Pepper Dawn

Description

Pepper is tall for a Ysoki but often over-represents her own height. Pepper often fits in tight spaces but always make it clear she might not. She has hundreds of cousins and dozens of siblings. Per Ysoki custom, she often gets close enough to her crew to consider them family and will talk about them as such. She may also give them nicknames based on physique or characteristics. Pepper is extremely proud of her exocortex, named Leapfrog, and often makes adjustments to it. She is very peppy, doesn't remind repeating herself.

Background

Pepper traveled on the Aruvian Dawn with Bun until the ship was destroyed in the Battle of the Stone Sea. Left home world to find a purpose, which was lost on her amidst her few dozen siblings.

Character Stats

	Ability Score	Modifier
STR	13	1
DEX	20	5
CON	16	3
INT	20	5
WIS	14	2
CHA	12	1

Session Notes

Jaldamarrack the Martyr

6.28.20. 6 months since Swarm landed and battle of the Stone Sea in Suskillon. Have taken over half the planet. Suskillon PF training volunteers at Camp Caviler. Sent for by Vesk soldier, Jaldamarrak, a super old Vesk, has worked as private military consultant, won Starsone Medal, has cybernetic eye. Is new commanding officer. Sent to do evening patrol and report back. Can see city, Branoa, in distance. Bun and Pepper meet Olo here. Pepper sees Brush Stalker tracks. Call to return to base, under attack. Fight Swarm Dredger on way. Closer to base, find crater, see space station collapse to planet, creates dust storm. Fight more Swarm Drudgers. Radio message from Jaldamarrak to retreat to Fort Dalmarack, 24mi away. An hour into long walk, find Jaldamarrak at the end of a trail of Swarm corpses, alive but eviscerated. Pepper cries, says we'll report 200 kills from him in the battle, he clips a medal to Pepper's armor. Glory Medallion, 1/day move action after reducing an enemy to 0HP. 400XP.

The Long March & RIP Olo

7.12.20. Swarm is Swarming our way from the direction of the dust storm/collapsed space station. Transmission--bridge being collapsed to halt swarm. Find dead civilian, Aaron Kelvin, Bun eats found candybar. Fight Brush Stalker. Civilian's pack: Tactical Semi-Auto Pistol with 9 in clip, basic med kit, 2 tier-1 stimluants, 4 wake up patches, 3 R2E's, 2 mark-1 syrums of healing. Use syrums. Pepper passes out, Bun carries. Olo says caring "for your rat" will get him killed. Reach bridge, 2 Swarm Vorphoma. Olo darted through head, dies. Bun outruns the Vorphoma, JUST gets to land before bridge blows. Given bag by medic with supplies, Pepper carries. Take a moment for feelings. Taken by truck to Fort Gallant. Leut Gorham asks about Jaldamarrack, Pepper says he sacrificed himself for us and took 500 Swarm with him. Taken to debrief with Commander Hadiya Najiri, she's having her mangled leg amputated. Seems to be just given command. Staying in 5th, being assigned new members. Given flash drive with allowance and aqusitions order. Head to acquisitions, greeted and thanked by human woman civilian, Anacia Render. At aquisitions, note from Commander says to give us BL5 prototype. 1hr battery life, can only charge him at base.

The New Midnight Squadron

7.26.20. See a business casual gentlemen, Lochwart, Z. from Bronze Beam Research Consortium yelling about planet being overwhelmed. Commander assigns Scout (Mike) and Crash (Kate) to our group. Assigned to Rear Guard. Chased by Swarm ship. Reach Sahtor Region with Eskue Ocean in distance, Jurdos Mountains. Capitol of region of Reos City, about 8hrs from where we are. Heading into area called Lynmari to a temple to rescue a priest, need to grab any civilians along the way. Asked for help for downed person, trap, we fight.

The Slime of Linmari

8.6.20. Fought some bugs off cars and civilians. Bun almost dies. People say their manager, Reda Cooper, wouldn't let people take fuel for cars to get away. Pepper is devastated by this. Find scared soldier hallucinating bugs and muttering "Hilax will know." Hilax a peaceful god. Susreth Susaro, a medic, taking with us. Reach Linmari, sign for Longship Agricultural Alliance. Reda trying to calm crowd, says ships are coming to evacuate but the people want to leave. Goes into building. Sneak in, body-snatcher slime, Reda on ground. It takes Scout, we fight. Take out slime.

Xelonan Lays Hands

8.23.20. Reda has been possessed for last 5ish days, agrees to evacuate people immediately. Drive on to Temple of Hylax, through a very tight tunnel through a mountain. Find a truck to pilfer on way. 2 Swarm Vorphoma hovering and staring at door fight. Explore temple. Find Xelonan in inner sanctum room, ghostly images of Swarm around him while he floats and chants. He says we're there to protect temple, not evacuate. Place is too important. Scout starts to convince him to leave, he heals people, a Swarm Convecyte bursts through front doors, releases 3 more swarm from its carapace. Long rest overnight. Radio call to get back to base for evacuation then cuts out before saying time.

Suskillon Falls

9.7.20. Get to Rios City, completely evacuated. Commander says to get to space port starship and evacuate to Ultraneus, Swarm front approaching. At space port, ships melted and scattered. A human woman, not bugged, on city council, Kilora Gishi. With small group of refugees, including some lishunta; the family we rescued at a gas station before; Zandtos Loachwart, the troublemaker from Fort Gallant; and Otvash, a vesk Scout knows. A Pact Worlds ship flies overhead--thankful woman from Fort Gallant. Woman says a ship is in a bunker of a shady figure nearby. Refugees follow. Munitions explosion at door, police tape. Stairs lead ~100ft down. Security cam off. Door with keypad, Pepper jimmies open. Super loud alarm trap, deafens Pepper who turns it off. Fight with 3 guard androids. Scout finds books on ship maintenance and operation. Find swag, ship. "Terminus Wild" on side of ship. Pepper fixes fuel line, Cerebric Fungus appears, fight. Fueling ship as swarm appears, fight. Bun almost goes down. Zelanon does some healing. Take off, see seething mass of Swarm on planet below. See swarm hydra 70-60 feet tall, emits psychic bellow at us, we are seized with feeling of dread.

