Across the Scoured Stars (Inactive)

Game Master Cwethan

Why intelligence is not a dump stat:

Before arriving at he record store, Carter would have the group stop and get some posters of Strawberry Machine Cake and then make signatures on them. Then he'll have the group get in line and will turn to Maonva and say in a normal tone of voice"Man, it was really nice that Strawberry Machine Cake to sign these posters for us. Thank god there wasn't a line. My daughter will be so happy I got this for her!"

He will then tell anyone who asks that she was signing things at the store they got the posters from.

"I hate to break it to ya, but there ain't no way I'm gonna get that out with a straight face," Mao whispers when she realizes why Carter has insisted on buying the posters.

Yxov began by choosing a line. Then he noticed it wasn't moving, but one next to him was. So he moved into that one. Then that one stopped and the one he was initially in started moving.

When Carter produces the posters, he initially balked, but a gentle nudge by Voxy had him awkwardly taking a couple. "Umm, is this ethical? I don't think-- Oh, very well!"

"Oh, yes! I couldn't believe Strawberry Machine Cake was signing these posters just over there! I'm so glad they had the time to personalize mine!" he announces.

Bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Nor is Charisma

"Hehehehehehe. I'll give it a try."

Doc Newblossom channels the delight that comes from sudden progress on a new biohack, and then starts to scream, waiving their LFAN prosthetic vines excitedly in the air.

"Eeeeeeeeeee!!!! You mean STRAWBERRY MACHINE CAKE really signed those posters for you, just 100 meters in that direction?"

Aid Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Yxov's words are incredibly persuasive, and by the time more measured fans begin to double check various social media feeds for confirmation, the quick-spreading rumors are already muddying the waters!

The crowd is far too large to all immediately stampede away, but the lines are starting to thin, and more importantly, have lost a lot of cohesion.

You should be able to get through much more quickly, but the lines have very much become a crush of bodies...

Acoria finds herself with no idea how to handle this situation. She begins sweating as the others massage the crowd. Can't burn them. Can't kill them. Guess I can scare them?

Acoria flexes her full might, and begins to gather solar power radiating a steady heat. She begins shoving her way to the front of the line, growling at anyone who tries to stop her.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Yxov recognizes instantly what Acoria is doing and rolls his photoreceptors. He buries Voxy's amusement, and decides to amplify his own distaste for these tactics. As the dragonkin starts to draw attention, he follows in her wake.

"Are you mad? Do you want to stand in the way of a dragonkin when they start fangirling out? Eighteen beings were severely injured during the release party of The Tiamat Five's fifth album, you know!!"

Not sure if this is Bluff or Intimidate.
Bluff: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Intimidate (expertise): 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 7 + (5) = 18

Doc Newblossom says, "Let me see if I can get through the chaos." and starts to dart under larger people's legs, aiming for the front of the line.

Hoping the ability to share a space with beings 2+ categories of my size will help me get there.

Once they get to the front of the line:

Carter will purchase as many of the recordings as possible.

Acoria and Yxov's menacing aura helps them quickly cut a path through the crowd, but it quickly closes behind them!

Everyone else, either toss me a Reflex Save to avoid the worst of the crowd's jostling, or come up with an alternate skillsy way you'll be doing so (this will be a higher DC)

1d4 ⇒ 4

Within the store you're able to get your hands on a total of seven copies of Star Sugar Heartlove!!! as a group. Ziggy's credstick will cover one, but the others are 50 credits a piece if you want to grab 'em.

As a rule of thumb going forward, in an 'not sure if this or this' skill set up, just provide additional possible modifiers.
Or roll if you want, but I'll just be changing the modifiers and applying them to the first roll anyways :-p

So my plan was to buy up as many as I could then sell them outside once they were out. Cause economics.

Mao shrugs and goes with the flow, then she gives Carter an evil grin.

"Oh, that's just mean," she says when she sees what he's doing and helps out by grabbing a few herself.

Yxov uses the credit stick to buy the one reserved for Ziggy, then laments because they don't have enough cash to buy one of their own.

