[SFS - PbP Gameday X] 1-20 Duskmire Accord 9 - GM bigboom (Inactive)

Game Master bigboom

Ji-Thil fires another shot and the attack misses!!

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1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
The unicorn loses a bit more blood, taking 2 points of damage, then repeats her previous action, taking a guarded step back away from Keyona and casting a healing spell!

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Round 3 cont'd & 4
The following characters in bold may take their turn:
Keyona (-2HP)
Floquet
George 09-23
unicorn (-30)
Ji-Thil (-8SP)

The halfling tries another shot having the first one was really a good one.

Skipshot Pistol, Tactical:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Damage:1d4 ⇒ 2

George 09-23 blasts again releasing yet more missiles. He wonders if his magical reserves will hold out.

Magic Missile, Full Round Action: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3, 3) + 3 = 12

If your characters can do something extra this round then please do so. George's spells will not last forever and then I fear we will lose the fight.

Keyona, sensing that the unicorn is on her last legs, strikes with the flat of her blade.

Standard Longsword, Nonlethal: 1d20 + 5 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 5 - 4 = 19
Nonlethal Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

She calls out, "Hold, hold! We must not slay this creature!" Then, telepathically to the unicorn, she adds, 「I want to help you, but you must help me as well.」

Before he heard Keyona, the solarian moves and fires again towards the unicorn.

Solar flare: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Damage cold, Photon crystal shard fire: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Photon 2

Do not forget the bleed 2 condition.

The bleed was applied on the unicorn's turn but when she healed herself, it also removed the bleed condition.

Floquet's shot misses!

But George's missiles hit, dealing 12 points of damage to the unicorn and she's looking like she's about ready to drop...

And that's when Keyona goes in and strikes the unicorn with a knockout blow! The unicorn goes down - unconscious but not dead!

Combat Concluded!!!

Soooo... How would the party like to deal with the captured, murderous, grenade-wielding unicorn? If any attempts are made to talk to the unicorn, please also roll diplomacy/bluff/intimidate as appropriate.

George 09-23 is quick to completely disarm the crazed unicorn. He is not certain about Keyona's decision to spare the dangerous creature. He spends some time to take a look around for any items of interest.

"We really should bind her. She has killed far too many people already and she cannot be set free until all the Yeti and the Gnolls are released from this place. We owe that to our allies at very least!"

"Now does anyone have any rope?"

I understand your words, George. I don't want to face her again neither. So disarm her and bind her as well. After this we can perhaps try to talk to her again. Perhaps that after having considered that we haven't killed her she will think again about her decision and make another one. That would be great, but not sure. So let's be cautious now.

Euh, I don't have any rope by the way.

「You my think me a fool,」 Keyona responds telepathically, 「but the option to kill the unicorn is still available should it become necessary. Had we slew it, no choices would remain to us.」

Keyona checks the unicorn's body, removing the device that she will now learn is a grenade launcher. She will do what she can to secure her in a moderately comfortable, but secure position, and take care to cause no further damage to the surroundings.

"Perhaps if we bring Inix and Corev, we can find a way for everyone to live in harmony. If that fails, then we can leave the unicorn here alone, which may be what she truly wants."

The problem is that she doesn't want to live in harmony.

That will be difficult to make her to understand our point of view. We already tried once. If she dies the yetis and the gnolls can live together. If she lives she must admit that the gnolls come in her territory to take plants.

George 09-23 waves off any mention of trying to negotiate with the now defeated unicorn.

"At this point we need to prove to the robot that we have defeated the unicorn and have united the other two clans hence showing our complete dominance over this area."

"Then the robot will hopefully release the locks on the elevator and the others can leave."

"I did not join the Starfinder Society because it would be easy. If she rejects the offer still, so be it, but I will not murder a helpless creature."

"Who said anything about murder? We have defeated her and we must prove that fact to the robot if we have any wish to leave here."

"An unconscious and bound creature is surely dominated and defeated."

So we can bring her to the robot. I don't think it's a good thing to let her here. The risk is too high that she won't let the gnolls come to harvest plants. So we take her out of the swamp.

"I agree Floquet and the sooner the better."

Of course. Let's go to hurry up.

"Well, if you expect me to carry her out of the swamp like some trophy, you have another thing coming. Show off your victory to the lord of the vault. I will find you once I have spoken to the other tribes."

Keyona begins carefully picking her way back through the brambles, toward the yeti camp, as it is closer.

The party has been travelling around the vault for a while now so has a good sense of how long it takes to move around. From your current location, to the yeti camp, it is about 4-5 miles travel through marsh and plains - mostly marsh. You'll also be encumbered by dragging the body of a unicorn through this terrain. In all, the party estimates it'll take about 4 hours to get to the yeti camp.

