IC: Starfinder Episode 02 - INTERMEZZO

[Echo]

"Can we focus here?" Echo demanded petulantly. "Who cares about the vending machines?! This thing is going to 'repair' our ship, which...by the way...is not in need of repairs! We could easily find ourselves stuck here, so lets get it together. We have to figure out how to stop this thing. The place looks abandoned, it's probably running on some kind of automatic program. We need to find a terminal so I can get access."

That said, the android picked one of the open ends of the room, the one on her left, and started to venture further down, scanning the walls for any sign of a computer terminal.

[Evana]

"Wait," Evana rested on hand on her hip and gestured to Echo with her opposite.  "What do you mean it's 'not in need of repairs'?  I thought you arranged all of this?  No body knows what you're taking apart or breaking, or putting back together back there.  You're telling me you have nothing to do with this? And there's nothing wrong with the Solenya?"

[Gorunta Hemok]

"I think Echo would have told us she'd arranged something like this." Gorunta disagreed. "And just because this is an AI-run facility doesn't mean Echo knows what's going on. I'm disappointed in your prejudice against mechanical lifeforms, Evana." It was definitely hard to read from his face whether he was poking fun at her or genuinely meant what he said to the blue-haired singer. Probably by the vesk's design.

[Evana]

Evana rolled her eyes, "Oh, dear."  She feigned distress, "Because your approval was all I ever really wanted Gorunta..."  The back of her hand slapped against her forehead as she leaned back, mocking a feint.  "Whatever shall I do?  Machines don't have feelings, they don't understand things the way living people with souls do.  I can't trust something that would ghost an entire colony of people simple because it was 'logical' from its point of view."

"Fact of the matter is, Echo doesn't report everything she does, and as the ships engineer I trust her to do her job, up to and including making an appointment for repairs.  So, if that's not the case, we need to notify whomever, or whatever is in charge and let them know we're leaving.  The nice way, or the not so nice way.  Echo, you speak 'techno-babble', as our engineer, I differ to you.  No one here knows more about robotics than you.  What's our play?"

[Jexa Brae]

Jexa coughed at Eve's comment.

"Uh huh. Nobody." she said  with a smile.

"Anyways, we ate not getting out of here until it let's us go. Our ship is totally and utterly out classed." she added.

[Echo]

Echo rounds back to glare furiously at Evana.

"I literally just said what the 'play' is. We find a fucking terminal. Close your mouth, open your eyes, and help."

[Evana]

"Sweetie, 'finding a terminal' is not a plan,"  Evie replied dryly.  She didn't like being cussed at, she'd hate to have to shoot Echo over something so petty, but if the bitch had it coming... "You telling us what you plan on doing with that terminal so that we're all prepared for what comes later or if it all goes tits-up, is a plan.  You know what..." she waved the whole thing off.  "Never mind... fine.  Find Echo a terminal."

Spoiler

Evie is looking for a terminal...

 

[STARFINDER GM]

Echo led the way into the corridor on the left, the rest of the heroes following, the drow, Yseult and her pet bringing up the rear.

Sunshine had already gotten half a dozen different snacks from the machine and Jordayn had gotten a hot beverage from one of the other machines. Each purchase had cost a uniform 1 credit.

The corridor looped away from the waiting room and was mostly featureless except for an ongoing mural depicting various spacescapes. After walk about 100 meters the corridor opened up onto a three tiered mall, well lit boring background music filtering in once they cleared the corridor sound baffles. Each floor held numerous shops, eateries, theaters, and other small businesses. The floor also held various kiosks advertising various things.

And all of it was empty. Well the good for sale were their just no one was selling the goods and no one was buying. There was no life to be found in sight save the Crew of the Solenya.

Etch, Yseult's dog started growling the hackles bristling on it's back lips drawn back from menacing teeth. “Etch what is it?” Yseult asked the canine.

Suddenly everyone heard what the dog must have already heard, a distant sound...click click klack click...click click klack click...click click klack click growing closer and louder with every set of sounds...

Spoiler

you see nothing atthe moment... but whatever it is will be upon you in a moment. there are lots of places to take cover and hide just describe what ever you feel you need... for visual refenece its more Babylon five than deep space nine in looks. this place is big and would have been crowded if there were people here.