The Space Chase

9.20.20. Have two civilians in the ship, the Terminus Wild, one is Zantos Loachwart who acts as Science Officer. Pepper acts as Engineer. Chased by two swarm ships that are alive and tiny, have no crew, are very fast. Killed both. Out with 1 damage. Takes us three days to get to Utraneous.

Sabotage Above Utraneous

10.18.20. Systems issues, Bun gets knocked out. Pepper freaks out and revives with serum of healing. Passengers are Councilwoman Caloragishi, Oatvash (Vesk soldier), Zantos Loachwart, Zeleanon (Hilaxian Priest, Syran), Half-Elf (Kenda, female, civilian engineer), Formian (Ch'thrak, male, civilain medic), Kasatha (Saldri, male, civilian lawyer). Life support and forward weapons were sabotaged, scrambled code, not elegant change. Ship is a medium transport, 2 decks, 1 crew and 1 passenger, elevator in between. Drifting off course--autopilot was nudged off course. Crash giving passengers ice cream, observes them. Pepper checks escape pods, everything untempered with. All join ice cream party in the mess. Councilwoman says Ch'thrak treated civilians. Zantos accuses us of ignoring civilians. Scout goes to cockpit, hears laughing in the cockpit. Pepper goes to join, lights flicker in lift. In cockpits, screws not tampered with, notice something in cargo bay on security cam. Scout and Pepper run to cargo bay, 2 radioactive assembly oozes, will split into more if left alone. Crash and Bun join us, we fight. They got out of their container and just started consuming APBs. Salvage 400 UPBs, other items.

Medals and Promotions

11.1.20. Xantos stumbles in, complains, leaves. Transparent aluminum panel was popped out, allowed oozes to escape. Crash checks computer systems for tampering, everything fine. Bun knows Glitch Gremlins (fey) live on spaceships. Heal each other, long rest. Scout and Pepper check cockpit, computers, all clear. Crash and Bun check passengers, get breakfast. Lights go out, warning for power core failure. All run there. Door stuck, giggling. Three Glitch Gremlins, attach to Scout, can redirect electricity. We fight, fix systems damaged in fight. Power core cursed, Xelanon removed. Zantos complains more. Pepper and Scout fix power core. Scout, Ben find a Mk 1 ring of resistance on one of the Glitch Gremlins. Zantos calls us to Observation deck, tries to stage a mutiny, we talk him down as a group. Other passengers offer to help with things. Reach Oddrock, ship port built on asteroid, given clearance to dock first. Above Utraneous, mostly oceanic planet. Run into Lieutenant Gorum. Taken to New Graka on planet. 1.2million humans, shirren. Taken to city hall, Commander Najiri, STF setup. Najiri awards us the Radiant Star Medal of Courage, promotion to Lieutenant. Broken out of classic STF structure, report directly to her. Each get stipend of 2000 credits, up to level 4 items. Sold drugs we found, extra equipment. Shopping.

Too Much Fire

11.15.20. Water capture facility in New Graka has stopped working, assigned to investigate. Warned about Muatta creatures, steal things. Arrive at facility, water overflowing from funnel that collects rainwater. Garbage everywhere, possibly scattered by Muatas. 2 Muatas appear, we fight. Computer indicates blockage in funnel. Bomb explodes on platform, hits Bun and Pepper. Pepper and Crash fix funnel issue. Report back to Najiri, told there's been a problem nearby and we are closest. Arrive at a building on fire. Search all 5 floors, evacuate family of 3 Ysoki and 2 humans. Firefighter robot comes on scene, says to leave the area and attacks an engineer. We fight. Bun almost died.

It's All Conspiracy

11.29.20. Loot arc emitter gun from robot, tampered with to target police or military uniforms, likely in last week. Security guy Moe tells us about the Reckoners who distribute fliers. Says he will let us know if reason for fire is figured out. Long rest at SPF bunks. Broadcast center received evacuation order city hall didn't send, need to investigate. Nothing unusual on computers. Find woman, Chendwen, on a computer, poorly cut SDF jacket. She says she's trying to send out evac plans, needs computer help, saw someone else in building. She goes to investigate, Scout follows, she stabs him and he shoots her. We all run to help, she gets away through window. Investigate computer she left, find blueprints to fiery building, schedule to New Graka police rounds, video of some kind of claw. Video from Reckoning, says swarm will consume all unless you follow the swarm and Sister Spark. Can be found at Reckoner Hall. Android. We investigate. Scout and Crash infiltrate, knock out guard, we put binders on him outside and all enter. We fight lots of people.

Bad Omens

12.13.20. Fight until Sister Spark says to stand down. Arrest them, call a vehicle to take them away. Find lot of credits, blank keycard. Find 6 mk2 frag grenades, detonator. Investigate Sister Spark's computer, find plans to explode spaceport and a list of all Reckoners, hidden folder with map of underground caverns with tunnel marked "entrance," images of styled stone carvings reminiscent of the swarm, likely bolt hole for Reckoners. Cannot find carvings online. Commander Nagiri calls us in. We spend a day healing. Tunnel map overlays the Temple of Friendship. Xelanon visits us, heals us, we tell him about the tunnels. Says language is Kucharni, language of his ancestors. Xelanon having nightmares of The God Host, other shirren experiencing the nightmares. Doesn't know what it is. Like something is swimming beneath him. Go to entrance to tunnels at Vibrakleen, a sonomat.

