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Mahari keeps the Sythe pointed in-system and steady while the rest of the team pours over the sensor readouts.
"I don't like that transponder echo. In my line of work, coincidences like that are always a bad sign. Could be a another Corpse Fleet ship way out here, or someone trying to make us think it's "just a sensor glitch." Either way, I'm thinking we've got company that doesn't want us to know they're here."
She puts the Sythe into orbit around Aratosim until Nimh gives her exact coordinates for landing, then takes her in when everyone is ready.
Croaker and Nimh are able to recheck the readings and scans around the anomalous finding but are unable to find any trace again of a Corpse Fleet signal. Maybe it was just a sensor glitch…
The rest of you can prep for a cold snap while Mahari steers the Sythe down in an approach towards the moon Aratosim. The crashed ship’s readings become clearer as you enter the moon’s atmosphere, but the icy terrain nearby isn’t exactly stable – at least not for a vessel as cumbersome as a Crypt Warden. The halfling is able to land safely a ways away from your target, but its going to be a bit of a hike in the frigid outdoors.
As you prepare to exit the Syhte, light from the distant sun and the dark turquoise gas giant Aratros cast the moon in blue-green twilight. It reflects from deep cracks in the icy crust so that in places the moon appears to glow from within. Stars shine in the patches of sky not obscured by blue-gray clouds. Fog wafts in a column from a distant hill. The thin air is eerily quiet, with no wind.
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As Kat steps out of the ship to take in the surroundings on the moon. Her chest stops it's usual cycle of rising and falling as she disengages her air cycling procedures. While she doesn't breathe she finds that it makes people around her more comfortable, and uses a rate of 10 respirations per minute to take and analyse air samples.
She watches as Croaker humbly but efficiently searches for a trail and decides to keep her security subroutines running and on the lookout for any possible corpse fleet soldiers. She keeps her eyes on the middle distance and rifle at the ready.
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Mahari smiles at her decent landing and runs the Secure Systems checklist so they can safely leave the Star Scythe unattended. She heads for the hangar bay, sealing up her armor and checking her gear as she goes.
"Croaker, you've got all the coolest toys," she whistles admiringly at the cruiser and its paired wagon. She gives the vehicle train a quick walk-around inspection, checks the tow connection for security and stability, and then climbs into the driver's seat without hesitation.
"I mean, we are taking these, right?" she asks rather assuredly.
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Croaker, I've got to admit this is riding in a style I don't normally get to experience.
Nihm would climb into the back of the War Wagon, pull out his Thunderstrike Sonic Pistol and use the attached Sniper Scope while he watches for trouble.
With Croaker creating a map and setting a course, he rides with Mahari and Kat5e in the lead cruiser while the rest move along in the amroered War Rig. Outside the air is a balmy –32° PF but the vehicles allow you to cruise across the desolate terrain with relative protection. The slightly uneven and slick surface prevents either car from ramping up to full speed, but you manage to still move much faster than the six of you could have on foot.
At one point a thick fog bank shifts into your path, while minutes later a stretch of especially icy terrain forces you to takes things extra slow for several minutes to avoid losing traction. But all in all, the journey isn't too long or too bad and after about 20 minutes you come to your destination.
Lodged just in front of you between two sets of jutting ice mounds lies an immense red and dark gold starship. The name 'Bliss of Pursuit' is visible in stylized Common above a set of identification numbers. External damage to the hull, including laser burns and missile impacts, demonstrate that the ship took damage in some intense combat, but the fact that the ship is in one piece indicates that the pilot managed to bring the vessel down in a controlled manner. The starboard side of the ship is partially buried under a large collection of ice and snow. The port remains relatively clear: its airlock showing signs of forced entry but has been since re-sealed.
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Perception while we're driving
Engineering when we arrive
That was quite a drive. Very distracting
Unfortunately, this can't be Jelev Rasheen's ship. Thus model isn't old enough to have been hers. It is, however, a ship that was used by a lot of travelers who wanted comfort on long journeys, so we may get some good salvage here.
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Croaker smiles with excitement about using the vehicles on this planet. He nods to Mahari and Nimh "Let us hope that they will provide some safety and speed, and not bring more troubles."
He aids Mahari in backing up with both vehicles and then he goes into Uran Cruiser. He puts his weapon into the slot in the front windshield, allowing him to shoot outside.
As we are traveling...
Croaker see the desolated area before they arrive
"Ok, let us park this beast and go check the ship, maybe there are some hints on it. They could have found Rasheen ship before crashing."
Approaching the ship, you see the port airlock is still functional, but sealed.
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Azara rides in the War Wagon. He watches out the window and even pulls his pistol, though he's not going to be much help with it if a fight comes. Despite the protection of the vehicle and his own environmental seals, he shivers as the frigid landscape goes by.
"Well, I suppose it would have been too good to be true for this to have been Rasheen's ship. I'll see if I can get us in."
He applies some muscular engineering to the problem.
With some properly applied force, Azara is able to yet again unseal the ship's door to allow for entry within.
Inside you can see the crashed ship’s interior hallways bear signs of blast damage on the walls. Scorch marks of small fires long extinguished stain the floors. The air is somewhat warmer than outside and curiously dry, though a thin layer of frost covers every surface. Dull red emergency lighting provides the only illumination.
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Mahari thoroughly enjoys the drive, though like their Eoxian ship, these two linked vehicles drive like an Armada tug. Still it's fun to put them to their paces, and her passengers seem to enjoy it too. Well, at least most of them.
