[SF] Fly Free or Die AP - GM Ewok

Game Master EwokBanshee

"That's a good idea, Akh! It's like the Absalom grand prix through the station's streets! Except in this case, race cars are replaced by race-sentients!

"In addition, I wonder if this station has any kind of arenas or large holo-rooms. Might be possible to set up a labyrinth/obstacle/triathlon course in venues like that..."

Culture for any potential venues that can accomodate mazes/labyrinths: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27

Uh oh, the DC is 26+? Melissa and Guess will need to save us for the remaining ones.

Yeah... if you want to go for the more generic skills (computers/culture/diplomacy), it's going to be that hard DC. But more niche skills have a much lower DC, if you get lucky and choose the right one. For example, the last could have been found with a Medium Engineering check and this one could have been found with an Easy Athletics check. (Not that you had any clue to that, so it's a bit of a shot in the dark with those more niche skills.)

"Jaraduk, you may have to go without a disguise because it's hard to keep it intact when you're locked in a close, sweaty embrace with someone. kekeke! Fortunately, we can still conceal your face and identity, like this!"

10/10 art usage.

SURPRISINGLY... there are no labyrinths on the station. But bonus points for creativity. You check in with your totally-not-spies, who claim to have no capability with performance-reducing drugs... when you call them on their lie, they admit that they just don't have any on hand. Ixander does add, "However, perhaps we can help in another way. You mentioned he's a trained Triaxian duelist. If you end up engaging in that sport, perhaps we can provide you with some non-lethal weapons."

You head to the gym to lure Kantir Sursa into an unwise wager. Heading through the door of the gym, you see these kalistocrats sure have some odd tastes. The pirate-themed gym is chock full of anchor-shaped bar bells, buccaneer branded athleisure, and naval pool. In the center of the room, in a large sparring ring, stands Kantir. You recognize him from his FLEXHARD photos. Photo on slide 1! The muscular summerborn ryphorian man wipes his brow as a defeated opponent walks away, stun-rapier in hand. He quickly walks up to "Estriar", eager to strike up a conversation. "Estriar, you cad! You must be here for the auction too. I haven't seen you on station in AGES! Haven't been here much recently myself, to busy at Sursa Industries." He makes an obvious flex of his forearm. "And racking up those gold medals! All forms of purity lead us towards a life of unbelievable wealth after all. My problem is everyone here is so incredibly unimpressive! More focused on their stock portfolios than their BMIs. Unable to keep up. Disappointing, I tell you." He gestures openhanded to the wall of trophies, pointing out his own. "Wrestling and Triaxian dueling, my two passions. And see how easily I rose through the rankings. Disappointingly easy. No acclaim for such a simple act!" He sighs. "So, Estriar, I know you're no gym rat. What brings you here?" Judging from Kantir's physique, you reckon he is quite the wrestler. You expect that your crew would have a better chance in a Duel. With a proper Bluff or Diplomatic language, you could convince Kantir to choose a wager that would be more advantageous to your crew.

Jaraduk cannot fail the athletics DC

The (hidden) nuar knows about Triaxian dueling and explains it to his friends.

Guess? replies enthusiastically, "Kantir you meathead! Right you are I'm here for the auction! And like you, I ain't afraid to say it! No hiding, no tricks! With guys like us, what you see is what you get, am I right?!?

"Whaddaya say? Is it a deal? C'mon, this is an opportunity too good to pass up!"

Diplomacy, quyu eye: 1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 19 + 2 = 41

Later, after the conversation is over, Guess will say to the team, "Okay, now that everyone will soon know where here for the auction, I expect other bidders will come gunning for us. Let's be on alert and add extra layers of security to our comms and suite."

"Going public makes us a target but on the bright side, if they come to us and we can catch 'em, it saves us the trouble of tracking them down!"

Is there anything we can do to set a trap on our tech gear to catch any hacking attempts? And maybe set up some cameras around our suite as well as physical booby traps in case anyone tries to burglar our place?

Guess? will tell the anacites to be on alert. Guess? also contacts the spies and tells them we'll need help with counter surveillance. After this public spectacle, someone is sure to try something underhanded.

