GameDay XIII: Game Master S's "Aucturn Asunder" (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

Ash's hireling is +18, so oh well...
Ash's hireling will auto-aid the Intimidate attempt.

Santos helps yell at the people to get them moving.

Intimidate Aid: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

Yuqab aids Kneepuncher's intimidating entreaties. +16 Intimidate -> auto-aid.

Ishkitik has little in the way of social skills, and just focuses on getting herself and Ishkitok out.

The party scrambles to scare as many people to flee as possible. The Aucturnquakes become so intense that you have to leave now.

You take off just as the ground drops out from under the ship. Massive fissures form all around, deep enough to reveal the light of the mantle.

Parts of the crust literally blast into space around you!

At least one PC must attempt a Piloting check to dodge swaths of space-bound terrain, while the other PCs each must attempt a Computers check to rebalance shields to the aft quadrant, a gunnery check to shoot incoming debris, or a Perception check to accurately frame their ship’s position in the chaos.

"Wheeee!" says Gunnz who seems to have forgotten to put on her safety harness.

pilot,pegasus: 1d20 + 24 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 24 + 1 = 42

"Now THIS is why I like the Pegasus!"

One hand on the controls she fumbles around for an appropriate SMC track to be played at an inappropriate volume. Although this one may be slightly slower than her regular combat mix.

"Hey... external speakers. SMC could be the first music this new god ever hears. AWESOME!"

Santos takes control of one of the weapons, firing on debris in time with the music.

Gunnery: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 15 - 2 = 29

If there's one thing we've learned about Gunnz over the years, is that she can handle a ship! Stantos blasts debris to clear a path! Need more people doing the other checks to determine success.

She can pilot a ship. and she is the Strawberry Machine Cake #1 fan.

"Did I tell you about the time I got to dance of stage with SMC? So Cool!"

Ash will attempt to rebalance the shields
Computers: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29

Computers: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (12) + 22 = 34

Ishkitik works on the shields as well.

"Must have been a blast! I gotta admit I wasn't much of a fan until Ziggy volunteered me to be security at one of their concerts. They put on a great show!"

Yuqab hops behind a gun, blasting debris out of the way!

Gunnery, shaken: 1d20 + 17 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 17 - 2 = 19

The party blasts their way out of the debris, but you're not safe yet! The psychic storm from the Newborn’s emergence throws Aucturn’s illusory field far astray, impeding your astrogation away from the turmoil.

At least one PC must attempt a Computers check to troubleshoot the ship’s scanners, while the other PCs each must attempt Engineering check to manually support the scanner functions, a Piloting check to keep the ship safe from orbiting detritus, or a Survival check to use celestial landmarks as touchstones.

Ash, assuming Ishkitik has the main computers check, will attempt Engineering to manually support the scanner functions
Engineering: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29

Kneepuncher asks his companion to help keep the scanners online while he puts out a fire on the bridge (there's always a fire on the bridge).

Engineering: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36

Gunnz jinks left, twists right and then does something that seems more related to the current song on the playlist than anything else in the area...

pilot,pegsus: 1d20 + 24 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 24 + 1 = 36

Santos calls out notable celestial bodies to help chart a path.

Survival: 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 11 - 2 = 23

With the illusory field gone, you quickly turn the display aftward. It's a horrifying sight. Aucturn has been completely torn asunder!

An alert snaps you back. The ship’s Drift engine is going completely haywire, apparently pulling in planar matter from outer planes of madness as it charges.

At least one PC must attempt an Engineering check to get the Drift engine back under control, while the other PCs each must attempt an acrobatics check to manually reach the faulty mechanisms, a Mysticism check to keep the horrors at bay, or a Physical Science check to offer alternative lines of code to troubleshoot the problem.

While Kneepuncher stares out the viewport, Kinbara keeps working.

Physical Science: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

Yuqab bounces deftly from system to system, pulling levers and turning knobs--and on at least one occasion performing 'percussive maintenance' with a well-aimed kick--as he tries to get systems back online.