Plan makes sense Carter - but maybe y'all will have to pool your creds to try to cash in?
As it says in the Book of Acquisitions, Abadar 2:99 'It taketh money to maketh money.'

Acoria is happy to just secure the copy needed for their mission. She's down to her last 25 credits and would rather spend it on something more fun than a weird pop album.

"Can we go burn the feather stalker now?" she asks hopefully.

I'm going to buy 4 copies, and then sell them afterwards.

"Yes, I'm ready to go." He said as he offered the posters to someone at the back of the line

Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Urmfehrumah's verdant eyes go wide as they realize they've bit off more than they'd bargained for, dodging under the various legs.

Respirating rapidly, they ask "Yikes! Is shopping on Absalom Station always this...exciting?"

They almost tumbles backward a second time at Acoria's booming question, but they nod eagerly. "If you don't mind, perhaps the next time we go shopping, I'll ride on your shoulder.

"Or in you pocket."

"If you wish, Doctor. But be forewarned, my super nova spares no allies."

"Ahhh...I didn't realize that dragons go supernova.

"My epidermis gets quite itchy when exposed to extreme heat. And my neck-leaves burn rather easily as well. Maybe I'll just keep on walking behind."

Doc Newblossom stands a healthy bit behind the (suprisingly explosive) dragon and bops along toward the warehouse.

How much is it per copy? Mao's got 100 creds to spare.

After they've finished their shopping trip, Mao here's Urmfehrumah's conversation with Acoria and decides that the little doctor, as cute and small as they are, doesn't deserve to be squished by stampeding fans.

"I could carry you on my back. I don't get hot enough to turn incandescent," she offers.

50 credits per.

Mao'll grab a couple of copies and hand them to Carter for his plan.

I was planning to just sell them in downtime to make money. Don't waste your money investing in a shaky idea.

"Seriously?!? We're going now? Shouldn't we first report what a fantastic job we've done and, well, maybe there's no need to risk our existences against a feathered stalker?"

"We made a shopping trip, and there IS a need to risk our existences; further, it's clear that being a Starfinder agent involves a great deal of personal risk. I have to ask; if you are this concerned about a single creature in controlled conditions, why would you want to subject yourself to this life filled with danger?"

"Relax, unless there's a mate they didn't tell us about only one of us has to worry about dyin'," Mao says with a cheeky grin. She's actually looking forward to the fight.

You manage to escape from the store with a few extra copies in hand landing on a pass, Mao?, and make your way over to the Downlow warehouse.

There are a few of the Stewards standing behind a small wall of portable forcebarriers, idly keeping watch for any attempts the Feather Stalker might make to relocate.

Before any of the Stewards notice your approach, another watcher comes to greet you. They're a human of average height and build, with flowing swathes of cloth draped over a rather more functional looking bodysuit. Their weapons are also a mix of the ornamental and practical, the broad bulwark of a re-painted riot shield paired with a carbon-fiber lash festooned with additional trailing streamers.

"Ziggy's newbies, right? I'm your backup, kudos on the Commencement. I'm Petaled Lightning, but Alex will do for now since none of us are in the ring. I'd ask you to introduce yourselves, but we've got a monster not-quite-locked up in there, and there's nothing better getting to know someone than seeing how they do under pressure."

"Well? No time like the present."

The lock on the warehouse doors is shattered, and the doors open easily. Inside, the area is in an odd blend of careful organization and clear disarray. Crates lie around the floor in careful rows, but in other places scattered junk fills the space - and there are signs of a hasty excavation as well!

A catwalk circles the edge of the warehouse, but the emergency lights along it are dim, barely enough to outline the rest of the room.

We're gonna go ahead and take it ~round by round for now. Go ahead and take a turn's worth of actions for now.

Acoria nods, dropping the visor on her Formian plate armor. She leaves her pistol holstered for the moment, not anticipating its use in a such close quarters. As she enters the warehouse she turns to Carter, "He didn't. Biggest stick in the mud in the Pact Worlds. My and Voxy made him join, we needed some excitement and big pay days."

"Hey, Alex. Acoria. Pleased to meet another Exo. Let's rock!"

Her body begins to glow as it radiates photons and starts heating up. With a moment of concentration three fiery energy claws appear from the back of her right hand.

