[SFS/Shifty] Frozen Ambitions Arc (C) (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

"Nice work, Buddy! That's one down! Let's take down this other [string of skittermander expletives]!" Szama decides another strategy might be helpful, since her accuracy hasn't been the greatest. Maybe she should focus on just getting in one good hit!

Hail Pistol: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Crit Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Target also takes 1d4 bleed on their turn

The hail pistol is dead on target as the guard is pummelled.

R5
Szama
Joe - acted
Ayoka - attacked

R6
Squizzer
Buddy - attacked
ENEMY

B 29 (-2 AC) (+2 AC) d4 bleed
W Down

Squizzer shoots again.

attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
(piercing, with a semi-auto pistol)

1d4 ⇒ 2

"I don't get paid enough for this" the guard looks at the bleeding wound as though it is probably ruining his day "What you say, I take my fallen buddy here and walk on out, or you take your chances with my sword - you people aren't looking so hot either, and your luck wont last"

Enemy has a readied action - awaiting a response

R5
Szama
Joe - acted
Ayoka - attacked

R6
Squizzer
Buddy - attacked
ENEMY - Readied action

B 36 (-2 AC) (+2 AC) 2 bleed.
W Down

Ayoka is prepared to accept that

Buddy leans on the wall and nods his head

"You look like a hired gun, fighting for the wrong side, but still a hired gun."

"Agreed...we are here for whomever is your boss....we must stop the killing of these sentient trees. Take your friend and head out."

"Credit are credits, this was supposed to be an easy gig, a few evil fey and a lot of empty warehouse, but not... this" he gestures to the Skitterpocalypse.

He bandages his wounds and recovers his workmate and they get out of dodge.

The computer system is locked, but accessible for a skilled Computer operator!

Buddy lumps to the ground and injects himself wiht another serum

Heal: 1d8 ⇒ 8

"I think I need more skitter bars!" says as he begins to rummage through his backpack.

Taking 10 minutes to recover SP then another 10 to make: Incendiary Grenade, Mk 1

Then he gathers loose items from the room and being to make Buddy's Grenade

Ayoka gets to work on the computers hoping her frag granade didn't do too much damage.

computers: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

I wonder what they meant by evil fey? she comments.

Probably like the Lurkers in Light you fought :)

Ayoka eventually gets into the system and searches the security logs for the past week.

Most of the footage isn’t relevant: it details the specific amounts and dates of lumber and sap deliveries, but you also find several images and clips of a bleachling gnome with bright green hair barking orders at workers on the mill floor. This same gnome also appears working with scientists in the lab.

Mossgrove looks at the footage rolling "That's Ainveln, no doubt about it... "his tone despondent, he still seems to be grappling with the situation and almost in disbelief, and torn by the betrayal "He will be in his grove. We should go there and confront him immediately - this has to come to an end"

Joe takes a quick 10 minute break with Buddy...handing him an Akiton Bar.

Once they both finish their rest, Joe pulls out her medkit and starts to put a few 'Hello Vesk' bandages on Buddy.

Treat Deadly Wounds Medicine Roll (DC 25): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25
Made it (barely, can't wait until lvl 5), so Buddy gains 3 more HP back

With that done, she looks over Buddy and takes one of her own serums and uses it on him.

Serum mk1: 1d8 ⇒ 3

I have 5 more if needed Buddy....I can give you one or two more if needed..just tell me what your current hp/max hp is....

16/23 HP :( Still 7 left

Healing serum: 1d8 ⇒ 5

21/23 HP Still 2 left, I think it is fine

Buddy injects another needle and quickly eats another Akitonian bar

"I hate needles! Interplanetary travels, drift engines and we still are stabbing ourselves! How long did it take to remove the dentists and replace them with our magical toothpaste? Why can't we do the same with needles!"

I think Buddy is ready to go!