A Bummer Cave

12.27.20. Outside Vibrakleen. Enter lobby, Pepper's engineers "employee's only" door open. Enter folding area with robots. Pry panel off wall, reveals stairwell. Enter natural caves with some cave-ins. Pepper opens a chest with the found blank keycard. Bun opens a curtain that opens to another room lit with bioluminescent moss on walls. Holographic displays; meticulous garden, rolling hills with alien buffalo, long legged creatures sneaking up on sleeping shirren. Holographs loop. Bun understands this shows the options the shirren had after leaving the swarm. Feeder fungus emerges, releases spores. We fight, it hurts Bun a lot, Pepper heals with Treat Deadly Wounds. One wall is an illusion, walk through, no light. Etchings on wall, calculations. On Western wall, focused on shorter journeys, further along hall shows longer trips. Manage the traps along the hall. Reach seating area with carvings with hidden words carved with antiquated tech. About "The Dawn of Friendship." Seating area leads to alter with hologram showing list of names, dish holding stick of old burned incense, small wrapped package. Names appear to be lists of ship crews lost during the exodus. Poem on wall talks about loss, mourning, grief, growth, change. Further along hall, opens to room with pool and waterfall. Utranean Seawyrm, we fight, Scout gets swallowed. On other side of pool, shrine room with dusty alter and amber glowing orb. Hologram of shirren woman appears greeting us with open arms then dissipates into golden motes of light. Bun can tell there's a living creature held in status in orb, which disintegrates. Apari. We fight. Bun almost dies, kills with 1 HP. Shirren woman hologram loops. Investigate side room with bed, desk, trunk, lamp, bioluminescent moss, globes. Globes seem to be souvenirs, similar to snow globes with oils. Look in trunk, devotional amulets to Hylax, robes, datapad. Bun's recovery amulet crumbles to ash, takes the amulet of Hylax to be a necklace. Datapad has information about cave, traps etc. Shirren woman was devout, meant to aid pilgrims, mentions "The Forever Reliquary." Find long narrow metal box same material as chest, contains staff of mystic healing. Grab everything else out of chest for Xelanon, he thanks us and gets us 2000 credits in gratitude. Nagiri gives us temporary leave.

Too Many Bugs

1.10.21. Called into Commander Negiri's office. Xelanon there, says he has heard of the Forever Reliquary (a place). Writings by Galchak (from Zessh University) say it is on Ilemchuuva, overtaken by the swarm before Suskillon. We are being sent there for it. Planet used to be rolling hills, now a wasteland. May be bases we could use, unknown. Swarm destroy natural and mineral resources, not buildings. Atmosphere likely difficult to breathe. Giving us the Flash Viper, a Suskillon Whip ship. Will take us 6 days through the drift. Get there, it's worse than expected. Dreadlancer ship is orbiting planet, has Ultafearons flying around. Planet is destroyed--200m/h winds, continent-wide lava flows, giant cracks in crust. Hiding behind moon, Altipheron. Determine to wait until Dreadlancer is behind the planet and drift in. Almost get caught but make it to planet. Looking for city called Uudz where university is. Storm sweeps in, does acid damage to the ship, passes. We land, exit ship. Swarm Escutchide and Swarm Dredgers emerge. (Bun knows the swarm speaks Shirren.) We fight. Three medium figures appear over ridge and provide covering fire. Pepper determines that dredger group takes half damage. Scout goes down. We kill them all, Pepper heals Scout. The three figures approach. Female shirren w/corroded power armor and an exocortex "Etchiax", a bolida "Kokan", a male android who studied at Zessh "Queue", make up "Clade Company". Galchak was a religious studies professor. Hadn't heard of SDF. 10 minute rest.

We Should All Be Dead

1.24.21. Follow Etchiax to cave, turn on environmental protections. Venture into caves, have to navigate around river of lava. Swarm are extracting all mineral resources from planet, cause parts of cave to shake. Reach underground resistance and refugee camp, mostly insectoid species. Eskamoo is contact for information, warns us about the Extractor Imago shaking the ground, wants to take it down from the inside. Heal up then travel there. 250' long, 100' tall. Sneak into exhaust port, through a sphincDOOR, a few swarm, we fight. Go through next sphincDOOR, fight. Bun, Pepper, and Scout knocked out. All live.

Fumbles and Crits

2.7.21. Explore, enter upper gut, exceptionally hot. Bun's environmental armor gets damaged, almost dies. Pepper injects with serum of healing. Fight two blobs. We get into brain room, fight two swarm effigene. Bun and Pepper almost at zero, Bun crits last enemy on last hit. Unload guns at the brain, creature dies and begins to collapse. We book it out while it deflates like a balloon. Exit to battle and carnage between the swarm and Clade Company. Etchiax gets us in the transport, peel away. Imago explodes behind us. Etchiax collapses tunnel into headquarters behind us as was pass through. Escamoo and team patch us back up to full health, say they can't do that every time. Full night's rest. Introduced to Jadvata, nervous young Shirren. Was a student at Zassh University. Used Gelugon fire extinguishers in pranks, can freeze doors shut or make it snow inside. Could make us grenades (cryo grenade mk1) or a cannon. Professor's office on second floor. Pepper excitedly talks to him about his mechanic classes. Hasn't heard about any tunnels, if so they may have collapsed anyway. University had three floors and a basement level before swarm. No useful equipment rooms, but professors occasionally confiscated things from students that could be useful. Clade Company wants to set up a forward base in city near University, will be sending a large contingent with us. We could retreat back to that base. Travel to university. See a conspicuous lack of bodies--swarm process organic matter. Enter atrium, two corrovox waiting in ambush. Fight. Find directory, Professor in room 1026. Barricades around atrium made from seating. Find lots of swag. Explore first floor. Second lecture hall door warm, flame sounds. Peek in--fire monster. Move on, find room 1026. Open door, office has been ransacked, items are organized on floor in ascending size order, including pieces of the Professor. Swarm mindreaper turns to us, we fight. Decimate at first, then crit fails himself. We fumble around then Bun crits him dead. Crash is stable but unconscious.

