Roga once more hefted his master lockpick as he waited for someone to open up the doors. He had assumed that he would be the first to go through any new areas and had welcomed that role.
--------
Roga's admiration grew, "So you understand what it's saying?"
"More or less." he replied, adding a shrug.
He quickly added, "What do you mean by unsettling? What did the message say exactly?"
"It was some kind of warning. Said 'environment controls were damaged' and 'habitat lifeforms deceased'. Tells me this machine has some means of monitoring living things without their knowledge... and I worry about people with such capabilities." He added before joining the others.
While there is another of the strange mechanisms to open the door, this one doesn't seem to work. A short buzz sounds and a small red light flashes, not the green shown on the previous door.
However the other door opens as you try this one, revealing another of the undead creatures. This one seems more aware, still having dried strips of flesh clinging to it's bones, and holding weapons in two of it's four arms.
One of it's arms hurls the javelin it holds at Jeremiah.
The hasty throw skidding off the nearby wall making the rest of the party jump out of it's path.
The Party can now take their actions.
This is a Juju Zombie, not a skeleton as the previous encounters were.
Before JJ reacted to the buzzer, he reflexively jumped back a bit from the javelin hitting the wall near him. Like clockwork, he turned to face the mysterious creature and opened fire with his weapon.
Jeremiah spins and responds, blowing a gaping hole through the latest undead menace to attack the party. The Zombie staggers from the force of the shot, but keeps it's feet.
The door refusing to open is a small matter once a javelin clangs along the wall past JJ and skids past Raktar's feet. He turns to see another four-armed creature in the other door, this one more fleshy than the others. The roar of JJ's gun prompts Raktar to act, and he moves quickly towards the creature, hammer swinging at it's chest.
"What is this thing? Why's it got weapons?" Raktar calls out as he draws his hammer back to swing again.
Raktar moves in smoothly and nearly lifts the Zombie off it's feet with a mighty swing. It stumbles but stays on it's feet, looking the worse for wear.
Following JJ's lead, Roga pulls out his loaded gun and pulls the trigger. The loud boom reverberated in the small room.
"Did you pull the trigger or squeeze the trigger?"
-----------
HP 25/25
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: n/a
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
8/8 rage
Following JJ's lead, Roga pulls out his loaded gun and pulls the trigger. The loud boom reverberated in the small room.
"Did you pull the trigger or squeeze the trigger?"
-----------
[dice=pistol to hit]1d20+5
[dice=damage]1d8** spoiler omitted **
Dilana is thankful to be far back from the revolting creature. The concentrates on the creature and whispers "Ongeluk." .
20 if alien.
The creature twitches as Dilana's hex washes balefully over it's withered form. An unnatural glow lights it's eyes as it looks at her with an almost worshipful gaze.
Figgy jumps back, shocked that this one has more skin than the last ones.
"Maybe they died in this area? People who lived here?" Figgy then ducks around the corner pulling out his crossbow and loading it, setting a bolt in the channel.
Tybalt raises his crossbow and takes his shot.
Missing.
The creature ignores it's many serious wounds and raising two shortswords slashes at Raktar.
Hit.
Miss.
Cutting deeply into the Oracle with no expression on it's leathery face.
The party can now act again.
Closing her eyes as she speaks another word of power "Fatkeqësi" Dilana tries to continue the back luck for the Creature. Then a small laugh escapees her lips though the laugh does not touch her eyes.
Roga drops his gun and picks up his warhammer.
He slams down on the undead four-armed creature hefting his weapon with two hands for greater power.
-----------
HP 25/25
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: n/a
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
8/8 rage
Roga finds this opponent is tougher than the similar skeletons met in the dome, his blow whistles wide of the mark.
JJ was pleasantly surprised with the hole he put into the creature. He was expecting a decent scratch at the very least, but not a nice sized hole.
"Did you pull the trigger or squeeze the trigger?"
"That was a squeeze." He commented, still a bit surprised with how well that went before reloading and firing another one without trying to hit Raktar and Roga, who were now trying to bat the thing into non-existence.
A growl of pain escapes Raktar's lips as the creature's blade bites deep into his scarred flesh. He doesn't let the pain distract him though, and his hammer comes down towards the beast.
"Argh!" he cries, the swing of the hammer worsening the pain of his injury and forcing his weapon wide.
Tybalt reaches for another bolt, seeing as there's no room to get in close... and curses under his breath when he realizes he's running low. 'Should've bought more...' he thinks before trying to fire it again.
Figgy steps out from around the corner crossbow ready and lets it fly as he sees the skeleton.
Tattered and torn as it is the creature still attacks Raktar silently and relentlessly.
Missing.
Hitting.
The party can go again.
This thing is a touch annoying now isn't it. Normally the more physical types have ended things by now.
"This may not work."
Dilana's eyes flash red as she fixes the creature with an evil look and again gives a small laugh.
Roga once more lifts his warhammer and slams it down on the four-armed being.
He smiled as this attempt solidly connected with the creature.
-----------
HP 25/25
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: n/a
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
8/8 rage
"GAARGH!"