You did get some defensive & offensive tech gear from the spies. I'm going to assume that every fancy pants house in Estriar's neighborhood comes with a security system that you can augment if you'd like.

Kantir's grin goes wide at his correct guess, then wider at the prospect of solving the auction using his favorite past time. "Well, typically Triaxian duelling is done in teams of three... or for a particularly lopsided bout, three on six." He eyes the group up and down, mouth twitching. "You have a more eclectic following than I remember; a giant, dragon, construct, and some lashunta muscle..." Though he examines you thoroughly, your holoskin disguises hold up. "Though you may have risen in the church, I can see your physique has not grown quite as prodigiously." He winks towards "Estriar's" limp forearms. "Normally I'd demand a six on three match, for honor's sake. But we are here to cause spectacle... I agree, I'll take you all on myself! More of a fair fight anyway." He straightens, proud. "If I lose, I will bow out of the bidding. If I win, you can stay in the auction - let's be honest, if you had the funds you wouldn't be here right now - but you must reassign those recent anacite contracts to Sursa Industries." Seeing how you're not even sure what of Estriar's contracts he's talking about, it seems like a win-win to you. "Normal rules. Non-lethal weapons, no poisons, no offensive spells. Prepare how you wish, it will not matter. Of course, we will begin with the ritualistic stretching." Later, Jaraduk informs you that the stretching takes about a minute, and is intended to reduce the impact of any short term powerful aids a contestant may have triggered just before the match. You examine the sparring ring before leaving the gym. A typical thirty foot square with flexible ropes on the edges, the stage is elevated five feet above the crowd with several stairs leading up into it. Map on Slide 2! I have some beef with the artist for this one, who used ten foot squares then didn't align the end of the ring with the squares... I added the 5 foot squares and highlighted the edge of the ring. It's a bit visually messy, but hopefully explanatory.

Melissa was apparently left out of the face punching count and is NO hurty hurry to correct that and have her face punched.

"Go team..."

Akh offers a quiet aside back to Jaraduk after he explains Triaxian Dueling "So it's just beating people up any way you like? I think we're kind of good at that."

When Kantir brazenly agrees to fight all vs. just him, Akh can't help but ask "Really? You're not going to hide some explosive mines under the sparring ring, hire several invisible stalkers to even the odds, or kidnap poor Estriar in front of us as leverage?" He cocks his head to one side "That seems unlikely, or at least ill advised. We're very good."

He spends the stretching time going from coiled noodle to straight noodle and back again several times, hovering in the air all the while. He whispers into his comms "Would it disqualify us if I just floated 10 feet above the ring? Surely Triaxian Dueling doesn't have that kind of loophole. But maybe it does?"

Replying to Kantir, "Why yes, as my position in the church advanced, I found it advantageous to recruit a more diverse group to continue advancing me to the next level.

"Shall we say tomorrow, 10am? I wouldn't want to deprive you of your morning workout routine!"

If we were able to drug him with a stimulant before the duel and if the stimulant wears off during the stretching, would he be left with the fatigued condition? Guess? is thinking to spike his hydration bottle either during his morning workout or right before the match.

Map on Slide 2! I have some beef with the artist for...

We could also just say "screw it, it's 40 ft on a side" to keep the original map.

Lashuntaduk levels a suspicious, eyes-narrowed gaze at Kantir.

Are there any esoteric rules about tagging in surprise partners that you're not telling us about? Just you versus us to the end and you're that confident?

I like the creativity of the Stimulant idea, but it doesn't give someone the Fatigued condition if they didn't have it already.

Kantir bellows a deep laugh. "Flying? In a triaxian duel? You jest. Of course, we must keep our feet connected to the earth, or the station in this case." He gives an exaggerated wink. "But don't worry, you and your stoney friend can keep your freakishly long arms. Those are allowed. See you at 10!" You read up on the rules that evening in the safety of Estriar's apartment. Everything is as it seems; this opponent is just incredibly overconfident (like so many you encounter in your travels).

