Scratch's first blast is enough to destroy the shark. What does he do next?
Scratch (1 action remaining)
Caitlin
Red Cinder Rat
Luna
Seoni (Shield)
Salaish (17 damage)
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Scratch licks his finger and marks off another kill by dragging his finger through the air and grinning. He turns his sights to the concealed smokey rat and fires!
Scratch has the lungs and skin of a Dwarf who's worked at the forge for far too long. A little smoke ain't nothin'.
Smoke Sight: Feat 9: Uncommon, Dwarf. Source Guns & Gears pg. 201. Access You are from Dongun Hold or Alkenstar.
You're used to fighting and hiding in a haze of smoke and flame. You automatically succeed at the DC 5 flat check to target a concealed creature if that creature is concealed only by smoke. When you are concealed or hidden in smoke, increase the DC of the flat check to target you to 6 if you're concealed or 12 if you're hidden.
The rat squeaks as Scratch critically blasts his target. It doesn't have much life left...
Stunned or not, the rat is quickly dispatched with Caitlin's arrow.
Luna
Seoni
Salaish (17 damage)
2 Hounds made of dirt and mud coalesce as the sandstorm dies down. They bark at Lashweather as he finishes wiping off the dirt off of his telescope. "Oh, that's a beauty... Bouldstrom is going to be so jealous!" A hot wind begins blowing through the observatory.
Scratch
Caitlin
Sod Hounds
Seoni casts a spell to help Salaish recover from his wounds. She then casts a defensive Shield cantrip to protect herself.
◆◆
◆Shield
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Scratch spins around at the sounds of mud lands on the floor behind him "Tryin' to get the jump on ole Scratch eh? I'll show you.. once I reload anyhow." He works another round of powder, wad and bullet into the rifle, aims and fires at the blacked brown dirty dog behind him.
Then he ducks to hide from the hound to the north while he ◆ reloads.
Luna, Seoni and Salaish enhance their defenses. Scratch unloads on the dog behind him. It's a critical shot, but not enough to stun it.
"Bouldstrom is one of the professor's... uh, rivals, and is a member of the council." Lumki's muffled voice comes from the other side of the door at the bottom of the stairs. "They tend to disagree..."
Scratch
Caitlin
Brown & Black Sod Hound (34 Damage)
Brown & Green Sod Hound
Luna (Shield)
Seoni (Shield)
Salaish (7 damage, Buckler)
Caitlin's first shot destroys the target she was hunting. She shoots the only other target in the room.
The quadrupedal creature howls and runs towards Caitlin, its jagged jaws snapping to and fro.
The hot wind continues to blow through the observatory. Lashweather giggles with excitement as he adjusts his seat.
Scratch
Caitlin
Brown & Green Sod Hound (13 damage)
Luna (Shield)
Seoni (Shield)
Salaish (7 damage, Buckler)
Seoni moves to Ondess (Wisdom). From there she fires a Frostbite cantrip spell at the sod hound.
◆Move (to Ondess)
(to strike concealed)
◆◆ Fort Save vs DC 21+2 (Ondess)
Luna's knife cuts twice, once critically. Seoni tries to freeze the hound but it's no good. The hound is too tough and agile to get hurt.
The wind swirls to form into another yellow zephyr hawk. The heat creates another cinder rat.
Scratch
Caitlin
Yellow Zephyr Hawk (Off-Guard)
Red Cinder Rat (Off-Guard)
Brown & Green Sod Hound (29 damage)
Luna (Shield)
Seoni (Shield)
Salaish (7 damage, Buckler)
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"We got another bird and another smokey rat on the way!" Hollers Scratch from behind the desk. He pops up, blasting the bird in hopes to drop it on top of the other one.
Looking pretty disappointed in the first shot, Scratch ducks for some cover as he reloads, then sends another blast at the yellow bird again.
Caitlin really misses her bow. She also misses the hound. Scratch's luck finally wanes as he gets 2 glancing blows on the bird.
The hound begins its counter attack on Caitlin. It bites her twice and tries to knock her down, but she maintains her footing.
The Red Cinder Rat runs up to Salaish. Blinding smoke fills her vision as it bites her twice, setting her on fire!
The hawk flies up between Luna and Seoni, clawing at both before retreating.