The School is Haunted

2.21.21. Find one of professor's fingers with a Ring of Sustenance. Find chunk of chitin in display case, Blade of the Sixth Molt (warrior talon w/axiomatic fusion). Bun senses that a Hillax follower can ignore resistance in swarm enemies. On Galchak, Atabar Travel armor, silver, light, +6/+7, lvl 7. Professor has a narrow pierce at the back of his skull, mind reaper tried to mind reap him, has probably be dead too long to get anything. Check professor's computer, no icons and trash empty. Take harddrive to try to recover files. Notification that indicates there are automated backups on a server, which would be in basement. Search other rooms in hallway. Psych prof's office. Office for Dr. Mlaakahat, four mindshield circlets, modified to possibly split attackers off from hivemind, crate has lab address in basement 2. Office with historical curios, collection worth 2000 credits. Office of Dr. Faneel has barricaded door, corpse inside died of thirst, ghost appears and hisses "no interlopers" in Shirren, we fight. Crash and Pepper frightened. Scout and Bun disintegrate ghost as he flees. Bun dumps water on corpse and a sigh says "thank you." Mk3 Leshunta Ringwear armor on body, Mk2 ring of resistance +2 to lowest saving throw, frostbite zero pistol. 10min rest. Go downstairs. See chitinous growths, reinforcing ceiling. Find B2 lab, Pepper engineers locked door open. Formian cadaver on all four tables, wake up, we fight and kill all. We find an advanced medkit, 2 black ninite hypopens, cardiac accelerator augmentation, synergizing symbiote mk2, auto-injector armor upgrade, 5 diagnostic lozenges, 1 Galugan fire extinguisher, box marked "failures" containing a clear phrenic scrambler, electroplex neurolash. Explore, find locked server room. Find power room, swarm revulsor, swarm effegene, swarm corovox, we fight and kill all. Find many UPBs, Galugon fire extinguisher, 5 ultra batteries, an Aeon Stone that gives a 10ft bonus to move speed.

The Night Attack

3.7.21. Turn on generator, return to server room. Find computer idol, search backups. Were trying to short-circuit the swarm hivemind but did not succeed. Find a bunch of cool stuff in server room. Go upstairs, two swarm revulsor's waiting in ambush, set fire elemental on us. Sets Bun on fire. We kill, revive Bun, Bun finds solarian crystal in ashes. Return to Clade Company with 6 fire extinguishers, get a gelid ice carbine and a cryo grenade made. Data is Galcheck's research about the way the Shirren wrote about the swarm. The Shirren were at first very negative about swarm, then something happens with the Forever Reliquary in 4 A.G. that made the Shirrens' tone toward the swarm more hopeful. Contains some navigational information to the Prodigal Stone, a comment, with a note "forever reliquary?" Sleep hard, wake to sound of swarm ships. Eskimoo and Bun buried in collapsing building, swarm drop out of ships. We fight and kill 2 swarm, mindreaper is hurt with no duplicates left. Scout is digging out Eskimoo, on first of four rounds. Swarm thresher prince lands.

We Murder a Prince and Some Asteroids

3.21.21. Scout unburies Eskimoo, he's stable but unconscious. Bun, Crash, and Pepper kill thresher prince quickly. Etchiax manning anti-aircraft guns against swarm ships. The android Queue rolls up in a heavily armored transport, we jump in and go back to Clade Company HQ. Mood is triumphant. Eskimoo checks out the data we recovered about forever reliquary, determine it's a real place, find coordinates. Know swarm likely doesn't have the same info. Commander Negiri promotes us all to captain! We head off to the coordinates. Arrive and the location has moved, follow its trail through a meteor swarm. Approach nebula, see Shirren starship floating inside nebula. Appears to be damaged, hole in side. Model of ship is 30-40 years old. Interference from nebula disrupts our tracking of the reliquary.

Space Bacteria

4.4.21. Enter spaceship, seems like ship was damaged by giant space animal. 3 nahili inside, we fight, get loot off bodies. Explore rooms, cockpit destroyed, find captain's body with a key in pocket. Crash takes a storage device from cockpit computer terminal, logs. Key opens captain quarters, nice, shrine to Hilax. Log has record of final battle, in Shirren, attacked by giant blob. Ship is the Eternal Melody, with two sister ships, Endless Harmony and Unending Song, searching for Eternal Reliquery. Both other ships mentioned as gone also. Had planned to visit the monastery, is underground, includes description of hidden entry hatch. Called back to our ship. A stellar protozoa has appeared. Find meteor of Forever Reliquary. Enter temple. Really nice place, offerings at statue of Hilax that are about 6 months old. Hear voice in our heads, Candlerime appears, has a circle of ice around head. We fight amongst a fog effect, Crash stabs to death. Has uncut gems in his pockets.