You make an appointment with Ixander Merinesta and his assistant Thais that night. "Ah, I think I have some extra weaponry around here." He opens up a crate labelled Premium Hog Manure; inside are the shining handles of a dozen melee weapons. "Some of these are cheap enough to fall through the cracks of governmental accounting, I can write those off. These others I signed out personally, you'll have to bring them back." Alright! Everybody can choose a melee weapon with item level 9 or lower and the stun or nonlethal property to borrow of a weapon with item level 6 or lower and the stun or nonlethal property to keep!

"Wow. That must be some truly high-end hog manure listed on the shipping manifest for the station's customs folks to allow you bringing it on board AND storing in your living quarters!"

Looking through the options, Guess? picks up an electrified baton. "I'll go with this right here and will return it later. I swear. Promise." Guess? grins.

Guess? will go with the incapacitator which is a level 9 item.

Wow, it's been a minute since we last had a combat!

After picking up weapons, you head back to the fitness center. The fitness center has a room for the sparring ring, which is a raised square area five feet above the rest of the room with steps leading up into from all sides. Clustered in the corners of the room stand training dummies, weapon and armor racks, and other practice gear. Kantir, the muscular summerborn ryphorian man, stretches in the ring. He’s well-armored and wears a red surcoat over his usual white silks. As the door opens, he straightens up and nods. “I see you’re prompt!” he says approvingly. “This should prove interesting.” As you enter and the stretching period begins, he stage whispers to "Estriar". "I put out the word of our fight today, good turnout I think. No matter what happens here, we should improve our standing in the community through our honor and performances." You look out at the rapidly filling room, the crowd awash in gold and white robes and armored spectators.

A holographic countdown appears in the center of the arena and the crowd roars! As it ticks down to 0, Kantir's practice wins out and he moves first. He bounces on his heels, rounding the arena and coming up next to Jaraduk and Guess?. He holds a shock truncheon and a large kite shield that crackles with entropic energy similar to Akh's whip.

shield entropic strike @ Guess?: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (17) + 21 = 38
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (1, 1, 5) + 16 = 23

"Feel the might of a purified soul!" he bellows as he bashes "Estriar" with a wave of energy dispensed from his shield.

Everyone is up! Round 1
Guess? SP 42/42, HP 37/37, RP 9/9
Melissa  SP 43/43, HP 45/45, RP 9/9
Akh SP 77/77, HP 53/53, RP 7/7
Del x2 SP 35/35, HP 39/39, RP 5/5
Jaraduk SP 56/56, HP 55/55, RP 9/9 

Kantir Sursa 0 Damage

Earlier:
Akh sinks with disappointment when he learns that he'll have to stay on the *ground* for the whole fight. He figures you'd expect the Kalistocrats would find the ground dirty and all be floating or flying everywhere, like himself. Or maybe they were more afraid of the air. He shakes his head.

Back at the apartment he helps himself to an aurora shock pad from the manure crate. "Thank you, strange cookie enthusiasts." He grasps it in one claw "No sense being late. Lets go and knock him out before he can pull his inevitable trap on us."
----

Now:
With the ring as small as it is, Akh just sinuously coils his way to the other side of their foe, then reaches over and starts thwapping Kantir with an entropically-wreathed shock pad. "I think when you fight multiple people, you're supposed to avoid getting surrounded."

Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 14 + 2 = 20 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 ⇒ (6, 3) + 11 = 20

Lashuntaduk chooses: Amperometric neural lash +13 (3d4+13 E; Critical arc 2d4; Special living, powered (capacity 20; usage 1), reach (10 ft), stun, thought, unwieldy)

Jaraduk is fascinated by the telepathic mechanisms of the neural lash. While it's outside of his normal zone of comfort, he's game to give a go.

Oh, hey Kantir! You're just in time to help me learn a new weapon!

He steps to the side to get a little distance and begins winding the lash methodically. He focuses his mind on it to discover how it might be attune but ultimately whips it forward toward the ryphorian.