Lashweather's giggle erupts into cackling as he seems to glow with more celestial light.
Scratch
Caitlin
Brown & Green Sod Hound (29 damage)
Yellow Zephyr Hawk (22 damage)
Red Cinder Rat (Off-Guard)
Luna (Shield, 6 Damage, can Shield Block)
Seoni
Salaish (7 damage, 1d4 Persistent Fire, Fort Save vs Smoke Cloud)
Seoni says "I tire of this smoking beast! Begone!" Seoni casts two spells. The first ensures her aim, despite the smoke. The second, causes a large bolt of lighting to fly from her fingertips and unerringly strike the smoking hound.
◆Sure Strike
◆◆ Save Basic Reflex
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The Red Cinder Rat runs up to Salaish. Blinding smoke fills her vision as it bites her twice, setting her on fire!
jaws: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Fire Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9jaws: 1d20 + 10 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 10 - 4 = 24
Fire Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Scratch
Caitlin
Brown & Green Sod Hound (29 damage)
Yellow Zephyr Hawk (22 damage)
Red Cinder Rat (Off-Guard)
Luna (Shield, 6 Damage, can Shield Block)
Seoni
Salaish (7 damage, 1d4 Persistent Fire, Fort Save vs Smoke Cloud)
Salaish feels the constellation rune she's standing on give her a bit of healing. Thank goodness, because she's not a fan of all this attention. "Geez! What, did I bathe in something tasty in the last hour? Go away!" She flicks an Electric Arc spell at the cinder rat before her, then raises her shield and grimaces as the flames on her clothes dig into her skin. No point in putting out the fire until it can't burn me again.
Luna's magical barrier collapses as she blocks the blow, but it leaves her unharmed as she cuts into her foe.
Salaish and Seoni try to zap their foes, and they respond with a burst of agility.
The elemental creatures wane and falter as they break up into their prime components, swirling around Lashweather before he hurls them into the night sky and laughs uncontrollably. "YES! I've done it! I am one with the stars! Bouldstrom said I couldn't do it, but now who's laughing! HAHAHAHA!"
Lumki opens the door and pokes her head in. "Is it over?"
Lashweather turns around. "Oh. You're still here. Good news, everyone! The Cho'aatan was a success! I will only need a few hours to compile my results. Then, after a good night's rest, I will join the Pathfinder Society during their trade negotiation. Or, whatever you needed me to to do. Take this reward."
He hands one of you a >diplomat’s badge<) as thanks.
"Now, I'll see you tomorrow. Toodles!" He waves you off before turning back to his book and his sky.
Lumki breathes a sigh of relief. "I will make sure the professor keeps his promise. Then again he knows... you-know-who will be there, so it may not take much convincing."
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"Hoo! Well, that was something." Noting that Lashweather doesn't seem to notice that she's bleeding all over his constellation runes, Salaish lingers on the healing one until it's time to leave. "Thank you, Professor! See you tomorrow!"
After they leave, she heals herself up and remarks with a chuckle: "Did he strike anyone else as a mad scientist? Should we be worried?"
"He's willing to do his part. That should be enough. I hope we can rest soon. I'm almost out of spells."
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Scratch quickly reloads, ducking behind the desk to take a moment to listen... then pops up with a scattered toothy grin "Guess we won that one, great work people." He slings his gun over shoulder and joins the others, but not before pushing the desk back against the wall.
"Cool Badge, I'm not much of a law man myself." He pats some dying embers out on Salaish's back, making a nervous face. "Heck of a day, we certainly could use a few beers and a cat nap." He ushers the group out to head back and meet up with the VCs for an update.
---
On the walk back "Old coot is a mad hatter for sure, but I liked him." Scratch winks.
As you leave the observatory, you notice a group of athletic iruxi grumbling about themselves. One of them spots you. "Ah, perfect! The outsiders. My name is Leilin, star of the Ekkeshikaar Dunkers. Could you help us practice?"
The locals lead the way to a large building, built from stone at the bottom, but with an enormous glass dome covering the top. Inside is a sophisticated arena with rising stands on the outside surrounding fenced-off pens for standing crowds to watch at ground level, and in the middle a large, muddy oval set to house the main attraction. Today, the crowd is relatively small—only about a quarter of the stands are filled with cheering Iruxi who watch as a number of giant, lumbering lizards are led onto the arena floor.
