Laurel unloads on the caretaker!
"Sorry lady, but that evil baby can't be!"
◆) Strike
◆◆) Autofire
~) Ammo @ (☑☑☑☑☑☑☑☑□□)
↺) Quip
As Laurel takes the shot while within Amnieka's reach, her hood opens. Her tentacles flare out from her hood, exposing a misshapen skull pink with living blood. This time she successfully jabs him with a tentacle, and in addition to the minor puncture wound he feels the burn of venom.
This must be distracting, as she dodges his shots.
She also weathers Fengsai's spell effectively.
But Zashodu hits her directly in the... eye? That thing in the center, which cracks. Silently, the creature falls to the floor with a wet thud, narrowly missing Laurel.
Moments later, there's some kind of disorienting ripple of energy. Outside of the window, the odd sights of the Ghost Levels have been replaced with the noisy machinery of the mechanical areas of Absalom Station; the midwife did not join the party and Charity Substation on their return trip to reality, and nothing remains but a pink-ish wet spot on the floor.
It becomes clear that Charity is once again accessible by normal means, as almost immediately emergency workers arrive to effect repairs and quickly stabilize the power core. Evacuations halt, and everything slowly gets back to normal on Absalom Station.
It takes a few days to repair the damaged substation and upgrade security measures. All surveillance (including the party’s recording devices, if any) failed to fully capture Amnieka’s image, recording blurry but disturbing clips that go viral on the infosphere before being quickly forgotten. Primex Kantol publicly acknowledges a rumor that unknown heroes saved Charity Substation from a monster and thanks those heroes for their contributions.
Julzakama calls them the next day and invites them to his niece Zaza’s birthday party, a sugar-pink revelry with a Strawberry Machine Cake theme held at her apartment in Little Akiton. The party occurs in the courtyard, and many locals are invited to attend. The adults sip fizzy beverages and cook while the children play (they’re showing off Spike and one of her kits to other children). Zaza blows out all 13 candles on her strawberry soda-flavored cake on the first try.
The Ghost Levels recede, expelling trapped residents who wander back to main thoroughfares, where they’re treated for any injuries and general exhaustion. Some try to forget their experiences, while many become Ghost Couriers eager to return.
Julzakama and Courier Lotus have more jobs for any of the adventurers who decide to stick around Absalom Station, including the job Julzakama originally hired them for. Nikk-Nakk suggests the heroes join the Starfinder Society if they want to see the galaxy, and gives them the comm info for the Lorespire Complex.
There may be many more adventures in store for our heroes on the station or in the wider galaxy, but for now all is well.
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After the birthday party, Fengsai finds a nice quiet place to catch up on a month's worth of cat naps.
[ooc]Thanks for running! That was a lot of fun! Great story leading into SF2e, had fun playing with everyone!
I've only paid in organized play scenarios, so this was the first time getting to play in a sandbox in Chapter 2, which was a nice change of pace.
Sani attends the birthday party, just repeating please let her not be allergic to colorant, please let her not be allergic to colorant over and over.
Laurel visits his mom, slaps a pile of credsticks on the table, to which she rolls her eyes.
He tells her all about the Ghost Levels, Sunny-6s, and the Evil Baby - his highlight reel - even though he more or less fails to grasp the gravity of it all.
She once more tries to soft talk him out of being an “Envoy” for the “Starfinder Society” so that she can “sleep at night” and he once more gently assets his independence which, ultimately, she supports, along with prayers to Desna to watch over her eldest boy.
”I’m goin to the MOON ma!” her poor heart skips a beat…
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Zashodu arrives at the party with a big, leafy potted plan. Lest anyone think it's a gift, he begins to nibble on some of the bigger leaves and offer the plan to others.
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After the party he returns to his lab and begins to record his experiences in his "data journal." He then quickly types up a brief abstract for "The Psychic Interactions with Mortal Midwives of the Newborn". One has to get a publication out of their efforts, after all!
Grizzi is pleased that he was able to help his companions save the Station and defeat the "baby" or whatever it wanted to be called.
Later, at the party, when Zaza goes to blow out the candles, Grizzi rushes foward wanting to help. However, seeing that his help is not needed, he offers the young vesk his cryo knife for cutting the cake.