SFS 1-21 - Yesteryear's Sorrow (KS) (Inactive)

Game Master phaeton_nz

"This should be no trouble." suggests Tuek as he attempts to squeeze through the rubble
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

That is a success. Anyone else?

DC 16 Life Science: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

"It seems unlikely the caps simply fell off the stems. It looks like someone or something might have harvested or eaten the caps." Xeno tells the others.

Xeno attempts to follow Tuek, imitating how the ysoki squeezes himself into the gap of the rubble.
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Jek attempts to squeeze through the rubble
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

"Looks easier than it is."

"I can try"

acrobatics: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17

A Strength check can grant someone else a +2 circumstance bonus to an Acrobatics check to squeeze through or free themselves

Xeno does have some difficulty but finally manages to get through. So does Dirk but Jekcedo gets stuck halfway and takes 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8 nonlethal bludgeoning damage and needs to make another Acrobatics check to get free.

This leaves Tuek, RZMR and your guide waiting to get through.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
"I was about to ask for some help, but I think got this."

Jekcedo pops out of the hole rather like a cork coming out of a Champaign bottle.

I'll drink to that!

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

RZMR makes an attempt, against better wisdom.

If Tuek needs to make another check, here it is. Otherwise, it could be an Aid?
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Dirk tries to aid his friends.

"Grab my hand!"

STR: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

RZMR and Tuek manage to get through. So does your guide.

Past the blockage, the PCs find a room marked “Target Range” in Ghibran, which contains a small stockpile of ammunition. However, the ceiling of this room isn’t sound.

Perceptions.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Tuek takes a look.

Jek follows Tukes lead and looks around too.
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

"Maybe we should get out of its way just in case the ceiling inadvertently falls upon us." Xeno cautions everyone.

Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10

Regular maintenance is the key to durability across ages. Betray the art of periodic upkeep, and ultimately the entirety of hard labor will come to waste RMZR spouts, without paying too much attention to his surroundings, and adds Hard hats are mandatory when entering the construction site.

"But where are these hats?" Xeno inquires the android while pretending to look around the area for one.

Jakcedo spots the area of ceiling that's about to collapse - the bit above you all.

If you want to try and brace it - engineering.

"Well, we can make it not fall upon us..." Xeno assures them while working for the way to keep the unstable stable.
Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Let me help!"

aid engineering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Engineering Aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

RZMR gives Xeno a quizzical looks when the latter asks for the location of the hats The organised keep track of their possession, which is RZMR's way of saying 'where you last put it'. He does proceed to support Xeno supporting the ceiling.

Jek looks for any faulty or neglected maintenance to help aid in the attempt to brace the ceiling

Profession maintenance worker Aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

"Looks like no one's done any maintenance in years look at the cracks over there too."

That is enough to stop the ceiling caving in on you. It just collapses somewhere nearby. It also has the additional effect of making the hole you crawled through, bigger.

You can place a locator disk near this stash of ammunition and stock up your own supplies if you need to. You also find a cold iron tactical dueling sword, a red star plasma doshko with an accompanying battery, and 1,000 UPBs of other material.

Eventually, the PCs reach the bottom of the shaft, 120 feet down the walkway from the barracks. Patches of strange mushrooms grow on this landing, and the sturdy, rectangular door here is marked “Command Center and Officer’s Quarters” in Ghibran.

This chamber features a few rows of plastic chairs bolted to the walls, flanking the steel door leading south. A desk festooned with colorful mushrooms stands between that exit and the door opposite. A chair behind the desk lies toppled over. A third door leads east, with a keycard reader adjacent. A couple of photographs, their black-and-white images oddly blurry, hang above the seats, among them a circle of faded paint.

The lights here continue to flicker for a few moments as you enter, and then go out completely. Five seconds later, they come back on and are steady. The chair is now upright and the photographs are now all crooked. You then hear a loud thump from behind the eastern door, which has a keycard reader next to it.

New slide up

"No, no, no!" Xeno interjects after hearing the ceiling creak and jumps to avoid its collapse.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

"We should have worn some helmets."

The righteous spend their lives doing what is best for the greater good, and need not worry about the fate of the crooked, who are often condemned to haunt the world after their time has come, to atone for their sins. RZMR says, suspecting the rogue commander to be haunting this underground area.

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

When returning records to the library, make sure to file them in alphabetical order, RZMR adds in his announcement voice as he realises the sound from opposite the door is a recording.

RZMR then turns his attention onto the keypad and speaks Bend to my will, puny keypad! as he starts to work on it.

Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Jek points at the weapons we found.
"Are these working, I know we have been having weapon problems since we got here. Can anyone use these?"

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

"That sounds, sounds recorded very odd."