Szama will also take 10 to recover Stamina

"What's toothpaste?" Szama asks, suddenly making you very glad that she wears that mask all the time. "More importantly, are we sure we have to go after Ainveln like...right now? I don't know about you, Ayoka and Squizzer, but I'm basically tapped for my magic. At least, the magic that's worth anything in a stand-up fight like we've been having today. If we can't afford to give until tomorrow that's okay. I just don't know how much I'll be able to add beyond a stray grenade and maybe a lucky shot like that last one I got in."

"If you really can't go now then I accept your decision, but I will go and confront Ainveln to get some answers" Mossgrove gets ready to depart.

"I have very little magic, but I don't think we can let Mossgrove go alone."

((only have one spell slot left, so I can either summon a little friend or cast one other spell))

I assume people would have had a final thorough search of the facility during the break. The last items you would find are: two tier 1
sedatives,a purple nanite hypopen, and four mk 2 serums of
healing.

I've been tapped too since those Lurkers in Light Ayoka replies as she copies the incriminating evidence into her datapad. Plus I'm out of battery power unless anyone has a spare

But I still have this handy dandy blade so ... yes ... nu-friend Mossgrove is not going in alone

Groaning a little getting to her feet, Joe nods. "Yeah....I do think we need to help Mossgrove confront Ainveln. Sorry that you all are out of your most magical potential....I don't have anything that could help there. I do have an extra battery Ayoka. And a partial battery if that would help. Otherewise, let's go."

Ayoka, borrow my full battery and a battery with 12/20 left.
If I need to do ranged and get low on the caustolance, I will just needle them

I think we still have that one extra rifle from Mossgrove and it used batteries.

Buddy nods to what others are saying

"Magic or no, we need to help nufriend Mossgrove! What can you tell us about this Ainveln? A might warrior? Cunning thief, powerful mystic? Who is he, really?"

I wonder if we ideally should not stay range and make it a shootout.

You can get the weapons back off Mossgrove and pull batteries if you want

"Ainveln is a Xenowarden, a gnome. He was always very gifted and connected to the forests. Who is he? I don't really know - we all thought we knew him, but he masked his true self all this time"

After resting up, Mossgrove leads you off towards Ainveln's likely whereabouts.

Final prep before heading in to the confrontation with Ainveln

Not really trying to keep us from moving forward. Just adding a bit of drama with the fact that we're running low on resources.

"Mmm...no you're right. We have to deal with Ainveln now, as best we can. We're Starfinders after all, and skittermanders too! If we don't help, who will? Let's go." Szama holsters her pistol again until the group reaches Ainveln's likely location, and checks herself over for all her remaining grenades. "Alright, let's rock!"

Also gonna take one of those healing serums, just to get up to full in case things break bad in the upcoming fight.

Mk 1 Healing serum: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Use one of my mk1 serums if you don't have your own Szama....those are mk2 serums we just got...I will definitely have those loaded to shoot Buddy with ;-)

Ayoka takes the batteries that Joe offers with thanks and preps her weapons

OK. Let's go

Oh dang! I misread that! Well turns out I had a mk 1 myself, so I'll use that for the time being. Thanks!

The forest opens into a glade surrounded by dozens of immature kinwoods. Most of them are withered, black, and bereft of leaves. Shadows swirl and cling to their roots, obscuring the ground in a sickly gray fog. A single juvenile kinwood grows at the center of the glade, reaching a height of six feet tall. Its smooth bark is marred with splotches of black. Vibrant blue and purple crystalline rods jut from its bark.

A bleachling gnome with green and black hair stands with his eyes closed, deep in mystical concentration. A damai guard circling the perimeter stops in her tracks. “Boss! That alarm wasn’t a mistake after all. I hate to make you start over, but we have some pests to deal with,” she growls.

The gnome’s eyes open for a moment, then narrow into a glare. “Ah,” he says, his mouth curled in a wry grin. “Are you the heroes of the forest, then?” He chuckles and sketches an arcane glyph with one hand. Magic shimmers to life in the air before him, and he continues in a disdainful voice. “You, like most people, fail to understand the utility of these kinwoods beyond this pathetic planet. We’re set to earn a fortune here, and we’ve only just begun. Nature is nothing more than a resource for intelligent beings to use how they wish. Don’t you agree?”

