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She'll take a look at the three metal containers to see if there would be any issue with moving them up to sea level. "Can we open those doors to check out what's there?"
Tarifa examines the three intact containers. The seals appear to still be holding! Opening them up at the surface would likely be the best choice to ensure that the Secrets Long Submerged within aren’t destroyed by the water. As to moving them safely, they’ll easily fit into the null-space chamber with all the other loot relics.
Azzirm has plenty of time to swap out whatever he wants while the rest of the team picks up his slack on the excavation of relics.
Grump and Tarifa express concern over opening the small cells, though in truth it’s part of the mission to recover cultural relics and document what occurred here. Especially here in this previously highly classified lab.
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When nothing springs out of the first door, the Starfinders open each in turn. Within you discover that each tiny (for a giant) cell has a metal bed frame and toilet bolted to the floor. While the blankets, pillows, and other textiles in this room have long ago degraded, the remaining metal springs and fragments of the mattress drift eerily through the water. Two of these cells contain the bones of a long-dead giant.
As previously noted your excavation work on the cultural relics has taken over 4 hours already. Based on previous experience, you estimate that it’ll take another 3 hours to tag-and-bag the remains of the guard and two prisoner / test subjects.
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"Storm giants," Azara answers. "I think it had to do with their natural connection to electricity.
"I also would like to see what's behind the hidden doorway. We can at least see if there's anything that needs to be tagged then come back to it. If it's just an empty room, then no harm in checking. If it's a room full of cultural relics, we'll know where to start tomorrow."
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With agreement to at least peer past the hidden doorway, you gather in the giant-sized corridor. It slopes downward and turns back onto itself into what might have been the basement of the first part of the lab you entered. Heavy power and data cables hang from the ceiling having come loose from their conduits. Azzirm can tell that there are a lot more data cables than he would expect of a normal facility, as if perhaps you are heading toward a server room.
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At the end of the corridor, twin doors hang ajar allowing a view and easy access to this massive room. Within, four massive hexagonal servers rise to the ceiling 60 feet above, surrounding a central platform 20 feet above the main floor with a huge desk and chair. Two long cooling grates line the east and west walls, flush with the floor. A large crack splits the ceiling, letting in distant dim light from the Ithillian Sea above.
Scattered throughout the room but concentrated at the bases of the servers are dozens of crumpled sacks made of a heavy blue leather-like material. A clear, thick fluid coats most of the exposed surfaces and floats through the water in clumps.
Tarifa peers in and immediately recognizes the clumping thick fluid as the fish-spawning mucus that she spotted outside earlier the day before.
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Azzirm walks cautiously in....realizing that the rest of the group--that can swim--are likely going to be more maneuverable than him. the ultrathin dueling sword in one hand, and the numbing ray on the arm of the other. His desperation cannon still on his shoulder, tracking for any target.
"This looks ominous...and more fish mucus....."
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The Starfinder excavation and investigation team moves warily into the ancient server room. Yith hangs back, confused about the nature of the (body?) bags.
Keeping your heads on a swivel, you notice four of those Pholskar eels lurking a midst the leathery bags. They seem surprised that anyone or anything would have come in through those doors and not from above.
Everyone May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Underwater Combat rules
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
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Azzirm sees the number of these creature swim upwards...and activates his armor's protection.
"Oh boy....we have incoming....."
The Desperation Cannon tracks the red striped one....
"Maybe I should have left the auto rifle on....I might have been able to get a lot of them in a full auto....oh well."
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Azzirm draws first blood with a shot guided by the hands of the gods! He notes with desperate thanks that the eel took all the damage.
Grump peers into the murky water and sees ripples of electrical waves coming off the eels’ bodies. He explains to his teammates that they seem to be producing an Electric Aura. Looks to be about 30 feet in all directions around each of them. Likely to interfere with any technological equipment and items.
To clarify: all weapons, armor, and technological or hybrid gear is affected unless it’s purely magical or analog. If it is held or worn, it can use your Fortitude saving throw if that is greater than its Item Level. Otherwise, it uses its Item Level as its Fort Save modifier. Don’t bother rolling a saving throw for something that you aren’t actively using on this turn, please.
Broken Condition:
If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item take a –2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Such weapons can’t deal extra critical effects on a critical hit but still deal double damage.
If the item is armor, the bonuses it grants to AC are halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty to skill checks.
If the item is a tool or a piece of cybertech or biotech that provides a bonus to ability checks, saving throws, skill checks, or speed (including new movement speeds), those bonuses are halved, rounding down.