[move] 10 ft N (may incur an AoO)
[standard] Attack Amperometric neural lash attack (reach), electrical damage (stun): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 243d4 + 13 ⇒ (2, 1, 1) + 13 = 17

Amperometric neural lash energy: 19/20

"I'm not sure how this works..."

She winds up her Clockwork stun baton a few times with ye old fashioned key, screams at the top of her lungs to show off her large front incscissors, and tries to roll between the ryphorians legs and whap the would be maximus in his Gluteous.

"Get em! "

Acrobatics to tumble 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20

Attack with the baton 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
damage: 1d4 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 = 9

Melissa is probably used to someone just putting their arm out holding her head while she swings ineffectively at them... while getting her snoot booped for the aoo.

AoO @ Jaraduk: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (14) + 21 = 35
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (5, 6, 3) + 16 = 30

Kantir punishes Jaraduk with a brutal backswing as the not-nuar repositions. The ryphorian twists in place, taking Akh and Melissa's blows on his shield. Jaraduk gets through his impressive defenses, weakening his backplate. "Ah, but to be surrounded by ants only enhances my greatness by comparison!" Kantir's boasts are extreme, in the traditions of Triaxus. He returns to his prey, oversized mace swinging once into Guess?'s stomach then back up into "Estriar's" faceplate. Guess? crumples to the floor, overcome by his injuries. "See? Ant. Now, for your allies..."

shield entropic strike @ Guess?: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 21 - 4 = 36
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (5, 4, 5) + 16 = 30
shield entropic strike @ Guess?: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 21 - 4 = 32
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (5, 6, 3) + 16 = 30

Everyone is up! Round 2
Guess? SP 0/42, HP 0/37, RP 9/9 You get your Round 1 action, then you're Unconscious in Round 2
Melissa  SP 43/43, HP 45/45, RP 9/9
Akh SP 77/77, HP 53/53, RP 7/7
Del x2 SP 35/35, HP 39/39, RP 5/5
Jaraduk SP 26/56, HP 55/55, RP 9/9 

Kantir Sursa 34 Damage

"Wow, right for the boss. Aren't you supposed to work on the minions fir..... you know what this is better."

Get em! +2 hit and damage

Attack with the baton 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 29 get em and flank with the flapnoodle.

damage 1d4 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 = 9

Round 1:
incapacitator vs KAC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
Damage (B): 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3, 2) + 3 = 10
Trick Attack Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 4) = 11 and flat-footed to all, if trick attack succeeded
Targets CR9 and below are auto flat-footed vs trick attack

Round 2:
Guess? spends 1 RP to stay in the fight, healing 1 HP.
Guess? draws upon his personal grit, waking up from unconsciousness, grabs his weapon (move action) and swings while still prone on the ground (standard action)!

incapacitator vs KAC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Damage (B): 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1, 2) + 3 = 9

(I think you need diehard to both stabalize and pop into the fight on the same round)

Jaraduk grunts at the pained hit, and takes on a grim expression in response to Kantir's tauning.

Ants, you say? They tend to deal in weights much larger than themselves. An ego will do in this case...

He again winds the lash and snaps it out towards the ryphorian.

[standard] Attack Amperometric neural lash attack (reach), electrical damage (stun): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 273d4 + 13 ⇒ (3, 4, 2) + 13 = 22

Amperometric neural lash energy: 18/20

(I think you need diehard to both stabalize and pop into the fight on the same round)

Yep, but apparently if a character is already stable due to nonlethal damage, then a resolve can be spent to get right back into it?

Haha! Imagine Guess? waking up every round to take a feeble wack at Kantir. And Kantir wasting an attack each round to knock Guess? unconscious again... Melissa gets to enjoy seeing Guess? get knocked out eight or nine times until Guess?'s resolve runs out!

Lol Guess? Hopefully we won't take 8 rounds!

Akh rises on his coils, then springs out at Kantir for two shock pad slaps!

Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC, w/ get em: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 30 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (6, 5) + 11 + 2 = 24
Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC, w/ get em: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 28 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (5, 1) + 11 + 2 = 19

"Estriar" drops to the ground then gets right back up as he pushes through the pain. Unfortunately the flurry of blows throws off Guess?'s aim and he is unable to pierce the furry noble's thick armor. Melissa, Jaraduk, and Akh are able to focus much better and wail on the distracted rhyphorian. "Yes, much like ants you are quite dangerous in numbers." Kantir straightens up, roaring out at the crowd. Then he spins in a circle with his shield held out. It puffs out waves of energy, first at Guess? then at Akh. "But you will fall in your numbers!" The first smacks Guess? in the head, dropping him into a nap once more, while the second slightly dents Akh's armor.

shield entropic strike @ Guess?: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 21 - 4 = 37 WASTED
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (1, 5, 1) + 16 = 23
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (3, 1, 4) + 16 = 24

shield entropic strike @ Akh: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 21 - 4 = 31
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (1, 6, 2) + 16 = 25

Everyone is up! Round 2
Guess? SP 0/42, HP 0/37, RP 8/9
Melissa  SP 43/43, HP 45/45, RP 9/9
Akh SP 58/77, HP 53/53, RP 7/7
Del x2 SP 35/35, HP 39/39, RP 5/5
Jaraduk SP 26/56, HP 55/55, RP 9/9 

Kantir Sursa 108 Damage

Melissa aims for the ankle. Not her fault if the rules don't take into account 3 things being in range...

"Get em again!"

attack: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 28
damage: 1d4 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7

Guess? spends another RP to stay in the fight!

Guess? wakes up, imagines for a split second the riches of the treasure ship, and while sprawled on the ground, croaks out, "I can do this all day!"

Guess?'s motivation isn't as noble as captain America, but he's motivated nevertheless! Keke!

Guess? grabs his weapon and again swings feebly from the ground!

incapacitator vs KAC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Damage (B): 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3, 3) + 3 = 11

Arg, been neglecting the get'em bonuses. Fixing.

What is this obsession you have with ants? Are you perhaps a very buff entomologist?

[standard] Attack Amperometric neural lash attack (reach, get'em), electrical damage (stun, get'em): 1d20 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 13 + 2 = 203d4 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (3, 4, 2) + 13 + 2 = 24

Amperometric neural lash energy: 17/20

Akh absorbs part of the blow with a ripple of his coils (mitigating for -7 dmg) before striking back with as much speed as he can muster. "I guess you're actually just kind of good. That's surprising. I thought you'd be unleashing your evil plan by now."

Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC, w/ get em: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 30 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (4, 1) + 11 + 2 = 18
Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC, w/ get em: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 27 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5) + 11 + 2 = 23

Don't worry, if people are close to hitting I always double check if there's a Get Em out there that is being missed.

Guess? manages to get back into the fight, but his aim is thrown by the small fat yellow birds flying around his head. Jaraduk - perhaps distracted by the ant insults - sends his strike into the rhyphorian's chestplate. Melissa and Akh keep up the assault, hammering Kantir with blows. The noble staggers backwards, blinking away the stars from his vision. "Evil plan? That's what I call my right hook!" Predictably, he turns at the waste and swings his large kite shield down into "Estriar's" skull. Guess? drops back to the floor unconscious and missing a few more brain cells. Kantir uses his own momentum to swing the large mace up into Akh. The android predicts the move, avoiding it easily.

shield entropic strike @ Guess?: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 21 - 4 = 34
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (2, 1, 5) + 16 = 24

shield entropic strike @ Akh: 1d20 + 21 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 21 - 4 = 20
B Nonlethal: 3d6 + 16 ⇒ (5, 3, 1) + 16 = 25

Everyone is up! Round 3
Guess? SP 0/42, HP 0/37, RP 7/9
Melissa  SP 43/43, HP 45/45, RP 9/9
Akh SP 65/77, HP 53/53, RP 7/7
Del x2 SP 35/35, HP 39/39, RP 5/5
Jaraduk SP 26/56, HP 55/55, RP 9/9

Kantir Sursa 156 Damage

The (disguised) naur frowns at Kantir.

Do you... like this?

He lashes at the ryphorian again.

