[SFS] 5-14 Ghost Level Delve (Inactive)

Game Master Kludde

survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

So we want a battery shaped cupcake. No wait ... a cupcake shaped battery. Not sure I got any of those. Spare batteries? Not at the moment no, but I could always remove one from something I'm not using.

"Battery cupcake? Hmmm...maybe"

a buttery cupcake? How would that help exactly?
Albrik is still thinking hard about nonverbal communication and is a few mental steps behind therefore.

Battery ... not buttery - although I can do those as well

"I do have one," says Chip tentatively, "It's intended for my gun, but then I guess Checker is my real weapon anyway. Although I don't know that a little battery will draw it away from those lines."

Checker doesn't know a lot about biology, but he knows a lot about electricity and tries to analyze the situation from that angle.

I will try to argue for Physical Science! Chip's theme knowledge applies to "strange new worlds or features of space," which isn't quite right since this is about a creature and not features of the world. Perhaps I can convince you it's close enough to attempt the check, if not to get the theme benefit.
If not, Chip's Survival is just +0.
Physical Science: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Norbert tries to sooth the creature with a tune, but it seems to be more interested in the wire coil on the thicker strings than any sound the ukelele makes.

Pinkiee, Zarzucket and Tocti show off the excellent wilderness skills they have, and manage to calm the creature. Chip manages to figure a better flow of current for the creature. After they are done, the green creature eagerly follows the group.

The creature would be great for fullbridge, to convert the dangerous high voltage to lower-level electricity that can actually be used. All the while providing nutritious energy to the hexoglin!

---

The path suddenly dead-ends, forcing the group to retrace their path. Strangely enough, passages are now visible that didn't exist before. Stranger still, these new corridors bear the missing engineer’s pink marks on them.

The marked path slopes steeply down for several hundred feet, until it opens into a massive, dark cavern, dimly lit by luminescent crystal stalactites.

This dark cavern is lit by stalactites that protrude from the ceiling hundreds of feet above, each pulsating with a faint cyan glow, and a lake of indeterminate depth taking up most of the chamber’s floor. The gentle sound of droplets hitting the lake is audible every so often, causing its liquid to luminesce in gentle blues, greens, and purples. Some of these drops illuminate another figure crouched at the lake’s edge

Norbert will attempt to move quietly move forward and look at the figure at the lake's edge.

Stealth to move forward quietly: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Perception to look at the figure: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

I have made about half a dozen rolls this morning and nothing above a 5.

Zarzucket looks around for anything of interest.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Hmmm...more changes to study biology

Tocti lets Norbert go wide for a bit before shifting herslef slightly in the other direction and calling out.

Hello! Elymilrra? Is that you?

Pinkiee moves up closer to see who this is.

Hello

For the moment Albrik just follows Pinkiee casually and tries to assess the rection of the crouched figure:
sense motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

The group moves closer to the creature, who is definitely not Elymilra. It can be best described as a human-sized toad, standing on a single leg. As Tocti calls out, it looks up to see several armed starfinders approaching it, and Albrik picks up clearly nervous vibes from the lone creature.

There's a bunch of glass vials with stoppers scattered around him, and he's almost dropped the one he's currently holding on in his hand.

I need everybody to make one of a Bluff, Culture, Diplomacy, Mysticism,
or Sense Motive check to calm him down. Only one check per character.

Albrik quickly puts down his spear on the ground and saysput down your weapons, please - this one is very much afraid of us
Then he tries to get nearer to the creature, trying to act as non-aggressive as he can think of, still paying close attention to it's reaction and watching out for signs that it understood what he just said.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Pinkiee tries to be as harmless as possible
diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Zarzucket looks at the toad.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

"Anyone catch that?"

Peace, friend. We mean you no harm. Norbert says as he lowers his weapon.

Bluff to calm the creature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Sorrry forr the mistaken identity. Tocti says, backing up from the startled creature. We arre just looking forr a missing comrrade. We mean no harrm.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Albrik's gesture calms the creature a bit, and Norbert and Tocti's explanation seem to put the lake-side dweller at ease. Suddenly, he jumps to attention

Shhh he says and grabs a bottle, quickly pulling the stopper off. With great concentration he look at the stalactites... until a single silvery, glowing drop falls down from one of them. The frog-like creature moves quickly to try and capture the drop in the bottle but just narrowly misses, causing the silvery liquid to dissolve in the water below.

