GM Jhaeman's Dawn of Flame, Chapter Five: "Solar Strike"

Game Master Jhaeman

> So you see, I didn't really have a choice!

Tulgram frowns when he hears these words. There's always a choice, man. They wouldn't let your brother go anyway, there's no reason for them to do that. You would have just killed more people and died yourself. No one appreciates traitors, not even the one who used them. They are garbage for everyone, and this garbage is taken out first. Duergar speaks slowly and clearly, trying to make the meaning of his words as clear as possible. But fortunately for you, we keep our word. There will be no consequences for you on our part. About your brother, we'll talk to the team.

Tulgram is distracted by the message. Family dramas are not in my line. He spreads his hands and walks away.

Vessu quietens with the multiple reassurances that the team will try to save his twin.

Hours start to accumulate as you wait for Taeress to arrive. In the meantime, Lu emerges from the interior of the Sun Diver, chuckling over something Hop must have said. She looks curiously at Vessu, as the man is sitting with slumped shoulders and looks despondent. She gives a little shrug and turns towards you: "Getting there, though it's a process. We've cleaned the various filters and accumulated crud and reworked some conduits to be fitted with whatever upgrades you've settled on. Once you decide, should be a snap to install them."

When the hangar door finally opens, it's not the willowy lashunta Taeress who comes through the door, but the ysoki Nib. She's accompanied by a sharply-dressed android. Nib looks a bit abashed as she says: "Sorry everyone. I just had a long conversation with Taeress, and I guess I got a bit ahead of myself. She reminded me that we're scientists, not adventurers out of some holo-flic, and we eventually agreed it'd be irresponsible for she and I to go to Kahlannal before it's reported as safe. But! She agreed not to object to the DCI backing your going. Beran asked me to bring over this datapad--I think she's starting to warm to you. Oh, and Taeress said you said something about a spy? This is Ilor, our security specialist."

The android tips the brim of their expensive-looking bowler hat by way of greeting. Seeing Vessu looking so defeated, Ilor says "He the one? Humans, am I right?" The android's ironic remark is accompanied by a wry grin.

"Good to finally not have the duty of being the only thing passing for security anymore at least," Amhesha says with a chuckle as the android is introduced. "I'm with Zharis here, we could use this to our advantage, to know what's about to come at us ahead of time. Glad the DCI isn't objecting to us going in, though," she says as she gets a wide toothy smile on her face. She then tells Ilor what has happened with regards to the spy, letting the other members fill in things she missed.

She just got here, expect her to miss a few things.

Earlier...

"Fair points, Zharis. There are a lot of variables we don't know yet, and would probably have to account for on the fly, which is always dicey. Too bad my mother isn't around, she always had a head for multivariable calculus."

Now:
Theo nods to Ilor, one professional recognizing another. "I think we've got the situation pretty well in hand. But an extra pair of eyes is never unwanted." he says, before explaining the situation. I'm not going to rehash the whole thing. Ilor can read the posts. :P

Ilor listens carefully to the explanation, and asks a few pertinent questions to fill in any gaps. When the tale is told, they say: "Well, I'm no Steward, but in addition to whatever corporate espionage Vessu committed, sure sounds like a case of criminal hacking. Unless you want him for anything, I'll hand him over to the authorities and start going through every system he's touched over the past few months."

Nib looks torn between emotions of outrage and sympathy for Vessu. "Can't believe he almost got you all kidnapped or killed! But . . . well, I don't know what I would have done if they were holding Taeress hostage. Anyway, he's done at the DCI, that's for sure. Hm, I might be able to get Kym Hoss to go with you, if you still want a xenotech specialist."

I'd like to keep him around ... the best idea, to me, seems to be to pretend to go along with his plan and then flip it on them when they try to trap us... unless the news has spread already and there is no point?

Nib taps her front tooth while in thought. "Right now, the only ones who know that Vessu's been caught are the people in this hangar bay and Taeress. I think we could keep our lips zipped for a while. What do you say, Vessu?"

"If it helps rescue my brother, I'll do whatever you say!"

Ilor shrugs. "Sounds like house arrest with no devices then for you," they say to Vessu. The android lifts the man to his feet, a firm hand on his elbow to guide him, before turning to the rest of you. "Unless there's anything else, I'll make sure he's safe and out of sight until you want him back."

"I'm all for keeping him around," Amhesha says with a thumbs up. Granted, she hadn't exactly experienced the sabotages the group had experienced before firsthand, so she's bound to be a tad bit more chipper about the whole thing than the rest of the crew.

