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I wanted to say how much I enjoyed this adventure. Thanks to the GM for making it possible and interesting. Thanks to the other players. If we don't take this any farther, I'll be happy, although if anyone wants to GM the further adventures of the Starfinder Ghostbusters team, I'm game. If anyone knows of new campaigns starting up, preferably Starfinder but also Pathfinder (either ed.), let me know.
Shabad steps through and after looking around for threats, closes her eyes and experiences the sensations of the falling away of the corruption. She then gives each person in the group a hug and expresses her thanks for doing what needed to be done again and again. She begins the process of explaining to Lestana that the asteroid was where their hunt for her began. She tries to tell the truth, except she does not mention Dr. Gregant and instead focuses on blaming Eclipse Innovations and Kaeon Rhyse. Eventually, after telling about how the group survived the resort and tracked down the transmitters on Verces, she will begin to mention the existence of a scientist obsessed with transforming pain into pleasure. Only when the story gets to the end will Shabad reveal that this scientist was Lastana's DNA progenitor. Shabad thinks the stewards of the Pact World should be given the bare bones story of the resort's demise and the role of Eclipse Innovations in the events, so they can assess the ongoing threats and perhaps prosecute or exonerate any suspects involved in any crimes they may have been investigating. But she does not generally share the story with the rest of the Pact Worlds until she can do so with a proper telling, which means a book. Starting with the events at the resort when Shabad acquired the reporter's camera goggles, Shabad has been documenting each step of the process of tracking down the source of the signals, and on through the destruction of the shadow signal generator and the demise of Dr. Gregant. She has saved whatever computer file evidence she has downloaded and supplemented all this with dictated notes. She will take some time with Damon, Stefani, and Recorva (also Xio if they can be located) to interview them asking each to narrate in his/her/their own words what each experienced. Once this is done, she will retreat to a warm, sunny, peaceful location and write a detailed book telling this story from start to finish. She will then publish the book. Proceeds from the book, if any, will be used to provide Lestana living expenses and an education. She will contact each person still living if possible to see if she should change names and descriptions to protect privacy concerns. This includes the team and Lestana, of course. The prologue will read: The events depicted in this book took place the Diaspora, Verces, and the plane of shadow in AG 327. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.
So it ends up suffering from the same limitations as Shabad's difficulty with sentient relations, but her technical craft makes sure it is readable and accurate, if somewhat dry and unemotional.
Damonkayo puts his big hands gently on her shoulders and looks her in the eyes. "We're so glad ta find you. Don't worry--I ain't as scary as I look. Long story cut way too short, you were kidnapped from Abasalom Station to be a subject of an experiment. The stewards at Absalom Station discovered it and sent us to find you. We been all over trackin' you down. We need to hustle you back as quickly as possible, since this place ain't exactly safe. Will you trust us to escort you? Consider me your bodyguard until we get back to Ab Stat. No one will hurt you unless they get past me."
Shabad adds, "I know it is a lot to take in. We want to provide you with everything you need to understand and process this. I am a doctor, and I have personally gone through something similar as you. We are all just glad you are alive and safe. But Damon is correct, we need to get somewhere safer. It may take a little while, so stick close and we will keep you safe."
Shabad feels a tremendous sense of empathy for the clone. Her own creation was from a similar process--not cloning, but a similarly artificial process based in technology rather than biological reproduction driven by evolution. "I'm inclined to agree," she says in response to Stefani's statement. "I know of a religion founded on the simple statement, 'Suffering is inevitable.' Instead of trying to subvert suffering into pain, this sentient--I believe it was an human woman--taught people that there was a way to avoid suffering. As I understand it, it was not that one did not feel pain, but one recognized in the pain greater truths that allowed one to transcend the suffering and reach an enlightened state. In any case, I think this clone should be given a chance to live a life free from the insanity of her progenitor, perhaps redeeming her in the only way she can be redeemed." "But, we all should agree, and we all should be ready to help her establish herself and get an education and choose a path. I'll never have a daughter or a son, so maybe it is fitting for me to take on that task, but there's no reason we cannot share the responsibility, like the family we have become. Dr Gregant failed to deal effectively with pain, and we need to be a support system to young Lastana to make sure she doesn't descend into insanity." Shabad looks to Recorva and Damonkayo.
