[SFS/Shifty] Veskarium (B) (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

"Sure, let us catch some space cows of theirs! Why not." says in his emotionless voice.

Aquatic animals? Kyra asks. Will we need to swim to round them up?

Defrex"

After a half-hour of driving full throttle around a chain of islands, Jel slows the vehicle and parks at a rickety wooden dock. A strip of sandy beach gives way to rolling hills. On the crest of a large hill stands a cottage with fenced fields all around it. An indigo-couloured ijtikri squats in the yard, repairing a gate with synthetic ropes. "That's Bozamn Zorbolo"

As the ijtikri catches sight of Jel, he shouts happily: “Big sis! Thank gods you came— and brought friends! As you can see, my fence is busted. Coral—that’s the little one—charged me this morning at feeding time and broke clean through the gate. I couldn’t run after her and leave the fence like this.” Two of his tentacles gesture to the damage. “One of them getting loose is bad, but the entire herd? I’d never risk it. But now I can’t figure out which way Coral went. Can you help track her down?”

All eyes turn to the Starfinders.

Since we are here to establish good relationships with the Veskarium, we shall certainly try

Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Murgatroyd tries to aid in the tracking efforts, but it seems he's still off his game.

Grumbling to himself, Gulkyn lends what help he can in tracking down the missing defrex.

Survival (aid): 1d20 ⇒ 12

"Not what I expected to be doing today. But of course, if it'll help." Benacu starts looking for non-tentacular tracks.

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"If we can get close to Coral, I'll clue her in on Common. Has to beat cooing or however you make animals like you usually."

survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 - looking for tracks.

Would it be possible to obtain some of the creature's food? Might help pacify it

The farmer gets you a few armloads of feed. Jel chimes in "I'm going to stay behind to help Bozamn repair his fence"

Kyra notes the weather is calm. The still air is tinged with a faint smell of salt coming off the water. A line of tracks in the sand lead north past the broken gate but disappear after a few yards into a grassy field, but the sharp-eyed Android spots bent blades of grass and flattened
vegetation that mark her passing.

Bozamn is thrilled by the promising start. "Coral is a young defrex, and I need her back alive and in one piece. This is a specialized defrex harness, I'll talk you through it"

He explains how to use it to restrain Coral once you find her, but seems at a loss as to how it is going to work if she's hostile.

***

Following Coral’s trail leads through the field to a marshy clearing. The water is 2 feet deep and dotted with small clumps of grass and sediment.

An ATHLETE could try to nimbly hop from island to island.
An ACROBAT could try to balance on fallen tree trunks connecting the islands.

Anyone else would have to slog through the whole marsh which would be slow and hard going.

While nimble has never been used to describe Gulkyn, he tries his best at hopping from island to island.

Althletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Kyra grumbles as she tries to balance her way from island to island

acrobatics: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Murgatroyd hops away, still looking gloomy.

Athletics to jump with Leapers armor upgrade: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31

Benacu searches around, itching for a chance to test the waters of this new planet. Although they do look a tad murky.

I've got neither skill, but I do have a swim speed. Could I substitute that in or is the water too shallow?

"This one once spoke the life of Zanzo RX, famed circus acrobat in the Halls of the Living." Speaker for the Dead concentrates for a moment and then begins carefully balancing on the fallen tree trunks like a tight-rope walker.

Spending 1 RP and using "Access Akashic Record" ability to make skill check as if I had 3 ranks in Acrobatics.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Ha! Well, some memories are harder to access than others . . .

By utilising your skills (or swim-fins!) to negotiate the terrain, you keep up the pace and avoid being bogged down. Speaker has a tough time, but the rest of the group is able to give them a hand.

The marsh leads to a dune-covered beach. A set of defrex tracks is clearly visible in the sand, but as the PCs follow them across the beach, the sky darkens as distant sand clouds obscure the late afternoon sun.

Kyra throws Speaker a rope to help him. Explore, Report, Co-operate she says.

survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Incoming sand storm she reports We should shelter. It should not last long.