"Well, with that problem solved, I'm going to get back to work," says Nib. "Even though I'm not going with you, I'm planning a big launch party! The DCI is going to get beaucoup sponsorships and donations out of your next journey into the center of the sun! Let me or Beran know if you need anything."

Will do.

Theo, Xylian, you stay here and look over the ship with Lu. Come up with any upgrades you think we need.

Amhesha, make sure you put that Siccatite to good use. Beran sent us 11 bulk and we had one left over from last time, so see what you can do. Remember that we are going to need to repair it to come back as well, so plan ahead. Can't turn the tables on anyone if we burn up in the heat.

I'm going to talk to Beran. Comm me with any specific things you think that we need.

Zharis goes inside to talk to Beran.

Hey Beran. We keep fighting different kinds of fire creatures, and our weapons aren't very good against them. What can you give me that will help? Are there some nifty weapon upgrades that would be useful? Specifically Efreeti. Also, got a couple of newbies and not sure if they have Environmentally protective clothing or thermal regulators. Those available if needed?

Typically we need to prepare well, because there aren't a lot of things we need on the other side. Might be different this time if we are going to a city, but think about what you need to kill efreet and other fire creatures, how to protect yourself from fire damage, etc. I know, we're scientists, but we end up fighting a LOT, and we're going into a war zone, so think about anything that would help the group.

Xylian does not involve himself in the drama with the spy and Nib and Taeress in favor of overseeing the upgrades to the Sundiver. The trap would not have remained hidden to the somewhat obsessive damai - just like the damage to the ship the upgrades, easily sussed out and handled - anyways, but at least now they don't have to execute a saboteur mid-sun. He is limited by the small frame of the ship, but upgrades the main computer and power core. He leaves the weapon loadout as Jin had and upgrades the ablative armor, so the agile Sundiver continues to be a short-range brawler. It seems to have worked so far. He switches the spore launcher out for nuclear warhead torpedoes just because he can and installs an uplink that will interface with his datajack and allow him and his exocortex to pilot the ship and operate the guns at the same time, freeing up Amhesha to do chief engineer things if needed. The additional personnel seem unnecessary, but personnel is Zharis' domain.

Engineering vs SENSITIVE SYSTEM BALANCE DC 28: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (11) + 17 = 28
Potential Ship Damage: 5d10 - 20 ⇒ (5, 9, 4, 9, 9) - 20 = 16

"You know," Amhesha says as she checks over Xylian's ship upgrades, "I can help you with any more upgrades if you need. Good thinking with the uplink, though. That should let you pilot and fireat once, if I'm not mistaken," she says.

She chuckles to herself once she realizes what else Xylian installed, "Power core seems to be functioning properly, even in this small of a ship, and the nuclear warheads haven't gone off."

"My post-university career has had more combat than I expected." Xylian says matter-of-factly in monotone. The chaos and lawlessness of the sun had initially annoyed the scientist, but he has come to find he can exist fine in this might-makes-right world. "Once this conspiracy with the efreeti is dealt with, I assume less weaponry will be needed." Speaking of combat... "What did the DCI tell you when they hired you? What brings you to the Sun Diver, instead of... whatever you were doing before?" While Xylian cares only for the competency of the crew, the unusual circumstances of their research does leave him wondering what exactly the recruitment flyer for the mission said.

Theo spends most of a day at a local hospital, undergoing cybernetic upgrades to his musculature and nervous system. As he walks back to the hangar, he marvels at modern medical technology. I was under the knife 2 hours ago, but with today's pharmaceuticals I barely feel anything, and the incisions won't even scar. Amazing. He can hear quiet sounds if he's listening, both the high pitch of his upgraded nerves firing, and clicking and whirring from his newly-augmented musculature. But he's pretty sure that he's only hearing that via bone conduction, and others won't be able to perceive it. Probably. At any rate, he's got a new spring in his step, and nearly ripped the hangar door off its hinges when he returned. Oops. Gotta get used to that.

Once he's back on the ship, he checks out the control systems. Not wanting to infringe on Xylian, he takes the gunner's seat Going to need a bigger chair if this becomes my normal spot. he thinks, as he puts the carious weapon mounts through their (simulated) paces. Satisfied with his understanding of the systems, he tracks down the pilot. "Who do I see about getting a bigger gunner's chair, Cap'n? That one you've got would barely fit a cub."

"This'll be more combat than I'm used to as well, as Mother's Tongue wasn't really a ship that got into combat much. I'm going to be honest: I didn't get a flyer. I'm here at the DCI because there is a good xenoarcheology department, and someone was willing to certify me for a lead engineer position. As well as the fact that, well," she motions all around, "it's in a sun."

