GM Kate's 5-13 Finding the Forgotten (Inactive)

Game Master Kate Baker

It's either that or we see if that hospital has invented analgesic II yet. Navasi says, eager to take option 1: Grump's help.

Much appreciated, Grump, I owe you one!

Seconded on Industrial sector

Grump realizes that you are all mildly poisoned after exposure to something toxic! He takes care of everyone's illness.

You take a look at the Industrial Sector, walking around the area.

Culture, Engineering, or Physical Science, please!

Iseph looks around, curious to see what about *this* location will look dodgy...

Culture: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26.

Culture: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16 +5 if related to criminal underworld, just in case

Well, if those minerals were toxic, we'd better be careful here that we don't run into concentrated stuff!

Iseph realizes that there are fewer factories and fabrication centers than one would expect for a self-sufficient town with this level of technology. Additionally, you notice that there are no refineries, which should be required to turn raw ore into usable metals.

Iseph shakes their head, and sighs.

"It's like they're not even trying to hide it..."

I guess farms next?

Sure - farms are fine.

Okay, so what does this all mean? There must be quite substantial trading going on, but everybody is trying to hide it and make it seem they're just completely self-made. Is it because the stuff they trade is toxic?

Let's head to the farm

"Not necessarily... It could be a company maintaining a monopoly on something worth a *lot* of money, or something that is listed as a controlled substance in Pact World space, necessitating at least lip-service to the notion of 'plausible deniability', too."

You head out to the farmlands, where you see each field surrounded by wire fences.

Tash, Amariel, and Navasi all immediately recognize electric fences!

You're able to find Roget's farm, but when he answers the door, he scowls at the sight of you.

"Go away!" he shouts. When you try to talk with him further, he mutters very quietly, "Shh! They’re listening,” and slams the door.

Grump throws his hands up, muttering loud enough to be heard (& overheard)

"Fine - we'll go look around on our own.", wandering away from Roget's home & toward the fence, reaching out & grabbing a wire to start climbing over.

Presuming that an arc occurs, he'll most likely end up on the ground.

“‘They’re listening.’ Now we’re getting somewhere… we might be on the paranoia transport, but at least we’re moving.”

Tash looks to Navasi. “Think you can get him to… uh… ”

Looking past Nasasi’s shoulder, Tash sees Gump heading for the fence… and then grabbing it.

“What? NO!”

He begins moving to Gump.

Iseph rolls his eyes, but plays along.

"Oh no! If only we had a nearby farmhouse where we could lay him down safely, and provide some first aid..."

Bluff: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18.

Unfortunately, his rather wooden delivery doesn't really sell it.

Navasi is always good to some good-old theatrics, and rushes over to Grump

Medic! Medic! Is there a doctor nearby? Grump! Stay with me! Look at me! I said, look at me! Today is not your day! Stay away from the man with the hat!

Bluff, expertise: 1d20 + 14 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 14 + (6) + 1 = 33

Ahh, the 'sitting-on-the-fence' trick she whispers to Grump as she stands over him nice one

It only takes Tash a moment to catch onto Gump’s trickery, and luckily that moment happens while Tash is running away from the house toward the fence.

Sly move, Gump. Very sly.

Amariel is very confused.

electricity: 8d12 ⇒ (3, 3, 10, 3, 7, 4, 2, 8) = 40

DC 18 Reflex for half

While Grump takes less damage than you all expected, he still gets zapped and his hair stands on end!

Roget comes running out. "You idiots! Those are electric fences! You'll get killed!"

Grump's Reflex save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

He's at 70/100 SP

It's not really acting when Grump goes stiff after contacting the live wire.

From the ground, he mutters "Holy heck - what's he defending his farm against?"

"Wow, he's a really good actor," Amariel mutters, "How did you guys get his hair to smoke like that?"

Roget performs some quick first aid on Grump. "You'll be okay with some rest. Now get out of here." He mutters again more quietly. "They're always listening."

Amariel and Grump think he that is mulling something over and needs time to himself to think it through.

Grump coughs as Roget works, a smoke ring puffing out from the cigar that he always seems to have in the corner of his mouth.

Tash thanks Roget when he finishes working on Gump then adds, “We were all sad to hear about your daughter. As a fellow hunter, the loss hit me hard. I’m so sorry.”

He nods quietly to Roget, then extends a hand toward the dwarf to help him stand.

“Gump, do you feel good enough to head out toward the mine or do you need more rest?”

Taking Tash's hand, Grump rises from the ground.

"Ah think that Ah'm good, so let's head for the mine. Just a side note though - ma name's Grump, not Gump."

“Sorry about that, Grump. Must be the cigar or the forest that made me mishear.”

Roget gives Tash an incredibly sad look at the mention of his daughter, then waves a hand and heads back into his house.

With Grump slightly singed, you head into the forest.

The forest outside of Braerton is lush, with dense vegetation and a wide variety of insects and animals.

Life Science, Perception, and Survival checks, please!

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28
Survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

Tash holds his trident ready as the party moves, eyes scanning the surrounding woods.

Iseph looks around, not really comfortable in 'natural' environments.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29.

