SFS1e- Following the Trail of Rasheen (KS)

Game Master phaeton_nz

"I can run the scanners." Ears hops onto a chair, puts the console next to it into science mode, and waits. "Some people think scanning is prelude to an attack. Anybody not want me to scan them?"

The viewscreen changes to show a a beetle-like insectile fey known as a bulabar. Ahoy there. Captain Xizzvee of the Tinker's Pride and I point out we have already laid claim to this salvage.

Jek responds to Captain Xizzvee.
"What happened to the other ship? Do you think they were attacked by pirates?"

Was Jek's scry able to find anything?

In the absence of protest, Ears punches the button to start the scan.

Computers: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18

They were certainly attacked by something. Not sure what. I could send you my scans if you want

The scry detects no hostile intent.
Was their anything in particular you were looking for?

Thuban, yes. Momo says, looking a bit embarassed. She thinks back of the last time she encountered a ship that already claimed salvage I wonder how that Vesk captain is doing now.

That would be nice, yes. Found anything interesting so far?

While Ears waits for the scans to be sent, he starts writing a routine to compare data between his scan and theirs. He wants to find any clues to the cause of wreck's demise, the original ship-type or species of the wreck, and whether Captain Xizzvee and Tinker's Pride are honest trustworthy citizens.

Jek's looking for any info (stats) of the Tinker's Pride to size up the ship and see if they are hiding anything or what we are up against if things go bad. I don't know the exact DC See scan results page 325 core rule book.

Jek sends Ears any info gained from the scry scan

Borq waits quietly, hands moving slowly over the panels.

Honestly, I think we're looking for the plot, if there is any here. ;)

Once the data arrives anyone can make Piloting and Engineering checks to analyse it. Xizzvee also tells you that a group of First World exiles crew the Tinker’s Path and make a living by salvaging lost or destroyed vessels in the Drift. Xizzvee confirms the vessel his ship is in the process of stripping was a civilian liner that lost a long chase against pursuing vessels.

Also does anyone have Chronicles for 1-13 or 1-99?

No on Chronicles for 1-13 or 1-99 for Jek

"I've met several people with ancestors from the First World, but I have never met anyone directly from there. It sounds like an interesting place. By chance have you ever heard the name Jelev Rasheen in the first world? Or even heard it anywhere?"

Qimok has neither Chronicle.

Piloting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 (to aid someone who has more than Qimok's 1 rank in either skill)

Ears has neither.

Engineering: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21

Ears starts eagerly looking over the data.

DICEBOT has my 1-13 chronicle :(

Piloting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Do you think they used the escape pods? We should scan for a signal, maybe we're still on time. An escape pod with a good battery lasts seven days, and if you jury-rig an extra battery, it may last longer, and children use less air... Momo describes her oddly specific knowledge of escape pods.

Jelev Rasheen? No. Don't think so. Should I have?

As for escape pods, we checked. Found nothing. Besides, looks like this wreck has been drifting for at least a month, maybe two.

"Jelev Rasheen was a big shot explorer in the early days of Drift travel but no one knows what happened to her. I thought there was a chance she had gone to the first world."

No, on either chronicle. They're on different characters.

Piloting: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22
Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Borq looks casually over the data.

Unfortunately none of you seem able to glean anything significant in the data so you continue on your way. Several days later, you arrive in Arat and orbit the the immense gas giant of Aratros which was relatively far from the system’s star. According to the to the map fragment, this was Rasheen's first stop.

Now where is that beacon? Computer checks to scan.

Alas, Qimok can't provide any help with scanning beyond the +2 he's already giving the ship from his Expert Scanner boon.

Ears struggles with the data all the way to Arat. He glad to have something new to look at once they're back in real space, and starts a scan of the system.

Computers, QImok's boon: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 15 + 2 = 34

Momo? Where's Momo? With the hint of threat being around, Momo spends the remainder of the journey calibration and recalibrating the guns, and otherwise holed up in the turret. Only when Ears starts scanning does she emerge again, looking more frazzled than usual.

Ears discovers that the location, on the large, icy moon of Aratrosin (think Europa), is not the beacon, but a crashed ship. He also discovers another, brief signal from another moon that vanishes as if it was a sensor glitch.

Could Ears please make a culture check, and everyone can do a Physical Science check to study the moon.

Qimok's hireling Ozmig eagerly jumps in to help study the moon.

Physical Science: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

Culture: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Phys Sci: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

Feeling that he's on the trail of something important, Ears concentrates on the scan data.

Wonder about the disappearing signal.

You can assess Aratrosim as a cold moon with an icy crust over its large oceans. The beacon is located on a rare rocky outcrop that rises above the ice crust. You also detect its cryovolcanic properties, granting you a +2 insight bonus to Survival checks on-world. There is a realization that the moon is not cold enough to produce this activity naturally.

Mysticism, hireling: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

Ozmig continues to study the moon with great interest, muttering excitedly to himself about the potential for some splashy scientific journal articles. However, the hints at something not entirely natural elude his understanding.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (19) + 19 = 38.

Listening to the harmony of the spheres, and the whispers of the spirits, Thrym realises that there is probably an elemental planar connection at work here.

Jek examines the readout from the moon scan.
Mysticism: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32

"That's interesting the moon is not cold enough to produce cryovolcanism on its own, the best option I can think of to explain that is some kind of elemental planar connection. The only other option I can think of is the moon is inhabited by some colossal species, and all their children built volcanos for a science fair at the same time, but the chance of children being that organized is very unlikely. So I think Thrym is right."