The Forever Reliquary

4.18.21. Send spy drone up to look at floor pattern. Shirren letters, says "underground." Start searching area. Fight and kill a shantak. Crash almost falls through quicksand snow, we take multiple hours to move carefully around it. Find ourselves in an icy crevice, too icy, perhaps partially in elemental plane of ice. Three ice elementals pop up, we kill, Bun gets last intense punch after a nat one takes his plasma sword offline. Continue searching, discover an insectoid corpse with bloody holes in chest from comet wasps hatching inside creature, avoid. Find white-ish hatch carved with insectile face and three stars. Hack in. Meet three Shirren guards, Kiarth, Nuritch, and Yachern. They lead us through the lobby into the Forever Reliquary. Introduced to their leader, a trax, Tuvah. Complemented for the way we handled ourselves getting to the Reliquary. Lead into room with insectoid followers. Tuvah says she has been given visions by Hilax, the swarm will take over the galaxy but a group of outsiders may make a difference--our group. Bun goes up to the dais to tell our story. They guard a secret and we will only be trusted with it if we can beat the trials of peace and diplomacy using the portal room. One a day, given stone rooms with a cot. Communal dining area, given free reign of the place. Complex has a south, east, west wing and central garden, we explore. Garden contains water treatment center, agriculture, artificial sun globe. Some farmers working, and supervisor Rakorant, wearing a Hawaiian shirt with his armor under. Rakorant nervous about Tuvah's visions, Hilax often sends more vague visions. Bun tells him a joke and Rakorant says he's convinced that we have the hearts of champions. Continue to wander. Pass meeting rooms, prayer rooms, library. Library is staffed by a shirren, Harisskor, who was at the main assembly. She's wearing a clean room smock and booties, we offer to garb up, she leads us to a machine that puts a latex coating on our hands. Research the swarm--the precursor race to the swarm and the Shirren was the Kucharn, separated by way of a connection to a hive mind. Research the trails--everyone in the assembly has undergone the trials. Bun asks Harisskor about her experience with the trials. She had to broker a deal, do couples counseling, babysit some awful kids. Research Hilax relationships--no difference, Xelanon was like a priest and the assembly are like monks. Explore east wing. Find recreational spaces, a school, dining hall, infirmary. In infirmary, find Ithavine, a host shirren, pale blue labcoat, doing inventory. We donate the dermal stapler from our inventory. Ithavine is concerned we aren't up to the task we have, the swarm is unstoppable. Ithavine and Meershmar's trials were on a world where the swarm were invading, trials were to alleviate pain, helping evacuation effort. Explore south wing, residences, where our quarters are. Final wing is the mechanical section, where generator is, engineering workshop, meet Meershmar. Says he could use some UPB's, we donate 1000. Crash notices a defect in his code, Crash and Pepper make suggestions. Tell us his and Ithavine's trial story from his perspective. Crash and Bun insist we call Meershmar "Skip" from now on and he takes to it. We are invited to group meal, sit with the people we met. Rest up. Kiarth gets us in the morning. Led back through farm chamber to portal room, door is open. Rectangular room, chairs and cushions face far wall, haloscreen. Keep watch over passing civilizations, can turn screen into portal. Portal will stay open 12 hours, will keep watch on us, record actions. Tuvah prays to Hilax, room shakes, moment of silence, haloscreen illuminated with a scene of colorful plants, blue sky, animals. We pass through the portal into this landscape.

The Trials Three

5.2.21. First trial: Need to make contact with blobby species on planet that doesn't have space travel. We observe for an hour, Crash hears no sounds from them, they don't seem to have ears. Scout studies social structures, interacting with each other, not hostile. Pepper noticed colored spots change and shift, patterns. Crash makes a computer program to communicate with lights. We approach, they're afraid at first, we charm them to helpful friendliness. They want to join the galactic community and throw us party. We attend party, try their mediocre drinks. Presented with wooden box with organic pods, medicine Gushers. We return through portal, we succeeded, Tuvah very pleased, has us name them, "Flubbers." Second trial in morning. To pass time: books, old halovids, card game. Second trial: Sinitol, Ghoran colonists and Nuar miners there, negotiation peace between groups. Scout knows Nuar are mediumn bipeds, war-like, good sense of direction, trace origins to Galarian, no homeworld, explorers, researchers, famous for making Mazecore--can create multi-use weapons, interested in minerals of planet. Crash knows Goran were created by a druid from Galarian, everything bad has happened to them, made to be perfect, nearly hunted to extinction by humans, only produce one seed, able to terraform a rocky planet and engineered away the one seed problem, two sub-races: saplings (short, slender) and oaklings (tall, dense), can make stuff grow in weird places. Enter portal, sun rising, planet is misty, nature is blue-green. Technical networks, Nuar has Echo Depths Mining, Goran have Wintergrace Nursery. Bun comms the Nuar, gets Jeranara, they talk about hilax for an hour and agree to meet on neutral ground. Pepper calls Wintergrace, get Allicyn, they agree also. We set up three pavillion tents in meeting area. Meet with Jeranara first, brought three others (engineers, logistics), seems uncomfortable in own coat, captain. Agree that we won't end their mining operation, if need to move mining sites they will be compensated. Talk to Allicyn, brought two others. Ben charms both groups into agreeing to a treaty. Goran give us rare seeds in status pods, Nuar give us Mazecore weapon. Tuvah congratulates us for success, third trial in morning. Third trial: Trinpirri III, get four thyreophoran across a land bridge away from a volcano. Crash bribes one with berries, we spook all the others across land bridge. Return through portal, Tuvah is very proud, needs to meet with the assembly.