Oow, he moans, and with a deep sigh adds I missed it. I've been trying to capture one for days.

I am a Jresspr the jujubnan (because that is what he is) explains. My village sent me here to collect the glowtears. It is a rite of passage of my community, I must catch one and it can't touch anything but the bottle...

He let's out a anxious sigh I've been here for two days, but I havan't managed to capture a single one. It's so hard...

Glowtears? Tocti says, curious. What are those? They look quite prretty, but is therre morre to them as well?

Giving the situation a second thought, she adds. Also, this may seem like a strrange question, but you arre on Absalom Station, corrrect?

The pahtra also thinks as she takes in the cavern and the Jresspr. The drrops may only touch the bottle, but may others touch you? Perrrhaps we could give you a lift orr you could contrruct a platform to be closerrr to the stalactites?

"A funnel's right out then," says Chip as he stows his pistol, "and that's the most obvious solution. Don't suppose you're allowed to use a bigger bottle?"

I suppose I could be a platform ... and he could stand on me Pinkiee volunteers.

Or would using telekinesis work?

Perhaps we can show you some techniques for catching droplets? I am pretty good at such things. Norbert contributes as he puts he weapon away and looks for another drop about to fall.

Perception check to find another drop about to fall: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Zarzucket looks around.

"Yes most interesting..."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

He then starts to take notes.

Oh, I'm so lucky that you came along. Yes, you can help. The rules for the right of passage say nothing about not accepting outside help, so it should be fine. He points to the dozen or-so flask he has standing around You can use the flasks to capture drops. As long as nothing but the flask touches the drops, the magic should be uncorrupted.

He shakes his head to Chip No, a funnel wouldn't work, it has to land right in the bottle...

Norbert and Zarzucket quickly spot the next stalactites on which drop condensation is forming.

Tocti: can I have an engineering check for your plan?

Anyone else who wants to help can describe how they want to do it, and then roll a skill that makes sense

Hmmm Tocti purrs softly to herself while looking around the cavern and noticing a distinct lack of obvious and well-labeled-with-instructions building materials. Perrrhaps therre is something about the stalactites that guides the drrops...?

An engineer Tocti is not - she's more of an 'idea cat' there than actual execution, though someone else might be able to try.

Could she potentially use her Physical Science knowledge to try to figure out how these 'glowtears' form and if there might be a trick to predict them? If so:

Physical Science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

While the pahtra tries to work, she continues to chat with Jresspr. I would not have expected a cave like this on the Station. It seems so naturral. And you spoke of your village: are you frrom herre? Orr werre you driven frrom the Crrisis like so many?

Albrik takes one of the bottles and looks up with a doubtfull look.
I,m not very good with such things - but noharm in trying, I presume
He waits for a drop to fall and tries to catch it
Acrobatics: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11

Having spotted a drop about to fall, Norbert grabs a bottle and attempts to catch a drop.

Sleight of hand to catch a drop: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

He might have even succeeded.

I hope this will suffice?

"Brilliant, Tocti!" says Chip excitedly, "It's not about what we can build, because we don't need to change it. We just need to analyze the pattern to how they form and flow. Then we can predict then and we can be precise without being as quick."

He collects a bottle and begins studying the drops, occasionally referring to his computer. He's entirety distracted by the bout of problem-solving.

Engineering/Computers/Physical Science: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Pinkiee just watches the lake, doshko at the ready, in case something comes out to attack.

Chip builds an elaborate platform with the help of Tocti, who gives some generic physics advice on 'tension' and 'compression strength'. Albrik tries to catch a drop, but it too late. Chip is almost finished when... Norbert just catches a drop. Just like that. Drop captured.

Jesspr is ecstatic. Oh, this is great. I can go home now! After a moment of joy, he calms down Thank you for your help! Let me show a little thing that I discovered while I was here.

Here leads the group to a shallow part of the pool where a broken stalactite has sunk beneath the surface, and still pulses in perfect rhythm with the stalactites high above. There was a lot of turmoil a few months ago. It shook the whole station. I think this stalactice just broke off. Touching it is taboo for our people, so I didn't get close to it. It's quite a sight to behold, no?

This would be something the Society is interested in, so you can mark it with the boots

Jesspr says a final goodbye before he travels back to his settlement, with the shimmering droplet safely stowed in his flask.

---

The group finally picks up the trail of pink marking, which leads into a corridor.

