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Navasi watches on, alert for any complications.
Altronus is ready to rush into battle. Anger for dead kasathas is burning somewhere inside, but he tries to control it because he knows that it leads to the dark side of the force.
As the door opens, Navasi is the first to see the ghostly apparition of a female kasatha and a haan manifest in the doorway. The haan activates a control panel while the kasatha screams “get back” and lifts a heavy
laser rifle.
Spotting the apparitions beyond the door moving to hostilities, she tries to deescalate the situation. Raising her hands, palms out - one toward the apparitions, the other toward her crew - she she attempts to keep her movements and voice calm.
"Easy there. We're not here to harm you. We're Starfinders, come to help you and find out what happened here."
Altronus turns to kasatha. Stop. I'm a friend. I won't do any harm. We are your allies.
For a second, the haan looks like he is about to shoot the place up, but then gets comforted by the thought the group are allies. About damn time the ghostly figure grumbles, before fading into nothingness.
Dried blood and acid burns scar the walls of the starship’s bridge, marking the aftermath of a brutal struggle. The corpses of a dwarf and another kasatha are seated at the controls and helm, while the corpses of a haan and a kasatha lay crumpled on the ground near the door.
The crew was killed by a combination of acid burns and slashing wounds from a long blade.
And again Altronus silently helps to pull out the bodies with three hands without releasing the blade from the fourth hand.
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The group sweeps the bridges for logs and footage. The damaged flight recording console is severely damaged, but it's still possible to access the footage that was recorded just before the crash.
The footage shows a male kasatha typing a message from the captain’s chair and a dwarf at the ship’s helm. The doors to the bridge open, and a female kasatha and a haan rush in. The female kasatha turns, firing a large laser rifle at bat-like winged figures that approach from the hall and galley as she shouts “get out!” The haan closes and locks the door. A moment later, the room goes dark and two grioths materialize in the room. Though clearly solid, the creatures’ forms are blurry, almost fluid in nature. The creatures attack with jagged, crystalline blades, and pistols that spew acid. A ball of acid strikes the camera, abruptly ending the footage
The group also finds an inertial-reinforcement belt, a mk 3 grenade scrambler, two black nanite hypopens, two purple hypopens and an advanced rotolaser among the equipment of the crew.
Altronus wonders if the creatures on the video are the same ones that D'zyliit recognised, which is something Navasi can confirm - these are indeed grioths. She also manages to retrieve the captain’s final attempted transmission:
---
Should this message one day be returned to the Idari, Yotto, I pray that you are not too angry with me. My crew and I witnessed the invaders’ dark beam strike Sangoro’s Bulwark and then the Arsenal. Our eyes and ears beheld the confusion and devastation that followed.
Thus, dearest sister, when I saw that same cursed weapon turn toward the Struggle’s Scholar, I ordered Wisdom’s Grasp to alter course and intercept the beam. It was the only way I knew to ensure that at least one of our two ships could escape. I was most pleased to see that Captain Remahd seized the opening and activated your Drift engines.
Do not grieve for me. Destruction is as much a part of the cycle of stars as creation. Instead, let us each thank Talavet for allowing our tales to intertwine, if more briefly than we had wished, and that you and your fellow crewmates made good your escape so that those tales may continue to be told into the cycles that come.
---
— Jehlu Zidre Onorab of Clan Cesti, House Salor, captain of Wisdom’s Grasp
The team lifts off to return to the fleet, where quite soon after Radaszam 'the dealmaker' summons the team for a private briefing.
“Based upon preliminary observations, we believe that a network of subterranean tunnels lies unexplored beneath much of Mazdrun’s surface. Ancient lava tubes by all indications, save that the tunnel network is so extensive. Our analysis of the tunnels is hindered by the fact that most are packed with radioactive ice, suggesting that the planet not only experienced intense volcanic activity and widescale deluges in its past, but likely some additional catastrophes as well.”
Whatever bad luck the planet endured in the past may be our good fortune in the present. We believe these ancient lava tubes could provide an alternative means of entering Sangoro’s Bulwark from below, so they’re worth exploring.”
