Chronicle downloaded and reviewed - everything looks good here.
Welcome aboard, Ashbourne! Glad you enjoyed the game!
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That information is correct, and Mid-Treeum is lvl 3. Thank you for a wonderful and very entertaining game (complete with play-by-play commentary from Mu). XD
Kevan plugs one last ethernet cable into the back of the sixty-fourth tower, then slides it back into its slot and steps back, dusting his hands on his pants as he does. A smile rests on his snout as he surveys the windowless, but well-ventilated basement room. A comfortable chair sits next to a standing desk with an integrated holographic projector built in and a convenient cable for a datajack outlet. Around the edges of the room, each computer tower sits in its own water-cooled wall slot with a neat tray of cables tucked into a sliding drawer above. Each was connected to its neighbors through Kevan’s encrypted local area network, allowing them to share processing power or be partitioned as needed for the bear’s work. And all this top-of-the-line stuff (plus the house and the remodel to add the secret entrance to the basement through the back of the pantry) had only used up about half his pay from the heist. That left a quarter for solid investments to keep him living comfortably for the rest of his life, and the other quarter for… not-so-solid investments, one could say, that would wreck havoc on any manual or AI-assisted stock trading the Sindicate might get up to in the future. Or for buying wrenches to throw into anything else the organization might be involved in. Kevan takes a deep breath, sits down in the chair, and reaches forward to type in the boot-up sequence…
"Can I get your names, please? I would like to check the passenger registry to ensure nobody's on board this train who shouldn't be." "Boss calls me Little K." Kevan's voice rumbles in a way his telepathic communications don't, though he's certainly lowering the pitch for effect. "Boss has a great sense of humor." ★ --- ★ Earlier ★ --- ★ Kevan growls in frustration as he tries to review the security footage. Can't just blur stuff - too easily identifiable still. Can't access the other cars' security systems remotely - apparently they weren't installed by complete idiots and they're not networked. Hmm, though... He taps on the side of the holographic screen to rewind the video. If I add a bit of low-quality blurring so that faces can't be seen, but someone could easily tell that folks were rappelling in... Yes, deflection rather than complete absence. If only everyone else wasn't so small. Catching his teeth bared in the beginning of a snarl, Kevan forces himself to relax. <<Alright folks, when you've got your new outfits in place, come model for me in front of this wall. I'll try to insert us in a few places in the other car's video memory, but it's gonna be random and depend on the car we end up in. Quickly now - the more footage the algorithm's got to work with, the better 3D model it can make.>>
★ --- ★ Now ★ --- ★ "Can you prove your whereabouts over the last, oh, three hours, for me? Oh? Now let me just confirm that by pulling up the security camera feed on my datapad here." "Been with the boss." Kevan jerks a thumb over his shoulder at the canteen car. "He doesn't pay me to leave him unattended - like right now."
Kevan plays the part of the dumb guard, looking down at everyone else in the car from his prestigious height. Though, truth be told, he also tries to keep an eye out for anyone paying a bit too much attention to the group.
Kevan would like to stand menacingly over Aramesh, but unfortunately the ceiling above him discourages that sort of behavior and he has to settle for squatting menacingly.
Kevan is about as quiet as one would expect a bear walking on the top of a moving train car to be.
Kevan fiddles with the settings on his holoskin, finally opting for the scales and horns of a dragonkin. <<Right, so we’re a bonded pair,>> he explains to Aramesh. <<Don’t look at me like that - it’s a dragonkin thing. That makes me a natural fit for your bodyguard, and also explains how we’re “so in sync” without having to explain the telepathy. Nobody expects the big stupid fighter to be anything more than show, so it’s the best way to get folks to overlook me. I hope.>> The bear makes a mental sound like that of a throat being cleared. <<Now most importantly, who’s wearing the null-space chamber? We want to hit the Sindicate where it hurts, we gotta get artifact out.>>
I think Kevan would prefer to flee rather than look cool, but it's not so strong a preference that'd he'd object to the latter. And agreeing with Barat - combat would be last preference .