Amhesha sighs and takes out her handheld custom rig, fashioned in the shape of Ydajisk's holy symbol: a yawning maw of protean poetry. She then continues, "The moment I realized you guys found an encoded Aklo document in the sun, I was extremely interested. I kept tabs on your missions, then saw you had an opening, and applied. I was told that the pay was supposed to be good, and that you had gotten into combat, and no more needed to be said" Amehsha says as she grins, pulling up the messages she had exchanged with other xenolinguists about the artifact, and showing them to Xylian.

"That, and I don't think Jyshka is due to retire from her lead engineer position on my last ship for a few more years. I didn't want to wait around for her to retire. That answer your question, Xylian," Amhesha asks while closing her custom rig.

After I talk to Beran, I want to go talk to Taeress as well. I know they decided not to go, but I want to talk to her and make sure she remembers that we aren't insane, and that we aren't going to take any unnecessary chances.... and that we really want her to come.

When Zharis goes to visit Beran, the once-surly ysoki greets her like an old friend! Time and again, the Near Spacers have proven their ability to take expensive equipment into the sun and return with it intact, with exciting new discoveries to boot. "You want it, I'll source it," she promises. She starts running through the list of items the expedition members have requested, bantering a bit as she exchanges something between her cheek pouches.

Beran's work is nearly finished when Taeress enters the quartermaster's office. She nods at Zharis. "I got your message. You wished to speak with me?" Her tone is a little frosty.

@Xylian: Great work on the ship--thanks!

@Amhesha: I really like your use of your character's backstory--great for making her a well-rounded character.

Zharis smiles at Beran and holds up a claw to indicate that she will be back in a moment, then steps away to talk to Taeress privately.

Hey Taeress. I wanted to apologize for asking you to come to the ship when you wanted to talk earlier. It really was bad timing, but I should have arranged to come to you instead, after the crisis was over.

This whole thing has been moving faster than I expected. When we got back I just wanted to repair the ship and rest... I knew we couldn't go out there immediately. Since then, though, the DCI has stepped up and moved things forward much faster than I ever thought possible. I was planning on talking to you about it before it got this far, but I had no idea that so many people were pushing to make it happen so quickly.

You were absolutely right at the restaurant when you said that we didn't have enough information. But Taeress, that isn't the whole story, and you know that sometimes the information is only obtainable through exploration. This is something that I really want to do. Faeffell's message was important, and one of the first things I encountered after leaving home was a ship running from the efreeti and their slave collars. They have been behind every large obstacle and setback we have run into here.

Someone is after us. They are blackmailing people here at the DCI... kidnapping family members to get to us. It isn't safe to stay here and do nothing either. The telepathic message shows that there are people fighting back... people we can help. The saboteur we caught can help us turn the tables, and is willing to. The two new team members are both trained security. I know the short one is scrawny, but she's also scrappy.

Taeress, I respect your decision, and I won't push you. I know this is all happening too fast, for you as well as for me, but I just wanted to ask you, in person, to please, please come with us. We need someone with your skills. You know Xylian is useless with people. He's a great pilot, but with telepathy... he couldn't even get the name right... Falafel. It's funny, but can you imagine the diplomatic hole I would be in with that information? I need your help, *please.* And I know you don't want Nib hurt, but I am absolutely convinced that the safest place for us all is *together* where they can't pick us off one by one or use us against each other.

Just think about it. At this point we have to be headed out anyway or the whole turning the trap around thing won't work, but if at all possible, I would like you there. I need someone with a level head, and you are the most level-headed person in this entire place.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 16 + (1) + 1 = 30

Although normally reserved and the "sensible" one, even Taeress can't keep her composure in the face of Zharis' heartfelt appeal!

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," she says, half-crying and half-laughing with incredulity. "But okay. Okay . . . We'll go. Nib will be ecstatic. But you better swear you'll keep her safe. I'll never forgive you or myself if something happens to her."

@Zharis: Wow, what a speech! I was initially going to have her say no, but I just couldn't after that stirring appeal to both heart and head!

Yessss!

I so swear. Taeress, thank you so much. Together, we can do this. We'll keep everyone safe, we'll find a way to fight back against the evil slavers, *and* we will figure out how to rescue Vessu's brother.

(Unobserved in the corner, Zharis's camera drone blinks its ON and BATTERY CHARGED lights, happily storing everything in memory for another stunning documentary.)

She nods and sighs, shaking her ruefully. "I better start re-packing all the bags I just un-packed then! Beran, make sure they get what they need--our lives may depend on it!"

