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Dot! It is good to see you did not persih during the Data Scourge. CYGPO says as they realize why the ratfolk seems so familiar. And your business is still flourishing. Excellent. A 'Holiday Miracle' as it is said.
The android proceeds to then get a sense of deja vu as they find themsleves once again assisting Dot with her mercantile tasks. At least this time the stakes are significantly lower
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Solis briefly considers going into Supernova mode and cleaning the shelves with a blast of fire but quickly squelches that idea. Or maybe Graviton Mode and suck up all the dust. She soon squelches those idea and starts to do it the standard way. She had missed most of the Data Scourge affair so she wasn't that familiar with it.
She also adds the collection of limited-edition AbadarCorp trainee photocards to her purchase collection (they were going real cheap). Maybe they might be worth more someday.
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Istilnar reaches out a hand toward the shelves and even though he is 7' tall his arm seems to stretch and extend beyond his normal wingspan. Everyone gasps as he uses his now abnormally extended appendage to clean the shelves.
"You would be better served to hire wage slaves to this type of menial labor for you."
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George 09-23 sees that Cygpo seems to have the construction of the shelves well in hand. He attempts to gracefully clean (if there is such a thing) with some impromptu ballet moves and a dry cloth.
"A jete, a pirouette and a wipe for good measure!"
Despite his android nature George 09-23 is getting into the festive spirit and having some fun.
Ooh, impressive! Dot says after the group is done dusting and assembling, You know, that is really helpful of you, much better than I could have done this myself. Here, let me throw in a freebie for you! She says, as she hands the group a mk 1 thermal capacitor.
I looked it up, and I do indeed have some Sonic Tumult stuff. It's in my warehouse, though. Since you've been so helpful, why don't you take the key and see for yourself?
Does she seem trusting? Well, Dot does ask for each and every Starfinder's address and says Just don't try to pull a fast one on me, or I'll inform the first seeker!
Dot’s storage unit is located outside the Freemarkets, in a rickety building with cracked siding and filthy skylights. On the way, the group spots many shoppers trying to get their gifts for First Choices.
There's also two skittermanders who cheerfully address the group. Looksie! one with purple fur says, and Are you lost? the other with green fur says Looksie! We can help!
The skittermanders introduce themselves as Violet (the one with green fur) and Olive (the one with purple fur... very confusing). We have just done big shopping! For newspark! Do you want to see our Sparklyglitter?
Before anyone can respond, Violet takes out a piece of firework, lights it and holds it in her hand This will be so nice for newspark! They then go on to banter about newspark, an android-innovated street parade, which is centered around spreading joy and strengthening bonds of community. Before the group know it, they're right in front of Dot's warehouse.
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The rickety building’s central hall is lined with numerous storage units in varying sizes, each locked and labelled. The hall and units are brightly lit by wall-mounted lights, and the ceilings are 15 feet high. There are fire cabinets regularly spaced along the hall’s length, but only the nearest two to Dot’s unit are stocked with a fire extinguisher. Dot's key opens her storage unit which is stuffed full of merchandise. Floor-to-ceiling shelves line the walls, all crammed with small boxes and bulging bags. The interior of the unit is piled high with crates and boxes, sometimes reaching the ceiling.
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"This is clearly when you need your 3-D Multi Dimensional scanner to make sense of this mess."
The android shakes his head as he is not accustomed to any sense of disorder.
"Still between us I am confident we will find what we are looking for."
22 Perception, if 21 fails due to a retroactive use of the luck Aeon stone.
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CYGPO glances at the skittermnaders as they pass them by. That parade does sound exciting. Perhaps when we return Kinnik may wish to hear of it as a place to take his friend for more cheer.
The warehouse itself is chaotic, messy, cramped, and with the treasure hidden somewhere unknown within. Like a dungeon. And CYGPO is well familiar with the layouts and navigation of dungeons.
Or - as they wander about confused - maybe not so much like a dungeon as their analogy implied.