[standard] Attack Amperometric neural lash attack (reach, get'em), electrical damage (stun, get'em): 1d20 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 13 + 2 = 193d4 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1, 2) + 13 + 2 = 19

Amperometric neural lash energy: 16/20

Well, sigh, that's another miss so maybe he doesn't have to like it. A joke about whips and such would work better if Jaraduk was rolling higher.

"get em! but like.. regularly!"

+2 hit no damage bonus

attack KAC:1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 30
damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

"Not if you crack it like that!" Kantir winks at "Flageffom", then repeats the gesture to the roaring crowd as Melissa smacks the back of his left thigh with a mildly damaging blow.

"Peekaboo!" yells Guess? as he again wakes up and takes another attack at Kantir!

Spending another RP...

incapacitator vs KAC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Damage (B): 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3, 1) + 3 = 9

"This is why we invented guns. And lasers. And lasers that are guns.." whack PING whack PING whack PING

Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC, w/ get em: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 23 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 ⇒ (6, 3) + 11 = 20
Entropic Shock Pad vs EAC, w/ get em: 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 30 Damage (A, force, nonlethal): 2d6 + 11 ⇒ (1, 3) + 11 = 15

"Oh, so you have an evil plan after all. I have to say it's not a very good one." Akh nods sagely as he continues thwacking the brawler on the back of the head.

CRONCH! THUMP! With a good whack on the head, Akh sends the kalistocrat to the floor beside Guess?. A few seconds later, the noble is pushing himself up, breathing heavily. He offers a hand out to "Estriar", who has gotten to his feet in the meantime. "An excellent duel, good sir! Please accept my heartfelt thanks and congratulations!" Guess? is sure to offer one of his real hands, carefully tucking the holographic set of kasathan arms behind his back. Kantir stands, raising Guess?'s hand above his head to the applause and roar of the crowd. ESTRIAR! ESTRIAR! ESTRIAR!

He motions for your group to do a slow victory lap of the fight arena as he applauds from within. Eventually the gym proprietor comes over with a microphone, which Kantir (barely) manages to grab before Guess? (who I'm sure will have a grand speech asking for tips & prize money...). "And so, ladies and gentlemen of great purity and renown, you have witnesses a new station champion be born!" He raises one finger with a smirk, "While I did best my friend Estriar several times, he was wise enough to bring noble friends along to assist his endeavors. As the scriptures would advise, amen?" The crowd roars in agreement, drowning out whatever Kantir said to follow. Knowing when to admit defeat, Kantir hands back the microphone and pulls you off to the side. "Nicely done, nicely done." He shakes Guess?'s hand again, then the rest of you. "Might want to head to medical to check for concussions, you went down a few times there friend." A well meaning - though gloating - wink and he continues, "I think that worked out for both of us. I will drop out of the auction, as promised. And I think today's exhibition has increased the respect for my art and skills among our peers." He looks out at the crowd and nods. "Excuse me, I must go meet with a few business associates to see if I can leverage this into some new contracts for Sursa Industries." With only a few more words of exchange, he disappears off into the crowd. Feel free to interact with him or the crowd here.

Another rival down! Two down (Kantir & Lord Harrington)! Some number remaining... (You know there were spots reserved for eight serious contenders total in the auction.)

You head back to the apartment to shower off and plan your next round of investigation. The door slides open with a DING! and you feel as if you've gained something from the experience this morning. Level up! Welcome to Level 8! Once there, however, the anacite aids stop you. "Mr. Estriar, sir, do not forget that you have your reservation for afternoon tea at the Chrysalis Teahouse today!" Checking Estriar's computer, you see they are correct. You should attend to keep up appearances and maintain your cover; however, this event may also give you a chance to identify and learn more about one of your auction rivals. In the digital calendar, the event is accompanied by a note: The finest teahouse on station, a must stop venue for anyone wealthy enough to compete for the barge.

Jaraduk can't help wonder, as Kantir goes down, Station champion? Was it really so advantageous for him to be in the ring regardless of the outcome? Did we just get advertised in front of a crowd purposely to put a target on our backs?