After Taeress leaves, Zharis turns back to Beran and says

Okay, so here's my shopping list... do you have this stuff?

All-Purpose Accessory
Crimson Bangles
Earrings of Dampening, Mk 1
Enviro Masks
Falcon Boots
Fire Extinguisher Pellets
Glass Cutter, MK2
Intellivac
Magnetic Jack
Portable Window
Prevue
Smart Scarf
Speech Encoder
Stagecraft Powder
Survival Straw
Trampling Boots (?)

Also, it isn't in the catalog, but we need an extra large gunner's chair. And plenty of healing serums... the cheapest kind.

If you don't have everything on the list, then maybe I'll check into a Hat of Disguise, or maybe an Instant Wall... Phase Excavator... So many things, so little cash, am I right? I kind of want a Delecator as well, but that's just pure luxury. Hmm. I always have a hard time shopping, but I was really enjoying the jewelry section. Lots of useful little items.

I appreciated the extra siccatite you found for us by the way. Thank you. ... You don't happen to have any more, do you? It was in the catalog, but I know it is rare. I just always worry about running out since our ship is so dependent on that substance.

How have you been doing, by the way? Want us to bring you back a souvenir? What kinds of things do you like, besides us not breaking stuff and wasting resources of course. :) Anything I can pick up for you from exotic lands? Fridge magnet?

"Oh, if we're getting a stipend, I may as well get more gear!" Amhesha says as she snaps her finger and has her signature sniper rifle shrink out of view. For Amhesha, going shopping was not one of her strong suits, whatsoever. She spent literal hours trying to find the right place to purchase the materials she'd need.

"Radiation Badge, Thermal Regulator, Environmental Clothing, and a Frost Projector. It isn't guaranteed to be a place where I snipe people from afar," she trails off as she walks around, still trying to find the correct people who would sell her the gear. The first three items on the list are relatively easy to obtain, naturally, and she spends the time to install the Thermal Regulator in her armor. The latter, however, is not exactly something you'd find lying around.

Eventually, she does find a frost projector, but couldn't bear the thought of being out of combat without her Horizon Striker at the ready, even if the Frost Projector was much more suited to fighting Efreet at close range. As a result, she asks the merchant she bought it from advice on installing such a bulky weapon into her armor, which she does get a bit of information on, but not nearly as much as she likes.

She takes the opportunity to find some form of firing range where she can make sure she can operate both weapons at once. She somewhat can, but her Horizon Striker has always been an unwieldy analog weapon, and that's how she favored her weapon of choice. She seemingly is able to wield the Horizon Striker while unleashing frost and cold onto a nearer-range enemy in front of her, and she starts giggling to herself before returning to the ship to familiarize herself even more with everything about it.

"Alright. That should be enough protection and offense. A sniper weapon isn't ideal, but the thing's... basically a security blanket for me, as I've used a weapon like it on every instance of combat we've ever done back on the Mother's Tongue," she says to no one in particular while adjusting the seating that was at the correct height for the previous engineer.

"Wait, who was the previous lead engineer anyways? I should ask that, as the seating and arrangement seems to be a bit too high up!" she says as she chuckles to herself. Skittermander? No, that'd be even closer to everything. Perhaps a shorter Dwarf, or whatever Tulgram is? are thoughts that go through her head in a chaotic fashion, as she takes notes on the location and operation of the Sun Diver.

After Zharis' last question, Beran pauses in thought for a moment. "I'd like to know what they eat down there in Kahlannal! If it's any good, bring me something back--something chewy!" The quartermaster works tirelessly to source the items on the list. After an exhausting search for more siccatite, however, she shakes her head. "I think we've bought up all there is in the whole Burning Archipelago. There's a shipment due from the Diaspora, but it won't be here until next month."

As Amhesha adjusts her chair on the Sun Diver, a voice suddenly booms out from nowhere. "Well howdy pardner! I reckon yew must be the axle-greaser for our next trek to chase down the sun! Name's Hopalong, but friends call me Hop. Pleased as punch to meet ya. As for yer question, it surely was a big hefty fellow sittin' in that chair--on account of the power armor he wore! Ya got big shoes ta fill, in more ways than one, but I reckon you'll do just fine."

Zharis changes her mind and gets the Delecator after all, choosing not to get Prevue, the Speech Encoder, or the Stagecraft Powder. She also picks up an everfull mug.

Whoo. Thanks Beran. Shopping is thirsty work. Good thing I have this mug.

Orange juice, please

As the mug fills with orange juice, Zharis smiles and tells Beran she will bring her back something wonderful, then goes to pack.