Shabad takes the time it takes to store the schematics from the machine as evidence of what the doctor did. She puts on the video goggles she got from that ysoki reporter back on the resort asteroid and makes a video record of the demise of Dr. Gregant, her machine, and the appearance of the portal. If Damon is not out of the constraint grenade force field, Shabad waits until he is before moving to check out the secret lab. when everyone is ready she enters the secret door, once uncovered.
Shabad slumps to the floor as the battle ends, nearly exhausted, although she has suffered no real damage and is not yet fatigued. Then she summons the energy to get up and check on her companions. "Damon will be out of that force field in a few more minutes. Does anyone need medical attention?" Healing Available:
Indicate if you are using any of these. DC 20
For Raine (if this spell has not been used on him today)
Once everyone is attended to, Shabad starts the process of investigating the machine. "We could just blast at this until it is destroyed," Shabad says, glancing at Stefani as she says this, "Or we can work at shutting this f#%$er down in orderly fashion. I'd prefer to try the latter and keep the former as a fallback. That serum I took earlier is still boosting my science skills, so I'll take the lead but Recorva, if you can assist, make sure I'm not making any mistakes, I'd appreciate it." Shabad jacks into the system. As an android, she doesn't sweat but stress makes her skin take on an oily sheen. She casts Delay Countermeasures just in case the system has ICE. Then she starts projecting what she's doing onto a screen. The text scrolls too fast to read except as she finds important information, which she scans carefully. Occasionally, she points something out to Recorva to get her input. Finally she has access to the schematics. After reviewing the arcane symbols mingled with techno-jargon, she explains what she thinks needs to be done to disable the system. "Get ready to move. I suspect when this is destroyed, we may have to hustle. I think that overloading the machine will not only destroy Dr. G, it will transform this pool into a portal back to our material plane. I think we'll have a few hours at best. Get ready to click the heels of your Siccatite slippers together. There's no place like home, eh?" With that Shabad and Recorva start to set off the overload. Computer and Engineering Checks: DC 28 To access records
DC 28 To get bonus on engineering check DC 34
The hound's claws come so close, Shabad almost cries out but keeps quiet and sends another arcing surge of electricity at the same beastie. Then she flies to a new location from which to make her next attack.
New Position: Flies to position I8, altitude just below the ceiling.
Heckuva cliffhanger. I don't know if Jimbles will be interested, but would anyone be open to more adventures with our PCs? It's fun having a higher level character facing more challenging threats.
Shabad moves five feet away from the creature and sends an arc of electricity toward the hound. She is careful to direct the bolt so it does not hit Recorva. While she moves, she draws her ultra-thin dueling sword for when her magic runs out.
Shabad, still invisible and flying, with her fabricated glove with advanced shell knuckles, glides up to the beast assaulting Recorva and punches. The reinforced plates make contact and two scattergun shells explode, driving her fist forcefully into the vesper hound. vs. Flat-footed KAC
From the east end of the room, a bolt of lightning arcs westward striking a hound.
Shabad's heart is in her mouth as she watches the fight and waits to see if Damon gets captured where he can't harm anyone. Damon becomes trapped and Recorva and Stefani avoid the dreadful shadow beasts. Shabad begins to hope they will all come through this and put an end to the doctor. Shabad wants to be the one to make the killing blow if she can. But her arsenal is probably not up to the task. She has one more of her most powerful spells so she draws on that energy to fabricate a powerful weapon with which to attack. She worries that her friends might finish off the doctor before she has the chance to finish the spell, but she can live with that. She fabricates a set of advanced shell knuckles. The glove will only give her one shot, but with any luck, it will be enough. She still has her dueling sword as back-up.
