Thank you everyone for playing! Chronicles were emailed out yesterday. Please let me know if all is well. Will wait about a day before making this inactive but always feel free to PM me.
Hadega stares down the bridge of her nose at Jiggo. "Dear boy you must've been hit harder than I thought. Luz, he may need more medical attention." She claps her hands together. "Well then! It looks like this is a dead end. Let's have Lysandria lead us to this meeting place and we can end this attempt to sully the Pathfinder name once and for all."
"Oy," Kranzer grunts, holding his head as he stumbles away, following the others. "Haven't been in a scrap like that in awhile." He tries to fold his clothing to hide the bloodstains, conceals the holes in his armor with a few pieces of cloth wrapped around it. He then splashes a bit of water on his face from a street puddle, causing the blood to mix with the dirt. It's clear he's done this before; his movements almost being rote. When they get to an alley off the beaten path he says, "Hey, Tiny Dragon. You still got that wand? Mind zapping me with it a couple times? Don't wanna be walkin' these streets like this and come across a Dottari patrol or somethin'. Ha! That'll be the luck! Questions lead to beatings and beatings lead to jail, neh?"
"Yes," Ashivla says. "That's correct. I certainly believe you about the Caravan's funds, though I wonder if your business wants it so bad, why haven't you acquired it yet?" She runs her finger across the desk, thinking out loud. "This leads one to believe you've been stymied somehow. Let's say I could make the warehouse available for purchase. If I could do this, would I then be a business partner in this endeavor? And what aid could Crimson Caravan give to me?"
"Ha, well if there's one thing Kranzer's good at is following an elf lady around. Not to say there's anything untoward or however them learned folks call it about me following an elf lass, but they're just so scraggin' pretty! I've found it makes my face tolerable ta people if they can flick their eyes to a pretty elf every now and then, ya know?" Kranzer follows Merisiel up the stairs.
"Oy," says Kranzer, the young dwarf seated at the same table as the others, nursing a slight hangover. "You got the right of it lass. Coffee is tha thing we need after nights like the ones we've had, neh?!" He nudges Riceak and wags his eyebrows suggestively at the man. "Lots'a goings on around here. So much learnin' folk, big brains and fancy words. Places got smooth edges to them here. I like that. Not like Kaer Maga, no sir. Smooth edges, neh? Well, 'cept for them Dottari always about. You think that armor makes their skin rough? Seems like every one of them I seen they all got ashy hands and big lines on their faces, like they don't moisturize with troll's fat like everyone else!" He blinks, looks around. "Anyways, coffee'd be great." At the suggestion of visiting taverns across the city, Kranzer perks up, seemingly noticing the elf and the half-elf for the first time. "Well now, if there's one thing kin know is drink! Don't think anybody wants me sweet-talking anything but a bullfrog though, so I'm happy to let you lead, Merisiel!"
Player: Dystopiandream
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE GM (and Laria Longroad) Has your character worked in Cheliax before? What adventures? Did anything particularly memorable happen on them? No. How has your character grown in Pathfinder Society? Tell me a bit about one or two highlights on your personal journey. Kranzer started off being simply a scoundrel with a good heart, tracking slavers in Absalom, but has quickly bloomed since his first adventures into a kind of capable team leader. He is usually not the first pick for a leader (or the second, third, or fourth), but he is a clever dwarf and tends to find ways around difficult problems without resorting to the sword, such as when a friend was being held hostage by a demon, or when he cooled tensions between the party and an Asmodean priest. Are there any special rules, equipment or other abilities that I need to know about for this character? In addition, if you have something that is made legal only by a boon, please list it here. None. Alignment: CG What are your abilities with the following skills so that Laria can send you on the right missions? Bluff -1
Do you have Wayfinders? Where do you wear them?
Hello there, I am putting forth Kranzer Kraken-Mouth, male dwarf rogue 3.2, for consideration. I should have one (or more) GM credit(s) to apply to him after the first book is done, so this would be my submission throughout the entire two-book series. Kranzer has consistently been one of my favorite characters to play in PBP. The three links below demonstrate my playstyle, with the first being Kranzer’s…unique and sometimes garish way of viewing the world. Surprisingly, almost all the scenarios I’ve played with him, he gets himself into social situations or negotiations, and seeing how he overcomes the impediment of his less-than-stellar charisma is quite amusing sometimes. Otherwise, he is a passable scout and good trap breaker, and as a dwarf is a bit hardier (Pun? Pun.) standing toe-to-toe in combat.