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I've watched and recorded quite a few Newsparks - never been in one though. Solis admits. She sighs remembering her 'friend' back then was keen on going out and watching them. She was even in one, as a mermaid just before she graduated the Starfinder Academy. That was the last time Solis had seen her. and it was after their 'spat'.
Inside the warehouse Solis looks around in horror. This is worse than my place - and people say I'm messy
There's a lot of merchandise here, and quite soon Cygpo spots a Mecha-crash hoodie, which he recognises as one of the band with posters in Kinnick's house. George, however, hits bullseye! He finds a hoodie that says 'SONIC TUMULT', with the old logo on it. If this isn't exactly the same hoodie, it's at least a very similar one... the perfect gift!
Outside, the sounds of fireworks is near-constant. It seems the skittermanders weren't the only ones enthousiastic about newspark and the joy it brings, and many people are testing out fireworks, some of them in a quite irresponsible manner.
Quite soon after George finds the hoodie, disaster strikes! A stray firework projectile enters through the roof, bounces a couple of times and then embed itself in a carboard boxes. It promptly catches fire, as do two more boxes that have been hit by sparks.
Fire Extinguisher: There are two fire extinguishers in the hall outside Dot’s storage unit, as marked on the map. An adventurer using a fire extinguisher can automatically extinguish 1 burning square as a Standard action or 2 adjacent burning squares as a Full action, with a usage of 1/round as normal.
Water: Throwing 1 bulk of water on the fire automatically extinguishes 1 burning square as a Standard action.
Athletics: Succeeding at an Athletics check uses blankets and other objects from the room to smother 1 adjacent burning square.
Computers: There are two nonfunctioning fire suppression nozzles in the ceiling, one in each half of the storage unit. Succeeding at a Computers check while adjacent to a nozzle reactivates it.
Engineering: Succeeding at an Engineering check builds a fire break around an adjacent fire. This reduces the chances of that fire spreading
Profession (firefighter) or Survival: Succeeding at a Profession (firefighter) or Survival check extinguishes the flames in 1 adjacent square.
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Everyone!
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Fire
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@DM Kludde - I was planning on summoning some water elementals to put out the fire if this works for you. I would just like to know where my character is on the map (there are two identical icons that resemble my character on the map) before I take my actions. :)
Iseph (or is it George?) puts a blanket to use to clear a box of flames.
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As flames begin breaking out CYGPO starts moving quickly towards the back of the room where the fire extinguishers are Note: remind Dot that proper fire safety would have fire-fighting tools properly distributed THROUGHOUT the space. But as they go forwards they notice a suppression system nozzle in the ceiling and pause to try and bring that to bear.
After Iseph makes an initial move to put out the burn closest to him, Cygpo activates a sprinkler, which puts out some of the flames. Solis tries to use a blanket to eliminate some fire, but isn't succesful.
On the far end of the warehouse, under the other (inactive) sprinkler, the fires lights up an adjacent box.
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John
George
Cygpo
Solis
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Fire
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"Not to worry I will put out this fire quick with some elemental help!"
George 09-23 gets to work as he begins to cast his summoning ritual. The Technomancer is ready to immediately command the elementals to douse the flames (in Aquan) as soon as they appear on the battlefield.
Summon Creature II is used to summon three tiny water elementals.
@DM Kludde - Each water elemental (regardless of their size) should be able to automatically put out a large size non-magical fire if touch it. It is right out of the Alien Archive. It is their Drench ability. I shamelessly choose this option as I have fought so many fires before in PF1. I thought that it might come up here as well. :)
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Antethriss rushes to the fire, grabbing merch from the "defective / discard" basket on the move and begins to extinguish the flame with it. Surprisingly, he got his hands on a leaky Abysshead sweatshirt with a print of the album NURGAL'S DEVOURING FLAME, and now it's BURNING. Drow grunts and tries to put out the fire.
George's elementals start dousing the fire, and with the help of Antethriss and his Abysshead merch, the spreading fire is quickly put under control. Pity about the shirt, though.