Entering photon solar mode 1/3; move action inside while drawing solar weapon, standard action to ready breath weapon for any feathered stalkers in range? Does action economy work the same way?

"I am not a stick in the mud. I just happen to be the singular voice of reason around here," Yxov mutters.

As the door to the warehouse is opened revealing a dim interior, the Shakalta begins to immediately worry about his light, which throws long shadows against the far wall. "What do you think? More or less light? I can cover up, if you think that I'd attract the stalker. They're not like void moths, are they?"

That's all good stuff for when the fight proper begins, but we're still exploring for now, just taking it in discrete chunks. So no photons or readied actions till Initiative hits.

Action economy works similarly. Standards and Moves are mostly the same, the big difference is that a full action (like a charge or a full-attack takes up your Standard, Move, and Swift.) Likewise, readied actions have slightly different timing. If they're purely defensive they happen right before the trigger ('I drop prone if they shoot the Reaction Cannon at me') or right after the trigger if not ('if they start casting a spell I'll shoot!')

Word. Thanks.

In that case, she doesn't start glowing yet, but she still has her claws out.

No, Mao nabs two copies. If nothing else, she can sell them if Carter doesn't take them.

Mao nods and puts on her serious face as she buttons up her armor, which has been under her clothing the entire time it turns out. She also gets her rifle and chambers the first round.

"Y'know, we probably should have come up with a sound off procedure before coming in," she observes as she looks around for away up top.

With large, delighted eyes, Urmfehrumah exclaims "Oh, you're a battleflower!

"One of my siblings is even thinking of traveling to Triaxus to study the discipline themselves. After all, what could be better than a battleflower who's actually flowering?"

Pausing, they add, "Of course, then it occurred to us that we're not quite sure how renunciation of outward expressions of gender is defined. Raxilites rarely have a gender (they just aren't part of our culture) but it's a bit hard for us to renounce outward expressions of sexuality--I mean, we have both female and male reproductive organs literally growing out of our heads." Doc Newblossom shakes their flowery reproductive organ, proudly.

Seeming to just remember what they're up to, they add, "I'd love to discuss it more...but I suppose we'd best go deal with the feather stalker, eh?"

Doc Newblossom walks in right behind Mao (having decided that she was safer to shelter behind, given that she doesn't tend to explode).

They have their (adorably tiny) rifle in their hands, and are scanning the ceiling looking for the feather stalker.

Culture: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Move in.
Ready Stnd action to shoot it if seen.

"I wouldn't say you're the only voice of reason; hell, in my past job, all I did was weigh risk and reward, but I think you have to want to do this job. If someone forces it on you, I don't think it will end well." Carter offers to Yxov.

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Upon entering the warehouse, Carter draws out his staff, and then with the press of a button it extends into place. Carter then gestures, and 4 orbs of light go streaking into the warehouse, heading towards the four corners. Using 1 use of minor stage magic.

"I can't say no to Voxy. Problem is, she can't say no to Acoria."

He watches as Carter sends light into the warehouse. "That's not a bad idea."

The Shakalta uses their own powers to send four more light globes into the warehouse.
dancing lights as a spell-like ability

Your dancing lights have to all stay within an area with a 10' radius, so a single casting won't be able to hit every corner, so I'll assume you guys are starting with the near corners for now to prevent **immediate** ambush.

Alex gives a thin, visibly forced smile as Doc Newblossom's discussion of their gender immediately swerves towards genitals. "Yeah, maybe that discussion should wait for a time with fewer xeno-beasts around." More sincerely they add, "The order used to only be for Ryphorians, but we've adapted to all types as they've come to Ning. I'm sure we'd be able to figure out a good overlap for your people's ways and ours."

Acoria and Yxov: Could you put some summary information in your headers?

The light globes coalesce in the closest corners of the warehouse as Alex and Mao each take the stairs up into different branches of the catwalk, Urmfehrumah following close on Mao's heels. But for now, the warehouse stays silent...

Go ahead and take another round's worth of actions.
Oh, and I forgot to mention it, but there is a map of the warehouse linked at the top of the page.