A massive shirren pushes his way in past all the newcomers. He scans the crowd then growls out, "I hear Venture-Captain Arvin's got a job for some quick gun-hands. If you've got what it takes, go to this message board and scrawl your name on it. Should be contacting you soon."
Ashivla al-Feraz blinks up at the heavy sun. Strange, she thinks. She had trained every day for the last year with the Shadows. Everything had been a test, even resting. And now? And now she had been set loose with the team she’d trained with. The silent monk from the Al’Fahd monastery, Amari, that’d taught her the sign language that’d proven so valuable in stealth training. She remembered her father’s charming, mischievous smile, no doubt thinking of ways to use sign language in their con games from then on. Then there was the storyteller, Basheer. When they rested by the campfires after the long days of training, his stories kept her mind sharp, her morale up, instead of feeling sorry for herself, and her father. Lo’Laan Jin and his companion Serenity stood next to Ashivla. She’d seen their combat prowess firsthand and did not envy the instructor’s bruises when it came to combat training hours. And finally there was Drakar. She didn’t know much about him, being a recent addition to the team, but seemed to hold his own even solo against the lower grade instructors. She’d seen more than a few friends fade, unable to complete the Shadows’ nearly impossible training regimen over the past year. She flexes her sword hand, adjusts her well-oiled studded leather armor. They had hired on to help guard a merchant caravan headed to Lopul, and once the camels pass through the city entrance, bound for the market, Ashivla gives a slight nod toward Amari at his suggestion. ”Good work everyone. I don’t know about you all,” Ashivla says in Kelesh, stretching her lithe muscles over her head, fingers latticed together, ”But I think it’s time we find lodging for the night.” She asks around for a moderately-priced tavern or inn and haggles a bit with the tavern keeper for a room before shrugging and paying the asking price for three rooms, preferably all together, and somewhat secluded with ample exits. She searches the room thoroughly and instructs Amari through sign language to do the same to all the rooms to avoid spying, looking for false-walls, ceilings, or ways to spy on them.
Hadega raises her arms, sleeves dripping stale water. Her boots squish as she moves. Her hair is matted and her bifocals are covered in a grimy film. "This. Is. Unconscionable! A host should welcome guests into his place of living, not drench them with water that smells like morlocks had been using it to bathe in for the last hundred years! What are we to think? We are Pathfinders, and it's time to teach this elf machine SOME MANNERS!"
Deft Maneuvers: All right everyone, sorry for the delayed response here. Easter weekend is always a bit hectic with a two-year-old (EVERYONE wants you over at their house so she can pick up easter eggs!). Here are the proposed situations and how we as a team might resolve them. Let me know what you think, if anything needs to be changed. If all looks good, in a day or so, I will flip this to the GM for review. _______ Combat 1: Showdown
Amari starts to pick apart the archers up top. Basheer starts to inspire his fellows in combat. Ashivla, Karuum, Lo’laan and Serenity move forward into battle. Ashivla and Karuum disarm the greatswords and allow Lo’laan and Serenity to bypass the guards and get to the wizard, dispatching him quickly. Cleaning up, Amari and Ashivla will provide cover from the archers as the Basheer, Karuum, Lo’laan, and Serenity trip and dispatch the weaponless fighters. Then, if the archers are still alive and haven’t fled, the team will climb using grappling hooks and rope. Combat 2: The Temple
______ Social 1: The Dinner Party
Social 2: The Hostage Negotiation
______ Exploration 1: The Scout Team
Exploration 2: Fort Creature
Hadega unclips her whip from her belt, scowling deeper at the creature than at the bones. She begins to “inspire” her fellows once again, shouting amidst the cavern, ”Look! Look at this hunched creature. A morlock. Is this how you want to end up, crawling across cave walls with absolutely no manners? You will if you don’t STRAIGHTEN THAT POSTURE! Look at it. This creature didn’t even announce itself to visitors. Leaping in and attacking. What horrid manners!”