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After returning to Dot's shop, the ysoki is in a calm mood. Ah, did you manage to put out the fire? she asks, apparantly both aware of the fire and completely unconcerned by it You've saved me from a lot of paperwork with the insurance company. I keep detailed records of everything that is in that warehouse, and I've got AbadarCorp Diamond cover. Hell, I even could have saved myself the trouble of selling all that stuff if insurance covers it, come to think of it. Anyway, thanks a lot for putting out the fire, these kids should be more careful!
Did you find what you were looking for? Why don't keep that item, and help yourself to something from the t-shirt rack?
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Abysshead please. And no jokes about stereotypes. He takes a T-shirt with their iconic album Galaxy of Blood.
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Hey. I like Abysshead too Solis replies But then I listen to all kinds of music
She selects a t-shirt with a picture of a bleak looking planet and four android heads surrounding it. She then pays for the goods she had selected for herself.
On the way back, she has her headphones on and is bopping to the sounds of Sonic Turmult while carrying the mermaid plushie.
These guys aren't half bad she comments.
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George 09-23 starts the magical laundry press with a quick use of the Token spell. Every T-Shirt and hoodie selected is now brightened and polished until they gleam with magical goodness.
The android smiles as everything is now clean and in place.
"That is better."
"If you need any future help cleaning up your store or your warehouse I would be glad to help out."
It is pretty clear that George 09-23 enjoys cleaning much more than any form of music.
@DM Kludde - Magic in my mind is about all the fun things you can do outside of combat (everyone can inflict damage). :)
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On the way back, Solis suddenly has a thought.
Dot said she's on a Diamond plan and she didn't seem to care if the warehouse burnt down. If I remember correctly, any building on a Diamond plan has to have a working certified fire suppression system. I really hope her inspection certificates are up to date cause they won't pay out if the suppression system fails.
With brand new swag and the perfect gift procured, the group returns to Kinnick. Oh, wow.. just wow. This is perfect! the Shirren exclaim This looks exactly like the hoodie Celeed lost! He's going to be soo happy!
As a way to show his thanks, he gives the group a ghost killer weapon fusion seal.
The next week is quiet, and around the Lorespire Complex various celebrations are held, giving everybody plenty of time to do shopping, participate in festive baking competitions, or collecting the stockings Fitch’s grandchildren hid around the grounds in hopes of winning a holiday prize. Newspark is approaching, and sure enough another message from Camellia arrives:
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Thank you for helping Kinnik find a gift for Celeed! Your kindness gave him the courage to share his feelings with Celeed, and they had a wonderful time celebrating First Choices together!
Have you ever visited a Newspark parade? Newspark is a holiday created by androids and centering around a parade or street festival. Originally, this parade was a march for recognition and justice, as androids fought to be legally recognized as citizens. In time, this parade became a celebration of freedom and community. Today, teams of revelers, often called Sparklors, plan a parade incorporating homemade floats, outrageous outfits, and loud music. The parade stops at various
homes and businesses along its route, receiving gifts of food, drink, or conversation from the residents.
The Newspark parade is tonight, and my friend Yichen and their team of Sparklors have faced setback after setback!
Now, poor Yichen isn’t sure they’ll be able to finish their float in time for the parade! I’d hate to see Yichen’s hard work wasted. Please head down to the parade staging grounds near Jatembe Park and lend Yichen a hand. Their float is the Jeweled Flower.
Your friend,
Camellia
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The streets surrounding Jatembe Park, where the Newspark Parade is scheduled to begin, are packed with festivalgoers dressed in bright colors and carrying prepackaged snacks and small gifts to share with the Sparklors and other celebrants.
The parade route has been blocked off, and many completed floats already line the street, each more extravagant than the last. Sparklors surround their floats, dancing, singing, and socializing with the crowds. Nearby floats include a holographic unicorn frolicking amid cotton-candy clouds, a self-contained sphere of water that changes shape, a jungle scene with animatronic animals, and a cartoonish starship wreathed in rainbow smoke.
Yichen can be found in a small garage just off the parade route.