"I'll send mine along the south wall to the far corner, if you want to do the same along the north wall." said Carter, who then did just that.

Stats added.

Mao rounds the corner of the catwalk with her rifle at the ready, and really wishing she could have afforded one of those really nice bullpup models.

Alas, she was not made of credits, and she wasn't quite ready to sell herself to buy one.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

The tiny Doctor trails behind Mao, whispering, "Remember, it could be anywhere...but we know they're good climbers, so be sure to keep one eyestalk aimed at the sky."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Continuing to Move behind Mao, and readying to shoot if she spots somethin'

Acoria flaps her wings and propels herself into the middle of the warehouse, looking around for their foe.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Assuming Yxov is staying back and just directing lights for now...

The feather stalker clearly seems to be living up to its name. Not a single sound warns you of its approach, but luckily the sweep of Carter's lights gives you an instant's warning as it somehow unfolds itself from some tiny crack in the wall above the catwalk, gangly feather-appendages emerging into the flickering emergency lights as it rushes along the walls towards you!

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

With a cry, Alex, realizing that they're on the wrong half of the catwalk, backs up and hurls themself across the gap, landing with the clang of boots on metal as they haul their shield into line!

Lights: Low Light
Heights: Room (30'), Catwalk (15'), Crates (5'), Cylinders (10'), Crate-Covered-Scaffolding (10'), Pit (10' deep)
The Bold May Go!
Alex
Mao
Urmfehrumah
Carter
Feather Stalker
Acoria
Yxov

"Eeeep!"

Doc Newblossom slaps a toxicological inhibitor into their dart rifle and fires at the feathered stalker, but their nerves makes them pull the trigger early (while they're still aiming) and the needle bounces harmlessly off the wall.

Then they duck behind the catwalk railing--right under Alex's legs--hoping to make any retaliatory shot as difficult as they can.

Tactical Needler Rifle: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

4/5 biohacks remaining.
I figure there's a good bit of cover here for someone 16" tall.

Attack(Hunting Rifle) v. The Feathered Stalker: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Mao squeezes off a shot and backs up, no reason it give it a nice straight shot at her, after all. The slug whines off one of the steel beams as the retort drowns out the metallic ping of brass on iron grates.

"Bogie up top! Careful with your shots when it closes," she calls out.

Carter double moves to get within range.

Carter rushes forward, nearly tripping over the scattered debris at the center of the warehouse until he's forced to slow his pace a little.

Nudged Carter back a few spaces, the debris's difficult terrain.

The feather stalker undulates closer to the hunters on the catwalk before launching one of its feather harpoons at Acoria with a dreadful spasm!

Feather Harpoon: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
Piercing: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Lights: Low Light
Heights: Room (30'), Catwalk (15'), Crates (5'), Cylinders (10'), Crate-Covered-Scaffolding (10'), Pit (10' deep)
The Bold May Go!
Alex
Mao
Urmfehrumah
Carter
Feather Stalker
Acoria 4/8 SP
Yxov

Yxov rushes forward when he sees Acoria get struck by a dart from the feathered stalker. He had his issues with the dragonkin, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her harmed.

"Acoria! Don't you dare die! Voxy'd never forgive me if I let you!

Move: 30'. Standard: Inspiring boost.

Regain 5 stamina.

Carter gestures, and one of the pieces of debris near him flings out towards the creature.

Telekinetic Projectile Attack Roll vs. KAC: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Damage Roll: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Minor Psychic Power 1 of 3.

Watching the feather-harpoon-spasm, Doc Newblossom says "Woah. Fascinating!

"Are you OK, Acoria?"

They load in another minor neurotoxin dart, attempt to steady their tiny rifle, and shoot again.

Tactical Needle Rifle: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Piercing damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4 And if at least 1 damage comes through, it's Sickened (poison effect) for 7 rounds

"Just a flesh wound. I'll be fine." Acoria says as she flies forward toward the feathered beast.

I will begin gathering photons, 1/3 attunement
Move to fly along the line and land on the cylinders.

She slices at the thing with her solar claw, hoping to end the threat in one mighty blow.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7 One point is fire if it matters.