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The keypad resists RZMR's will

Jek mistakes RZMR's try at engineering to will the keypad for a mysticism check and tries to help out.

rolled for flavor I don't expect this to work, but why not try for fun.
Mysticism to aid engenering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

"RZMR, when I try to use my will to influence something, I first start my relaxing and letting go of my own will, then try to connect to their will for lack of better terms, it's easier to understand if you're telepathic. The more you learn about mysticism the more you realize size doesn't matter, so referring to the keypad as puny is not likely helping. Maybe a new approach is needed, one the keypad can sympathize with."

Jakcedo and RZMR think they might nearly have it, but more help is required.

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Dirk tries to ward off any effect

"Anyone else good at talking to keypads?"
I think we need an aid engineering check to help out RZMR

Xeno provides RZMR some aid on the keypads that the android keeps talking to.
Engineering to Aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

And that is enough to get it open. Inside ...

Several desks, each with a computer terminal, are arranged here in rows. A row of filing cabinets stands in one corner, bright mushrooms poking out of a half-opened drawer. Doors lead north and west.

"It's like these mushrooms are taking over the building, maybe they just like filling cabinets, but maybe they are plotting something?"

Jek attempts to remember or find any clues or evidence of the mushrooms being capable of plotting or being controlled as part of a plot.
NOTE during downtime Jek spends lots of time needing to make will saves to avoid falling for conspiracy theories.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Life Science: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

Dirk looks at the cabinet.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Well it's easy to see why there are mushrooms in the filing cabinets - they feeding off what used to be paper but is now basically compost.

Jekcedo is quite sure there's a faint psychic field in here - or maybe that's just paranoia

Maybe the computers might provide a clue.

"I'm getting this weird vibe from this place, not sure what it is, but there's some faint psychic field going on. Maybe the mushrooms are waiting for us to die so they can compost our brains, just can't tell. The last time I felt this way I was at a concert. To bad these computers look too old otherwise, I bet we could find some videos of that concert, but hay there might be something else useful on the computers."

Jek starts dancing around listening to a song in his head.

Jekcedo is quite sure the source isn't in this room - if it's even there at all.

The vulnerability exists to be exploited, if not by the tester then by the malicious agent. Blame not the vulnerability for compromising the security of the system, but the system administrator for not acting swiftly enough and allowing the opportunity RZMR says, then proceeds to attempt entry into the computer system.

Computers: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19 Poorly

Xeno perks up and tries to attempt at the computer system as well. "Let's see what an old man can do to this one."

Computers: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

As soon as RZMR approaches the computer, all of them snap on at once, displaying distorted images of ghibrani faces writhing in pain and terror. Just as quickly, they shut down.

That might have rattled him badly enough as he doesn't gain entry.

"Perhaps, you should try again. I may be able to temper the psychic interference a bit." Tuek suggests.

Mysticism to Aid Computers: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

"Think we need to find or make some fungicide quick since most our other weapons are not working. I don't want to have my brain end up as compost."

Jek checks to see if any of their grenades are still working.
I'm assuming Jek's Holo and Shock Grenade are not working, not sure about the others Jek has Smoke, Stickybomb, Frag Grenade, Antiswarm, Foam and Riot Grenades.

"I can try to my sword? If you think that's important Jek?"

There is no further interference to you accessing these computers and you discover they are full of thousands and thousands of files containing the mundane information about running the base. You also find another missive from Base Commander Trogoss(Handout 5)

You also discover that the war was started just after the Gap, as rival groups blamed each other for their losses of memories. Small skirmishes erupted between a few nationstates’ armies, but such conflicts were not all that unusual between these worshipers of an aspect of Damoritosh they
called the Great Vanquisher. Peace might have been obtained but the commander of this base seized control of the nuclear might of one nation-state’s central military base and started a devastating world war.

Feeling victorious, Trogoss continued to lead those under his command, but some of his soldiers regretted their part in the world-shaking events. The commander imprisoned the few who spoke openly about their feelings, stating that such disobedience would tear them apart before they could survive long enough to be able to return to the surface. Any other soldiers with doubts kept them to themselves from then on.

Finally, believing that the entire base was out to get him, Trogoss released a cloud of radioactive gas into the corridors, dooming himself and the other survivors to painful deaths.

"What a horrifying end!" Xeno exclaims and clams himself immediately after learning this information.

"It might be that the mushrooms were giving this commander hallucinations, and enacting that way from his claims." Xeno infers. "What do you think? I wonder who planted those mushrooms. Perhaps it is the same one we found before we got here."

"Now we know where the radiation came from. I'm wondering if radiation caused the mushrooms to mutate. Maybe it's just me, but I've been getting this irrational fear of fungus since we got here. It's like they are out to get us... Kind of like how on my first mission I thought the zombies were going to eat our brains and turn us into zombies, luckly it turned out it wasn't that kind of zombie."

So where do you go now?