At dawn, Starfinders set out for First Bore! Once outside the dome, they find the temperatures freezing, but fortunately the environmental protections of their armor holds up. Pushing themselves to arrive in a single exhausting day, they cover mile after mile on the skis, following the coordinates transmitted to them by Firstsight Taksta. George 09-23 finds the skis hard to use but somehow manages to keep up with the others.
When night truly sets in, and with First Bore only a couple of hours away, suddenly the comms screech! It's an automated warning from Glimmershield's early warning system: a Coilstorm is on its way, fast!
Good thing you repaired the off-site generators so that warning could be broadcast! You now have thirty minutes before the Coilstorm strikes to take action.
I'm assuming you start in the morning following the ice elemental fight, so everyone can return stamina points and resolve points to full. If you have hit point damage, you'll heal some of it per the rules for having 8 hours rest. Daily-use abilities (spell slots, etc.) can also be returned to full.
@Ashtif: Sorry, the time for purchases have passed--we need to keep moving.
Everyone, please add the Fatigued condition to your tagline.
Fatigued Condition:
You can neither run nor charge, and you take a –1 penalty to your Armor Class, attack rolls, melee damage rolls, Reflex saving throws, initiative checks, and Strength– and Dexterity-based skill and ability checks. The amount of bulk you can carry without becoming encumbered is reduced by 1. If you are fatigued, doing an activity that would normally cause fatigue causes you to become exhausted instead. After 8 hours of complete rest, you are no longer fatigued.
George 09-23 pulls out his personal comm unit and searches for a secure nearby structure or physical location to shelter out the storm.
37 Physical Science (on a take 20 with a downloadable data set and the +4 circumstance bonus for the library chip).
A 2 minute search is worth a try. There should be topographical maps of this planet in the database.
"We are not going to make it to the First Bore in time but maybe there is a better place to shelter than out here in the open. I will research it electronically but maybe the rest of you can use your eyes or use your comm units for advice from the locals."
"We will need to set up both tents pretty quickly and get all our sensitive electronics into the fortified tent. There is no time to lose."
"Alright let us get the tents set up. We can pile all of our batteries and sensitive equipment into the fortified tent which hopefully will protect them from the storm."
"Perhaps we can even setup a barrier against the wind. It is not nearly as good as a cave but it is the best we can do."
@GM Jhaeman - Are there any rolls we can make to create a makeshift wind barrier for the tents perhaps against the overhang. Being a Canadian I have built many snow forts and even igloos myself in my younger years. Now I pray for no snow but I can tell you that it was a lot of fun back in the day. :)
The android takes out his broad spectrum scanning device and starts to look for a good place to set up the tents.
Does the icy overhang seem like it would protect the batteries from the electromagnetic disruption?
"Scottermander, you've got the best medical expertise, so you should definitely be in a protected position. Here, take him with you ..." He passes off his pet squox to Scottermander for safekeeping.
He pulls out his survival kit, looking for any supplies in there that can help mitigate the extreme temperatures.
The kit should give me, at least, a +4 to any survival rolls, in addition to any benefit from the clothing. Not sure if the supplies in the kit can be shared to give the benefit to anyone else.
Male CN Brakim Death Touched Mystic 5 | SP 45/45 HP 31/36 | RP 5/7 | EAC 17; KAC 18 | Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +9 | Init: +3 | Darkvision 60', Per +14, SM +11 | Speed 30 ft. | Active Conditions: Fatigued.
Athletics +6
Istilnar looks quite the worse for wear from the journey. As soon as the group stops moving he leans against Nomarac's just so he can stand.
George 09-23 and Ashtif each find icy overhangs large enough to protect one person! With the fortified tent protecting two more, there's still one Starfinder that will be left unprotected!
George 09-23 and Ashtif succeeded on their Perception checks to find shelter for one person. Rattus failed the check.
