Perception check : 1eP+2eA+1eD 2 successes

Kovin peers into the dark, looking to see what lies ahead.

Kovin felt a strange...silence coming from up ahead. There were no echoes coming from up ahead; it was like the darkness was solid, swallowing up all sound.

The stale air continued to permeate the senses. Then Kovin smelled something different...death. Not millennia-old death, but much more recent. Rotting flesh was near.

Up ahead, the corridor opened into a large room. The light from the glowrods glinted off dingy metallic objects. The absolute silence seemed to be coming from this room.

Kovin's bond with his companion twitched. He felt something, the tusk cat's heightened senses tautening. He felt the muscles of his haunches tighten, the hairs on the back of his neck raise in a threat-posture, a rush of hormones at the possibility of combat - and the feeling of razor-sharp talons sliding out of paws he knew he did not own. The silence roared in his ears, the sound of his own heartbeat reflecting back into his eardrums, a maddening sense. The old fear returned, but he felt the Jedi behind him and knew some measure of peace. Here, down in the dark, he took his first tentative steps towards destiny.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," he told them as he raised his staff to a readying position, and then reached out to the very fabric of the universe, seeking to pierce the dark ahead.

Sense roll : 2eF 2 Dark Side

Once again, darkness filled his thoughts and he shied away from it. Something about this place had him on edge. Truly it was strong in the Force - but not to his liking.

"There is death ahead," he paused to consider his next words. "I'm not saying I'm worried, but perhaps someone else would like to lead the way?"

Can I make a Discipline check to get my fear under control? (In other words, throw off the setback die?)

"We're not safe here!" Firan exclaims, "This place is ancient, if we don't secure a way out then it's likely we'll be stuck down here for just as long as the last time it was opened up!" He then starts looking along the roof and the walls for any sign of light, any sign of air, any sign that there's a way out of this temple, and that it won't simply be their tomb.

(Survival check?)

The hallway here was quite obviously far underground, and the flawless masonry left only the smallest crevices, and these were filled with some sort of mortar. The walls would be impossible to scale...and the ceiling looked the same, at least from down here.

Firan wondered if somehow getting a closer look at the vaulted ceiling (which was several meters above their heads), or perhaps moving into the large room at the end of the hallway, would give him some more insight.

If Firan can manage these things, a Survival check would be appropriate, but it won't be clear exactly what the check will accomplish until you are closer. Let me know what you want to do and I'll give you the difficulty.

Xan grit his teeth. I am not afraid, he thought.

But such talk (or thought) was meaningless if not backed up by action. Forcing thoughts of the Sith's gaze upon him from his mind, he moved to lead the party.

"Let's get moving, " he said, with a confidence that he hoped was not completely fake.

But as he started down the corridor he had the uneasy sensation that he was walking back into the Crucible..but was it willingly or unwillingly?

As Xan led the group forward, the ambient noise level dropped to an almost deafening silence. The lightsabers' humming sound was inaudible, and the sound from footfalls nonexistent.

It was at this point that a shadowy shape rose up directly in Xan's path. It had red eyes, and reeked of the dark side. Its very presence put the Jedi on edge. It was moving slowly, as if underwater.

Everyone may now perform one incidental. I'd like Xan to now make an Average Fear check, and then we will sort out (what is likely to be) a structured encounter.

Maya reached for the Lightsaber which was no longer in her sleeve. Right, Kovin took it. Instead she began to recall any knowledge of such manifestations in order to aid her companions.

Maya reached for the Lightsaber which was no longer in her sleeve. Right, Kovin took it. Instead she began to recall any knowledge of such manifestations in order to aid her companions.

This...thing, whatever it was, was strong in the dark side. That much was clear. But its form was alien to Maya.

Fear : 2eA+2eP+2eD+1eS 2 successes, 1 threat

Hmmm....

Tightening his grip around his lightsaber's hilt ever so slightly, Jonas appears ready to spring into action.

"Xan, move back."

Reading up on Incidentals, it seems there is not much that can be done other than recall or think of something or talk to someone and stuff like that, right?

Compared the the sights and sounds Xan was experiencing in his own head, this phantom didn't seem so fearsome...if anything, the Zabrak Jedi was relieved to finally have something tangible in front of him.

"I do not fear you," he boldly told the apparition. "If you're here to challenge me, then come on!" he said, his right hand on his lightsaber and his left gesturing the phantom to come forward and attack him.