 

[Jordayn]

The beverage seemed to be a herbal fruit tea, though it fizzed as though carbonated. Pulling a strip on the container had heated up the contents in moments. It was a bit odd, a bit too sweet for Jordayn's taste, but it wasn't bad. He sipped his drink as he walked out into the three tiered promenade, looking around with interest.

The businesses could have been completely automated, but the way the majority of them were set up suggested they were operated by attendants, whether robotic or organic. Curiously, none of the unattended goods seemed to have been looted. He ran the sleeve of tailored jacket through his fingers, when Yseult's dog started to growl.

A moment later, he heard the click click klack click approaching. He sat his tea on the cooping encircling was appeared to be an abstract art display or a garden composed of metal pieces. Then Jordayn stepped quickly to the other side of the open area and stood behind what he took to be a service counter of a clothing shop. It should give him cover and something to hide behind.

"Do we hide and see if it goes past?" Jordayn said in a sharp whisper, leaning over the counter to look towards the sound seemed to be coming from. "Or do we see if... whatever it is is friendly? Or can at least be reasoned with? This... place has been accommodating so far."

[Gorunta Hemok]

"And yet, everyone has vanished." Gorunta harshly whispered back to the half-elf. "Also, the dog doesn't like it, and considering our past job, I'm inclined to listen to the dog." On the bright side, Gorunta noted, this place, still so fully stocked on all locales, would make excellent looting for the crew. And why should there be any cause for objection, given the place was lost in the Drift and nobody who could justifiably object?

That just left the click-clacking thing and whatever caused the disappearances, on the off-chance the two did not mean the same thing.

[Sunshine]

Sunshine crouched, readying one of the newer plasma-line pistols that were the spoils of their last job. "How about we compromise - they know we're here, so how about someone say hello and we get their back covered if they don't say hello back?"

Spoiler

Sunshine is going to get into a hidden position and get ready to fire.

Sunshine stealth roll: 1D20+16 = [4]+16 = 20

 

[Echo]

"Oh, I'll say hello," volunteers Echo. "I'll even throw in a 'take me to your leader,' for free. She pulled up a holographic display over her right arm as she activated her engineering rig.

"It's gotta be a robot of some kind. If it's networked in, might be able to use it."

She turned to face the clacky-clack noise, waiting to see what exactly was heading their way.

[Evana]

"Iomdedae's ass cheeks," Evana cut in.  "Can we get our bearings before we start hacking their networks and making a damn mess of the place?  Echo, Gorunta, you're with me.  We'll greet the thing, everyone else go find a shady spot, and don't shoot unless you have too."

[STARFINDER GM]

The Crew took their places as the clickety-Klacks got closer, Echo Gorunta followed a step behind Evana as they moved toward the corner and waited, Jexa, Jordayn, and Sunshine readied themselves in case things went down the gravity well.

Around the corner came a sight none of them truly expected and obviously it was just as surprised by them.

Standing a little under 1/2 a meter in height the tiny robot came around the corner, it was a sphere of brass colored metal pitted and scarred from age and use, held aloft by four sharp pointed legs one of which which was damaged and bent at an odd angle. This damaged leg accounted for the Klack announce the clicks of it's walk. When it came around the corner and was in full view of Evana and Company it froze, suddenly it lowered itself closer to the ground. The sphere turned rapidly right then left, then it  split and a portion slid back revealing what looked like a red bloodshot organic eyeball.

 

[Evana]

This was new.

"Uh, hi."  Despite her grace and poise, her flair for diplomacy and downright lying... that was the best she could up with as the sheer absurdity of what she was looking at, outpaced her brain.

Spoiler

Roll(1d20)+13(+3): 4,+16 Total:20

 

[Echo]

"Oh no," Echo said, shaking her head. "No, nope, uh uh, no way. You are NOT putting huge gross eyeballs all over my ship!"

She pointed at the weird little robot.

"We need...information. What procedures are going to be done to our ship, what if anything will it cost, where are we...all of this. There must be some kind of orientation package or customer service AI or something. How do we access it?"

[Jordayn]

Arc pistol readied in hand and a mystic prayer readied on the lips, Jordayn ducked down behind the service counter, peeking around the edge to see what came. His eyes widened at the sight that came into view. He had seen a lot of strange things in his relatively short life, but this certainly ranked up there with the strangest. He wasn't sure who was more surprised, them or the... eye-spider.

