Telsix will cast mind thrust II on Chenwen.
"Surrender and cease your cooperation with the Swarm."
Sevash will guarded step and fire at blue
for
Sevash fires a laser blast directly into the thug’s chest, searing him.
vs. DC 17; Chenwen grunts from the psychic assault, but she’s felt worse.
Tegrodera takes the clear shot he has at blue, getting a direct hit and lowering his defenses.
Chenwen moves to the far side of the stage and fires at Telsix as payback for the headache she now has.
Blue follow Sevash, swinging his hammer!
Sister Spark leans out of the door, yells “Get ‘em!” and fires and Aysén.
Round 6 of Combat: Everybody is up!
Chenwen (orange)
Blue Tough Guy
Sister Spark (teal)
Sevash
Telsix
Tegrodera
Aysén
Aysén will chase after Chenwen, double moving. (Photon attunement 2/3)
"You'll have to catch me!"
Sevash will keep backing up and firing
for
Telsix commands Chenwen to drop the pistol.
"Cease your hostilities."
Sevash blasts the tough again, and he seems on his last legs but doesn’t fall.
vs. DC 16
Chenwen just manages to shake off Telsix’s psychic command.
Feeling exposed in the hallway, Tegrodera double moves into the bigger gathering space.
Face to face with Aysén, Chenwen pulls out her tactical knife, and slashes him.
The tough pulls out a smoke grenade, tosses it behind Sevash, filling the room with smoke.
Sister Spark moves to the doorway, and fires at Telsix, scoring a hit.
Round 7 of Combat: Everybody is up!
Chenwen (orange)
Blue Tough Guy
Sister Spark (teal)
Sevash
Telsix
Tegrodera
Aysén
Aysén explodes with stellar energy, trying to incinerate Chenwen (Photon attunement 3/3)
Fire Damage, DC 14 Reflex Half
Despite blunting the full force of Aysén's explosion, Chenwen collapses to the floor, smoking.
Telsix moves to a position where he can see both of the remaining enemies and flings gobs of ectoplasm at them.
for
for
Sevash will run to the door at the other side of the room and open it, or run through if it was already open
Telsix’s ectoplasmic barrage hits Sister Spark squarely, causing her to stagger back a bit.
Tegrodera moves for a better shot and pings at Sister Spark, to no effect.
The thug comes out of the smoke-filled room coughing, and then moves to put himself between Midnight Squad and his savior. He manages to get close enough to take a swing at Telsix, connecting a solid blow.
Sister Spark in the meantime returns the favor, hitting Tegrodera.
Round 8 of Combat: Everybody is up, Sevash can go twice!
Blue Tough Guy
Sister Spark (teal)
Sevash
Telsix
Tegrodera
Aysén
Aysén will double move back to menace Sister Spark and the remaining tough (Photon attunement 1/3).
I need to be just a little bit faster...
Telsix will take a guarded step back and shoot at the tough.
for
Previous round
Sevash will delay and double move out of the room when the thug is not in the way
This round
Once in the hallway, Sevash will take a move to study blue and then fire a shot
for
Recalling some moments during their flight from the Swarm on Suskillon, Midnight Squad seems to have trouble hitting their quarry.
Tegrodera tries his luck against the remaining thug, landing a dart to his neck. He drops to the ground.
Sister Spark had seemed composed, but that veil starts to drop as she finds herself alone. “I’ll get you yet!” She hops backwards and fires her sound cannon at Aysén, ringing his eardrums in pain.
Round 9 of Combat: Everybody is up
Sister Spark (teal)
Sevash
Telsix
Tegrodera
Aysén
Sevash will study and fire at Sister Spark
for
Aysén steps up and swings at Sister Spark (Photon attunement 2/3)
Attack vs KAC
Damage
Maybe taunting people with guns is not the way to go...
Telsix tries to shoot at Sister Spark over Aysen's shoulder.
for
Looking back, you can’t say for certain what took Sister Spark down, Aysén’s nova, Sevash’s laser rifle, Telsix’s magic, or Tegrodera’s darts; The fanatic who had somehow become aligned with the Swarm is dead. Searching the bodies you find quite a bit of gear.
Thisskt Gear: casual stationwear, azimuth laser pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), survival knife, spell gem of life bubble
Chenwen Gear: freebooter armor I, azimuth laser pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), survival knife, datapad, hacking kit
Thug Gear (x2): second skin (infrared sensors), assault hammer, tactical semi-auto pistol with 18 small arm rounds, smoke grenade, stickybomb grenade
Sister Spark Gear: casual stationwear, murmur sonic suppressor with 1 battery (20 charges), tactical switchblade.