The pain of the second slice is incredible, and Raktar roars in agony and frustration. Weakening by the minute, and with his blood dripping onto the metal floor, he steps back out of the reach of the four arms. Holding his hammer with one hand he runs his other over the rents in his flesh, thin metal thread sewing his skin back together and halting the bleeding.
Seeing as it was getting fairly crowded around the strange undead creature, JJ decided he needed some space. Using all the grace he could muster, he attempted to fake out and move around the monster, into the room it came from so he could get a better vantage point.
Jeremiah with a complete lack of grace tried to slip passed the creature while it was busy dicing Raktar. To no avail as it turned and slashed at him twice.
Miss.
Miss.
Yet again Dilana's strange power saved a fellow adventurer, the blows almost hitting yet somehow missing at the last moment.
Roga maneuvers himself to flank the four-armed devil and once more tries to smash the thing's elongated skull.
He concentrates on trying to hit his opponent, less of a reckless attack.
-------------
HP 25/25
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: n/a
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
8/8 rage
sets his crossbow down and pulling ingredients from all over his person . Finishing up he picks up crossbow back up.
"Springy take this to Raktar, the big dark skinned one with the hammer."
Springy take the vial and runs over to Raktar, pulling at his pants a little to get his attention.
Despite the scramble and confusion of combat the creature remains focused, when Raktar withdraws and Jeremiah stumbles passed it simply focuses on the nearest opponent. Roga
Hit.
Hit.
Total damage on Roga - 13.
The party can go again. If Dilana did try dropping it's AC with her Evil eye then it's AC is now 18.
"Enough is enough!"
Despite not wanting to, blood boils in Roga and he experiences a surge in strength and agility.
The warhammer once more goes up and down on the four-armed freak.
-------------
HP 25/25 (not sure how many took because of misfortune
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: rage (+4 STR, +4 DEX) so AC=18
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
7/8 rage
As the creature slashes deeply into Roga's side he responds with a heavy blow that shatters its ribcage, driving it down to the floor and leaving it unmoving.
The creature has
1 javelin left.
2 MW Short swords.
1 cloak that seems magical.
The room it came from is very large and seems odd.
B13 A large metal table is surrounded by odd-looking chairs in this room. To the west, what appears to be a transparent wall looks out over a strange desert valley. Four pillars support the fifteenfoot-high ceiling, while dozens of crude images of a pickaxe made of a skull and bones have been painted onto the walls with some sort of ivory pigment along with several phrases in an unrecognizable language.
A character who succeeds at a DC 17 Knowledge (religion) check identifies the images of the pickaxe as representations of Zyphus, god of accidental death and tragedy, yet the images seem crude and somehow
off, as if they were created by someone who had never actually seen a real unholy symbol of Zyphus.
A character who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check while searching the table and chairs discovers a single card, the same as those you already have, only this one bears a black stripe, not brown.
With the adrenaline now gone, Roga pants heavily as he catches his breath, "Everybody... OK...?"
tag?
He then goes over to the four-armed creature to make sure that it would not be getting up again. With hammer still raised high to strike, he disarms it, noting the quality of the shortswords.
That reminds him that he is not OK; he looks at his gash, "Does anyone have bandages?"
tag?
He then turned to Ty, "Hey smartguy, can you read that?"
----------------
HP 19/25
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: n/a
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
7/8 rage
Figgy Steps forward, looking the Language over.
Figgy holds up a card "This is the same but different, maybe another door?"
I guess that is what those skeletons looked like with flesh. Not sure which I prefer. Anyone mind if I look at that cloak?"
nice.
Raktar looks down to see Figgy's little automaton friend gesturing at him with a liquid-filled flask. He gratefully accepts the proffered assistance and swigs it down in one go.
"Not too bad now," Raktar replies to Roga. He looks over the bigger man's wounds. "I can try and close these, if you want?" he says.
The room beyond is as unusual as the ones before, complete with odd furniture and crude graffiti.
"Those look like depictions of the unholy symbol of Zyphus, but done by someone who's never really seen it," Raktar explains.
Seeing the alien fall dead was a relief for the slinger as he put away his weapon for the time being. 'I've really got to get better at aiming into crowds...' He thought to himself as he looked around the room.
With the adrenaline now gone, Roga pants heavily as he catches his breath, "Everybody... OK...?"
"I'll live. You've been better, but we could've been much worse off if it wasn't for that arcane voodoo of hers." He said turning to Dilana. "I think some of us owe you a drink or two when this is said and done."
Figgy holds up a card "This is the same but different, maybe another door?"
"Only one way to find out." He says, taking the card off Figgy's hands while he studies the language.
"Not too bad now," Raktar replies to Roga. He looks over the bigger man's wounds. "I can try and close these, if you want?" he says.