He was a healer as well as a priest, a doctor of the flesh and the soul. He felt a little bad for the thing. It was mostly hardware, but it moved and reacted as something that wasn't just following programing. Maybe Jexa or Echo could fix its leg, a sign of goodwill or an exchange for services rendered. Jordayn kept half an eye on the eye-spider as Evana and Echo, er, spoke, with it, while looking and listening for any of its friends.

[Sunshine]

"Oh my goodness..." whispered the ysoki, her eyes widening. "... it's adorable. Sure we can't keep it?"

[STARFINDER GM]

The small bot immediately started to backtrack... click, klack, click, click... then stopped it's eyeball containing sphere spun away from the crew of the Solenya, showing its metal rear, then it started to move back towards the heroes rapidly it's eye swiveling back to face them.

Even though there is no determinable difference in how it looked a moment ago, the impression of fear is written in that red rimmed eye.

And a moment later the Heroes for Hire know why.

Two giant Balls come rolling around the corner as the robot runs towards the crew. the balls slide to a stop and multiple tentacles  unwrap from around the bumpy round bodies two of which appear to be tipped with flattened ends like blades. the center of the monstrosities is a yawning toothed maw which emits a piercing shriek.

Spoiler

Two of them, the bodies are about 4-5 feet across,  EAC 16 KAC 18, They have a reach of 10 feet, and yes I know what they look like and basically thats what they are

[Evana]

Evana's eyes were wide in abject horror and confusion as the testi-gina-cle mouth-balls unfurled.  "Uh... guys!  This, is the shooting part."

Spoiler

I'm not going for diplomacy... these things are too ugly to live.

Initiative: 14

Testi-gina-cle is, by the way, trademarked as the official name for whatever those things are.

 

[Gorunta Hemok]

"See!" Gorunta's voice boomed, "This is why we listen to the dog!" His sword flashed forward as he charged the testi-gina-cle on the right... which caught him with a well-timed swipe of the tentacles and yanked him aside with a quick toss. The vesk's frustrated growl echoed off the walls.

Spoiler

Quick Draw sword, move, and attack!
Sword Attack: 1D20+9 = [1]+9 = 10

 

[Sunshine]

"I don't wanna keep those ones! Those ones are bad!" Sunshine ran between cover, sliding along the floor and lining up a plasma pistol shot in an attempt to hit both of the Ugly Balls.
 

Spoiler

 

Sunshine Plasma Pistol attack: 1D20+7 = [18]+7 = 25

No Trick attacks on line weapons (she'll use that next round.)

Plasma pistol line damage (fire): 1D8+2+4 = [2]+2+4 = 8

 

 

[STARFINDER GM]

The Plasma blast caught the closest Ball of Tentacles and burned clean through on as that tentacle fell to the ground the bolt scored a graze across the seconds balls body leaving a smoking furrow before hitting the wall where it continued to burn.

The ball that had batted Gorunta aside suddenly lunged forward it's maw wide and the only thing that save the Vesk was his blade which he jammed sideways into the biting jaws with a clang.

The other ball lashed out trying to hit Sunshine but the small Ysoki bounced all around and all the balls tentacles did was smash a couple of kiosks scattering goods and all across the way and make a heavy dent in a barrier gate for one of the shops.

[Jexa Brae]

"Maybe we can make a friend here..." Jexa thought aloud as she watched the fleeing eye-bot while her companions battled the others... things.

Jexa held up her hand, pointing at the eye-bot, and twin, sparkling metallic clouds swirled down her arm, crisscrossing like the dual snakes of the caduceus. She then turned her hand around, palm up and opened with her fingers together, and gestured toward the construct, sending the clouds of nanites racing after the partially crippled eye-bot.

The sparkling, metallic clouds caught the eye-bot and then swirled around its damage leg. The cloud sparkled brighter and with other colors as the tiny machines surrounded and even entered the limb through a myriad of openings, examining the damage before swiftly repairing it in a near instant.

"I hope that wasn't a mistake..." she continued to think aloud as she extended her Arc Pistol into her hand from the quickdraw sheath.

Spoiler

Casting "Make Whole" on the eye-bot. Restores 5d6 hp instantly (17 hp in this case).
When you cast make whole on a construct, the spell bypasses any immunity to magic as if the spell did not allow spell resistance.

 

[Yseult]

The robot eye spun around and around in place as it was surrounded by Jexa's nanite cloud then as they began working on it's broken leg it settled down  shivering in fear.