Other gear stashed around the complex: static polarity rifle, two high-capacity batteries, mk 1 mobility enhancer armor upgrade,
In her office, Sister Spark’s desk contains several credsticks holding a total of 3,000 credits. In addition, six frag grenades II and a detonator can be found in a small crate under the table.
Aysén discovers a blank white keycard taped to the bottom of one desk drawer, but it’s purpose is unclear.
Computers in the broadcast room and Sister Spark’s rooms both could be hacked if you are interested. Would need computers check for each one.
The files within contain her plans to sabotage the New Grakka spaceport and a list of all Reckoners not currently residing at the hall, allowing the SDF and local law enforcement to stop them from committing any further crimes.
collection of underground caverns. A short tunnel to the surface is marked with the word “entrance,” but there is no indication of where these caves are. The map is accompanied
by a scan of what appears to be stylistic stone carvings that resemble Swarm creatures. Sister Spark’s notes on this file reference the location as a “sacred site” that could be used
as a bolt hole should the Reckoners be subjected to a raid.
The files within are mostly images of Swarm creatures and rare footage of Swarm battles culled from the dark infosphere, as well as recordings of potential recruits who openly discussed sedition with Sister Spark, retained for the purposes of future blackmail. Local law enforcement would be very interested in obtaining these recordings.
Sevash will begin examining the computers
Try again
"Seems like somethings we should hand over to the authorities"
"Anything around here seem like it needs this keycard? They went out of their way to hide it, probably worth investigating."
Aysén will collect all of the valuables from the corpses with a smile before scouring the structure from something this keycard can open.
Sevash will eye the void rifle
Sevash unlocks a wealth of information on Sister Spark’s computer, repeating here for all to see:
The files within contain her plans to sabotage the New Grakka spaceport and a list of all Reckoners not currently residing at the hall, allowing the SDF and local law enforcement to stop them from committing any further crimes. You find a hidden file on the computer with a 3-D wireframe map showing a small collection of underground caverns. A short tunnel to the surface is marked with the word “entrance,” but there is no indication of where these caves are. The map is accompanied by a scan of what appears to be stylistic stone carvings that resemble Swarm creatures. Sister Spark’s notes on this file reference the location as a “sacred site” that could be used as a bolt hole should the Reckoners be subjected to a raid. [/spoiler]
When Midnight Squad reports in after defeating the Reckoners, Commander Najiri allows them the temporary use of a few desks at city hall to go over the unusual information found on Sister Spark’s computer, but before she dismisses them, she says, “One more thing. I have some news you aren’t going to like. Given the refuge crisis, we need Tegrodera on a more medic focused assignment, so he’ll be leaving Midnight Squad for the foreseeable future. I know you have been through hell together, but the army doesn’t care. Tegrodera, I’ll go over your new assignment. The rest of you are dismissed. Your new squad mate is the in the room across the hall. Go meet him and get to work.”
|
A thin humanoid with pale green skin and luminous butterfly wings hovers off the ground. His legs are folded in the lotus position. A long, synth-leather trench coat hangs nearly to the floor.
His eyes are closed and a look of deep, meditative calm rests over his angular face. As you enter, he raises one hand, palm out toward you. The other rests on a battered old comic book in his lap. The pages are age-softened and dog-eared.
"I'll be with you in just a moment. I've almost got it."
After a long moment, his brow wrinkles in consternation and a frustrated sigh escapes his nose.
"Today's not the day," he says, opening his black, pupil-less eyes. "I've been trying to read by astral projection. Since they put the e-books behind a paywall I decided to only read on these wood pulp things. F*ck it. The name's Ishkepu. Clandestine Services."
He tosses the comic onto a table. It's a copy of Sparklemuffins!, a title about a crime-fighting pop band aimed at teenagers on Abadar Station.
"A pleasure to meet you. Welcome to the squad."
Telsix looks over the new recruit.
"Have you been briefed on the mission? We are hunting the saboteurs that have chosen to work with the Swarm."
Due to the mention of a sacred site in Sister Spark’s notes, the commander suggests that you inform Xelonan of your findings. The shirren priest arrives an hour later, his mandibles clicking eagerly with curiosity.