You'll also know, simply based upon how life and death works, that if any living creature is unconscious but stable, then over time, it may remain unconscious, it may die or it may awaken. In this case, if the unicorn awakens, you'll already have her properly restrained so that she cannot attack nor cast spells.

Just to confirm, the party will bind up the unicorn, leave her unconscious and bring her to the yeti camp, correct?

@GM bigboom - I thought the plan was to bring the bound unicorn to the flying robot. If we bring the unicorn to the Yetis I suspect that we might be having a giant BBQ. I imagine that unicorn would taste a lot like venison which is delicious btw.

After the party finished interacting with the drone, it flew off into the distance and disappeared from view. The party wouldn't know where to go to find it.

"It is now in Pharasma's hands if this creature lives or dies."

George 09-23 draws the shape of a spiral in the air as he says these words in prayer.

@GM bigboom - Yes, we will drag the bound and disarmed unicorn to the yeti camp. We have also checked for any possible treasure.

Yes we do like this.

The party searches around for loot and finds the following items tucked away in a nearby hollowed-out giant mushroom stump: a suit of lashunta ringwear II, a ring of sustenance, a thunderstrike sonic pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), and a sculpture of an unknown helix-shaped alien worth 240 credits.

1d20 ⇒ 6

The party ties up the unconscious unicorn and begins dragging her along towards the yeti camp. The unicorn is big and heavy. You're in a marsh with no trails, no roads. Needless to say, the progress is slow. As you drag the unicorn through the mud and dirt of the marsh, you notice that she no longer remains spotless. The muck gets caked onto her, resulting in a dirty, mottled appearance as opposed to her previous pristine white appearance. The mane, which was once shimmering is now dull and brown/black with filth. Sludge gathers up in various areas of her body, noticeably around the horn. Within the first hour of pulling her through the marsh, she dies.

Well, no need to continue dragging the unicorn along. The party can go ahead and take your time travelling to the yetis and gnolls to let them know that the swamp ghost/monster is no longer a threat. And because you've already successfully engineered a peace alliance between the yetis and gnolls, the party can proceed to the temple.

Just a pause here to see if anyone would like to do anything or interact with the yetis or gnolls before proceeding to the temple?

Except to calm them down with the swamp monster I think there is nothing more Floquet can tell.

Keyona will use her limited skills to try to help the unicorn, and when it is clear that there is nothing else she can do, she will unleash a ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAR!!!!!!!! of pain and fury.

"My first mission, a failure. Ippy, do I deserve to be on your team?"

From that point on, she acts the role of silent bodyguard.

George 09-23 is relieved with the passing of the unicorn. Her unwillingness to back down combined with her violent nature made her impossible to deal with. As a follower of Pharasma he performs last rights once they reach the camp.

"She is with the lady of graves now as is her will."

George 09-23 asks if they can rest overnight before proceeding. He has spent a good deal of magic defeating Sparklemane and it is always prudent to go in fully prepared.

He also wishes to speak to the yetis. The passing of the unicorn is regrettable but it does mean that soon all that wish to leave may do so. It is actually time for celebration!

Yes, à celebration! Some smoke some food and DJ Ji-Thil!!!

Yep, overnight rest is totally do-able.

The party heads over to the yetis and gnolls to inform them of the swamp ghost monster's demise. They were shocked that it turned out to be a unicorn, considering that unicorns are generally peaceful paragons of virtue. Ironic since none of you in the party would've expected to meet drugged up yetis nor farming gnolls either.

With the peace alliance cemented betwee the yetis and the gnolls, you take a good rest before heading to the temple. When you arrive, the building appears run-down and decrepit, made of broken concrete and pillars half-sunken into the surrounding marshy ground. It bears no ornamentation or any other obvious sign of its purpose. Small glowing mushrooms sprout from some of the cracks in the walls and pillars. As you approach from the east, you see no entrance but circling around to the north, you fin da large stone door.

Ready for anything, you enter and the first thing you notice is, compared to the dim light outside, the interior of this circular room is quite bright. The source of the illumination is a clear central pillar approximately 10 feet in diameter, which pulses with a continuous series of bright bursts of blue light that travel up and down the interior. Around the perimeter of the chamber, numerous terminals and instruments are embedded in the white walls and provide readouts on a range of information both biological and technological.

Sooo... kind of like a Star Trek warp core in main engineering, I imagine...

You easily determine that the equpment here is used to monitor something and the pulsing energy node in the center of the room is definitely the source of the strange energy readings that the venture captain mentioned. The moment anyone moves in to try accessing one of the terminals, the door to the room vanishes, replaced by solid, featureless concrete as a cool, mechanical voice speaks. “Greetings, interlopers. Your behavior thus far has been noted. Final adjustments to the study have been made, and the building has been sealed for your personal safety. Commencing Duskmire sterilization protocols. Thank you!” With that, a deep and ominous hum fills the room.

We're going to switch to rounds here...