Life Science: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30
Perception & Scanner: 1d20 + 21 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 21 + 4 = 44
Survival: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34

Grump's Clearsight Goggles let him ignore the effects of nearby vegetation

Iseph is ridiculously impressed by Grump's display of clarity.

Maybe I should electrocute myself on a regular basis, too!

Life Science: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (11) + 19 = 30
Survival: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Amariel, after the warning from the farmer, starts walking around with his shield drawn.

Grump and Amariel scan carefully, given all the reports of dangerous creatures, but see no signs of dangerous wildlife near the town.

You all find both a game trail and a more well-worn road, leading in the direction you scanned the location of the mine earlier.

"Down the game trail? Fewer watchers that way - probably."

Tash tosses a lopsided grin at Grump. “Probably. Down the trail we go. Eyes sharp...”

"That said, if there *are* predators around, we are more likely to encounter them on a game trail..."

Despite their misgivings, though, Iseph follows the others.

You stay on the game trail as long as possible, avoiding the main road. You spot the mine from a distance, and creep closer. The site looks quiet, with only administrators, armed guards, and a few battered mining robots in view.

Engineering, Physical Science, or Profession (Miner) to learn more about the mine.

You spot one area of interest that you may be able to reach unnoticed: a loading area near the forest edge where crates are loaded onto trucks.

Stealth check to try to do this.

Tash crouches in the underbrush, eyeing the area ahead. He motions to Iseph and Navasi.

“I’m pretty quiet, but I think you’re better suited to this. If you move in to explore, I can cover you from here. If there’s trouble, we can all move in or start a diversion. What do you think?”

Prof. Miner: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (19) + 25 = 44

Grump takes in the situation from his Professional perspective.

Iseph nods.

"Understood. I will do my best to scout a bit closer."

Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29.

I can even activate my Cloaking Field, for a further +10 bonus, if required.

Amariel sees if he can see anything important.

Engineering: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (20) + 22 = 42

Navasi is about to slink off, but then notices Iseph has this well in hand. She'll just watch from a distance, ready to jump in in case anything gets out of hand. Let them work their magic she whispers they know what they're doing

Grump and Amariel, both very knowledgeable about mining, realize that this mine is massive compared to the size of the town, and likely employs most of Braerton’s citizens.

Additionally, you notice that there are no refineries on site, which should be required to turn raw ore into usable material.

Yup, that cloaking field would be necessary, Iseph. I'll assume you do that.

Iseph sneaks into the loading dock. The crates here are made of wood and stamped with a small black and yellow logo of a stylized “Y.”

Art on Slide 10

Inside any of the crates, Iseph finds more unrefined green ore encased in gray rock. They start to feel a headache coming back on.

Ah. So that's what's making us feel like garbage. Is it radioactive, or something else?

Iseph quietly returns to the others, and informs them of their findings.

"Well, we have explored everywhere, and found plenty that is... off... but that does not necessarily mean that it is bad... although if past experiences are anything to go by, it probably is. Shall we return to the Lorespire?"

I mean, we have explored everywhere now, right? As well as having delivered the stuff we brought? That is technically mission over :-P

You haven't gone to the town hall, but there's also no requirement to go everywhere! You can absolutely head back to your starship if you are done.

Grump wonders what happened here that led to the death of Roget's daughter. Unless she just fell prey to the toxicity of the ore or some accident in the mine itself.

"Should we go? Or is there more we need to discover?"

Alright. Town Hall it is! We should at least check in with the mayor.

Good going, Navasi says, grateful to avoid another headache, It's pretty clear that everybody is so hush-hush about this mine. This thing is huge, so apart from that general store type, and Roget, everybody would just be working here. They must have a good supply chain out there... she says, pointing to the sky.

Her voice grows dark with a sudden realization It might also explain that weapons system. Hells, do you think they shot at us on purpose?

Iseph shrugs.

"Seems plausible. From their perspective, we are probably unwelcome intruders, but since we had superior firepower, they have to, metaphorically speaking, grin and bear with us being a little nosy. It stinks, I know, but I see no reason to poke the hornet's nest, especially when weren't specifically asked to."

I mean, this place *is* outside the Pact Worlds, after all, even though it was settled by people from there.

“So we report that the settlement is thriving because someone is helping them, plus they’re mining weird green ore that gives us headaches but not processing any of it. Oh, and ‘they’re always listening’, whatever that means and whoever they are.”

Tash’s brow furrows.

”Do you think the ‘someone’ that’s helping the colony is the reason the settlement disappeared from the records in the first place?”

When he hears the plan to visit the town hall, he nods. “Yes, we should go there before leaving. Maybe we can find records that fill in some blanks... like the rock bears that killed the hunter. We keep hearing about all the deadly predators but so far we've got no evidence.”

You head over to the town hall, speculating and thinking.

Braerton’s town hall features a grand entry with detailed decorative tiling, a large hall lined with simple chairs for community meetings, the town archives, and the offices of Mayor Aliorno, Zatteh, and Sheriff Jana Rin.

Sheriff Rin, a human, greets you. "I heard we had visitors! Very exciting. I'm sure you'll be behaving yourselves in our lovely town? I'm heading out now, unless you have any questions."