[SFS] GM Bigrin's Table 3 - Dreaming of the Future (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

f'Dirksi continues communicating with Lerecti and everyone else, <How did you come to have the tablet? We should go retrieve it to ensure it is safe.>

Talc waves away Lerecti's question. "We are skilled in what we do. The BEST actually. We're the B-Team!"

"Anyway, did you hide it on this world? We can help protect you if need be, but it's imperative we obtain them. What do you need in exchange for it?"

"Speaking of which, how did you find me?"

Before responding to the android, Sarankahn matches the gaze of Dawnfriend and shrugs, "Did he not hear me mention pouring over hours of video footage? Are his auditory circuits malfunctioning or some such?"

The vesk turns back toward Lerecti, menacingly. "How we found you is of little import. All you need to know is that you can be found. So, either you choose to provide us with the location of the tablet or else you can expect your location to be provided to sources on Verces. The club establishments there, perhaps?"

"Fine! You want the tablet? I want the evidence that can clear my name. Some of Bogdin's thugs - that's the club owner that is framing me for murder - found out a friend of mine had some video footage that clearly exonerated me. The beat her up and stole the footage. After a little healing and some rest, she's fine, but the recordings are in Bogden's hands. You want the tablet, you bring me that evidence."

"Last I heard was an ikeshti thug named Congregant Merthinett had it. They hang out in a run-down slum not too far from here. The evidence is on a datapad with a red sticker on the back with the Megajewel band logo."

"Datapad for tablet. Deal?"

Talc nods in agreement "We can do that. You stay put and we'll be back with the datapad."

Poking a finger in his chest he adds "You better still be here or he's going to sing a song you don't want to hear."

Turning over his shoulder he looks at Deathsong. "Ain't that right?"

"Ain't that right?"

"This is right," affirms Sarankahn, a wide-toothed grin appearing on his reptilian face, "Morsel."

"Thank you for your cooperation. We will be seeing each other again soon." She pauses for a moment before looking up from her datapad once more. "Before we depart, can you please provide the access codes to the 'Megajewel' datapad? I'd like to confirm we are bringing back the correct one when we retrieve it."

6ix is pleased that others are finding usefulness. He disliked being the sole source of competence. "Our nomer is not the B Team. That is historically already attributed. If anything we would be 6ix's six, due to the necessity of my managing your incompetence." It also promotes my name and refers in old parlance to my backside, which is also appropriate.

Rei turns her attention to 6ix
"Please be careful spouting incompetence. If that is in fact your sixth body that your consciousness inhabits, I'd be interested to learn about what happened to your previous 5, and thusly what may have happened to any previous comrades that shared your time. Through proper maintenance, your body will outlast these other mortals. This means, something else must have happened. I suppose that can be a topic for another time. Shall we be going then?"

Rei directs her attention to Lerecti once again. "Please provide that access code, and we will surely be on our way"

Talc turns to 6ix and points his fingers at him, laughing. "Oh damn! YOU GOT ROASTED! I now think Six is an excellent name to describe you after you rear end."

Talc laughs some more and then shakes his head, turning to Lerecti. "Please. Give us the code so we can get out of here before I actually believe Rei is as funny as she makes herself out to be."

Assuming he provides the information, Talc salutes him and says "Morsel, out." turning to leave the building.

"Excellent, nufriend Lerecti. So, we help you get the datapad with the sticker on it from soon-to-be-nufriend Congregant Merthinett. Is "congregant" a name or a title? What are they are a congregant of? Anyway, then you help us by giving us the tablet. Sarenrae guide us!" Dawnfriend seems pleased that the helping is going so well.

Lerecti gave you a code that would get you into a sort of sandbox on the tablet. An area with some limited storage of items he could describe, but no general access to the rest of the device. It was enough to prove that it was the right one, though how many tablets in the hands of gangsters had Megajewel stickers on them?

Lerecti’s information leads you to a grungy section of Towershadow’s interior slums. The ground here is a grimy mix of soot and dirt, created from the runoff of various industries on Aballon and entirely unnatural to the normally sterile planet. The buildings in this particular area are abandoned, with doors hanging open and interiors ransacked by gangsters and vagrants.

Several of those miscreants were waiting as you rounded a corner. The two flanking the central figure were verthani, and had the look of bodyguards or minions. The one in the center was an ikeshti, possibly this Congregant Merthinett you are looking for.

"So, that coward android found someone to do its dirty work for it? That's typical. Well, my boss doesn't take rat-finks lightly, so Lerecti will do its time in prison, while we go on to live our lives of joy, tranquility, and an uncommonly lack of care for the lives of others. Looks like the robots will find yet another group of biologicals that couldn't hack it on this planet! Get 'em boys!"