Mysticism: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

I just wonder how that works, a planar connection on a sphere. Sounds like big forces at work. Do you reckon this is something that would atrract the curiosity of Jelev?

"It sure has *my* attention. Should we get down and see what's up with the crashed ship? Maybe someone survived and we can rescue them!"

Due to the planet’s thick cloud cover and volatile surface, the closest site to the crash is about 10 miles (a 1- to 2-hour hike) away.

Light from the distant sun and the dark turquoise gas giant Aratros cast the planet in blue-green twilight. It reflects from deep cracks in the icy crust so that in places the moon appears to glow from within. Stars shine in the patches of sky not obscured by blue-gray clouds. Fog wafts in a column from a distant hill. The thin air is eerily quiet, with no wind.

The moon has low gravity, a thin atmosphere, and severe cold.

Make Survival and Perception checks please.

It doesn't help that, in the first ten minutes of your trek, sudden fog reduces all sight beyond 5 feet, including darkvision, for 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4 minutes.

Survival: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (14) + 20 = 34.
Perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (4) + 18 = 22.

Thrym soars through the air on the back of his drake, taking in the unfamiliar terrain with a suspicious eye.

For what it is worth, Thrym can accurately predict the weather up to 6 days in advance.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21 blindsense (vibration)
Survival: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

As Thrym flies, Jek offers to lead on the ground using their blind sense (vibration) to help in the fog. Jek checks their cold weather clothing and Thermal Regulator.

"Everyone ready for the cold? I don't want to be treating anyone for frostbite, or any kind of bite for that matter keep your senses sharp."

...

I just wonder how that works, a planar connection on a sphere. Sounds like big forces at work. Do you reckon this is something that would atrract the curiosity of Jelev?

"It sure has *my* attention. Should we get down and see what's up with the crashed ship? Maybe someone survived and we can rescue them!"

"It ought to draw the eye of anyone with decent scanners and reasonable intelligence. So IF Jelev was here, yes."

"The wreck's likely older than the life expectancy of anyone stuck on that moon, but we should investigate anyway."

Ears suits up in his cold weather gear and follows Thrym and Jek unto the surface. "Good idea, Jek. Maybe you want a pole or something to prod the ice ahead of you too. We can follow single file, and rope off so no one gets too far away. I've got 50' pf cable."

Qimok gears up carefully, with his second skin armor and cold-weather clothing inside his thermal capacitor-equipped battle harness.

"Testing the ground sounds like a good idea," Qimok replies on hearing Ears' suggestion. "As does roping together, but I think it may be best to not tie yourselves to me. If I fall in this powered armor, I will definitely pull you all down with me. Even I would need help to move this rig from the outside."

Qimok knows he is out of his element in this terrain and weather, so does what he can to assist his more knowledge companions. He keeps his tactical pike in hand to both test the ground ahead and to defend against any threats.

Perception, aid: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15
Survival, aid: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16

I didn't think I would ever say this but... can't we just fly the ship?

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Borq grins at Momo. "We're as close as we can get right now, sugar plum. Hmmm, sugar plums sounds delicious, I should find some when we get back to Absalom Station."

"Rope wouldn't be a bad idea, at least a loop or two. Let's you keep your hands free." Environmental protections on, he follows the rest of the group out, keeping several hands free just in case.

Survival: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32
Perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

"Walking might be annoying, but not as annoying as setting the ship down somewhere that can't support its weight," Qimok points out to Momo. "If the ship couldn't take off again, I'm not sure which would be harder--surviving on this iceball until we're rescued, or explaining a lost ship to a very disappointed vesk," he adds, with a touch of black humor.

Borq actually spots something odd, that the others did not, glowing blue lights moving beneath the thick ice.

During the next ten minutes, a cryo volcano goes off very close to you. Reflex save or take cold: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 1, 2) = 10 damage.

What's the DC? Qimok resists cold 5.

Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28.

Pff. Sugar plum... Despite a bit of grumbling, Momo joins in in holding the rope. Not that it protects against a cryo-volcano.

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Oow. Cold cold cold! Momo says, quickly checking if her thermal capacitor is still running.

Resistance 5 with thermal capacitor, so 5 dmg

Borq actually spots something odd, that the others did not, glowing blue lights moving beneath the thick ice.

(Think Europa?)

Ref save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Ears lunges sideways to avoid the spewing cryogens. He quickly scrambles around to view the aftermath of the eruption. "Interesting. I wonder what's driving the pressure build up.... "

Saved: Qimok, Thrym, Ears
Failed: Jekcedo, Momo.

Europa - ice moon of Jupiter

Believe it or not, in the next ten minutes of your travel, you get blasted by another cryo volcano.
Another set of reflex saves please.

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25.

Once again, Thrym dodges, listening to the voices of the spirits around him.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
"Watch out here comes another one!"

...

Europa - ice moon of Jupiter ...

Maybe I should have said think Europa Report?

Ref save v DC 16: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Ear's dodge doesn't get him clear of the sub-zero blast this time. "Yikes!" He does some quick calculations. " 3 hours to travel 10 miles is about 180 minutes. A blast every 10 minutes.... I don't want anyone to panic, but at this rate we're going to arrive slightly dead. Maybe Momo's got the right idea. We fly the ship in. Someone stays on board to pilot, and we drop the rest of the team. Ship comes back to pick up the ground team when they're done."

Borq dances around, trying to avoid the spewing ice water. (evasion if relevant)

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

"I hope not!" He looks around for a safer way.

Survival: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20