=========================
Grump also can tell that their leathery hides are quite tough and the frigidity of the local waters has had an effect on their evolution also. Oh, and you can all probably guess that the long sticky tongue you found on the other dead one will be an issue. Cause it’s reallllyyyy long. And realllllyyyy sticky.
Everyone May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: Underwater Combat rules
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
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Armed with that knowledge, Grump passes along these basics to the team.
"Cold attacks are a waste of time. Moderate resistance to physical damage. Watch out for their tongues."
(The aura details will have to wait.)
And, much as he hates to attack creatures that are just defending their nest, he needs to do something to entice them to leave. So, he moves out from the edge of the hexagonal server stack & channels a Mind Thrust at the closest eel (the Black one).
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Grump activates his starlight form, Kōlēfō zips through the water to get into a better tactical position. Yith boosts everyone’s speed, and Azara prepares to get into melee.
TARIFA May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: Haste!
Environmental Conditions: Electric Aura within 30 feet of any eel - see below; Underwater Combat rules
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
To clarify: all weapons, armor, and technological or hybrid gear is affected unless it’s purely magical or analog. If it is held or worn, it can use your Fortitude saving throw if that is greater than its Item Level. Otherwise, it uses its Item Level as its Fort Save modifier. If it’s crafted by you, then it counts as 2 levels higher. Don’t bother rolling a saving throw for something that you aren’t actively using on this turn, please.
Broken Condition:
If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item take a –2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Such weapons can’t deal extra critical effects on a critical hit but still deal double damage.
If the item is armor, the bonuses it grants to AC are halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty to skill checks.
If the item is a tool or a piece of cybertech or biotech that provides a bonus to ability checks, saving throws, skill checks, or speed (including new movement speeds), those bonuses are halved, rounding down.
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Tarifa takes a shot and is likely surprised when it hits. But then she’s sad to see that it didn’t even scratch the eel’s leathery hide.
BOLD May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: Haste!
Environmental Conditions: Electric Aura within 30 feet of any eel - see below; Underwater Combat rules; Servers provide cover, nothing else does unless you state so
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
To clarify: all weapons, armor, and technological or hybrid gear is affected unless it’s purely magical or analog. If it is held or worn, it can use your Fortitude saving throw if that is greater than its Item Level. Otherwise, it uses its Item Level as its Fort Save modifier. If it’s crafted by you, then it counts as 2 levels higher. Don’t bother rolling a saving throw for something that you aren’t actively using on this turn, please.
Broken Condition:
If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item take a –2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Such weapons can’t deal extra critical effects on a critical hit but still deal double damage.
If the item is armor, the bonuses it grants to AC are halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty to skill checks.
If the item is a tool or a piece of cybertech or biotech that provides a bonus to ability checks, saving throws, skill checks, or speed (including new movement speeds), those bonuses are halved, rounding down.
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Feeling the weird power of the haste spell attempt to work on Azzirm...and the power armor...though it not working as well as one could hope.
Azzirm does their best with that...though realizing that his desperation cannon has issues tracking...can't use the haste much.....yet.
Considering he is the only one that is obviously going to have issues with being ground bound...he flips the hexagonal button to start the circuit to add more temp resistance to hits...
With that...Azzirm braces, and fires again at the Red eel.
The shot hits so well...weird faerie like arcs and flames stick to the creatures face and upper back...causing issues with their ability to see weapons being pointed at it.
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Grump moves a little closer and zaps the eel’s brain
Azzirm likewise trudges closer and flips a six-sided button. For a moment, he dreams that he’s firing an antique black-powder weapon, though one also of an unusual and slightly high-tech design. For its time, of course.
The darker Blacker eel swims right up to Grump and tries to take a bite
But misses just by the hairs of a dwarf’s beard!
The one with Yellow scales swims as fast as it can, but doesn’t get close enough to do anything. Yet…
However, just as Grump warned, tech gear starts glitching in the area near Black.
BOLD May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: Haste!
Environmental Conditions: Electric Aura within 30 feet of any eel - see below; Underwater Combat rules; Servers provide cover, nothing else does unless you state so
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
To clarify: all weapons, armor, and technological or hybrid gear is affected unless it’s purely magical or analog. If it is held or worn, it can use your Fortitude saving throw if that is greater than its Item Level. Otherwise, it uses its Item Level as its Fort Save modifier. If it’s crafted by you, then it counts as 2 levels higher. Don’t bother rolling a saving throw for something that you aren’t actively using on this turn, please.
Broken Condition:
If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item take a –2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Such weapons can’t deal extra critical effects on a critical hit but still deal double damage.
