With painglaive ready, Chk gets behind the frontliners.
Computer stations and dozens of screens line the southern wall of this control room. Most of the screens display closed security doors, warehouses packed with strange magitech devices, or hangars filled with rows of metallic objects shaped like enormous silvery flower buds covered with glowing symbols. One of these hangars is clearly damaged from the crash, and the broken devices within are pulsing with magical energy and look unstable.
You notice the Rust Wraiths on a screen, clearly in trouble. Nima and Gremmik are working to open a blast door marked with a unique symbol while Kivett, Bo-Shek, and Tade fight off several nodocites. This symbol is too blurry on the screen for you to identify, but you remember Kivett gave you the number for her comm unit.
Navasi calls Kivett.
"Hey - we're in some sort of watch station, and can see you are in a spot of trouble, but the image is a bit blurry - what is the symbol on that blast door?"
Kivett describes the symbol in a clear, concise manner.
You can make either a perception or computers check to try to find the symbol she describes on the control panel.
Zemir glances around frantically...
...whilst Navasi takes a more careful approach.
Navasi finds the button to control the door. She opens it to let the Rust Wraiths escape, and then closes it before any of the nodocites can follow them. Kivett conveys her thanks to you over the comms before ending the call.
The team approaches the last area. They find a heavy set of blast doors, like those they just helped the Rust Wraiths escape through. The symbol on the doors is different, but easy to remember.
Zemir, Chk Chk, and Obozays notice that there are gun turrets that look like they are set up to attack anyone who gets too close to the door. Luckily for you, you are able to see the symbol without getting too close to the door.
You are able to travel back to the control room and push the button corresponding to the symbol you saw on the doors you want to go through. Not only does the door open, but the gun turrets also power down, and you are able to pass through the doors safely.
You find yourselves in a hanger. This massive hangar contains rows upon rows of inactive nodocite robotsand at least a dozen freestanding metallic devices, each emitting a subtle humming and traced with faintly glowing lines and symbols.
Suddenly, the blast doors you came through slam shut, and a feminine voice echoes over hidden loudspeakers, saying something angrily in an unknown language. With a chorus of beeps, the nodocites in the hangar power on, central eyes glowing and limbs beginning to twitch. The voice lets out a spiteful laugh as horns begin blaring and security lights flash red—an alarm has been triggered!
With the blast doors sealed behind you and the robots within the hangar powering on, your only choice is to flee for your lives. The only visible way out is by an exit ramp, which leads outside. Unfortunately, this exit has been locked down. You will have to use your knowledge of computers, crafting, or thievery to disable the locks or athletics to manually disable them.
"I don't understand what she is saying, but she sounds... testy. Let's book it!"
Navasi attempts to disable the locks...
Navasi gets the lock open, and the team is able to get out of the ruins.
They know that something is going to chase after them soon, so they aren't out of trouble yet.
Obstacle number 1:
Turrets emerge from the hull of the wreck and unleash a barrage of laser
blasts at the PCs, forming a dangerous gauntlet of laser fire and explosions.
skills that can be tried:
-Acrobatics or Athletics to jump and weave through the laser blasts
-Computers, Crafting, or Thievery to deactivate some of the turrets
-Perception or Survival to identify the safest path
(you do not all need to succeed at each obstacle, only to get enough successes. Critical successes give extra points, critical failures lose points. Other skills could perhaps be used if you can explain how they solve the problem.)
Zemir attempts to dodge and weave...
...whilst Navasi attempts to disable some of the turrets.
Zemir and Navasi both succeed.
Obo and Chk Chk?
Chk evades the lasers shooting at him.
Obo tries to weave his way through the incoming fire.
Chk Chk also succeeds, so the team progresses in the chase.
(Obo, since the obstacle was already defeated when you rolled, you still have your round 1 action for the next obstacle)
round 1 (Obo); round 2 (everyone)
Obstactle 2:
A troop of nodocite sentries attempts to surround you and clobber you to death.
skills: Acrobatics to Squeeze between the nodocites; Athletics to push past the nodocites; Computers or Perception to intuit the actions of the nodocites; Deception or Stealth to slip past without being noticed
Obo has to try to act at least once for this obstacle (his round 1 action)
Others may try, also.
Zemir tries to squeeze by them...
...whilst Navasi tries to slip by without being noticed.
botting Obo's athletics to keep us moving...
Obozaya fails during round 1 but passes during round 2, so the team moves on to the next obstacle.
