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Normally, Darakwinn would stay outside under the principal that jamming everyone into a single room is a good way to get them all exploded at once.
But, that lava does, indeed, look very dangerous. Not that she expects a room to be able to provide a lot of protection against it, but it's better than just standing outside for it.
"Hey! You look like you know your way around a keyboard," she says to Vega. "Can you hack this thing? Maybe there's some kind of controls to deal with the lava."
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With Comprehend Languages, Vega is better able to understand the computer system, without the Dwarves in the party translating.
DC 17 Computers check to hack into the computer. (DC21 without the Comprehend Languages)
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While Vega starts hacking the computer, the lava flares up and a cloud of hot gas is released, reaching the area were just at, luckily, being in the room saved you from exposure.
Despite the tedious Dwarven programming, Vega is able to bypass the security to get into the system. Anyone on the team can now assess the following files.
1: Review a holographic animation of how to restart the Solarian
Stone (see below).
2: Review damaged text files documenting the Solarian Stone’s
inferred origins (see below).
3: Deactivate the negative energy hazard on the door on the far side of the platform.
4: Launch a fire-retardant canister into the molten core, negating
the flare hazard for 3 hours.
5: Disable the alarm countermeasure.
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"It's important for everyone to know why they're here," Darakwinn says with a nod.
"So just hit this switch?" she asks, indicating the controls that she thinks will launch the fire-retardant canister.
She sees the super heated gas rise and is glad that they at least have protection from that, even if she's still pretty sure they'll get cooked like crispy and juicy chicken if the lava surrounds this chamber.
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Floota makes a wise recommendation while Vega starts downloading the data. The holographic animation is huge, taking enough time to let you read some of the shorter text files while you wait.
More recent entries by the duergar immediately after the Gap record confused messages that speculate as to this device’s dwarven origins and what the duergars’ original objective on this asteroid was. These newer files also record hundreds of tests using the device here, what’s referred to as "the Solarian Stone." These tests largely involve experiments of light, gravity, and particle physics, later evolving into practical tests that directed these cosmic forces toward manufacturing weapons. All told, the logs cover about 40 years of activity, ending in several agitated messages reporting damage to numerous parts of the facility following an unauthorized activation of the Solarian Stone. There’s far too much to analyze in detail now, although one file's code bit off.
The switch Darakwinn is pointing at is a large red button labeled in dwarven, saying "launch fire-retardant canister." It's very hard to resist.
If you climb on the roof, you can free it using athletics or engineering. From inside you can free it with the remote arms with a computer, piloting, or profession video gamer check to control the arm.
DC 13 acrobatics or athletics to get on the roof.
DC 17 athletics to shove it free.
DC 15 engineering to fix the cause of the jammed canister.
DC 15 computer or piloting to use the arm
DC 10 profession video gamer (it really is just like in the game)
If you fail, you can reroll after everyone else who wants to try has gone, but each new attempt takes a minute.
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Darakwinn doesn't resist at all. Once she actually reads what the button does, she slaps it.
Which may be why the mechanism jams. Muttering something about the shoddiness of Duergar engineering, she takes a deep breath, steels herself, then lurches out into the open area over the lava.
After easily clambering up on top of the control room, she starts kicking the canister with both feet.
But it won't budge.
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Vega disables the alarm and hazards.
While Darakwinn and others wishing to help her continue working on freeing the canister, the last thing on the list is viewing the hologram.
and being clamped into place to either side of the center of the platform by the mechanical arms connected to the 2 control rooms. Next, a dwarven figure enters area A2, picks up a hammer there, and performs a repetitive, ritualized prayer over the internal machinery before the
Solarian Stone activates.
Engineering DC 15 to open
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Darakwinn Ironhead Dark vision
Aphelion Leto
[spoiler= GM]
Anyone in the control room when the canisters launch.
Darakwinn Ironhead Dark vision
Aphelion Leto
Vega Capella
Floota
Balin Starforge
Loxx the Revenant
Loxx opens the door, discovering why Balin was having a hard time with it, turns out the door wasn't just locked, it was also broken.