Hadega Scrimsworth curls her lip in disgust at the sight of the creatures. She jabs a gnarled finger at her compatriots. "I have no idea what these hideous things are, nor do I care. YOU, keep your back straight. It will not do to faint in front of company! You, yes YOU, don't simply stand there, stalactite-gazing, have at them! Now everyone, I will only say this once: mind your posture! Slouched backs have caused the downfall of many an adventurer and you will NOT fall from grace on a Scrimsworth's watch. No! Let us clear a path through these insipid things while carrying the dignity of our station!" To emphasize this, she draws her short sword.
Deft Maneuvers: @hustonj: looks good! @Swordwhale: That's fine by me. A passionate player behind a good class will do well. As for the prone target, yes it could come up, but I think having a dedicated archer will be good, especially for spellcasters in the back (readied attack to disrupt spell!). As far as the team comp, it looks like we've settled on the following:
So when Swordwhale gets finished with the zen archer, we'll be good to go! I'll begin writing some preliminary situations for everyone's review, and when we've got everyone's buy-in I will put them to the GM to review our team for suggestions! Reviewing, I think the only glaring weakness we have is against swarms, since no burning hands and such. Anyone have any suggestions to deal with these?
So, I'm assuming we'll have given all of the alchemist's fire to Nisany, since she can add her INT to the damage? Also, can I have assumed to transfer my ward hex to Khardir since he is in the lead now?
An elderly and tall Chelaxian woman with a permanent sneer across her face remains seated for the briefing, not saying a word, sipping the tea going around, long, gnarled fingers curling around the cup. She seems so out of place here, more at home in a library than an adventuring career. Still she sits, leather armor fitting her form perfectly. An expertly crafted whip lay coiled at her waist, an equally fine backpack resting against her chair leg, the initials "V.S." stitched across the top. Grandmaster Torch, eh? Seems like a foul man...But it would not do to dredge up old painful memories of some past Pathfinder Society mission in front of him. No. Manners must always be adhered to! "What does the Society know about the Delirium's Tangle?" she says finally, likely startling the others. They might have thought she was simply some foppish diplomat or guide. Har! When the briefing has concluded she says, wagging a finger, "Apologies then for not introducing myself sooner. Manners! Manners! My name is Hadega Scrimsworth. You might know my late husband, Viktor Scrimsworth, the leatherworker right here in Absalom. I suppose you could say he was a passable craftsman, but how horrid he was at business! A gambler and a cheat! Horrid, I say! And now that he's gone, and left me with not a copper to my name, I had two options: wither away as an old maid with nothing, begging for scraps, or get on with my life and see the world." Her fingers flick the whip at her side, and it rocks slightly. "I chose the latter." "Now then, we will need to be clear. I expect the utmost professionalism from every Pathfinder. I am able to aid us all with helpful suggestions and tricks, but you WILL say please. Manners! If you were eating at my table you would ask to be excused, and you would NOT soil the carpet with muddy boots! Do I make myself clear? Good."
Levels 1-3 are legal characters to apply chronicles to. You receive 3 xp for each of the three adventures, however. So you would need to apply the chronicle to a level 1 character in order to apply all three chronicles to the same character. For character creation for the game, I might not have said it explicitly, but characters should be created at level 1.
The Abyss Approaches! Something wicked—and monstrous—stirs around the rugged Isgeri town of Saringallow, where the hated legacy of noble Chelish diabolists runs deep. With the recent disappearance of several apprentices, the nearby menace of particularly grotesque goblins, and the unsettling rumors about the old Sarini Estate, Mayor Sandra Trinelli knows that she needs help, and she needs it fast! The heroes must confront one of these crises, or all three, if they hope to stem the tide of darkness that looms. Hello everyone and welcome. This is a formal recruitment for Gallows of Madness with a bit of a twist, that being with only characters of Pathfinder Compatible, Non-Paizo (third-party) classes. Please see my profile for my assumptions on post rate / dispute resolution / etc. Below are the character creation details and considerations to create a character for the game. As always, if there are any questions or something I have not yet addressed, please ask. Character Creation:
PFS credit: This module will be played in campaign mode for Pathfinder Society credit. This means that, if you wish, credit will be applied to one of your existing (or newly created) Pathfinder Society characters as if you played a pregen. Selection Criteria: I will evaluate all applications through next week and make a determination. One slot is already determined, and will most likely be playing a Pyromancer, arcane fire caster, so 5 slots are up for grabs. If we have five applicants or less, then we are good to go. If there are more applicants than seats I will evaluate applications based on the order of priority: party composition > Backstory > Setting/Theme Appropriate > Class/Mechanics (crunch inventiveness) Thank you for the interest, and I hope we get to play this great adventure together!