Kevan ignores his companions’ needling and focuses instead on getting that klaxon disabled. Dim light begins to shine from the console where he works.
Kevan ducks behind the crane, shielding himself from the worst of the blast. His face twitches, unable to decide whether to be pleased or frustrated with the result of his gambit. Slowly he turns to Aramesh. <<…Well?>>
Kevan’s mind races. Signal loss. Ship destroyed? Unable to rule out. Escape plan. His gaze dances back and forth quickly until it alights into the greased ladder. Slowly a grin spreads across his muzzle.
Engineering?:
<<Just get rid of the eel - that crane can't rotate to that configuration.>> The bear stands ready to move, balancing on his toes even as he mentally reviews his code. If Barat can kill the eel:
Kevan springs forward, fingers dancing in the air. A glow surrounds his hand before leaping towards the ladder, quickly multiplying into a slippery substance that covers the rope.
If not: Kevan growls and cracks the whip again, hoping to get this stupid reptile out of the way.
Again Kevan cracks the whip. <<Hurry up - we don't want this thing damaging the goods.>>
Kevan advances, cracking his whip threateningly.
Kevan turns around, teeth bared in an unconscious snarl at the sound of screeching metal. His long legs carry him back towards the rest of the team (who have managed to drop an eel, of all things, on themselves), but his large torso barely fits through the gap between the wall and crates. Unable to reach the creature - even with the long whip of electronic shards in his hand - he reaches out a hand and types quickly in the air with his claws. The smell of ozone fills the air, along with a flurry of metallic shards.
<<Mind the doors please.>> Kevan does his best flight steward impression as he taps the grab-crane’s controls. Quickly he pulls up each crate, then places one in from of each door to the car. <<Any ideas on what’s in there?>>
Kevan raises an eyebrow at the tiny cards in his paw, then shrugs. <<I’ll let him know,>> he replies privately. <<Aramesh, a moment? Royce is offering a partnership on this job. If you’re interested, circle something on that map. If not, cross something out. If maybe, underline something.>> Message delivered, the bear keeps one eye on the map and another on Lena’s quality work in the car’s HVAC system. Perhaps the fans could be de-synchronized for a bit of extra noise in the room? Engineering to Saboteur:
Kevan clears his throat and lumbers over to the card table. <<Mind if I join in?>> he broadcasts publicly. <<I’ve been studying statistics and probability recently and would love to get some field data. You’ve heard of Bayesian probability, haven’t you? How you’re dealing less with the likelihood that you’ll draw the right card - which is 7.45 percent currently - but rather the degree of belief you have in the event occurring. We could try an experiment! Everyone think of the card you want, then make yourself believe that you’ll draw it next. And then we’ll see who believed the hardest.>> Physical Science to Windbag:
Kevan has a bloody brilliant idea for Windbag using Physical Science next round, so if at all possible please don’t use that skill this round and leave the role open for him next time! XD
Kevan also keeps an eye on the surroundings, but with a more active role in mind. <<Humans hate it when you bring up their reproductive rituals - especially if you imply they’re not a top-tier performer in that regard. So please don’t mention that rumor going around the local ‘net about Royce… I’m sure we don’t want to hurt his feelings.>> <<You can push that joke just a little further…>> <<You are absolutely correct - that is indeed what she said. Maybe the whole table needs to hear?>> The bear’s telepathic voice inserts itself into his companions’ thoughts with nobody else any the wiser. He hopes. Culture to Copilot:
I think it’s more like four of us are Aiding the Conversationaist (who is the “primary” roller) with various other skills based on our current role, and we gain/lose points each round based on that “primary” check (with possible aids to improve the result)? At least that’s the easiest way for me to explain it as I understand the situation.
Don't we need to have a Coversationalist? Otherwise we won't gain any success towards our goal of 5 (if I understand correctly). It sounds like that role doesn't have to be the one playing the card game.
Kevan idly taps at his datapad twice, then lets the arm it's mounted on hang down by his side. The program he just activated will take a few seconds to infect any nearby devices, but soon the room will be abuzz with a low hum of electrical-psychic interference that shouldn't be audible - especially not over the sounds of the train itself - but should make any telepathic individual irritable and distracted. Unless, of course, they happen to have the dampening program installed on their personal computer and have it synched to the overlapping interference waves.