Next, Loxx helps Darakwinn, finding that the canister is jammed in such a way that even a trox would have a hard time freeing it with brute force, but by removing a few of the restraining bolts, the canister finally launches.
As the canister launches, the shifting weight on the roof causes a wall panel in the control room to shift slightly. Aphelion, Floota, and Vega all notice the loose wall panel might be hiding something.
You find one hand size canisters of chemical fire-retardant rest within the
hidden panel.
With the canister of fire-retardant launched into the lava, you can hear the lava react, and then calm down.
You have instructions from the Hologram, and one hand size canister of chemical fire-retardant. The second control room has been opened but not explored. What would the Starfinders like to do next?
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If Loxx is expecting thanks, he'll be disappointed. Darakwinn just glares at him.
"I had it," she growls, though that statement seems patently false.
She moves very carefully (and not too gracefully) to get off the roof.
Before they move on to the other control room, she takes a look at the instructional hologram.
"Yeah, I think any hammer will do," she says.
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1. You have found one, hand-sized canister of chemical fire-retardant, might be useful... but currently it's jsut a hand-sized canister of chemicals.
2. Search the second control room,
3. Examine the structure at the center of the platform, which was in the hologram.
of a stone arch containing a flame.
Anyone examining the structure at the center of the platform can roll one of the following checks.
1. Mysticism.
2. Engineering, Physical Science, or science-oriented Profession.
3. Culture.
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Aphelion finds a second canister, they are small enough to throw like a grenade if they only had a way to explode on impact.
DC 12 Engineering check to turn the canisters into grenades, someone needs to roll for each canister.
Level 2; Range 20 ft. Capacity Drawn; Bulk L
Explode (reduce affected creatures’ fire damage dealt by 5
for 1d4 rounds, 10 ft.)
Darakwinn finds the hammer, it is indeed not ajust a normal hammer. Darakwinn is able to gain ansome understanding of the Solarian Stone.
dynamo, which uses the heat and unique mineral combination to replicate the photon and graviton phenomena of solarians for scientific study.
The Solarian Stone represents a technology created by dwarves
during the Gap, and although its features are largely obsolete after
centuries of technological development, the contraption is rare and
potentially the last of its kind. Were it not for the duergar having
stolen the device, it’s possible that even this example might have
been lost. This makes the device quite valuable to technological
historians, and its strange configuration might be conducive to
running experiments that modern scientists haven’t considered.
Vega determines that the control panels are safe and learns the following
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Particle physics? My professor friend would be very interested in that She starts downloading as much as she can to pass on to Professor Messier.
Looks like this technological device has several mystical augmentations that allow a magical practitioner to restart this contraption. There's a Droskari ritual involved. I believe I can piece it together.It's most likely an hour-long ritual involving several invocations repeated while using the hammer to strike at a small ceremonial anvil.
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"Those bald bast-" Darakwinn mutters to herself as she realizes the duergar stole this device.
"This thing has cultural, religious and technological significance," she tells the rest of the group. "It's actually a good thing it didn't get nuked from orbit."
"We really can't let this thing be destroyed," she says with a sigh, but also with a bit of wonder in her voice.
"It reproduces solarian energy and a solarian could help jump start it, but more importantly, the energy is linked to Lost Torag. That means it's probably older than the Gap.
"And in true Droskar fashion, once the ritual with the hammer starts, you can't really stop.
"Given the dwarven construction the duergar have tried to overwrite and erase, I'd say it's been here since some time during the Gap which means that there's probably more information and technology of historical significance here."
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As a group, you need to decide what to do, should the Solarian Stone be destroyed, saved, and/or restarted. If you want to restart it, how?
Restarting the Solarian Stone: With all you have discovered, you have determined that there are three ways to restart the Solarian Stone:
1: Using the technological process.
2: Performing the Droskari ritual.
3: Having a solarian coax the device back online.
Any of these three requires first filling and raising the two crucibles.
hammer blows over the course of an hour while in this area.
with the dynamo for 10 minutes while the crucibles slowly pour
their contents into the conduits. While this happens, the solarian must
attempt to direct the dynamo’s growing energy through sheer will
with a Charisma check, Mysticism check, or Will save.