Fumbles and Crits pt. 2

5.16.21. Tuvah gives us the Crown of Hylax, created at Clutchstone Ridge, where we found Xelanon. What the swarm is looking for, can help us defeat the godhost. Take the crown into the godhost’s psychic realm, disrupt the hostmind. Tuvalu enters meditation to transfer power of the crown. Swarm show up. Four tunnels they could enter through, need to collapse using bombs. Pick one, two swarm dramovire. We kill, Pepper arms two bombs, we collapse tunnel. Next tunnel, two mutant swarm escuthides, one mind reaper. Bun almost dies, one escapes and a monk wipes it out, we destroy tunnel. Next tunnel, thresher “king,” Bun and Scout kill. Last tunnel, two swarm molitera, we kill and destroy tunnel. Go to medic, get healed. Medic transfers five of their hit points to Scout, as we are champions, tells us noises coming from the chapel. We go to chapel, bodies, acid burns. Olo standing on dias, now covered in carapice, tentacle is dripping acid.

Rest in Pieces, Olo

5.31.21. We fight Olo, Scout and Bun almost die, Pepper finishes. Tuvah has finishes her ritual, can put us in the Swarm mindscape now, gives us 5 healing spell ampules. We are sent through the mindscape, see visions of our lives but changed, then wake up in a desert. Two things that look like mind reapers approach us, but look like they are made of sand, we kill. A building we love emerges from the dust. Pepper sees the Aruvian Dawn and believes it’s there for a round. Hear whispering in our native languages, we try to ignore. We walk through desert and a whirlwind spins up, clears the dust, we see the Forever Reliquary comet in the sky. A blue shirren-looking figure emerges from the sand, seem like swarm but also not swarm.

Two (2) Statues and One (1) Jaldamarrack!

6.13.21. Figure is Independence. Heals Pepper’s reduced ability scores. Says not to stay in the waste too long, gives us direction to move in. Storm moves, earthquake effects, hallucinations. Checks to avoid damage. Mentally placed in bodies of storm thresher lords in battle at chapel, annihilate a bunch of corovox then mentally leave and the thresher heads explode behind us. Walk in direction Indepence directed us to, reach Hylax Refuge. Two statues on each side of door, attack us out of caution. We try to say we are friendly, don’t listen. We fight. Both die at same time--shared HP. Enter temple together, amphitheater to circle with engraved insect, smells like earth, two tunnels opposite us--go toward gift exchange room and market. Hylaxian Council room. Independence is there, gives us Mindscape credits to use. Go toward market, attacked by figures that appear from paintings and leave. Also find alter in side room to Forever Queen, not well made but well loved, if spend 30min worshipping the spell DCs of the party go up. Pepper seems small velvet bag hanging off statue, Mk3 ring of resistance, swap around rings and leave a Mk1 ring. Reach market, all ghosts. Jaldamarrack! (Have 11,250 psychic credits, max level 12, don’t know if will disappear!)

It's All Mostly Ghosts

6.27.21. Shopping and short rest. Two restless spirits attack us, we kill. Go to gift exchange room. Dirt floor, chitin chest, silver sand around chest, opening in roof. Bun scoops up handful of dirt, worm bursts from ground and hits Bun, we fight. Bun sees a vision of ruins of alien civilization, dark swirling cloud. Hylaxian comet passes over, get warm feeling that the chest contains gifts for us. Long rest. Independence meets us after rest. Cinneka enters, casatha, not a ghost. Knows about the Crown of Hylax, should be able to sacrifice to it, can separate our colony from the swarm. Invites us onto her barge to see a map, made of petrified wood and transparent aluminum. Bun names it the Silver Surfer. Tallow candles that smell like copper, weapons, empty swarm heads. Tells us that the living don’t last long here. Her map is live--we can see ourselves moving on the barge’s deck. Cinneka says “let’s party” and we sand-sail away.

The Desert Moves

7.11.21. Sail toward oasis. Desert moves. End up at ruined city a mix of styles and materials. See mindscape swarm revulsors, fight. Get more mindscape credits. Head toward oasis again. Get caught in dust storm. Swarm escuchids appear, we fight.

We Forget Ourselves

7.25.21. Cinneka gives us a necklace of plasma beads. Reach oasis, water is greenish. See a worm thing that lashes out at us, trying to grab. Seems tethered, perhaps a trap or construct rather than a creature. Bun takes a swing at it and it disappears. Test oasis water, gives enough nourishment for a day, +4 will saves against mind-effecting and fear, heals 1d4 wisdom damage, shows awful visions, highly addictive. Could spend an hour to turn local tree bark into preserver's mantle 3. Understand to submerge ourselves into the oasis with the crown to empower it. Bun holds, we all submerge together. Water gets more and more cloudy. Memories: Bun-first time seeing a star, Pepper-massive family reunion with everyone present, Crash-first time playing incredible game, Scout-first bug he killed with sniper rifle and wasn't treated like scum. -6 to INT checks. Forgot: Bun-Aruvian Dawn, Pepper-Ysoki other than Crash, Crash-computers, Scout-feeling of belonging. **Pepper is going to feel extra attached to Crash now--all affection felt for family has been moved to Crash. Crown empowered, feels cool, can cast Lesser Battlemind Link 3x/day. Travel to next area. Ground opens before us and we begin to descend. Bun, Pepper, Scout fall out of ship, minimal damage but the light has reduced drastically. Have visions of the swarm overtaking other races, then see the 5-headed godhost, Illumchuva (went inside bug). See the swarm destroy the Battle of Stone Sea and the 5th batallion, which Scout was in. Take -3 will. The godhost can see us. Light from comet blazes above us. Sand begins to collapse. Everyone escapes, Pepper fatigued. Crown gains ability to split HP. Long rest. Have earned 20,000 mindbucks due to our traumatic experiences. Head to "dust hell," enter. Rocks in the dust, take damage, hurled out of storm. -15 SP. Crown can cash Mindthrust 3x/day. Psychic message from Independence: need to return, had a revelation to share. Independence asks to put himself in the Crown to improve its abilities, a sacrifice by him like the ones we made. Go to gifting room, do ceremony. Feel peaceful for first time in a long time. Independence looks very transparent now. Cinneka bursts in and says we have a ton of company.