Kala and Darius surge ahead of the others with quick reflexes. The Black Echelon within the organ pipes begin emitting the same pea-soup fog as last time, concealing their movements. The others on the keys simply wait in unnatural silence, guarding the organ. Then, when Kala and Darius draw closer to their quarry, a side door opens and more undead pour out! Three more Black Echelon move in with the patience of undeath, and start toward Kala brandishing their rusted sickles. Bold may act.
Fighting Among the Keys:
Keep the following in mind during this part of the scenario:
• The Metro-Cathedral’s massive organ is played by dancing upon the gigantic white keys. Traveling from white key to white key requires a DC 5 Jump, Tumble, or Perform (dance) check. The DC increases by 2 for each additional key someone attempts to cross in a given round. • To play the more slender black keys, one either needs to stand on an adjoining white key and reach up and yank the key down with a DC 5 Strength check, or climb directly on top of the black key (Climb DC 10). Leaping from black key to black key requires a DC 10 or 20 Jump check depending on the distance between the keys as indicated on the map. • Anyone who successfully depresses multiple keys in a round may also make a Perform (keyboard) check as a free action. A success of 10 or more contributes to the hymn and keeps the music alive. The higher the result, the more melodious and impressive the contribution. Provide each PC with a +2 circumstance bonus to their check for each key they manage to depress in a single round. If the same PC can further succeed on a DC 5 Knowledge (Religion) check, they can actually play the correct popular morning hymns. • The organ keys are elevated 15 feet off of the ground. Anyone bull rushed off the keys falls to the stone church floor below, taking 1d6 damage. • The organ keys connect to the 30-foot pipes above. When the PCs arrive, four Black Echelon operatives will have already climbed up the pipes to block the possibility of sound coming out. (There are not yet enough of them to block all of the pipes.) Climbing the giant twisting maze of brass pipes requires a DC 10 Climb check each round. Round 1 / 2 Darius
Durlo huffs. "We are Pathfinder Society agents sent to document this temple and how it behaves untainted. We need to observe the rites and rituals of Korada without some evil creature perverting it, so, tell us, how do we reveal Dakang's true nature? Also, tell us of the true nature of the Kiss of Korada? Why do people lose their fingers to it after failing? If you help us you can leave with us, or not. I don't care. Tell us what we need to do or I will end this charade." If Durlo gets a satisfactory answer, he will lower his weapon and go back to the library to finish helping Esper and Kett and relay what he and Birseko have learned.
Xyklik stares out of the window of the Sunrise Maiden's gunnery port, watching the stars shift in the void. He'd bowed his head during the service led by Cadence Rem, and then boarded the ship in quiet contemplation. Now, he rests back in the synth-leather chair, staring out at the void. The pin-prick of light that is Absalom Station grows larger, more in focus by the minute. And as the minutes pass his mind turns over and over, replaying the mission. He catalogs the things he's carried back with him: five new scars from the zombies and akatas that plagued the asteroid; a depleted battery pack, since ejected from his worn laser rifle; an alien mystery of a weapon bigger than he could likely ever imagine (who built it? what was it for?); the memories of death and viscera within the asteroid's halls; and five new friends. He wonders if he will meet them again, perhaps a passing nod in the Lorespire Complex, a mission with one or more? He flexes his arm, rotates the soreness from his shoulder. The questions and worry will have to wait. He tries to set his mind at ease, but the visions of violence still flood across his mind, so he spins up a familiar recording to his comm unit again to drown out the images. "If you're receiving this, it means I'm dead..." ---- Security camera footage, The Armada, Absalom Station, incryption class: none Xyklik looms over a customs agent while others argue to let a goblin with a red bandana aboard the Station. News cameras swirl around the scene, as if expecting a worthy feed. ---- Security camera footage, The Spike, Absalom Station, incryption class: WPA2-SWARM The subject walks determinedly to a seedy club, the sign out front reading Blue Fusion. It is some time before the telltale signs of a bar brawl erupt from within, patrons running, and members of the Downside Kings hobbling out with bruises on their faces. --- Security camera footage, Lorespire Complex, Absalom Station, incryption class: ERROR, anomalies detected. Reboot advised. Grainy, half-wiped footage from a traffic cruiser above the complex. Xyklik enters an elevator bound for the Lorespire Complex hours before a gala event is set to take place with First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo.
