GM Jhaeman's "Dawn of Flame, Chapter Four: The Blind City" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

Hani lends his engineering genius to repairing the drone found in the custodian's office in the Salubrium. After about an hour, the robot is as good as--maybe even better than--new!

Not long after, the voice of Hopalong comes through loud and clear in your personal comms. "Howdy pardners! Reckon it's been a while since I yammered at ya! This here Sun Diver chuck wagon sure got fixed up real fancy-like--it's purdier than a debutante at the ball! If y'all are fixin' for a sojourn or two, just hop on in 'cause these fillies are ready ta gallop!"

Please mark off 25 UPBs for fixing Roxi the Robot.

Deducted the UPBs from the sheet.

Zharis responds back to Hop and says

We'll be there soon, Hop.

She finishes signing all of the 5x7 glossies that she had printed for the DSI staff and leaves them with Taeress.

I heard that you guys are getting together for a watch party of As the Black Hole Turns as soon as we take off, so these are for you. You can hand them out. Note that I am not giving them to Beran so she can *sell* them, okay... just a gift for my friends here who have worked so hard to make sure the ship was ready and that our mission will be successful. And don't worry, even marathoning that show, we're likely to be back before you finish. See you soon!

Then she grabs all the stuff she had already packed and moves it into her luxury quarters on the ship. She then goes to the bridge, makes sure the tablet is safe and her drone camera is set up to show her best side, and slouches into the captain chair, familiarizing herself with the new, shinier controls, and waiting for everyone else to arrive.

Once everyone's aboard, a course is laid in, and final diagnostics show a indicators green, the journey out of the Burning Archipelago through Sunrise Station proceeds smoothly. Once again, the blazing corona of the Pact Worlds' sun appears at its full intensity. "Clench tight and hold on pards, 'cause here we go! Yeee-hawwwww!"

The Sun Diver leaps into Mataras' chromosphere like a leaping dolphin into water. In seconds, the Burning Archipelago and the blackness of space behind you are completely lost to sight. Instead, currents of super-heated plasma are the only things visible. "Holdin' together like a bathtub floatin' down the river!" exclaims Hop.

Hours pass as the ship's sensors begin to once again pick up valuable information about the outer layers of the sun.

During Day One, the Sun Diver will take 1 point of hull damage from siccatite degradation.

Could I ask everyone to please nominate a starting starship combat role if there's an encounter? It might save some time on the way there or back. It's also good to review the particular limitations and advantages of the Sun Diver if you haven't looked at it for a while.

From what Otlo gleaned from the tablet, the journey to Ezorod should take about six days. If anyone would like to do some Downtime activities while aboard the ship, please feel free.

As they set out, Zharis gets comfortable, and settles in to a long day of carefully monitoring the scanners for trouble.

Performing the downtime activity "Maintain Readiness" ... also, I think the Hephaistos sheet (linked in my tag line) has our combat roles already, unless someone wants to switch out to something else?

Other than Hani switching between engineer and science officer, as the occasion requires, I think everyone is at their best spot

Xylian does typical Xylian things. He reserves the workshop and manufactures a heavier set of powered armor and modifications that will better withstand the unique challenges they face.

I guess Xylian will Manage Course.

Piloting: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

Downtime: Work Out

It doesn't matter if you ever thought about what a pot-bellied but broad-shouldered duergar looks like in wrestling tights and shoes or not, but sooner or later you will see it, because it is in this form, sweaty but pleased with himself, from time to time he leaves the storage module of the ship towards his cabin and shower. Looking back to where he came from you will see a portable wrestling mat, as well as several bags for throws of different sizes, with different centers of gravity and the number of soft limbs. Bah! I took it from the sports department of our university. It's gathering dust anyway. We're going to a dangerous place and we need to be in dangerous shape, hah!

Fort: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 2 = 15 yep!

Results: On a success, once per day for the following week, you can reroll a failed Athletics check to climb, jump, or swim.

