Meyanda knocks aside the charging Nyssa's blade with her gauntlet. Magic shimmers around her as she deflects the attack.
The Collector Robot does not try to regain control of the grapple. It stares at Kraig with its three glowing eyes and tries to slap him across the face again with its free hand. it just flicks some hair.
Meyanda channels negative energy into the room.
Nortmog reloads his musket. If he understood what Kraig and the robot were talking about he'd probably shake his head, but then again, he's a goblin pretending to be a red dragon.
Alexis strikes at the rising android.
Then she strikes again
2hp damage
Alexis strikes at the rising android and her rapier is deflected by the purple haired woman's rapier. A bit later she strikes again and hits the Meyanda in the side. Piercing through her flesh, pink blood oozes out.
Valt's body is drained of life by the damaging dark energy the android emanates, but the summoner continues focused on the combat, and casts a magical protection.
The earth creature slams again the female android, using all his body to strike.
The robot misses Kraig with its evil fists but somehow he hurts anyways. Foul sorcery!
Kraig manages to pin the creature. "I'll teach you to talk about my brother like that!"
"Enough. If I'm going to die here, I'm going to take you all with me." Meyanda points her gun at the reactor and begins to pull the trigger. The earth elemental smacks her to the floor with a massive strike knocking her to the ground, dead. Her red pistol smacks harmlessly against the wall.
Kraig pins the robot to the ground. He holds its metal arms against its body. Nortmog strikes the Robot between the eyes. "Yummy. I'm gonna eat you up."
Nyssa lets her sword and shield fall at her feet. She draws her bow and looses one of her few remaining treated arrows, at the robot.
Kraig tries to put the robots body between himself and his 'friends'' projectiles...
Nyssa's adamantine arrow hits the pinned metal robot.
The robot tries to get out of Kraig's grasp. It is held firmly in place.
Valt runs to examine the place that the android pointed with its gun, to see if this is the machine they must shut down to avoid the explosion.
Alexis strikes at the robot
Nyssa, the elemental and Alexis' strikes cause the robot to malfunction and shut down.
Valt looks at where the android pointed the gun, and sees a broken and exposed part of the reactor. It has exposed wires and likely would have caused some kind of explosion if the android shot it with her fire gun.
It is not anything to shut down.
The summoner looks around and sees a different machine attached to the reactor. On the side of the reactor he sees a panel with Androffan writing. The reactor seems to pulsate stronger and the humming increases.
The ground shakes violently.
Valt, being an expert on Androffan, follows the intructions, giving them to his partners if it is necessary more than one person for any of the steps to disable the device.
While doing it quickly, the summoner does not rush, as he is aware about the dangers of missing anything on the shutdown, so he ignores his own condition, with his body battered and about to colapse.
Kraig drops the broken robot with a clang, grateful he hadn't been shot. His allies had not proven to be the most accurate shots today. "I guess we won't be asking the mastermind any questions. Shame. What is this thing, Valt? Some kind of automatic brewery? Are they trying to put me out of business?"
This is the device that controls the big machine thats is going to blow away, taking us and the town too. I'm trying to shut down it folowing the procedure written here.
Answers Valt to the concerned warrior.
Nortmog plops himself down in the middle of the room, takes out his gunsmith kit and starts making some bullets. "Tell me when you guys are done. Just sharpening my fangs."
"Hmm. You can fix it, right?"
Well, we have the book with the intructions to do it, so we are lucky after all.
When Valt disables the machine, the two columns of energy flash with light, then pulse back upward to create a vortex of violet flame that erupts towards the hole above you. The generator hums softer and the earth stops shaking.
black nanite hypogun (5 charges)
chain shirt
mwk spiked gauntlet
magic red pistol
2 canisters filled with gray dust
white access card
mwk backpack
11 silverdisks
62 gp
"Valt! You're a genius! My business survives another hostile takeover attempt." He sighs and looks around, pointing his baby sun at various things around the room. "Well that's it, isn't it? We saved Baine and Torch. Now we can dedicate all our resources to finding my one-armed brother."
Kraig doesn't see any sign of his one-armed brother in the reactor room. The last thing he remembers, his brobot went north in the desert.
Nyssa helps Valt as best she can. She gives a cheer of elation when the machine begins to work properly. Then the suli settles down to asses the aftermath.
"They're going to need to keep a guard down here from now on...
"That's gonna suck. I mean, the guard would have to swim everyday down that underwater passageway. Or I guess he could take the secret passage..."
We should head back to town to let them know. Oh, the torch is back on. I hope no one was looking down the hole when it turned back on.
Impresive, the Purple flame that gave this town its prosperity is just a safe fail sistem.
Well, we saved the town both from the explosion and from the economic ruin.