Scottermander & Istilnar, you haven't taken a substantive action so you can attempt a Perception check to find shelter for one person or (as George 09-23 suggests above) a Survival check to dig a protective snow tunnel. If both of you fail your chosen check, someone's going to be left outside! If no one volunteers, I can choose randomly.
George 09-23 follows standard emergency protocol procedures (protect your own safety first before looking to help others) and claims the icy overhang position which he discovered for himself.
"Everyone, look for cover or make some."
Possession is 9/10th of the law unless the GM rules otherwise. :)
Just before the Coilstorm hits, Scottermander finds a narrow fissure to crawl into! The terrible blizzard swoops in with electricity crackling between charged particles of ice and snow, making for a deadly and blinding experience for anyone trapped outside! Fortunately, all of the Starfinders have found shelter in time. After almost an hour of raging wind and hurling snow, the storm finally starts to abate.
George 09-23 waits for the storm to actually abate before leaving his shelter.
"If everyone is alright with it I think we should rest now before we face the Estri. We will need to rest before we return back to the base anyways but I would rather be tired when we are skiing back as opposed to when we are in combat."
"A ten hour break should be enough for everyone to rest and have a guard on duty at all times."
The guard duty can be broken up into five, two hour watches. I suggest the following order, George 09-23, Istilnar and pet, Rattus, Scottermander and finally Bodo.
Male CG halfling ace pilot operative (explorer) 5 | SP 35/35 HP 13/32 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15; KAC 16 | Fort +3; Ref +9; Will +9 | Init: +6 | Perc: +14, SM: +10 | Speed 40ft | Active conditions: None
Ashtif nods to George, retrieving his mobile hotelier and setting it up, while also confirming that the battery is fully functional despite the Coilstorm. It was in Scottermander's null-space chamber."I am fine with waking up for one of the middle of the night watch shifts."
A careful watch is held through the night. But the darkness holds no terrors like the earlier Coilstorm, and the tired Starfinders awaken feeling refreshed. If the morning's travel goes as well as the previous days', First Bore could be reached in a matter of hours!
Everyone can remove the Fatigued condition and a day's rations.
That's a logical place to take our break. I'll be back in the first week of April to continue our tale. See you then!
With just a few more hours of hiking in the morning, the base of the 3,000 foot-high rock formation known as Constant Reminder is reached! But reaching the base is one thing . . . figuring out how to get to the visible opening in the rock face 80' above the ground is another.
You may already have ideas on how to reach the opening, but you can also attempt a Perception or Survival check to identify possible routes.
George 09-23 takes out his trusty scanner and adjusts the settings on it for a sub-surface scan. It is pretty obvious to everyone that he enjoys playing with his gadgets far more than the prospect of scaling the intimidating rock face of this mountain.
That roll is not going to do it. :( If someone wants to borrow my scanner for their perception roll they may. We are on a schedule but a few minutes more or less will make no difference at all.
Male CG halfling ace pilot operative (explorer) 5 | SP 35/35 HP 13/32 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15; KAC 16 | Fort +3; Ref +9; Will +9 | Init: +6 | Perc: +14, SM: +10 | Speed 40ft | Active conditions: None
Ashtif pulls out a scanner of his own, to begin mapping out the topography of the surrounding area, orienting against the electromagnetic field of the planet.
Survival, navigator's tools:1d20 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 15 + 4 = 29
He points. "I think this way probably makes the most sense."
I'll also use my 100' cable, grappler, and climbing kit as needed, if it looks like the path will be precarious. I can put the grappler onto my projectile sniper rifle, so hitting the target 80' away won't be an issue.
A survey of the rock face discloses three possibilities for ascent.
First, a metal platform built into the northwestern side of Constant Reminder houses a dilapidated industrial elevator. However, the elevator has suffered years of neglect and would need repairs before becoming operational. Second, it would be possible--though difficult--to simply scale the vertical rock face. A fall could still be dangerous, but the deep snow built up around the base of the formation would make it a little safer than normal. Third, there's a meandering trail beginning at the foot of the rock formation. It looks like it follows a circuitous route between various ledges and overhangs before finally reaching the mine’s entrance. The trail doesn’t require climbing, but has a lot of dead ends and working out the correct path could take a while.