After the special grenade forms in Shabad's hand, she flies until she is within 20 feet of Damon and lobs it at him.
Shabad's position: Shabad moves from F9 to G7 before throwing the grenade. She has options on altitude but she'll keep out of the way of any ranged fire from the other end of the room. This might lead to her moving to a different position, so long as she is within 20 feet of Damon when she throws the grenade.
Shabad remains where she is and concentrates on fabricating a special grenade to try to contain Damon without hurting him (much).
"I'm going dark. Fly above these turkeys and focus on the doctor, so-called." With that Shabad vanishes and flies to a different location.
Shabad's position: Shabad flies east 20 feet then south 40 feet, maintaining an altitude of 20 feet. Ends at position F9.
Shabad shakes her head. "As there will be no convincing that you are wrong, that you are attempting a tragic insane solution to a problem that doesn't need to be solved, I'll quote a poem you keep bringing me back to. Then let the battle begin. "pleasure and pain are merely surfaces
Shabad rises in flight as she says this, attaining a vantage point from which she could make ranged attacks without objects in between. She is ready to cast a spell if Dr. Gregant makes any attacks.
Here we go...
"Recorva, how do you propose to get Rain down with us? Can he climb down or maybe we could all support him with some ropes. I could fabricate something like an armor jet pack if it could be attached to him. Or I could disassemble this fan so we could rig up a rappeler." When the necessary work is done to allow Rain to fly or descend, Shabad coordinates everyone heading down the main shaft in unison.
Shabad enters the room with her semi-auto pistol drawn. She pokes at the glass portion of one of the devices around the fan. She strikes a fragile point with the butt of her pistol and it shatters to reveal ..., not much at all. "These don't do anything. They're just for show," she says. Shabad retrieves a spell gem and uses it to cast See Invisibility on herself. She shines her miniature sun lamp down each shaft to see if it can illuminate the bottom or reveal anything within the top 60 feet. "I can fly for a few minutes. Damon has a force pack and Recorva has her wings. I'll cast a second flight spell on Stefani. Recorva, can you carry Rain? If not, I can fabricate a force pack for him. We can fly down the main shaft first and return if it leads nowhere useful."
Shabad goes up to the defunct machine and sends another bolt of plasma into it, just for the satisfaction of it. Once the shards of technology cooled enough, she salvaged enough to serve as her next weapon fabrication. "How are you doing Stefani? Need a moment?" When the crate under the table reveals the hypopens and serums of healing, she smiles and shows the items to the others in the room. "White hypopens can remove disease, parasitic infestations, poisons, and even magical curses. Green is even more powerful and can restore strength and other damage to your system. These serums, very potent. I hope we won't need them, but ..." She crosses her fingers and places the medical supplies into her medkit. While her medkit is open, she comes across the serums of enhancement discovered some time back. Sensing the final confrontation with Dr. Gragant is nigh, she downs both, one to help her with tasks involving computers, engineering, and science, the other with mysticism and life science. She packs away her kit and waits by the next door for everyone to join her in moving on.
Shabad moves back to where she has a clear shot at the medical monstrosity. Because it is such a perversion of the whole medical profession to which she has dedicated her life, she feels a particularly intense revulsion at a machine designed to heal attempting to kill. She levels her new toy and this time aims true. Her bolt of plasma damages the construct and causes it to start leaking hydraulic fluid. (range: 60 ft.)
Shabad aims her big gun and fires. A white hot ball of charge belches from the gun and flies at the deranged machine. Then Shabad steps to the side so it will have to advanced to target her with its weapons. (range: 60 ft.)
While the magic that allows her to fabricate such weapons primes her mind with how to use the weapon, aimed high, expecting a slow moving bolt instead of the fast straight discharge.