The verthani didn't hesitate, running forward into combat, their hands covered in bone cestuses. Rei managed to avoid the one striking at her, but Deathsong took a punch straight to the snout. The vesk is hit again with laser fire from the ikeshti, standing on a crate a little ways off.

Photon attunement 1

"Not only will you find that I can 'hack it', Chew Toys," sneers Sarankahn as he seizes his solar mote in his reptilian claw, causing it to appear to expand into a black claw of monstrous size. "You shall find that it is you who are hacked and to pieces!"

The enormous black claw swipes at the nearest thug.

Melee (solar weapon [dark energy claw: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Damage (S), photon attuned: 1d6 + 7 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 3 + 1 = 13

Talc chuckles as Deathsongs goes into whoop-ass mode. "Whoa-ho-ho! Hear comes the song of death bots and bears! You done screwed up now!"

Talc tries to join in the beatdown with his baton, but he's too interested in seeing what old Deathsong is about and misses. Twice. Badly.

Attack, tactical baton: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Attack, tactical baton: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

f'Dirksi's eyes are drawn to the ikeshti and he chitters to himself, the group can hear some of his thoughts as he focuses, <... Mini Morsel Deathsong! ... >

The ikeshti in the back feels a sudden presence in its head, flashes of Deathsong dismembering lesser mortals and Talc waving mini starships in the air like a real pilot preparing for battle.

Mind Thrust: 2d10 ⇒ (2, 6) = 8 Will DC 13 for half
Spell Resist if required: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Dawnfriend runs between 6ix's legs, then around Talc, until he stands next to one of the flunkies. "Hello, I'm Dawnfriend. You look very tired ..."

fatigue touch attack, flanking: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 2 = 23 DC 13 saving throw

Assuming the first strike hit...

The vesk glares at the other verthani. With a toothy grin, he brings the monstrous, black claw down upon the second foe.

Melee (solar weapon {dark energy claw}, Cleave): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Damage (S), photon attuned: 1d6 + 7 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 3 + 1 = 15

Rei dodging the attack from the verthani before returning fire.
"Please step back. You have entered my personal space"

She quickly reaches out sapping their iPhone MMLX attempting to send an electrical surge through their body

6ix heads towards the back, trying to hide on the upper platform. Once there, he pops off a shot at the nearer Verthani.

Stealth Trick Shot vs 20+CR: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Attack vs FF: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + (2) = 4
Burn Crit: 1d4 ⇒ 4

It burns a clean hole, a hole which starts spreading on its own.

Rei and Dawnsong manage to incapacitate one of the thugs, before Deathsong showed the verthani why you don't mess with a vesk warrior in the prime of his career, He smasahed his attacker to the ground before leveling the other one as well. f'Dirksi and 6ix targeted the likeshti leader, severely injuring her. The ikeshti's forked tongue slid out of her mouth a few times, panic growing in her face. She fired off one last wild shot with her laser rifle, then bolted down the alley.

Is the railing on that walk something that we can jump over or through?

Sarankahn bellows loudly, then steps past the torn bodies of the deceased thugs and gives chase to the ikteshi.

Double move

That railing is 10' tall, so no hopping over.

C'mon Sarankahn, haven't you seen Green Vesks Can't Jump?!

"WE GOT A RUNNER!" Morsel shouts, lunging forward ten feet as he yanks his plasma rifle off his back. He doesn't have time to properly setup the weapon guidance, so he fires on the run as she tries to sight the unwiedly rifle at his target.

"Firing!" he yells, letting his allies know a shot was about to blast down the ally.

Plasma guide: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Damage E&F: 1d8 ⇒ 3

f'Dirksi chases after the others, drawing his pistol in case he gets close enough to do anything but shudder at the pool of viscera Morsel Deathsong is likely to make from Mini Morsel Deathsong.

Double move

Seeing Talc take aim, Rei rushes over before his shot placing her glowing hand upon his weapon. "Now don't miss. Try your ARRGH technique. That proved useful before."

Talc's supercharged shot caught the fleeing ikashti in the back, sending her sprawling to the ground. A few moments of heavy frisking later, and you found the datapad, as well as the ikeshti's hunting rifle, tactical pike, shock grenades, and credstick. The verthani also had a few items on them, mostly the cestus battlegloves and pistols.