___

Starship Combat Role: still bad at any .) Let him be a gunner, provided that he is not the only gunner

The second day of the Sun Diver's journey is a bumpy one, as the ship enters an area with danger cross-currents of plasma! These solar eddies toss the vessel to and fro and sometimes spin it around entirely! At the controls, Xylian is sorely pressed just to keep the ship roughly on course, even with Hop's assistance.

But then, things go from bad to potentially disastrous. "Pards, did one of y'all ring the dinner bell? We got company!" says Hop.

Sensors detect a medium-sized vessel in the vicinity, and before more extensive scans can be undertaken, it hails you. A deep-throated voice says in heavily-accented Common: “Attention, crew of the Sun Diver. I am Captain Hamat of the warship, the Ashen Rain. You are in possession of technology known to allow entry to the deep-sun site of Ezorod. That territory has already been claimed and no trespass there shall be tolerated. You shall relinquish this technology and turn back, or you face annihilation. I give you ten minutes to choose your fate. Do so wisely.”

On Day Two, the Sun Diver takes 1 point of hull damage from siccatite decay. (damage direct to hull points is never fun, but at least I've been rolling minimum so far!)

Zharis isn't sure what technology they are referring to, but her paranoia assumes that it is the tablet, and that someone has been talking to them. She removes it from being connected to the ship and hides it in her glove of storing, just in case. She then responds to the comm message.

Hello Captain Hamat. This is Captain Zharis. Let's not get off on the wrong foot here. Our ship is pretty amazing technology, granted, but it's our only way home. We can't give it up. And we're definitely not looking to claim your territory. We're scientists and explorers and we're out here meeting people and furthering scientific progress. Would you like to come over to our ship and share a meal with us? Perhaps some entertainment afterward? Maybe we could both benefit from the cultural exchange and you could tell us places that we should visit as well as ones to avoid. Ezorod, got it. That's on the avoid list.

Bluff: 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 16 + (1) + 1 = 25

"We have received confirmation that this is the ship that trespassed Noma and that this is the ship containing the key to Ezorod. Stand down and prepare to be scanned!" Waves of invisible energy begin to wash over the Sun Runner!

Hop speaks up. "It's like walkin' nekkid down Main Street during the harvest feast!"

After intense electronic scrutiny, a voice comes over the comms again. "Well. Perhaps our information was imprecise. Nonetheless, you must change your present course."

That was close! Zharis made the Bluff DC exactly, and the clever trick with the glove of storing foils the scan.

You can plot a different course that will still take you to Ezorod, but it will add a day's travel. (or you can fight).

Understood, Captain Hamat. We will be changing course momentarily.

She turns off the comm and looks over at the others to see if they are in agreement.

Let me know if you guys want to shoot it out or just sneak around. The bluff gave us options, but I don't want to force anyone into a certain course of action if you were looking forward to space combat or something.

"Good work. They will probably follow us, but changing courses might fool them... probably very few starships in this area to keep tabs on, though."

If it comes to battle, I'd prefer to let them board us first and them invade their ship

Xylian checks the scanners for alternate routes. "There is an abnormally dense convection current nearby; perhaps they will be hesitant to follow into the more turbulent region."

I'm fine with going around. Or whatever. YOLO

Sounds good, Xylian. Take us through the convection current.

Xylian plots a new course, taking the Sun Diver into a dangerously turbulent convection current! Although bounced around like a toy ship headed for a storm drain, the ship and its crew prove up to the challenge. Soon, the Ashen Rain is left far behind and the journey continues deeper and deeper into Mataras.

On Day 3, the Sun Diver takes 1 point of hull damage from siccatite degradation. Dice bot is on your side!

Zharis returns to scanning for trouble Maintain Readiness.

If they see no sign of the ship following them in the week ahead, she will switch to the Entertain downtime activity the day before we get to the planet, to try to give everyone a bonus before we go in. The DC on that will be 10+4+10=24 when we get to that point.

As the safety of the Burning Archipelago gets further and further behind, the risk of catastrophe--and a sudden fiery death--looms larger and larger. But so far, all systems on board the Sun Diver seem to be holding up well. Sensors continue to glean valuable information about the various layers of the sun, as the ship goes deeper than even the best-shielded robotic probes could survive.