If the item is armor, the bonuses it grants to AC are halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty to skill checks.
If the item is a tool or a piece of cybertech or biotech that provides a bonus to ability checks, saving throws, skill checks, or speed (including new movement speeds), those bonuses are halved, rounding down.
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Just getting these saves out of the way for the next round...
Good all around for Grump
Also, the Black eel owes Grump a DC 19 Fort save for ending its turn adjacent to the bright shiny dwarf. (Failure = Blinded for 1 round)
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Grump takes a closer look at the eel now all up in his grill and realizes belatedly that it doesn’t appear to have any eyes. Likely its species’ long existence in the depths of Pholskar’s oceans have given it the ability to sense its surroundings without needing sight but instead by using other means. Hmmm, I wonder what electric eels might use?
Kōlēfō gets a better tactical position and fires a beam of concentrated acid which seems quite effective, leaving the Red eel unsure where the next attack might come from.
Azara rushes up into the fight and stands alongside his dwarven ally, slicing into the eel, though its tough hide deflects much of the damage.
Red sees a tasty little six-armed snack and lashes out with its tongue. It’s pretty clear from where Kōlēfō is swimming that the eels’ tongues can likely reach about 30 feet.
It just barely misses the skittermander. Then the female with the bright Blue ripples in her scales decides that Black has two snackies and they should share. So she goes after the dwarf.
And wraps its tongue around Grump’s arm!
BOLD May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: Haste!
Environmental Conditions: Electric Aura within 30 feet of any eel - see below; Underwater Combat rules; Servers provide cover, nothing else does unless you state so
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
To clarify: all weapons, armor, and technological or hybrid gear is affected unless it’s purely magical or analog. If it is held or worn, it can use your Fortitude saving throw if that is greater than its Item Level. Otherwise, it uses its Item Level as its Fort Save modifier. If it’s crafted by you, then it counts as 2 levels higher. Don’t bother rolling a saving throw for something that you aren’t actively using on this turn, please. Armor upgrades and things integrated into other equipment don’t need to make separate rolls. (I’m trying to keep this simple, given that there’s 4 of these beasties.)
Broken Condition:
If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item take a –2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Such weapons can’t deal extra critical effects on a critical hit but still deal double damage.
If the item is armor, the bonuses it grants to AC are halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty to skill checks.
If the item is a tool or a piece of cybertech or biotech that provides a bonus to ability checks, saving throws, skill checks, or speed (including new movement speeds), those bonuses are halved, rounding down.
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Tari shouts "Get 'em!", indicating the black eel. She levels a shot, hoping that her feint will still work against something that doesn't have eyes per se.
;
DC 10 + your opponent’s Sense Motive total skill bonus OR 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR, whichever is greater.
Success: Enemy is flatfooted to my allies until the end of my next turn; Failure: Enemy is flatfooted to me until the end of my next turn.
for plus (on crit)
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Yith does the same as Grump, since that seems like a good tactic here in the depths.
While the eel shakes off some of the headache, it does seem to be bloodied by the fight so far.
Tarifa encourages her teammates and tries to fake out the Black-scaled eel. It swings its massive, aching head back and forth in the water trying to track her movements, and at the end does indeed seem confused. Sadly, her shot again bounces off its tough hide.
BOLD May Act
Map: Server Room sushi-ya
Active Conditions: Haste!
Environmental Conditions: Electric Aura within 30 feet of any eel - see below; Underwater Combat rules; Servers provide cover, nothing else does unless you state so
Azzirm
Grump
Black eel
Yellow eel
Azara
Kōlēfō
Red eel
Blue eel
Yith
Tarifa
To clarify: all weapons, armor, and technological or hybrid gear is affected unless it’s purely magical or analog. If it is held or worn, it can use your Fortitude saving throw if that is greater than its Item Level. Otherwise, it uses its Item Level as its Fort Save modifier. If it’s crafted by you, then it counts as 2 levels higher. Don’t bother rolling a saving throw for something that you aren’t actively using on this turn, please. Armor upgrades and things integrated into other equipment don’t need to make separate rolls. (I’m trying to keep this simple, given that there’s 4 of these beasties.)
Broken Condition:
If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item take a –2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. Such weapons can’t deal extra critical effects on a critical hit but still deal double damage.
If the item is armor, the bonuses it grants to AC are halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty to skill checks.
If the item is a tool or a piece of cybertech or biotech that provides a bonus to ability checks, saving throws, skill checks, or speed (including new movement speeds), those bonuses are halved, rounding down.