A casual search of history pages on the infosphere doesn’t turn up anything about the caves, but:
Commander Najiri posits that since it was incredibly difficult to build permanent structures on Utraneus until the stabilization formula was created, the earlier shirren settlement must have failed.
"Yes. Welcome to the squad, I'm sure you bring a lot of valuable wartime skills to the table..." Aysén will frown looking at the copy of the comic on the table "Perhaps you might tell us about those skills? Did you bring a gun? Would you tell me if I was about to walk into something radioactive?"
"I know I told command I would soar, but that was metaphorically. Damn it, I'll need a jetpack or something to keep up with my fellow soldiers now.
"Good to have you on the team, Ishkepu". Sevash will extend a hand to shake.
"Paywalls are no obstacle, if you really wanna get your hands on some books"
After introductions, Sevash will take to her computer to research the upcoming mission.
"I'm not finding anything on those caves"
|
|
A gun? I do have a gun around here somewhere," Ishkepu says, patting his sides. You can see that underneath his trench coat he wears some archaic piece of gear made of snake skin, and though there is a shoulder holster in evidence there is no gun in it. He snaps his fingers as though he just remembered something. "I let some kids play with it. Kidding, kidding, but let's talk about those paywalls. I refuse to give Pisney Publishing any money since they screwed Bala-14 out of her IP."
"Are you talking about the caves with the old failed shirren colony in them?"
Anyone can now read the spoiler for the first check, and anyone can do the followup as well.
"We think that the caves might have some connection to the anceint shirren that once lived on this world. Certainly, the carvings suggest as much."
"If these cultist were investigating these caves we should investigate them ourselves, even if only to make sure no one remains from their cult on site."
What hidden real estate gems might we find? Perhaps there is still a chance my time was not wasted.
Xelonan arrives, and helps you with your research – although he is also eager to hear what you have been up to since you parted ways in the space dock.
You can call up a map of the city and the surrounding area to impose the Reckoners’ map over it, revealing that the largest of the caves lies under the House of Friendship, a temple to Hylax in a neighborhood in New Grakka called Old Town. Xelonan explains that the House of Friendship was one of the first structures built in New Grakka and that the rest of the city grew around it. The small side tunnel marked “entrance” on the Reckoners’ map seems to connect to the basement of a business named Vibrakleen, an automated laundry facility that uses sonic energy to get clothes clean (commonly known as a “sonimat”).
Reproting this information to Commander Najiri, she points out that New Grakka desperately needs more emergency shelters should the Swarm attack Utraneus. Whether or not there is anything of historical value to find in the caves, she believes the area could be used as a refuge. Xelonan notes that the Reckoners thought the same thing. With the rest of the military busy with defensive preparations, Commander Najiri assigns Midnight Squad the task of exploring these caves to assess their stability. She instructs you to survey the caves and ensure they are free of dangerous wildlife so that relief workers can outfit them for occupation if necessary. She also reminds you, possibly unnecessarily, that if the Reckoners managed to enter the caves, Midnight Squad should keep an eye out for surprises.
You are allowed a night’s rest and some time to purchase equipment before setting out, but Commander Najiri suggests you don’t linger too long, as the SDF can’t predict the Swarm’s movements.
During preparations, Xelonan asks about Midnight Squad’s welfare and wants to know about everything they’ve done in New Grakka since they arrived. Some questions you might ask Xelonan in return and his answers are below.
You can tell that there is something Xelonan isn’t telling you.
What aren’t you telling us, Xelonan?
“I’m trying to help where I can, but I can’t stop thinking of the attack on Suskillon. The way they came for my temple and that strange trance I entered. I can’t help but wonder what it was all about.” He sighs. “I didn’t want to mention it on the Terminus Wild, but I’ve been having regular nightmares since we left Suskillon. In every one of them, I can sense a terrifying presence that I somehow know is called ‘the God-Host.’ And what’s stranger is that some of my fellow shirrens here on Utraneus have been having similar nightmares.”
What’s the God-Host?
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
"These are disturbing developments. We would do well to guard our minds against interference."
Old Town is a small district near the center of New Grakka, and it features a distinctly older architectural style. The buildings are more compact and seem cozier than the steel frames and poured concrete typical in the rest of the city. A tiny park adds a bit of green and other bright colors to the area.
The House of Friendship is the neighborhood’s most prominent feature. Its multidomed structure rises above the other buildings, large without being imposing. The front doors are wide open, and the courtyard is filled with tents erected in neat rows to house Suskillon refugees. One central
patch is left clear for gatherings, where children of multiple species are gathered around a host shirren storyteller. The grim despair hanging over the rest of New Grakka seems to be unable to penetrate here.