Hop's Akitonian-accented voice breaks the silence of routine work. "I surely hope this here tablet ain't leadin' us on a wild goose chase--hate to get all this way for some chiseler's notion of a joke!"

On Day Four, the Sun Diver takes 1 point of damage. Am I the only one who starts to get nervous when good luck happens too much early in a trip?

The journey continues ever deeper, reaching the five-day mark--the same distance into the interior of the sun as Noma. From this point forward, the Sun Diver's capabilities are being pushed further than ever before!

On Day Five, the Sun Diver takes 4 points of hull damage. Ouch!

I sure hope not too, Hop. It wouldn't be a very good joke. Hang in there and let us know if you see anything strange.

On Day 6 of an estimated 7, to distract everyone from being concerned about the hull degradation and what is waiting for them in the dark, Zharis brings up a script she's been working on, working title Sun Diver Stories, and with brief heroic clips from their adventure interspersed with exaggerated and often hilarious narration, she tells the story of the quirky and tough heroes that set out to explore and overcome obstacles to scientific progress (and battle evil).

Profession Actor (Entertain): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

Wow, perfect roll. That entertains everyone (for the purposes of the downtime activity at least, though feel free to hate it as your character if you wish). On Day 7 everyone should get 7 temporary Hit Points and a +2 morale bonus to the first saving throw you attempt. (And I get half that.)

Hani can often be found lounging about in different sections of the ship. At one point, Xylian passes by the galley where Hani is dining. Roxanne the deckhand robot is sitting across from him, dressed in a little chiffon number that Hani found in the hold.

Noticing Xylian, he gives him a dirty look and closes the door in his face. He then resumes his pleasant dinner with Roxanne.

Using the lounge downtime activity as often as he can. It gives him a few temporary HP.

I forget--can we repair this hull damage while underway?

Zharis keeps the crew entertained while Hani enjoys a little robotic companionship!

On Day Six, the Sun Diver takes 1 point of siccatite degradation.

@Hani: Nope, the siccatite damage can only be repaired "in a safe harbor and with 1 Bulk of siccatite per 5 damage or fraction thereof repaired".

After seven days’ travel, a lusterless black sphere becomes visible on scans. According to the coordinates, this dark bubble must be Ezorod. "Well pards, there it is," says Hop. "I ain't much like the looks of it, no siree!"

On Day Seven, the Sun Diver takes 4 points of siccatite degradation. Total Hull Point Damage: 13. Could someone please adjust the starship sheet to reflect that? Thanks!

Don't forget to add the bonuses that Zharis' Downtime activity gave you to your taglines (and Hani, you can add your lounging bonus in as well). Sometimes little bonuses can make all the difference!

Xylian moves the ship into orbit around the supposed city and begins running scans.

Zharis puts the tablet back in the ship because it is their ticket in. After everyone gets all the pictures and scans they want of the outside of the dark bubble, she says

Okay Hop, take us through.

Scans reveal that the sphere is an anomaly made of extreme force, like a mightier version of the bubbles of the Burning Archipelago. As the Sun Diver approaches with the tablet installed, the black bubble extrudes a secondary bubble, in which a gap opens like a toothless maw!

"Here we go!" shouts Hop, as the Sun Diver flies right into the opening. The effects are disorienting to say the least! Instead of the omnipresent radiance of the sun's interior that has been outside the ship's viewscreens for the past week, now an almost tangible darkness surrounds the ship. It's like suddenly being in deep space, but without even the twinkling of stars.

Scanners show a massive structure floating in the distance, with an open area large enough to accommodate the Sun Diver . . .

"Can we still transmit to the outside?" Jin asks, wondering how alone they truly are.

Uh, not sure. Let me check.

She uses her datapad to send a selfie to her official fan club to check and see if it goes through or not.

"The entities here will likely desire our tablet to escape." Xylian warns the others as he brings the ship in.

Zharis looks over at Xylian and nods, then once they have landed, she takes the tablet and hides it in her Glove of Storing again.