Round 1
The humming becomes louder and the pulsing light in the center of the room quickens!

OMG what the @#$@$ is going on?!?!? Each character has time for only one roll per round:

George 09-23 springs into action. He is not content to roll with the machinations of a whacked out computer programmed by a bunch of crazed scientists. He has the protection of his sealed armor but he is not confident that it will be enough.

Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

"Huh, these readings are not right. There are no spikes of power in the systems of this facility."

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8

Would Profession (Electrician) be helpful for a future round?

"..."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Well in all escape games I played in there is something to discover to be free.

Perception:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Eh, the rumbling comes from the speakers embedded in the walls.

Sorry Keyona, electrician wouldn't work here. Besides, the engineering spoiler has been uncovered!

Round 2
The hum rises in pitch slowly over several seconds and the light in the center of the room grows very bright. No power spikes? Speakers in the walls? What tha....?!?!?

Just the Computers skill check left to uncover. I think only George and Floquet has the skill ranks for this one... Give it a whirl!

George 09-23 tries to see if he can discover what is going on with this whacked out computer.

Computers: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

"This seems to be a complete sham. There is no sterillization protocol running!"

George 09-23 thinks for a moment.

"Perhaps we should study this energy source now?"

Yes, let's inspect this energy source.

Physical science:1d20 ⇒ 4

Mmhh there is nothing to find I fear.

"..."

Round 3
There is a loud, bass rumble and the lights go dark!!!!!

dun... Dun... DUNNNNNNN!!!!!!

But only for a moment before everything returns to normal!

What?!? It was all a ruse?!?!?

Searching around, you find a sliding panel behind one of the walls with a clear plastic canister containing 750 UPBs.

The party fully scans the room and confirms that the pillar in the center is a sensor node with massive energy usage and output. You further learn that the information gathered by the equipment in the room is being sent somewhere else, but exactly where remains unknown. You determine that penetrating the security features and understanding the nature of the high-tech equipment in the room will likely require several months of dedicated effort from Starfinder technicians.

After you've gleaned all there is to know, the party returns to Venture-Captain Vex and he is IMMENSELY relieved to see you.
BEAR in mind that you've been in the vault for at least a few days now. I didn't keep a tight count but I'd say at least 5 days, perhaps a week.

"I'm so relieved you've made it out. Not too long after you stepped into the vault, it sealed and we had no way of opening it or reaching you on comms until a week later when it just opened up again and you emerged!"

After you debrief Vex on the events within the vault, he calls an end to other Salvation's End investigations for the time being to focusing instead on studying this vault's temple’s technology and extracting the yetis and gnoll survivors.

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Over the following days and months, the Starfinder Society works to remove the residents from the vault and resettle them. Despite the controlling intelligence’s initial claim that only one group would be allowed to leave, it does not prevent the removal of all of the resident groups from the experiment chamber.

None of the simulation’s inhabitants wish to stay within their artificial habitat, but over time, it becomes obvious that they are poorly equipped for the world that they have been thrust into.

Even the best of the yetis are addicted to the endemic narcotics, while the worst of the tribe soon sets about trashing the Starfinder Society’s holdings on Salvation’s End with destructive parties while while blasting Ji-Thil's latest tracks through ridiculously heavy, gigantic speakers that the yetis carry around on their shoulders.

The members of Corev’s tribe make a sincere effort at adapting to a new life in the Pact Worlds, but the jarring shift in technology and the threatening stereotypes about gnolls commonplace among most Pact Worlds species ensures that even these cooperative creatures will have a difficult time adjusting. The gnoll children miss Keyona horribly, especially in these scary, alien surroundings but find some comfort in becoming penpals with Keyona. They send messages to Keyona at least once a week describing what they have been up to and always ends with asking Keyona when she'll go visit them.

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Congratulations! That's the end of the scenario and thanks for playing! Feel free to throw up any RP posts if the mood strikes you. For logistics and chronicles, I'll throw a post up in the discussion thread sometime over the next 12 hours as I'm in the middle of a really long work day at the moment.

As an aside, this is the only scenario I've come across where it is possible to get through the entire thing with zero combat. It does take a certain amount of RP and diplomacy though!

Once free of the vault, Keyona thaws a little bit, though it is clear she is still sad about the loss of the unicorn. No matter how much the others tell her that the creature was feral and they had no other choice in the matter, she believes that there must have been something else they could have done to help all three groups from Duskmire.

At Absalom Station, Keyona is greeted by a red-furred skittermander in a uniform similar to hers, but with blue trim. He hops up onto Keyona's shoulder and says, "Hey, where were you? It's been a week since I could form the head! What would we have done if we had another massive arthropod attack?"

Keyona will make sure to visit the gnolls when her schedule allows, and arranges for the yetis to see a Neon & Noqual concert.

"Yetis, man?" a white-furred ysoki says from backstage. "That's a party we need to get to!"