The sonimat Vibrakleen is only two blocks from the House of Friendship. When you arrive, it is open for business, but since it is fully automated, the only "employees" are machines. The sonimat has a large hopper with a connected computer console near the front of the business, where customers deposit their dirty laundry, choose and pay for the services they desire, and receive an RFID-enabled chit that allows them to pick up their clothes when they are clean. The remainder of the building consists of pulsating sonic “baths,” irons attached to robotic arms, and a series of tracks near the ceiling that whisk the clothing from station to station.
Of course, all this automation occasionally needs to be repaired and maintained. A locked plastic door marked “Employees Only” leads to the rear of the business, where the bulk of the machinery can be found. The door is no match for the skills of Midnight Squad.
While among the machinery, you spot a loose panel on one of the walls behind an automatic folding machine. Prying the panel open reveals a narrow staircase leading to a basement walled with cinder block. The air here is musty, and cobwebs crowd the corners of the room. Aside from a filthy mop leaning against one wall and a handful of small chunks of rock scattered across the floor, this chamber is entirely bare.
This hall might seem like a dead end, as the Reckoners have hidden the passageway to the caves well, but knowing an entrance must be present, Telsix finds that a section of the cinder blocks near the floor in the southern part of the room are loose. Pushing the blocks inward reveals a passage leading down; the tunnel is dark and is only 6 feet high, requiring taller folks to duck their heads when descending.
After a few hundred feet, the tunnel ends at a spot where the Reckoners broke through the wall.
Sevash will requisition the void rifle and take some time to upgrade it to her liking
Next day
"Hmmm. A rudimentary but effectively crafted tunnel. No one would have heard them working on it."
|
|
"Yes. Welcome to the squad, I'm sure you bring a lot of valuable wartime skills to the table..." Aysén will frown looking at the copy of the comic on the table "Perhaps you might tell us about those skills? Did you bring a gun? Would you tell me if I was about to walk into something radioactive?"
"I know I told command I would soar, but that was metaphorically. Damn it, I'll need a jetpack or something to keep up with my fellow soldiers now.
Along the way to the tunnels, Ishkep responds to Aysen's question as though the drow had just posed it, when really an uncomfortably long time had passed, "Wartime skills? Irregular warfare. Very irregular. I've been coming to grips with the basic nature of the multiverse, and it can be helpful to sort of bend things this way and that. And, ah, I would definitely tell you if you were going to walk into something radioactive, but I lost the geiger counter they issued me a ways back."
Aysén doesn't realize Ishkepu is talking to him at first, pausing to process their answer before curtly responding
"That sounds like nonsense to me, but I trust Najiri not to send us dead weight. Perhaps I'll better understand you once we encounter some cultists or swarm beasts."
I should buy a geiger counter, he's right
Surveying the Caves:
Stepping through the crude hole at the end of the tunnel leads you to a large cavern. The walls are quite smooth, with layers of sediment infused with the fossilized remains of thousands of bioluminescent sea creatures that give off a cool green glow. Additional patches of electric blue bioluminescent lichen growing along the bases of the walls bathe the caverns in a dim light. The faint trickling sound of distant water can be heard.
An entire wall here is carved with intricate reliefs of strange insectoid figures in a precise style with minimal negative space. Some resemble known Swarm creatures, but others are more obscure. All have oversized mandibles dripping with fluids. A large, modern crate, the top of which is pitted with acid burns, stands in the southeast corner of room, with a trio of glass beakers arranged in front of it. Tunnels to the west and south have collapsed into rubble, and another tunnel to the east is covered with heavy plastic sealed against the ceiling.
to Utraneus.
Beneath a particularly gruesome depiction of a hunter Swarm creature sits a large, modern crate, outfitted with an electronic lock and etched with the now-familiar stylized insectile claw of the Reckoners. Atop and around the crate are the detritus of rituals performed by some of the more unbalanced Reckoners; they dissolved small objects in and even burned themselves with acid in a futile attempt to gain a resistance to it, hoping to mirror the Swarm’s immunity to it.
Aysén will summon his lunar weapon after glancing at the ritual site.
"Let's get this over with. I'm sure there are some level headed cultists lying in wait to slay us with discourse."
"Might as well check the crate while we are here."
Assuming Telsix and Sevash don't say otherwise, Aysén will meander towards the crate.