Somewhere on the other side of the archipelago, a stout but broad-shouldered duergar was taking handfuls of castrovel beef tartare with his thick fingers and putting it in his mouth. A large, white napkin tucked into his collar helped keep him from getting messy, as it often did, and there were already several large stains on the fabric. When he was alone, Tulgram preferred to eat with his hands, as he felt it tasted better.

A good day.
More wine, please! Something more tart this time. I want ta feel tha land where it grew in fragrance.
It will take a long time before I have to relax like this next time.

"Ah. Ship's computer personality, right? Nice to meet you Hop, I'm Amhesha, part of the engineering team on Mother's Tongue before I got here. Power Armor you say? Sounds intriguing, but as a sniper I very much need my mobility and dexterity as much as I can," Solras responds to Hop. "I'll do my best to fill their role on the ship to the best of my ability, even if our on-the-ground combat styles seem to be disparate." Solras breathes in and out before continuing, "I'd shake your hand if you had one!"

After days of intense preparations, the time has come! With the cargo loaded, the (hibernating) passengers on board, and all pre-flight diagnostics green, there's only one thing left to do: blast off! A small crowd of DCI employees, Tulgram stans, and press photographers gather to see you off on what promises to be an historic journey.

"One hand on the reins, one hand on your hat, folks," announces Hop over the ship's intercom. "'Cause this bronco's about to buck wild!" With a roar as its engines fire, the Sun Diver lifts off from the hangar and then lives up to its name, plunging straight toward the raging inferno that is Mataras!

Apologies for the extra delay. I'm moving house in a couple of weeks and scheduled my home internet to be turned off then, but the phone company instead did it immediately! But I'll muddle through. My next post will start the day-by-day log of what happens during your journey to Kahlannel. I'll also have some role-specific bonus XP opportunities in Discussion soon. From your side of things, please feel free to role-play what you do on the ship or take advantage of the Downtime options. Your characters expect the journey will take six days.

Day 1:

Since Zharis had arranged for her new documentary to be released the day they left, she spends the next day engaged with her fans on Social Media, ensuring them that it was the true story of all that had happened, and personally engaging with several fan posts so that they could get the thrill of the actual official Zharis account noticing them.

Social Media curation downtime activity:

Charisma Check: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 2 = 26

Will have to do the other days after work: had last week off, so lots to catch up on.

DAY ONE

The Sun Diver's visual sensors project a heavily-filtered image on the forward viewscreens. Churning, raging plasma swirls as far as you can see. But there's beauty in the roiling reddish-orange currents. A low, soothing hum fills the interior of the ship as its special solar shields channel a fraction of the tremendous heat and pressure outside into energy to power the engine.

Elsewhere, in the bubble-cities of the Burning Archipelago, a new documentary about the expedition (highlighting the role of a dashing, charming pahtra) drops to immediate acclaim! Zharis' engagement on social media drives further downloads; this documentary might just go viral!

The ship takes 1 point of direct hull damage today from siccatite degradation.

Day 2:

Zharis spends the day playing her As the Black Hole Turns vidgame, and since it is a little harder than she expected, she rewatches a few episodes to solve some of the problems in the game.

Marathon Entertainment downtime activity

Day 3:

Zharis wakes up late and just spends the day reading, playing cards, and watching funny vids. Total relaxation.

Lounge downtime activity

Days 4-6:

Zharis stays on the bridge for these days. She brings her handheld vidgame player, and tries/pretends to relax, but she keeps getting up to check things. It's the last leg of the journey, and so the time to rest has passed, and apparently now it is time to worry. She makes sure that the DCI team is okay, and she's nervous about going through with the plan, and she checks for ships, and she double-checks their course, and she goes through the supplies to remind herself what they have, and she generally starts to get a little more anxious and sits still for a smaller amount of time each day until they arrive.

Maintain Readiness downtime activity

Day 1: Downtime Activity (Lounge)

As soon as Amhesha leaves, she gets a notification on her multifunction personal rig. Granted, to anyone who looks, it's just some red Protean text among the background of yellow text and blue background that says "Notification from Mother's Tongue". When she opens it, a few people are viewed as online, among them being the primary crew members on the chaotic ship of 40-50 xenolinguists, historians, and poets.

measuredChaos: Amhesha. Check social media.
piebaldXenolinguist: did yall finish ur mission
measuredChaos: Check. Now.