At the wreck, she concurs with Nimh's assessment of the ship's age with a quick glance whilst shutting the cruiser down. Like that weird scanner echo, though, she's concerned that this is too much of a coincidence to be a good thing.
"Nice job, big guy," she praises Azara as she slips past to scout out the interior. Pistol in hand, she quickly presses on to the t-junction.
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Kat keeps an eye out for danger as they drive and doesn't spot anything.
When they dismount, she takes in the sight of the crashed vessel, then moves to the door with the crew. As Azara muscles the door open, she is ready with her rifle barrel, and moves into the ship.
Once inside she suggests "We should conduct a right hand search, let's move along the right wall and search room by room"
Mahari moves to the junction and looks down warily. The corridor stretches up towards the bow with two doors leading off of it, before curving towards the starboard at the end.
Just before he opens the first door on the right, Azara uses a bit of extra caution and activates his prototype visor. On the other side of that door is a small bathroom - seemingly functional but not all that interesting.
The next door is another airlock chamber. This one once lead to an aft exit from the ship but also leads to a sizable cargo hold. There are multiple boxes and crates here but the space is in disarray: boxes are tipped over all around while containers labelled as containing emergency supplies and medical equipment are open and depleted.
Once you feel the hold has been properly examined Kat5e's 'keep to the right' searching pattern brings you to a new door.
Opening it reveals a large space whose every available surface - and parts of the floor - is covered with scattered spare parts. What appears to be a transmitter dish has been partially disassembled on one of the desks here along with a blinking computer terminal. Wrinkled printouts with frantic notes written in the margins cover another, with cups of long-frozen tea holding a set of blueprints flat. There are several dents in wall at human shoulder height, as though someone punched the wall in frustration.
Based on the ship's layout this would have been the engineering room.
Nimah and Azara move into the ransacked but empty space to begin seeing what can be found on the ship's systems. As the two of them enter to room, they now notice strange writing on the walls by the doorway they just passed through: magical writing that seems to have started glowing...
As they notice this and before they can even start the hack , a blue light appears as a shadowy form emerges from the floor at the other end of the room. As its shape begins to take on more detail - coalescing into an aged human male. His transluscent face contorts in anger as he says in Common: "Why are you here? Interrupting our important plans. Go! Be gone! Die!"
[dice=A armor]1d4[dice]
Initative
Teleemo
Azara
Kat5e
Mahari
Croaker
Teleemo does recognize the spirit as some sort of ghost. Incorporeal Undead whose spirits linger after death due to powerful emotional needs or trauma, ghosts can retain some of their abilities they had in life while often manifesting a number of new supernatural abilities. As this one continues to cry out louder and louder, the ghibrani fears this specter might be able to emit a Frightful Moan to frighten you all.
As he flies into the room, Teleemo's spell gets cast but the runes along the doorframe and walls glow a bit brighter and the Starfidner feels a bit strange.
Initative
Azara
Kat5e
Mahari
Croaker
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Croaker runs into the room and looks at the ghost "It's a ghost!" says Mr Obvious. He reaches for the power and looks at the creature
"Since you seem to not be on top of things, let me spill the beans for you. You are dead, and you are haunting a ship, we are not your enemies, but if you will attack us it will not break your way"
As the wisp distracts the ghost, Kat's shot lands true. Croaker then tries to lay some harsh truths on the ghost, but he does not seem to be swayed.
"No, no, nonononoNO!"
And as Kat and Croaker enter the room, they see a sudden red light on their armor gauges and start feeling strange...
Initiative
Azara, need Fort save
Mahari
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"We didn't mean to disturb you, Sir! But if you're going to be rude about it, we don't have much choice but to reply in kind," Azara says.
He can't do much against an incorporeal creature but he will do what he can.
He rushes toward it, drawing his stellar mote into a solar weapon shaped like an ankh and tapping into the photonic song of the universe.
Azara digs deep as the sigil's magic washes over him and while his armor's seals' lights flicker for a moment they remain intact. The lashunta then delivers a nice slice against the ghost while Mahari's force-emitting gun further destablizes its form.
"Go AWAY!!!!!!" the ghost moans out as it glide-steps back from Azara. It's words echo around you and threaten to shake you to your very souls.
Initiative
Teleemo 32/39 HP, Weakened, need another Fort save from radiation poisoning
Azara, need Will save
Kat5e
Mahari, need Will save
Croaker, need Fort save (if 16 or less, will need a second for new round)
Nimh 30/37, Weakened, need another Fort save from radiation poisoning at the end of your turn if you're in the room.
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I should have known an old abandoned ship would be haunted.
Nimh will start with a Mysticism check to disable the Runes around the room. Using the Trapsmith's Tools, because the description says it works on Mysticism checks for traps.
For his move, he will either move just in sight of the Spectre if the trap is disabled, or out of the room if the Runes are not disabled. Either way, he pulls his Thunderstrike Sonic Pistol as he moves.
If he gets a look at the Spectre
Nimh quickly moves to disable the runes before the situation gets worse. The ysoki manages to scratch away some key marks, and as he does the runes dim and he finds his armor's radiation protections stop glitching!
Then moving to get a better look at the ghost, Nimh notices its hands hold no weapons but flicker with necromantic energy. In addition to the supernatural aging touch all ghosts have, this one is able to Drain ability scores away from the living to heal itself. The lack of complex armor or any weaponry also makes the ysoki fear this may have been a spellcaster in life.
Initiative
Teleemo 32/39 HP, Weakened
Azara, need Will save
Kat5e
Mahari, need Will save
Croaker, need Fort save form last round (when runes may have caused your armor to glitch and expose you to radiation)