Groog begins giggling with excitement as the box opens. When nobody seems to care about his success and rather begin playing with the toys inside...he begins to grow bored.
Then, a moment of brilliance comes to him.
Maybe more toys in other rooms!
He slips out and heads to the next doors in order, opening the, and looking for more play things.
Groog goes about opening doors, irresponsible about any danger that might pose behind them. Luckily for him, not to mention everyone else, the rooms appear empty, each having naught more than bunks and the living spaces of the half-orcs and ratfolk the group had killed. One room, however, leads to three more doors and what appears to be a small basin.
Seeing that the remaining big rooms are boringly empty of toys, he gets a look of realization then rushes back to the first room and begins checking those small doors.
The first of the three doors appears to have some sort of large, man-sized basin - a bathtub, built directly into the room. It appears to have been plugged up and used as a sort of waste-basin, as currently it is filled with dirty, feces-tainted water. The other two rooms fare little better, as each one of them has a smaller basin filled with water meant for relieving one's self.. piss and feces are all over the place in both rooms, however, and there are scribbles and writing on the walls that had been done in excrement as well. Most are rantings and ravings in Orc, and are, for the most part, obscenities. Numerous s$~$-writings mention Hellion however, unanimously praising the name.
Groog recoils from the poopoo water. He stomps back to the others, sad and frustrated to have found no more toys. Then, he gets another look of "Eureka!" and makes his way to the double doors...
Hoots listens at the doubledoors.
Groog was on the verge of hacking away at the doors with his axe when Thisstle shows up with a proper card. By the time he arrives, Groog has worked himself into a mild fury.
Thisstle swipes the white card. "Get ready!"
Panels of blinking lights and machinery line the walls of this chamber, but the true spectacle here is the massive machine of metal that looms against the far wall on a ten-foot-high platform. Two immense cylinders of pulsing violet light throb at the machine's core, while above a thinner cylinder extends through the ceiling. Ladders to the north and south provide access to the machine's platform, while at the center, a smaller machine with several metal spikes protruding from its heart extends from the larger one. The entire room vibrates with a roaring thunder, and the air feels strangely alive, almost as if it were vibrating as well .
Standing to the left of the machine, upon the ten-foot platform, is a beautiful, purple-haired woman with strange, glowing tattoos upon her pale skin. Wearing a chain shirt and wearing an ornate spiked gauntlet on one hand while holding some sort of high-tech pistol with a glowing red crystal at the end instead of the barrel, the woman appears to have been waiting for the group, likely having heard the gunshots earlier outside the chamber. Near her, on the opposite side of the machine, hovering above the platform, is another one of those strange flying robots the group encountered earlier, the last one being called the “Doctor” of the science bay.
Having to yell because of the machinery, the woman speaks loudly, yet in a calm, almost emotionless monotone, ”About tempus vobis obscenaeque exhibuistis vos. Hinc est quod datur specie pueri mei defecerunt. No.. est tibi non prohibere meum munus. Domine Hellion habebit virtutem habet necessarios. Nihil autem potest, nihilominus moriemur.” She then makes a curt gesture towards the group to her robot companion and points her firearm at the group.
<< | | | >>
The woman points her gun at the slow-reacting Groog and pulls the trigger, the glowing red crystal at the end of her gun appearing to generate a molten glob of red-hot material and lobbing a pellet of it at Groog. However, her aim is off, and the searing material strikes the glaucite wall near Groog, melting a small hole in it.
Her robot, meanwhile, hovers into a better position and quickly fires off a pair of ultrasonic blasts meant to stun, one each aimed at Groog and Thisstle. However, the robot misses both entirely due to poor aiming.
_____________________________________________________________
18.5
15.2
Thisstle runs into the room and immediately scampers up one of the ladders onto the platform. "AIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
Seeing Metal Lady shoot something at him, Groog loses his newfound smile and roars out at her.
He then bolts over to the ladder to his left and rushes up, managing to make it to the top.
Hoots runs in hollering "Audite domina, quid hoc modo vestra Hellion sunt circa yammering?" but doesn't wait for an answer. Instead, the feathered pistolero levels his pepperbox at her face and pulls the trigger.
________________
Dahlia moves into the room, spying the woman above, and lets loose with another blast of color. Snow lopes in behind her and waits patiently unable to leap up, and unable to climb ladders.
The woman points her gun at the slow-reacting Groog and pulls the trigger, the glowing red crystal at the end of her gun appearing to generate a molten glob of red-hot material and lobbing a pellet of it at Groog. However, her aim is off, and the searing material strikes the glaucite wall near Groog, melting a small hole in it.
