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

Game Master Jhaeman

"It is a siege. They do not plan to escape, but to achieve what they want right here - and there will be more enemies waiting, considering this little ambush. We can rest for a bit before continuing." Jin analyzes.

Since it won't be a chase, I vote for the stamina break now

As the group discuss what to do, Xylian activates his mindlink circuit to see if he can communicate with Nib telepathically.

~~ It sounds as if Nib has been captured. ~~ Xylian broadcasts to the rest of the group. ~~ I do not believe we have time to wait. ~~

Zharis takes the stuff, swapping out her own semi-auto pistol, because her fan's is better. She glances at the camera before placing the holy symbol on the floor, pulling the camera in for a close-up, and then blasting it to smithereens.

She puts a grim look on her face as she manacles the Ysoki so she can't wake up and come after them, then stands up from her crouch and looks towards the group.

The camera pulls back a little to get her profile.

Onward, then, I suppose. I would rather rest, and I think their real target is the tablet which we have. We are walking into a trap... but I don't see a way around it. We'll just have to triumph despite the odds.

As a player, I agree with resting, and wish we had done so sooner, but my character can't do that now that Xylian said that Nib is captured.

I'm suddenly going to agree with Jin. Now we know that these bloody blasted cultist guys aren't going anywhere. They have nowhere to run past us. And everything that will be cut off from Nib and Ottlo, I can sew back on. Simple practicality. Let's rest.

Two vs Two on "proceed or rest"! Hani, what's your take?

"I've gotta know--should we stay or should we go"? Perhaps someone could come up with a compromise solution to resolve this Clash?

1 to go, 2 to rest
1d2 ⇒ 2
You're welcome.

Zharis starts up the stairs, but then gives up on moving forward when she sees no one else moving. Jin was bigger than she was, and no one wanted to cross the mad scientist type. And moving forward without them was likely not a good idea. She was very stealthy, but not invisible.

Worry still gnawed at her though. To get her mind off Nib she cleans her claws and reloads all of her weapons before relaxing enough to rest along with the others. This was good, she told herself, and as an afterthought, the camera:

This is good. We'll rest so that we can take down Nib's captors easily. They are using her as bait, so they won't kill her before we have a chance to get there.

She hoped that her acting ability made that sound convincing, because she wasn't sure whether she had talked herself into it, or was just doing it so that the little medical madman wouldn't poison her or something.

Using a RP to restore stamina during the 10 minute rest.

Following the guidance of their security specialist, the expedition team decide to catch their breaths before pushing on.

Thanks everyone for the amicable resolution. Your rest is uninterrupted. Everyone can deduct an RP and regain full SP if they wish (as well as restoring any special abilities that are accessible after a 10 minute rest).

Sorry everyone. I have had a strange week, though not bad in any way. I am involved in a local game convention. It's kept me pretty busy. I anticipate a full week of heavy posting starting Sunday night though!

Though Hani is anxious, he relishes the opportunity to take a brief rest.

I'll spend the RP. This also resets a couple of Hani's abilities.

Ok everyone, where to next?

@Hani: No worries--don't forget to restore the SP to your tagline!

"I will check for more hidden enemies and traps."

Jin moves to the first room to the left, checks the door and opens it:

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

"Given the limited range of the telepathy, I expect Nib is in one of these rooms." Gesturing to the three western doors.

Tulgram inserts some kind of fast syringe into himself and will do so every minute and a half getting +10 to speed again and again. Okay, let's get down to business. He stands behind Jin.

A search of the three rooms to the west, labeled R1-R3, reveals that they are patient rooms. Each contains a hospital bed, a private washroom, and a series of wall-mounted instruments. All of the rooms look like they've lain undisturbed for years.

@Tulgram: Does the speed booster count as a use of your biohack allotment? If so I'll try to update you when to mark one off.

Did we ever get a description of this area? What is the circle to the left?

@Zharis: Sorry about that--I gave it in a spoiler to someone who scouted ahead, but forgot to give it to everyone when you all came up the stairs: "This area connects the top of the stairs, a nearby balcony, an elevator, and a hall with several doors. Three doors to the west are labelled R1 to R3, and the sign on the door to the east reads 'Surgery Scrub'. The balcony contains a few sturdy chairs and a small pool of blood." (The circle to the left is the elevator I think.)

> @Tulgram: Does the speed booster count as a use of your biohack allotment? If so I'll try to update you when to mark one off.

Oh. I'm sorry, I confused biohacks and minor biohacks. The second ones are literally endless, but speed boost is the 'main biohack'. I'm sorry, I'm going to mark one spent charge now and I won't prick myself further yet. Thank you for paying attention to this, my mistake.

Finding nothing, Jin checks and opens the door to the east next:

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

Zharis looks at the pool of blood and hopes it doesn't belong to her friends. Is it a big pool of blood like someone died here, or more like a minor injury?

Then she goes over to the elevator to see if it is operational, but seeing that Jin is opening the door to the east, instead she draws her pistol to make sure he has backup.

Jin opens the door to the east to reveal a room containing a few cabinets on wheels and a long trough sink. A sign on the door in the east wall reads “The Care You Deserve is Ahead”. Curiously, the room is filled with a thin, sweet-smelling mist.

Two members of the expedition team have keener eyes than the others, as Tulgram and Xylian realise there are figures hiding in the mist!

We will now proceed to a Surprise Round.