The android swam through the waters, it was murky and stinky, but he did not mind. Living in pipetown makes you accustomed to all sorts of smells.

Physical science: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

"As a friend of mine Blinky used to say, a storm is about to hit, better to grab your eucalyptus and find a shelter. It should not last long." says Hellih looking in the sky

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Distracted by having gotten a chance to swim, Benacu doesn't see any such signs. But he looks for a furrow in the dune as soon as he is warned. "Hope that doesn't scour the tracks away."

Map up

With the high level of awareness saving the party from a horrible experience of being blasted by flying sand for a while, you ride out the squall, but some of it still lingers whipping up smaller gusts that simply serve to annoy you.

The grassy marshland recedes as low hillocks rise from the sodden ground, leading to a white sand beach. The dunes covering the beach shift as the wind blows sand into gusts and whirlwinds in the air, creating an ever-changing landscape. Coral’s trail leads across the width of the island and ends at a beach covered in rolling dunes.

You can see Coral sprawled atop a dune napping in the warm sand.

Kyra sighs If only Merisiel was here. She'd sneak up to that beast, and put the harness on while it was still asleep.

"This one believes we should approach slowly and place the food down. Then, when the defrex is distracted, this one or those ones can attempt to apply the harness."

Hellih nods to that idea and moves slowly with the rest

And makes sure that the food is put to the ground.

Is defrex the size of a brown bear? Or more of a koala?

As noted on the map (and the image) it is a large brown bear that has a significant number of deployable spikes, paws the size of your head, and big bitey teeth - you just have to get that harness around its neck and locked in, simples

"Try to stay down wind of it. No telling how good its sense of smell is - we don't want it to catch us on our way up." suggests Gulkyn.

"Hm. Anything I try to distract or help it with'll probably just make it bolt."

OK just getting this all straight:
Hellih is trying to sneak around - he discovers the dune is super soft sand and his feet sink into it badly (Whole dune past the yellow line is difficult terrain). He does not disturb Coral.

*Please mark where food is being left.
*Who has the harness and is going to try get it fitted.
*Please place yourselves on the map (safe from detection south of the blue line without needing stealth)
*Let me know what the trigger is to wake up Coral

I think we are a bit stuck. I believe what we need to do is to survival the thing into being calm and put the harness on it. Can we do the same with stealth?

You could try sneak it on, but that would leave you pretty much up there solo trying to put the harness on - but you are alone for a bit if it goes bad

You could all rush the thing and wrestle it and get the harness on

Or you could try using survival to rouse it, the food is probably going to help

Not a fan of rushing it. I can't help with survival, and only a bit with stealth.

"I doubt I can sneak up on it, but I'll stay as close as I dare in case things go south" say Gulkyn. "Worst case, I can try and subdue it" he adds, as he gathers his mote into a dark cloud of energy around one fist.

Speaker for the Dead takes the food and walks calmly and slowly toward the creature, hoping that if the plan goes awry, others will tell his story.

Survival check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Murgatroyd will try to help with the food plan, believing the creature isn’t evil.

Survival to aid another: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

But he also activates his Arm Extensions, just in case.

Kyra helps with the animal calming etc.

survival aid: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Benacu just looks on in curiosity, though he inches slightly closer. "Just yell if calming doesn't look workable, I'll try to help hold it."

Hellih stands nearby, If things will go south he can try to snatch the speaker and fly up using his jetpack. But he wonders if it could lift the two of them...

Coral awakens with a bit of a start, but the collective effort led by the rather calming Embri manages to soothe the beast for a few moments who is torn between the strange creatures talking at her, and the pile of food...

Perhaps the animal-taming routine might work after all!

Second Survival check

survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Go Team Mystic

Survival, aid: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10

Hellih stands in the back and tries to aid as best as it can

"Nice Defrex, munch on some of the food, food good. Eating starfinders bad. Speaker is gummy, don't eat our friend Speaker... "

Speaker for the Dead projects calm, vocalising soothing tones and making his movements slow and deliberate.

Survival: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

"Easy, easy... You've got this" says Gulkyn as he watches.