Says Valt, with an accelerated breath. He looks pale and gaunt, his robes with blood stains and tears.
Valt let me help. You look terrible.
Thank you, Alexis. Some rest will do good to all of us.
You head back to town. As you pass by the desert, Kraig glances at the area where brobot disappeared. Outside, you see a massive purple flame burning straight up into the sky atop black hill. It makes the night sky strange and bright.
You celebrate at the Foundry Tavern. Khonnir is awake and Val greets you with food and drink. A mass of different cut up meat, some of unknown origin, wild herbs and veggies, and different kinds of mead, beer, rum and wine are part of the feast.
"Well, that's the favor I owed to Gavin. Guess I'm out." the goblin wearing a dragon costume says. Nortmog celebrates with you, gives you exaggerated tales of the Mana Wastes, and fires some shots from his musket for good measure. He leaves sometime when you aren't paying attention to him.
The next day you head to the Town Hall. Dolga gives you a begrudging smile and gives you your reward, 4000 gp. "Well, good job. I knew you had it in you... Just like the other expeditions. Actually I didn't. But good job."
"Goodbuy, dragon-creature. It's not your fault we didn't find my brother." Kraig searches the party for Val. "Val, how are you feeling? How's your dad?"
Val Baine smiles up at Kraig. "He's doing much better. Thank you for saving Torch and finding my dad. He'll be back on the council fixing things probably in a week. He's pretty restless so I have to make sure he stays in bed and rests."
Kraig sits so he can more easily converse with the little lady. "Good. Didn't I always tell you he was gonna' be fine?" Without waiting for an answer he adds "Can I ask what you were doing in an abandoned warehouse today?"
Nyssa smiles at Val. "You take after him in that respect. You're restless too." She takes a sip of the dark ale in her mug. It's from Kraig's brewery, and Nyssa quite likes the flavor.
"Not that it's bad to be a seeker. You need to be more careful though. Don't try to take on the world by yourself."
Nyssa gives the young woman a serious look. "Don't hesitate to call on me if you need anything. I'll do what I can."
Val smiles slightly. "I don't remember why I was there. I think I was kidnapped or something. Haha. Anyway it doesn't matter. Torch is saved. Woohoo!"
Khonnir approaches you and says, "Good job, everyone. We did make it a bit easier for you, taking out a few of the guardians in the depths. I'd like to make a toast to all the brave and foolish folk that went down there and tried to fix the torch." He raises a cup and drinks it in one gulp. "After tonight, though, we should be vigilant. There are still many dangers out there that threaten Torch and its citizens. There's the Technic League and now Scrapwall. But that is for another time. Please, rest well after your good works and the Council will contact you should we require your help again."
Valt takes the meal, and, given the opportunity, discusses with Khonnir about what they found under the hill, and the strange woman thas was going to blow the entire town just to steal energy to send it to an unknown location.
Valt tries to study the strange device able to send the energy to far away places, with Khonnir's help, and learn its secrets.
Also, now that the puple flame is back, Valt asks Nyssa to forge an adamantine greatsword for Iophiel, if she has the time to do it.
Kraig isn't exactly satisfied with her response, but he doesn't pursue the matter further. Everyone was safe, that's what mattered. No doubt Dolga would deal with Garmen and whatever he was up to. He does mention to Dolga the colorchangers in the lake. "We should open up friendly relations or trade with them or something. They do live in our lake."
Kraig happily returns to work at the brewery, inviting his new friends to stop by any time. Adventuring was fun, but he lost too much in too short a time. First his robot brothers arm, then the entire brother. It was quite a profitable venture, though, both in treasure and gold as well as popularity. Still, he's unable to shake the feeling that he and his new friends weren't quite done, and safely stows the groups unused gear for a rainy day.
Alexis will practice sword sword play, sing for her supper and purchase some items.
40gp 1sp
Costs. Alexis spends about a gold a day (assuming we still have free accommodation at the forge).
So, four weeks, 28 days = 12gp, 1sp
"I don't think Garmen and the purple-haired woman were working together." Nyssa comments to Khonnir. "I think Garmen was plotting to siphon off the power of the Torch for his own use. The purple-haired woman seemed like she just wanted to destroy the town for that Hellion or whatever person she mentioned."
Nyssa looks thoughtful, remembering. "Garmen denied the kidnapping of Val, and we would never have found his warehouse if we had not been looking for her..."
Nyssa's voice takes on a commanding note. "That mill, that generates the Torch, is dangerous. You will need to keep it under guard at all times. People you trust, Khonnir. If it blows up it could wipe out the whole town. You need to keep anyone from tampering with it again."
A month passes as you spend your time in Torch recovering and relishing some of the fame of saving the large town. It is a fairly peaceful time, with no news of the Technic League or other forces attacking. It takes some time for the Council to come up with a plan. As soon as they do, you are invited to the Town Hall.
