Looks like no medkit available. If anyone else would like to take 10 and/or use a serum, let me know.
You make your way further up the tower. On the 15th floor, you find a room filled with rows of obelisks carved from solid ice. Strange indecipherable formulae shift and float inside each obelisk. Uli resists the urge to try and read them.
When you hit the 18th floor, the acid trail leads in rather than up. Glowing runes line the walls of the winding corridors, filling the hallways with orange light. You track the ksarik through the maze like floor until you can hear it just up ahead, intermittently growling and humming lilting melodies. You enter the little vault, where empty alcoves, each about a square foot in size, cover the walls.
M Human Male NG Human Ace Pilot Solarian 6 | SP 48/48 HP 46/46 | RP 7/7 | EAC 22; KAC 24| F/R/W +6/+6/+6 (+2 against Spells/SLAs) | Init: +2 | Perc: +10 | Speed 35ft | Conditions: Photon 0/3
Ra whispers "Is someone good at stealth and wants to take a peak around the corner?" He points to his heavy armor, indicating that this stealthy person is not him.
Male Ferran Death-Touched Daredevil (Operative 4) | SP 22/28, HP 28/28 | EAC 18, KAC 18 | Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +4 | Init +7 | Perc +10 | Sense Motive +2 | RP 7/7
Uli shoots up with the loaned serums as well as a pair from his own stash before continuing on. When he comes to the corner he creeps around, surprisingly silent once his big mouth is shut.
Male Ferran Death-Touched Daredevil (Operative 4) | SP 22/28, HP 28/28 | EAC 18, KAC 18 | Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +4 | Init +7 | Perc +10 | Sense Motive +2 | RP 7/7
Without being able to peep Kitani's modifier to make certain, I **think** they're within a point of one another. Definitely close enough for Uli to give it a whirl too ;-)
Uli sneaks up and peaks around the corner. Before him is a large slavering beast. Picture added to maps
Royo quietly calls out, "Is it Vindurth?" At the sound of its name, the creature turns and approaches Uli. It does not seem to be behaving aggressively, and in fact seems to "sniff" at Uli with its tentacles, while Uli wisely holds still.
Acrobatics +13, Athletics +7, Bluff +14, Comp +13, Culture +13, Diplomacy +14, Eng +13, Intimidate +14, Life Sci +7, Med +12, Perception +9, Piloting +16, Profession-Writer +12, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +11
Stats and Abilities:
Str 9 : Dex 22 : Con 12 : Int 16 : Wis 12 : Cha 18 | Corona Laser Rifle +12 (2d6+7 F) : Static Arc Pistol +11 (1d6+3 E) : Survival Knife +11 (1d4+2 S) | Get 'Em, Clever Feint, Inspiring Boost, Clever Attack
Jindam (quietly) asks the group, "Is anyone here a Ksarik-whisperer? I can try, but I always hated cleaning the pony pens in the Caravan. I was never very good with them."
The three of you are able to get the creature a bit more interested in you. At first it seems to want to play a little, but then loses interest. Uli offers up some of the Atienus, which quickly draws the Ksarik back to you. It greedily devours the vine and vigorously licks Uli. Unfortunately Uli quickly discovers that those licks hurt!
Acid damage:1d6 ⇒ 2
You believe you may be able to spend more time to make friends with it (Survival), or possibly use food to lure it back where it belongs.
Cesar and Uli spend a few minutes encouraging and interacting with the beast. When they are finished, Vindurth playfully hops around and follows the team back to its cage.
Albryan arrives as you finish. "Thank you for bringing Vindurth back unharmed, and dealing with the Lore Guardians. Your help has been most valuable. The information you seek can be found on the top floor of the tower."
"And our research fees?" asks Royo.
"They shall be reduced."
--
Royo is quite excited as you make your way to the top floor. You arrive to find a single open chamber filling the top floor. A lone pedestal rests in the center of theis wapce, with a small cube floating atop it. Complicated ridges cover the surface of the cube, forming a maze that somehow moves in on itself. The object glows with a faint blue aura.
Royo scurries over the to pedestal and examines the cube. "It's a mindmaze!" he exclaims. "These were made by the chitakan to store information. They are the only things left of that ancient civilization."
He goes on to explain that he knows little of how they work, but remembers that they send people into a trance and can be quite dangerous.
Mysticism or Physical Science DC 21:
You recall hearing about them during your studies. By touching the mindmaze, you will enter a trance and be virtually transported into the maze. It takes intelligence to find your way through the maze and reach the center where its information is kept. Getting lost in the maze affects the minds of those in it, and makes it that much harder to traverse.
Acrobatics +13, Athletics +7, Bluff +14, Comp +13, Culture +13, Diplomacy +14, Eng +13, Intimidate +14, Life Sci +7, Med +12, Perception +9, Piloting +16, Profession-Writer +12, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +11
Stats and Abilities:
Str 9 : Dex 22 : Con 12 : Int 16 : Wis 12 : Cha 18 | Corona Laser Rifle +12 (2d6+7 F) : Static Arc Pistol +11 (1d6+3 E) : Survival Knife +11 (1d4+2 S) | Get 'Em, Clever Feint, Inspiring Boost, Clever Attack
"We have a game like this on the caravan that they use to teach complex subjects. You touch it and you're transported into a maze in your head. You have to get to the end of the maze to get the data." Jindam goes on to relay anything else he knows to the group.