“Even if an underground opening to the Bulwark can’t be found, the surrounding tunnels may house ruins or artifacts left behind by the mysterious beings that built Sangoro’s Bulwark— the researchers once stationed here called them the “Founders,” but all that tells us is that the researchers didn’t know much of anything. Should you find any routes of interest, explore them as thoroughly as you can, but don’t enter the Bulwark alone. Record your findings for future follow up.”
“We’ve identified a cave connected to the tunnel system near the crater where your team can get started. Its coordinates have been sent to your comms. Good luck, Starfinders.”
---
The eerie ticking of geiger counters indicate radiation levels that aren't particularly high, but enough to be harmful. Activating the radioactive protection in your armor is advised.
After three hours of exploring, the icy tunnel system finally seems to lead to something interesting.
The ice in this part of the tunnel system is thicker, with numerous broken shapes embedded within it. Out of one portion of the ice thrusts the triangular tip of a broken piece of carved stone bearing strange markings.
|
Mysticism
"Sheesh!" Blinky gasps as he works out what has gone on.
"It turns out that whilst we might not be getting any living out of here, we can at least get the dead home for some final rest"
***
***
Blinky ensures his seals are all in place and that DocJr is a bound behind, then wanders towards the strange markings for a better look, carefully checking around to ensure no hazards, traps or pitfalls.
[ooc]Assuming Take 20 as he proceeds
Altronus looks around looking for danger and holding the blade at the ready.
Traveling with the meticulous archaeologist can be a bit tedious, as he suspects traps everywhere. There is an upside to this thoroughness, though, since Blinky does manage to notice that the the markings on the unusual stonework are a language unknown among the Pact Worlds.
Also, it looks like something has recently chipped away and crushed portions of the ice here.
Blinky identifies the marking on the stonework as being related to elemental and planar magic. He can't really put his finger on what the chipped away portions of ice mean.
It's possible to retrieve the pieces of stone from the ice.
The passages also lead deeper into the cave.
Navasi helps sort through the fragmwnts of chipped stone.
Navasi, D'zyliit and Blinky all manage to recover some very interesting pieces.
When the group assembles the weird stones with their lines and runes, it becomes obvious that these describe some sort of ritual.
It is something of a puzzle indeed, but Blinky manages to figure out the details of a ritual connected to the Plane of Air. Potentially useful later on.
The ice caves open into an expansive chamber. Near its center, the remains of a massive, multilegged reptilian creature lie within a shallow pool of melt water. Its head has been completely removed, torn from its body, and is nowhere to be seen. Something within the lifeless corpse stir.
From afar, Blinky identifies the dead creature as a Craggolk. They are reptilian creatures that feed upon radioactive ice and are the only native
life-forms on the planet.
Craggolks reproduce by killing their own kind and depositing dozens of eggs within the bodies of their dead mate.
So, parasite: no, dangerous: yes.
I propose to silently bypass the nest.
"Got it," Navasi says, surveying the ice cave.
Drawing her plasma pistol, she carefully follows Altronus' lead.
The group inches past the cadaver, until D'zyliit catches a fragment of ice, which rolls down into the lower part, glowing nicely with Cerenkov radiation.
Immediately, the corpse starts to stir, and tiny baby craggolks start to swarm out. Even worse, two adults appear from the tunnels, ready to defend their spawn.
---(surprise round)---
Altronus
Swizzers
Navasi
Blinky
Dix
Hellih
---(regular round)---
Altronus
Swizzers
Navasi
---
Craggolk
Craggolk
Craggolk swarm
Craggolk swarm
---
Taking advantage of the fact that the creature jumped out at Altronus without noticing him, he gets into an archaic fencing stance and with several blows, spinning like a top, cuts the lizard on the stomach!
Following in Altronus' wake, Navasi also takes advantage of her stealthiness, firing a blast of her pistol at the creature .
"Here! Get this one!" Navasi alerts her companions, firing again.
She draws her other pistol in her off hand.
|
|
Impressive continuing range on that pistol Navasi D'zyliit remarks as he observes the envoy's shot burn along and through the lizard. Hopefully it may prove effective against the mass of tiny targets swarming to the east.
Caught off-guard, the shirren manages to at least get a scan of the larger craggolk before the aline beasts attack.