GM S's "The Death of Kortos IV" (Inactive)

Game Master Chris Marsh

"Get into cover, move yer Jeans." calls out Gunnz, as she activates her suits external speakers to bless the crowd with a burst of SMC to encourage them.

Or you'll get to heaven sooner than you were hoping.

She quickly lands and changes the battery in her sonic pistol.

LOL I watched that whole video, fascinated.

the civilians look at the party expectantly.

Lady Shrike lands next to her companion to help articulate on the display. Then she glances around, looking for any building that looks relatively stable and less likely to catch stray fire.

"We're here to rescue you. The battle is still going on, but we have secured a landing pad. Once we gain control of the skies, we will transport you out of the warzone."

She casts her gaze among the civilians, looking for the most stable and capable one.
Profession Chaplain (to tell at a glance which one is the most trustworthy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26

"You." she says, stepping over to one of the civilians. She pulls out her personal communicator and opens up the map function. "The coordinates to the launch pad are here, and this is the route we took to get to you. If you follow this way, you will have the least risk. I'll inform my allies that you're coming, and they will protect you. Can I trust you to lead them there?"

Ohmarc works with Lady Shrike to support her efforts, keep the crowd calm, and directs them to the landing platform.

"There is no time to lose. Lady Shrike is correct. You need to make your way to safety as fast as you can."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (5) + 19 = 24

As the team moves to the civiliations, more comms chatter breaks through, [n]“Black Team has broken through the anti-air system’s firewall; all starships still in orbit, take out those remaining drone platforms!”[/b]

Among these civilians is Dunchell Munthus, Lady Shrike instantly identifies him as the one to connect wit, who runs the now destroyed general store facing Founder’s Square. Dunchell is grateful for the rescue. When he sees Ongie, he looks shocked and claims, “They told us you were killed by rock bears!” He informs Ongie that Roget was publicly imprisoned in the town hall weeks ago, and no one’s seen him since. Ongie looks worried by this news, noting to you that ]..."only about half of those imprisoned are released—the rest are never seen again."

Looking around and listening to the locals explain, there are three sections of the plaza that need your sweep. Now updated on the map. Let me know where to first.

Ishkitik wants to comfort Ongie, but knows there isn't time.

"We'll get him, don't worry. First, let's sweep that hospital, check for civilians who can't evacuate on their own."

"That's a good idea, 'Tik."

Gunnz nods. "And we can play any patients some SMC to help cheer them up!"

The hospital looks relatively whole, though its doors and first floor windows have been barricaded shut from the outside. Civilians trapped inside the building bang on the front doors and call for help. Removing any of these barricades requires one minute of work and a DC 15 Athletics or Engineering check

Gunnz eyes up the boarded up windows and entrance to the hospital. "It's almost as if they have turned it into a prison."

Then with surprising skill for a dancer, she shows she knows exactly how to get into a place that looks secure.

athletics: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (12) + 18 = 30

Yuqab leaps into action beside Gunnz, dismantling the barricades.

Engineering: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (5) + 20 = 25

Ishkitik slaps a few more nanite patches on Ishkitok as Gunnz and Yuqab work.

nanite patch 1: 1d6 ⇒ 6

nanite patch 2: 1d6 ⇒ 2

nanite patch 3: 1d6 ⇒ 3

nanite patch 4: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Lady Shrike sheaths her sword and begins pulling at the barricade.

"Hang on! We're with the Starfinders. This is a rescue operation! We're here to evacuate civilians!" She hopes to speed up the process with her participation.
Athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

The party makes quick work of the barricade. Once cleared, one group of civilians streams out of the building. These civilians are all relatively healthy and are capable of escaping on their own. However, it’s clear that there are still more people inside the hospital—every patient unable to escape on their own, plus every nurse and doctor who refuses to leave their side. You'll need to go in.

Right away you run into one Ellemie-2, who identifies herself as the head doctor at the hospital. She and her staff refuse to evacuate unless "all the remaining patients can join us."