Acrobatics, shaken: 1d20 + 26 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 26 - 2 = 36

Engineering: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (3) + 20 = 23

"The Drift engine is trying to pull us every which way!"

Reaching for her release straps, Gunnz suddenly realises that she was not buckled in to begin with.

"I can get there!" she says, hitting the SMC logo on her ship suite, which looks suspiciously like her regular SMC #1 fan t-shirt. One wonders whether she got an environmental upgrade to deal with smell and sweat... but onto the task at hand. She swoops through the ship like a graceful ballerina.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (14) + 23 = 37

Just before the Drift engine activates, you feel an overwhelming compulsion to use a scanner to look back... one more time at the monstrosity emerging from Aucturn’s core.

At least one PC must attempt a Mysticism check to warn the crew not to look upon madness, while the other PCs each must attempt a Bluff check to distract everyone, a Life Science check to rationally imagine what lurks behind the ship, or a Will save to shut down their intrusive thoughts.

"We are not punching another god today."

Life Science: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Santos can do nothing but weather the storm.

Shaken Will: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 8 - 2 = 15

Noting Yuqab has the best Mysticism of the group, such as that is, Ash will use his knowledge of Life Science to attempt to rationalize what is happening
Life Science, shaken: 1d20 + 18 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 18 - 2 = 35

It looks like Gunnz +6 Mysticism is sadly the best equal of anyone in the group, so I'd may as well try it. Especially as Yuqab has a much, much better bluff. If anyone has a better skill and I missed it, then I'll do a bluff instead to distract everyone with a new SMC mix.

As the chaos erupts behind the ship Gunnz has a quick image of Kurt, an old boyfriend of hers. "He would have loved this experience. Of course, he would probably have stayed behind to watch..."

mysticism: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 Ut oh. Now the 3 comes out. Sorry.

The worst possible time! I mean.... for real. Now I HAVE to get rolls from Yuqab and Ishkitik.

Hmm, have I used my reroll yet? It says so in my tag line, but I sometimes forget to reset it.

Edit: Did a quick search and didn't notice it. So on the off chance that I still have it available. Not that with a +6 bonus I have that much chance for any success, but...

Inspired by the music Gunnz considers her past.

reroll, 2 nova: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14 Well, that was a bust. Worth a try though.

DEFINITELY worth the try.

"Look to the sun! Let the light of the Dawnflower protect us!"

Mysticism, Shaken: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 6 - 2 = 12

Mysticism, Shaken (re-roll, 4 novas): 1d20 + 6 - 2 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 2 + 4 = 9 Lol. the RNG really wants us to turn to a pillar of salt or whatever.

"We can't look back!"

Untrained Mysticism if allowed: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 If not, Will save at +7

Yuqab, Gunnz, and Santos can't resist. They each to to look at something beyond the mortal mind. The horror is fantastically strange that they each scream in agony. Within seconds they mutate in strange and impossible masses of flesh, flailing about the ship. "You become a quivering mass of mutated flesh. You are permanently confused. If the result is “act normally,” you instead drop prone for 1 round."

The last thing Gunnz does before looking though is to hit the button to engage the drift drive.

The horror persists...

But only for a few seconds. Your escape from the planet was only a split second fast enough. The three agents regain their form as everyone feels the pull away from... whatever it was. Those who looked cannot force their minds to recall the scene - only the emotion.

It may be the longest trip back to home you've ever had, but it's fast enough. You return to the Lorespire Complex before news of Aucturn’s destruction has reached the Pact Worlds writ large. The Grindhold citizens you evacuated depart wordlessly onto Absalom Station in obvious shock. News of your adventure tests Ixthia’s moniker, as the copaxi is visibly rattled by the tale. They ask you to await a formal statement before sharing your experience with others, making mental health services within the Complex readily available for you.

Whisperer of Souls manifests during your debriefing, seeking to remain close to those it sees as omens from its divine friend. Ixthia is awestruck by the legendary artifact’s appearance, respectfully taking the weapon for cataloging and assignment.

the official report includes your rescue attempts as well as your heroic actions. Your reputation in the Society grows.

And that completes Aucturn Asunder!