi sputters. “I suppose anything is possible with these weird storms. I thought we were going to crash for sure, but something set us down here as gently as you’d lay a baby in a crib. Too bad it put the engines under a few feet of swamp water.” The mote of energy descends and begins encompassing her right hand. “Honestly, I’m glad you survived. It gives me back the chance to murder you myself!”
Dakoyo
Gazigaz
Nako
ABA
Robots
Cap'n
[R1]
Aba
CAP'N!
|
|
Aba gives all their nufriends hugs! And eats any treats that they offer before leaving, because when friends visit, they get offered treats!
"Really? Again with the murdering? We could be working together to get our ship repaired? So we beat your brother in ship combat! We did it to save lives! And it's not like we killed him! We just disabled his ship! Stand down for your own good, so that we can work together!"
The shot goes wide, but does manage to hit the swamp!
Captain Silazi focuses for a moment, and the strange mote of energy descends and forms into a harpoon!
[R1]
Dako
Gaz
Nako
ROBOTS!
"Sorry Mr. Robot, but I think your captain is going to make you try to hurt us," Dakoyo says as he closes the distance with one of the machines and swings his battlestaff at it.
The robot gets a BIG dent!
R 6
O
Y
Gazigaz looks at the battlefield and calls:
[b]"Hit it Dakoyo! All together at that robot!"[b]
Gaz gives his friends some quality advice, then gives an excellent demonstration by zapping the robot!
R 12
O
Y
Nako runs straight for the captain, disregarding the robots. She swings at the very end of her run.
Dako comes flying in and lands a mighty smack on the yucky not-friend.
The robot with a big dent smacks back at Dako!
"No disassemble!"
Attack vs KAC
Damage
The other one wheels in behind Nako!
Attack vs KAC
Damage
[R2]
Aba
CAP'N!
R 12
O
Y 11
Aba zappinates the robot!
The nasty not-friend Captain tries spearing Dako!
Attack
Damage
The mote intensifies...
[R2]
Dako
Gaz
Nako
ROBOTS!
R 12
O 12
Y 11
Gazigaz notices that his nufriends need an extra bit from him this time and he will deliver! As they say: when the going gets tough the tough get going, and so will Gaz!
He walks to be closer to the heat of battle and he says:
"Hold on Nako, you are a fighter they will not bring you down easily. Smack that robot behind Nako it is already hurt!"
Gazigaz says all the good words including some pretty handy advice about denting robots!
"Don't worry, Nako! I'm coming!" Dako calls out. But first, he takes a whack at the one closest to him.
Then, he carefully steps away from that robot and hurries toward the other one.
Dako gives the robot a pounding with the vicious little staff - and the robot comes alive with lights for a second and then screeches to a juddering halt, its LED screen shows one word as it ceases up - 'Tilt'
R Broken
O 12
Y 11
Nako strikes out twice with her doshko. She starts by targeting the robot and then, if it goes down, strikes at the captain. Then she suddenly steps beside the captain!
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The robot gets pounded by Nako, who then swings wildly - but ineffectively- at the Captain.
[R3]
Aba
Bad not friend
R Broken
O Broken
Y 11
Aba continues zappinating the not-friend!
Engineering Trick Attack:
Pew Pew (Static Arc Pistol) vs Orange Flatfooted EAC: vs EAC
Electric Damage:
Trick Attack:
Captain Sleazy tries shanking Nako!
Attack vs KAC
Damage
The energy around her intensifies!
[R3]
Dako
Gaz
Nako
[R4]
Aba
Y 18
Gazigaz helps his allies by providing tips on what to do
"Take her down, nufriends! The sooner we win the faster we will find real nufriends that need our help."
After that this skittermander takes aim and fires.
Gazigaz once again has some superlative advice for his oldfrends, hopefully it comes in handy!
"I'm here to help, Nako! We'll teach nufriend Silazi some manners, yet!" Dako says, moving up next to his friend and taking a swing with the staff.
"We could have been nufriends..." Nako says sadly before swinging her doshko at the captain.
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Aba was ineffective, but then remembered the awesome words from Gazigaz!
Captain Silazi is bopped twice by Nako, and zapperated by Aba. She clearly realises that this fight is not going to work out for her so well, so dives into the water and begins swimming off to safety!
Gazigaz runs a bit forwards:
"Don't run! We are your friends! We can take you off this planet!"
He looks at his allies.
"Nako, you look a bit tired. Lay down for a bit, the best makeup is a full night of sleep! This is what my mum used to say."
"Watch out, nufriend Silazi! There are big crocodile monsters in the water on this planet!" Dako calls out to the fleeing figure.
He doesn't pay her much mind but turns his attention to Nako, instead. "That was good fighting. Let me make sure you're ok."
He pulls out a tongue depressor and begins a thorough examination with it and his stethoscope.
Silazi swims out of the water some distance later and proceeds to leg it into the distance.
Dako gets busy with a tongue depressor and stethoscope and hears some concerning noises inside Nako, which just turns out to be some indigestion.
***
...about twenty minutes later.
Nako and Aba are checking the ships systems in the cockpit, Aba fairly happy that the engines should be just about to come on line (if this next wire is nufriends with some soldering - seconds away!), with Gaz and Dako retrieving various objects from the furniture outside (aka 'your stuff'!) and are just heading up the gangplank.
From the swamp, a wall of pirates emerge, led by not-friend lady who seems to be ranting and raving and describing you all in colourful terms to her friends. The pirates look like they aren't very happy people.
[R0]
Dako
Gaz
Nako
Aba Calling
PIRATE crew
"Are nufriends are back. But they don't look very nufriendly. Aba, Gaz, can you talk them into being happy together with us?"
Nako says as she makes her way back to the gangplank and draws her weapons, just in case.
|
|
Aba puts her tools back on her belt and smiles broadly at the Pirate Crew. "Hello Nufriends! Your old boss was just here, but she ran away because she didn't want to be friends. But you all deserve better. You deserve a brave boss, like Nako here! You deserve a boss who tell you stories, and make you feel better, like Gaz! You deserve a boss who is kind, and knows awesome mystical arts that can explode heads like Dako here! You need a boss like me, that can take a ship like this, and fix it! You deserve to join us, and be our crew!"
Aba considers. "Though you could stay with your old boss. Do you really want to be stranded on a planet full of swamps and bouts of planar incursions? Do you want to be zapped by lightning? Or get mauled by giant crocodile tigers?" Aba wrinkles her nose. "I will let you think it over!"