After she gets this message, she goes to check her social media, where she doesn't really keep up outside of what former and current crewmates are up to. "WAIT WHAT," she screams in Pahtra loud enough for anyone in the vicinity to hear. "MY FACE IS WHERE-", she continues screaming before nervously checking the chat again.

pilotsWings: am! youre famous now what the axis.
measuredChaos: Reminder that Axis houses several libraries, Vel.
personalRevitalization: Þou art not featured too prominently, so you mustn't worry too much, Amhesha of Ydajisk.
piebaldXenolinguist: f everyones seeing my whiteout face arent they.
constructedPerson: for all of a good 5 seconds, yes.
piebaldXenolinguist: also whos the guy talking in centuries old protean.
personalRevitalization: Madam, I am the newest recruit, the Borai historian lifted from The Dead. I have seen the changes over time in language and have decided to see what your Moðer of Tongues haþ to offer. Can't be bothered to make it Middle English, but imagine the Protean equivalent.
piebaldXenolinguist: ah! makes sense. status on... the project, jysh?
mothersMandibles: Check DMs

After exchanging a few more messages and keeping up with her former crew and their newest recruit, Amhesha is satisfied for the day and begins simply roaming around the starship, while reading literature from multiple languages. If asked about the chat, she's rather open about the entire thing, with the exception of what "the project" with Jyshka (mothersMandibles) is.

DAY TWO

Everyone knows that media tie-in video games are a mixed bag, and Zharis really struggles with making a difficult jump near the end of level 3 in As the Black Hole Turns: The Vid-Game. Who would have ever thought a relationship-focused daily holo-vid serial would be adapted into vidgame form as a side-scrolling platformer? Fortunately, when the game gets frustrating, there's always the relaxation of watching old eps.

Meanwhile, from the shouting, it looks as if Amhesha is having some real drama! Though finding out exactly what's going on may take some gentle prodding . . .

On Day Two, the ship takes 4 points of direct hull damage due to siccatite degradation.

Zharis pauses her game and takes off her headphones when she hears the screaming in Pahtra.

Something wrong? she purrs.

(And we only have 12 bulk of siccatite, so I hope those high rolls don't continue.)

"I would have at least liked a warning about my face being in a documentary. Old ship's pilot sent clips of the thing." Amhesha says exasperatedly, motioning to the piebald patches on her face. "It's fine though, just warn me next time?"

Will get actual day two activities up as well after I eat.

Zharis chuckles.

The documentary covered our last trip, and I didn't really think about it, sorry, but I must have panned past you in the epilogue section where it talked about our newest upcoming adventures.

I can tell the production company to chop you out of the next film if you are rabidly camera-shy. Fair warning though, my camera is on every minute I am awake, so if you are in the same room with me, you're being filmed.

She gestures to her camera-equipped drone, happily recording from the corner of the Lounge.

She looks at Amhesha curiously

You have no interest in being famous? Tell me what that is like. I might have to play someone like you someday.

"Yeah, it's fine to have my face; Vel frantically sending me PMs about this just kinda took me by surprise, is all. My family is the crew of Mother's Tongue, and I know they don't give an ysoki's rear-end about the pattern of my fur," Amhesha says with a shrug. "As for being famous? I'm fine with it if it's part of... a group? I'd rather not end up individually famous if I can help it; cannot explain what it's like though, as I don't know what it's like to want to be famous," she says with a smile to the camera-drone

Day 2 - Marathon Entertainment

Amhesha spends the day watching As The Black Hole Turns, trying her best to keep the plotlines straight in her head. Whether she's actually able to keep up, is a different story. She's thoroughly confused, but interested. Amhesha has only watched a few episodes of it with friends and family before, so watching it all the way through is certainly something to behold. She has an idea for a personal project later, though, so she asks Zharis with a chuckle, "Do you happen to have access to the screenplay, I have an idea. Can't tell you what it is, though."

Theodore spends the entire first day anywhere he can find a window (or at least a camera feed), watching for sun-native creatures, and trying to take all the notes he can when something wanders by. He spends long stretches muttering incomprehensibly to himself as he jots down notes. And I don't mean he's leaking telepathy. He's actually making noises with his bear mouth. I doubt even Amhesha could make heads or tails of Bear. Catalog Creature, if I see one to analyze.

He spends the next few days he spends practicing various tasks, ranging from climbing, to recalling facts about obscure species. Sometimes at the same time. If you dreamt of walking into a hold and seeing a bear clinging to the ceiling by his feet and and reciting facts about the Akitonian Furry Trout or Triaxian Jackalope, you probably weren't dreaming. One day he made an elaborate, multi-course dinner, because he was tired of plain canned rations. There was a lot of meat, but also fruit pies and freshly-baked bread. I'm Honestly not that worried about the actual skiil bonuses. Just various iterations of the Drill downtime action with different skills he has. And Cook Feast that one day. (Mostly because I just realized that cooking food is based on your Life Science skill, and he has that in spades! Which makes sense, because he eats a lot. Never trust a skinny chef, and all that.)