Her robot, meanwhile, hovers into a better position and quickly fires off a pair of ultrasonic blasts meant to stun, one each aimed at Groog and Thisstle. However, the robot misses both entirely due to poor aiming.
Thisstle runs into the room and immediately scampers up one of the ladders onto the platform. "AIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
Seeing Metal Lady shoot something at him, Groog loses his newfound smile and roars out at her. He then bolts over to the ladder to his left and rushes up, just managing to make it to the top.
Hoots runs in hollering "Audite domina, quid hoc modo vestra Hellion sunt circa yammering?" but doesn't wait for an answer. Instead, the feathered pistolero levels his pepperbox at her face and pulls the trigger. His aim isn’t quite spot-on, but he still manages to hit the woman, causing her to bleed translucent blood.
Dahlia moves into the room, spying the woman above, and lets loose with another blast of color. Snow lopes in behind her and waits patiently unable to leap up, and unable to climb ladders. The blast of color for Dahlia temporarily overwhelms the android’s senses, stunning her for a moment and causing her to drop her pistol.
<< | | | >>
Meyanda, stunned thanks to Dahlia, is unable to respond to Hoots, though before she was stunned she had the chance to glare at the gunslinger’s remark.
Her robot, meanwhile, snaps to attention upon seeing its master stunned. It looks at Dahlia with its robot head and speaks in a droning voice, ”Target neutralized dominus, comminatio gradu augeri. Collector machina mutans peltas quod per Custodem Directive 073-371.” At that, it takes a couple of pot-shots at Dahlia, hitting her with one of them and causing her to reel in pain, nonlethal as it may be.
____________________________________________
Thisstle continues running at the robot and then leaps onto it, still screeching like a little monkey.
Groog steps menacingly towards Metal Lady, drawing his curved blade as he does so, and uses it to deliver a strike in her direction.
__________
From the moment Hoots entered the room his eyes were on the glowing gun like it was a plump, juicy fieldmouse.
When the android drops it, Hoots runs forward -- ducking under the flying robot -- leaps up to grap the platform, pulls himself up, and grabs the glowing gun. "Got it!!" he hollers.
____________________
Dahlia begins casting a spell she thinks Groogy will really enjoy. She maintains her position, keeping Groog in sight for the 6 second long spell.
Meyanda, stunned thanks to Dahlia, is unable to respond to Hoots, though before she was stunned she had the chance to glare at the gunslinger’s remark.
Her robot, meanwhile, snaps to attention upon seeing its master stunned. It looks at Dahlia with its robot head and speaks in a droning voice, ”Target neutralized dominus, comminatio gradu augeri. Collector machina mutans peltas quod per Custodem Directive 073-371.” At that, it takes a couple of pot-shots at Dahlia, hitting her with one of them and causing her to reel in pain, nonlethal as it may be.
Thisstle continues running at the robot and then leaps onto it, still screeching like a little monkey.
Groog steps menacingly towards Metal Lady, drawing his curved blade as he does so, and uses it to deliver a strike in her direction, striking her across the chest and causing more of her translucent blood to splatter.
From the moment Hoots entered the room his eyes were on the glowing gun like it was a plump, juicy fieldmouse. When the android drops it, Hoots runs forward -- ducking under the flying robot -- leaps up to grap the platform and pulls himself up.
Dahlia begins casting a spell she thinks Groogy will really enjoy. She maintains her position, keeping Groog in sight for the 6 second long spell.
<< | | | >>
Meyanda, heavily injured by Groog, turns towards him with surprisingly no anger in her expression and begins chanting the words of power and gesturing for a spell; Casting defensively, her tattoos glow as bright as a torch for a moment, allowing her to successfully cast the spell defensively. At the casting of her spell, Groog suddenly freezes up, his eyes wide in surprise and shock as he can’t move a muscle.
Her robot minion, meanwhile, attempts to reverse the grapple the screaming, shrieking goblin has on it, but fails to do so.
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Thisstle tries to restrain the robot further. "No one escapes the Thisstle!"
Dahlia shoots a jolt of lightning at the robot in Thisstle's grasp while Snow continues to impatiently wait at his master's side.
Hoots reaches to the android's feet, nabs the gun, and (risking a swipe from her) zaps her with it, singeing her ear but not getting the explosive shot he'd hoped for.