He looks around the crowd, wondering what bidders may be present. Jaraduk otherwise silently lets the proceedings there complete. He's thinking too much to participate.

Back at the apartment he wonders if any in the crowd were suspicious of their disguises. You know social media these days! Interested viewers dig and find things. He does some cursory searches to scan the coverage of the fight and prevailing comment threads. Seems pretty basic unless you think it requires a computers check. Then it's onto mysticism and culture checks for kasathan tea etiquette.

There's no point checking for concussions, Kantir definitely has at least three and there's NO way to tell with a goblin. So she'll just start treating them

Melissa is going to duct tape a bag of frozen peas to Kantir's head and adminish him against driving, using heavy equipment or making any business decisionfor at LEAST 24 hours....

She'd get guesses too buy she'd worried about the hologram clipping. Once they're out of sight however she'll epoxy a bag, put her hand into "Estriars" chest, and leave the sock wrapped frozen peas on top of the head of the goblin inside. "That goes for you too. We can regrow brain cells but you need them to start with. "
medicine check: 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 16 + (2) + 1 = 37

+13 free HP for the Goblin.

It doesn't seem quite fair to Akh that Estriar is getting all the credit for the "duel", but he chalks it up to yet another way that the Kalistocrats represent the antithesis of all that is good and right and delicious in the world. He stays in the background as Estriar receives his accolades and floats back into the air to follow everyone back to the apartment.

At the teahouse reminder he comments "So how do we make sure we identify all the actual bidders, assuming they'll be there? Some of us will be busy pretending to know how to do fancy tea things, but the rest can snoop and sneak and listen in, probably."

Guess? raises his hands and faces the crowd, "Guess who's great? Just Guess!"

Then Guess? incites the crowd to chant, "GUESS! GUESS! GUESS! GUESS!"

Guess? wraps up the chanting with a big, "ME!"

Satisfied with the adulation, Guess? says to Kantir, "You're an impressive athlete, a great sportsman and a great friend. Thank you for the spectacle and I'll have my people reach out. Our little event here has given me some potential business ideas that we'd find mutually profitable."

----

Back at the suite, Guess? will rest to regain his stamina and gladly accept any other medical aid from his teammates.

Guess? will also prepare and dress appropriately for the tea event. He'll also do any possible research and recall what he knows about the tea ceremony as well as all the proper protocols.

Culture: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35

It doesn't seem quite fair to Akh that Estriar is getting all the credit for the "duel", but ..."[/b]

I was thinking this too! It's so funny that Kantir is willing to lose the battle to five people if he can show his supremacy over the one "equal" in the bunch. And "Estriar" just wants his own result. While, yet again, the rest of the crew works hard for nothin'.

Kantir stumbles off into the crowd, frozen produce duct taped to his skull, without making any promises not to make any important business decisions. You faintly hear him shout "Ms. Gosheen! Let's revisit the discussion on your drug-laced sourdough starters. I see some future there..."

Guess? raises his hands and faces the crowd, "Guess who's great? Just Guess!"

Ah, these jokes never get old.

Jaraduk searches the infosphere feed, and doesn't see anyone questioning your holoskin disguises. A few folks were complaining about the "fuzz in the feed" when Kantir's weapons collided with you, but nothing more.

Guess? leads the group in researching kasathan tea ceremonies. He finds that the tea used in the ceremony is a traditional spiced kasathan tea, made with black tea leaves and a blend of cinnamon and other spices. An Idaran tea ceremony has several stages, each of which requires a successful skill check to properly perform. Anyone who wishes to can participate; PCs who fail still participate in the ceremony and proceed to later stages, but their ignorance of kasathan ways becomes immediately apparent to everyone else. You expect that those who pass the test will receive the respect of any rivals, who can be identified by some traditional social skills.

Jaraduk searches the infosphere feed, and doesn't see anyone questioning your holoskin disguises. A few folks were complaining about the "fuzz in the feed" when Kantir's weapons collided with you, but nothing more.

Melissa will try releasing a "cleaner" cough cough edited version

1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36

well.. aint gonna roll better than that

+ 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Melissa should probably TRY at the ceremony.

