[SFS/Shifty/OP4] #3-17: Clone Batch Catastrophe (A) (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

Tariana nods. "It seems that I am not apt to much of what the Joros find interesting, so the stadium would seem like the best place for me."

Seggas pops up from her diagram of a passible interpretation of the Lorespire complex and nods at the rest of the group. "We'll meet you at BoThumbs Up later, but let's hit that stadium first if we've got the time!"

She then moves towards the door, her 'trunk' mostly gone by now.

Celly follows Seggas out. It could be interesting to see how this ...erm ... whizzdisk .... works.

Do we have time for another stop before the sports bar opens "shortly?"

You'll miss the opening, depends on how long you spend at the sports field

***

Whizdisk Stadium

Clearly The largest facility in the vault, this giant athletic stadium has courts and fields for all manner of sports, but the architecture centers around the main playing field for the Joros’ most popular sport: whizdisk.

Today appears to be an off-day for games, one of the main teams—the Thumbs-Up—are preparing a backup player to sub in for Jersey 17 Joro, who twisted their ankle two days ago. The team is laser-focused on preparing for their match against the Bunny Ears and is generally ignoring you.

Sports. Like music, not something my Eoxian breeder/captors bothered to teach. I wonder how this whole thing works, Skorpahlich muses.

Seeing a disk sitting on the field, he flips thru the realities until he finds one in which the disk is attuned to him and calls it to him. It rises from the ground seemingly of its own accord and floats straight into his outstretched hand.

"Hmm, interesting," he mumbles as he examines it before tossing it gently to Tariana.

Psychokinetic hand to lift and float the disk to him.

Tariana catches it, looks it over then says "Well, let's see how far I can throw this." She takes two steps forward, flicking her wrist and throwing the disk in the direction of the Thumbs-Up.

Tariana generally tosses a disk in the direction of the team, they don't seem interested enough to pay any real attention. They seem a bit more fixated on the athleticism displayed by the players.

Athletics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

There's a muttering from the sportsJoros, something about not making the team. You note a ryhporian make their way down from the bleachers and begin doing sprints and some ball drills... they look over to Tariana as they do, as though wondering what chops the Vesk might have.

Let me know if you want to participate, and make the applicable roll :)

Tariana will want to try to participate.

Let me know what but you want to be involved in and make the applicable roll, athletics?

Is it just sprints and ball drills? I am not certain what Tariana is going to participate in...

The Ryphorian starts packing away their ball, clearly now becoming less curious about the previously sports minded vesk. They begin walking back off to the bleachers...

Rephrase: What is there for Tariana to participate in? I would like more information please.

The Ryphorian was doing sprints and ball drills by themself - you can either join them (by doing that or whatever other athletic activity you think might interest them) by making an Athletics check. Simply put, you got the Ryphorians interest by being active - but the hesitation is losing their interest.

Please note that there was no hesitation, I was just needing clarification, as the instructions were unclear.
Tariana starts doing stretches in preparation for play, starting with torso rotations, then leading into high knee thigh slaps. She jumps a few times, then starts doing stairs.
Athletics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

I suppose the key to these encounters is that there aren't instructions, you get a situation and then work out how you want to approach it and it is very sandbox

The ryphorian stops to watch the stair run, and when Tariana gets back to the bottom the ryphorian joins in by parkouring across the bleachers and ziplining in with highly skilled but very reckless moves. The ryphorian joins in the stair run moving at a great rate up the stairs and displaying great athleticism - Tariana finds keeping up difficult but manages to hold her own, getting a broad grin of appreciation out of the ryphorian.

"Finbar" the ryphorian offers as you wander back down the stairs, "Good skills, thinking of making whiz-disk your hobby?"

Tariana laughs "I don't seem to be good at singing, so why not? My name is Tariana."

"Ha! No need for you to go to In-choiring-minds then" the Ryphorian goes over some of the basics of Whiszdisk with Tariana "They probably wont let you on the team, all joro teams are apparently 'better balanced'. I'm going to go clean up, see you all at BoThumbsUp shortly? Should be open now"

Half an hour later at the BoThumbsUp

Six ceiling-mounted vidscreens illuminate an otherwise dim bar, each screen flashing between whizdisk highlights, competitive board game analyses, and spots of outdoor exercise groups all being covered by nearly-identical Joro commentators. Posters and signs espousing support for the Thumbs-Up clutter the walls and decorate the diner-style menus placed on the numerous empty tables. A stage conspicuously large enough to support a small community choir overlooks the spacious room, the karaoke prompter screens dark with whizdisk screensavers bouncing slowly around the frames.

A small group of (now familiar!) four non-Joros are rather conspicuous, they wave you over with enthusiasm.

For those of us that have forgotten, or are having trouble keeping track, here's the divergents and where we met them:
Relton: female shobad diorama sculptor; Beg, Borrow, and Steel metalworks,
Finbar, ryphorian athlete; Whizdisk Stadium;
Kenro: korasha-lashunta waiter; the restaurant Yo Gurt to Try This!
We didn't meet: Annalise in the Sketch sThat Kitcsh art studio.
We also visited the board game and choir places, but there were no divergents at either of those.