This long access corridor is host to four pairs of hybrid access terminals and three perpendicular hallways spread between them. The air down each of these crosswise corridors is visibly energized, glowing an eerie green color. Every few seconds, this coalesces into a massive blast of green lightning whose energy output is so high that the power levels of all nearby technological items, including armor environmental seals, fluctuate wildly.

Between the electrical burst, a faint signal can be picked up: a series of bips and boops that mark a distress signal, from further down the corridor.

Tocti checks, re-checks, and fiddles with her armor seals as small alerts keep pinging up. A significant ammount of powerr herre. Her ears perking up to hear the distant boops causes the pahtra's eyes to widen slightly. I am surrrprrised that that beacon still functions.

So If I'm understanding the Slides map and the description above right, every so often big bursts of electricity are filling the 10-foot cooridoors marked in red lines? How frequently?

Tocti makes a closer inspection of the energy pattern. Around the corner, just out of reach of the energy burst, he manages a peek into the side chambers.

You are right, the red rectangles are filled with electrical energy at somewhat regular intervals

Cordoned off by lead blast doors that are currently open, each of these chambers is host to a massive sphere of strange metal, a blend of dark copper and gray colors. Each sphere has numerous jagged protrusions, and spins in rapidly-changing directions inside a field of green energy. Research equipment is visible in the periphery of each chamber, but shimmering force fields at the thresholds of each room cause distortions in the air, making identifying anything else a challenge.

The electrical bursts connecting the spheres comes every five second or so. With good timing, it should be possible to avoid the arc.

Which requires an acrobatics check

This is really weird Pinkiee remarks. Anyone know what level we're on? Are we getting close to the Starstone? Is this part of the mechanism that keeps the station running?

mysticism: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Maybe it is time to hire a hireling who knows this stuff.

Still he has a job to do, and attempts to get past the first arc.
acrobatics: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

This ... might hurt a bit.

Norbert has none of the knowledges, so he will just try to Acrobatics through.

Acrobatics to avoid the electricity: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Maybe?

Physical Science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

I am...unsurre Tocti replies to Pinkiee. The pahtra looks around carefully as she shakes her fur and looking around. Does anyone see anything that may be contrrols to slow these blasts?

While Pinkiee and Tocti try to make sense of the metal spheres, the bursts of electricity and the blast doors, Norbert just dashes forward, times a one... two.. three.. BZZZZ.... JUMP!

For a moment it looks like he'll reduce himself to a smoking heap of burnt-out kobold-sometimes-halfling, but miraculously he makes it through unscathed. Not even a toehair burnt.

Norbert is now in-between buzzing obstacles, and uncovers a pairs of control terminals (area B2a), which look to be controlling the blast doors that Norbert just jumped past.

Computers or Engineering to activate controls

"Here, let me..."

Engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

"...that's horicalcum. It, uh... Oh. Do not disable those force fields, whatever you do. They're protecting us from the radiation."

"Nice job Chip!"

So what do I do, or should I wait for help? I'm not that good with computers.

Did I just get used as a springboard?

Chip thinks for a moment. "I think, ideally we want to close those doors. But we definitely don't want to do anything that would disable the force fields. But whoever built it probably agreed with that and didn't include an 'off' switch. So as long as we don't break them... but everything about this is weird, so I don't know. I think I want to take a closer look."

He's not as quick as the others, but steadies himself to dart across the hallway.
"Checker, stay put for now."

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Chip also tries to get the right timing. The halfling shoot off an just barely gets missed by the electric zap, leaving him with hair standing upright, a bleeping and hissing comm unit, but otherwise only the effects of a good scare.

Chip is also on the other side now

When Chip arrives, Norbert attempts to help him understand the computer controls.

Computers to assist Chip: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

I think this control might close the doors.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
yes, please try to close them. These spheres are made from Abysium.
Albrik waits, what Norbert can achieve at the terminal, before he tries his luck.

"I might be worried about the wrong thing here," Chip admits, looking over the controls.

Computers: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

A loud buzzer sounds for a moment, after which the first set of blast doors set in motion. Chip only manages to close the first set of doors, the controls for the next pairs must be further down the hall.

"Nice work Chip!"

(Just to be clear: the first (B1a) obstacle is now deactivated. You can move past the second obstacle with another Acrobatics check.)

Pinkiee moves up to the second obstacle