"Ah, there you are. We could use your help." It doesn't take long for the iruxi spectators to crowd around you. "We need practice against... unorthodox players like you. We must defend ourselves against the Globetrotters." As the athlete mentions the name, the crowd hushes.
"Astrologers believe they travel across Golarion. No, they travel beyond the planes, to new worlds! They have defeated us every time they arrive, staking their claim of absolutely nothing!" The iruxi stamps her foot against the hard earth. "This year, they have challenged us to a game of Exuto, and it is due next week."
"Exuto is a beloved sport where you ride massive lizards and direct them to knock a ball into your opponent's side of the field. Were this another iruxi team I would crush them easily, but the Globetrotters are so unorthodox. We must think outside the box."
"We need to practice against unorthodox opponents. Like yourselves. Can you participate in a practice game?"
"Thank you. Let me show you how you can help." Some of the teammates enter the arena atop the backs of large lizards. Leilin points to them. "This is an ankylosaurus. Mind the tail and its feet. I've seen too many rookies fall off underneath its feet." She shakes her head. "Stay on for as long as possible."
Scratch hears Leelin's description, looks at the beasts, and realizes they must be able to withstand intense cold. He's heard of their abilities to leap wide chasms in a single bound, as well as their razor sharp talons.
Seoni cheers on Scratch and Luna, but chooses to stay clear of the animals.
Seoni takes a seat and cheers Scratch and Luna on, while Salaish decides to rile up the crowd.
What will Caitlin do?
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She's sung it before, and she sings it again. You can't beat a classic beat to get the crowd stomping and clapping.
"Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise!
Playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday!
You got mud on your face, you big disgrace,
Kicking your can all over the place, singin'
We will, we will rock you!
We will, we will rock you!"
Luna's grip on the reigns start to slip immediately, but Salaish rallies the crowd to help her keep stable. She manages to stay on for as long as possible.
Scratch manages to hold on easily, getting control of the anklyosaur and guiding it around the field. "Yes! Just do it!" One iruxi fan gets really excited.
Caitlin almost falls out of her saddle immediately, but scrambles to maintain her grip.
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"Incredible!" Leilin claps as you step off the ankylosauruses. "This will help us greatly against... them. We must reclaim what they've taken from us." She looks solemn. "Absolutely nothing."
She turns back to you. "But as for you... to the winner, take this ring." She presents a ring to Scratch. "We call it a >Ring of the Ram.<. When you focus you can kick someone from afar. Hiii-yah!" She leaps up and spins before kicking a ball meant for dinosaurs across the field. The crowd cheers her on before she turns to Luna. "We have a smaller cash reward for you. Spend it during the game and wish us good luck."
"Give a big round of applause for the foreign dignitaries!" Leilin riles the crowd into an excited cheer. Already some of the iruxi are approaching you for autographs, while others have left the stadium to spread word of your escapades.
After a hard day of paperwork, protection, and negotiation, Eras the Needle and Calisro Benarry invite you to a good night's rest. Or a wild party followed by some rest somewhere. The next day, you prepare to visit the Chamber of Stars.
"Hey, hold on to this." Calisro hands you four vials. "They might come in handy during negotiations."
Two of them are marked: >moderate cognitive mutagen<
And the other two are marked: >moderate silvertongue mutagen<
The heart of a sprawling and partially-submerged government building made of glass and stone, this large circular chamber is one of the few parts of the building that extends up above the waterline, giving an only slightly-obscured view of the sky above through the midnight-blue-tinted glass dome that covers the room’s ceiling.
A group of seven iruxi dressed in long blue-black robes trimmed with gold sit at raised pulpits along one side of the room. A long table has been set aside for a handful of representatives from the Vidrian delegation, and additional seating holds crowds of native iruxi, some eager to see the trade deal pass, others to see it halted, and the rest simply excited to watch events unfold. Already, a queue of Ekkeshikaar’s citizens is forming behind a stone lectern set aside for citizens to speak their minds and ask questions on the proceedings.
Prior to entering the dome, Seoni says "If no one protests, I'll take a silvertongue mutagen. I've heard about these. They're very useful."