The Jeweled Flower is a gorgeous float in shades of red, pink, and white. The float’s sides are lined in delicate rows of silk and crystal flowers, surrounding a central platform made in the form of a red rose. The petals are crafted from stiff silk, soft yet firm in design. Dancing atop a hoverboard above the center of the rose is an android in extravagant, flowing attire. “Starfinders!” the android exclaims, riding their hoverboard down to ground level. “Camellia said they would send someone, though their description doesn’t do you justice!” The android slips their hoverboard under their arm and bows in greeting. “Yichen, at your service! Though, I hope you’ll also be at mine!”
Despite the float’s beauty, it’s clearly unfinished, with missing flowers, an unfinished platform, and no other features. Fortunately, the Jeweled Flower isn’t the only unfinished float. Another float, this one a hovering castle festooned with streamers and flags, is also under construction in this modest garage. Numerous Sparklors scurry around this second float, including a lashunta installing an old-fashioned cannon filled with fireworks and a familiar pair of skittermanders tinkering with a holographic projector.
We've just had catastrophe upon catastrophe. Lost pets and injuries, illnesses and family tragedies — Everybody except me has dropped out!
You know, I really understand why they can't be there, and why they had to step down, but I'm really in a bind. I can't complete this alone, and I can't operate this thing alone...
The first order of business is to finish the float.
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As the party heads to meet Yichen near the parade area, CYGPO keeps swiveling their head around with caution: it is entirely possible those skittermanders are still about 'celebrating'.
Looking at the almost bare float the construct asks We will assist as much as we are able, for holiday cheer. If you have the parts I will get to work. But what shape should it be in? Camellia passed on you were naming this the 'Jeweled Flower' - what sort of flower should the designs be shaped into? Is there a meaning behind your choice?
CYGPO will listen to Yichen's explanation of what their looking for and try to execute the vision as best they can.
and a familiar pair of skittermanders tinkering with a holographic projector.
One of the skittermanders has purple fur, the other has green fur. They seem quite busy with their own float, but it's possible to talk to them.
Cygpo's building skills work well with George's animation, and things are coming along nicely.
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Cygpo
George (or is it John?)
John (or is it George?)
Istilnar
Solis
Antethriss
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The group turn a half-finished float into a marvellous (and safe!) work of art. The two skittermander look a bit miffed that they weren't even asked for help - help is what skittermanders do after all - but they have plenty of work to do on their own float.
Turns out, it's probably for the better that these skittermanders didn't help, because the other float suddenly lights up with a spark of electricity, which surges through the various lines and takes out a holographic projector with a spectacular series of sparks. The projector flies loosefrom the float and causes a hologram of a jester to become violent. Seems like this projector has entered attack mode... another testament to the importance of safety inspections.
The Sparklors, including Olive, Violet, and Yichen, all flee the garage, leaving the rampant hologram to the professionals.
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George
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Hologram
Projector
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Istilnar
Solis
CYGPO
Antethriss
John/Iseph
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George 09-23 tries to understand exactly what they are facing and how best to deal with them.
@DM Kludde - His actions are contingent on his knowledge of the creatures. If George knows that they are immune/resistant to fire I will revise his actions. It is just faster (in PbP) to post an action (and possibly revise) than to delay the game for days waiting for a response. :)
George 09-23 attempts to cook the duo inside a circle of steam (heat radiating inside the circle). He then moves with some speed behind a solid wall for his own protection.
Everyone now has 20% miss chance from each other if they are on opposite sides of the wall. Lasers are generally less effective when firing through fog as well. If it is up to the GM to decide if this thin wall has any additional impact. Also if anyone passes through the Wall of Steam they will take 3d4 Fire damage.
George figures out that the hologram and projector function like constructs, and that disabling the projector will likely also shut off the hologram!
George puts a perimeter of steaming heat around the malfunctioning holo and projector.
The hologram passes through the wall of steam, slamming into Istilnar, while the projector throws fireworks at George.
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Istilnar
Solis
CYGPO
Antethriss
John/Iseph
George
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Hologram (17)
Projector (12)
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