Kraig, Nyssa, Alexis and Valt are invited, along with three new faces, an elf, a dhampir and an android. Inventor Wizard Khonnir Baine talks to you along with Priest of Brigh Joram Kyte.
"Welcome adventurers. I don't think I've ever met you three, but Dolga highly recommended you. Anyway, the Council has decided that Scrapwall is the biggest threat currently facing Torch. The Technic League is like a very giant slug, very slow to move and when it does it will likely crush Torch the instant it does, so we need to do what we can with other pressing matters. I looked over the machine in Garmen Ulreth's warehouse and found that the power from the reactor underneath Black Hill was being transmitted to Scrapwall, and that the android that you fought beneath the town was a member of one of the gangs there. I would ask you, on behalf of Torch, to please check out what is happening over there, including the mysterious 'deity' known as Hellion, and if you can stop it from harming Torch."
"Torch is prepared to give you a reward of 8000 gp for eliminating any threat to the town from Hellion. Also, Councilman Joram Kyte would like to talk to you."
The old man clears his throat, "Ah, yes. An old acquaintance of mine, an elf named Dinvaya, has been hiding in Scrapwall from Technic League hunters. She's rather skilled with creating constructs, and they had been hounding her until she disappeared. Please find her, and tell her that she can come to Torch. That it is safe here. If you do this, I have a rod that I will give you as a reward." Joram hands an ivory mask to Kraig.
"She will likely be suspicious of anyone, except for you, my boy Kraig. Hahaha. I doubt anyone would think you a member of the Technic League. Anyway, please show her my holy symbol. We both worship the Whisper in Bronze, the Goddess Brigh."
The elf is a small, slim figure who has pale, almost marble colored skin. Her bone-white hair falls only as far as her neck and looks as if it had been cut short with a sword. She wears a worn set of rosewood armor underneath her elven noble clothes, a white set with a high collar and several ancient markings on them.
She listens quietly to the briefing, wondering about several things which appear to be common knowledge to the others. I really jumped into it this time. Her brows raise at the massive reward.
"I'd be glad to help in any way that I can. From what I could glimpse it's a just cause and the people need the assistance." She leans back, pushing her white hair from her face. "Oh right. My name is Tess."
The dhampir is imposing: slim but almost six and a half-feet tall. He has pallid deathly white skin, ivory-white pupils, and long black hair that shines as if made of obsidian. Before long, everyone will have doubtless noticed he casts no shadow whatsoever. He obviously makes little effort to disguise himself once indoors.
He moves as if his breastplate armour and heavy weapons weigh no more than the plain clothes the wears. He listens, smiling, throughout the briefing. His eyebrows raise slightly when the reward is mentioned.
After Tessara has spoken, he stands and bows to Khonnir Baine and Joram Kyte and speaks in sonorous voice: "Greetings! My name is Čemifobbar. My friend Tessara, and our friend Kharamell here," (motioning to the android) "recently met the formidable Lady Dolga during an unfortunate misunderstanding with Nobleman Jharvan. I would be happy to lend a hand, and my sword, to help in this endeavour. Tessara and Kharamell have no small skill in magics as well." He smiles warmly at all present ant then sits down, with his chair groaning under the combined weight of Čemifobbar and his equipment.
The android listens quietly to the councilor. He nods at the priest (being a worshiper of Brigh himself) and again when introduced. His eyes flash when the Techix are mentioned. "I agree to seek the bounty as well."
Alexis smiles. of course I'm in. I am Alexis Ravani de Caliphas. I am a bard seeking new stories.
Kraig holds the mask to his face. "Thanks, Joram. I already have four of these. Should I give her all five, or combine them to make a super-face?" Kraig is a huge human with a thick, powerful build and long, unkempt hair and beard. Currently he wears simple artisans clothing and his favorite flashlight, of course. "I've never been to Scrapwall. I've never wanted to go." He looks around at the new people. "Welcome, friends. I hope you're ready to give your life to the cause, like my poor baby robot brother."
Mention of her old enemy, the Technic League, fills Nyssa with rage, but she hides it well. A brief hard glint in her eyes that could mean anything.
"For Torch! I like this town. And for the reward, of course. You can count on me." She gives the newcomers a shrewd look of appraisal, then adds: "I'm Nyssa Veshane." She seems to be a taller than average human woman, in blue steel, articulated armor. Her pale blue eyes contrast sharply with her darkly tanned skin. This, combined with her thick flowing mass of dark-red hair, lend her a slightly exotic look.
Tess gives a little start at the brawler. "I'm going to help the cause, but I'm no paladin willing to sacrifice themselves." Her eye is drawn to the suli woman who looks so different than Tess. Humans are just so varied.