Meyanda, heavily injured by Groog, turns towards him with surprisingly no anger in her expression and begins chanting the words of power and gesturing for a spell; Casting defensively, her tattoos glow as bright as a torch for a moment, allowing her to successfully cast the spell defensively. At the casting of her spell, Groog suddenly freezes up, his eyes wide in surprise and shock as he can’t move a muscle.
Her robot minion, meanwhile, attempts to reverse the grapple the screaming, shrieking goblin has on it, but fails to do so.
Groog, as if responding to his sheer eagerness to destroy this woman, is able to break free of his magical paralyzation and prepare to resume the killing.
Thisstle tries to restrain the robot further, and succeeds. "No one escapes the Thisstle!"
Dahlia shoots a jolt of lightning at the robot in Thisstle's grasp while Snow continues to impatiently wait at his master's side.
Hoots reaches to the android's feet, nabs the gun, and (risking a swipe from her) zaps her with it, singeing her ear but not getting the explosive shot he'd hoped for. The android punches him in the shoulder as he swipes her gun, but the damage is relatively minor.
<< | | | >>
Meyanda, noticing her orcish target is no longer paralyzed, mutters something under her breath and tries to cast a spell while also avoiding Groog’s threatening position. However, the act of doing so causes her to lose her spell as she nearly slips and falls off the edge.
The robot, desperate to flee from the small screaming creature’s clutches, still tries to escape, but fails.
______________________________________________
(Hit)
>
Groog cackles maniacally as he swings his oversized blade at the woman. Unfortunately, the blade whisks past her head harmlessly, missing by nearly three feet.
__________
Hoots -- realizing that the ray gun doesn't seem any better against the android than his trusty pepperbox -- switches them one hand for the other and then fires a bullet at her.
While the owlish gunslinger fires, Meyanda tries to cuff him again, but fails.
Hoots on the other hand shoots true, lodging a slug in her side.
_________________
Dahlia tosses another bit of lightning at the robot, but can't hit it's writhing form as it tries to dislodge Thisstle.
Thisstle continues to struggle with the robot, holding it in place until Groog is free to deal with it.
Meyanda, noticing her orcish target is no longer paralyzed, mutters something under her breath and tries to cast a spell while also avoiding Groog’s threatening position. However, the act of doing so causes her to lose her spell as she nearly slips and falls off the edge.
The robot, desperate to flee from the small screaming creature’s clutches, still tries to escape, but fails.
Groog cackles maniacally as he swings his oversized blade at the woman. Unfortunately, the blade whisks past her head harmlessly, missing by nearly three feet.
Hoots -- realizing that the ray gun doesn't seem any better against the android than his trusty pepperbox -- switches them one hand for the other and then fires a bullet at her. While the owlish gunslinger fires, Meyanda tries to cuff him again, but fails. Hoots on the other hand shoots true, lodging a slug in her side.
Dahlia tosses another bit of lightning at the robot, but can't hit it's writhing form as it tries to dislodge Thisstle.
Thisstle continues to struggle with the robot, holding it in place until Groog is free to deal with it.
<< | | | >>
Meyanda looks to be getting desperate; her gun was snatched from her, a pissed off giant orc is swinging a massive blade at her, and her one minion is currently grappled and pinned by a shrieking little freak. A hint of emotion is betrayed as she glares. ”No! Oblivisci non possumus, his Maximum sacerdos Hellion.. Ego sum! Tu fleshlings tabescetis in nihilum, quia Hellion hora!” With that, she raises her spiked gauntlet in the air and a black radiance expands outwards from it. Everyone in the room can feel their life force being drained away by the burst of negative energy, but despite her attempts, the overall damage done is minor. Incredulous, she attempts a final desperate gambit and tries to leap off the platform, away from Groog. However, he reacts instinctually and her eyes go wide in shock as Groog’s enlarged falchion separates her upper and lower torsos at the waist. For the first time since the group has seen her, an expression of fear appears on her face and her torsos land a few feet away from each other. She’s dead as soon as she lands.
Almost as if in response to its master being killed, the collector robot finally manages to throw Thisstle off it. To get away from the shrieking menace, it hovers away from the edge and up into the air, where it stays fifteen feet from the ground.
______________________________________
Thisstle leaps off the platform and grabs onto the robot again. "NOBODY ESCAPE THISSTLE!"
"THIS BEST DAY OF GROOG'S LIFE!" Groog bellows out mid-cackle as he steps towards the robot that Little Groog is hugging. It didn't look friendly, despite Little Groog trying to make friends.
Besides...Groog never did like the metal men in this place.
__________
"Yee-haw! Ah guess we showed her who the real Hellions are!