Shabad shares her intel with the team and burns a 3rd level spell slot to fabricate an Elite Plasma Bolter, a massive longarm that looks even larger in the petite doctor's arms. "Stefani, I know you're going to hate this, but on my mark, fan out and blast the hell out of this machine. Keep your distance, as it has some kind of anesthetic it will try to use on us."
Shabad keeps her distance from the machine, studying it with her aura goggles. She activates the special ability of the goggles, allowing her to use them to grant her arcane sight for 8 minutes. She also tries to see if she can spot anything distinctive about the construct.
"I'm inclined to just blast the thing from a distance. Nothing in this place seems to deserve mercy."
Shabad looks at the generator and headbands. "I'd suggest these headbands go to Stefani, Damonkayo, and Recorva to divy as you choose. It is supposed to help you coordinate your actions. I could handle the generator if I see a need to give someone cover, or perhaps Recorva could use it to give Rain a shield." "Does anyone need a rest or healing? I have figured out how to cast a mystic cure spell and I've got the medkit as usual. Then let's keep moving."
Taking a cue from Stefani, Shabad begins to fabricate a more powerful version of her weapon, a decimator disintegrator rifle.
Shabad advances into the room, keeping her distance from the young doctor construction, so she can try to disrupt the shadow stuff supporting the floating medical machine. She projects her mind into the realm of shadow and tries to disable to threat.
Shabad keeps her pistol pointed where she is looking and stays away from the strange medical machines. She casts detect magic and looks around after the effect has matured. Then she remembers the Aura Goggles she picked up what seems like a lifetime ago. She puts them on but does not activate the use of arcane sight effect until she was close to finding Gregant. "I think that was related to the doctor's childhood, when her parents were suffering pain as doctors tried to treat terminal conditions that eventually claimed their lives. I think that voice we heard saying 'No more shots,' and all that was the child Gregant. I don't think any of this was clearly planned out, so I wouldn't read too much into the fact that we blast that thing to bits before it could hurt us." "Anyone need a rest or healing?" She looked at RAIN and asked Recorva, "Does RAIN need any mending? He should be at full strength for the last few fights. I can casting mending spells if need be."
Shabad angles across the room to get a clear shot at the monster. Other than fear, the only emotion she feels is a desire to end the creature's pain. She hopes the afterlife will be kinder to these victims of Dr. Gregant than this life has been. She draws her sheet lightning pistol and sends a jolt the the creature, hoping it might disrupt it.
Shabad is taken aback by yet another grotesquerie. Just when she thinks she has seen the worst this shadow plane has to offer, something tops it. She is therefore slow to react. Fortunately her friends are more focused and battle ready.
Shabad reads the results of her research to her team. "So it appears this place is some kind of material manifestation of Gregant's consciousness, memories, hopes, and fears. It's the last place any of us wants to be but all the folks back there in the normal world are depending on us to stop this b*%!*. So, break's over. Lock and load. Let's rock 'n' roll! We're here to kick a$$ and chew bubble gum; and we're all out of bubblegum. Insert your favorite action Tri-D cliché here. Let's end this."
Shabad studies the strange text for a bit. Then she says, "I think I can learn something important from this. It will take a while. Rest if you need to and keep watch." Shabad sits with her back to a wall, resting the book on her lap. She makes notes in a text file on her computer using her data jack. She pages through the book reading every line first. Then she begins to decode the strange text, gradually figuring out the content. She writes as much of a translation as she can and saves it before announcing her findings.
As the battle ends, Shabad asks if anyone was hurt? Shabad has the spell Comprehend Languages active for 24 hours, so after looking at the text a few minutes she says, "This looks like it will take a while to read. What do you all think? Should we take the time to go through it? It's possible after all that study I might not be able to make sense of it all. It might contain important clues to the way this place is constructed and also the bad Doctor's history."
The inevitable continues to punch at the mememtor. Shabad steps up next to Recorva, her semi-automatic pistol appearing in her hand. She points her sun lamp and the pistol at the strange fey and squeezes off a shot, the tritidair fusion bathing the battle in light. The air crackles with electricity as the slug flies across the room.