When you return to Lerecti with the datapad, the android is overjoyed, With the evidence on that datapad, he can clear his name and return to life on Verces. He dives under the counter and returns with a book-sized fragment of sandstone, covered with runic symbols the likes of which you have never seen before.

"Thank you so much again for finding this evidence. I wish you good fortune in your future endeavors...but you might want to steer clear of a verthani name Karelite Bogdin in the future. "

When you called Venture Captain Arvin via your shuttle comms, he thanked you for completing your assignment, and promised to send you to an upscale restaurant as a reward once you are safely back to your quarters on Aballon. He also tells you to rest up, because the next sandstone fragment has been located.

Good job! Rest and recover before your next mission...coming tomorrow.

Talc packs up his rifle, standing to face Rei. "Thanks for the assit Rei. The A.R.R.G.H. technique only works when in melee, not for ranged tactics. I need to control my breathing and focus when shooting, don't you remember anything I taught you?"

Catching with the others, he congratulates them on a job well done. On the shuttle, Talc talks up the meal they are going to get back on Absalom Station. Kicking his feet up he says, "I've always wanted beef tar tar. I don't know what it is, but I want it. Tar Tar just sounds cool, doesn't it? I'll have the eel tar tar, please."

"Tartare is a cooking method involving very little cooking," 6ix supplies, "where the meat is ground and then served raw." He shudders to think of the human digestive system and its various horrific reactions to under-cooked meats. Not literally, though. There's no expression given. "You will likely spend the next several hours if not days in excruciating pain should you eat it. I recommend it heartily."

<a shot like that deserves jar jar tar tar!>

Damnit now I want tartare!

Make sure to reset your hp/sp/rp and other daily use abilities. It's time to fly!

After a few days of R&R on Aballon, you get a call from VC Arvin.

"Greeting Starfinders. I believe we have cracked another piece of the dream code. The next line reads."

"Our researchers believe the “two sisters” represent the shattered worlds of Damiar and Lovo that now make up the Diaspora asteroid field. After following that lead, I found a local group of dwarven miners from the Silverbrew clan. It appears they happened upon the three fragments of the tablet, but lately they’ve been having problems with smugglers. They say the smugglers have uncovered and sold off the other two pieces, but the Silverbrew leader has promised us the fragment they were able to hold on to in exchange for dealing with these criminals. The Xinhao spaceport near you has a vessel waiting for your use. It is the Loreseeker and it is one of our most prestigious research vessels. Take it out to the Diaspora to the coordinates I am sending you, deal with the smugglers, and find that tablet fragment!"

Talc claimed the pilot's role before anyone else could speak up, and practically spot welded his butt to the pilot's seat. The rest of you were left to sort out the other roles on the modified Pegasus ship among yourselves. The ship gracefully weaved through the light traffic of spacefaring vessels. Aside from a near-miss with an impatient kasathan transport, the trip out of Aballon's orbit was uneventful. Once at a safe distance, the Loreseeker sped up for a full-burn towards the nearby Diaspora asteroid field.

Feel free to choose your starship roles in the OOC thread. Talc claimed the pilot position about 9 months ago ;)

Dawnfriend sits in the captain's chair. He pushes the intercom button. "Hello, nufriend crew - crewfriends! This is your captain speaking. Dawnfriend. I'll be putting a sign-up sheet for activities during our trip, for anyone who might want to participate. The first activity will be an ice cream social in the cargo hold about an hour after we enter the Drift."

Several days of Drift travel later, you pop into realspace outside the target area and see an asteroid field in front of you. The coordinates given by the dwarven clan point to a spot almost in the direct center of the field. Thankfully, the asteroids are in a stable orbit, making flight in and around them relatively safe.

Science officer, make me a Computers check to scan the are to find the right asteroid

Dawnfriend's captain's chair area is filled with a variety of crafts and projects that have been made over the last few days. He smiles at a macaroni collage symbol of Sarenrae taped to a nearby console.

If others did not attend the activities, they would be given something made at the various events by Dawnfriend, designed in an effort to match their personalities Everyone received a colorful drawing of the whole crew.

6ix performs routine scans of the area.

Computers: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

He has no trouble whatsoever finding the right asteroid, because he is amazing at all things. What else would you expect from an adventurous accountant? "Captain Friend, I think we have found what we are looking for."

"Wow," Dawnfriend says, "You are amazing at all things, 6ix! Great job!"

On 6ix's screens, he saw multiple power signatures that resolved into probable threats and facilities. One seemed to be coming from a spacefaring vessel, while several others were on asteroids themselves. It seemed that there were remote-controlled turrets on two of the asteroids.