Ellemie-2 explains that this requires three things:

Azara wastes no time. He knows little about medicine, but does know how to talk people into doing things without a lot of information to go on.

"The fighting has died down..."

"The doctors wouldn't move you if it wasn't safe..."

"I'm not sure about that but we'll find out..."

He moves from one patient to another, providing the information he can, but, more importantly, convincing them to do their part to be ready to move.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (15) + 19 = 34

Ohmarc, a trained medic, quickly goes to work stabilizing and healing patients.

Medicine: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35

"Stay still, my friend. We will get you mended up in no time!"

Gunnz dithers for a moment, muting the soothing(???) tones of SMC a little before heading into the building to help.

She can do any of these, looks like we have two excellent "medics" already. I'll post a pilot, because she is Gunnz after all, but if we are short on moving folk, I'll add an alternate athletics under a spoiler tag.

After a moment though she directs down to the ambulance bay, locates the key box and quickly preps the vehicle for Patient Transport.

pilot: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (19) + 24 = 43

Yuqab turns to Gunnz and says "Race you back here with a vehicle!" before sprinting off to secure transport.

Piloting: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (4) + 24 = 28

Ishkitik gets to work rigging up Ishkitok with gurneys to help move the patients to the transports.

Engineering: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 20 = 27

"I'll aid however I can. If need be, I'll carry them out over my own shoulders."

Athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

The Starfinder teams shows why they're the best. Each immediately moves to their area of specialty, trusting their teammates to get the job done.

Azara and Ohmarc work to calm their spirits and prepare the equipment for moving. Their practiced skill and calm manner help the patients.

While they work, Ishkitik and Lady Shrike begin moving the patients who are cleared for transport. They get them going before the vehicles arrive.

And arrive they do, Yuqab and Gunnz come tearing up to the loading area.

The faculty and staff are mostly speechless at the efficient rescue. As Ellemie-2 and her convoy leave Founder’s Square, she offers you a gift in thanks, "We owe you our lives. Here. Gods willing, you won't need them." She hands you each one mk 3 serum of healing, plus one pearly white spindle aeon stone.

Back in the square, you've got two other buildings to tackle.

"Let's check out the Town Hall next," Azara suggests as he gives a final wave to the medical convoy while it departs.

Braerton’s town hall has sustained minimal damage; its glass windows are broken, the doors are smashed, and the walls are marked with bullets, but the structure is largely intact. The building houses several rooms which have been thoroughly looted and destroyed, including government offices, the archives, a meeting hall, and the jail.

As the team makes there way through, you're suddenly approached by a female gnome. She doesn't seem to grasp how close she was to getting shot by jumping out at you. She throws herself at you in gratitude, "Oh thank GOODNESS. I'm Teyonas, the town’s archivist. I'm trying to retrieve as much data as possible from the archive’s servers. I've got this, but all the explosions... I maintain these archives daily, but this FIGHTING!" She notes that she has a few minutes of work remaining. She urges you, "Please search the rest of the town hall (or Founder’s Square) for survivors while I wrap up."

"We owe you our lives. Here. Gods willing, you won't need them." She hands you each one mk 3 serum of healing, plus one pearly white spindle aeon stone.

"Thank you, but we are not finished yet, let's see if we can rescue more people while we can. This serum of healing may save lives."

Ohmarc will put the aeon stone to use, unless somebody else can use it.

"Please search the rest of the town hall (or Founder’s Square) for survivors while I wrap up."

"That we can do, but please be careful. The fighting does not seem to be lightening up."

Gunnz eyes the gnome up a little suspiciously.

"That is what we are doing, but you need to get out too. If you are killed... who will be left to look after the archives?"

Azara is a bit suspicious of the gnome, too. Though he isn't sure why. "We have some people who are quite skilled with computers. Why don't you take us to where you're retrieving data and we can see about expediting the process?"

Zara's got a nagging feeling. Upon the suggestion, the gnome pushes back. "No.. It's... you've got other things. It's .... better if we split up..."

