GM Jhaeman's SFS # 2-11: "Descent Into Verdant Shadow" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

Trey growls under her breath at the taunting creatures. She drops two weapons as she draws out her grenade launcher and hurls a stickybomb at it.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
sticky rounds, DC 15: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 2) = 5

Kat watches the fence fall and calls out a quick encouragement to Avaron. "Nice hits" before turning her attention to the final chuckling creature in front of her. Her eyes watch it over her rifle, as her combat tracking locks onto her target. "Who do you think will have the last laugh here?" she call out as her rifle begins to vibrate with stored energy.

Overcharge Static Arc Rifle vs Blue EAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Tampa Bay Damage, E: 1d12 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 6 + (2) = 16

The garden gremlin in front of Kat is on the map between squares. If it's supposed to be adjacent to Kat she would forfeit her combat tracking for a 5 foot step to avoid AoO, in which case her modifier would be -2 from the current roll. She would move diagonally and end up to the left of Hemlock if that were the case.

Adhesive goo explodes all over the western side of the cavern, but the little taunting creatures dances just between the sticky globs!
Meanwhile, Kat5e locks on the other annoyance and blasts it with her rifle. It doesn't look so smug any more!

The first creature made the save vs the stickybomb, but Kat hit the other one with a solid hit

@Kat: Right now, the one you shot is 20' off the ground (but not for long, since it no longer has the fence to hang on to).

Initiative (Round 6)

Kat5e
Freeman
Something B
Aravon+Smiley
Hemlock
Something A
Treyvasho

Bold should go!

Please remember this entire chamber is difficult terrain.

Freeman says "Precision, drone!"

And they each take a shot at Blue...

Ice carbine, overcharged
overcharged ice carbine: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
C+P damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + (3) + 4 = 12

Drone:
static arc pistol: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
Electircal damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Initiative (Round 6)

Kat5e
Freeman
Something B
Aravon+Smiley
Hemlock
Something A
Treyvasho

Bold should go!

Please remember this entire chamber is difficult terrain.

Freeman and Drone let loose with another volley, but again icy and shocking blasts swerve toward allies instead! Hemlock takes a direct hit from Freeman's ice carbine, while Aravon's armor insulates him from Drone's static arc pistol.

The intended target of their attacks looks smug as he crosses his arms and dances nonchalantly across the battlefield. "I could do this all day!"

Freeman's attack missed, was redirected to Hemlock, and hit. That khizar is not looking good. Drone's attack missed, was directed to Aravon, but missed.

Freeman curses, "Well, me weapons seem ta do nuthin but hurt me freinds!"

"Hemlock, move back so you're less of a target!"

My posts landed out of order again (annoying!), but just to clarify, it's Aravon's turn on Initiative.

Aravon urges smiley to go and have a look into the cage.

"I think those creatures didn't hit us even once. All of the damage we are doing to each other. Can we stop attacking and look around?" yells Aravon

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Aravon pulls the tarp off the cage to reveal a creature resembling a humanoid grasshopper with gnarled, plantlike elements--every surface of the creature is glowing a mottled red and yellow like the surface of the sun seen through a dark filter! But whatever the creature is, it seems so weak it can barely stir.

Meanwhile, Hemlock has had enough! "You little dudes are totally bogus!" the khizar shouts, swinging their swoop hammer at one of them and landing a devastating blow that sends the smug jerk flying!

Hemlock landed a crit and his weapon has the knockdown property. The foe next to them is almost defeated and is also prone.

This cage is locked; the usual options (Strength check to break, damage to destroy, or Engineering to disable the lock) apply.

Identifying the creature is a Mysticism check.

The westernmost foe cackles madly at seeing its lone ally take such a hard blow from Hemlock's hammer. "You shoulda ducked, Glzxprix'l'm!"

Initiative (Round 6)

Kat5e
Freeman
Something B (prone)
Aravon+Smiley
Hemlock
Something A
Treyvasho

Bold should go!

Please remember this entire chamber is difficult terrain.

Trey continues shooting at the creature in the air, but isn't interested in being nice any more.

frag grenade: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
frag piercing, DC 15: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) = 9

Shrapnel flies everywhere! "No fair!" shouts one of the little monsters, as greenish blood oozes from its abdomen.

It made its save for half damage, but now both foes are very badly wounded.

Usual reminder to everyone using consumables (grenades, elixirs, etc.) to remember to remove them from your inventory tracking sheets).