Maya was not expecting the apparitions to draw lightsabers, but a quick flash of foresight alerted her to their movements even before they made them.

I forgot about her 2 ranks in Uncanny Reactions. Also, she will suffer 1 strain, flip a destiny points, and spend that light pip to add another success to her roll. I humbly request that you allow her to take the first PC slot.

Initiative : 1eA+2eP+2eB+3eF 3 successes, 2 advantage, 1 Light Side, 2 Dark Side

Do the setbacks apply to initiative rolls? If so, here it is:

Setback : 1eS 1 failure

Vigiliance check : 1eP+2eA 3 successes

Kovin sees the approaching foe and mentally steadies himself. By his feet he senses Zelt's hackles raised and his claws extended in full threat posture. Kovin peers into the darkness, hoping to gain something on the nature of this foe.

vigilance : 1eP+1eA+1eS 1 success, 1 advantage

" Should..." Firan begins to speak, but the eerie dampening effect this room is having throws him off guard. Reaching for his rife, " Should I shoot it? Is this real?"

Also I suggested having a boost to my next check because of some earlier Advantage. Rolled that separate and it came up blank

The order:

The info:

The room is a roughly rectangular, with evenly space alcoves that extend up to the highly-vaulted ceiling. The top of the ceiling is medium range from the floor, and the room's walls are medium range by long range : you are at the entrance in the middle of the south wall, and looking across to the north wall is medium range. The two walls to the left and right are at long range from each other, and at medium range from you. Your lights cannot reach quite far; this is just for your information, and you will see these things for yourself if you get up close. You still have a decent idea of the size of the room though, given the three more distant shades, whose lightsabers you can see clearly.

In the middle of the room is a very long table lined haphazardly with chairs. They are lined with some sort of bronzelike material and laden with dust. The stale smell is at its strongest here, as is the darkness. Any ranged attacks made at short range suffer no setbacks from darkness, thanks primarily to Maya's lantern. But ranged checks at medium range or farther from a light source suffer 3 setbacks from darkness.

The "Shadows," or perhaps a better designation would be "Shades," have Adversary 2 (all attacks against them are upgraded twice). Again, you aren't sure what these are, but they appear dangerous and absolutely reek of the dark side.

Finally, noise is muted here. You won't be able to hear each other unless you are speaking loudly while engaged, or unless you utilize comlinks, and then they will still have to be close to your head. Mechanically speaking, any checks to utilize hearing or speech suffer a Difficulty upgrade.

I have blown nearly all the dark side destiny points to give the Shades an upgrade on their initiative checks. So as an aside, you have quite a pool to start with

Xan is engaged with the first Shade, all other heroes are engaged with Xan (but not the Shade), and there are 3 more Shades at medium range. Adversary two, no defense, but 3 setbacks to attack into darkness with ranged weapons.

First PC may now go! You've got three slots.

Finally, noise is muted here. You won't be able to hear each other unless you are speaking loudly while engaged, or unless you utilize comlinks, and then they will still have to be close to your head. Mechanically speaking, any checks to utilize hearing or speech suffer a Difficulty upgrade.

I was going to have Maya use forewarning. It requires no check. Will this be possible with the muted noise?

Even as the sounds of the party were drowning out Maya was already sharing her sparse knowledge of these dark apparitions - supplemented by the uneasy feelings they were giving. Using the force, she began to suggest counter-strategies to her fellow companions.

As her voice faded she focused her words on Xan. Let me help you, Jedi.

Maya spends her action forewarning others. Everyone within Medium range of her increases their Defense of 3 until they act. Next, she spends her maneuver to assist Xan granting 2 boost dice to his next check due to her species ability that makes her a super helper!

Turn finished.

Kovin sets himself firmly in a defensive stance, then reaches out with the Force. He felt something off in these apparitions from the moment he entered the room, and now he sets himself to determine precisely what it is. Zelt lurks at his feet, urged by his companion not to act but instead to hold back, to wait for an opening. Now Kovin stretches out through the Force, piercing the veil of understanding.

Sense roll : 2eF 1 Light Side, 1 Dark Side

Using the Light Side point to get info on the Dark Side spirits.

Kovin stretched out with the Force and attempted to feel how it flowed around the nearest. He wasn't sure what this thing was. It definitely had a presence in the Force—a powerful presence—but cold, and distant. Kovin was sure he'd never felt anything like this before...but something about it still felt elusively familiar.

Two things were for certain: It was not an apparition, but neither was it alive.