A slim, dagger-like vessel emerges from a hiding spot between two particularly large asteroid clusters, its olive-colored hull showing signs of recent and incomplete repairs. It approaches at a slow, cautious speed.

The hologram of a ysoki dressed in fine clothes and gaudy jewelry appears in the Loreseeker’s bridge, a wide grin on his face. “You’ve come a long way, travelers. You can call me Mr. Smiles. I’m everyone’s best friend around these parts.”

The ysoki, Mr. Smiles, looks off to the side, nodding at some unheard comment. “Of course. Crank, Stock, Shell, Shuffle, and Breach all say hi. So, what can Her humble grandchildren do for you?”

f'Dirksi enjoys the trip through the Drift, wearing with pride the macaroni necklace Dawnfrield helped make.

Something about Mr. Smiles reminded f'Dirksi of a pickpocket met years before in one of the less traveled halls of Absalom Station. <Mr. Smiles and crew appear to be followers of Lao Sui Po. They are probably pirates and not to be trusted.>

Mysticism: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 (reduce the DC of Culture and Mysticism checks to recall knowledge about hidden cults and secretive religions, including knowledge about their beliefs, hierarchy, and symbols by 5)

Talc has heard that several other crew members on the ship also have claimed to have been theoretically informed on the process of piloting, but none of them have the breadth and level of experience he has. Or so he tells himself as he takes his seat, flips a few switches and dives into the controls.

When Captain Friend announces the ice cream social, Talc eagerly participates. I mean, who doesn't enjoy ice cream? Harrac didn't, he ws lactose intolerant. Something about those vesks that had him groaning in the bathroom forever. And leaving it smell terrible.

When the ship pops into view, Talc calls out to 6ix. "Six. What's the deal with this guy? Anything we need to be worried about?"

An answer comes not from the android, but from Dirk. "Copy Dirk. What's the plan, Cap?"

“You’ve come a long way, travelers. You can call me Mr. Smiles. I’m everyone’s best friend around these parts.”

"You are not my best friend, Smiling Morsel." Sarankahn hisses in response as he powers up the firing controls on the forward weapon's array. It is not clear whether the vesk's reptilian brain was actually able to process any of the references about grandchildren, pirates, or plans before he gave a response.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
"Hello, nufriend Mr. Smiles. I am Captain Dawnfriend, and we are here to meet and help the Silver crew clan of dwarves. Know where we can find them?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

When Deathsong mentions Morsel, Talc chimes in on the comms. "What? I'm not smiling. How do you..." he looks around to see if there is a camera on him somewhere nearby. "Are you watching me or something? I'm not smiling!"

Rei continues to focus on her tasks in engineering, keeping the ship as 'afloat' as it can be with talc at the helm.

When she hears 'Morsel' through the comms channels, she too sends a comm to talc "I think Deathsong is talking to you. Please pay attention. Also, please tone down your wild maneuvers. I am barely holding the ship together with your childlike disregard for proper procedures"

The ysoki captain of the other ship smiled broadly. "Oh, the dwarves called you in to clean up their mess, did they? Well, you can go back and tell them that their facility is now ours. After all, out here in the Diaspora possession is more than nine tenths of the law. So, turn around and go back, or be prepared to face the consequences."

"Captain Friend, while I urge a diplomatic approach, I will alert you that I am prepared for when negotiations fail." He is ready to scan enemy vessels or placements, and then target systems as necessary.

Maybe I missed this ... but did we know the smugglers controlled the Dwarven facility? I got the impression they'd stolen a couple of the tablets. Or is this a new development?

I believe this is new information for us.

Dawnfriend looks confused. "No, we are trying to find the dwarves. If they aren't here, can you tell us where they went? Maybe we could help you with something in exchange for the information? Do you need the services of a priest of Sarenrae? I love doing weddings!"

Talc responds to Rei, cluttering the comms while 6ix and Dawnfriend are talking. "I know Rei, didn't you hear what I just said? I SAID how does he know I'm smiling? Did you put a cam on me in here? You're watching me right now, aren't you? I know I'm all sorts of human-sexy and you can't stop looking at my amazing body, but seriously no secret cameras without at least telling me you're watching me."

Catching the tail end of what Dawnfriend says, Talc chimes in "Hey Cap, I missed the first part. Are we blowing this guys outta here or should I get ready to proceed?"

Dawnfriend closes off the external comms, and then flips over to internal, "6ix, can you scan to find the Silverbrew dwarf-friend facility? After we find it and help these smugglers on their way, we'll have a meeting to help everyone understand proper workplace behavior." He goes back to listening to the response from Mr. Smiles.