Initiative (Round 7)

Kat5e
Freeman
Something B (prone)
Aravon+Smiley
Hemlock
Something A
Treyvasho

Bold should go!

Please remember this entire chamber is difficult terrain.

"Well, come down here then and fight me on the ground!" Trey shouts, readying another grenade.

As the, whatever, falls in front of him Freeman drops his carbine, pulls out his knife and tries to strike it.

Learning that his weapons are more a danger to the party, Drone moves in to assist Aravon

knife: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Slashing damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Typical. Thanks Dicebot! :)

Freeman slashes away with his knife, only to see it cutting a hole in his favourite shirt!

Freeman missed (even vs prone AC), but there are no other targets within range and the attack can't be redirected toward the original attacker.

Kat is up.

My sincere apologies for my delay - I was caught up in the Canada wide service interruption yesturday and was without internet or phone for a day. It was wonderful.

Kat watches the anarchy around her as shots twist around back at her allies. She seems to be missing part of the equation, her processors strain to try to explain what's happening. She holds off on a powerful overcharged attack in fear it will hit her teammates.

She takes a guarded step backwards and levels a shot at the small creature her Exocortex has locked onto

Static Arc Rifle Vs Blue EAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21
Damage, E: 1d12 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

This time, Kat's Exocortex doesn't fall for any tricks! The android's electrical blast hits the little menace dead on, blasting it into pieces!

Blue is defeated.

Initiative (Round 7)

Kat5e
Freeman
Aravon+Smiley
Hemlock
Something A
Treyvasho

Bold should go!

Please remember this entire chamber is difficult terrain.

Smiley turns around and runs towards the remaining foe Move speed 50 => 5 squares of movement through difficult terrain.

Then Aravon punches them

Entropic Strike vs EAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Damage, a&b: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

I think A is flying, but Smiley is 10 ft tall (large creature) and Aravon is on top, so if he can reach he would. If he can, then I would charge and Smiley would walk on the wall (climb speed)

Charging through the foliage on Smiley's back, Aravon lands a massive, knockout blow on the last remaining foe! Payback for the sneaky illusion?

A is down, and we are off Initiative. Good work everyone--that was a long battle but you persevered. To recap the scene, the eastern grotto holds a sinkhole encircles by dessicated flowers and a cage containing a weakened, grasshopper-like humanoid.

Heaving a sigh of relief as the last creature goes down, Trey sheathes all their weapons then shakes out their hands. She gingerly approaches the edge of the hole, peering down to see what might be down there.

Freeman will waltz over and check out the unknown being.
life sciences: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

"If ya kin understand me, we nay here ta' hurt ye."
Drone spits out what sounds like a chuckle and some fast code. Freeman looks over his shoulder.
"Aint nuttin' wrong with the way i be talkin'. No need ta' be rude!"

Aravon rests for a moment to regain some of his strength. He looks at Freeman trying to communicate with the creature

As Treyvasho examines the sinkhole, Freeman tries to communicate with the grasshopper-like humanoid. The creature's voice is somehow almost comically high-pitched and deadly serious at the same time. "The Shadow Plane . . . leaking through. Must stop it . . ."

@Freeman: Unfortunately, it's a Mysticism check to identify the creature.

If anyone wants to spend an RP for a ten minute rest to regain SP, you may do so now.

"It's a long way down over here, but might be some water at the bottom?"

Freeman lets a surprised look show on his face for a second but recovers.
"Eh, shadow plane. Kin be a nasty place. How do we being stopping it?"

Kat moves in to the caged creature. "How do we stop it? What can we do?"

She takes a moment to have a look over the creature to see is she can render any aid.

medicine: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

To her teammates she asks. "I can try to open that cage if we think we can trust this thing. What do you think?"

"Below! Meteor strike . . . opened rift? Malicious svartalfar came through . . . wants to make hole . . . permanent . . ." It's clear the grasshopper-like humanoid is weak, but he seems to be gaining strength as hope appears in his eyes!

"Don't let them stay hurt if we don't have to. I don't recognize it, but it seems nice enough."

Freeman helps open the cage and also helps treat the being.
Auto assit on both..
"Meteor strike? Sounds drastic!"
Drone emits a few sad sounds beeps.
"Oh, CAUSED by a meteor strike? Yeah, that be makign more sense... were wonderin' where we might find an orbital strike anyways.."
Drone gives another short sad sound... Freeman either isn't paying attention or is too focused on getting in and helping as he does not respond.