"Honestly, if you work WITH me here we could all come out very rich - what say you?"

I should point out that a kinwood is technically a sapient being Ayoka snarls. And Nature is part of Life which we are supposed to be in Harmony with. You disrupt the Balance and this cannot stand. Besides you are ... or were a XenoWarden ... sworn to protect .. and you have broken your Oath

She draws her weapon and goes into Starlight mode, shedding light in a 30ft radius and gaining concealment (20 percent miss chance)

I strongly suggest you surrender and stand down

"Or what? You'll kill me? You are happy shooting other sapient beings and killing them without remorse, but somehow draw some sort of 'ethical' line about turning trees into woodchips? Come on, stop being so childish and naieve. There's a pile of credits in this, why not take a chance for the good life?"

Who says I don't feel remorse? Ayoka replies. Besides, I somehow doubt you're turning that tree into woodchips since you've implanted shimmerstone in it - at lease I presume that's what those crystals are

Ayoka has been wearing a piece of shimmerstone fashioned as a symbol of Yarasae all this time

"So you feel remorse, but go right ahead and do it anyway? And yet you're trying to take a high moral ground? What about the rest of you? Really going to back a few trees over more credits than you ever dreamed of?"

The guards stand their ground, seeing how the conversation plays out.

Ayoka sighs Evil triumphs because good entities stand back and do nothing. I must do what I feel is right

"Pests! You call us pests! You damaian punk! The last two guards that talked like that were crying for their mommies when we were done with them! So zip it!" Says Buddy all business now.

Then he turns to address the gnome

"I thought you were supposed to be Heor of the Forest. Is it with everything that you do? Did you sell your parents as slaves to make some money? And resource for intelligent beings? Intelligent beings just entered, what I see is a dumb ass playing tough and a shorty trying to scare us with some razzle-dazzle. And killing you? No! I plan to whoop your ass, with a bit of luck you will spend the remaining days of your bleaching raking leaves!"

Buddy turns to Mossgrove "Do you rake leaves here?"

Mossgrove looks furious "Get that gnome!"

R1
Joe Bones
ENEMY

Prod prod - no stagefright Joe!

Sorry, I was at an actual IRL con....I was hoping to have time to post there...but yeah...catching up with all my friends I have missed.

Joe listens to the gnomes argument and then Ayoka's rebuttal.

"I think she has you there....what you are doing to a sapient creature is almost torture...it might actually go beyond that....torture and then death. Mossgrove has it right....we should get you."

Joe aims her needler at Buddy, and shoots him with a serum
Buddy, you get +1 AC for the next 5 rounds
She then tries to see what she knows about the tortured saplings...to see of they will attack the skitterforce or what to help them[/ooc]

Taking 20 with custom microlab for knowledge on the Tortured Saplings: 20 + 13 = 33 To know about them is a life science for me if living, or physical science if unliving....

Standard action shoot Buddy (I seem to do that alot). Move action to determine what I know about the tortured saplings

Joe can see that the sapling is a young kinwood that is being drained of its lifeforce via magical means, aided by the insertion of the shimmerstone crystals. Unfortunately, even if the ritual was stopped, those crystals will probably kill the tree within the next 30-40 seconds unless the shimmerstone is removed.

Removal would take some Engineering skill to work out how to get the crystals to slip free, or a strong athlete to tear them free- but this would do damage to the tree. Lastly, the tree will almost certainly be in shock, which could lead to it dying anyway.

The tree itself is connected to the broader forest around it, and would be key to restoring the forest itself.

***

One of the guards walks over to Ainveln who casts a spell on the guards sword. Ainveln then moves into cover behind a tree. One of the other guards moves into cover and fires a shot at Buddy with a railgun.

Attack 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19 vs KAC
Damage 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

***
Mossgrove looks angry - "Ainveln must pay!"

R1
Ayoka
Squizzer
Buddy
Szama

R2
Joe Bones

Ayoka runs over to the tree and attempts to remove the shimmerstone.

engineering: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

Ayoka runs into the middle of the combat, now surrounded by the enemy - to begin unwrapping the tree.