For my reference:
Alright, Kevan's a good fit for a Saboteur and a Windbag and a decent Copilot. I'm guessing we want LNA for the Pickpocket eventually, so maybe she doesn't want to get stuck as the Conversationalist . Since we need to strike hard and fast before Royce gets the prize, I'll prioritize using the most-effective skills first. Good luck, comrades.
<<If he's not Syndicate, then why are we bothering with him?>> Kevan grumbles telepathically to his teammates - but he doesn't not move from his guard position behind Aramesh. Slowly he lets his gaze pass over everyone, lingering for a few moments longer on the lashunta at the bar. Where could he be keeping that password? Well, if I were in a similar situation, where could I put mine...
Kevan sniffs and does his best to imitate Barat’s vigilant stance. Don’t worry about me, I’m just a dumb bodyguard, nothing to see here…
Kevan growls under his breath. Syndicate… but just a stooge. Not worth going out of the way for. With a few taps of his claws, the bear animates the new electronic junk scattered across the floor into a whip-like shape. He swings it a few times, then nods in satisfaction as its constituent parts abandon their shape and begin to orbit closely around his hand.
Kevan’s eyes light up with the thought that runs through his head. <<I’d hate for an upstanding Syndicate Stooge like yourself to miss their show. Don’t worry, I can rewind the broadcast.>> The large bear squeezes forward, punches in a few commands on his wrist computer, and grins as bits of the large crate nearby begin to fall off and shrivel up into electronic-looking junk.
And then don’t forget that you have Trick Attack as an operative. It’s kinda like Sneak Attack, but… also not. As a full action, you can move up to your speed. Whether or not you moved, you can then make an attack with a melee weapon with the operative special property or with any small arm. Just before making your attack, attempt a Bluff, Intimidate, or Stealth check (or a check associated with your specialization; see page 94) with a DC equal to 20 + your target’s CR. If you succeed at the check, you deal 1d4 additional damage and the target is flat-footed against your attack. This damage increases to 1d8 at 3rd level, to 3d8 at 5th level, and by an additional 1d8 every 2 levels thereafter. You can’t use this ability with a weapon that has the unwieldy special property or that requires a full action to make a single attack. I think that you can also use Sleight of Hand for your trick attack based on your specialization, but I don’t have the character sheets in front of me so I can’t confirm that. But it’s a great way to try to boost your damage output (3d8 is nothing to sneeze at at this level).
Kevan cracks his knuckles and gets to work without a word.
Kevan taps on his datapad a few times with a claw before stowing it in the ceiling locker. Best investment I ever made, he thinks to himself as he flips a few levers and taps the "Scramble" button to engage the lock. Well, maybe the larger datapad too. Pops always said I'd end up needing glasses from squinting to see all those schoolbooks on those tiny e-readers... The bear shakes his head, teeth bared for a moment before his mouth relaxes again into a thin-lipped frown. As numbers race across the safe's screen, Kevan turns to survey the rest of his apartment. Tiny by most species' standards, it seemed like it would barely have room for the large bear to turn around in - let alone fit in the washroom. Thankfully the landlord had been open to the idea of some remodeling, and it wasn't like Kevan spent that much time looking at the cracked walls or scratched floor. That honor belonged to the four-by-four spread of monitors mounted to the wall next to the door. The better to see folks coming in. And with the sound system he'd just finished hooking up yesterday, perhaps he would be able to work through the sounds of the downstairs neighbors drilling into their concrete walls. Personal computer? Check. Cache? Check. Serum? Check. Pistol? Check. Toolkit? Check. Teeth reveal themselves again - this time in a smile. Brains? Check. Aramesh said it should be easy, so it won't be. Good - more time to make the Syndicate bleed their precious credits. Nodding, the bear pulls open the door and pulls up his rent-a-scooter app. Easiest way to get somewhere in town, after all - especially if you don't want to make awkward small-talk with a taxi driver about why you're headed somewhere. |