Yseult seeing the robot freaking out send Etch to corral the thing and herd it to cover. Then with and weaving of her fingers and the mumbling of dark forbidden words she conjurs a hex and casts it of the so far only effective member of the group attacking the beats...the Ysoki.

Spoiler

Sunshine has been hexed she may choose one roll she needs to make and roll 2d20s taking the best roll sunshine must chose to use the hex before her roll. it is echo's turn

 

[Evana]

Cursing under breath as the group's world once again disolved into chaos and battle.  She held out her hands in an aiming gesture, strafing to find cover, while her pistol digitized into her hands.  She squeezed off a few rounds.  The bullets seemed to pierce the skin but no the heavy layer of defensive muscle and fat that protected the creatures vitals.

Spoiler

Missed.

Moving to cover if cover is available.

 

[Echo]

Echo raised her arc pistol and supercharged it with her rig as she took aim. A sizzling blast of lightning ripped through the air, searing a generous patch of the monster's greasy hide!

With a deft, quick touch she brought up her communication link and shouted, "Nevermind guarding the ship! Get to my position on the double and shoot this thing!"

Shooting (25 to hit, 11 electric damage; uses 6 shots and both move and standard action)

Shootshoot Arc pistol: 1d20+7 25 2d6+2 11

Also calling for my drone to come out and help. It has a move of 30 and will take double moves to get to us asap.

[Jordayn]

Jordayn gave Jexa a nod, seeing her digital spell take affect on the eye-bot, having seen her use such before. He couldn't help with the eye-bot's injury, but Jexa should be able to. He smirked, noticing the darkly beautiful Yseult's pet shepherd the bot into cover.

With Evana shooting and trying to duck into cover, Jordayn popped his head and arc pistol over the service counter he'd been hiding behind and fired off a shot to help her and Sunshine who was still in the middle of the fray, saving his prayers for the moment. His arm steady, he squeezed the trigger with blessing to Arshea on his lips and the tight beam of electricity struck true, on the opposite from where Echo's over-powered beam had ravaged it.

Spoiler

Move - Staying in cover

Standard Action: Fire Arc Pistol at the same Testi-gina-cle as Echo had hit.

Arc Pistol Attack, Damage Roll: 1d20+5 23 1d6+4 7

 

[STARFINDER GM]

Echo's and Jordayn's shots hit home they had targeted the same monster in order to not risk hitting Gorunta who was engaged physically with the other. The ball reeled from the hits and lashed out with tentacles before drawing them in and rolling toward where Jordayn was crouched behind cover.

Spoiler

Gorunta is up. Echo your drone not going to be able to get to you from the work dock it is sealed in

 

 

[Gorunta Hemok]

Gorunta struggled to tear his blade free from the ball of fangs and tentacles. Finally, he resorted to slamming his horned head into the thing. Injured, it had to open its mouth to cry out in pain and Gorunta pulled away and back up to his feet. Baying in turn, he charged it and began hacking away in a fashion that seemed more driven by bloodlust than normally focused calculation.

Spoiler

Full Attack on the ball Gorunta is fighting...
Sword Attack: 1D20+5 = [10]+5 = 15
Sword Attack: 1D20+5 = [18]+5 = 23

One hits. Damage: 2D10+9 = [1, 5]+9 = 15

SP: 55/55
HP: 41/41
RP: 6/6

 

[Echo]

"Damnit!" Echo cursed as she backed up away from the gibbering monsters. "She's stuck in the hangar area! She can't get out!"

The android took aim with her supercharged pistol and unleashed another vicious electrical arc!

(17 to hit, for 11 electric damage)

Arc attack: 1d20+7 17 2d6+2 11

[Evana]

Evie rose from cover and squeezed off more shots from her gun.  The metal slugs once again tore into the creature's bulbous flesh.  Blood oozed and dribbled from the implosion of fatty cells being excited by kinetic energy, but once again the creature didn't seem to notice or slow in its assault of the Vesk.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath as she slid back down, hiding behind her cover.

Spoiler

Missed.

Staying in cover.

 

[Sunshine]

"Uh... woog. This feels weird - " Sunshine blinked as the witch hex hovered over her hand, waiting for her to accept its guidance.

As she dropped the plasma pistol and drew her own personal laser pistol, aiming for the tentacled eyeball, she ignored its help for a little while longer - better to wait until its guard was down.