"Svartalfar? That does not sound good"says Aravon looking down the hole

"Can we cure them, they look ill"

Working together, Kat5e and Freeman manage to disable the lock on the cage. The grasshopper-creature sighs with relief. "My gratitude! . . . I am Ravai, follower of Eldest Apholine . . . the svaltar, Iziphis, captured me . . . a machine below weakens me . . . enlarges the rift . . . "

Hemlock speaks up "Don't worry dude, we won't let anything happen to the Gullet! But you're looking pretty pale--maybe you should stay here?"

"No!" shouts Ravai with vehemence. " . . . risk is too great . . . I will come, and I will fight . . . somewhere in this chamber . . ." Ravai clutches his side for a moment, and then continues. "The gremlins hid my supplies. I have . . . healing elixirs . . ."

Freeman looks around for the mentioned supplies.
perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Aravon joins the search of the room

Treyvasho reaches into a pouch and offers the creature a healing serum (mk I). "Please take this. We can't allow you to continue while you are still so weak."

Kat takes a knee and begins to see what she can do to administer aid to the creature as well.

Medicine: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Kat doesn't have any kind of med kits, so she'd just be attempting any kind of battlefield first aid she could administer while the others search for it's supplies.

After Ravai's tip that something should be hidden in the cavern, Freeman and Aravon have no trouble unearthing a footlocker. Inside are a cache of reagents harvested from local native flora and fauna intermixed with several discarded electronics and a hodge-podge of technological ephemera. More to the point are several serums!

Meanwhile, Treyvasho and Kat5e offer some basic first aid, which Ravai accepts gratefully. He seems to recover from the ordeal of imprisonment and merciless teasing at the hands of the gremlins quickly. "By the light of Apholine the Flame, we must prevent the Shadow from consuming this land! I do not know exactly what lies below, but may our light drive away the darkness."

Freeman looks down the hole, trying to get a sense of how far the drop is...
"O' course we'll help. Any ideas how many o' them annoyin' things might be down there?"

Aravon looks at the serums "I think with this one we would be able to deal with Mysticism for a bit" About time!

Aravon moves closer towards the hole "Shall we?"

"One of the smart people should hold onto the fun serums. Everyone else take a healing?"

She moves back to the hole down, assessing how climbable it looks. "Do we have spare rope?"

Can I tell how far down the hole goes and how hard it would be to climb? +12 Athletics, +0 Perception, if either of those would help.

Freeman will compare notes and share the enhancements with Kat..

He digs through his gear. "Ah, yup. Nice rope here. Hope 50' is enough. Hey Drone, go be sneaky n' take a look."

Drone gives a quiet whistle and ducks into the hole, quickly finding cover on the other side to take a look around..

Examining the sinkhole carefully, the Starfinders see a rough shaft linked with drab roots and vines. Far below, shadowy illumination from an unknown source reveals what must be a cavern whose floor is covered with deep, calm water.

It looks about two hundred feet or so down to the water (you can't estimate from here how deep the water is). The shaft is lined with plant-life that you could use as handholds--your best guess is it would be doable to climb down, though certainly more challenging than your previous descent down the walls of the Gullet.

Freeman looks at the potential fall and grimaces. "OK, that be it. I'm upgradin' Drone's antigrav and gettin' a saddle."
You swear you actually hear Drone say "Oh no the Hades you are not!"

Freeman ignores him.
"OK, so... tie the rope up here and have that safety fer fifty feet and then hope or... have Smiley ferry us all down? If'n he don't mind, of course."

Trey looks worried at the drop. "Anyone else have cables? I didn't bring any this time, though you'd think with climbing in the briefing I would have."

"Didn't we all use cables and climbing harness to get here? Why don't we take them from our path down and use them here."

Hemlock sends a telepathic message. "Like, we could backtrack to the cliffs, haul in a couple of hundred feet of cable and anchor it somewhere, but that'd take all day! Don't worry dudes, you won't fall--and if you do, you'll just get a radi-cool swim out of it!"

Ravai offers a more sober assessment. "What dangers lie below should not be underestimated! I would not ask you to take the risk if the need were not urgent. Time, unfortunately, is not on our side as Izphis tries to open a permanent link to the Plane of Shadow. Nonetheless, the choice must be your own."