SFS 1-03 Yesteryear's Truth (KS) (Inactive)

Game Master phaeton_nz

"Interesting, is it not, that they would have coveralls to fit those who are 'forbidden' to enter?" notes Tuek.

He glances the room.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Don't forget that its a new day, so you get back Resolve and spells and other things

Such as precog rolls: 3d20 ⇒ (16, 1, 14) = 31

Niobrar is the only one who spots the trap on the door. (Engineering to disable, Computers to bypass)

Precog Rolls: 3d20 ⇒ (16, 3, 12) = 31

Tuek waits on an ally.
Not trained in the needed skills to disable.

"Oy, hold up a second, let me take a gander," Niobrar says, and tries to use bypass the trap

Computers: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Being in the 'forbidden' area is vaguely uncomfortable for Xagyg, but he at least makes sure to put on a set of the 'overalls'.

"Safety first, after all!"

Engineering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17.

Fits you well, Xagyg! Top Down says, seeing that the stretching of the suit works a lot better for the 'shirren' than for himself.

That's just enough for Niobrar to disable the trap and Xagyg to open the door. Once inside, you discover ...

Four pillars, each covered in glowing circuitry, break up the floor of this chamber. Though slightly out of date by modern Pact Worlds standards, the four power generators in between the pillars nevertheless hum with energy. The room is illuminated from below, and doors lead east and west.

Entering this room activates two security robots that look a bit like ghibrani, which emerge from closets in the northeast and northwest corners of the room. They first demand you leave, uttering a mechanical demand in Ghibran. The robots start shooting on the following round.

Initiatives:
red: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Green: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Niobrar: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Top Down: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Tuek: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Xagyg: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Xeno: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Red fires it's Eye Laser at Tuek before ducking behind the nearest generator
eye laser: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 fire: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Niobrar, Tuek, and Xagyg are up before Green

Xagyg flaps forward, and tries to electrocute Red!

Trick: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26. Flat-footed if successful.

Holy Underwater Living Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24, for 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + (3) = 5 Electricity damage.

Extra Crit damage: 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (5) + (1) = 6.

Not like being targeted, Tuek retrieves his rifle as he takes up a firing position behind cover.
Move
Ranged (hunting rifle) v red: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Damage (P): 1d8 ⇒ 5

The big guy skirts out to his left and gets a clear shot on the red one.

Bluff to trick: 1d20 + 17 - 20 ⇒ (1) + 17 - 20 = -2 (if it is level -2 or less, I get to trick it and its flat-footed... I'm gonna assume it is not.)
Handcoil vs Red's EAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Electric Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Between those three, Red is completely annihilated.

Green shoots at Niobrar before trying to hide.
eye laser: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28 fire: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Everyone is up.

"Sorry about that, but you attacked us!"

Xagyg makes an apologetic gesture, then flutters forward to take a shot at Green.

Trick: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24. Flat-footed if successful.

Holy Underwater Living Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22, for 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + (3) = 5 Electricity damage.

Tuek moves to a new firing position before shooting at the remaining robot.
Move
Ranged (hunting rifle) v green: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Damage (P): 1d8 ⇒ 4

"Oh, don't mind me, just walking over here..."

Bluff to Trick: 1d20 + 17 - 20 ⇒ (14) + 17 - 20 = 11
"In your face" He says shooting his handcoil.

Handcoil vs Green EAC, hopefully flatfooted: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Electric Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1d8 ⇒ (2) + 2 + (5) = 9

Xagyg and Tuek hit (Green -11)
Niobrar tricks, but misses

Toppy moves over, drawing his pulsecaster rifle.

Xeno still to go.

DC 16 Life Science: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

"Interesting! Their forms are a combination of husk and membrane physiology—thick shells but with winglike appendages." he recalls. Not sure how to use the information he just recalled, he chooses to fire magic missiles at Green.
Magic Missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 2 = 6 force damage

((Green: -17))

Green is looking rather battered but it presses on, firing at Xagyg.
eye laser: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17 fire: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

before getting around to the other side of the generator. Does Top Down get an AOO as it goes past?

Everyone is up.

Xagyg flaps around the generator, and takes another shot.

Trick: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (6) + 17 = 23. Flat-footed if successful.

Holy Underwater Living Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6, for 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (1) + (2) = 3 Electricity damage.

TD isn't holding a melee weapon, so no

Dakka! Dakka! Top Down shouts, as if his wild spraying with the pulsecaster rifle isn't causing enough noise.

Pulsecaster, FA: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 - 4 = 161d6 ⇒ 2
Pulsecaster, FA: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 - 4 = 21d6 ⇒ 3

Some of Top Down's shots do get in (Green: -19)

Xeno draws out his pistol and continues to shoot Green.
Tactical Semi-Auto Pistol Attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 vs Green
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1 P damage

The robot finally goes down

--- Combat Over ---

In one of the storage slots, you find an ember flame doshko, two shock grenades II, and a set of casual stationwear armor.

Through the next door, you discover that the temperature of this narrow room is a few degrees warmer than the previous chambers. Racks of computers line the walls, with tiny lights blinking and hard drives audibly whirring. A single terminal stands opposite the only door to the west, an input prompt flashing serenely.

A computers check is required to gain access.

"Let me handle this." Xeno motions the others that he will do the task.
Computers: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

"Let's see what treasure you are hiding behind that door, you terminal."