That's an invitation for Sense Motive checks.

Gunnz turns to face the gnome.
"You want us to split up, even though this whole place is under attack and the hospital was nailed shut. From the outside?"

SM: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21

Ishkitik isn't the most socially adept, but is empathetic.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Lady Shrike listens carefully, following her allies' questioning by trying to see how the gnome responds.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

”We’re under serious attack here. What makes you think splitting up is better? We all need each other in this mission.”

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20

Gunnz, Ohmarc, and Lady Shrike all share a look. You can tell that she’s lying—she doesn’t work in the archives and is up to something suspicious...

Lady Chaplain Lanius Shrike stands tall above the gnome; a task not in of itself that difficult, but she still brings to bear her steely glance and posture of a seasoned warrior.

"Who are you, really? And why are you here?" She gently rests her hand on the hilt of her blade, though it remains at her side.

Intimidation: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Gunnz slips around behind the gnome and into the shadows... drawing her pistol as she does so.

"So far, my companions are being polite. Let's try and keep it that way. So, what exactly are you up to?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (8) + 19 = 27

Yuqab has the same idea as Gunnz, subtly edging out of the gnome's line of sight, ready for trouble.

The gnome's eyes go wide, seeking pity. She hands over a datapad, but doesn't explain. Computers check to get to the bottom of it.

Gunnz emerges from the shadows and looks over the datapad..

computers: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30

"What do we have here?"

Gunnz immediately figures it out. She's purging data, not retrieving it! Stopping the deletion requires some quick work. and another Computers check.

Azara isn't sure what's going on, but he does see his fellow Starfinders grow tense and wary. He looks around for trouble, but never expects it to come from this innocent looking little gnome.

"What.. why?" asks Gunnz. "I once hit delete on this Abyss head song that got into my tablet and it started to destroy my SMC collection instead. I think I learned something from that.."

computers: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

"But maybe not enough..." Any aids?

Ohmarc might be able to tell you where the on button is located, but even that might be tricky for him. He will more likely hinder your progress.

Will hold for someone to help Gunnz out.

Looks like Yuqab can auto assist. And should probably be leading with Gunnz doing the assist. Oh well.

"Hands off the data pad" Yuqab says, appearing behind the gnome and trying to quickly cut off their operation.

Computers: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (8) + 20 = 28

and my bonus is +16 for 22 rather than 20, not sure what went wrong in my initial post

Yuqab lends Gunnz a hand, and the team both stop the purge and undo the previous deletions. Teyonas immediately crumbles, "I'm sorry. I'm not a soldier. I'm just doing my job!" She holds her hands out in the universal symbol for "cuff me." "I promise, that's it. I'm done. Take me in."

Outside a shell rocks the plaza. A quick look outside confirms that it was a miss.

There is actually a jail in this building in addition to more places to look.

"Tell us more about this job. Who told you to do it? What exactly were you told to do?" Azara says, gently taking her by the upper arm and leading her toward the jail.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (19) + 19 = 38

"I'm just a low level member of the Order. Deleting things is literally my only job. I'm supposed to do it and return. I don't know my boss. His name is Bonjun. That's all I know!" Azara is confident that she's forthwith.

Arriving at the jail, you're greated by the startled sounds of people who did NOT sign up for this. There's one man nervously holding a pistol who points at you on arrival. He seems to be guarding a group of terrified civilians. As soon as he sees you, he sighs, "Starfinders!" He turns his pistol and proferrs it by the grip for someone to take.

When he sees Ongie he gives out a cry. "Ongie! Ongie your father is alive—he was transferred to the mines two weeks ago to labor until his death. I'm so sorry."

Ongie seems both heartbroken and relieved. "Ivrael!We're evacutaing. Can you take these people out of here? I'll tell you where to go."

He quickly agrees.

At the back of the sheriff’s office are three holding cells, each containing a few prisoners who were clearly executed by the Order. Behind the sheriff’s desk is an open hatch in the floor.