"Yes we should," Xyklik says, looking at the dead humans. "We do still have two incendiary grenades left. I remember military officers talking of a death ritual of pre-gap humans, that they would send their dead out on boats and light them afire." He produces one of the grenades. "Shall we set them to burn among the stars?"
Xyklik Cold-Scythe-In-Harvest stands over the Garaggakal for a long time. He feels the urge to stomp its head in. To vent his frustration on this mission, how it spun out of control so quickly. For that fool goblin whose brains now decorate this place. It's something a human would do, he thinks. Then, just as he is about to turn away, he makes the decision and oxytocin and serotonin flood through his brain as he brings his boot down on the creature's jagged mouth. He says nothing, only stomps away in the void. A rhythmic thump, thump, thump can be felt through the metal close to him as he stomps the head, now in a ragged pile with broken teeth sticking out of it. When he's done, he looks over at the others, as if nothing happened, "We should take any examples of this odd technology back to the Station." He looks to Zeyram. "It sounds like this ship is ours, by Moriko Nash's last will and testament."
Out of Combat! The War Hounder with the teal cloak runs and manages to make it past Bressa, sprinting off down toward the Puddles for his life. Meanwhile, the rest of the group slips and bumps over each other as they try and pull the remaining two men up. The only one to find enough purchase is Darius! He hauls another old man onto the cliff side.
The men are eternally grateful for saving their lives. Yargos, one of the last men to be pulled up, has a gray beard and jittery demeanor. The old scholar says without any prodding at all, "It's Nessian! He's the leader of the thugs! He's going to destroy the whole city if he's stopped. The Silent Tide is going to come and wipe everyone out!" Background, what Yargos Gill relays:
Eight hundred years ago, a hidden armada of ships from Taldor floated off the coast of the Isle of Kortos like a thousand locusts, waiting for the signal to invade Absalom. The plan was simple, but deadly: When the misty weather of Desnus (May) took hold, a fifth column of infiltrators known as Black Echelon would weaken strategic defense points and destroy Absalom’s warning system from within. Once their bloody mayhem was complete, the hidden saboteurs planned to signal the fleet, welcoming them to lay siege to a city now brought to its knees. Prearranged signal lights were prepared for each phase
The failed invasion mission, called the Silent Tide, would
Yargos says, "We have to stop him! We need to find out where his lair is and I don't know who else would know other than Grandmaster Torch. He's an information broker here in the Puddles. What do you say? Will you save Absalom from the Silent Tide?"
Xyklik looks at Big Jim derisively. "We remember hearing space goblins cage their young in laser nests and hang them over cliffsides and whichever ones escape are granted the right to grow into adults. I also remember a ritual game to chase and wrestle down dust pigs from Akiton, but that may be something else. Point is, I don't think the goblin is as innocent as you suppose." He spends the rest of his time looking over the panels as the others work and keeping an eye out for any dangers that might wander down the hall at them.
After a time, he looks at Simagus and Cade, and jabs an insectile finger at them and then the panel. His voice is that of a drill instructor, calling back memories of his own training. "What are you waiting for? Get in there, grunts!"
Stinky delivers a claw strike to the purple tough, but it's not enough to bring him down. Likewise, Kala can't hold onto the men dangling over the cliff as her grip slips. The mighty Sebastian pulls the first of the old men up over the cliffside. The teal-garbed tough, however, manages to shake off the effects of Warren's magic. Darius tries to help pull the beleaguered old men up, ( ) but both Darius and Korosh flail about in their attempts. Bressa concentrates her energy into a solid punch to purple's chest. He heaves a breath and then crumples to the ground, unconscious. The teal-garbed tough, seeing no way to defeat this many opponents, takes off, running wildly down the cliff away from the adventurers.
Darius is unable to help Sebastian this round. The two remaining toughs look quite nervous at the assembled opponents before them, but decide that their leader's wrath would be worse than whatever these adventurers could muster, so they press the attack. Purple attempts to break free of Bressa's hold...