Also, Xylian, no one else installed the Brightlight Projector, so I put it down as being on your armor. Tulgram has 20 MK1 serums, and we still have radiation protective clothing, badges, and tea that we didn't use last time.

Xylian brings the Sun Diver in for a landing. From the ship's viewscreens, you can see enormous circles ringed with runs cover this vast plaza of enormous fitted black stones. This area has no ceiling. To the north and east stands an imposing edifice also composed of titanic, blackened stone slabs. A giant archway opens near where the northern and eastern walls meet. Chunks of stone litter the ground along the north wall, from which they fell.

A lanky corpse is splayed out among them, a light from a beacon on the body illuminating the area!

"Good luck, pards. I'll keep the home fires burnin'." says Hop with clear trepidation in his voice.

Please see the new Slide # 2. At this point everyone is still in the ship.

The signal doesn't go through, but that could just as easily be because of solar interference in general.

I wonder what forms of life we will meet here. I think something like Ottlo but not so friendly. Tulgram is the first to leave the ship, trying to stay in the light coming from the headlights and from the projector in Xylian's armor.

I moved my token closer to the body on the map, but it is clear that I will not immediately separate myself from the party like this )) I assume Tulgram's walking no more than 10 feet ahead of the others. PS Btw did we understand who addressed us from that warship, what kind of race was this?

UPD Lifesince 38 or Physical Science 39 (if non-living creature) to identify this corpse

That's a negative on transmitting to the outside. Also, I don't like that there is a corpse right out there. Seems like a bad sign. Let's seal up those suits and make sure we're on internal atmo before going out. I also want everyone fully geared up with radiation badges and temperature controls on.

Zharis follows Tulgram, promising Jin that she won't fight anything without him. Just checking the air before the whole party commits to coming out. She makes sure that her new suit lights are on to illuminate her in a 50-foot radius. If the suit says there is immediate danger, she cycles herself back in, but if not, she tells everyone else it is safe, so they can come out.

(Light projector increases the light level by one step in a 100-foot cone or a 50-foot radius. Also, Xylian's upgrade (Brightlight Projector) has the same options, but his can penetrate magical darkness as well.)

After taking necessary precautions, the crew of the Sun Diver exit the vessel. Tulgram takes the lead and heads towards the body. It looks like a verthani woman sprawled amid a pool of her own blood, covered in slashing wounds.

But before further investigation can take place, a few members of the expedition notice to the northwest a lean, humanoid-shaped being with a face seemingly comprised only of a gaping maw!

I've taken the liberty of assuming everyone exits the ship (after sealing up environmental suits and donning radiation badges, per Zharis' recommendation) and staying within 10' of Tulgram per his post. No radiation is detected and air samples read as normal.

A picture of this creature is to the left of the map, and I've placed its token on the board (the red outline). We will now proceed to a Surprise Round, in which Zharis, Xylian, and Tulgram can participate because they made the Perception DC of 26.

@Tulgram: This interruption hinders you from making a full investigation of the body right now, but you can come back to it after the encounter for more information.

@Tulgram: You couldn't tell species from the voice of the captain of the Ashen Rain, and I don't believe anyone tried to discern the origin of the ship's design from the scans.

Initiative (Surprise Round)

Lurker
Tulgram
Xylian
Zharis

Bold should go!

Surprise round reminder: Single move action or standard action only.

As a free action on your turn, you can try to identify this creature with a Mysticism check.

Suddenly, the terrifying creature vanishes, only to reappear right next to Tulgram! It seems to rapidly blink in and out of existence, but its sharp claws look deadly!

The lurker has used a standard action to activate a spell-like ability.

Initiative (Surprise Round)

Lurker
Tulgram
Xylian
Zharis

Bold should go!

Surprise round reminder: Single move action or standard action only.

As a free action on your turn, you can try to identify this creature with a Mysticism check.

The squares that are at least half covered in rubble are difficult terrain.

Zharis moves, drawing a pistol and making sure the whole group isn't standing together if the creature has an area effect spell.