Shabad shouts a warning before casting a spell. "That's a mementor! They steal memories. Hit it from a distance if you can." Shabad then begins to summon an inevitable to fight the fey embodiment of the horrors of memory loss.
A large mechanical construct appears on the far side of the creature from Damon, immediately attacking the mementor with a punch.
Shabad recognizes the creatures, but before she has a chance to share anything, the battle begins.
Shabad keeps her sun lamp on in hopes it can cancel out some of the disorienting shadows. She vows to take a vacation at the Burning Archipelago, a place with no shadows. As she moves into the tunnel, she gets a strange sensation that makes her skin crawl. She has studied this situation but this is the first time she has experienced it. "This area is ... it's hard to explain ... it's as if some powerful being has brought together aspects of the planar material and some kind of energy. I guess the upshot is don't necessarily trust your senses. Keep your emotions in check. Our past experiences with shadow corruptions will probably make us vulnerable to ... I'd hate to speculate. Just be ready for anything."
Shabad grits her teeth and fires two quick shots, hoping to take advantage of the creature's temporary blindness. The first one is close and allows her to correct her aim on her second shot.
It had a great cast, including Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin. But I love watching for all the quirky humor. Odd comments. The aliens all having the first name John. Rock and Roll scientists. Great theme music. Sad it never got any sequels.
Shabad points at the monster. Shodrav, 12 o-clock! Evil--pure and simple from the shadow dimension! she yells. "Bright light is prescribed by Dr. Freebairn." To emphasize her point, she shines her miniature sun lamp at it, calls her semi-automatic to her hand, and fires. The pistol sends out a tightly focused beam of light and electricity that shrouds the bullet as it flies at the target, the result of her recently added tritidair fusion.
Shabad approaches the locked gate cautiously. When the others are ready, she set to work on the lock.
Shabad is updated to level 12. Significant changes
Two New Spells: 4th level, Greater Invisibility, duration 12 rounds. 1st level: Life Bubble. She can cast this on everyone and it has a duration of 1 day. Skills: Computers up to 26, Engineering, Life Science, Medicine, Mysticsm, and Physical Science all now +22, Perception up to +18 (+20 with Keen Senses spell. Theme Ability: Gnawing Hunch
I'm past the transition to a new school term, so I should have more time. I'll level up Shabad as soon as I can. I have a bit of catching up to do on some other games.
I'm good with playing on. I think there have just been a lot of things distracting people: dealing with COVID restrictions, job changes, family schedules changed, and political events. Most of my games are going slower than normal since December. If we going to skip, let's perhaps get past this heart, which is obviously just an obstacle rather than the main event.
Thanks for the map. Just want to report that my computer is in the shop. I'm posting this from my work computer, but if I don't post again for a few days it may mean I'm trying to post from home with a tablet and am encountering problems with logging into the Paizo. I've heard about the supposed fix of clearing cache and cookies, but haven't gotten that to work on my devices yet.
Shabad flinches when the deranged draelik touches her. She looks for a moment at her hand and thinks, I could eat. Then she shakes it off and resumes attacking the creature with her sword, hoping to put it out of his or her misery. She gets an opening and swings the ultrasharp edge of her dueling sword at the draelik's neck.
Shabad press her sword attacks, going after the most wounded target in range.
Shabad feels some pity for the misplaced devotion. She had hoped they might be reasonable, but perhaps that was a vain hope in the shadow plane, where reality itself seemed warped. She noted the crystal that would contribute to unlocking the gate to what lies beyond this bizarre entrance, but before she could do anything about it, things escalated to battle. She felt a little more confident in melee combat with her white carbon armor and decided to try the new dueling sword she had acquired. "I'll pass on the generous offer from this 'lady,' but we have a history and I don't think she'll be happy to see us. Allow me to offer my services dismembering yourself." She drew her sword and swung at the nearest draelik.
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