And manages to break free! He sneers at Bressa. "That all you got, pixie?!" The teal tough carefully steps along the cliffside and attempts to attack Bressa with his dog claw.
"Ya, got her, you see that Jiffrey?!" says the teal-garbed tough. "I see it! Keep yer eyes on the fight or Nessian'll have our hide!" the other shouts at his companion. Bold may act.
Kala (-5) (Stinky, -2)
GM Roll:
Kala moves past the tough with the teal pendant hanging around his neck, and once she opens her defenses up in a mad dash for the cliffside, he is able to deliver a wicked slash across her leg. Once she is past her opponent, however, she runs up to the blue-garbed tough and brains him easily. She cannot, however, find purchase on the the old man's hand, the sea froth making everything along the cliffside slippery. Warren's summoned owl bursts into action at the behest of its master. The owl is able to hang on to the chain just as the old man slips. The weight of all three men is difficult for it to hold though. Bold may act.
Kala (-5) (Stinky, -2)
Kala moves up and draws her hammer and Stinky follows. Warren conjures a water elemental along the cliff while Darius moves up, drawing his rapier. Korosh charges the nearest thug and slices him clean in half. Bressa readies a shot. Upon getting closer, the majority of you see that the thugs’ tattoos undulate in a specific pattern, a scene of a Nessian war hound pack fighting amongst themselves. Slow to react, the toughs now begin to move and respond to the intruders. All their heads turn to the elemental clambering up over the cliff, then to the barbarian wreaking havoc among their ranks. The blue-garbed tough sneers at the old men and says, ”Say hello to the Lady of Graves,” and delivers a solid kick to the old man’s midsection, sending him flailing over the side of the cliff. The others chained to him lurch forward and over the side as well. Only the last of the men manages to hold on! They dangle there, 35 feet above the roiling waves, looking to fall at any moment!
The other thugs snap into action, brandishing big dog claws seemingly designed as weapons. They retalliate, delivering nasty cuts to both Korosh and Stinky! GM Rolls:
Bold may act.
Xyklik says, brandishing his laser rifle, you can tell he's smiling by the tone of his voice through the mic, mandibles spread wide in a big gash of a grin, "We only know one type of engineering. Disassembly." He pushes his way to the door and waits for the others to get behind him. Once everyone is ready, he will begin firing at the robot, trying to lure it into the zero gravity.
Xyklik, seeing one of the new, albeit troublesome, members of his squad die in front of his eyes, clicks his mandibles together like the humans clench their teeth. He lets go of his laser rifle to let it float beside him and smoothly draws out his assault hammer with the fused seal attached to it in one fluid motion and then brains the creature until its head becomes space pulp. Mechanics: Drop laser rifle
Ah, I think I know what's going on. You're putting your stat block into the CLASSES/LEVELS field. Don't put it there, instead, copy it into the ABOUT DARIUS COOPER field, or the description field, the big box at the bottom with your backstory already written there, copy it below that. It should show all your stats then on your profile. Then, once your profile looks good, copy the lines below Warren or Kala or Bressa's character name, like this: Male LN Human Arcanist (Occultist) 1 | HP 9/9 | AC:14 (Touch:13, Flat:11) | CMB -2, CMD 11 | F+2, R+4, W+4 | Init+4 | Perc+5, SM +1 | Speed: 30 | Arcane Reservoir 3/4 And then paste that into your CLASSES/LEVELS field and change the numbers to describe your character. Presto!
Xyklik shakes his head, and then, seeing the undead creature floating clumped and limp without the magic that animated it, he growls, "This mission is becoming more dangerous by the minute. Good." He hoists his rifle onto his shoulder and waits for the others to recover. "We should be ready for more creatures like this to come at us."
Definitely! So basically I go through the same process with every character I make, a sort of undefined checklist so I can cover the bases of whatever is out there.
Korosh should have a wand of cure light wounds from his last adventure (I GM'ed his first PBP game). Kala can use that since it is on her spell list.
Xyklik’s military instincts take over as he surges into action, raising his rifle and firing on the nearest void zombie as it approaches. He moves closer to the rest and keeps a close eye on his companions, and makes sure none of them get attacked as well. Mechanics: Attack!