Guess? shares what he knows about the upcoming ceremony.

He then states, "Welp, I think we're about as ready as we can be. It's a team effort so everyone do what you can to participate.

"Well, watching me even more closely than usual, anyways."

All gussied up in your finest holographic wardrobes, you head to the tea house after a few hours of breathing easy. The Chrysalis teahouse’s main room is illuminated by floating lanterns that hover near the ceiling. The tables have been pushed together to create one long seating area. Carved wooden chairs line the table, which is covered with a white cloth; each place setting has a teapot and several wooden tools. The scent of cinnamon wafts through the air. As attendees gather around the table, an elderly kasathan man emerges from behind a curtain at the back of the room. The chatter from the attendees fades into a respectful silence. “Welcome, friends!” he says. “I am Teamaster Haloru Mora Qelvais of Clan Soris, House Vurdi, Jeweled Eye of Galain. I am your host this afternoon. I hope we enjoy a convivial atmosphere together.” The tea ceremony is attended by roughly 15 Kalistocrats, along with their retinues. Your retinue is larger than average, with most kalistocrats having two or three followers with them. The combined seating area is enormous, but you're still at each other's elbows as you go through the tea rituals.

Many of those present are kasathas, while other attendees have attended to get a taste of Idaran culture. Though Teamaster Haloru leads the ceremony, everyone is expected to participate. Individual place settings at the tables contain the teapot and tools for each person along with a small electric-powered brazier. With so much going on and so many attendees, it is difficult to pull out any conversations or people of note.

"Alright, group! First, the tea implements are ritually cleansed in bowls of fresh water. Please, go ahead." Anyone who succeeds at a DC 22 Culture check knows what to do; alternatively, others who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check can surreptitiously observe others to see what they do and mimic their actions without obviously seeming ignorant. Everyone gets to attempt one of these two checks. Failure doesn't mean you're out of the ceremony, but it will effect your personal outcome.

Earlier:
Akh's long-range microphones perk up at the sound of 'drug laced sourdough starters', but he quickly reasons that it must be just as twisted as any other Kalistocrat culinary escapade.

He nods when Guess-as-Estriar explains the situation. "When it comes to tea, I know a couple of things. Not my favorite beverage, but I'm sure I can drink better than these Kalistocrats. Plus, if its poisoned to take you out of the contest, I'll be able to handle it!"

---
Now:
Akh has adjusted his holo-garb to look a little pearlescent in addition to being porcelain. He floats through the teahouse and then settles at the table, folding his coils in an ungainly pile behind him. He wafts some tea vapors from wherever the leaves are being held towards himself.

Culture: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32

While his instincts are telling him "grab that tea before these worthless Kalistocrats can waste it" he follows as many of the correct mannerisms as he can remember regarding the ritual bowl cleansing.

Sense motive 1d20 + 11 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 11 + (1) + 1 = 21

culture: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15

Melissa is busy gathering the tea leaves for a second brewing. As is tradition.... for ysoki. But noth Kasathans apparently.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (20) + 20 = 40
At the first opportunity during the event, Guess? communicates his conclusions regarding Taelarinis (per the spoiler).
"Guys, the first solution that I can think of is to convince Taelarinis, then help him set up a poison pill that will prevent Zlanai from taking over.

"The second solution is, well, murder Zlanai."

Guess? peers at Melissa to gauge her reaction.

"Any other ideas? I'll think about it also..."
Do we have time to ponder or do we need to come up with something immediately at the tea event?

----

With skill mastery, Guess? gets an auto take 10 with culture for 26.
Guess? perfectly cleanses the tea implements as though it's second nature. Then sighs when he sees Melissa's efforts at the same, gently scolding her as "Estriar" "You're exhibiting the grace of a pleb miner! After today, I command you to practice four hours a day for a week. And during sleeping hours so that you do not miss your standard duties."

"hey I'm pay..intered by the hour. If you want me to spend four hours thats up to you but SOME of us have to have a life and sleep. And trust me you do NOT want me drinking tea after 11. "