Skorpahlich approaches the group, mindful that he failed to make much of an impression on any of them. He nods to the unfamiliar Annalise as he takes a seat. "Hello again, everyone."

"Do the four of you meet here often? Or is this a special event for us new "divergents"?" he asks.

Hi.
Celestia gives her best and hopefully winning smile as she sits.

The non-Joros are very welcoming but Skorps question gets them sighing and nodding sagely "We meet up as often as we can. You'll get used to living amongst the Joros. It's easier if you can fit in though, but if you don't then you'll largely be ignored and pushed aside. Like you, we're all clones wired with self-awareness and a desire to form a community, but the overwhelming presence of Joros quickly drowned out our different voices - It isn't good to make a fuss"

Realization begins to dawn on Skorpahlich. And it bothers him. A lot. Having been born and raised as an experimental test subject until he engineered his own escape, the thought that an entire civilization of self-aware beings is being bred and then culled as part of some unseeable grand experiment makes him angry. He struggles to keep his emotions in check as he tries to get more information from these sheep divergents.

"You keep saying that we're clones "like you." We're not," he says emphatically. "We're natural born individuals from outside this oversized prison-lab," he says with disgust and a wave of his clawed hand at the surroundings.

"You assume that we are like you, and I assumed you were like us - from the outside and somehow trapped here."

He pauses, gets his emotions in check, and nods thoughtfully. "I see now that I was wrong. But that just leads to more questions about divergents. Were there ever other divergents before you four? Do 'they' (whoever 'they' are) keep the number of divergents static, the way they do with the general Joro population?

They look a little concerned at Skorpalich "That seems like a really strange creation memory you have - outside as in where? The Whizdisk stadium?"

One of the others, Kenro the Yoghurt vendor leans in "Look just don't make waves. There are a few more of us. At first, outsiders lived peacefully on the fringes, but recently, non-Joro clones started disappearing. The only lead we have is that another clone — a draelik named Centek — was taken to the hospital earlier today by a crowd of concerned Joros after suffering numerous traumatic injuries" - he seems very concerned for your well being and your dangerous talk.

Now that is interesting Celly replies. Maybe that is something that bears investigation.

Skorpahlich declines to acknowledge their cautions, instead inclining his head in a simple bow to Celly's suggestion. "Yes, I suspect it is. And I wouldn't want to keep our hosts from missing their important sports viewing," he adds with disdain as he stands to depart.

"Where is this hospital?" he asks as he realizes they hadn't seen it on their brief tour and subsequent wanderings.

Before you even manage to get an answer you note a group of Joros entering and making a beeline for your table, but these Joros have weapons and armour (Pulsecasters, saps, and flight suits) "Well if it isn't our new non-fitter-inners" declares the first one "Just wandering around the Whiz Disk stadium asking questions and not playing, not fitting in at the board games, asking dangerous questions..."

"We're the CommanJoros, and we think it would be a smart and sensible idea for you to hand over all that dangerous equipment you are walking around with, it's making waves. If you want to see the hospital I am sure we can arrange for you to have a visit" - they chuckle amongst themselves.

It looks like they aren't interested in hearing 'no'

R1
Celly
Seggas
Skorp
ENEMY

Celestia stands to face them. I would strongly suggest you stand down before you start making waves

When they just laugh at her she glares at the one who spoke - who started getting a bad headache. (I'm assuming Red)

mind thrust: 2d10 ⇒ (7, 7) = 14 DC 13 for half.

How many of them are there? And what race is Annelise - we haven't had a description yet

Shes a Nuar, but she's looking for the exit at great speed - as is most of the bar about now...Four Commanjoros on the map

Will 1d20 ⇒ 18

The commanJoro proves difficult to nail mind-to-mind.

R1
Celly - acted
Seggas
Skorp
ENEMY

R 7

"You want my 'dangerous equipment'? Here," Skorpahlich quips as he tosses a grenade into the midst of the Joros.

Attack vs AC 5: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Damage, E: 1d6 ⇒ 5
15' Explosion from the White Lightning bolt, DC 11

The party continues their lethal assault against the non-lethally armed Joros, the grenade shattering glasses and blowing chunks out of the sports club furniture.

Grenade needs to target an intersection so hits 3
R Ref 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
O Ref 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Y Ref 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

One of the Joros is slain. ALL the Joros look quite shocked at the killing.

R1
Celly - acted
Seggas
Skorp - acted
ENEMY

R Dead
O 5
Y 2
G

Ah .... maybe we should have taken the non-lethal approach

"I disagree. We don't know their plans for us. For all we know, bodies are interchangeable and disposable. When one dies, they simply spawn new clones of themselves. There will be no clones of me. Ever."

And they're infinitely annoying.

"Besides, I don't really have the ability to inflict harm with less lethality."

Tariana looks at her swords "I can sure try..."