What a strange situation, having a mouse-like creature talking of monkeys. The life of a Starfinder is always entertaining at least... Altronus waves at the Ettin. "Hello. My name is Altronus and these are my companions Quig, Raia, Navasi, Keskodai. Is there anything else intriguing about this place that you have seen?"
Xyklik says nothing when offered the meal, instead simply sits and begins to eat. Though he recognizes he is not in a mess hall filled with other soldiers anymore, sometimes his limbs move more quickly than they ought, or he eats slightly faster than is customary. He recognizes dangerous things. The ysoki is certainly one. He says after awhile, as if talking of everyday things, "My name is Xyklik Cold-Scythe-In-Harvest. I was born to a small clutch in the Vast but they died of spore insanity when I was young, leaving me the sole survivor." He drinks another few spoonfuls of soup. "I have fought small-scale engagements on several worlds. Castrovel seems my favorite. Trees, camouflage, good cover. It is beautiful there."
Xyklik looks at Cadence, then to the others, then back at the many, many clumped targets in front of him. He thinks about the grenade in his pack. How long would it take him to retrieve it? He knows which pouch, which fold. His arm had done it several times before. He still remembers blood coating the walls... Snapping from his reverie, he says, "The human has a mouth, but it's true we are interested in the Acreon. The Starfinder Society has tasked us with discovering why an associate of ours was killed, and the mystery behind this," his mandibles click in a gesture of disgust, "situation."
As the others raced around the station, discovering clues and talking to the inhabitants, Xyklik found himself preoccupied with weapon maintenance. His laser rifle was far from combat-ready, with a stuck trigger, a misaligned slide, and even the grip needed to be machined slightly, being too rough on his palm. Many times he thought of abandoning his work, but found it too relaxing, too familiar to give up. I am no detective, after all, he thinks. Let those with the proficiency acquire the information. When life must be ended, we will be there... After many hours, the rifle lay in a pile of parts on an oily towel across the mattress in his room. After many more hours, the rifle lay assembled again in a good, workable condition, just in time to head down to Level 21.
Xyklik eyes Zeyram, then the store. He looks at the vantage points around them. From any one of the alcoves, someone could toss a grenade into the crowd without them even knowing. "We should go into the store," he says, mandibles clicking thoughtfully, "Better cover, less collateral damage."
Xyklik looks hard at the others. "The Vesk seems emotionally distraught. Is this the way their race processes anguish, talk of episodes and production? I am not aware of these terms used in such situations. Most call on their gods in a foxhole, as it were." The large shirren shrugs and sloughs his pack from his shoulders and begins counting ammunition. "I think we should go to this ship. We're not law enforcement, and the gangs seem outside our mission parameters."
”Forgive us our delay,” says a massive shirren filling the doorway of the shuttle, a military pack slung across one broad shoulder, the forms of many weapons cases showing beneath the fabric each time the pack shifts. The shirren’s antennae twitch and rub together, taking in the shuttle and its inhabitants. He moves his mandibles back and forth rhythmically before speaking aloud again. ”The best approximation of my name is Xyklik Cold-Scythe-In-Harvest.” He moves with rigid precision, fast for something so large, and chooses a seat with a view of the exit hatch and then sets his pack in one of the storage compartments above the seat for the quickest access. He produces a communicator and oddly-shaped earpiece and plugs them in. He listens to the message again and again to pass the time. ”If you're receiving this, it means I'm dead. This switch is set to go off when my exocortex stops functioning. My host and wife are depending on me, old friend. Do you remember those old days, when we were just looking out for each other? Foxhole after foxhole? There’s a bigger universe out there than just a foxhole now. You need to be a part of it. You need to help me. Join the Starfinders, please. We’re gearing up for a big mission. The biggest ever in its history, but if you’re receiving this, it means I can’t help my family anymore. I need you to be there for them. Please. There’s a bigger universe out there. Maybe you can find out what happened to me and make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. "If you're receiving this, it means I'm dead..."
Hamith says to Anibal, silently cursing himself, "I feel a bit off. Does anyone have a way to magically treat this? I don't believe I bought any scrolls for this occasion."
Later in the room with the ice block, Hamith remarks at the massive block of ice. "I have a vial of my own. Can anyone else produce fire? We can try one first and see what effect it has on the ice and then if that doesn't work, we can try the chains." He pulls out a rope and grappling arrow and shows it to the others to signal his backup plan.
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