@Zharis: With a successful Medicine check, I can tell you more about the blood.

INITIATIVE (SURPRISE ROUND)

Oke
Xylian
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Surprise Round: one action only, no full-round actions.

Pics of these two figures are on the left side of the map. One is a human male and one is a human female.

One of the figures hidden in the mist begins to swirl with black energy that threatens to pull Jin into the room!

Jin, please attempt a DC 14 Fortitude save. On a failure, you move diagonally adjacent to the Blue token.

INITIATIVE (SURPRISE ROUND)

Oke
Xylian
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Surprise Round: one action only, no full-round actions.

Xylian lases one of the 'humans'.

Move Action to Target Red.

From our last episode...

Medicine: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Jin is yanked off his feet--hard--by the swirling black magic of the cultist! He flies into the mist-filled room, right into the waiting blade of the other cultist!

Jin's Fort save vs Black Hole: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Botting Jin's save. Failed with a nat 1.

Jin, you get hit by the blade and take 6 S.

INITIATIVE (SURPRISE ROUND)

Oke
Xylian
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Surprise Round: one action only, no full-round actions.

Jin activated his armor back when the smoke from the blast started - though I believe it was already active, when we first entered the building

Hhaa! Duergar spits on the floor (to do this, he lowers and raises again life support system on the armor)

Just in case.

Muttering some obscenities about the smoking furnace in Torag's ass, duergar enters the fog after Jin.

AoO: I have a 10-foot reach pole in my hands. You never know, suddenly they want to shoot or cast stepping away from me.

Initiative (Round 1)

Oke
Jin
Xylian
Hani
Zharis
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

A massive glowing hammer with long spikes somehow manifests in the male cultist's hands, and he brings it down hard towards Jin! He shouts as he attacks, though in his fully-sealed suit no words can be heard.

The male cultist is manifesting a solar weapon and attacking Jin.

The attack hits. Jin, you take 17 S.

Initiative (Round 1)

Oke
Jin
Xylian
Hani
Zharis
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Luckily for Jin, Xylian is taller than Tulgram. The damai fires a shot of laser guided ice over the druegar's head.

Ice Carbine vs KAC (Ignores up to 4 AC from Cover): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28
P + C Damage: 1d8 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + (6) + 6 = 14
Overcharge and Shoot Red.

Zharis moves into the room, getting into position for a clear shot at blue. Then she takes the shot.

Attack (Advanced Semi-Auto): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Damage(Piercing): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9

Laser guidance allows Xylian to aim a perfect shot diagonally through the doorway and just past Tulgram's shoulder, striking the female cultist hard with a superfrozen projectile of ice! And then, liked a trained gunslinger, Zharis sprints into the room and puts a slug in the other cultist's belly!

Xylian hits.

Zharis hits.

Jin and Hani are up.

Jin full attacks the blue solarian:

Aurora Storm Doshko vs. EAC: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 12 - 4 = 22
Electricity damage: 2d8 + 13 ⇒ (4, 4) + 13 = 21

Aurora Storm Doshko vs. EAC: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 12 - 4 = 22
Electricity damage: 2d8 + 13 ⇒ (8, 5) + 13 = 26

Zharis twirls the gun in her hand. She'd been on the popular space western GlowWorm for a season, before it was canceled (too bad, excellent show), and yep, she still had the knack. She smiled for the camera, knowing that her true fans would connect the dots.

It's the battle of heavyweights as Jin lands two powerful blows with his doshko, staggering the hammer-wielding solarian!

Both of Jin's attacks hit.

Hani is up with about 12 hours left before I bring down my mighty bot-hammer.

Hani heads into the room, his pulse gauntlet humming with eneergy.

He punches the nearest cultist.

to hit vs. KAC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
damage: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Hani's pulse gauntlet passes just a half-inch in front of the cultist's nose as she throws herself backwards just in time!

Hani's attack *just* missed Blue.

The female cultist slashes at Jin and then backs away towards the door.

Blue is attacking Jin, but the attack misses.

Initiative (Round 1)

Oke
Jin
Xylian
Hani
Zharis
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Tulgram unleashes two blows on one of the cultists.

Merciful Capture Pole: 1d20 + 11 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 11 - 4 = 261d8 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20 (piercing vs KAC; non-lethal dmg)
Merciful Capture Pole: 1d20 + 11 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 11 - 4 = 81d8 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15 (piercing vs KAC; non-lethal dmg)

VS RED | + Basic Inhibitor: -2 AC for 9 rounds

The female cultist stumbles and almost falls as Tulgram injects her with a heavy muscle relaxant! Her eyes go wide with fear, and it looks like she might make a run for it!

Tulgram's first attack hits Red and does damage plus the inhibitor effect, though the second attack misses.

Seeing his fighting partner in distress, the other cultist takes a swing at Jin and then moves closer to the door.

Blue attack vs Jin and then guarded step.

Jin, the attack hits and you take 22 S.

Initiative (Round 2)

Oke
Jin
Xylian
Hani
Zharis
Bisha
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Zharis doesn't have a good shot, so she holsters her weapon with another good spin while moving closer, then reaches out to claw blue.

Attack (Claws): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Slashing Damage: 1d3 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14 (lethal/non-archaic)

The cultist's armor is too thick for Zharis' claws to penetrate!

Zharis attack just missed Blue. (in case folks are wondering, Blue and Red do have different ACs and abilities).

Jin, Xylian, and Hani are up.