Good work, gang! Now fer the bucket o' bolts."
Dahlia tries to toss another jolt of lightning at the robot, but misses horribly as she recoils from the blood and viscera raining down from above.
"What the hell!?!" she shouts up toward Groog.
It only takes a few more moments for Groog to swing again at the robot, shattering it with his enlarged weapon. Thankfully, Thisstle is able to jump off of the machine in time and land on the large orc, saving herself from potential fall damage.
Upon examining the android, they find numerous interesting bits and pieces on her. First off is her currently-broken chainshirt that Groog conveniently split in half. She also has her masterwork spiked gauntlet, a White Access Card, two Nanite Cannisters and a fully-functional Black Nanite Hypogun, which the group is able to easily identify, having already encountered a nanite hypogun before. The Black gun has 5 doses of nanites remaining in it, but unlike the timeworn one Dahlia carries, this one is rechargeable with Nanite Cannisters. The android is also carrying numerous miscellaneous and mundane supplies, including a masterwork backpack, five more days worth of food, a bedroll, winter blanket, cold weather outfit, waterskin, eleven silverdisks and sixty-two gold pieces.
However, despite a quick search of the android, the group isn’t able to find any sort of information on her that might give them a hint as to what happened with what is obviously some sort of reactor; She and her group are obviously the cause of it, but the question remains; how do the Hellions fix it?
Thisstle begins crawling all over and around the reactor, examining it and seeing if she can come up with anything.
Hoots gives it a thorough examination as well, looking for signs of something that was recently changed, destroyed, tampered with...or otherwise out of the ordinary.
"Thars gotta be some clue around here o' what they tampered with, Ah reckon..."
Dahlia searches the room top to bottom, searching for a way to reignite the purple flames of Torch.
-
Groog hunkers down over the android's severed body, picking it up between his huge thumb and index finger. He chuckles as he takes his dagger, now the size of a greatsword, and carefully begins trying to saw the head away from the shoulders. He then looks at her head, then back to the heads on his necklace. Seeing that her head is way too small to be worth adding to his collection, he frowns and unceremoniously tosses it over his shoulder, where it just so happens to hit Lady square in her back.
Giving it a thorough examination, Thisstle realizes that this reactor is in fact a priceless, immobile technological artifact known as a Fusion Reactor that has been continuously functioning ever since the Rain of Stars thousands of years ago. The cause of Torch’s namesake is in fact nothing more than the runoff of heat ventilated by the reactor; the sudden and random flare ups are likely some sort of fail-safe system to help regulate the reactor. However, currently, the power that is usually redirected to maintaining failsafes is currently being siphoned off by another artifact permanently built-in to the reactor; an integrated power transmitter, which is currently transmitting power to some sort of power relay elsewhere in the nearby vicinity. Turning back on the Torch requires this transmitter to either be shut down or destroyed, shutting off the transfer of power elsewhere and instead redirecting it back into the failsafe system as intended.
If the failsafe system is not turned back on, the entire reactor will explode in a matter of months, likely collapsing the entirety of Blackhill with it.
Hoots, examining the machine alongside Thisstle, finds numerous damaged monitors attached to the machine with a partial set of instructions written in Androffan on how to re-engage the failsafe system. However, neither of the two have the technical know-how to re-engage them. Dahlia, however, does.
"What the f!$#ing hell!" Dahlia shouts, now covered in blood, a head at her feet. She turns to see Groog fiddling with his necklace. "You damned moron!" The young woman stalks off to help Thisstle and Hoots fix the ship, a constant stream of curses issued under her breath.
"Okay, I'll just try to override it." Dahlia says.
It takes about ten minutes for Dahlia to reconfigure the machine to disarm the transmitter and re-engage the reactor’s fail-safe system with the aid of Hoots reading the partial set of instructions from the various damaged monitors attached to the machine. After much loud squawking and yelling back and forth between the two, in order to hear over the thunderous rumbling the reactor is making, they finally succeed and Dahlia flips the final switch to re-engage the fail-safe.
Immediately, the rumbling grows and begins to shake the entire complex, causing bits of scrap and the various corpses strewn about to rumble and bounce as well. After about a minute of this, the twin columns of energy flash with a brilliant blinding light before pulsing back upwards and sending a whirling vortex of violet energy cascading through the ceiling and out into the sky above.
The Torch is back on!
"Cool! Let's go fix Khonnir!" Thisstle says, hopping up and down with glee.
"Well done, Hellions!" Dahlia shouts, a bit of girlish glee coming over her.