Obstacle 3:
Debris litters the region surrounding the wreck, forming a maze of jagged metal and shattered rock.
skills: Arcana, Occultism, or Religion to scry the path ahead; Athletics to clear a path through the wreckage; Nature or Physical Science Lore to intuit the layout of the wreckage; Piloting or Survival to navigate the maze
Chk Chk needs to make a round 2 check against the new obstacle; the whole team may make a round 3 check against this obstacle.
After Chk Chk makes his round 2 check, a giant creature made of light, magic, and technology bursts from the wreck in a hail of rock and steel and rampages across the area, chasing you. You don't want to let it catch you.
Zemir attempts to scry the path...
...whilst Navasi simply tries to navigate the maze.
Obo tries to clear a path through the wreckage.
round 2:
Chk Chk critically succeeds; so does Zemir.
Since those were the first posted and passed the obstacle, Navasi and Obozaya's rolls will be applied to the next obstacle, which also has those options.
Obstacle 4:
The wreck releases a deluge of magitech nanites that surge across the area, flowing like a tsunami across the Sloughscar Hills.
skills:
Acrobatics or Athletics checks to jump over nanite streams; Computers or Thievery to scramble the nanites’ sensors; Crafting to construct a makeshift sled to ride the nanite wave; Nature or Survival to understand the natural flow of liquids over the surrounding terrain and adjust course to avoid the nanite wave
Navasi and Obo fail.
Chk Chk and Zemir need to act for round 3.
Zemir attempts to jump over the nanite streams.
Zemir almost trips (failure)
botting Chk Chk:
Chk Chk gets a critical success!
The giant creature stumbles forward to obstacle 2...
Everyone is up. You only need one more success to move on to the final obstacle.
Navasi attempts to scramble the nanites' sensors.
Navasi succeeds.
Obstacles 5:
Cyclones of warped reality tear across the last stretch of open hills
separating you from your d-vees.
skills:
Acrobatics to outrun the cyclones; Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion to understand the magic that drives these cyclones and siphon energy from them; Perception to spot a safe path through; Survival to understand the movement of the cyclones and avoid their path
Chk Chk, Obozaya, and Zemir may all act for round 4.
Zemir attempts to siphon energy from the cyclones...
...and quickly finds a way to drain a fair amount of power!
Zemir gets a critical success!
Chk Chk or Obozaya?
"Magic against magic!" Chk chants divine incantations with hands gestures that looks like going in the opposite direction of the cyclones' twists.
Not sure if I still have a hero point, but if yes,
Hero Point!
Chk Chk succeeds in using magic to disrupt the cyclones.
After you escape from the the reality cyclones, you reach your d-vees and can pilot them to safety, blasting across the landscape at top speed. Behind you, the illumantula unleashes a primal, bone-shaking screech before turning back to protect the wreck.
A minute later, you spot two armored hovertrucks approaching from behind—the Rust Wraiths, who are also fleeing from the wreck. Their hovertrucks are clearly laden with boxes, bags, and piles of salvage. Kivett calls you over the comms. The Rust Wraiths are relieved to have escaped the wreck but are down one member—Gremmik died inside the wreck. Gremmik’s loss has cast a pall over the group, but Kivett does her best to keep the Rust Wraiths moving and focused. She asks you to meet up with them later that evening at a nearby bar called the Watering Hole so the teams can compare notes on the wreck and their discoveries, and raise a toast to Gremmik, who will be dearly missed.
When you report to First Seeker Sarmak over the comms, Sarmak is shocked by the team’s findings and tells you the information you’ve unearthed will play a crucial role in the Starfinder Society’s preparation for the impending invasion. He dubs the ship the “Wreck of the Returned” and vows that the Starfinders will continue to explore the wreck to learn as much as they can about the First Ones and how to defeat them. Before signing off, the first seeker congratulates you on a job well done. He also gives you an open invitation to join the Starfinder Society as full agents.
That night the Rust Wraiths, cleaned up and their pockets heavy with credits, buy a round for you at the Watering Hole, as they toast their fallen comrade Gremmik. They recount how Gremmik sacrificed himself for the team’s survival when the automated defenses activated, throwing himself in the way of a wave of writhing steel cables that tore right through him. Despite this gruesome impalement, Gremmik fought to the end, taking out several more nodocites and enabling the escape of the rest of the Rust Wraiths. They solemnly discuss returning to the wreck one day to retrieve Gremmik’s body for his next of kin, though the discussion is halfhearted, and it’s clear they don’t believe they’ll be able to follow through. With that final thought, they raise a toast to Gremmik, saluting his loyalty and courage.
========================= THE END =========================
He died as a warrior wants to die...on his feet and defending his comrades. I can not think of a better way to die...to Gremmik! Obo says as he hoists a round in his honour.