It's All Fights

8.8.21. Two swarm ceretorum in lobby. Seem more physical. We kill and they don't wisp away like the others. Banging on temple, cracks form. Rush outside, sand storm, see spirits of bug species rush into the sandstorm, see forms of swarm in it. Feel Independence wisp away, voice says to make our own choices and use their power to help the world, feel a comfort from them and the temple. Aware of new power: Instant Recuperation (regain 4d6 Stamina and HP), Surge of power (1d6 add to a roll, can be after a roll). Can be used once until 10min rest and use one resolve. Hive mind avatar appears, we kill quickly. Know it was sent by the full force of the swarm hivemind. Cinneka takes to "the connection." Sail through the storm while defending against debris and bug parts. Exit storm at edge of cliff, boat crashes. On Cinneka's map, see that we are in the Northeast corner. Stairs carved into cliff side. See pieces of land orbiting a large central pillar off in distance. Two swarm vorphomas appear. We fight. Scout flings his battle ribbon to the edge of the cliff.

The Connection is Broken

8.22.21. We fight and kill two land golems. Hopped to the platform in the middle of the floating islands. A swarm of insects coalesce into a 20-foot tall giant that mocks us called The Connection. The crown tells Scout that the crown of Hylax needs to go on its head. Bun flies around trying to put the crown on its head. Nearly impossible to do damage to it. Bun hits once, it disappears and coalesces into smaller exhausted figure in center of the dais. Bun puts the crown on his head. The crown merges with its head, it says it understands the pain the swam has caused and it shouldn't be forgiven. Bun goes to hug it but it dissipates into ash in the air. The fog fades away and the comet glows above us. The connection and the crown vanish.

We're Superheroes Now

9.5.21. We are transported back to the temple and Tuvah who is mid-fight to the swarm. We remember everything we forgot and have emotions. Swarm Seretorum and some Dedgers. Bun cleaves the Seretorum and says "no more mind games." We kill all. Tuvah asks us to handle any remaining swarm, Pepper hugs. Search the temple, find a lot of bodies on both sides but no more fights. Find a guard outside that greets us, says the swarm was pushing hard then freaked out and were easy to kill. Our ship comes flying towards us, lands, Cinecca exits down the ramp. Says Hylax sent her back. Shares a hug with Pepper. Tuvah brings group into the portal room, gives Bun cred stick with 125,000. SDF channel, Commander Nagiri calls us back to Utraneous. Massive SDG Dreadnaught near station, dock with that, Nagiri's new headquarters, was quickly modded from a mining vessel. Titan's Shield. Nagiri thinks we severed sub-colony from the hivemind, Godhost still a problem. Leads us into officer area, see Xelanon. Human officer approaches us, says we are highly regarded and he wants our help to take Suskillon back, creature near the bridge we saved Xelanon from. Five missions available: star port (has 5 units), nuclear plant (meltdown possible, needs 1-2 more units needed), rich neighborhood (hivemind unit, research team there), dome (breading area, strike team), dam (spillways and river blocked, lake acidic, could flood city, 1-2 more units needed), mountains (secure temple, 3 units max). Give advice for where to send available troops. Nagiri says we should help if available because "as good as the SDF is, they're nothing to Midnight Squad." We land on Suskillon, plants are coming back but can see crash sites. Dropped off. See four upgraded swarm corovox, have acid cannons. We annihilate them, SDF backup arrives. Enter customs building, two swarm thresher lords. We kill, Scout goes unconscious. Find Mk4 Ring of Resistance. Have Brinnoa Spaceport secured. Nagiri calls, swarm is ignoring the soldiers near the temple, troops at nuclear facility have not reported in, please check on them and complete mission, observation post nearby. Another call, Zantos Loachwurt, in Brinnoa Heights, mercenaries turned on the SDF, drow named Varvek is leader. Jule Shavesko calls from the dome that swarm reinforcements are coming. Pepper gets email, from Lt. Kahore, dam has unusual programs in controls, sends images but the image is corrupted. Armor will protect us against most radiation if protections are on.

What Arena?

9.19.21. Are given a buggy to take to the dome. Roll in and fight three swarm in the VIP parking garage. Short rest. Find keys for all vehicles in garage, parallax laser pistol. Close bar across garage entry and park van in garage across the entry to block any swarm reinforcements. Move into building, fight two trash slimes. Ascend stairs to seating area of dome. Field is filled with pulsating egg sacs. In walk area in front of us, a lot of blood and a bag. Fight three swarm. Bag near door contains explosive charges. Crash handles placement. We drive away as the dome implodes behind us. Short rest while Scout drives. Plan to head to reactor next.