Sorry, got the story wrong... on Day 1, Zharis would have been interrupting her social media rather than her vidgaming, but you know, same-same.

Zharis says (in response to Amhesha's statement about not knowing what it is like to want to be famous)

I'm just going to assume you are a brilliant criminal and want to keep your face out of the limelight. ...And you probably don't have to worry about being too individually famous. You're like a back-up character. The token undercat, you know? I mean, if you self-publish like Tulgram you could probably write a book about your experience though, if you are interested in that.

_____

The next day, when Amhesha asks about the screenplay, Zharis pauses the episode on a giant close-up of her own face looking both concerned and, of course, stunning, and says

Oh, sure... you want the one to the pilot episode, or the screenplay of the one we are actually watching? Oh, nevermind. I'll send you both. Just don't publish any derivative works without getting permission in writing, or my father's lawyers will likely sue you into the ground.

She pulls up the documents which she has in her archived storage, sends them to Amhesha, and then, a little reluctantly, unpauses the video.

DAY THREE

The third day of the journey seems to be the best yet! As Zharis introduces Amhesha to the high drama of As the Black Hole Turns, Theodore prepares an amazing feast! Fresh baked bread, succulent roasts, and (a bear's secret as to how) fresh fruit makes for a delightful meal. But when all's said and eaten, and the table is about ready to be cleared, Hop suddenly interrupts. "This here stagecoach is about to drive into a gully! Best get up front, quicksmart!"

A race to stations quickly reveals the danger Hop was talking about. The ship's sensors can only operate at short ranges within the immense electromagnetic waves of the sun's interior, and they've detected imminent entry into a solar vortex! Rare and little-studied, solar vortexes are sudden-onset conglomerations of energy caused by pinprick openings directly to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Like a seagoing vessel caught in a hurricane, the Sun Diver risks being torn apart if it enters the vortex!

Each PC in a role aboard the ship gets one skill check (as follows) to help the Sun Diver avoid the solar vortex. The more successes, the less damage the ship takes. Checks are as follows:
Pilot: Piloting
Engineer: Engineering
Science Officer: Computers
Captain: Diplomacy or Intimidate
Gunner: N/A
Chief Mate: Athletics
Magic Officer: Mysticism

On Day Three, the ship takes 2 points of direct hull damage due to siccatite degradation.

Tulgram spent the first two days of the flight locked in his cabin and reading podcasts on camera. He cares little about the quality of the video, only the quality of the scientific facts he presents. Moreover, the fact that the podcast was recorded right on the ship rushing inside the Sun... This should already be enough for any viewer.

Duergar would love to join Theo's dinner party. Brilliant, just brilliant! I think I'll "strike back" one o' these days. I have a couple o' "asteroid" an' "mining" recipes in stock that will surprise ye!

When the alarm sounds on the third day, Tulgram just nods calmly. It was ta be expected. Okay, let's see what me new knowledge o' mysticism be worth. Let's play with tha solar magix fields, as hinted at in that brochure o' that Azathoth cultists, huh! It's time ta experiment in practice. Me favorites.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

"Not a criminal, luckily," Ydajisk says with a gulp. "Speaking of: don't videotape something I'll do tomorrow, or we might both get sued by your father," she continues with a nervous wink.

Day 3: Channel Divinity (Interrupted, Take 20)

Amhesha spends most of the day fervently translating the pilot script she was given into a centuries old dialect of Protean. She could have gone with a constructed language, but the recent conversation with the Borai Historian has convinced her to try not constructing a language for this, just this once. Ydajisk's Obedience from 1e.

Rather publicly, she recites the translated pilot script, getting to practice her mediocre acting skills along with doing something to add to Ydajisk's Library in the Maelstrom, even if the ship itself isn't devoted to her deity. She's about halfway through the pilot episode recital when Hop speaks up, and she thus gets to her station, still speaking in Protean, but switching to a more modern dialect.

"Ack. I'll have to continue that tomorrow! Let's see if we can't just reroute some power to get through this," she says as she acts as the ship's main engineer.

Engineering: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (18) + 21 = 39

Zharis exudes confidence in her role as captain, and gets some good poses in as she gives a stirring speech.

Turn left, Xylian.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 16 + (5) + 1 = 38

I was actually going to write a speech, but this is funnier, I think... GM though, if you want a speech that is as good as the dice roll, just let me know and I will dream up something beautiful.