And Xeno is in. He does indeed discover a lot of treasure. You learn the following:

Just over 300 years ago on a planet in the Vast, a race of insectile humanoids called ghibranis engaged in a brief but deadly nuclear war between several of its now forgotten nation states. Prior to their cataclysmic conflict, ghibranis paid their respects to an aspect of Damoritosh—a god of war most commonly worshipped by the vesk in modern times. This worship shaped the race into a strong coalition of militarized states, with religious servants of Damoritosh in key advisory positions. The war that destroyed most of the ghibrani race occurred only decades after the Gap, as the addled state of the world’s leaders in the Gap’s aftermath only exacerbating existing tensions.

A small percentage of ghibranis survived the devastation. A powerful force field spared the metropolis of Arkeost the brunt of the nuclear war, but subsequent radiation carried by shifting wind currents wracked the city. Many died, but a sizable population endured. The ghibrani leaders knew the city didn’t have sufficient resources to support all the survivors, so after much discussion, they purposefully engineered several additional minor disasters to trouble the populace. The leaders then seeded rumors that an angry Damoritosh was responsible for this “divine” punishment and devised the creation of a false deity—Mother Touloo—who promised salvation to those ghibranis who gave up the comforts of civilization. Agents planted within the populace spread this false religion, leading a sizeable contingent of ghibranis into the wastelands. Meanwhile, the leaders of Arkeost and their closest family and friends remained behind.

Over the following centuries, very little contact occurred between the ghibranis who chose to live in the wastes and those who stayed in Arkeost, though both remained acutely aware of each other’s presences. The passing years, as well as healthy doses of lingering radiation, caused a physical division to occur between the two factions. The ghibranis in the badlands lost the use of their wings and developed hardier exoskeletons; they became known as “husks.” Those who lived within the surviving city kept their wings, but became thinner and more fragile; they are known to the husks as “membranes.”

Today, while the membranes have all but forgotten their true past, the husks continue to believe in the fictional Mother Touloo. They remain focused on survival in the harsh desert wastelands surrounding Arkeost, battling against vicious fauna, and view the membranes as keepers of the vast “metal graveyards” of the old city. Meanwhile, the membranes lead a relatively privileged lifestyle. Some of the ancient ghibrani technology persists, but centuries of indolence have left the membranes unaware of the treacherous deeds perpetrated by their ancestors.

The data includes several confessional vidclips recorded by the ghibranis who originally orchestrated the creation of Mother Touloo, photos of the planet as it was before the attack, and information on the
orbital defense system.

What do you decide to do with this information and, more importantly, who do you tell?

Xagyg is extremely uncomfortable with the revelations.

"To be clear, I did not know about any of this. Frankly, it is horrible... but I can understand what drove them to it. That doesn't make it any less morally questionable, though."

Given no-one alive today seems to know about it, I think telling them is more likely to result in reigniting the old wars, than it is to help them to 'heal'. Building bridges between communities is more important than ripping them apart. Frankly, I think both communities have plenty that each can teach the other, and in a post-apocalyptic, resource-scarce world like this, that is pretty important.

We should probably let the Venture Captain know, though...

Think you're right. These guys all don't quite seem to know what they're doing, and the shock may be too big for them. Let's tell the VC, but keep these guys here out of the loop, for now. We can always work on gradual reconciliation. Baby steps, slow and subtle, like my flying. Top Down says, even though his flying is nothing like that. At all.

"Ignorance is bliss, I suppose," concedes Tuek.

So that's three votes not to tell either set of Ghibrani but just the Society.

While you're in the system, you're able to fix what faults have emerged.

Since we're close to the end you may as well roll dayjobs

Comments from Xeno and Niobrar?

"Oi, that's just like it is everywhere, innit? The elite get richer, and the poor masses are left to fend for themselves. Personally, I'd vote for arming the Husks and seeing what they do, but the least we owe them is the truth."

Profession (Professor): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Profession (musician): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

"A treasure indeed! But a treasure we must keep, for now. The past could indeed rekindle wars. Those who understand must only know this truth." he comments, agreeing that they must inform the Society first about their findings.

No dayjob from Xeno.

Once you're done, you can easily get back to your starship and return to Absalom Station without letting anyone know what you know; Klarima opens a hole in the force field without asking any questions. You maintained good relations with both factions of ghibranis, for which Venture-Captain Arvin applauds your efforts. He commiserates with you about the difficulty of the decision you faced regarding the ghibrani history you learned, but offers neither praise nor condemnation on that front. The Starfinder Society must decide what to do with this information!

You gain 2 reputation with your own faction as well as an extra 1 with the Wayfinders.

Dayjobs if you haven't done them yet. Game will be reported shortly and Chronicles should be out in the next few days

No Day Job for Tuek. Thanks for runnning! Thanks all for a fun table!

To be clear, no Day Job for me.

Your Chronicles are in here

I'll start Yesteryear's Sorrow when the signup sheet is complete.

Your Chronicles are in here

I'll start Yesteryear's Sorrow when the signup sheet is complete.

Chronicle looks good. I had hoped to level up Tuek to 3rd level before the game started, but I am still 1 GM chronicle shy (Honestly, both my 1-12 tables are taking a little longer to complete than I had anticipated).

Looks good. Thanks for that!

I can wait if necessary

Top Down makes sure the sick back are adequately refilled on the trip back with some of the most jarring flying, including terrifying asteroid flybys and stomach collapsing gratuitous gravity slingshots off moons.

Chronicle looks good! TD is too low level for the next one, so I'll be bringing someone from the leadership academy

Niobrar's actually going to hit the dusty trails. We are running the yesteryear saga at my local lodge, so I'd have to keep spending replays.

Chronicle looks good. Thank you for running the game!

I'll hold off on Yesterday's Sorrow until Tuek has their GM credits. Since I'm in both of these games, I'll know when they're finished.