M Human Male NG Human Ace Pilot Solarian 6 | SP 48/48 HP 46/46 | RP 7/7 | EAC 22; KAC 24| F/R/W +6/+6/+6 (+2 against Spells/SLAs) | Init: +2 | Perc: +10 | Speed 35ft | Conditions: Photon 0/3
Ra will keep watch of his colleagues bodies as they enter the mindmaze.
Cesar, Jindam and Kitane all touch the mindmaze, and find themselves transported into the maze. You all arrive at the same point and can begin traversing the maze together.
From the outside Uli, Ra and Royo see their companions slacken into a trance-like state. Small illusory duplicates of them appear on the surface of the maze.
Progressing through the maze requires a series of Intelligence checks. People outside of the maze may attempt to aid those on the inside by following their progress and whispering directions.
People inside the maze can not aid each other, and must make individual Int checks. If anyone has High Society Influence (Royo) slotted, you get a +2 on your rolls.
Outside folks, let me know who you want to aid and make your rolls.
Mindmaze wrote:
At the starting point.
Outside
Royo, +2 to High Society Influence (Royo) boon
Uli Ra
Jindam takes point, and after some conflicting information from Royo and Uli, is able to make some progress towards the center of the maze.
Cesar and Kitane are up. Uli and Ra can pick and roll for next round of aid.
Mindmaze wrote:
Progress: 1
Outside
Royo, +2 to High Society Influence (Royo) boon
Uli, +0 for Jindam
Ra, +2 for Cesar
Inside Cesar (w/ +2 Aid from Cesar)
Jindam (has Royo)
Kitane
M Human Male NG Human Ace Pilot Solarian 6 | SP 48/48 HP 46/46 | RP 7/7 | EAC 22; KAC 24| F/R/W +6/+6/+6 (+2 against Spells/SLAs) | Init: +2 | Perc: +10 | Speed 35ft | Conditions: Photon 0/3
I will aid Kitane this time aid:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
The maze grows darker causing Jindam to lose the path he was following. Ra spots an opening and relays it Cesar who is able to lead the group deeper into the mindmaze.
Kitane-bot Int:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Kitane starts on the next segment, but takes a wrong turn. The group stumbles as the maze shifts around, and their minds fog.
Cesar, Jindam and Kitane each take 1 Wis damage
Uli, you're up for aiding
Mindmaze wrote:
Progress: 2
Outside
Royo, +2 to High Society Influence (Royo) boon
Uli
Ra (has Royo), +0 for Kitane
Inside
Cesar
Jindam (has Royo)
Kitane
Outside
Royo, +2 to High Society Influence (Royo) boon
Uli, +2 for Jindam
Ra (has Royo), +0 for Kitane
Inside Cesar Jindam (has Royo, +2 from Uli)
Kitane
Royo's guidance enables Jindam to lead the group to the center of the mindmaze. A dozen precious green gemstones line the walls.
A trinary star system—a place you instinctively know to be the Scoured Stars—floats here. Many of the planets around the three stars grow green, representing an abundance of life. Suddenly a dark presence, felt more than seen, descends on the room and hungrily encircles the stars. One of the worlds pulsates with a golden aura that continues to grow. Eventually, this vast golden shield covers all the worlds of the region. The clawing darkness recedes.
Time passes, generations come and go in the blink of an eye. Gradually, the golden shield lowers. Soon after, eight groups of ships, their shapes too intangible to make out, depart into the cosmos beyond. Each fleet travels through the void on a different path. The home of these eight fleets soon goes dark, and over the coming generations the last vestiges of life in the Scoured Stars disappears.
Sometime later, eight small objects hurtle out from the lifeless planet that summoned the shield. Each object, a relic of immense magical power, follows the course of one of the previously departed groups. The objects disappear along their trajectories, and the vision abruptly ends as the worlds of the Scoured Stars fade to black.
"Those objects!" gasps Royo, "They look like the artifact First Seeker Jadnura found. It was what drove his desire to enter the Scoured Stars." Thinking, he continues "With some additional research, I may be able to track the paths of the other relics."
The gems gently glide off the walls as the vision ends. Jindam, Cesar and Kitane awaken from their trance and find the same gems in their hands. Loot for the chronicle sheet!
As the three who entered the maze are stretching and adjusting to being back in their bodies, a small flying clockwork drone, roughly a foot wide, whizzes into view and rapidly approaches. A holographic projection of Albryan the Curator emerges from the top of the drone and begins to speak.
"Starfinders, I am glad that I have reached you. The Order of the Pyre Hellknights who accompanied you to Athaeum have destroyed the lore wardens in a nearby tower and are burning one of our most ancient book collections! We have more wardens on the way, but they will arrive too late to save our books. Please, hurry to the Tower of the Ellicoth and stop the Hellknights from causing further harm! If you do so, the Curators will waive your research fee entirely and offer whatever assistance we can!"
Acrobatics +13, Athletics +7, Bluff +14, Comp +13, Culture +13, Diplomacy +14, Eng +13, Intimidate +14, Life Sci +7, Med +12, Perception +9, Piloting +16, Profession-Writer +12, Sense Motive +6, Stealth +11
Stats and Abilities:
Str 9 : Dex 22 : Con 12 : Int 16 : Wis 12 : Cha 18 | Corona Laser Rifle +12 (2d6+7 F) : Static Arc Pistol +11 (1d6+3 E) : Survival Knife +11 (1d4+2 S) | Get 'Em, Clever Feint, Inspiring Boost, Clever Attack
Jindam shakes his head, not liking the blurry vision caused by the mind-maze. "I knew I didn't trust that guy. I guess we're off to stop a book burnin." He hustles down the hall with the others, rifle already in hand.