Zharis' orders are correct and concise, quickly getting to the heart of what must be done to avoid the solar vortex! In the engine room, Amhesha gets the most out of the Sun Diver's solar shield channel to reroute additional power. Tulgram realises, however, that not every bit of esoterica in a cultist's brochure is true, and his attempts to manipulate solar magix fields fails miserably.

Okay, two successes and one failure so far. Xylian and Theodore, you're up!

Away on another volunteer weekend, back in 48 hrs.

Unsure of what role to fill outside a combat situation, Theodore races around the ship doing anything useful he can find. His frightening speed allows him to quickly reach several trouble areas and push levers past their normal stops, haul hoses and cables around to reconnect systems in unusual configurations, and the like, largely at Amhesha's direction.

Athletics: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29

Since current suites of piloting and navigational software are hitherto unaccustomed to the constantly changing density of the superheated plasma, Xylian spends much of his time monitoring, planning, and correcting their route through the star. When he is not in the pilots seat, he studies the star. Most would struggle to comprehend the vast forces at play within the star, but not Xylian's important scientist brain. When he's on watch duty he, as usual, plays extremely loud music, the playback speed of each song accelerated (or reduced, as the case may be), to exactly 500 beats per minute. Since he mostly listens to metal, the songs sound like unintelligible shrieking to all but the Xylian-est of minds.

============

"There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of spatial mechanics at play here. One cannot simply 'turn left' in space as one might do when driving a terrestrial vehicle. Space, being a vast, three-dimensional expanse, lacks the conventional frames of reference that would make such a maneuver meaningful." He gestures towards the stars plasma through the cockpit window, his tone dull. " Our ship is currently following a vector, a straight-line path determined by our current velocity and trajectory. To alter our course effectively, I need to engage our thrusters in a calculated manner. This involves firing our lateral thrusters to change our orientation while simultaneously using our main engines to adjust our velocity vector. Merely rotating the ship leftward will not suffice; we must also account for our current inertia and apply the necessary force to achieve the desired trajectory adjustment. Imagine, if you will, that our ship is an ice skater on a frictionless rink. Telling the skater to 'turn left' without providing a means to change their momentum is akin to asking them to pirouette on the spot. They would spin, yes, but their overall direction would remain unchanged. To move leftward, they must push off with one leg, redirecting their motion in a new vector while maintaining balance and control." He tilts his head, contemplating for a moment, then adds "I do appreciate the succinctness of your command, however."

Piloting: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

Zharis mentally plans to edit out Xylian's objection, and take shots of the turn of his head, his hands on the controls, and then the ship veering leftward, however it does it. The audience won't care. Then cut back to him appreciating her command. Yes, that should work... providing they live through this, of course.

The sobering effect of Xylian's scientifically erudite discourse is marred only by the sight of Theodore racing in and out of view behind him, patching up cables and repositioning gear like an uplifted bear possessed!

Under Xylian's control, the Sun Diver veers (to the left), but not quite fast enough and grazes the outer edge of the solar vortex. Tremendous forces rock the vessel, briefly disrupting its internal artificial gravity and throwing the crew about like playthings! Fortunately, power is restored quickly and diagnostics show only minor damage to the ship.

Overall, you made three of the five checks successfully. The Sun Diver takes a total of 5 points of hull damage from the solar vortex.

As Amhesha gets thrown around, she winces in pain with each time she hits a wall, ceiling, floor, or furnishing. "Owww... only minor damage, hm," Amehsha says, finally switching to Common instead of a myriad dialects and stages of Protean she keeps in her exocortex. She gets the commset installed in her Custom Rig up and running, before saying to the rest of the group. "Hold on, I can patch this damage for a bit. I can't deal with the degradation, but I think I can reroute some power with the shields to mitigate and account for the damage?"

Once she cuts the commset, she begins working her miracles, trying her best to mitigate whatever damage the solar vortex did to the ship. When she finishes, about 1 minute or so later, she alerts the rest of the group. "Alright, should be fixed now! I can only do that every so often, approximately once daily, otherwise it'd draw too much from the main shields and we'd be screwed should we get in combat!" she says with an awkward smile.

Miracle Worker to fix the damage.

Excellent job, Amhesha! says Zharis, getting down from the ceiling (which now has claw-marks in it) and settling back into the captain's chair. It wasn't anything they hadn't filmed on As the Black Hole Turns, but being thrown around by the ship was a bit more painful when unplanned. She would need to burnish and sharpen her claws after that.

And Theodore, thank you. I am glad our new recruits are so gung-ho about their jobs. I, uh, haven't seen the feast lately, but I fear that it might be all over the place by now. There's an intellivac in the closet if you need it.