She wonders what it is.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Xylian parks the ship and activates the various security systems, leaving the landing lights on. He climbs into his powered armor, the large ice cannon mounted onto the armors shoulder. Now he towers over even Jin. Powerful lights are projected all around him, as well as thrown far into the distance in whatever direction he is facing. The laser sight on the cannon fwips to life, and he takes the control for the survey drone.

He puts on a playlist of downtempo techno music over the ships' speakers for his proog to listen to whilst they are away.

========

Xylian activates his combat tracking against the strobey boy.

Move Action to target with Combat Tracking.

Xylian is large size in his power armor. Just a heads up for everyone, in case it should come up at some point.

Neural networks in the brain of Tulgram, improved by hundreds of experiments on colonies of fungi from all over the galaxy, process information at lightning speed in such quantities that no brain of any living entity can withstand. Everything in the galaxy seems to have common features, you just have to defocus your mind a little and give yourself to the flow... Tulgram winces and gradually realizes what exactly attacked him.

Move Action: Lifesince 38 or Physical Science 39 (if non-living creature) instead of Mysticism. I want to know: immunities, resistances, DRs, weakness, one most dangerous ability (in this order, depending on how many questions I have).

As Zharis sprints away and quick draws, Xylian's exocortex invisibly spotlights the monster. Meanwhile, Tulgram rapidly processes every available piece of information on the monster to identify it.

@Xylian: Cool! I've changed your token size to Large.

The terrifying creature slashes down at Tulgram with claws as long and sharp as zero-edge daggers!

Full attack vs Tulgram. Result: Ouch! Both of those attacks hit.
Tulgram, you take 19 S and 21 S.

Initiative (Round # 1)

Lurker
Hani
Jin
Tulgram
Xylian
Zharis

Bold should go!

The squares that are at least half covered in rubble are difficult terrain.

In PFS1e I remember such creatures in seekers games only... Ouch. It's good that it's alone.

Tulgram's eyes widen. Bloody blasted dimensional shambler it is! Don't let it grab ye or prepare yerself to nice travel on other planes... It has damage resistance and activated something like displacement too... Bloody hell! Beat it with energy! And while the duergar was shouting all this, the creature introduced itself in its own way, striking two strong blows that deeply wounded Tulgram...

Merciful Capture Pole: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 211d8 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17 (piercing vs KAC; non-lethal dmg)
Bigger Better: 1d100 ⇒ 15

Duergar takes a step back and strikes with his capture pole, but the creature is not where it should be at the moment of impact...

Zharis, moving slowly and carefully through the rocks, gets to the body, and shoots over it into the creature.

Advanced Semi-Auto: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Piercing Damage: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2) + 3 = 6

Jin approaches and uses lunge to strike at the monster:

Aurora Storm Doshko vs. EAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13
Electricity damage: 2d8 + 13 ⇒ (4, 5) + 13 = 22

It's not a good start.

The dimensional shambler disappears an instant before Tulgram's capture pole can squeeze it, and easily evades Jin's clumsy strike. Zharis grazes it with her pistol, leaving only the barest scratch!

Tulgram missed due to displacement.

Zharis' attack hit (I rolled displacement miss chance below), but did very little damage--there's obviously some DR at work.

Jin missed with the nat one.

Hani and super-sized Xylian are up.

Xylian fires!
And misses!
"Recalibrating"
It is a new weapons platform, after all.

Overcharge and shoot.
Ice Cannon vs KAC (Coordinated Shot): 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 11 + 1 = 16
P + C Damage: 2d8 + 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (5, 2) + (4) + 7 = 18

We're doooooomed!

Hani steps forward, his gauntlet humming with power.

to hit: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
damage, B + So: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

miss chance, high good: 1d100 ⇒ 60

Zharis realizes that she is going to have to get closer and use her claws if she is going to really hurt it.

She moves up while holstering her pistol, flanks with Hani, and slashes with her claws.

Claws: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 2 = 14 (flanking)
Piercing Damage: 1d3 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

Miss already, so not bothering to roll miss chance. Also, if it physically attacks or touches me, it takes 1d6 Electricity damage, which you know, with DR is unlikely to affect it much, but every little bit counts. :)