Double move, full round action next round to work on the tree

Buddy shoots one of the guards and runs for cover.

Shoot@grey: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Damage, sonic: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 3) + 3 = 10

He holds his grenade in his furry paw

"Ayoka why are you running there? Stop!" yells not understanding anything Buddy

Buddy lands a well placed shot, despite the guard trying to stay in cover.

R1
Ayoka - acted
Squizzer
Buddy - acted
Szama

R2
Joe Bones

Ain
G 10
W

Joe moves forward, aiming her caustolance riffle at grey.
Adding a quick biohack to hopefully make the enemy easier to hit....

Caustolance, Liquidator (EAC): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Damage (acid): 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
If hit, take -2 to AC for the next 8 rounds

Joe fires a shot at one of the guards but is miles off target.

R1
Ayoka - acted
Squizzer
Buddy - acted
Szama

R2
Joe Bones - acted

Ain
G 10
W

Squizzer decides to use some magic. casting puncture veil as full action, just one target

damage: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5
no saving throw, bleeding 2 for 3 rounds

Ainveln is peppered with needles!

R1
Ayoka - acted
Squizzerm- acted
Buddy - acted
Szama

R2
Joe Bones - acted

Ain 5 (Bleed 2 3r)
G 10
W

Szama up

Szama surges forward, noting they only have a short-range pistol and shorter-range spells.

Attack 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 vs EAC
Ice flying all over the place.

***

Mossgrove rushes forward too, also firing at the guard with a short-range weapon

Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12 vs EAC

***

Ainveln isn't fond of bleeding, but can't seem to do a lot about it right now. She instead casts a spell at Ayoka, keen to prevent the ritual from being interrupted.

Mind Thrust 2d10 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5
DC16 for half.

The two guards step in, equally alarmed about the engineering attempt, and attempt to carve Ayoka up.

G
Attack 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 vs KAC
Damage 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
+DC 16 Fort or be Sickened.

W
Attack 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 14 + 2 = 23 vs KAC
Damage 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

R2
Ayoka (completing the ritual interruption?)
Squizzer
Buddy
Szama

R3
Joe Bones

Ain 7 (Bleed 2 2r)
G 10
W

Tree 10.

will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 v Mind Thrust
fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 v sickened

Keep them off me - concentrate on Ainveln. I'm going to try and keep this tree alive

She continues working on the tree.

((Conditions: sickened, 0/18sp 11/20hp))

Grenade throw@Ainveln , DC5: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Damage, fire,: 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (6) + (2) = 8 The 1d4 is persistent burning damage

"Eat this you gnome!" yells Buddy throwing a self-made grenade that barely flies where he wants it to fly.

On the map I marked the cross and square that should be covered in plazma

Ainveln screams in anger as the ritual is interrupted "KILL THAT THING!" he screeches to the guards, "MAKE THEM ALL PAY!"

The flying grenade lands dangerously close to the tree but manages to only catch Ainveln

Ref 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8 - who failed to see it coming!

R2
Ayoka (completing the ritual interruption?)
Squizzer
Buddy - attacked
Szama

R3
Joe Bones

Ain 13 (Bleed 2 2r/Burn 2)
G 10
W

Tree 10.

Being next to the tree...Joe uses her knowledge of surgery to attempt to help her take out the crystals. She realizes though that this type of surgery will require her larger pliers from her bag.

Realizing she will need at least 2 or 3 hands, she shifts the caustolance to the bottom two, and drops her capture pole...freeing up the three hands needed.

Engineering to save the tree: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
My profession surgeon is the same bonus...though if I could use the tools from that toolkit and get any of the +4 circumstance bonus????

Szama runs into position and tosses a shock grenade out to hit Ainveln and the rear guard.

Grenade: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9 Damage (E) - DC15 for half: 1d8 ⇒ 6

Believe I should be able to place the grenade with 15ft burst to hit Ainveln and the white guard