It's "Just" a Demon

10.3.21. Arrive at reactor outpost. Sign that says the outpost radiation is low, reactor radiation is high. Pepper's synchronous heart picks up a life form just inside the doors. Enter building, see Prexian Mutantspawn. Confuses Bun and Pepper, they attack each other, when spell is done cry-hug and apologize a lot. Corpse of the spawn is of a man dead for multiple weeks, looks like died from radiation but chest cavity is burst outward and hollow. Badge names him Assistant Engineer Ulwe Cajaritus, radiation gauge is burnt out. Find laboratory, door barricaded. Find a body with badge for Junior Engineer Ellishar, has a keycard. Crash checks computer, routine experimental lab data. Find break room. Crash checks computers, maintenance log, Cajaritus folder to summon and bind a radiation demon. Find hypopins, radiation badges, radiations buffers, radiation sweepers, a bathroom. Find control room and cameras. Crash rewinds cameras a day and see SDF soldiers pulled into mist by something. A soldier shows notes to the camera, says creature emits radiation and bite causes mutations, resist to lasers (fire) and cold and projectiles, immune to electricity, raises the dead. Pluprex demon, intelligent and can cast spells. Crash fixes the ventilation, steam clears, see SDF carnage. Body of Cajaritus is gone from hallway. See his zombie and pluprex. We fight. Scout gets stunned, Pepper gets weakened, Bun mutates and loses a leg.

A Big Dam Dragon Kin

10.17.21. Scout rallies but becomes mutated with spider eyes all over his face, makes last blow and kill the pluprex. It dissolves into sludge. Crash uses white nanite hypopens to remove conditions from Bun and Scout. Long rest, Bun gets a cyber leg. Go to dam, approached by Leut. Kahore, a 11' dragon kin in uniform (Pepper is smitten), he's not very bright. Indications of native elementals. Swarm nauphages climb up side of dam, we fight. Pepper gets to use grenades and automatic attack! Check computers. Used to summon and bind elementals to the dam to protect and fortify. Swarm had disabled, Crash fixes it. Two air elementals appear, attack us. Short rest. Need to bind 3 elementals, 2 troops provide support for 2 elementals. We spend 5000 UPBs to secure the 3rd elemental. Elementals appear and fix the dam. Kahore thanks us, gifts us a flash shield generator.

We Take Down a Crime Lord

10.31.21. Long rest. Head to The Matchmaker House in Brinnoa Heights to rescue Zantos Loachwort. We sneak up, big mansion, fight two guards. Pepper uses flight system for first time! Scout talks the surviving guard (Jeff) into opening the front door, he made a mistake, tell us everything about Vavex. Vavex is drow, good with sword, sonic pistol. There's a buyer for a brain bug, found out the SDF had one here. Bun convinces Jeff to go to the starport and join the SDF. Jeff says the front door is open. Crash sneaks in, hears people in a room. We all go into lobby, bust into room, fight the people in there. Had been working on an ex-gen gun and tripod, could fix it in an hour. Another door has sounds of flying or drone. Bun talks to Vavex on radio, Vavex offers to hand over the brain bug for 8 million credits or give him a hidey hole in the void, talks to Commander Nagiri over radio, agrees to surrender. Scientists are gagged and bound in drawing room. Says brain bug is in the stables, has explosives, tosses Bun detonator. In buzzing sound room there's a beetle that's been messed with, it's head it swollen, tissue graft added. Bun finds security cameras, three statues including one of a blood brother (known for stuffing people in its chest). Figurine of wonderous power, can summon one. Crash finds bombs, Crash and Pepper disable. Bun enters stable where the brain bug is, we shut it in and run away to wait for the SDF. Loot rooms and bodies, find a funko pop of Vavex, a bunch of guns and armor.

WE FIND GOD(HOST)

11.14.21. Head to temple. Car flips next to cliff. Two swarm dissolvers, we fight. Bun, Pepper, Crash take one to exactly 0HP together. Reach temple with SDF troops, very clean flag. Greeted by saluting woman, Altahaset, well kempt. Dome of organic orange chitin on top of temple, can't remove. Private Latt Estof tried recon, hasn't returned, Altahaset would appreciate return of him or his ident card. We approach temple, tubes shudder, backup gathers outside. Pepper sends drone toward temple, Scout goes to open door for the drone and tricks a massive acid trap. Drone sees four Swarm Escatchides, one throws a bench at the drone and breaks it. Escatchides leave temple, are slightly damaged from additional troops. We fight. Enter temple, orb is coated in resin. As we enter temple, resin falls away, light and a sense of peace washes over us (Hylax's Grace). If pray, have options: regain 3 resolve, regain some HP, regain spell, gain moral bonus. Explore back room. Find computer without power, leave. Find tunnel, smooth resin walls. Find alters and two Swarm. Waxy figures made of parts, have maggots. We fight. Alter has a bowl made of Swarm chitin, full of reeking liquid made of Swarm blood and acid, perhaps were trying to make it holy water of their godhost. Continue down tunnel, find hole in ground that look like bite marks and Swarm claws. Hear noise like snakes rubbing. Pepper ready with an incendiary grenade. Turn corner--THE GODHOST. Collosal multi-headed creature. It sees us.

WE FIGHT GOD(HOST) and retire(?)

11.28.21. So many heads. As we kill heads with fire, Thresher Lords are summoned. Bun chops off last head, load shriek, Thresher Lords heads explode, other swarm embedded in walls explode. Healing all around, stumble out of temple. SDF cheering, swarm forces destroyed. Commander Nigiri: all swarm within a mile fully killed, all other swarm tied to Godhost are staggered until death, SDF wiping out swarm. Returned to Oddrock, victory speeches and medal ceremonies. Now we are decorated soldiers, asking about toy rights, SDF sold our movie rights. Crash returns to his computer and becomes a game streamer. Pepper visits family, family gets clan together for a party and Crash is there as a fourth cousin, and town erects statue. Bun worships Hylax, helps Xalanon rebuild temple, sets off to find next adventure, and a starship company gives him a ship. Scout camoflages himself into anonymity, searches for his origin and who he was before.