Spoiler

Sunshine laser pistol attack and damage.: 1D20+7 = [11]+7 = 18
2D4+2+4 = [3, 2]+2+4 = 11

 

[STARFINDER GM]

A chaotic blur as The vicious ball and Gorunta fight each other to the death. The monsters tentacle lash and entwine only to be torn and shrugged of by the towering Vesk.

Meanwhile, oozing fluid from blisters and burns the second ball of teeth and tentacles flings itself toward it's tormentor, The dodging and shooting Ysoki, Sunshine! The monsters tentacles smash the kiosk she took cover behind sending material and the small hero flying. As she sailed through the air a second razor edged tentacle caught her slapping her to the ground hard

Spoiler

Ball tried to grapple and crush gorunta, it failed. Sunshine was hit twice taking 10 points from each hit the damage is slashing. Sunshine is now prone in the open with a ball in melee range

 

[Yseult]

With a gesture, Yseult renews the energy for the Hex on Sunshine and sticks her gunhand over the counter behind which she was hide and fire a fulisade of shots aimed in the general direction of where she remembered the creatures to be. She fervently hopes she doesn't hit and one.

The laser bolts flash around a couple singing past Gorunta and the ball he was dancing with but none of the hit anything.

Spoiler

Jexa, evana, and jordan still need to go for this turn  both monsters are hurt with the one fighting Gorunta seeming moreso. don't order

 

[Sunshine]

(ping? Should I post?)

[Jordayn]

One of the tentacle monsters seemed to be heavily injured, but there was at least another one, and Sunshine was being battered about. And who knew what else might be on this damnable space station. Jordayn considered a moment longer, then grunted and twisted away from aiming at the creature and broke from cover to close the distance with the ysoki pilot.

A prayer to Arshea on his lips, Jordayn linked his life-force with that of Sunshine, to take upon himself a portion of any grievous pain and wounds Sunshine might suffer.

Spoiler

Jordayn uses a Resolve Point and casts Shield Other on Sunshine. Lasts for 4 hours. Sunshine takes only half of any Hit Point damage they suffer, with Jordayn taking the other half.

 

[Jexa Brae]

Satisfied for the moment with Yseult's dog's herding of the 'eye-bot', Jexa assessed the situation. Best to completely remove an enemy from the fight. Besides, Gorunta could handle himself, she figured.

With a swift motion, Jexa brought up her empty hand and then waved her other hand over, leaving her arc pistol in hand at it passed, and immediately pulled the trigger, sending a ball of barely tamed lightning streaking through the air to hit the beast, causing and electrical-magical discharge to arc all over its spheroid body.

 

Spoiler

Making a Trick Attack at the more wounded of the two monsters.
If Tirckshot is successful, it adds +1d4 damage and the enemy is Flat Footed.
Trick Attack: +14 Slight of Hand Roll, DC = 20 + Creature's CR
Result = 33

Attack: 1d20 +6
Attack Roll = 21

Damage: 1d6 + 4 + 1d4
8 Damage (Electrical / Magical)

 

 

[Evana]

She slid up from her place behind cover, holding her pistol at the ready as she zeroed in on one of the creatures.  A thin pinkish-purple visor slid over her field of vision and began sending her relevant tactical information.  She held still, calculating the perfect moment to squeeze the trigger.  "C'mon you disgusting bastard..."

Spoiler

Taking an action to aim.

 

[Sunshine]

Sunshine rolled into a ball and sprang upright, deciding to take the chance that the tentacle monster would attack her - and in turn, hoping it'd overextend itself.

Spoiler

Ysoki can stand up as a free action.

Sunshine is pulling a trick attack move-and-attack, withdrawing from melee. It gets an attack, but Sunshine has the Mobility feat, giving her +4 to AC against this AoO.

Acrobatics for Trick Attack: Acrobatics: 1D20+15 = [16]+15 = 31

Attack, using the hex: Sunshine laser attack roll (take highest): 1D20+7 = [19]+7 = 26
1D20+7 = [20]+7 = 27

Critical hit:

Damage: Sunshine laser pistol damage (critical hit): 4D4+4+4+2+2 = [1, 3, 4, 4]+4+4+2+2 = 24

Trick Attack Bonus Damage: Trick attack bonus damage: 3D8 = [7, 1, 2] = 10

In addition, it now has the burning condition, which will inflict 1d4 damage at the start of its turn until it puts itself out or is put out.