Bodo:
You notice a splash of bright colour in the snow near the base of Constant Reminder--it looks like a backpack.
You actually each made the DC to identify routes. If anyone has the ability to fly, that's an option too of course, though there are strong winds that would require a check to overcome.
As Bodo pulls a brightly-colored backpack out of the snow and opens it, Ashtif uses a scanner to try to predict the weather. Meanwhile, George 09-23 and Rattus examine the elevator.
Bodo:
The backpack contains a climbing tool kit, a survival flare gun with 6 flares, a titanium cable line (300’), and a ring emblazoned with AbadarCorp’s familiar logo.
Ashtif:
The weather seems clear for the foreseeable future, though strong winds would make flying tricky.
George 09-23 and Rattus:
The elevator has suffered years of neglect, and fixing it could be hard as you'd need to make improvised repairs to the drive system. If the repair attempt goes smoothly, you could have the job done in 10 minutes or so. However, if you meet any complications, it could easily be damaged beyond repair.
The newly-repaired lift jerks and sputters occasionally, but it gets the job done. The mine’s entrance gapes like the maw of a deep-sea predator, the metal railway tracks and gigantic icicles clustered around its opening giving it the appearance of manifold snarling teeth. Beyond the jagged rim, a smooth, icy gullet slopes downward into the belly of the rock formation. Fortunately, the tunnels provide an immediate respite from the bitter cold and buffeting winds that ravage the planet’s surface!
Please see Slide # 6; your tokens are on the bottom right (please feel free to change your order). The rails mentioned in the description above aren't actually on the map. Lighting conditions are darkness (please flag if you're activating lights instead of relying on darkvision).
Bodo does not have darkvision, so he is using a flashlight. He has his needler rifle out and his flashlight ducktaped to the top of his rifle while flashlight is on.
"Someone should take a sample while the creature is alive."
George 09-23 puts up Telepathic Message on the party so they can communicate more quietly if necessary. He then puts a hand into a pocket to grab a battery to power his invisibility spell.
George 09-23 is now Invisible
Perhaps Bodo or another martially inclined character would like to hold and use the stylus on the creature when we find it.
Following George 09-23's suggestion, the group starts into the mine. But a sudden crackling sound heralds the falling of needle-sharp icicles from above! Scottermander manages to leap out of the way, but three of his allies are badly wounded!
Four of you (everyone but Rattus and Bodo) are within the area of effect of this hazard, indicated by the blue circle on the map.
Scottermander, you beat the falling ice on Initiative and I'll assume you get out of the way unless you'd like to do something else.
Ashtif, you get hit and take 36 P. Istilnar, you get hit and take 50 P. George 09-23, you get crit and take 73 P. Starfinder traps/hazards are nasty!
The android is knocked out by the falling ice but he recovers quickly enough. George 09-23 automatically stabilises (for a cost of 0 Resolve points) as his time among the scoured stars has served him well (slotted boon, usable 1/day). He then spends a moment to recover from his wounds and gets to his feet (1 resolve point spent). The still invisible and heavily wounded Starfinder begins to chug down his healing serums as if they were tequila shots at the bar.
"Perhaps a short rest is in order before proceeding with the mission?"
Healing Serum Mark I:1d8 ⇒ 6
Healing Serum Mark I:1d8 ⇒ 6
Healing Serum Mark I:1d8 ⇒ 1
Healing Serum Mark I:1d8 ⇒ 5
Healing Serum Mark I:1d8 ⇒ 8
Healing Serum Mark I:1d8 ⇒ 2
Well, that was fun. You can be as careful as you like but if a mountain fall on top of you then that is simply life. :0
After resting, Ashtif uses a scanner to examine the mine's ceiling.
Ashtif:
It looks as if the combined body heat of everyone entering the mine is what caused the icicles to drop, but you don't see any icicles further in so the danger has passed.