Seggas sits down at the table with the non-Joros, suddenly a bit shy, and not too surprised or excited about the sepcimens of genetics infront of her. She does puzzle for a moment over the concept that the non-Joros consider themselves to be clones as well... even though there are no others cloned like them. Could it be that they ae used for minimal genetic variation? Testing people on the fringes of a uniform society? Accidents in the program? The moon has shown it can affect the minds of people who enter programs in the wrong way... hasn't it?

She stays withdrawn for a bit, as she contemplates the implications and tries to avoid getting caught up in Skorpahlich's outburst... until she realizes there's more to the outburst than just righteous anger, she blinks back into reality and notices the goons for the first time. She looks around and catches Skorpah's last words, "Skorpahlich, given the reactions from the crowds, I think we should probably be being very careful about not killing people here."

She reaches a hand, with long sharp black and blood red nails to a mass of tentacles and slimy bits at her belt. The weapon gives a small squelch as she grabs a handle like growth on it and it slowly wraps around her hand and lower arm, a muzzle like growth appearing at the other end. The weapon powers up as she aims it at the leg of one of the Joros.

BioBolter (Castrolance) vs Green EAC, Non-lethalized: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 3 - 4 = 17
Acid Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

She gives a flex of her hand, as the pulsating weapon fires a glob of acid at the CommanJoro in green.

Seggas tags one!

***

The three open fire on Skorp!

Attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 vs EAC
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 1 NL

Attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 vs EAC
Damage 2d4 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2 NL

Attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 vs EAC
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 3 NL

R1
Tariana

R2
Celly
Seggas
Skorp
ENEMY

R Dead
O 5
Y 2
G 5

Celly, not having a non-lethal option, casts Psychokinetic Hand to grab the dead Joro's weapon from the ground, and send it towards her so she can use it on the Joros.

Tariana steps forward, pulling her sword out, and closing the distance to Orange. She slashes with her blade, attempting to hit them with the flat of her blade.

Attack ORANGE Non-Lethal Slashing vs KAC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 201d8 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

"Fine. But I will simply have to settle for doing less harm."

Maybe I should get some of those riot-control grenades. Or the sticky ones.

Skorpahlich mentally flips through a few nearby parallel universes until he finds one where a thunderstorm rages. He opens a small hole right between two of the Joros just as the thunder booms.

Damage, Sonic: 1d3 ⇒ 1
Casting Hazard at the intersection where Yellow and Green touch. Reflex DC 13 negates the piddly 1 point.

Seggas takes a moment to fiddle with a few flanges on her weapon. "I should be able to get the acidity of this one's shots down a little bit... But while I'm at it what damage types does everyone prefer?"

She feeds a small vial to her gun as she modifies it and then raises it taking a shot.
BioBolter (Castrolance) vs Green EAC: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 3 - 4 = 7
Acid Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1
This inlcudes a basic inhibitor to reduce AC by 2

Celly grabs a weapon.

Tariana smacks one of the Joros into next week - the unconscious form crumpling.

Skorp adjusts fire and gives the joro a hazard to deal with
Ref 1d20 ⇒ 6

Seggas misses a shot.

***

The pair shoot at Tariana

Attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 vs EAC
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 1 NL

Attack 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 vs EAC
Damage 1d4 ⇒ 4 NL

R2
Tariana

R3
Celly
Seggas
Skorp
ENEMY

R Dead
O Unc
Y 3
G 5

The first shot glances off of her armor, but the second one hits home. Tariana shrugs it off and closes to Yellow and smacks them with the flat of her blade.
Attack YELLOW Non-Lethal Slashing vs KAC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 131d8 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Celly fires her newly acquired weapon, also at yellow.

th eac: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14 nl: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Seggas frowns as her shot goes wide before she feeds a second vial to her weapon. "You shall go DOWN!"

BioBolter (Castrolance) vs Green EAC: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 3 - 4 = 1
Acid Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Basic Inhibitor, for -2 to AC on a hit

Tariana just folds another Joro, sending them to the floor.

Seggas didn't get the safety off properly.

Celly zaps one.

***

R2
Tariana -acted

R3
Celly -acted
Seggas -acted
Skorp
ENEMY

R Dead
O Unc
Y Unc
G 6

Skorpahlich flips thru realities again. He finds one with another storm, but this one is raining acid rain. He opens a small wormhole into that dimension, and the last standing Joro gets soaked with burning acidic precipitation.

Acid: 1d3 ⇒ 3
Casting Hazard again at an intersection adjacent to Green. Reflex DC 13 negates.

Which is enough to send the final Joro running.

You look around the bar and the place has a trail of destruction through it, two unconscious and beaten Joros and a corpse. the other Joros looking in appear somewhat horrified by the whole display, as though such things are alien.

Plans?

Celly casts Mystic Cure on one of the Joro commandos to bring him back to consciousness.

Now. I have lots of questions for you and I want straight answers. And I apologize for the death of your companion, that was .... regrettable. Your other companion is only unconscious and the fourth has fled. Now ..... who sent you and where were you going to take us. Because I believe we should go there anyway, but on our terms.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17