Survival to aid: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

The monotonous drone of the Embris voice seems to have a calming effect on Coral, who is then more interested in the food than the potential threats. As she munches away, Speaker is able to quietly and calmly affix the harness. Coral completes her meal and then follows along, docile.

***
You have managed to return Coral to the ranch alive and unharmed, Bozamn cheerfully greets you as you arrive - "Thank you all! I will be sure to pass on my gratitude to the governor’s office at Command 2!" He gifts you with picnic lunch of homemade biscuits, fish sausage, and aged defrex cheese.

Afterward, you all accompany Jel to Trafodi for an informative but uneventful survey of the local ruins. They seem fascinating and certainly ancient, but ultimately serve as a picturesque day on the beach at the Societies expense.

"Well done team," says Gulkyn after Coral is returned.
--
"It's nice change of pace to visit some ancient ruins that aren't haunted or overrun by violent creatures."

Murgatroyd keeps watching the shadows, waiting for the violent creatures to show up.

"Yes... o-odd, isn't it?"

Indeed yes. This must have been one of the few times I was not having to destroy the undead. Kyra replies as she 'sunworships' on the beach. Such a pleasent change

After a long soak in the warm waters off the spectacular beaches of Vesk-2, it is back aboard your ship as a new transmission comes in.

***

Rumor has it that Vesk-4’s Lodelands are as rich in archaeological treasures as they are in unrefined solarian crystals. I’m attaching you to a mining expedition looking for a suitable place to start a new crystal mine. The scouting crew has to scan any promising site for significant historical structures before they can dig—and this mistrustful crew apparently needs a neutral eye examining the results of these scans. Meet with the expedition leader, Kataali, and learn how to use the equipment.

Report accurately the results of the scan while keeping yourselves and the equipment safe. Keep your guard up; it’s hard to know what to expect on that pitiless planet.

-Venture-Captain Naiaj

Benacu gladly takes a half-day's vacation after the half-day's almost-work. Despite taking any chances to swim that come up, he still doesn't remove his cumbersome armor and helmet.

The kalo plays up his despair at the prospect of returning to actual duties. "This bit is less up my alley geographically, even," he laments. "But it sounds simple enough. We'll get it done and find something nice about that planet, too, hard as it sounds."

"I still don't know why those ruins should be feared by anyone. I wonder if we were not shown the safe ruin" wonders for a moment android. But even he seemed relaxed in this calm environment

As he reads new briefing

"So to the mines, let us check what new historical structures before they are demolished by the miners."

After adding Vesk 2 to her 'interesting places to have a holiday on' she looks over the new message.

I can only conclude from this that ruins take a higher priority than mining crystals Kyra replies. And given that they have called for, and waiting for a neutral party, mining has been prevented several times. The workers must be getting frustrated.

"Even the Vesk know that the insights and knowledge that can be found in old ruins often outweigh simple wealth accumulation."

You land the ship on the planet’s capital, Command 4, a bustling industrial city designed with military efficiency where you board a large, tank-like vehicle transport that carries you through the reinforced Antreway tunnel beneath the Vyskandi mountains and into the barren Lodelands desert.

The Lodelands stretch as far as the eye can see in all directions, a sea of rocky fields broken by occasional crystalline outcroppings. Few landmarks exist to distinguish one location from another in this radioactive quarry. Miners bundled in protective gear gather near a massive drill, suspiciously eyeing the approaching transport. One of them, a young talphi with a sunburst symbol emblazoned on his environmental suit, approaches the vehicle.

“You must be Starfinders,” he says reverently. “I’m Elgr. Kataali is waiting by the terrestrial scanner. Follow me.” Over a rocky ridge, a muscular vesk in armored coveralls stands beside a dark gray pahtra with a cybernetic arm.

“Good, you’re here,” the vesk says. “I’m Kataali, the site supervisor. This is my assistant Elgr, and our chief engineer, Rukka. They’re authorized to act as your liaisons while you’re with our team. Please begin the survey when you’re ready.”

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