"I'd say he's earned it after the trouble he went through." He added as he walked around the skeleton, giving it a swift kick for the trouble it gave him before seeing Roga's gun on the ground. He picked it up and gave it a once over, making sure it wasn't damaged from the drop before heading back giving it to the barbarian. "Also, try to be more careful with this thing, Roga. Unlike a sword or a hammer, a gun has lots of little parts that can be knocked around or damaged if you simply let it hit the floor. If you have to drop it, lower it a bit first before letting go."
Roga lifted his tattered hide shirt and let the Raktar attend to his wound. He flinched at first when the metal threads came out but was soothed by the healing.
He then accepted the gun from JJ, "Yes, I must be careful with it since you just fixed it for me. However, I can't reload as quick as you can so it becomes a hindrance after the first shot."
He smiled, "Maybe you can teach me how you load so quickly?"
Roga looked at the writing once more, "I guess if no one can read this then it's time we head to the other doors..."
-------------
HP 25/25
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
Conditions: n/a
Melee (warhammer): +4 = +2 (base) +2 (STR)
Melee Damage (warhammer): 1d8+2, x3
-1 to hit, +2 damage for power attack
if 2H then 1d8+3 damage and -1 to hit, +3 damage for power attack
Ranged (pistol): +5 = +2 (base) +3 (DEX)
Ranged damage (pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
-2 to hit if full round both warhammer and pistol
Rage adds +4 STR and +4 DEX
7/8 rage
Figgy reads the writings on the wall.
The writing on the wall sheds a bit more truth, assuming someone can
translate it (the words are written in Kasatha, and likely require a comprehend languages spell to understand them)it is numerous prayers to someone the writer refers to as "The Shadow in the Sand" or "The Poison in the Plant" or "The Final Father" and the like. The prayers themselves are a strange mixture of awe, adoration, frustration, and anger toward Zyphus, and anyone who reads the bulk of them comes away with the impression that the writer has been cursed by Zyphus and both hates and loves the god for it.
The door that wouldn't open to the brown striped card opens readily to the black. The door opens into a 10-foot-wide, 5-foot-long corridor that ends at an unlocked door that opens into area C1 of the science deck.
Cl. Security Desk.
A large metal desk with blinking lights and strange glowing panels sits atop a raised area on the east side of this room near a circular table. Two couches covered with black material sit to the south a pair of black metal pillars. Splatters of dried blood stain the floor and walls near a pair of doors to the north, while here and there patches of rust-red mold and fungus cling to the southern wall. The room itself is brightly lit by glowing panels on the ceiling.
Taking a look at the new room made JJ whistle a bit. "Probably wouldn't be a bad place if it wasn't for it looking like a wreck... and the bloodstains..." He looked around the room for anything interesting, including the door at the back. 'Where does this lead...' He thought to himself as he tried to open it.
Jeremiah finds it requires the black card to open this room, it seems to have been some form of storage area. Most of it is now just rubble and junk.
Searching the lockers that remain does find some more useful salvage though.
a fully functional flashlight,
3 batteries,
26 silverdisks.
One of the lockers contains a small locked security bin. This bin has a white-labeled panel on its surface.
As the party advances Dilana is feeling happy with herself. When this started I did not know how useful I would be to real adventurers but I think I might actually be more useful doing this then making shoes.
"What kind of place have we found? It feels so unnatural doesn't it?
Ugh, blood. Tybalt, do you think this could be a sign of Khonnir?"
Raktar's magic starts to close up Roga's wounds. Once the ritual is complete, Raktar smiles up at the Roga before moving on with the rest of the group. He listens to Figgy's translation with concern. "If there are worshippers of Zyphus around here we should be careful - they like to set up traps to sacrifice the unwary to their debased lord."
The room they move into is another marvel of technology. "I hope that blood isn't Khonnir's," he says in response to Dilana, "but something has clearly happened in here."
"This is rather ... interesting. I don't see Khonnor though, is there more doors here?" Figgy will look for the white stripes card and open the security bin
With the creature dead and everyone patching their wounds, Tybalt followed close along in his silent awe of everything around him.
"Probably wouldn't be a bad place if it wasn't for it looking like a wreck... and the bloodstains..."
"What kind of place have we found? It feels so unnatural doesn't it?"
"Unnatural, but interesting. Even stories from Worldwound can't compare." the scavenger smiles. "And I've heard plenty of those."
"If there are worshipers of Zyphus around here we should be careful - they like to set up traps to sacrifice the unwary to their debased lord."
"Might explain previous trap." Tybalt puts a hand to his chin. Presence of evil god's writings troubling. Reminds me of rumor in town I heard...
"Ugh, blood. Tybalt, do you think this could be a sign of Khonnir?"
"I hope that blood isn't Khonnir's," he says in response to Dilana, "but something has clearly happened in here."
"It's certainly a sign of some form of life..." He walks over, kneels down close, and swipes a finger through the blood.
Although not an expert by any means, Roga added his opinion on the blood found. He really wanted to see if how old it was and to what type of creature it belonged to.
He slapped JJ on the back at his find and shone the flashlight around a few times. "I'll stick to my magical warhammer as long as Dilana is around and willing."
He then turned to the two places they could go and turned north again, "I think we should follow the blood..."
-----------